Family Tree

My family tree always bothered me
On one side there's doctors and lawyers
While the other side just gets poorer and poorer

I think the difference can be identified by the words
We heard when we were children

One day you will go to college
and increase knowledge
And they did

Get a job and give your money to me or get out
was our bid
I think we were just an added responsibility

While on the other side of the family tree
they were taught to achieve and strive
For a better life

We were taught to settle,
just survive
Maybe become some man's wife

How can one turn this kind of fate around?
It takes courage
Courage to break the family curse of poverty
Courage to face the challenge of adversity
and fight the odds

Courage to go to college
And study hard
Courage to fall down and get back up again
Courage to fail, but fight till you win

Courage to take a minimum wage job with the plan in mind
To tap into your highest potential and one day leave all this behind

When I look at my family tree
Sometimes I get angry
I see success in our DNA
Seems like on my side of the family
there's a slight delay

Delayed but not denied
I heard the preacher say
Wonder why God chose to do it this way?

I refuse to be identified by my family tree
There is a good life prepared for me
It is my manifest destiny

It has cost me some blood, sweat and tears
And forced me to face all of my fears
I even made a deliberate choice
to say to my children
listen to that inner voice
Telling you to be different
creative, hard working and smart
So that one day your children can have a better start
in this life
and not just settle for being some man's wife

Told my kids that they can change the family tree
And rise up
Change the world
Teach, preach
Become a poet
Write a book, write a play
Just do it!

So that when they look at their family tree
They can say
Generational blessings follow my family

We are the head and not the tail
above and not beneath
World shakers, History makers,
trail blazers,
More than conquerors
Not scared of a fight
Blessed going out
and blessed coming in!
Because we learned
With God's grace and mercy
We win!

Divine Timing

In his book, Divining Timin, Bishop Nicholas Williams says; God in His infinite wisdom has set seasons

Sunday Mornings

Sunday mornings
Mothers everywhere
Drag their kids out of bed
With no time to spare

Wash up!
Get dressed!
Gotta comb yo' head!
No time for breakfast
Here, eat this candy bar instead

I sing in the choir
and serve on the usher board
Need to get there on time
Praise the Lord!

Remember Pastor said
If all you do is sit on the pew
You gone miss heaven
'Cause God don't know you

Woman, why you believe everything that Pastor say?
Told you I saw him on the corner of Woodward and Six Mile just the other day

Leonard! You keep talking like that God goin' to strike you dead
The man of God ain't never been in no prostitute's bed!

He up there preaching against sin
And I know he sleepin wit Susie, Debra and Gwen!
Why you think the pastor so saved?
His family living like kings and queens
While you caint eat nothing but pork and beans

My pastor is a righteous man
He said it's time to go in and possess the land

Well don't put none of my hard earned money in his hand
He jus pimpin' y'all with all his highfalutin' living
You just caint see it cause you been tricked into giving

Every dime that comes into yo' hand
You runs to the church and give it to that man
He done lost one church building
He ain't righteous, just greedy
Now you follows him to another!
Cause you so needy
He just a pimp undercover!

Leonard! You ought to be a shame
I rebuke you devil, in Jesus name!

Woman read yo' bible you will see
God said in the last days thats how things would be
Preachers talking about how they rich
When they naked, rachet and po'
If you study for yo'self, you would know
that you part of the Laodicean church
Just too blind to see
Think I'm the devil
When the devil is he
The preacher man
Full of adultery

Never content
every dollar y'all give him
Already spent
His wife wears a new dress every Sunday
and the church going into foreclosure on next Monday
While you shopping at the Goodwill
and caint pay yo cell phone bill

God wrote you some letters in this here book
When you gone sit down and take a look?
You been brain washed by men wearing backwards collars
They'll even sell you a prophecy for fifty dollars

Now don't get me wrong
They ain't all con-men
Just the covert ones
laden in sin

I pray one day God opens yo' eyes
If not, In heaven there will be a big surprise
The preacher went to hell and so did his wife
Cause they devoured widow's houses in this here life



 

Church Folk, continued

Everyone in the restaurant looked embarrassed or annoyed.

"Why do you have to parade your holiness, Tameka?"

"I am a child of God I don't care who knows it. How is James acting?"
 "He came home from work yesterday and cussed me and the girls out."
 "For what?'
"He never needs a reason, he just cusses and fusses, I think he is trying to drive us crazy."

(Flashback 1963)Fourteen year old James walked into the thirty seven year old prostitute's bedroom. She was the same height as he. Her disheveled black hair was curled in some places and bushy in others. It smelled of Bergamot and dirty straightening comb. Her breasts once round and firm, hung under her nearly sheer t-shirt. Her breath entered his nostrils with the aroma of strong beer. The room smelled like old mildewed carpet that had never been vacuumed. Shabby red curtains hung from one small window. A dingy gray shade clapped against the dirty window panes as the wind whistled through the cracks. She took a deep drag from her cigarette and taking his hand in hers, walked him over to the bed. The smoke from the cigarette formed a dark cloud over the dingy, dusty, queen size bed. A mouse the size of a woman's fist ran across the headboard, as five cock roaches scurried over her half-finished dinner plate. 

"Is this your first time?"
"Uh, yeah"
"Your brothers told me today is your birthday"
"Uh yeah"
"Then happy birthday baby boy"

She pulled his shirt over his shoulders, over his head, he felt scared and curious all at the same time. Her kiss was the kiss of death, her fingers gripped his body and her tongue rolled over his lips like sweet dripping honey. James hated her, he hated his brothers for bringing him here. He hated his sisters because they were just like her. And he hated his mother.

Every time James tried to urinate he cried, the pain hurt so bad. It burned like fire.
"I must be dying, she gave me something; that hoe, that nasty, stankin’ hoe"

(Flashback 1993)
"You just a nasty, stankin’ hoe!"
"James I am tired of you calling me a hoe, is your Mama a hoe?"
"Yeah, she a hoe"

“What about your sisters, are they hoes?"
"Yeah, all women are hoes"
"Oh, I hate you!”

Before she realized what she was doing, Dana picked the dinner plate up off the table and threw it at his head. James ducked just in time.

"Hate is a strong word" James said calmly.

Dana cried. James smirked. They had only been married two weeks. It was as if James stepped out of his body and Satan stepped in. Dana had been saved seventeen years.

 How did I let this snake fool his way into my life? She thought.

(Present 1998)

“Well, what is it that you are doing that makes him fuss so much?”

“Listen Tameka, I told you, I don’t do anything. James acts like he hates me.  He was sitting at the dining room table this morning reading his bible before I left for church.”

 “Bitch”

“What did you call me James?”
“Bitch”

“I’m tired of you callin’ me a bitch, I’m on my way to church and you sitting there reading your bible out loud so the whole house can hear you, and call me a bitch. What are you reading your bible for, when you going to change?”

“Hoe.”
“The kids are awake, they can hear you.”
“Take em’ wit’ you, then, hoe.”

Dana slammed the door and ran to the car with tears streaming down her face. She raced to church to hear the sermon as if her life depended on it.

The sermon

Turn in your bibles to the book of Job, chapter one starting at verse six. (The preached begins to read)

One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord,
 and Satan also came with them.
The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
Then the Lord said to Satan,
“Have you considered my servant Job?
There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless
and upright,
a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied.
 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?
You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has,
and he will surely curse you to your face.”

The Lord said to Satan,
“Very well, then, everything he has is in your power,
but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”
Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Have you considered my servant Job?
We all know the story of Job.
God said Job was a perfect man,
an upright man,
A blameless man,
one who feared God and ran away from evil.
Job even offered daily sacrifices for his children
just in case they may have sinned against God
and cursed him in their hearts.

The bible says
One day the angels of God appeared before God,
and so did Satan.
We know that Satan was not in heaven because he and his diabolical army, aha
had been kicked out of The Kingdom of Heaven
during his failed coup de ’tat.
God,
Omnipresent God, is able, aha
 to see in three dimensions;
 the third heaven
where God and the angels dwell,
the heavens, aha
where Satan and his princes dwell,
and the earth where man dwells.
Now I don’t want the women to feel left out, aha
we know that when the bible uses the word man
it is also referring to woman, or mankind.

Is anybody here
going through a test? aha

The bible says
And God ask Satan a question.
Where have you been, since your banishment?
What have you been doing,
since you are no longer the worship leader of the heavenly choir?
What’s up Satan?
God asked this question, but since he is Omniscient,
all knowing, aha
he already knew the answer, aha
He is setting Satan up
and he is setting one of his chosen up.
Are you chosen today? aha

Then Satan answered the Lord, and said,
from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

You see my brothers and sisters, aha
Satan, a fallen angel,
is walking up and down in the earth,
going to and fro.
Always in movement,
always wreaking havoc,
his mission is to destroy Godly seed
So he seeks the Godly, aha
day and night,
night and day,
looking for someone to destroy.
He wants to rid the planet of the seed of the woman that will crush him,
destroy him,
defeat him,
and topple his kingdom.
Satan is afraid of Godly seed.
I said , Satan is afraid of Godly seed
Always remember that!
He fears the Godly,
because he remembers his destiny.
The seed of the woman will crush your head,
this is the prophecy that was given to him way back in Eden.
How many of you have received a prophecy that you have not seen come to pass yet?
Don’t give up on your prophesy.
God’s word cannot,
will not fail,
as long as you trust him.
Somebody say amen

Amen! said the church in unison

 I Heard Timothy when he said
If we died with him,
    we will also live with him;
 if we endure,
    we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
    he will also disown us;
if we are faithless,
    he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

The bible says
In the beginning was the word
and the word was with God
and the word was God.
Jesus is the spoken word of God,
Say amen somebody
he is the word of prophecy
and he will not disown himself, aha

In other words,
he will not deny his word,
he will not allow his word to return to him void,
Let the church say amen
Jesus will see to it that his word for your life is fulfilled,
if you trust him no matter what it looks like,

God
I said God
will see you through, aha

 The bible says that
God, Almighty God,
all knowing God
ask Satan a question, aha 
Have you considered my servant Job?
There is no one like him on earth,
he is blameless,
he is upright, he stays away from evil.
Have you considered Job?
Have you seen Job? aha

And the devil said, yeah.
I seen Job
 but you got a hedge around him
and I can’t touch him.
That’s why he fears you,
he knows you got him covered.
Just remove the hedge and when I’m finished with him,
he will curse you to your face!

And God said, give it your best shot but don’t lay a finger on him.

And my bible says
 that ole devil
Satan
Slew foot
didn’t wait one minute before he attacked Jobs children,
he killed all of them in one day.
Has Satan attacked any of your kids lately?

Dana found herself daydreaming about the day Faith was born.

What Color is Tomorrow?

She wanted to be a teacher
when she grew up
She had light in her eyes
A smile that radiated innocence
Each day she awakened
and gave the sun a kiss
Good morning God
How do the birds sing?
What color is tomorrow?
Why does a bell ring?
Do babies live in heaven?

Her mind always searched for more
One day she went to school
Don't ask so many questions
Raise your hand
Get back in your seat
Why can't you follow the rules?
No room for innovation in public schools
Why do grown ups always frown?
When is tomorrow?
Color me brown
Do all angels have wings?


five
ten
fifteen
twenty
twenty-five
thirty
Why do boys always talk dirty?
Thirty-five
forty
forty-five
fifty
Hope I realize my dreams by the time
I'm sixty

By the time she was sixty-one
her journey had just begun
Her school
defied all conventional rules
No dress code
Individuality
No standardized test
unbridled creativity
Far above the rest
Her students wanted to change the world
feed hungry children
Dig water wells
help orphans
Reach for the sun
Color the moon,
paint pictures with words,
there is so much more
Learn how to fly
How high can I soar?
Break glass ceilings
Knock down every closed door
What do you have in your hand?
My story
Herstory
The world at my command

What color is tomorrow?







 

Church Folk

(All rights reserved)

"Service was beautiful today, Pastor really preached..."

"Did you take the test?"
“Not yet"
"You’re supposed to take it first thing in the morning"
"Girl not any more I can pee on the stick anytime and it will tell me if I'm pregnant or not" 

Wanda and Dawn rush to Wanda's car. 

"Slow down, what is the hurry?"
"I can't wait to find out if you are pregnant or not"
Dawn flushed the toilet as she came out of the bathroom.
"Well?"
"It has a pink line, I guess I'm pregnant" Dawn burst into tears.
"Why are you crying?"

"My granddaddy would turn over in his grave if he knew that I'm pregnant out of wedlock" "What? Out of wedlock! Girl nobody says that anymore. God is the giver of life, the angels in heaven are rejoicing."

 (Back at the church)

Tameka whispers to Freddie and Dana-
"Did you hear Dawn and Wanda?"
"No, I wasn't listening"
"She asked her if she took the test"
"What test?"
"I bet she's pregnant"
"And if she is its none of your business"
"My daddy would put her out of the church if he was alive"
"That’s why he is not alive, putting people out of the church for being human, God don't like ugly, even if it’s the Pastor"
"This is a holiness church, if they can't live holy then they can leave"
"You act like God is mad at us for being human, we all have a purpose, and if Dawn is pregnant then that child has a God given purpose"

 (Flash back)

Five year old Tameka ran into the living room.

"I'm telling mommy and daddy on you, you peed on me!"
"Please don't tell" cried Junior.
"MOMMY!! Junior peed on me"
"Junior did what?!"
"He asked me if I wanted to know how to make babies, then he said now lay down and take off your panties. Then he laid on my butt and peed on me!"

 Johnny, Tameka's daddy tied eight year old Junior to the bedpost, and beat him with an extension cord. He beat him for half an hour. Finally, Jean could not take her son's screams any longer. "Johnny that’s enough, stop it right now!"

Tameka never told on Junior again, she was afraid that her daddy would kill him next time. Junior touched Tameka in her sleep when she was six. He peeked through the crack in the bathroom door when she was seven. He pulled her dress up and ran, when she was eight. By the time Tameka was nine...she rolled up her skirt and switched her hips from left to right when she walked (when her mother and father were not looking). On the first day of school at Webber Junior High, Tameka walked into Mrs. Williams' homeroom class and sat in the seat next to Brian Williams. (Brian had the deepest dimples and his big afro made him look like Michael Jackson). She hiked up her skirt before she sat down. She folded her legs and smiled. Everything about twelve year old Tameka was sensual, her smile, her laugh, the way she rolled her eyes...she stuffed her bra and painted her lips red to feel pretty, sexy, wanted.

 "All these young people think about is sex; Sex, sex, sex. Then they come to church and sing in the choir like they are little angels."

"You know Tameka, The church is just where the young people should be, they need love, unconditional love, and if the church doesn't show them that kind of love then what are we here for?"

Tameka bowed her head and prayed over her food, in a loud voice.

"Lord we thank you for this food we are about to receive for the nourishment of our bodies in Jesus name Amen." 
Everyone in the restaurant looked embarrassed or annoyed.

"Why do you have to parade your holiness, Tameka?"

"I am a child of God I don't care who knows it. How is James acting?"
"He came home from work yesterday and cussed me and the girls out."
 "For what?'
"He never needs a reason, he just cusses and fusses, I think he is trying to drive us crazy."

The Other Side of the Rainbow

We were young and in love
I dreamed bout him
He dreamed about me
I promise I will always love you 
One day we'll become a happy family

We were great under the covers
Outside the marriage bed
we were dysfunctional
uncontrollable
angry
(I still remained hopeful)
Blame it on my naivety

I gave him my heart
from the very start
Nobody told me to
guard your heart
Don't let anyone
take control
of your soul

He was my life
my everything!
Just when he knew he had me
He became malicious,
malcontent, menacing
mean!

I got out just in time
to recapture my youth
and
search for happiness,
love,
sunshine,
truth

I lifted up my eyes
to the warmth of the Son
caressing me
strengthening and
healing my soul
Life  taught me to fight on

Through every storm
When it hurt so bad
I learned to
stand up straight
and lift up my head

I know that I can't do it alone
I need to trust God
his arms are strong
Strong enough to rescue me
from every clandestine
enemy

Why is he after me?
Must be something
I can't yet see
hidden in
this life
you gave to me

After all the tests, storms and pain
I learned to live and love again
Throw up my hands
and run
Run to the plan
Predestined for me
Before my life began

There's a rainbow at the end of your test
It is reserved for those
Who suffer a while
but don't quit
It's full of precious promises
Stored up for you
And dreams that really do come true

Never give up
Never give in
Be invincible
You win!

If you keep going forward
Keep your head up
Keep growing and
Never ever stop
You will look around
and find yourself on top

That's why  the road was so rough
the test was so hard
You were bullied
Beaten,
mistreated,
scarred

It was all to make you give up
and not finish
your journey
For
there is a reward
on the other side of the rainbow
It's your manifested destiny!

Never give up
Never give in
Be invincible
You win!









 

Journey

We were young and in love
I dreamed bout him
He dreamed about me
I promise I will always love you 
One day we'll become a happy family

I gave him my heart
from the very start
Nobody told me to
guard your heart
Don't let anyone
take control
of your soul

He was my life
my everything!
Just when he knew he had me
He became malicious,
malcontent, menacing
mean!

I got out just in time
to recapture my youth
and
search for happiness,
love,
sunshine,
truth

I lifted up my eyes
to the warmth of the Son
surrounding me
caressing me
strengthening and
healing my soul

Life  taught me to fight on
Through every storm
When it hurt so bad
I learned to
stand up straight
and lift up my head

I know that I can't do it alone
I need to trust God
his arms are strong
Strong enough to rescue me
from every clandestine
enemy

Why is he after me?
Must be something
I can't yet see
hidden in
this life
you gave to me

After all the tests, storms and pain
I learned to live and love again
Throw up my hands
and run
Run to the plan
That was predestined for me
Before my life began

There's a rainbow at the end of your test
It is reserved for those
Who suffer a while
but don't quit
It's full of precious promises
Stored up for you
And dreams that really do come true

Never give up
Never give in
Be invincible
You win!

If you keep going forward
Keep your head up
Keep growing and
Never ever stop
You will look around
and find yourself on top

That's why  the road was so rough
the test was so hard
You were bullied
Beaten,
mistreated,
scarred

It was all to make you give up
and not finish
your journey
For
there is a reward
on the other side of the rainbow
It's your manifested destiny!

Never give up
Never give in
Be invincible
You win!








 

Making Walorf Dolls

I started making Waldorf Dolls a few years ago and I find this craft really rewarding. it has been so much fun to make a handmade cloth doll and watch her become a darling little doll. Each doll seems to take on a personality of her own. For my next project I will be making a 16 inch Waldorf Doll with wefted curly hair. Come along with me as I share with you how I make my Waldorf Dolls.

Red Tails: The Tuskegee Airmen

 Tuskegee Airmen: They were expected to fail

     In 1941 with the world at war, a select group of African Americans traveled to Tuskegee, Alabama. They wanted to be part of an experiment to see if Blacks had the intellectual and physical capacity to fly an aircraft in combat. These young men traveled into the heart of segregation in the deep south. They dreamed of becoming the nation’s first Black fighter pilots. They were determined to become Tuskegee Airmen. They were the best of the best, the cream of the crop. They had degrees in such disciplines as: Electro Engineering, English Literature, Science, Biology and Pre-Law. (PBS movie) They were Du Bois’s “Talented Tenth.” The eyes of the Black community were upon them, and they did not want to disappoint. From the very beginning they were expected to fail (Homan & Reilly p. 15).
In 1925 under the direction of the War Department, the War College, devised a study examining the combat records of Black servicemen during World War I. The study was titled, The Use of Negro Manpower in War. This document was “preordained to be very negative.” It concluded that “Black men were cowards and poor technicians and fighters lacking initiative and resourcefulness” (p. 16). It further stated that the brain of the average Black man weighed only thirty-five ounces compared to forty-five ounces for the brain of an average white man” (p 17). In the eyes of the military, this document “proved” that Blacks should be kept segregated from Whites and were qualified only for menial, closely supervised jobs. This negative and biased report concluded that Blacks were “…a subspecies of the human population” (p. 17). This was the stance of the War Department concerning the use of Black men in the military.
The battle for African American men to enroll in military pilot training began as early as 1917 during World War I. When African Americans tried to enlist in the Air Services of the Signal Corps as Air Observers, they were told that “No colored aero squadrons were being formed at the present time…but, if later on, it was decided to form  colored squadrons, recruiting officers would be notified to that effect.” African Americans would not take “no” for an answer and in 1922,  African American leaders urged the War Department to establish Negro Army Air Force Reserve Units. The War Department’s response was “that since no Negro Air Units existed, there was no justification for the appointment of Negroes as flying cadets” (Francis & Caso p. 37).
African American leaders refused to accept the word no. In 1931, Walter White, Secretary for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and Robert R. Moton, President of Tuskegee Institute,  pushed once again for the acceptance of Blacks into the Army Air Corps for pilot training. And once again the response was a resounding no. The War Department argued that “from the beginning the Air Corps had selected men with technical and mechanical experience and ability, that the colored man had not been attracted to flying in the same way or to the extent of the white man”(p. 38).
White wrote in response “It is obvious that colored men cannot be attracted to the field of aviation in the same way or to the extent as the white man, when the door to the field is slammed in the colored man’s face…”(p 38). Because of the response of the War Department many leaders felt that only legislature through Congress would assure African Americans of acceptance into the Air Corps. In April 1939, Congress passed Public Law 18, authorizing the private training of military pilots by civilian schools. This law did not apply to Blacks or black schools (Homan p. 18).
Senator Harry Schwartz of Wyoming, introduced an amendment to Public Law 18, and when  the Appropriation Bill passed on April 3, 1939, it authorized the Secretary of War to
“…lend to accredited civilian aviation schools…designated by the Civil
Aeronautics Authority for the training of Negro Air Pilots…aircraft,
aircraft parts, aeronautical equipment and accessories… such articles
as may appear to be required for instruction, training, and maintenance
purposes” (Francis & Caso p. 38).
Passage of Public Law 18 seemed to be the victory for which Blacks had long fought; but the War Department, the C.A.A, and the Judge Advocate General were haggling over the interpretation of the bill. In the meantime African American organizations expressed that they would continue to agitate Congress for more legislation if the training of Negro Pilots was continuously delayed (p. 39).
In 1939 with war raging in Europe, the United States remained officially neutral; but as the war loomed President Roosevelt recognized the nation’s participation in the war as unavoidable. He ordered the nation’s military to prepare for war (Moye p 23). Brigadier General George V. Strong, called for “a civilian pilot training program a hundred times greater than that which existed in the past” (p. 23). The President was deluged with letters from Blacks seeking to enroll in the Civilian Pilot Training Program (C.P.T.P.).  Also, Presidents of historically black Wilberforce University, Hampton Institute, and Tuskegee Institute, offered their campuses as training sites (Moye p. 24).
During the hearing of the House of Representatives, on June 5, 1939; Congressman Louis Ludlow of Indiana offered an amendment that one million dollars of the eight million dollars proposed for expanding the training of military pilots and for materials, be set aside for the training of Negro Pilots. It was then proposed that a training camp be established at facilities “offered free of charge at Tallahassee, FL, and at Tuskegee.” Congressman Dirksen proposed that “this training camp be established at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama” He proposed that
“Tuskegee had a Reserve Officers Training Corps at the present time…
officered by a Negro First Lieutenant…a graduate of West Point, and
whose father…is the Colonel of the fifteenth Infantry in New York…”
(Francis p. 40, 41).
Dirksen was referring to First Lieutenant Benjamin O. Davis Jr., son of Colonel Benjamin O. Davis Sr., who would become Brigadier General B. O. Davis Sr. (Earl p. 33).
Tuskegee Institute was selected by the C.A.A. for Negro Pilot Training. On October 15, 1939, Frederick D. Patterson, President of Tuskegee Institute was notified that Tuskegee Institute had been approved for participation in the Civil Pilot Training Program (C.P.T.P.). While young African Americans were allowed to be trained as civilian pilots, they were not given the right to enter the air corps. African American leaders realized that Public Law 18 did not gain acceptance of Blacks as military pilots. The War Department simply ignored the act of Congress (p. 44).
When the Selective Services Act of 1940 was enacted by Congress, African American leaders and Congressmen proposed amendments to assure that African Americans would not be discriminated against and that the Act would not be misinterpreted as Public Act 18 had been.  African American leaders also sent a memorandum to President Roosevelt, Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox, and Assistant Secretary of War, Robert P. Patterson. The memorandum proposed among other things: the use of available Negro reserve officers, training camps for work in all branches of aviation corps, and the selection of officers and enlisted personnel without regard to race. As a result of this memorandum, the Army informed the President that it planned to give Negroes “proportionate shares in all branches of the Army, in the proper ration to their population—approximately ten percent” (p. 47).

They Were Expected to Fail

      The Selective Services Act of 1940 required all branches of the military to enlist Negroes with no discrimination regarding race, color, or creed (Rose p. 12). The Army Corps took weeks to decide where to train African American Pilots as well as African American mechanics to service the planes. The Aeronautical University of Chicago was considered, but it’s all White student body was housed in the Y.M.C.A. The Air Corps wanted to keep the races segregated and therefore, decided not to utilize the University of Chicago (p 12).
The Air Corps Technical School at Chanute Field, Illinois, was chosen by the Air Corps as the training facility. But the Air Plans Division feared “disturbances and riots will probably ensue both at the field, and within the nearby communities” (p 13). Tuskegee Institute was suggested as the place to start training, Tuskegee had the capacity to house both mechanic service schools, and pilot training (p. 13). The Army Air Corps was a separate program from the Civilian Negro Pilot Training Program  established under Public Law 18 in 1939 (p. 13).
In December of 1940, The Army Air Corps submitted plans for an “experiment.” Tuskegee Institute was chosen for pilot training for the United States Army Air Corps.  The all Black 99^th Fighter Squadron  would consist of thirty-five pilots, and 278 ground crew members (McKissack p. 42). White commissioned officers were to be used as instructors, inspectors, and supervisors until they could be replaced by qualified Black personnel (Rose p. 13). The announcement of the all Black squadron received mixed reviews from the African American community.
W. E. B. Du Bois editor of Crisis magazine praised the 99^th Squadron as “a step in the right direction” while William H. Hastie, advisor to the Secretary of War, refused to endorse the “experiment” he said it was a “national disgrace that a program was needed to prove Black men could fly an airplane.” Hastie sent an official report to the Secretary of War pointing out that Blacks were not ten percent of the total military, and that keeping the military segregated was “demeaning and demoralizing” (McKissack p. 42).
In response to Hastie’s report, General George C. Marshall, the army chief of staff intimated, “Segregation is an established American custom. The educational level of Negroes is below that of Whites; the Army must utilize its personnel according to their capacities; and experiments within the Army in the solution of social problems are fraught with danger to efficiency, discipline, and morale” (p. 42). It was official, the Army did not intend to end its racist practice of segregation. Furthermore, it  did not believe that Black men were as intelligent as white men, and certainly not more intelligent than white men. Some historians, after examining Army documentation, concluded, that the Army hoped, even expected, the program to fail (p. 45).
In 1940, the average income of Blacks in Alabama was 60 percent less than that of whites, only 2 percent of Black citizens could vote, and the Ku Klux Klan was very active, many Black leaders were against this experiment being conducted in Alabama, the stronghold of racial intolerance (p. 44).
Also in 1940, according to the Census Bureau, there were 124 licensed Negro pilots in the entire United States out of a total population of more than 12 million African Americans. Out of these 124 Negro pilots, seven held commercial pilot ratings, none were in the Army Air Corps (Moye p. 28). According to a press conference released by the War Department on January 16, 1940, thirty-five Black men would be chosen under the Civil Aeronautics Authority form the Civilian Pilot Training Program to be trained at  the  99^th Fighter Squadron of Tuskegee Institute (Holman p. 29).

      Benjamin O. Davis

     Benjamin O. Davis Jr. graduated from the United states Military at West Point in 1936. He ranked thirty-fifth in a class of 276. After  graduating from West Point, Davis was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and told to report to the Infantry Regiment in Fort Benning, Georgia. In March 1938, Davis was assigned to Tuskegee Institute to teach military science and tactics. In 1940 Davis’s father Benjamin O. Davis Sr., was nominated by President Roosevelt for promotion to the rank of brigadier general. In 1941 Davis Jr. was assigned as his father’s assistant and joined him in Fort Riley, Kansas. It was during this time that the Tuskegee experiment was initiated, and Brigadier General Davis Sr. received a letter from the Office of the U. S. Army Air Corps requesting that his son be released for pilot training and then command an all African American flying Squadron, the 99^th Fighter Squadron (Earl p. 34).
The first class began with twelve outstanding cadets and one officer trainee (B. O. Davis), contrary to the official report that stated there would be thirty five pilot trainees. Of the thirteen, only five “made it” and received their wings. The “wash out” rate was 50-60 percent (McKissack p. 54). Years later through the Freedom of Information Act, Tuskegee Airmen discovered there had been a quota for how many Blacks were allowed to graduate. The phrase used to wash (cadets) out was,  “eliminated while passing, for the convenience of the government” (Jefferson p. 26). It is clear that many cadets passed  basic training but were eliminated for the convenience of the secret government quota system.

Active Duty

     During WW II Black airmen destroyed or damaged 409 enemy aircraft, including the last four victories of The Army Air Corps in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. They flew 15,553 stories, and 1,578 missions. Two hundred of these missions were as heavy bomber escorts. Not one of the bombers flying over the Rhineland was lost to enemy fighter opposition. Four hundred fifty Negro pilots of the 99^th, 100^th, 301^st, and 302^nd , Fighter  Squadrons, collectively known as the 332^nd Fighter Group distinguished themselves according to the Presidential Unit Citation as
“displaying outstanding courage, aggressiveness, and combat technique, the 332^nd Fighter group reflected great credit on itself and the Armed forces of the United States of America…”
(Rose p. 9).The Tuskegee Airmen did not fail, they surpassed all preconceived expectations and did not disappoint their country or the Black community.

Double Victory

     When the Tuskegee Airmen returned home to America they found that race relations had not changed, they were still treated as second class citizens. But they had tasted victory and would not settle for second class citizenship again. Inspired by the contribution of the Tuskegee Airmen, President Harry S. Truman announced Executive Order 9981, calling for “equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed forces, regardless of race, color, or creed.” This act led to the end of segregation in the Armed forces and marked the beginning of the Civil rights Movement, according to many historians (George p. 29).
Many Tuskegee Airmen remained in the military. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was promoted to the rank of Four Star General by President Bill Clinton in 1998. At the ceremony President Clinton intimated that  Davis is “…a hero in war, a leader, in peace, [and] a pioneer for freedom, opportunity, and basic human dignity” (George p. 28).

Annotated Bibliography

Earl, S. (2011). Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Air Force General & Tuskegee Airmen Leader. Mankato: ABDO Publishing Company. I used this source to cite the performance of Benjamin O. Davis Jr. when he graduated from West Point Army Academy. It also was used to explain how he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry  and told to report to the Infantry regiment in Benning, Georgia. From this source I also retrieved information concerning the promotion of Benjamin O. Davis Sr. to the rank of Brigadier General.
Francis, C. E.  & Caso, A.(1997). The Tuskegee Airmen The Men Who Changed A Nation. Boston: Branden Publishing. This source was used to explain the battle experienced by African American men to enroll in military pilot training as early as 1917. This source also is utilized to show how Afro American leaders urged the War Department to establish Negro Army Air force reserve Units. It also explains the amendment to Public Law 18 proposed by Senator Schwartz of Wyoming in 1939.
George, L.  (2001). The Tuskegee Airmen. New York: Grolier Publishing. This source was used to explain how the Tuskegee Airmen inspired President Harry Truman to announce Executive Order 9981, calling for equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed forces regardless of race, color and creed. It also details the rise of Benjamin O. Davis Jr. to the rank of a Four Star General.
Homan, L. M. (2001). Black Knights the Story o f Tuskegee Airmen. Greta: Pelican Publishing Company, Inc. This book was used to explain that from the very inception of the Tuskegee Experiment the cadets were expected to fail. It also explains the study conducted by the War College, that concluded that Black’s were a subspecies of the human population. This source also explains how Public Law 18 did not provide for the private training of black men in civilian pilot training schools
Jefferson, A. C. (2005). Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free. New York: Fordham University Press. This source is used to explain how the Tuskegee cadets did not find out until years later that there had been a quota for how many blacks would be allowed to graduate. It also gives the explanation of the use of the phrase “wash out” used by the government to eliminate African American cadets from the Tuskegee Experiment, even though they passed the training/
McKissack, P. &. (1995). Red Tail Angels. New York: Walker and Company. This source cites how W. E. B. Du Bois editor of the Crisis magazine praised the 99^th Squadron as a step in the right direction for allowing African American to be trained as pilots in the Tuskegee Experiment.. It also points out how General George C. Marshall the army chief of staff, expressed his feelings that the education level of the Negro is below that of whites.
Moye, J. T. (2010). Freedom Flyers The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. New York: Oxford University Press. I used this source to show that in Alabama blacks earned 60 percent less than whites. It also explains that many black leaders were against the Tuskegee Experiment. This source also shows how in 1939, President Roosevelt was advised by Brigadier General Strong calling for a civilian pilot program a hundred times greater than that which existed in the past.
Rose D.D.S., R. A. (1982). Lonely Eagles The Story of America’s Black Air Force in World War II. Los Angeles: Tuskegee Airmen Inc. This source shows how the officers of the 99^th Fighters were white officers to be used until they could be replace by black officers. It also explains the combining of the 99^th, 100^th, 301^st  and 302^nd Fighter Squadrons, as well as their collective successes during World War II.

Yestrday's Blues

Yesterday’s Blues  by Donna McKanders

Don’t cry Sister, don’t cry
Life ain’t supposed to be easy
I know you ask why
Don’t cry, not for long anyway
Why so much pain? Why so much sorrow?
Humph, Why not?

Sister, you got something inside of you
That you haven’t tapped into yet
That gifting will cost you some tears,
perseverance,
and sweat!

Don’t cry,  don’t cry too long
Get up from there and sing a pretty song
What kind of song you say?
A love song,
A song full of the blues you experienced
yesterday

Sing a song that only sisters understand
Sing me a song Sister
Tell me about your pain
Share with me what you learned along the way
Make me laugh and cry and sing along

Sing me a song of the blues you experienced… yesterday
I’ll dance, and sing, and shout, and sway
sing me a song of yesterday's blues
And remember my Sister,
That was yesterday…

Dream Deferred
Paraphrase

What happens to a dream not realized?
Does it wither up and die?
Or simply fade from the dreamers eye
Does it decay and smell
Or get old and stale?

Does it lie asleep in hibernation?
Maybe its just waiting  for the right generation
When it can rise up and awake a nation
And cause a mighty reverberation!

Jabberwocky (paraphrase by Donna Mac)

Jabberwocky
 paraphrase


‘Twas hot and blimy
In the streets called grimy
Wilted were the weeds, so erry
And slippery shadows, feary

“Beware of the Jabberwocky my son!”
The jaws that tare, the eyes that stare
Beware the Boogeyman, and run
A kabillion shadows were everywhere!

He stood with his 357 in his hand
I  ain’t  scared of no boogeyman
So he rested for a while
And then I saw him smile

And in nofearish swagger, He did not stagger
As Jabberwocky came with eyes like daggers
He parted the path
With a bonechillish laugh

Boom, boom, pow and with a grow
The magnum asked “what now?”
He left him dead, with one shot to the head
Dad said “you done killed him now go to bed”

Did you kill the Jabberwocky, did you do it boy?
Now put down your 357 toy
Oh joy, my boy
Killed the Jabberwocky with a toy

“twas hot and blimy
in the streets called grimy
Wilted were the weeds so eery,
and slippery shadows feary…






Jabberwoky
by Lewis Carroll

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

'Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!'

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood a while in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One two! One two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

'And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe

Obsolete

Old
obsolete

Out dated, not useful, without full potential
espadrilles, bell bottoms, the diaphragm

temporary rinse, dentures, my ibookG3
old, no new updates, unable to stream

frustrated, cranky,
ready to scream!!!

who says?
some young insensitive chick

she ain't got no style
I ain't dead yet

I'll hang around for a while
old ain't nothing but a word

underneath, thee, thou, aeroplane,
electro-engineer, Negro, Chicano,

Afro, beehive, jive turkey
I'm hip

I will not die
I will not quit

I know some things now
how to live
dance
stand
and not fall

Old?
keep living!

Free Me

When I was a little girl

my Momma would shampoo my long,

 thick, bushy, uncontrollable, hair.

shampoo, press and curl.

Ouch! Ouch!

Hush girl, I'm not hurting you!

'Bout ten loosely braided locks fall from my thick mane.

As I sit in front of the heat vent waiting for it to tame.

Why my hair so bushy? I say to myself.

My head hurts SO bad!

Why Momma always making such a fuss over my head?

Come here girl let me comb yo hair out.

Ouch, Ouch!

If you put yo hand up here one mo time I'll hit you with this brush

I heard Momma shout.

What is this madness all about?

Sizzle, Sizzle, sizzle went the pressing oil as the hot comb

cooked my hair to pristine silkiness.

It's hot in here, my neck hurts, can I take a break?

I'm half way done, Please, just sit still for goodness sake!

Shampoo, comb,

comb, part and grease

that scalp.

Got to rescue this girl from the cursed African nap.

When all her work was through, she'd say, Now don't tell no one what I done

Don't you dare.

If they say, do you get your hair pressed?

Say no I don't, cause I got good hair!

if this hair so good why do I feel so bad?

I know what I'm gonna do when I get old enough

I ain't gonna shampoo press and curl.

I'm tired of all this deceitful stuff!

I'm gonna set my hair free

When I grow up,

I'm gonna just be me !

Divine Timing Continued

Moving Ahead of God

Ecc 3: 11 reads;

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has placed eternity in men's hearts

and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy, yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from beginning to end]

 

 

Lets look at someone who came on the scene before his time.

Acts 7

 ⁵⁹And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Acts 8

 ¹And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
 ²And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
 ³As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.


     Saul by his own admission was zealous for God, but his zeal was without knowledge.  Remember our opening scripture Ecc 3: 11 the b. clause says, He has planted eternity in mens hearts and minds [a distinctly planted sence of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy]

     No doubt Saul felt that God wanted to use him. He was full of zeal but because he did not have knowledge of God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, he stepped ahead of God and began to move according to his own plan and purpose. By doing this he found himseldf fighting against God 

Acts 9
 ¹And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
 ²And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
 ³And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
 ⁴And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
 ⁵And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
 ⁶And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

 .

     You would think that Saul was an enemy of God and unfit to be used. Contrary to Saul's actions God's plan was to use him. He was ahead of God's timing for his life because of his zeal.

Acts 9:15

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.

¹⁶ For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
     Saul had a sense of purpose, he ran ahead of God's time, and literally caused men and women to be put to death. Wow, think on that for a minute. This shows us how important it is to be in synchrony with God; not a second ahead of time or a second behind time but on God's set time, God's perfect time.

     Moses also had a sense of purpose and stepped out ahead of his time and killed an Egyptian. He then becomes a fugitive and spends forty years in obscurity hidden on the backside of the desert.God will hide you in obscure places to help you avoid the dangers of premature exposure. While He hides you He prepares you as He did Joash the child King, see II Kings Chapter 11 and II Chronicles Chapter 22.


     Jonah ran away from his purpose and appointment with destiny, causing himself and those around him great distress. He also went to hell!

 Jonah 2:2

King James Version (KJV)

 ²And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

After Jonah cried out to God from his hell experience, God heard him and gave him a second chance. Maybe you need to stop right now and cry out to God. He will give you another chance. He will also give you supernatural strength to make up for lost time. 

     ¹And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying...

Did you miss His voice the first time? Or did you run the other way? Well just repent! He will speak to you again when you repent!

Obey God and enter into His rest.

To be continued

Cloaked, Positioned, Hidden and Revealed

Love in Action

Love can be known only by the action it prompts

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.  John 3: 16 God’s love for the world prompted Him to give His only Son.  And because Jesus loved us so much He gave His life to save us.  Love is the greatest force on the earth. 

When a lawyer approached Jesus and asked, what is the greatest commandment? Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intelligence).  This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.  And the second is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself.  All the other books of the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22: 37-40 (Amplified Bible)

Every concept, every principle and every commandment, in the entire word of God is dependent on the force of love.  Love is an action word, because God loves us so much He literally put Himself in our place, paid the price for our sins and took the punishment that was due us.  He was mocked, scourged, crucified, and tormented for three days and nights in a devils hell, so that we could be reconciled back to God and have life more abundantly.

Deuteronomy 7:6-9 says,

For you are a holy people to the Lord your God: The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the people on the face of the earth.  The Lord did not set His love upon you nor chose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all people: but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage from the hand of  Pharaoh, king of Egypt.  Therefore know that the Lord your God He is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep his commandments.

You are God’s special treasure

It seems as though God chose you and me because of the special treasure He alone saw in us.

I think about myself, an African American woman raised in the ghetto of Detroit, Michigan, the least in my father’s house.  Nothing to boast about, average, average in appearance, average in intelligence, just average.  But because God loved me He brought me out with His mighty hand, and redeemed not only me but you also, from the house of bondage.  Whatever your bondage may be, poverty, illiteracy, abuse, fear, shame, whatever has a hold on you He redeemed you from it.  Maybe it is  a troubled mind, a bad marriage or low self-esteem,  that has a grip on you. I am telling you that God has already paid the price for your freedom. Why?  Because of love; God became man, His name was called Jesus.  He shed His blood on the cross to buy us back from the confines and bondage of fallen humanity. Because of the blood of Jesus, Satan no longer has a right to bind , torment , or harass us.  

The Message Bible puts it this way;  Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God.  It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in.  He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know.  He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb.   (I Peter 2; 19 )

 When Jesus died and arose from the dead He took His blood to the sanctuary of heaven and offered it  as an  appeasement for the punishment of sin.  God saw the sacrifice that it was perfect and He cancelled the punishment that was  written against us.  All Because of love.

Deuteronomy 7:  11-15 says,

          Therefore you shall keep the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which I command you today , to observe them.

         

          Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which he swore to your fathers. 

        And He will love you and bless you and multiply you.  He will also bless the fruit  of your womb and the  fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine, and your oil, the increase of your cattle…

         You shall be blessed above all people; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock.  And the Lord shall take away from you all sickness,  and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known…

This is God’s love for His people in action.  He promises that if we only keep  His commandments, which is His word, then He will love, bless and multiply us. Not only that but He promises to bless and multiply our children and our business ventures.  God loves us so much  that He promises to bless those who love Him and keep His word  above all people of the earth.

In John 14: 23 Jesus said;

          If a man love me he will keep my word and my father will love him.

 God loves us with an oath, a  promise, He promises to bless us above all people.  He promises that he will increase us, He promises fertility , no barrenness among us.  He promises to take all sickness from us.  Because He loves us.  His love should prompt us to action, for Jesus said ; if a man loves me he will keep my word.

When we love God we spend time with Him

The first and greatest commandment is to love God, and when we love God we must study His  word, meditate His word, pray His word, and speak or proclaim and declare His word. This causes His word to manifest in our life.  When we love God we spend time with Him in the word.  As we read and  study the word it becomes a part of us and we begin to become infused with the power and presence of God.  We speak the word, we pray the word , we declare the word with boldness and things happen.  Because faith begins to increase and arise and make things happen. 

Let us look at Joshua 1: 8

          This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it .  For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success.

Notice the last clause  in that verse,  “ then you  will make your way prosperous.”   This is a faith principal, the word infused into your spirit and spoken out of your mouth, brings prosperity  and success in life.  James 2: 17 says,  So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).   Wow that’s a heavy statement.  Faith can only be known by works, and faith cannot work apart from love.  When love and faith unite the result is action, infused with the power of God that produces miracles; Healing miracles, deliverance miracles, money miracles, whatever  you are believing God for according to His promises will manifest.  Faith works by and through love, Galatians 5: 6.

If you are saying the word, praying the word and believing the word and your promise hasn’t manifested yet then check your love walk. Faith cannot work without love.  It’s a Kingdom principal.  If you have checked your love walk and made the necessary adjustments; forgiveness, repentance, showing kindness, doing good to those who have hurt you, just to name a few, then don’t give up on your confession of faith.  It will come to pass because God is faithful to His promises.

Let’s look at Deuteronomy 7: 11-15 again,

Therefore you shall keep the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them.

Then it shall come to pass, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to .your fathers

And He will love you, and bless you, and multiply you.  He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your cattle and the off spring of your flock, in the land which He swore to your fathers to give you.

You shall be blessed above all people; there shall not be a male or female barren among you or among your livestock.  And the Lord shall take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you.

God promised to take sickness away from among us, multiply, increase, and bless us.  He said in Deut 7: 11-13; you shall keep the commandments, the statutes, and judgments… to observe them. Then it shall come to pass because you listen to these judgments and do and keep them that the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. The word keep is "shamar" in the Hebrew It means to guard, protect, attend to, take heed to, observe, preserve, regard, look narrowly, watch (man), (lay) wait (for). (Strong’s concordance)

We see when God says if you keep my statutes, judgments, and commandments He is saying if you guard my word, attend to my word, observe it, watch over it, and lay wait for it; then I, God will keep, watch over, guard, and observe to keep my word, my covenant of mercy, and I will love you and bless you.  Our part is to keep God’s word. His part is to bless us.  Let’s see how we should keep the word.

Joshua 1: 8 says, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest  observe to do  according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

(Roth)…Thou must talk to thyself therein day and night

(Mof)…This law-book you shall never cease to have on your lips; you must pore over it day and night

(NAB)… recite it by day and by night

(Knox)…The law thou hast in writing must govern every utterance of thine mouth; night and day thou must ponder over it, so as to carry out all the terms of it faithfully; so wilt thou guide thy steps truly and prosper

(Jer)…Have the book of the law always on your lips

(Basic)… Let this book of the law be ever on your lips or in your thoughts day and night, so that you may keep with care everything in it; then blessing will be on your way, and you will do well.

These other versions of the bible help us to understand how important it is to meditate on the word of God.  The word meditate means; to ponder over, talk to thyself, never to cease to have on thy lips, recite day and night.  The word must govern our every thought; we must always have the word on our lips and in our minds, or heart.

Let us look at an example in the word of God, of a woman who spoke the word, prayed the word, and pondered the word. Because of her faith working by love, God caused her to prosper and have good success.

Read II Kings 4; 8-37

In these passages of scripture we find that the prophet Elisha visited the city of Shunem often.  There was a Shunemmite woman who persuaded him to eat at her house whenever he came to town.  This woman, who was called a notable woman, persuaded her husband to build an addition to their house and furnish it with a bed, a lamp stand and a chair for the prophet.  Now the prophet wanted to bless the woman with a prophet’s reward.  When He asked her what he could do for her, she didn’t want anything.  Gehazi , Elisha’s minister told the prophet “ she has no son and her husband is old.”  This is when Elisha spoke a prophetic word to the Shunammite woman.  “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” The woman conceived and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had prophesied.

Verse 18 says, And the child grew.  Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers.  And he said to his father, “My head, my head!”  The child’s father had his servant carry the boy to his mother.  He sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.  This Shunemmite woman took her son, her promise, her miracle, her prophecy and laid him on the prophets bed.  She then told her husband to send her a servant to take her to the prophet.  Now watch what she does, she did not say “my son is dead, my promise is dead.”  She said I’m going to see the prophet.  Her husband asked her “why are you going to see the   man of God, it’s not new moon or Sabbath?”  And she answered him “It is well.” 

When Elisha saw her coming he sent Gehazi to meet her, and ask her “ Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband?  Is it well with the child?”  All these questions could have tempted her to become grieved and negative and say the wrong thing, but she said, “It is well.”  She then reminds the man of God of the prophetic word she had received.  This is what we should do when trouble comes, speak the word, say the word, remind God of his promises.  Isaiah 43:26 says, “put me in remembrance” ,God challenges us to put Him in remembrance of His word.  And the Shunemmite woman does just that, she reminds the prophet of the promise.  Elisha then sends his servant  Gehazi with instructions, “don’t talk to anyone, don’t say anything, put my staff on the boy’s face.”  Elisha didn’t want Gehazi’s words messing up this woman’s miracle! 

Pay close attention to what the Shenmmite woman does next.  She says to the man of God, “As the LORD lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you”, So he arose and followed her (emphasis mine).  She said I will not leave you, then she leaves him, her words are so powerful that the prophet must follow her.  She’s in the zone “the faith zone”. Everything she says must come to pass. She speaks the word with boldness, so much so that the prophet is obeying her word.  He follows her.  Verse 31 says, Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff of the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing.  Therefore he went back to meet him , and told him, saying, “The child has not awakened.”  Verse 32, When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed.  He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. 

 And  the bible says, He went up and lay on the child, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child; then the child sneezed seven times, and opened his eyes.  And the Shunemmite woman embraces her miracle again. 

This Shunemmite woman never said anything to nullify the original word spoken to her by the prophet.  “Thou shall embrace a son.”  He spoke life to her, she received the word of life and continued to agree with the word.  Notice she said; “It is well, all is well, it shall be well.”  She had several opportunities to change her confession, but she continued to say, “It is well.”  And she received her manifested miracle. 

This story of the Shuenammite woman is a clear-cut example to us of the powerful force of love.  Because of God’s love for this woman and her husband the prophet gives her a prophetic word, “About this time next year thou shall embrace a son.”  This word is one of the promises in Deuteronomy chapter 7.  When her son died, it was the love of a mother that drove her to visit the prophet, she spoke the word, she prayed the word, she confessed the word, and God did His part as He promises. He gave life to the Shunammite woman’s son. This is love in action!Because love can only be known by the action it prompts.