Who Said This?

"Ma'am, I heard you were looking for help. I can dust and sweep and launder and iron the finest apparel." We know the man that said those words as a brilliant inventor and educator. We know him as the man that mastered the peanut. It is absolutely true that he became those things, but he did not start there. We make stories, even true life stories, a little less than real when we rush straight to the victory portion. George Washington Carver was one of the most accomplished men to ever grace this planet. He had a great mind and he nurtured it. He had a tremendous faith in God that enhanced his understanding even more. Mr. Carver however, was not born in the lab with a beaker in his hand. His introduction to adult life was working in the kitchen of a white woman from Kansas named Mrs. Payne. If we can learn to start where we are with what we have, we just may get to places that are beyond our wildest dreams. There may be a few exceptions, but most people don't just start at the top. The real question for the overwhelming majority of us is what are we willing to do to get the maximum from our lives? Once we answer that question, we have to start somewhere.

Work It Out!

Our Month of Celebration

I like the saying McDonald's has "Black 365." We are African American every day we open our eyes. Since we have the calender month of February to celebrate I have three words to thank God for, President Barak Obama. His rise to prominence shows us a few things we can all immediately apply to ourselves. We can see that preparation must be there when opportunity comes. People can say whatever they will about how far we have come as a nation. The truth is however, if we were not in the catastrophic condition we were in from the previous administration we would have never seen what we now have. He walked into a set up for failure just like every other person of color who is the first one. The beauty of it, just as it has been for coaches and executives, he was prepared when the opportunity presented itself. The other thing that we can learn from our President is the power of a steadfast determination against all odds. Nobody thought he could win, but he did. Nobody thought he could pass a health care bill, but he did. Nobody thought he could work with a republican dominated house, but he is. When there is determination to accomplish specific goals, that determination has within it a power that launches us toward fulfillment of those goals. Being Black is a beautiful thing. We still need to be prepared and determined if we are going to succeed.

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What is the goal of the Gospel?

It is good to ask basic questions every now and then. Why do we do the things we do? What do we expect from our involvement in Christian service? What does our commitment really mean? These all flow out of the primary question, what did Jesus have in mind when He left us His Gospel message? Is it just salvation from hell? Does it just motivate us to refrain from the most hideous sins? Is it just about inspiration to live a better life? Although there are traces of all these things in what Jesus taught, they fall short of the goal He had in mind. The message of Jesus Christ is really a world changing message. Selfishness is replaced with selflessness. I wonder if we really understand that part of His call in our day? Compassion for those in unfortunate positions was also central to what He modeled during His life. Is caring for others even on our radar these days? Jesus was never looking to establish Church memberships. He wanted to see people fully committed to following His way of life. Just as He spoke to Peter and Andrew on the sea shore in ancient times, the goal of the Gospel is still wrapped up in these words of Jesus, "Follow me." When we do that it will change our lives and the lives of everyone that is under our influence.

Work It Out!