Decisions…Decisions…
Posted on August 12
DECISIONS…DECISIONS… Where we will be tomorrow depends on the decisions that we make today. Decisions determine our destiny. We all must make decisions concerning COVID-19. There are good, smart people on all sides of the issues. Decisions made will reflect our attitude towards ourselves and other people. One issue is about wearing masks. I will wear one at appropriate times to communicate that I care about other people. Let me paraphrase a famous statement by... more »
Posted in Inspirational
God Has a Tattoo
Posted on August 5
GOD HAS A TATTOO Did you know that God has a tattoo? Isaiah 49:15 (NLT) says, “Can a mother forget her little child and not have love for her own son? I will never forget you; Look, I have tattooed your name in the palm of my hand.” Sometimes we feel like God has forgotten about us. This is true for many people during the past few months with the spread of the COVID-19, the... more »
Posted in Inspirational
The Boy from Troy
Posted on July 29
THE BOY FROM TROY A young boy was born to a sharecropper on the outskirts of Troy, AL. He was the third of ten children. Not many people would project that he could make much of a difference, but the Boy from Troy became a difference-maker. Let me share five lessons of life that we can learn from John Lewis. Where you start from is not nearly as important as where you end up. John Lewis... more »
Posted in Inspirational
A Game-Changing Question
Posted on July 22
A GAME-CHANGING QUESTION Years ago, a friend asked me a question that has helped me focus on an aspect of my purpose in life. He said, “John Ed, who are you influencing to do what you’ve been doing when you are no longer here to do it?” Great question! A game-changer! It involves intentional prioritizing, mentoring, and training. I had a good African-American friend who died in July 2020 who did the best job in... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Hello, My Name Is…
Posted on July 15
HELLO, MY NAME IS… It’s so important for every person to return the Census information so that they are counted. Your name counts! It’s important for you, for our state, and our nation. A census worker came to an unpretentious house. When he knocked on the door, he was greeted by a weary mother. He said, “Lady, I want to know how many there are in this family. How many children do you have?” “Well…” she said in a leisurely... more »
Posted in Inspirational
A Bright Light in History
Posted on July 8
A BRIGHT LIGHT IN HISTORY Are you aware of the important place that the Bible played in the early history of our nation? What influence does the Bible have today in governing our personal lives and governmental practices? The Continental Congress was closely related to the American Bible Society. Elias Boudinot was the president of the Continental Congress in 1782 and the first president of the American Bible Society. Our sixth U.S. President, John Quincy Adams,... more »
Posted in Inspirational
What Can I Do? – Part IV: Lift & Lead
Posted on July 1
WHAT CAN I DO? – PART IV: LIFT & LEAD 5. LIFT. When I truly listen, learn, lean, and love – I then lift people. People of all educational backgrounds, social standings, races, nationalities, denominations – we all need to lift each other. Paul says, “build each other up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) The Bible says that when one person tries to stand alone, it’s dangerous, because if he falls, there’s nobody available to help him up. (Ecclesiastes... more »
Posted in Inspirational
What Can I Do? – Part III: Lean & Love
Posted on June 24
WHAT CAN I DO? – PART III: LEAN & Love My first two steps are to listen and to learn. These lead me to lean on God and love all people. 3. LEAN. It is tempting in our day and age to think that we humans are so smart we can figure out all the answers. We have smart people, but the answers to the greatest issues of life come from God! “Trust in God and... more »
Posted in Inspirational
What Can I Do? – Part II: Learn
Posted on June 17
WHAT CAN I DO? – PART II: LEARN Last week, I wrote about how I have been listening. My next step is to learn. 2. LEARN. Authentic listening creates a platform for learning. I’ve learned so much about what many of my friends have been exposed to in this community – some really tough things. The best way to learn about people of another race is to sit down and listen to their stories. Learning brings change.... more »
Posted in Inspirational
What Can I Do? – Part I: Listen
Posted on June 10
WHAT CAN I DO? – PART I: LISTEN America can never be the same following the fight against COVID-19 and the expressions of racism and protests. Injustice against anybody at any level must be eliminated! Arriving at that victory is possible – but it must be approached with integrity, love, forgiveness, and respect for others. I don’t have all of the answers, but I do have some things that I’m going to practice myself. On Tuesday, June 2,... more »
