When I Dance

"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens::...a time to mourn and a time to dance..."

Ecclesiastes 3:1,4
   

    For as long as I can remember I have always loved to dance.  If my mother were alive she would no doubt have stories of when I first began to bounce up and down to the beat of music while still in diapers. There is something that happens when I dance. It's as if I become infused with the music I am listening to. I can clearly distinguish between music and lyrics and to me the two are distinctly different. Lyrics engage my mind but music commands my body.  When I was younger and sang in a local R & B band in Fayetteville, N.C. I remember how I would dance all night. As long as the music moved me I knew nothing of tiredness.  Here are some of the things dancing did for me:

• Dancing kept me in shape physically
• Dancing made me feel free and alive
• Dancing made me happy
• My dancing often made others happy

  I don't dance too often these days. It's not that my love for music has diminished, but I do believe that it's primarily because I do not have a dance partner.  My wife is not a dancer but she likes to see me move, (you figure that one out). I stopped going to clubs years ago because of the unwholesome atmosphere found inside and among some of the patrons and also because I greatly altered my lifestyle.  Every now and then I may hear an old funky song from years gone by or simply get a thought and then I am off to a few seconds of spinning, strutting, and feeling downright.....awesome. (That's the safest word I could find at the moment). 

 I have been encumbered about much these past few weeks.  There have been the passing of friends, loss of relationships/friendships, senseless killings throughout our nation, racial issues, family and friends who have recently been hospitalized and much more.  I have to sometimes turn off my car stereo and television because of the constant stream of depressing news. Yes, I understand the need to stay informed concerning current events, but enough is enough and sometimes we just need to hear the deafening sound of silence.  Because I keep in contact with so many of you I know you have been burdened by a seemingly ceaseless turn of events so I will make this short and to the point:

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.." Proverbs 17:22 

Today, or sometime this weekend, I want you to turn off the drama, turn on the music and shake off your burdens.
See you on the dance floor.
Dennis  

     

Too Small To Be Loved

"But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people." -Psalm 22:6

"The more you think that way, the more people will feel the negative vibes from you and your body language. I never trusted anyone even family members, they all got tired of my depressive mood and did not enjoy being around Mr Misery. I looked pained most of the time, until I came to the realization that I had almost no one to confide in. It was very lonely and sad to see others with so much family and friends to enjoy company with.

It took a total stranger to make me realize what it was I was doing to my self. I will never forget being told.

(You have to love yourself and be your own best friend first before you can expect others to like you and be friends with you.)

When I started seeing the good in me and what I had to offer others, I felt I had a good chance at surviving the life that I felt caused me so much misery. I began selling the good of myself to others and some have bought into my friendship. From those friendships I have connected with others and has been growing like a pyramid scheme."
-Anonymous 

  I came across the above article this morning and was reminded as to how often we all are subject to falling into self pity and/or utter hopelessness; especially when things are not going smoothly with some personal aspect of our life. It could be our health, our children, our marriage or significant other. Perhaps it is that seemingly never-ending negative situation on the job or you are just tired of living from paycheck to paycheck.  I know just how insignificant we can seem in such a big and busy world; not to mention this vast universe.  Sometimes I have felt as if God was watching me go through my tests and trials I wondered why He didn't just step in and fix it for me. I'm going to be real with you; sometimes I get tired  of trying to be "Mr. Right Kinda Guy" and I don't beat myself up when I do. Not anymore. Only a fool will describe himself as perfect. I'm glad that there are times when I do get angry. I don't even go to church every Sunday. Sometimes I want nothing but peace around me and no madness. God, the years I have wasted trying to be someone that I wasn't because someone wanted me to be like someone they felt they wanted me to be. But guess what? That was all for nothing because people don't always know what they want their own darn selves.

  It's time to rejoice in the God within us. We have been created with a uniqueness which makes us more valuable than any Rembrandt or Picasso painting. To those who love us, the mere sound of our voices are more melodious than a Beethoven symphony.  

"What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Psalm 8:4

  So, please, go on being you today and always. Not that mean, depressed, isolated person that the world has forced you to become, but be that full-of-love person that you desire to be daily. Be real and I guarantee you will make it to the other side.
  Love yourself today,
  Dennis

See You Later, Zaundra

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed..."

1 Corinthians 15:51

 

   I attended a funeral in Alabama this past Saturday. A dear friend of mine named Zaundra had suddenly passed away; leaving behind a young daughter and a host of heart broken family and friends.  I met Zaundra when I was employed at the Veterans Hospital in Tuscaloosa. She was a fun-loving woman who had a genuine personality. (We would all do well to leave such a testimony behind). I don't do funerals very well because I unintentionally internalize the entire service and my mind matriculates from my own parents funerals to the funeral of my step-son 6 years ago and even thoughts of my own demise.  You see, I never expected to live this long. I actually believed I would die in the military when I participated in Operation Desert Storm, and truthfully, I should have died on several occasions but God, indeed, had mercy on me and so many others. I sometimes make a mess of things, but I am thankful to be given the chance in this life to try to right my wrongs. 

  At the funeral I sat beside my other good friend, Patricia Jackson, and we quietly reminisced about Zaundra. Before I realized it my tears began to flow uncontrollably and continued for a large part of the service. The ride home was long and very quiet. I think that for the next funeral I attend I will have to bring my family so that afterwards I can focus on life and the living.

  Yes, life is short and precious.

  Enjoy your loved ones today.

  Dennis

You Are Not Alone

 

  My walk this morning was brisk, but insightful, as always. Last night's rain created a balmy, but relaxing, environment as I walked.  My night was filled with dreams and visions which caused me to awaken on an hourly basis. I have come to terms with the fact that my mind will possibly always be permeated with quickening thoughts of both conscious and subconscious situations. I have learned to be attentive to my dreams, for it is when we have surrendered our fleshly minds to sleep that God can best commune with our Spirit man. Keeping in touch with my Facebook friends has shown me that life goes on for us all. This month alone we have suffered great losses, experienced  trying difficulties, celebrated in successes, and have had our faith tested to the limit, it seems. We have learned through all these things that God is faithful to our cry. We have seen that we are stronger than we imagined possible and that prayer does, indeed, change circumstances. We have had it confirmed, once again, that the battle is not given to the strong but to the one who holds on to the end.

  I am walking on egg shells today. My heart and senses are intently attuned to what is going on in and around me. I believe we are all connected in God's plan. As the old saying goes, "No man is an island, no man walks alone. Each man's joy is joy to me, each man's grief is mine own." So I pray for your situations. I ask for God's mercy on your sick family member. I offer supplication for the healing of your disparaging financial problems and that they will be alleviated very soon. I ask God to hold you when no one understands the depth of your pain. I pray that you will be able to successfully break away from bad habits which trouble your very soul.

"O Lord, how many are my foes!

How many rise up against me!

Many are saying of me,

“God will not deliver him.”

But you are a shield around me, O Lord;

you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

To the Lord I cry aloud,

and he answers me from his holy hill.

I lie down and sleep;

I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

I will not fear the tens of thousands

drawn up against me on every side.

  Arise, O Lord!

Deliver me, O my God!

Strike all my enemies on the jaw;

break the teeth of the wicked.

From the Lord comes deliverance.

May your blessing be on your people."

 Psalm Chapter 3

I love you all,
Dennis

Fed By The Ravens And You

"Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food."
1 Kings 17:4

  Almost daily I talk to a friend who is "getting by" in life, but almost always trusting in the Lord to see them through.  These are not people who are merely seeking to bum a quarter because they have "smoked" or gambled their money away or some other facetious act. I believe the majority of persons understand that we do live in a tough economy and so they don't even ask friends for help unless they are truly destitute; and even then it takes so much out of them to do so.  It pains me to know, (either by factual information or through spiritual discernment), that a brother or sister has a financial need and I am not able to satisfy that need at that very moment.  I try to be prayerful before making any decision, (especially one concerning another person's life because I fear getting in the way of what God may be doing in that individuals life),  but I would like to believe the scripture when it says,  "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:10 (NIV)

  I have been there in my life; destitute, needy, in want of basic sustenance. I had not done anything unwise with my money. I  simply was in a hard place. (have any of you ever been in a hard place)? I re-traced my steps, as far as my spiritual life was concerned. Like the prophet, Job, I sat in my fasting and meditation; scrutinizing my walk with the Lord. I will not go into all that was revealed to me about myself during my time of fasting and prayer, but I will say this much; God did send the ravens to feed me during my hard time. But as with Elijah, the brook dried up but I was reminded that the scripture says "you have not because you ask not" and I reached out to family and they came through for me with an eagerness and love that humbled me greatly. 

  Most of you know that ravens are considered unclean creatures because their diet mostly consists of carrion (road kill or dead animals) but let me tell you, when you are fed by ravens you don't have time to be picky. When I speak of ravens I am speaking metaphorically. And I certainly am not suggesting that you eat any one's roadkill, for even the prophet was brought bread to eat by these very same ravens.  A raven can be anyone who we may consider "unclean". If you are a Christian you may want nothing from the hands  of an non-believer. If you are heterosexual you may shun anyone who is homosexual. If you are of one race you may avoid anyone of another race. My friend, the point I am making is merely this: God can and will use whomever and whatever He wants to answer your need. You must therefore ask yourself "how bad do I need it"? 

  However; knowing how God works in the miraculous does not omit any of us from being our brothers, (or sisters), keeper. Jesus said that the poor will be with us always. I believe this is God's design to remind many of us to look on the needs of others more than the needs of ourselves.  So many claim that they are not of this world but they store up every penny as if the Stock Market will crash tomorrow; and if it does your money will not save you. What will save you is storing up your riches in Heaven by helping those who truly are needy. By being a blessing to the widow and the fatherless. By sharing your fruit during your season, (read Psalm chapter 1:1-3), and then when your season has passed someone else whose season has arrived will be there for you.  

  Some of you are thinking "You make this all sound so simple". Well, it is.

Love is not hard at all.  

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."



1 Corinthians 13:4-7

  I love you all,

  Dennis



We Wrestle Not Against Flesh And Blood

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NIV)

  I had a very vivid dream a few nights ago. In my dream I was simply standing alone when someone came before me, drew a gun and shot me in my stomach. I instinctively grabbed my stomach, doubled over, and fell to my knees; anticipating the pain that was to follow.  I soon realized that there was no pain; in fact, I was not even bleeding. I stood up and discovered that the bullet had not touched me. The shooter did not miss me, but  God kept me from harm. In my mind I heard the scripture "No weapon formed against you shall prosper". (Isaiah chapter 54:17a).   

  Someone once asked me "What was the hardest thing about being a pastor"?  I answered them without hesitation; "Getting people to believe the impossible". It's so wonderful to read the many Bible tales of how Christians were delivered from lion's dens or escaped a fiery furnace totally unscathed. We get a chill as we read how the lame were made to walk, the blind to see, and the dead raised to life. Sadly, these great accounts are becoming as fairy tales in our modern age. There are even some religious schools that equate the stories of the Bible to be an allegory (symbolic), interpretation of events that were once proclaimed as the infallible truth of God. It can be discouraging to hear so many Christians downgrade the words of God into man's own intellectual parabolic interpretation.  But I resist becoming discouraged because I remember God said "For I am the Lord; I do not change". Malachi 3:6.  

  I am so thankful that we do not have to contend with situations or people that are seemingly bigger than us, more aggressive in their nature than us, or  may even outnumber us. Although I am a mere worm in God's grand scheme, I am comforted knowing that His eye remains on the sparrow and that He cares so much for me that He guides my very footsteps, protects me from those who seek to destroy my body and/or my character, and still gives me miraculous proof that He, indeed, is still in control.  Please allow me to encourage you, my brothers and sisters, to hold on to that crazy faith you had when you first believed; when you would believe God for anything!  And if you no longer have it, I urge you to reach into your pocket full of past miracles and dig it out again. Having absolute faith in God is the only thing that will defeat our enemies, both seen and unseen, and give us victory from day to day. 
Call someone and encourage them today. It's not all about you.
I love you all.
Dennis






 

When Marriages Break

Dedicated to anyone who has experienced divorce

He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.
Matthew 19:8 (NAS)

  “My husband and I have never considered divorce... murder sometimes, but never divorce.”      Joyce Brothers

  Divorce. What a nasty word. When I was a child I sometimes heard that word. It was never in relation to my own household, but always someone else's. I grew up believing people got divorces because something worse than death had happened behind their closed doors. What it was, I could not even begin to fathom, but whenever I heard the subject I felt as if something ominous and very scary had happened to that couple.  Both of my parents loved each of us in their own way. My father expressed his love for us by having a steady job and "bringing home the bacon" while my mother trained us in personal hygiene and domestic responsibilities. She encouraged our education and made us feel secure in our home. I remember how she would sometimes hold me for hours as she rocked and hummed to herself.  Now, she and my father had their trying times as all people who are married do. I can recall a few times when my father angered her to the point that he narrowly escaped the room before a dish or a lamp or a glass, (whatever my mom had available to throw at the time), shattered in the space he stood a millisecond ago, but never did I hear the word "Divorce".

  Having been raised with a religious background I later learned that even God frowned upon divorce.  "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." (Matthew 19:6). That settled it for me. When I get married,( I vowed), I will be married forever.  In my immaturity and youth I did not hear the cynical voice of the world saying "Right, good luck with that".

  I have often heard people remark that marriages were made of a different quality back then.  I don't believe that. I believe the quality of the people getting married has changed and not the institution of marriage itself.  After all, God ordained marriage and we know that He never changes.  Later, when men found it impossible to maintain their wives and desired to put them away for such frivolous reasons as her lack of cooking skills, her looks, or her age, God allowed Moses to decree that divorce was acceptable only in the case of adultery; and even then, we messed that up.  These modern times have allowed folks to divorce for basically no apparent reason. Whereas our parents, and those before them, had the tenacity to forgive after a fight and to heal after a hurt, we have almost none of those qualities in us and it is looked upon as being okay.  After all, we are intelligent, able-bodied individuals who have out grown the antiquated teachings of God. We know what is best for us.  (I say this with sarcasm and with shame). 

  One thing is certain; divorce is never an act between two people only. There are almost always children involved. And if not children there is the added element of family and friends.  I seek not to instruct anyone on marriage and divorce for I have been there myself,  but I will say this; life does not end after divorce. It will take a period of recuperation, (which may last for many years), however; God is able to patch us up again and lead us to happiness in this life.  Some have sworn off marriage because of the trauma of divorce and to them I say "Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul."
3 John 1:2. 

 “A heart can stop beating for a while, one can still live.” 
   Suzanne Finnimore

  Beloved, encourage yourself in the Lord today.
  I love you all,
  Dennis

Expecting The Impossible

Sometimes life tends to produce one agonizing theme after another and, (if we are not careful), we will find ourselves doubting our hope in God and His promises. I urge you all individually to hold on to His promises. If you are finding it difficult to do this then you are in need of reading His Word more often because within it are His promises clearly pronounced. Here is what I can attest to:

• I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread
• Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
• My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory
• Ask and it shall be given
• You have not because you ask not
• Men, (and women), should always pray 
• Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty

  Can you add your own favorite passages to these? I'm sure that you can. I am still hearing awesome reports from several of my friends who are seeing their lives transformed in miraculous ways before their very eyes. And these are not delusional reports because others around them, (many of them witnesses who were doubters and unbelievers), are seeing them as well. If we sow sparingly we shall reap sparingly. In other words; if you continue to believe for a skateboard instead of a Cadillac you will continue to receive a skateboard.  How long have you professed to being a Child of the King? Well, it's about time you started living as a King's Kid should.  And I am not simply referring to material wealth and possessions because I sincerely believe that is secondary when God refers to "blessings".

  Don't beat yourself up if you have temporarily lost sight of these truths. I, like so many of you, have gotten off track and lost my own compass because of distractions and situations in my life. As the disciple Peter, we do well walking on the water as long as our eyes are fixed on Jesus. It is when we begin to focus on the tempestuous waves around us that we began to sink beneath the surface. It is also when we began to try and equate man's logic with the supernatural power of God and start to disbelieve our miracle because man's logic says that walking on water is utterly impossible! But we as true believers know that with God all things are possible.

  Today I am encouraged in a mighty way.  I have just begun to knock down the walls that stand between me and my goals, my prize and my victory. Oh, yes, I know the enemy is coming but I run towards him with the power of the Lord in my body just as David ran towards Goliath with his rock in his sling.  I want you to win. God wants you to win. I want you to love like God intended you to love because the world says this type of love no longer exists. I want you to be strong and courageous in spite of what life throws at you because your strength is needed in this weak world. Your faith is considered obsolete by those who favor technology and science over our God.  Let us show the world that He is alive and that He lives through us and in us. This is still an age of miracles.

God bless.
Dennis