This Sunday from 7 to 9pm, My9 will present Gospelfest 2008, the 25th anniversary celebration! It is what all the press releases and tv promotions have revealed and so much more!

Before I forget, the scholarships: There are more than a dozen, five-thousand dollars each. The first graduates with four years of paid education come out this year! The program has a 100 percent graduation rate! And winners this year get scholarships and dreams that can come true with support and lots of blessings from the folk who make this McDonald’s Gospelfest possible- McDonald’s!

I feel so blessed to have seen it, to have been apart of it, that I had to take another opportunity to encourage you or remind you to watch. It doesn’t matter about your faith or religion. It’s not about that. The music will move you. Seeing the talent will transform you. The kids are awesome! And the messages are personal, those sent and how they are received. Being a part of it is an experience that lifts you up, especially during a time in the world, when there’s enough that tries to take us down.

Excuse me while I get downright giggly and fan-like. First, I got to go on FOX5’s Good Day New York and give viewers a sample of some of the performances: Newark’s own, Cissy Houston, from Brooklyn, Hezekiah Walker, the ageless energizing quartet, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, the hip hop minister, Kirk Franklin, praisedancers, poets, steppers and choirs!

Richard Huff of the Daily News was so kind in his comments about me and of course, the event.

My guest on Real Talk was the fabulous Emmy award winning producer, without which the show would surely not be possible—A. Curtis Farrow.

And I got to be on radio ( a fallback to my early tv/radio days and memories in Georgia). Pastor Hezekiah Walker’s Show Saturday afternoon on WLIB had me running out of the nail shop from under the pedicure dryer to talk to the listeners and get a personal thrill speaking to such a gospel star! And Sunday morning, (Official excuse, written signature possible-sorry I can’t be at church, I have to work.) I get to talk with Toya Beasley on the radio at KISS during her Inspirations and Morning Glory Show at 9:30.

Did YOU ever stand on the stage of the new Prudential Center in Newark? I did! It is a magnificent facility! Such a spendid performance arena! I got to be on stage and introduce the artists (major star-struck moment for the churchlady!) . Who knows maybe next time one might ask me to join in…probably not…but in the meantime, you can see REAL musical talent and some very special performances, showcased on McDonald’s Gospelfest 2008.

I can hardly wait to see the final product. Let me know what you think!

Here’s another piece of paper that surfaced as I continue to clean out the files. It’s dated 2002 and I won’t disclose the initial sender’s personal web address but will say my friend Rolland shared it with me. It’s called “A Different Kind of Prayer”

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.
Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can’t make change correctly is a worried 19-year old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.
Remind us, Lord that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.
Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.
Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not just to those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, patient, sympathetic and loving.
Amen!

And the cleaning and thinking and sharing continues.

I am sooo country, my first memory of airplanes is my parents taking me and my brother on Sunday afternoons out to the airport and watching the planes take off and land.  They were big and beautiful and always flying overhead with such fascination for us who thought only the “rich” got to ride on them. 

The first time I actually knew someone who rode on a plane was my Aunt Eloise who flew to Columbus, Georgia, all the way from Buffalo, New York.  That must surely be another world away I thought!  And she had striped suitcases that were soooo stuffed!  And oh that family strut was so familiar clear across the terminal!  Wow!  She must surely be rich to come all the way to Georgia on an airplane.  That seems a lifetime ago!

Last week I got to go on vacation.  The plane ride was a very, very, very long flight, within the 50 states, admittedly across the country.  Thank God for the eventual destination and its history and ultimate relaxation.  The flight however was the worst part of the week away from work.

The first leg of the flight-power failure.  The second leg-three passengers carted off by ambulance personnel.  I don’t know what their ailments were.  It was not revealed.  One walked off.  The other two went by ambulatory chairs.  At least they were conscious.  At least the plane was not quarantined. 

Throughout all flights to and from the vacation destination there were sneezing, coughing, nose-blowing, passengers!  The food-in first class was over-nuked.  In economy, puchased for seven bucks, not worth three!  Customer service on the ground-rude, some downright incompetent and I won’t begin to discuss the people I tried to talk with over the phone. 

How dare I be so ungrateful when there are so many who wish they could get a vacation, a trip away from the day-to-day-grind?  Well, isn’t that what blogs are for?  The chance every now and then to speak on subjects like this?  At least I didn’t name the airline.  And afterall, I will end with a bit of thankfulness for the day that I can now ride on planes with stuffed suitcases myself.  And I now I call the New York area, home.  I just have to pay extra when my suitcases are stuffed and overweight!

There’s something about a good speech that transcends time. Some of the best we still remember, and like to quote. Even if we are not particularly fond of the author, what is written and said is often profound and worth professing again and again. Let’s see if you can guess, who said this before it is done. Here’s a hint. The author is a politician. The speech was made in 2004. The audience was in America. I bring it to your intention only because he mentions no particular party affiliation but lifts the American spirit, which I believe could use a little lifting right now:

“My fellow Anmericans: we are here tonight united in one simple purpose: to make America stronger at home and respected in the world.
My fellow Americans, this is the most important election of our lifetime. The stakes are high. We are a nation at war–a global war on terror against an enemy unlike any we have ever known before. And here at home, wages are falling, health care costs are rising, and our great middle class is shrinking. People are working weekends; they’re working two jobs, three jobs, and they’re still not getting ahead.
We’re told that outsourcing jobs is good for America.
We can do better and we will. We’re the optimists. For us, this is a country of the future. We’re the can do people. And let’s not forget what we did in the 1990’s. We balanced the budget. We paid down the debt. We created 23 million new jobs. We lifted millions out of poverty and we lifted the standard of living for the middle class. We just need to believe in ourselves — and we can do it again.
My fellow Americans, the world tonight is very different from the world of four years ago. But I believe the American people are more than equal to the challenge.
I am proud that after September 11th all our people rallied to President Bush’s call for unity to meet the danger. There were no Democrats. There were no Republicans. There were only Americans.

Did you guess yet? Democratic presidential candidate from Massachusetts — Sen. John Kerry. He was 60 then. And in the same speech mention working, “…with John McCain, to find the truth about POW’s and missing in action…” Oh the difference the days and years make. Oh how history changes things.

Speeches. Some statements ring true over time. The time for all Americans to believe we can make our lives better and overcome our challenges before us is now. Don’t forget — vote.

You’ve heard the stories about men and women who insist upon invading people’s privacy to the point they have to be arrested and prosecuted. Stalkers. And worst men and women who assault and kill, often in the case of domestic situations. You don’t have to be a celebrity to be approached constantly by someone you’ve told to “Stay away!”. Or someone you don’t know who means you harm and you suspect the worst might occur. So I figured this is a good place to remind all of us to develop our street smarts. Here are some tips that may help you avoid a robbery, a stalker or someone who means you harm:

Avoid giving robbers the advantage by walking alone at night. If you must be alone, travel well-lit, well-traveled streets and plan your route. Tell somebody where you’re going!

Leave the bling at home. Carry only what you need in cash and jewelry. Big bags can be a big problem by making you a target.

Don’t cut through parks, alleys, schoolyards or unknown neighborhoods. Shortcuts can shorten your life. You need the exercise and longevity.

Look confident. Head up. Sure steps. Not frightened or lost looks. Scary lost looks say, Bad guy, here I am!

Shopping malls: Be alert. If you feel you’re being followed, go back inside and contact security.

Don’t talk to strangers.

And avoid loiterers.

If you feel you are being followed, walk toward a gas station, restaurant, police or fire station or any open business for help. Head toward people who can help.

A simple whistle might save your life. It’s loud, cheap and gets attention.

Be safe. Be street smart.  (I actually came across some tips like these as I cleaned out some file cabinets and clutter at home.  So watch out, as the clutter goes away, more blogs will come forth.)

This is an insert to a speech I’ve used, literally for decades. I thought it was time I shared it with everyone! Afterall I believe you should share the best with others and the best always comes back. It’s taken from “The Stress Examiner”, Aid Association for Lutherans, 1982. It’s called, “Each Day is a New Account”

If you had a bank that credited your account each morning with $86,000…
that carried over no balance from day to day…
allowed you to keep no cash in your accounts…
and every evening cancelled whatever part of the amount
you had failed to use during the day…
What would you do?
Draw out ever cent every day, of course, and use it to your advantage!
Well, you have such a bank…and its name is “Time”.
Every morning, it credits you with 86-thousand, 400-seconds. Every night, it writes off as lost, whatever of this, you have failed to invest, in good purpose.
It allows no overdrafts.
Each day, it opens a new account for you.
Each night, it burns the records of the day.
If you fail to use the day’s deposit, the loss is yours.
There is no going back.
There is no drawing against the “Tomorrow’.
It is up to each of us to invest this precisous fund of hours, minutes and seconds in order to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success!

Hopefully this adds something worth thinking about to each of your days.

My generation had a war. Did yours? Unfortunately this generation does too. Kids doing battle. Young men and women going from backyard barbecues at home to foreign countries and someone else’s backyards for God only knows what awaits them there. I found a poem from one of my classmates who went off to war, back in the day. It’s called, “What’s A Soldier” by Sp4 H. Scott. I confess I haven’t been in touch with him for decades. I hope he is somewhere safe and well. I wonder today if his sentiments are the same of the soldiers of today? Here are his words:

A soldier is a government instrument
He works but never receive any compliment
He learn and he train
He struggle and he strain
His masters are people of great fear
The day become like a complete year
He loses his personality and his pride
He has no where to run, no where to hide
He never know where he will go until he’s there
He sit and wonder if it’s all really fair
He’s up in the morning before the morning sun
Always rushing or in a near run
He’s called to order with a whistle and a shout
A guy yells, “Come on get it out”
He train all day until almost he bend
When it’s all over, he wish for some revenge

To all the families of the military, my prayers are with you and your loved ones. To young Justin who headed to Iraq a few days ago, a special prayer for you and your pregnant wife you left behind. May you return home soon a proud papa, able to tell your son or daughter, that you are a veteran now. And proud to be an American. And maybe there will be no war for the next generation.

I said I wouldn’t do it, but I am. I must. The compelling voting part of me must remind the journalist within that it’s okay to blog about something that’s just bursting to come forth! Wake up people and jog your memories!

Okay, I admit I jogged my own memory with the internet and used a USA Today article from 2002 as my reference.

President Bush and the wise Congress in place in 2002 gave tax breaks to big old SUV, truck owners, write off’s as business expenses, hefty deductions, tax code sanctions! That’s right! The bigger the better! “Taxpayers for Common Sense, a non-partisan Washington watchdog group, estimates the SUV tax loophole could cost taxpayers between $840 million and $987 million for 100,000 vehicles sold to businesses.”

Can you say Hummer? Have you filled yours up lately? Are the drivers too embarassed to be seen? I’m not knocking the drivers, just trying to jog our memories. Why? Even then, some folk were talking about the real dangers of those tax breaks and how they were counter to fuel efficiency, even then! “A more economical fleet would aid two important national goals: reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil and cutting greenhhouse gases.”

Anything sounding familiar, yet? Long gas lines. Remember years gone by? The long hot summer isn’t here yet. But imagine trying to live through it in a home you can barely afford to live in and certainly can’t afford to cool off. That’s real. That’s now. That’s not 2002.

Jog that memory. Don’t forget where we’ve been. Only you can make a difference in what your future looks like. Vote. Now that you know, you can’t blame it on politcal forgetfulness.

Tomorrow is the first day of summer schedule at my church. That means getting there for an earlier scheduled service than usual. I confess I can’t blame their schedule on my already scheduled “noshow”. I like church. It’s like exercise. Once I go, I’m always glad I did. I just don’t wanna get up, get dressed and try to look “extra special” (make-up and hair done right for public critique). Maybe it’s a flashback each Sunday to days gone by when my brother and I were forced to load into the car once for Sunday School locally in our town and then reloaded into an all day service many miles and many country roads away, every second and fourth Sunday. We were greased down and shined up with vaseline from head to toe in winter and patent leather shoes that reflected in our bright shiny smiles so happy to see our country cousins in the summer heat. Nowadays, the only draw to get me to rise and shine and give God the glory outside my home and into the Vestibule that is my church home is GUILT and a dynamic minister. I’m blessed to have one. Dr. Small had some words of wisdom I actually wrote down during service. I will paraphase a little as I try to repeat some of his recent sermon, some phrases I shared with an audience I addressed recently. I always give credit to the author. I found them useful all week following Sunday services:

Today is transition time! I extend to you today an invitation to life. Live it. One day at a time. The journey is yours. Live it. Enjoy it. Don’t let anyone take away your joy! Being accepted by others is not important. The most important acceptance does not come from ordinary man. You must look to the extraordinary. You have it in you. You must discover it. It will set you free. Keep the faith. You are significant! You have integrity! You have a life worth living! It is transition time! Make this your transition time!

See what I mean. He’s gooood! Inspirational! There’s been a lot said about ministers lately in the media. I’m glad I have one I can be proud of. And whether I go to church or not, it’s no reflection on him. For he’s certainly worth listening to, an impressive role model and a reason to sit in the pews and reflect on the Word any Sunday morning, no matter what the scheduled time. Aw shucks, I might just show up this Sunday!

There is a doctor I know who is one of the most patient people whom I’ve ever met.  And he tries to teach others to be patient, too.  Perhaps he has to be in his field of medicine working with so many people who have blood disorders or need chemotherapy or cancer treatments that take time.  He often counsels family members on being patient with patients and the process of healing.  Sometimes medical procedures really are quite simple, but not easy, and quite stressful, often painful, but more often require patience.

That is one quality we have so little of.  We can’t sit at a traffic light a full minute without annoyance creeping in.  How dare the driver in front of us pass the three second count before proceeding after the red light turns green.  And don’t you dare proceed at a slow, gradually gain speed.  You WILL get “honked” at, perhaps yelled at, and as we all know could get the royal hello with one of four fingers pointing in the opposite direction.  Where is the patience?

I saw a poor dog on the streets of Manhattan yesterday.  An inpatient person was on the other end of the leash.  The white tiny fluffy breed of cuteness would pause and get snatched away for taking more than a second to squat nicely before trying to attempt to do its “duty” in front of God and everybody. Upon realizing the rush requirements, while being pulled along, she pulled back a liitle as if to beg…please, pause for a cause for 45 seconds, won’t ‘ya?  The leash holder did.  And the poor pooch did too.  Where is the patience?

I never considered myself a patient person.  But one day last year my daughter got REALLY sick.  Intensive Care Unit, 52 days.  Hospitalization, 3 months.  Rehab hospital, 3 months.  Home rehab, on-going, but recovery predictions: 100%.  Where was the patience?  It came as miraculously as she came back when others predicted she would not.  (I believe miracles are part of the patient world where prayers preside).

Where is the patience?  You can find it in yourself the next time you’re in a hurry but your child, your spouse, your friend, your parent,  wants you to stop.  Think of each moment with a person as precious, rather than the “thing” you have to do.

Where is the patience?  Remember the first time you learned to drive and thought it was exciting and all the possibilities it opened up for you?  Think of that the next time you’re behind a slow driver and chuckle instead of cursing.  Your blood pressure will thank you.

Where is the patience?  Inside of each of us.  Please, find it.  Use it.  I did.  You can too.