[Repost of an article from my January 7, 2011 Blog]
“…like crabs in a basket…”… A derogatory remark, normally associated with a group who is either fighting against each other; or who is trying to hold others in the group back so much so, that there is no chance of progression.
I heard this term used the other day in a sermon at a church meeting. As I was sitting; listening, I began to think;
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With COVID still going on, it’s possible that there will be more home schooling, or distance learning. I've spoken on this before; but I’ll talk about it again now. I believe we really need to rethink how we educate in America. In my opinion, designer, self-paced, personalized education is going to become the norm.
I agree that there should be national standards. A basic, minimal core of topics should be taught and mastered. But, the way that they are taught should be subjective. In my opinion, a few things need to be considered.
Having said that, I think the ultimate role teachers and instructors will play is that of a coach or counselor to the learning experience. And, perhaps the brick and mortar school buildings will
It’s steam from boiling water that has been cooled and returned to the liquid state. Salt, minerals and other organic materials have been removed from the boiling process.
This is water that comes straight from the faucet. It may usually have been disinfected with chlorine and sediments removed.
Filtered water is tap water that has been strained through filters to remove chlorine and other bacteria
[Repost and edit from my August 22, 2021 Blog]
This is my encouraging word for today… Be. Confident. In. Who. You. Are. Self-esteem is a game changer. It could add to your success or your demise. So work on improving how you see yourself. I would venture to say that you may not always be doing something wrong. It may be that you just haven't found your tribe; your clique; or your team.
Saying, or thinking that you're doing something wrong seems to be the go to answer when others find your actions out of alignment with their thinking and or timing. But those same people somehow seem to accept similar behavior from others.
In my varied life experiences, I've seen people who follow the rules and try to do everything "right" and still don't seem to progress as much as they desire. Yet, people whom about we've pondered, "How the hell did they even learn to breathe"--seem to have amassed immeasurable success!
So, what's really going on? Maybe, you are doing it right; but, not for the people you are currently
Regardless of if you have a home office or work place facility, don't forget to clean your fan! I was picking up a bit around my work area/home office room and started to sweat. I'd just returned from the outside and thought, "it wasn't that hot out there".
I know that heat is trapped inside of a building, but still, it was warmer than usual. I was going to reach over to turn on the fan, but noticed that it was already on. Dusty, but on. It wasn't properly moving and circulating the air. But, let me tell you something. Taking 5 minutes to take the fan apart to clean the plastic blades and frame guard made a world of difference!
There was such an increase of airflow, and you could feel the room cool down almost immediately--and it wasn't even on high.
Sometimes we forget to service the tools we use in our professions. This post was merely talking about
[Repost for a previous blog of October 3, 2016]
Simply put, I like Red Delicious Apples because they make me feel good. I usually eat apples on and off throughout the year. But, in particular around this time of year …and spring time I usually like to eat them because they help open my clogged nasal passages and sniffles.
I’ve often felt that there were a lot of health benefits to eating apples and believed that there was some truth to the axiom “An apple a day keeps the doctors away”. So, I stopped being lazy and decided to actually do a little research.
On the
[Repost & revision from previous Blog of January 6, 2011]Sometimes when we are going through difficulties in life, we ask ourselves, “How am I gonna fix this one?” I suggest the question we should or could be asking is, “Is there any thing to hard for the Lord/Word?”
This question was posed in the Bible in the book of Genesis 18:14. During this biblical episode a truth was revealed to me, which is: At all times and in every situation, look to God which is described in John 1:1 as the Word. We should realize that there is nothing too hard for the Word. It is our strength and present help; our fortress and strong tower. You should either be thanking It for a provision, and/or deliverance; or asking for the pathway out.
In the episode mentioned in Genesis, Abraham and Sarah were being told that they would be having a
[Repost from previous blog in November, 2020]
True story... I was sitting at the table and was trying to decide which salt to use; Table Salt or Sea Salt. My inner self quietly asked, "why do you need to add extra salt at all?" And I replied: Because I want it!! I love that taste and flavor! So, I reached over and added a "little" of each. 😳 Yep, I did that. Now, I'm writing about why--amongst other things.
I usually reach for the salt shaker because of habit. In my younger years, when I exercised a lot, or did a lot of manual work, it wasn't an issue because I got a chance to sweat a lot. Which, I think that might be the case for many people. But now, I have a need to create a new habit. Paying more attention to what and how I eat.
I've actually been moving in that direction for quite a while …since my days in the military. But,
2024 is the perfect time to begin something new and invest in yourself by increasing your knowledge. I was doing some research for possible articles for Black History month and other topics and ran a cross some great resources.
There are thousands of free books, recordings and videos on every topic you can think of.
Since I was researching black history, the resources I've included below are about that topic. But you can do similar searches and find information on the topic you want. This is a great time to be alive!
With a cell phone and a laptop, you can have access to much of what you would have if you were enrolled in a university. Actually, you can do that too.
The links below are for google searches and a three great free eBook and audio recording sites I found.
I wanted to explore the topic of Being a disciple in everyday life. In one way or the other, we are all followers of something. This is my story. I grew up as a preacher’s kid. My mom was the minister, and my dad was a deacon. I grew up with a good foundation in believing of an existence of a God. I found my truth along my path of growth; and I’m still growing to this day.
This writing, along with others that may follow, may eventually become a series of eBooks. But for now, they are posts and articles, amongst my other posts, that describe my belief and approach to life as a Disciple of Christ, the Living Word. On the site, they will be under the hashtag and category of "Thoughts Of A Disciple". Primarily, I've decided to place most of my thoughts and information on YouTube in a playlist, "Thoughts of a Disciple: God is Word". I am hoping something will be said that will be both helpful and enlightening. I believe we all need encouragement. Life can be perplexing at times; and words of encouragement can often help along the way.
I’m writing this as a conversation, so there will be a lot of recalling, some reflecting, and going back and forth. Revisiting situations and using them as analogies is my jam. Alibi: I am not a life coach, but I do have circumstances that one can learn from, and they will probably be mentioned from time to time. Also, this is MY Truth; how I relate to God. You may relate to God entirely differently, if so—I won’t judge you, so don’t judge me. It really is all about a personal relationship.
With that said, thank you for supporting me by purchasing and reading my books and visiting my website. Let’s get into it.
I believe that there is a God; and that God is Word—based on the scripture found in the book of John1:1. It took me a while to come to that realization because I had always imagined God in the form of mankind, which limited me terribly. Questions like What color is he/she? Why doesn’t he/she answer me? What did I do to piss him off today? Why did he do this or that when it says he loves me, and he doesn’t change? …and on, and on, and on, the questions kept coming.
When the epiphany came for me that God is Word; and I explored that possibility; then read, processed, and received the rest of John, Chapter 1, so many things cleared up for me. God became the very essence of the words and message I was reading. And like words, God was everywhere, all at once, at the same time—in different languages; being expressed in different ways—all around the world. God could be found in portions of script and scripture in every religion—regardless of how mankind had tried to change or manipulate the words. God, being TRUTH, could still be found! Even when portions of truth tried to be omitted, there were enough hints which were left to lead the reader to know: there was more to read and learn. To see more, check out the YouTube Playlist!
Playlist: Thoughts of a Disciple: God is Word
I’m here to say today that we are all time travelers! We don't realize it but, I believe that we
time travel through our memories and our imaginations. When we think about the past—and the things
that we've done; that is exactly like going back in time. Be it through your personal life or your
business decisions, because one rule of time travel is that even if you went
back in time, you are warned not to change the outcome. You can observe, but you’re warned
not to try to change anything in the past because you don’t know how it’s going
to truly affect your future. If you
decide not to do a thing, or maybe do something differently, you don't truly
know how that's going to affect you or the people around you (which was
demonstrated in the movie, “Back To The Future”, or the many
other science-fiction styled films that re-tale the storyline.
But in our memories and imaginations, it’s like the safety
switch is turned on so that you are free to explore. We can go back to that
point in time when we say, “oh man, I wish I had done this, or I wish I had
done that”. And in that space, we can create whole alternative situations. The
good thing about this process is, when we do travel back or forward in time, we
can see the mistakes and take notes of those things so that we
won't make the same mistake(s) now (in the present); or better prepare for the
future. I think that is the best way we can use our abilities as time
travelers. Now that you are aware--Happy
Trails, and Godspeed.
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I was sitting and thinking today that if there was ever a time for black people to learn about history, culture, and life, now would be that time. With modern technology, so much is available at your fingertips.
Even if people are trying to lie and keep the truth from you, you can find it. Even if mama and 'em never said another word about the past, so much truth is crying out from everywhere that it is undeniable. Now, is a wonderful time of opportunity and discovery.
Of course you can't believe every single thing you read on the internet; and things have to be researched and verified, but just simply being exposed to so much knowledge and information is simply amazing.
In many of our conversations, I think we get side tracked and focus on the wrong things. Even when distractions are plentiful when in the effort of some trying to hide the truth--knowledge is still there. Right in front of our faces.
For instance, even though some conservatives like the Florida Governor, don't want you to learn about the civil rights activities of circa 1954, if we just do the math-- that was only 69 years ago.
The Truth is many, many people are alive who are 69 years old... and much older. So the question is,
Since I’ve been back in my hometown, I’ve noticed I’ve been putting on weight… and my ankles look swollen. 🤨 In doing a few searches online, I discovered it could be from water retention. So, I thought I’d write an article about it.
There was one particular article found on Healthline.com that I thought was very interesting. It’s was called 6 Ways to Reduce Water Retention (Edema). Generally it said to:
1. Eat less salt
2. Increase Magnesium
3. Get more vitamin B6
4. Intake more Potassium
5. Try Dandelion
6. Limit refined carbs
Edema, water retention, happens when excessive fluid is retained in the circulatory system or within tissues—causing swelling in the hands, feet, ankles, and legs. There are several potential causes for this. Hormonal changes, lack of physical activity, kidney disease, obesity, and even allergies are a few that I'll mention. The article I mentioned above names others as well.
My concern at the moment is with my ankles--so I was looking at ways of addressing that issue. If you have a concern with water retention, please check with your doctor (if you have one), to make sure it’s not a serious condition associated with why you’re retaining water, otherwise there are a few things you can try to maybe help reduce the amount of water being retained.
NOT Drinking water is NOT THE ANSWER. Surprisingly, you may not be drinking enough water to begin with—which adds to the problem of fluid retention. So, one option to address fluid retention should be: DRINK MORE WATER.
There is a lot more information about this topic to be found in the links below. I just wanted to write a few notes on what I found to get you started.
Thanks for reading and I hope you keep coming back to the site and exploring. Tell your people about me and contribute to our grow! ✊🏾
It reminded me of when some folk fall asleep in church --then "explain" they were either meditating or resting their eyes. lol...
But, it's true. You need times like that and you should not feel guilty about having them. Listening to music, talking to a friend, meditating—they all count; as do many other activities or no activity at all.
Whenever you get to read this—I hope you decide to live your best life!
I think people have to pay close attention to everything going on around them so that they can pick up on small wins, even when it looks like everything is falling apart. That self-evaluation or internal review really helped me. A few of my Takeaways and suggestions:
So, if we are being real, I think saying "Don't take it personal" is a cop out. Because, people want to say what they want without having an actual discussion and coming reciprocation.
I've heard the term used especially in business. As if, them, adding that little jewel of a phrase, is going to emotionally detach you, but...
No, sir… It was me personally putting in the time, thought and effort into doing whatever it was that needed to be done, so I am personally invested.
As a matter of fact, it is my belief that everything we do is "personal" … that's why when someone offends you, or says or does something that you don't agree with, you want them to take "Personal Responsibility".
So, please-- speak your truth, but don't try to patronize or belittle the situation by dismissing the personal. You said what you said, or did what you did... So now, just be prepared for the follow up.
Peace and blessings.
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This is our 2022 Mobile Institute sponsored by The Vanderbilt Divinity School, in cooperation with Dr. Teresa L. Smallwood. We talked about several topics and had a great conversation about issues in rural communities and black America. It was a two day event having conversation with young professionals-- interesting and informative.
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Welcome to the page for our upcoming Mobile Institute! Community Issues and Solutions is the theme for the institute and we'll be covering several topics. Our goal for the 28-29 January 2022 institute is to create thought and action for addressing some of the common issues found across communities. Have you ever wondered who to contact for voting questions or if a certain resource was available in your community? Come join us for casual conversation and a great learning experience! The institute is intended to be start to another conversation to better our communities! As we add speakers and officials, they'll be listed below!
UPDATE:
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| Dr. Lassiter F. Speller |
Dr. Lassiter F. Speller is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Eastern New Mexico University-Portales. He received his BA in Psychology from Winston-Salem State University, a public HBCU in North Carolina, before earning his MA and PhD in Cognitive-Experimental Psychology from The Ohio State University. Dr. Speller's focus is primarily on cognition & psychophysiology, however he has a wide range of research interests, including linguistic reality monitoring in politics, human factors/ergonomics and user interface experience, as well as design research and environmental design.
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| Dr. Dewayne Williams |
Dr. DeWayne Williams is an Assistant Professor of Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine. He earned his BA, MA, and PhD in Psychology from The Ohio State University. With a broad interest in social health psychology, Dr. Williams’ research specifically focuses on social psychological factors and physiological mechanisms underpinning self-regulation, health, and health disparities found between African and European Americans.
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FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/VDSTheoJustice YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txPmFvPIQIk Be sure to watch and participate through chat!
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| Dr. Danielle Speller |
Danielle Speller is an assistant professor of physics at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Speller’s research involves looking for new particles and rare particle interactions that would lead to a deeper understanding of how the world works.
Dr. Speller is an alumna and Park Scholar of North Carolina State University, and earned her doctorate at the University of California at Berkeley. Her postdoctoral training was at Yale University. As a graduate of K-12 public schools in eastern and central North Carolina, Dr. Speller maintains an interest in the academic engagement and flourishing of students of color at all levels of education, and in particular, broader impacts of an education in physics.
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| Community Issues and Solutions Resource Guide |
#MobileInstitute #CommunityIssuestalk #
"Do you think it matters when you eat fruit?" If you've started adding more fruit to your diet and meals, you might have the same questions I had. Or, "Do you eat the fruit before, during, or after the meal?"
I've heard a variety of things on the topic so, I put the question to Google as a search. (You can see the search link below.) Honestly, I think I agree more with my sister on this when she says she doesn't think it matters. But, there is a part of me that still thinks it depends
One of the things non-profit organizations can do for a community is to provide useful information that will help with personal and professional growth. Today's topic of discussion is "Relationships".
Good relationships consist of a level of trust. Whether building trust with personal or business relationships, there has to be interaction between the parties trying to establish the connection on a regular, consistent basis. People like to work with and be involved with those they can depend on and can relate to. The more consistent you are
