Praise...I know it's rough...Praise...I know it hurts...Praise...I see your tears...Praise

Proverbs 22:6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

I was taken aback by an amazing kidnapping story.

First the article made me quite angry and sad that there are people in this world who harm innocent kids.  I don't watch the news often, but when I do I am pressed down by what I see.  People who are angry at one another just because.  Heck like the last Batman movie I saw said, "Sometimes crazy doesn't even have a reason."

Anyway enough of that let me tell you about the amazing joy in this kidnapping.  Apparently this child in Atlanta was playing in his front yard when a man drove up in snatched him.

Sorry I got a side track again. Remember when we were young and the entire town was your playground.  You could play in the woods, next to a field, on any sidewalk, and you were safe.

Ok seriously back to the story.  The child was held captive for about three hours.  In those three hours he sang over and over and over and over and over and over and over again - Every Praise by Hezekiah Walker.

Over and over and over and over again - until he was set free unharmed.  Simply put he got kicked out of the car.  The man couldn't take it anymore!  The child said the man was cursing at him.

Point one he didn't sing save me Jesus...He didn't sing help me Lord...Bless his heart he didn't even call for his Momma.  I ain't gonna  to lie.  I am all the way grown and I would have called out for Momma.  But this child sang a PRAISE song! 

Point two - God dwelled in his praises and the devil couldn't take it.

Hezekiah Walker is a famous gospel singer and he was so moved by the child's act that he went and met the little boy.

Life is hard things don't always go our way.  Sometimes you wonder if you can get any lower, but I tell you what Praise him anyway!

Point three - I'm going find me a song and a verse that I can apply to some situations.  Uh maybe you should too!...Your life depends on it.

The Article

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/10-year-old-sings-gospel-song-defeat-ga-kidnapper-article-1.1761282

The Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Uph7WaFNHU&feature=player_embedded

I know a boat load of people but only a few ride in my ship (Friendship)

I know a boat load of people but only a few ride in my ship (Friendship)

Proverbs 18:24

King James Version (KJV) 24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

I’ve been blessed to live a few decades and walk this earth with the knowledge that I truly have some ride or die flight or fight laugh or cry praying  arguing  hugging supporting  friends (The blessing is in the singular the favor is in the plural).

The word friend is defined as:

• friend/frɛnd/ Show Spelled [frend] Show IPA

noun

1. a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard.

2. a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter: friends of the Boston Symphony.  

3. a person who is on good terms with another; a person who is not hostile: Who goes there? Friend or foe?  

4. a member of the same nation, party, etc.

5. ( initial capital letter ) a member of the Religious Society of Friends; a Quaker.

*http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/friend

But what the word friend truly means is personal and much deeper.

My friends and I have had some comical situations that are classified and not to be spoken of again and some sad ones that God truly got us through together.

With Facebook (which for the record I am not knocking Facebook in anyway because when used properly it can be a blessing to family and friendships, and on occasion my dinner table)   you  may have several friends on Facebook and hundreds following you on other social media outlets. Like little kids we want to have lots of friends. It is sort of funny because I know  we all get excited when we get a lot of people who like  our picture or our post, its almost an addictive form of approval.  Again I AIN’T Knocking Facebook!  What I am presenting is a dose of Real, on there.

  I instill in young folks this thought, you really only need one true friend like David, one that is like a brother to you.  Everyone you have beyond that is an extra blessing so honor those relationships with compassion with love in faith and with loyalty. 

In the oh wise words of the rap group Whodini on the Escape album released in 1984 (YIKES) Friends how many of us have them.

All glory to God and oodles of thanks for those who I truly call “FRIEND”

Walking in Son Shine

Walking in Son-Shine 

Oh the day finally came today on April Fool's Day of all days when the calendar date of spring and the beautiful Spring weather converged to bring forth an AMAZING 82 degree day here in the city.

I know some of you may be grumbling because your still watching snow melt, but don't worry I have seen what's coming for you and it is full of cherry blossoms, red cardinals, and the awesome smell of honeysuckle.

I'm from the North, but I have become a shrimp and grits eating,  Sun Drop soda drinking true southern girl.  I like my chicken fried hard and my winter's mild.  To become a true southerner I had to commit to certain saying like, "Bless your heart!"  and "Yawl".   People make fun of these sayings, but quite honestly to me they are poetic and romantic, but that's a conversation for another day.

Today I sat warming up the Echo (don't judge she is an all weather warm up vehicle)  and I watched as people were exiting my office building.  I wish I had a video camera to show you the darkness turn to light. 

Most of us spend all day in the office, we eat at our desk and look out the window at the beautiful sky and before we can fully convince ourselves that we can take ten minutes to go outside, the phone stops our fantasy and its back to the grind.

So it was beautiful to see the gloomy faces as they came out of the shadows of the fluorescent lit hallway and opened the door into sunshine and warmth.  Grown adults showed child like smiles as if it were the end of a school day and they were free to play.  These hard working adults carrying briefcases full of work to take home and tilted their heads up to the Carolina blue sky!  They walked smiling to their cars.  The day may have been rough but God's art work and weather creation made all the stress if only for a moment ALL GOOD.  Ok maybe some of the joy was that they were headed home, but I believe the warm weather fed our souls.

Take the Son (this is not a typo) with you and you can always walk in sunshine.

Walking in Son-Shine