Salute .......

Too many times we hear about the negative side of our brothers and not enough of the positive.We often talk about the prison population, but not enough of the percentage of black men enrolling into college, no matter the figure. We often talk about those that stand on the corner all day, but hardly mention those who are at work all day and then go home to their families. We talk about the ones who don't want to make a difference with their lives, but hardly talk about those whose life made a difference and continues to make a difference. So to my brethren, I say keep your head up.....keep fighting the good fight. If no one else applauds you, I, your brother, salute you.

QUOTE from Lavelle Eagle

Be careful of whose hands you place your desire of elevation....to be elevated by man is to be exposed to downnfall. But to be elevated by the hand of the Lord is to watch humility in its finest hour.

To Be Used for God's Glory ..........

When we say that we want to be used for the glory of God, do we really understand what we are really asking? I was once told that we as the saints of God carry His glory. That simply means that we carry Him and His power everywhere we go. But what happens when we enter into a place that does not resemble who we are? Now this doesn't necessarily mean a physical building. How about when we enter into a trial or a tribulation; a situation or a circumstance that we have no clue on how to get out of? Remember two things: the Word declares that, "the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way" and " The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished". God knows exactly what he is doing, for remember that a piece of Him is deposited in you. When God has received a total commitment from you, He shall indeed test you. If we can test Him at His word concerning our finances, does he not reserve the right to test us concerning life? After all, he is the "author and finisher of our faith". But be not discouraged, for "all things work together for GOOD for them that love the Lord and are the called according to his purpose".

What does it mean to be Free?

What does it mean to be free? We live in a nation whose principles for equality includes the phrase, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", so can one really say that they have freedom of choice, speech, and all of the other "freedoms" that comes along with citizenship?

We as a people spend so much time complaining about the things we do not have, we forget where our true freedom lies. The Word of God declares us to "stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Understand what this means. Despite what limitations this nation places on its people, the people of God must realize that Christ has freed us from the laws of this world. This does not give us a free pass to live a sinful life. It does, however, grant us access to a place once forbidden to us, but because of the Resurrection we may come bodly before the Throne. Let us live the way we were created to live: freely.

Purpose

Have you ever been at a place in life where massive potential has been deposited in you? You seek to unleash its awesome power, but feel that you have no purpose upon which to release it? If you have ever been in this place or you find yourself there at this very moment, may I request a room on the same floor as you?

I know that I am not the only one who has heard the phrase, "so much potential lies within you", so I know that I am not the only one who feels this way. If you do not feel this way, keep living. You will, sooner or later. I remember some years ago, I was at my old junior high school, and my former basketball coach asked me if I was playing basketball anywhere. By this time I was a freshman in high school. When I told him that I wasn't, his reply was, and I quote, "what a waste of talent". Those words still ring loud and clear almost 15 years later. In other words, I had the potential to do something with the skills given to me; however I have not embraced the purpose to which they were given.

Romans 1:20 says that we as the saints of God know and understand the power of God, therefore we have no excuses. The Word of God also declares in Ecc. 3:1 that there is a time and a SEASON for everything. Before He created, He knew the PURPOSE for the creation, and therefore instilled deep within the creation the POTENTIAL for the creation to embrace its DESTINY. So count it all joy when your potential has been realized, because that means that your destiny awaits you. Remember that the race is not given to the swift, neither to the strong, but to he that ENDURES to the end. Your time will come. The question is will you be ready to unleash the potential, and walk in your PURPOSE!!!

What does it means to be Young & Black today?

Can a young man in today's society completely and, most importantly accurately, define who he is? In an era where the idea of having both mother and father figure present in the same household is no longer prevalent or, according to some, necessary, today's young man has been given the daunting task of sculpting an image that he deems worthy of an ever so critical and diverse society. While the possibilities of being WHAT you want to be are seemingly endless, WHO you want to be is becoming an increasingly coveted topic.

Even as this is being written, a young man is mapping out what direction he wants his adolescent life to take. However, chances are he has no idea what challenges, courses, and ultimately consequences lie in wait for him. Has it been instilled into him the basic formula that "for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction"? Or the more popular saying "what goes around comes around"? Can one really say that adequate time has been invested into the cultivating and molding processes that helped shape a countless number of generations before him? Looking at the general young male population, the answer may not agree with what today's young man wants to believe.

Even now more than ever, young men, especially young Black men, are being introduced to and becoming acquainted with alternate lifestyles that, as of late, are becoming commonplace in today's society. If you are reading this, it is because you have witnessed the same things that I have, or you have seen something that prompts a response and you are looking for help. I encourage you to continue to "fight the good fight of faith". This generation is not lost, but simply misguided.

What A MONTH!

This has been the craziest month and a half of my life. The launch of the magazine, my first concert, sales meeting, writer conferences, hiring staff, church, work, and school. The list could really continue, but I wouldn’t change a thing. For those who are following the blog, forgive me for not writing I'm trying to find an equilibrium, where I can fit everything in one day and still get at least 5 hours of sleep a night. I was thinking on yesterday on yesterday, “What if I had children?” Since Father’s Day is coming up I don’t think I would want to have started this adventure while being a parent. All I think about is this magazine and how can I make it better. How do I best serve you the reader? Many of you have sent wonderful words of encouragement through Face book, please continue and most importantly leave comment s on face book, write us, tell me what you’re thinking. It’s late and I have Sunday School n the morning. Until next time, God Bless!