Perspectives

The fruit of the spirit works in the same manner, as the arduous task of gardening, it requires nurturing and a labor of love to cultivate or bring forth what was planted. The farmer does not care who gets credit, but rather ensures every seedling makes it to harvest, and if a neighboring farm is in trouble, there is no contemplation, he will spare nothing to ensure their success as well. 1 Corint...

As for the modern church it is ever more important to know with the utmost assurance who Jesus is. Humanity is crying out as people are left homeless and destitute, absent of human contact and the selflessness of love,  they are deeply longing for a savior,  but more importantly one they can literally and figuratively see in us. When Jesus bid the disciples to follow him, they did not do...

Relationships are invaluable in life and to our livelihood. Knowing someone, not knowing of them, requires authenticity, allowing others to see us as we are, faults and all. Not one filled with unnecessary titles or insignificant boasts of brilliant feats and accomplishments, but rather one comprised of recurrent interaction, honesty, and unmerited trust. That is what each of our relationships sho...

During the last few weeks, we have breached several topics that in some way or another affects each of us which include: our personal struggles; our treatment of others; our acceptance by other; our reluctance; and God's love for us. As we transition into the new year, my desire is to air the series, walk with me, in three-parts . Today is part one of that series. I believe it is important for us,...

In life we are influenced, albeit positively or negatively, to do and accomplish countless things: learn a new language; play a musical instrument; go back to school; lose a few pounds; get back in shape; save more money; run a marathon an unending and sometimes unyielding list of sorts that goes on and on. s we approach the precipice of another year, we begin once more to make those list with gre...

This Christmas like many others before, we devoted countless hours, … searching for the right gift,  a perfect gift of sorts,  as a way of expressing our love and gratitude towards one another. Of course, gifts are never equitable, in our minds, because it always seems as if one gave more than the other.  Suppose however, the one that gave apparently less, from a monetary perspectiv...

Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I am not speaking of Greed. I am speaking of something that effects each one of us, something we cannot explain in the absence of God, that void in life that no matter how we try or what we try to fill it with, we still walk away, empty, and unsatisfied. Longing for something, but not exactly s...

Miracles prevail throughout scripture, in both the Old and New Testament, they serve as a reminder of possibilities, hope where none existed before.  While we can only plead and pray, the miracles I am referring to don’t occur by the hands of mystics, magicians, genies, and the sort. Only God is able to bring such things to pass, things we consider humanly impossible. As we watch happenings u...

Troubles in life come when we believe the grass is always greener on the other side. We are taken aback, believing that others have it better than us. We are always wanton never satisfied, given to greed, wanting more and more in abundance, feeling that what we have (what God gave us) is insufficient or less than adequate

I am a neat freak of sorts, and in some ways a recovering perfectionist. Everything has a place, and when it is not, it causes a slew of unnecessary chaos. Each day before leaving work everything is perfectly aligned on my desk, upon entering my office I can tell immediately if something is out of place. The term Cleaning House can have many inferences; from actual cleaning to removing or changing...

Are we great and mighty or frail and fragile? Do we have the strength to slay giants or do our hearts fail in the face of danger? Fervent in prayer; steadfast in faith. While we would like these things to be true about us, I am afraid that my life is a mix of each; strong, but weak; courageous and yet withdrawn. My indictment is not the lack of my perfectness (because none of us are), but rather c...

To define what is beautiful is difficult because beauty is, as the old saying goes, in the eyes of the beholder. … What is beautiful to us may not be to another. … To regard something as beautiful, it must meet our own definition and concept of beauty. The fact that beauty is an individual concept is understood by all. … However, … many do not realize that God’s concept of beauty is also His own....

Prayer is not a matter of convenience, but it is borne out of necessity. … But … before we go any further, we must address the purpose and our need for prayer. … Common belief is that we only pray when we are in trouble or we want something. … but again, that is not the genuine intent of prayer. … truthfully … we should pray in good times as well… Of course! … God gives good gifts to his children,...

Routinely in our lives we find ourselves, in unfamiliar places, … away from what we would customarily consider normal. … It is easy to simply excuse it as life, but … in relation to God it is common and necessary, … not because he desires to hurt us, but out of his longing for us to grow. What if I told our lives here are not as precious as where we long to spend eternity? Therefore, it becomes mo...

Home encompasses many things; it is where families reside, and our most coveted memories come from. Statistics reveal, each year millions of people purchase homes … they may comprise of a one person living on thousands of acres alone or … as some would believe the immaterial equivalent of 200 square feet, used to house twelve. The character of a home can reveal the prosperity of its owner or the d...

Today’s podcast is unique as I was presented a very rare opportunity and distinct honor to have a conversation with the esteemed Dr. Robert L. Fairley, Pastor Emeritus, of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, in San Bernardino, California.  Dr. Robert L. Fairley was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and is the eldest brother of five siblings. His father, Reverend Leonard Earl Fairley, was a wel...

Admittedly or not, we are often wrong about many things, … particularly our opinions, thoughts, and feelings towards others. … We cannot determine life’s outcome, as we are quick to assume someone is preordained to fail. … How others see us and how we believe they see us is of no consequence, because God does not examine us through the carnality of man’s eyes. … What you and I have done or the tro...

In our moments of great need we are unable to physically grasp with the strength of our hands the contents of a text or email, … they don’t resonate in our hearts the same way, but … in those rare instances we are able to cleave that letter, holding it closely to our heart, no matter how old, we go back to it time and again, as the words leap from its pages, and we picture the voice of the one who...

The parable of the “Prodigal Son” is one of love and forgiveness, the manifestation of God’s grace and mercy. It represents how God sees us and how repentance works as the “Father” welcomes us home.

We often question our value. What do we mean to others? and What do we mean to God? … Asking; Who am I that God would render his ear unto me, reaching far beyond the heavens to comfort me, right where I am?

There are things in our lives that, no matter how detrimental they may be to our wellbeing, they are so comforting we refuse to let them go. There are things in my life in which God must intervene because I am unable to save myself. When Samson laid in the lap of Delilah, he immediately woke at the sound of the coming Philistines, but when he shook himself the might of his strength had departed (J...

The mercies of God are never presented in the manner  which we expect. On the day of Pentecost, people were gathered from every corner, not in anticipation of what God was preparing to do at that moment, but out of obligation, custom and age old traditions that had very little to do with the events that transpired weeks earlier on a hill in Jerusalem, called “Calvary”. … The Gospel’s narrativ...

Fear is a natural phenomenon, … especially when we are not in complete control, on the other hand there are certain things that we do not have to fear because of the comfort and familiarity of our surroundings. Fear can have a positive or negative effect on us depending on the situation or expected outcome. Just as well fear at its most extreme can paralyze where we neither move forward or backwar...