I won't Complain Rev. Paul Jones

Houston native, still blessing and helping us put things into perspective. May he continue to rest in peace.

We all have a gift

I have a lot of gifts. No, not gifts like someone wrapped a present and gave me something for a special occasion. I have what those who believe and understand the meaning, spiritual gifts. One of them is the gift of exhortation. I love to encourage. When I lived in Houston for six years, I was really developing my gift of hospitality. It seemed like folks were always over my place and I took joy in serving them and opening my home for love, laughter and food. Since moving back home to Waco, the relationships aren't at deeply rooted since I haven't lived in my hometown most of my adult life. So for the past 2 1/2 yrs a lot of relationships are distant by miles. Many miles. But thank God for technology. For those who use it for good and not evil, it's been a blessing.

So if you are not sure of what gift you have, I am sure they have some online spiritual gift assessments. I've scored pretty high in leadership and teaching. One spiritual gifts assessment I took said I scored really low in mercy. It could have been what was going on in my life at that time. I guess you can't be gifted in them all. Find your spiritual gift here.

Me and Jen

My sister is another year older. My birthday always follows 39 days later.

Shift Happens

glumbert.com - Shift Happens

Don't Pass Me By - Fred Hammond

In Honor of Christ the Risen Savior!!

Happy Easter!!

Maryee

My Feet Are Off the Ground! Tyler Perry

I'm on Tyler Perry's email distribution list in which he emails out his updates personally and read his latest one today. I wanted to post it in my blog because not only is it inspirational, it's a gentle reminder for us to be grateful, humble, giving, and thankful.

Here it is:

http://tylerperry.com/message_center/newsletters/2007-03-21.php

This morning I awoke and
was so frustrated about
all of the stuff that
I'm dealing with in trying to get this studio
open.  I was about to open my mouth and start
complaining when I remembered something that
happened to me about a year ago.

I was walking to my car when this woman who appeared to
be homeless started walking towards me. I'm ashamed to
say this but I thought, "I don't feel like being hustled
today." Then I got quickly convicted. I felt guilty so I
started digging in my pocket for some money. As she got
closer I noticed that she had the kindest eyes that I
had ever seen. As I was reaching into my pocket she
started to speak. I thought, "Here goes the sales
pitch". She said "Excuse me sir, I need some shoes.
Can you help me?" My eyes filled with water because
I remember being out on the streets and having only one
pair of run over shoes. I was taken aback for a second.

I took her inside the studio and had my wardrobe people
find shoes in her size. As she put the shoes on she
started crying, praising God and thanking Jesus, and
saying, "My feet are off the ground!  My feet are off
the ground!" Several of the wardrobe people started
crying. I was crying. But I never forgot those word.
"My feet are off the ground!"

I thought, "Wow! All she wanted was some shoes."  She
quickly disappeared and never asked me for a dime. I
realized that I still had the money in my hand so I went
out looking for her.  She was gone just that quick so I
looked all around the neighborhood for her. I found her
standing on a corner looking down at her shoes, still
crying. I was so touched. I asked her how she had gotten
homeless. She told me that she had AIDS and that she
was waiting to get into a shelter.  She said that her
family had turned their backs on her and that she had no
place to go, but she knew that God would make a way for
her. I said to myself, "He just did." Her faith and her
praise moved me.

I took her to a nearby hotel and put her up until she
was able to get on her feet.  I had someone that worked
for me to check on her from time to time and to make sure
that she had food and clothes. After about a month or so
we lost touch, but I never forgot her.

This past summer I was shooting "Daddy's Little Girls"
and this woman walks up to me smiling. I didn't recognize
her face, but her eyes were familiar.  She had on a really
nice dress and her hair was done.  It was her!  She told
me that the little help that I had given her had changed
her life. She was in a house now and doing very well.

I said all of that to say this. After I met this woman,
every time I think about complaining and mumbling I
remember, "My feet are off the ground!"

I wanted to share this with you just to let you know
that when I say that I am thankful for you, I mean it.
And when I say that you are a blessing to me, I mean it.
We take so much for granted sometimes that I just wanted
all of you to know that I am grateful to God for you
everyday.  Thank you for being in my life.

TP

Tyler Perry on Youtube and google video

Invisible Octopus Video with slow motion footage

This is freaky!

You Gotta Defend It

by Maryee

No matter what it is, not matter what you do,
the thing which you submit to, will then take control of you

If it be truth, you will fight for what's right
If it be a lie, you now will entertain strife

You gotta defend it
Yeah, you're gonna defend it
especially if you've taken sides

One fights for justice
the other runs and hides

One seeks to expose truths
The other entertains lies

Let's say you smoke, now and you know it ain't right, you won't give money, time, nor support to the American Heart Association because that would be the height of hypocrisy. You know it's deadly affects on you and anyone you come in contact with but say things like, "Hey, I gotta die of something" or "everyone has a bad habit they need to kick", or "no one's perfect." Classic lie to yourself and deception to everyone else. You know it's damaging, but can't get from under it's yoke. The bad part about it is, now everything that is remotely connected to smoking, you will defend.

For instance, you will, say to a fellow smoker who's struggling with his 12 yr old son/daughter who's dabbling in pot/weed, "Well, you know...or...Hey, what can you say, you smoke, too." What you can't say is, "Friend, we've overcome this and we can help...I know what I did to fight this..." See, no matter how wrong it is, because you are under it's control, you will defend it. It's natural. Defense means you are against something or someone, like playing football.

If you are a smoker who's dealing with friends or family who smoke, you won't entertain the real truth and say, "It ain't right!" The only proof that you are against something is you are on the other team, opposite, going in another direction. See defense is on one side and offense is on the other side. They don't work together and cohabitate. You'll defend smoking anything til you decide that defending it is a lie. A lie to the truth and a lie you've been living. A lie like, in the Denzel Washington movie, Fallen that you will pass on to as many weak unsuspecting souls as possible, killing their truth to match them up with your lie.

My blog post is not about smoking cause you can replace smoking with anything that's not built on truth. It doesn't have to be an act, but it can also be a way of thinking.

See, if you think being verbally abusive is OK then no one will and can convince you the wiser that it is damaging to whom ever receives verbal abuse from you. You will defend it, cause doing anything other wise will be a lie unto the lie you live.

That's why it's hard for liars to tell the truth. They've been defending so many lies in their lives that to turn their back on it would mean they'd have to die.

You Gotta Defend It

No matter what it is, not matter what you do,
the thing which you submit to, will then take control of you

If it be truth you will fight for what's right
If it be a lie, you now will entertain strife

You gotta defend it
Yeah, you're gonna defend it
especially if you've taken sides

One fights for justice
the other runs and hides

One seeks to expose truths
The other entertains lies

Bible Drill Challenge

Do you know your Bible????

Take the Bible Drill Challenge and see if you score 100%!!

Maryee's Poetry on Video

Jen recorded me reading my poem, Your Issue is the Title on July 20th at Open Mic Poetry. Here it is:

The written version can be found here.

Big Rev's Take on Christian Evangelism

My brother V in California has something to say and I wanted to link to his blog to share it from his point of view. Big Rev's Blog.

Free - A Poem by Maryee

Written
7-24-06

And I saw Sharnaquanesha Alizé Jackson walkin' by

And I wanted sooo much to tell her how she'd been fed a LIE

This SyStEm puts a BIG X by your name baby girl...

and you think your name is cute but they use it against you to hold you back. But your mama didn't know cause...she ain't never been nowhere herself. That was her closest stab at artistic expression.

And you just think it's cool tryin' to live your life playing an XBOX PS2 kind of game...You don't think it's wrong but somehow you just get pee-o'd after you get up from playing grand theft auto. And you purse your lips and jack your head and say something mean to the first person you run in to...you might even cuss

And all the while it's so InSaNe

Auditioning for the video in the next BET MTV Game.

Comb in yo hair

grills kickin' high

wife beater and thongs on

and you know you're lookin' oohh so fly!

But all the while you wonder why you don't get the respect

and then you just don't try

You say you're MAD and ANGRY

and you…you don't know why

Your soul burns like embers on a toasty gas stove

Your heart aches for real love

a tender needy desire

and some days...you'd rather just die!

Mom's no good example

got her own issues to deal

she's strung out herself

never found time to heal

Lost the sensation to feel

Not knowing why she plots in her mind for someone to kill

So you search for someone else to show you the REAL DEAL

Cause looking for love and guidance is only natural

And then out of nowhere

You find yourself in a place

Where you’re trapped with his lips upon your face

His hands on your body

His fire in your soul

You give up what’s pure

Then fear takes control

Now that, which was innocent is GUILTY as SIN

And you don’t know how this mess of CONFUSION

Slipped right in

The videos and music sang you a fool’s song

Told you you were in the right space

This HIP HOP generation

Has now become your maser,

No God can replace

You submit to it and it gives you what you think is right

But all the while broken and confused

You find yourself crying yourself to sleep…each night

And then like clockwork, your mind gets flooded

Images, situations, thoughts untold

And I ask you, Who’s the ruler of your soul?

How will your future unfold?

Just how much has your present been determined by your past?

Do you really know what love is? Come on, now! Do you really know what love is?

Just how deceived are you? And how long have you been deceiving yourself and others? How long? How long have the lies been riding high? How long has it been since you gave up on truth and lies carried you to the fairy tale book? How long?

Baby girl, where are you going and on what ride are you tryin’ to take?

Where’s your destination and what chances are you willing to make?

Make?

Make.

Make!

What chances are you willing to make?

Make the right choice!

How many times will you allow your tender heart to break?

How many times will you repeat that same mistake?

And you confuse sex for love and love for sex.

How many times will you make the same mistake,

passed down from generation to generation to generation to generation

And it’s a silly sensation

To see daughters of the King sink into total damnation

Complete Asphyxiation from demented imagination

Arise Daughters of Zion!!

Wake up oh you sleeper!

Arise and take your place

No more destruction

No more self hate

Go take one good look in the mirror

And identify what’s righteous

What’s great!

Strive for love

Stamp out hate!

Love yourself enough to rewrite that bad script

Love yourself enough to rewrite that bad script

That was given to you. It’s a role I know you’re tired of playing.

Love yourself enough to make a change

Love yourself enough to make a change

A change for the better

For there’s a bright bright future ahead of you

But, Baby doll, the change

It must start with you!

So choose to love not hate

FORGIVE now LIVE

Share and care

Strive to stay alive

Run to a higher place

Lay a smile upon your face

Be the queen God created you to be

Be free to love yourself

So that will free you to love everyone else

Be free to forgive yourself

And that will free you to forgive everyone else

And Be free to give God the Best

So that will free, you to be the best you can be

FREE to LOVE

Free to forgive

Free to Love

Free to Live

Free to be the Best you can be

Free to love you

Free to love me!

Free!

Maryee wants to share this video with you!

Jena Evans playing Little Girl along with

Miles Morgan on the Bass.

Share your images and videos at Photobucket.com

Visit from my God daughter Kalee 7-15-06