How To Cut Foolishness Out Of Your Life

It's a new day in this life for me. I'm not kidding my friends. I've had it with the foolishness. Pettiness. Childishness. Ignorance and ignorant people. I'm not saying I'm about to be like those people from the FLDS, by a ranch in the middle of nowhere, and isolate myself. What I am saying is that we as mature adults need to learn how to kick out the foolishness in our lives. You know, I can't stand foolishness because it slows me down every time. I've learned to ask God to raise me up in discernment so I won't go down the road of shame. I've been down that road too many times in my life and I don't want to go back. I think my man Paul was referring to those "weights" he was talking about in Hebrews 12:1. Foolish situations and foolish people cause great men and women to never reach their place of destiny. Samson made the terrible mistake of fooling around with Delilah and look what happened to him in the end. I mean, man, foolish is deadly emotionally, physically, psychologically, spiritually, and financially. I know this for myself. My beautiful wife Dionn and I have gone through these 5 occurrences this year. Foolishness and foolish people have caused us much pain because we allowed it. Boy, we've learned our lesson. Now, here's a little list I've learned from the better part of 2012:

1. Avoid foolish people
2. Avoid foolish situations
3. Don't be a friend to foolish people
4. Cut the hang nail off before it gives you pain
5. Don't entertain foolish talk
6. Don't be foolish with money/credit
7. Don't be foolish with your time
8. Think before you act - Daddy Tony '94
9. Learn not to try changing foolish people
10. Foolish people will hate you for whatever you do

I've learned these things are true. If you're about something, run far from it when you see foolishness. Listen, Jesus didn't always entertain and stay long in the presence of foolish people (Pharisees). He said what He needed to say and disappeared like Japan's greatest ninja. He "politiced" with the people the "civilized world" called grimy. He poured into people who honored Him and received what He had to say. He spent His money and time wisely. He thought before He spoke and healed those around Him. Before He saw foolishness about to get a foothold in His life, He stopped it dead in His tracks. He didn't try to change foolish people because they were already set in their ways. He just laid the truth on them and brushed off His shoulders. He knew no matter what He did, from restoring little girls to supplying condiments for a wedding, people hated Him to the core. He didn't become friends with foolish people, He just gave them wisdom and let it deal with them. He didn't get into situations that would keep Him from doing what He was purposed to do. He walked in wisdom. Do you hear me now? Good!
Let me leave you with these words and meditate on it:

Proverbs 9:6:

"Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding."

Look unto Jesus' life through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Learn how the Master of all masters manuvered His way to fulfilling His purpose in life so that He is now the perfect example to walking in wisdom and not in foolishness.

Now that's how we all cut the foolishness out of our lives.

Til next time, dgwo alias gdow....

Reference:

2nd Timothy 2:23
Ecclesiastes 4:13
Proverbs 29:9

Faithful People Are Hard To Find

As the years have passed by, it's been harder to trust in people. Some of us in society have heard the only One we can trust is God. But recently I heard a wise man say that God works through people. Now, I have to agree with that! He does work through people; however, we have to take note of the characteristics of God we must learn. One particular attribute I continually find in God is faithfulness. No matter how bad things get, God is forever faithful. He doesn't allow His kids to beg for bread nor alone. We can truly spend on Jesus because He is our friend as well as our lord. But I've noticed another thing in life, it's hard to find faithful people you can trust with personal issues, business processes, and to gain strength from when your weak. From time to time, I see what burdens my pastors go through week in and week out. Counting on people to help build Gods kingdom is the toughest business going right now. Daily, thousands of pastors across the world quit! People owning corporations have to look over their shoulder because they can't trust people on their executive to do the right thing. Even in friendships, we can be there for people when theyre down but when we need help where are they? This is the story of our present lives, finding and knowing faithful people. People who will support, who won't judge you when you fall, and who'll be there no matter. This is agape love but in these times it's become an endangered species. Where are the faithful people in thisworld? I'll tell you my friends. It's those folks who may look like a hot mess now but when it comes down to the heat of the battle they are right beside you. It's those folks who are humble in sport and selfless. Their yes is there yes. Jonathan was a faithful friend to David. Timothy was a faithful son to Paul. John was a faithful student to Jesus. Ruth was a faithful daughter to Naomi. Joshua was a faithful apprentice to Mises. Faithfulness? Are you a faithful person or are you one of those folks who nobody can trust; just useless. Today, I want to strive to be more like Jesus; that is to be faithful to the end. He didnt stop until He completed the assignment on avid life to full. He is a perfect example of faithfulness in everything in life that is good and acceptable. So take heed to theses words from Solomon:

Proverbs 20:6
"Most men proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man proclaim his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

Ouch! Til next time,dgwo

American Hate Mail

I've been holding this blog in my heart for almost 2 weeks. Given the snippets of what's going on in the world, I've come to one conclusion. When someone touches something that is dear to you, you will in some form or fashion retaliate. Something has touched me. Not my beautiful wife Dionn, not my parents, not my bank account, not my cars. Something, some people, some forces has touched my Jesus. I'm very laid back about things but concerning this issue, I can't be quiet. My friends, there's a lot of hate mail going on against Him but since the days of Genesis, mankind has hated on Him since the beginning. Looking into my own life, I've sent Him hate mail many times. I've come to realize that America has grown a bitter distaste against Jesus Christ, which is similar to the Jews in the time of His earthly ministry. People have been successful in taking prayers out of school. I remember back in '94 when the Feds were determining too remove prayer from school. For about 3 or 4 days, these group of white kids would gather around the U.S. flag,  join hands, bow their heads, and prayed for this national. They didn't do that to be seen nor were they forced by their parents to do so. They did this because they knew times were changing and knew somebody had to start praying for America. I knew from that moment on my country was making a bad decision. Shortly after, prayer was taken away. In '99, school shootings were rampant. Today, my generation and those after mine don't even know who Jesus is or hates Him worse than Redskins fans hate the Cowboys. Hate mail. Now, people of high-ranking positions are trying to create more laws to make it a crime to even mention the Bible or Jesus's Name. Various figure heads in the music industry, who have a "ghostwriter", blatantly disrespect the God who died so they can live. The whole entertainment industry is taking shots at Him from inordinate lifestyles to saying ---------- Jesus. Even people who claim to be Christian hate Jesus, too. How can you say that guy? Look at how Christians treat other Christians. Extortion, pre-marital sex, saying they can be a part of "speciality groups" like FreeMasonry and still serve the Lord (remember light and dark can never mix). Now we got a whole bunch of teachings saying it's ok to be this or that but blatantly go against the teachings of Jesus Himself and through His apostles and prophets by His inspiration. Hate mail. America, we love say for Him to bless us but when is the last time we blessed Him? We want to go to heaven. We want to be blessed. But why are we hating on Him? Why are we saying He doesn't exist? Why do we hate Him because some out of whack self professing Christian did us wrong then try to use that as an excuse to live how we want to? Why are we making songs and doing these shows to influence other people to hate Jesus? What has He ever done to us? A lot of us love to say this quote:
why did He allow this or that to happen? The answer is simple, for us to feel our way towards Him, to know Him, His love, and His ultimate purpose for us. However, the biggest price we have to pay is to be changed into His image and likeness as we allow Him to mold us. But America, we've learned not to want to hear that so we hate Him with all our mind, soul, and heart. If millions of people in the Arab world can cry about a "prophet" of old then why can't I say God's heart is hurt that His creation is sending Him hate mail every milli-second of the day? But the more I read His word, the more I pray, the more I begin to immerse myself in His wisdom, I see what David meant in these words:

Psalms 2:1-3:
"Why do the heathen (us) rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

The kings of the earth (because we call ourselves the masters of our own destiny) set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together,

against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us (let's burn down any form of truth that we won't be held accountable to it)."

Some of you may disagree and may write me off. That's cool, my friends are less than all of my fingers on both hands anyhow. But what I'm saying is truth and nothing but. America, God has done a lot for us but look at how things have been for us these past 4-6 years. It's been awful because we've done our best to shut His influence down in our lives. Now, we're paying the price. When the branch is cut off from the tree, eventually the fruit it once bore will be no more. A branch can't produce of its own, it's got to be connected to the tree. We are the branches, Jesus Christ is the tree; simple and plain. So let's stop sending Him hate mail. Let's take the time to learn who He wants to be for us and with us. Most importantly, get away from those haters of God; they're charlatans on the strings (dance, monkey, dance) on Satan's time clock.

Til next time, dgwo.

Searching....

Happy Friday to everyone. I know it's been a while since I've written a blog. I've been through an internal and external battle. It's crazy. Sometimes when you go through things, they don't come to you unexpectedly. They come to you through time of build up and if not dealt with they will consume you. I was almost consumed until I received some much needed help and I'm still working to get my house square. Some of you may be asking, did David sin? Did he cheat on his beautiful wife Dionn? Did he get strung out on drugs? Was he a part of a prostitution ring? Did he rob a bank? To all of those questions, heavens no. I will say this, I'm on a search. My life long goal is to seek balance in my life. Lately, my life has been disorganized, not prioritized, unmanageable, withered, broken (and I mean literally), and jacked up. Here was my priority list:

1. me 2. church 3. work. 4. hussle for the dollar 4. worry about the dollar 5. myself.........

Through much needed prayer and meditating on the readings of Solomon; mostly the book of Proverbs, I am "re-prioritized."

1. Jesus Christ 2. family 3. church 4. work/school 5. me..........

My friends, I've been searching to achieve the unachievable, to attain the unattainable. Only wise men who lay their lives down before the Father will achieve this goal because it takes much work. No, I haven't arrived to the state of perfection, but I'm trying to be who God has called me to be. That means a man of integrity, honesty, compassion, action, forgiveness, love, standards, statutes, and helping others. Most importantly, keeping Jesus at the center of it all. Now, some of you may not like my views and that's ok. But once you've experienced the literal, mental, spiritual, emotional, financial, and physical Hades I've been through, you won't understand why I do this. I do this to praise the Savior who's given me another chance to get it right before I close my eyes forever. My prayer for all of us today, is that we begin to make a diligent search of God, His ways, His purpose, and how He wants us to live. Now, it's going to cost us losing things to attain the better. That's what He is all about, what separates Him from the kings we've set up from all these little gods in the world. He allows and even conducts things in our lives to point to Him so we may search after Him (Romans 1:20). So I encourage you to take heed to these words from my good friend Solomon:

Proverbs 18:1:
"Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom."

In order to attain those good things from our search for wisdom, we have to soak ourselves into God through His word and seeking fellowship with Him; thereby separating ourselves from things that will bring us down.

Til Next Time, dgwo

Stop Holding Back!!!!

Mediocre ain't cutting it anymore. Last night, I took some time away from my studies and the issues that I'm facing to hear a real-time Rapzilla interview featuring Lecrae. For all of those who don't know this guy, go to Amazon, go to ITunes, go to Google Play, and get it "Gravity." Right now, he's on the ride of controversy from those who are religious to the top guys in the rap game. He's learned to be comfortable in the God who has brought him to this point. He doesn't care what man says, only what God says, and stays in the kitchen (prayer, fellowship, the Word) to be productive in God's kingdom. As I was listening, I was convicted not because of his accolades but from what God has called me to do. Around late 2006, I made a promise to God that I would feed His lambs and feed His sheep. Now, I'm not saying I'm seeking to be somebody's pastor, heaven's no!!!!! (I'm praying for all you pastors out there). What I am saying is that God has placed in me a lot that I need to do. My dad even reminded me a couple of months ago, to whom much is given much is required. Straight from the mind of Jesus. What have I done since then? Excuses, distractions, pettiness from immature people around me, blockages in my faith in God to do the impossible in my life, selfishness, and regret. These and much more I've allowed to hold me back; as some scholars would say, dead weight. Every year, we see inspiration movies that show people getting knocked but then making a decision to stop holding back to become they best they can be. I truly believe this is the time we need to stop holding back and do what God has put in our hearts to do. Over the weekend, my mom told me that God is like a counselor. He won't say much, just let us wine, cry, and complain about our situation. During the counseling session, we begin to do some introspection of ourselves and begin to pull out the answers from within ourselves. You see, God's word ain't far, it's right here in us, if we would just take heed (Deuteronomy 30:11-16). The word is so powerful that once we begin to apply it, every chain, every yoke, every bad habit, and every bad association is getting taken from us. Within these past 3 days, I have experienced much conviction from the word I haven't felt in a long time. I hear Him saying to me, stop holding back. If people misunderstand you, know they always misunderstand me. I and probably all of you reading this need to wake up and smell the coffee. Jesus is coming back soon and we can't have our works undone. We can't be like that one guy who hid his talent because he was afraid. God hasn't given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind (2nd Timothy 1:6-7). It's time for us stir up the gift(s) of God in us and stop holding back. As rapper Mark J would say, the purpose of going to church is for a re-up and to stay accountable (so we don't get above ourselves). I'm not just talking to one group of people, I'm talking to all groups of people because God made all people. Stop holding back. Seek God for your purpose, get strong counselors in your life to instruct as well as correct you. Most importantly, don't let nothing or nobody hold you back. Jesus Christ went all the way from the cross to the throne. Keep that in mind (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Til Next Time, dgwo.

The Diligent Vs The Sluggard

For anyone who's talked with the old schools about life, one of the main things they'll tell us is the importance of hard work. As one historic hip-hop quotable from the mid-90's said, "...everything you get you got to work hard for it..." I have to say that's true. We have to put in work, time, and effort to obtain success in life. No matter what type of employment we found ourselves in from handling pro- bono cases in the courtroom to being a single parent raising kids, it takes hard work and dedication. Budgeting our money, managing our time, studying to become the best at our alter maters takes work. It takes diligence and only the diligent are going to see results. Being a diligent individual causes us to be single minded, focused, and loosing ourselves from the distraction this world will throw at us. Diligence does come with a price as we have to let of pleasures, habits, and viewpoints that will keep us in the cycle of failure and nothingness. It's sort of like a professional athlete, he or she has to work out everyday, master their skills, and humble themselves to help the rest of the team obtain a world championship. A diligent man or woman is somebody a boss, an executive, their siblings, their pastor, their enemies can depend on to do the right thing. They don't just start something, they finish it all the way through. They're not half steppers and many people won't like them because it seems they do things for recognition. But that's beside the point. They are an example of diligence, hard work, and excellence. To be the best, we have to be diligent. But many of us are being or becoming sluggards, lazy, prideful, inconsistent, troublesome, complacent. Our boss wants to see us go to the next level and gives us tasks to complete. However, we fail the test time after time giving them our excuse to why things are completed. We share our dreams and hopes for the future to do this, to go to this place, and make a certain amount. However, we're seen wasting our time, spending rather than saving, and can't even come on time to work. We wonder why things in our lives aren't going the way we planned them. Instead taking on the diligent mind, who knows it's going to suffer a lot for the glory, the sluggard takes "the easy way out" and only find themselves in greater turmoils later. My question to us today is this, if God isn't a sluggard (slacker), why are we? What if He slacked off when He created the universe, perfectly placing every atom and molecular structure in our cosmos? Things would be a bit chaotic, right? What if He slept in and didn't hear none of our cries of distress, we would never receive much needed blessings to carry us on, would we? What if He knowing the pain He would endure through the death of cross, just stayed on His throne and let us die in our sins and experience eternal torture? If He's diligence, so should we be diligent. If we want to see our kids become upstanding citizens, we've got to be diligent in raising them. If we want to have investments for the future, we've got to save aggressively (help me Lord). I won't lie to you all, these past couple of months, I haven't been that diligent. But through a lot of introspection and conviction, I'm working to be a diligent man. Not only for myself but for my family, friends, and people I know I will have to help along the way. It's time we become diligent and set a great and honorable legacy of diligence for others to follow (remixed from Muze One from Redeemed Thought, '06). Man, I can take this a bit further but let me leave you with some words from my good friend Jedidiah (research it...)

Proverbs 10:4: (this is a one size fits all, try it out, you'll see)

"He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand:but the hand of the diligent maketh rich."


Reference:

Proverbs 6:6-11

Eat Right, Your Mind & Body Will Thank You

My friends, I'm changing the way I eat. I really mean it because I'm not 18 years old anymore. I'm 31, I may not look like it but I am. One of the first things I need to start doing is taking care of myself. I need to make sure I'm eating right and let go of Taco Bell/McDonalds ("Help Me, Jesus -Jimmy Early from Dreamgirls"). I remember coming up hearing the old schools say to us, "you are what you eat." I'm beginning to learn that's true, that's very true! We continue to eat junk food we're going to turn into a trash can. I remember back in the 80s, my grandma used to say to me, you don't want no real food, you just want dead cows. You're going to turn into a dead cow. Boy, was and still is ever right. As Americans, we're always on the go, texting, e-mailing, downloading, blogging, vlogging, and surfing the web. Instead taking time out at night or waking up early in the morning, we continuously spend much of our paychecks at the drive thru windows. Number 3 please, Supersize! I know I'm not the only one. Most of us (including myself) don't even cook a full course meal with meat, vegetables, some good ol' sweat tea with some bread on the side. We say to ourselves, me want burger, me want pizza, me want tacos. Some of us wondering why we can't stay off the toilet (did I say that, yes you did David). You want to know why? We're eating the wrong stuff! Somebody was telling me a day or two ago that certain food chains process their foods with so much junk, it's polluting our body systems. Infertility, blindness, obesity, and the list goes on. Our bodies are crying for nutrients and some water for crying out loud. But the food chains are like crack and getting us to be like Pookie from New Jack City (what you young whipper-snappers know 'bout that) saying, "it keeps calling me and calling me." It's true. I've got to wean myself from all these years of junk I've been eating and indulging in. From the food I eat to what I read to the conversations I found myself in, to what I watch, to what I hear, to what I see, and so on. It's time for us to get disciplined and put things, as my friend Paul says, under subjection (1st Corinthians 9:24-27). God (whose name is Jesus Christ- nope the message ain't changing) wants to us to be like athletes who are competing for the gold. We can't get better unless we re-prioritize our eating habits, you know what I mean? So I guess this is an open challenge to all of us (including myself, I'm not exempt). When we begin to eat the right things and take our time when we eat (when we rush eating, our bodies can't digest the food properly-Google it), our bodies and minds will thank us. We'll sleep better. Our attitudes are better. Our days will go smoother. We'll feel lighter. More energy to do those things God predestined us to do. It's the small things like these we take for granted or misuse. Ask Adam and Eve, Cain, Solomon, .........

Til Next Time, dgwo

References:

1st Corinthians 9:24-27

Do The Right Thing When It Comes To Business

There is the scent of change in the air in the business world. For the past 5 years, we as the American people who endured shady business practices in the financial, educational, religious, and political systems. It's pretty sad when you think about it because a lot of the "executives" and middle men are thinking they are getting away with murder. But as the old saying goes, we've all got to pay the piper. Here are a couple of notes that I wrote in my journal a couple of days ago. Enjoy:
August 28, 2012

James 5:1-8:
"Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 

Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 

Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 

Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 

Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 

 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."

This doesn't only address the rich in money but also addresses people rich in knowledge, giftings, callings, owners of property, and wisdom. Paul made it clear, don't pull all of our trust in uncertain riches (1st Timothy 6:7). Paul says that knowledge puffs up but love edifies (1st Corinthians 8:1). Solomon said his heart left from the loving God to loving things (Ecclesiastes 1). Ahab held a prestigious position among his own people but killed the just ones. Herod committed an atrocious act against his own people by killing toddlers in the fear of a prophesied kingship. Doesn't history repeat itself? James was on point when he wrote this. I think this is very compelling. When I first read this, I automatically think of people i Congress, the Illuminati, etc; but this goes deeper. This goes to every political figure increasing taxes and watching millions of families suffer needlessly to increase their own gain. This goes to every self professing spiritual leader who manipulate people to build them houses, lands, and other resources of wealth on the backs of their flocks they say they love. This goes to every person who is rich in knowledge but keeps it all to themselves; therefore leaving those who need it to walk in the dark. This is a very long list of types James talks about. For those staying consecrated before God, they hear God talking like what is found in this writing. It's powerful and call us back to our first love. God's Spirit is going throughout the land saying, "it's payback time for the righteous, the poor in spirit, the persecuted, the meek, the lowly, and the pure in heart." This is a business principle the Lord has shown me not only concerning my new job (Veterans Service Representative for the VA) but life in general. I want to be on God's good side. At the 6th verse, it talks about ho people are condemning and killing the just. Those receiving this persecution aren't resisting their enemies, they turn the other cheek. They don't seek revenge; they only seek to intercede on their enemies' behalf because they know not what they do. This is the other side Pastor C (Co-Pastor of Shiloh Worship Center, shilohworshipcenter.org), was talking abou. We are very rich from finances, to wisdom, knowledge, experiences, fortitude, strength, and favor. This is why we've got to tithe and offer these things back to God. This means building His kingdom in the lives of other people. This is a very deep and interesting subject I must say. There's so much more to this that I will definitely meditate for a long time.

Well to end this, no matter what sector of business we're in, let's do it right because we're supposed to help others along the way. Remember this, God is watching us, no matter if we believe Him, hate Him, or love Him. Consider...

Til Next Time, dgwo

Reference:

Proverbs 14:31
James 5:1-8

The Stretching Game

We are in a new season and a new day. Some pastors, prophets, and wise men in the business world would call this the 7th day also known as the day of rest. But to enter in this rest, we have to live, speak, think, and walk, by faith and not by sight. I'm learning this y'all, and the more I yearn to walk in faith more of my "stinking thinking" has to go. The more of me has to go, the more my "fleshly nature" has to be burnt up in the sight of God. Now, I'm not trying to get all spiritual, I'm just being real. These past 8 to 9 months, maybe even longer has been a stretch for me. It hasn't been easy. From my days of just being spoiled by Momma Royal to being a snot nosed punk in the Army, to being born again, to having to mature in many levels of my life, it's been a stretch. Right now, having a new job (and will be in training for the next 6 months), to going back to school this Tuesday for an MBA, to family duties, to ministerial duties, and most importantly keeping my relationship with God fresh is a stretch. Even now, one of my good friends has asked me to work on a musical project for him (not boasting but just giving an example) because he saw something in me that I've been afraid of. Maybe because I didn't want to disappoint him or maybe I was afraid of failure (of facing good criticism). It must be the latter, I tell you. But the good thing is that I'm learning to allow God to stretch me. To be stretched is have the willing mind and heart to go through change, a transformation, a metamorphosis. This is what life is all about and for us to reach our full potential, our manifest destiny, we have to be willing to be stretched. I've been listening to a "purple tape (hip-hop heads, you know the lingo)" by Bishop Tudor Bismark about a wise saying from Solomon.

Proverbs 22:13:

The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

This is saying that some of us are stuck in our place of comfort because we don't want to grow up. We don't want to go to that next level in life because we know it requires many sacrifices. It requires maturity. It requires us to lean on God instead of our own crazy man understandings. I'm just saying. God wants to enlarge our territory but are we willing allow Him to do so? We're so happy with a thousand bones (dollars) but when we just go ahead and get stretched we can gain so much more. So many of us are frustrated and weary but don't want the Lord to stretch us. Time out for that cuzo. It's time enlarge our territories and strengthen our stakes (Isaiah 54:2). Jesus did and be as successful as He, we've got to be stretched. That's what I love about Him, He don't give me know rest until I've yielded and let Him have His way in me. It's not easy but like CeCe Winans sang a long time ago, it's worth it.

Til Next Time, dgwo.

References:
Proverbs 22:13
Isaiah 54:2-5