War of My Life: inspired by John Mayer song

   

     The bible warns, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). This war that we are fighting today has nothing to do with the people you call enemies. It has nothing to do with those who fall in the category of your haters. Neither is it against that bully at school or teacher that doesn't like you. I'd like to impress upon you that this war is bigger than you.

     Every one of you reading this post has a dream. For some it is becoming a doctor, lawyer, or professor. Others may be putting their energy into sports and being a professional athlete. Some may have gifts that lean more towards engineering, music, or trades. In all those careers there will be challenges, set backs, obstacles, and road blocks. That part is promised. So if those things are promised, then how do I attain my goal? I'm glad you asked! You've already attained it. Its already yours. I'll prove it. 

     In Jeremiah 1:4 God says, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah felt he was too young, Moses had a speech problem, Abraham failed test after test, Joseph didn't fit the look, David was a shepherd boy, Elisha was plowing in sheep dung, Peter was a fighter who denied knowing Jesus, Paul was a Christian killer, all were set apart and appointed for a purpose. Therefore, whatever God has purposed in your heart for you to accomplish, it will happen. If that is true, then what is this war about? I'm glad you asked.

     This war that John Mayer sings about is for your future, your dream, your legacy. It’s not about you, but rather what you will become, and even more so the legacy that you will leave behind. Imagine being the first in your family to get a doctorate degree or  start a family practice that will provide a well paying job for every child that is born unto you. Think about the impact your life will have on the next generation after you have saved and set aside money for your children's education. Allow your mind to wonder of the children who will grow up understanding that they don't have to settle for imitation love because they have seen authentic agape love from their parents. Lastly, think of that child, three generations behind you that will have a dream and know he or she can accomplish it, all because of the foundation set by you. "We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us." That is what is at stake in this war. So how do I win? So glad you asked.

     John Mayer begins this song calling out those things that influence him; those things that are his real enemies. Listen to what he says:

Come out angels

Come out ghosts

Come out darkness

Bring everyone you know

He recognized that it is war time, and furthermore he left no stone unturned. Every area of your life that has influence over your decision making, over your actions, over your thought process, all have to be present when its war time. Many times there are certain areas of our life that we know are holding us back, but because of fear or a feeling, we are reluctant to call it out. In order to win this war we must first be transparent. Like John Mayer, we must come to a point in our life where we want to win at any cost. No one area of my life is more important than my life. So in order to win we must first be transparent and call out every major influence. 

     Secondly, we must stop running and get prepared. John sings: 

I'm not running

And I'm not scared

I am waiting and well prepared. 

The only war we lose is the one we don't fight. No one ever throws a punch while running away from the opponent. I know there are things that have happened to us that have caused us to retreat. People have hurt us, lied on us, misused and abused us. We've been overlooked for positions, walked on while we watch others get to the top. Loved ones and people who were supposed to care have walked out on us without reason. And we have been alone, crushed, having to pick up all the pieces that are left. We have spent long nights crying, weeping for understanding. Asking why don't they love me, and why would they hurt me, and why don't they care? Does anyone even notice that I'm screaming for help? I know the feeling. And I know you feel as though you don't have the energy to fight. But if you would stop and confront it head on, call those things out, and give it to God, something great is bound to happen. The Word says, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken" (Psalm 55:22). Give it to God, this is your preparation for war. 

      Lastly, God says, when you have prepared for war this is your reward: "They that sew in tears will reap in Joy" (Psalm 126:5). "Weeping MAY endure for the night, but joy COMES in the morning" (Psalm 30:5). What is joy to you? Is joy when you've reached financial independence? Is joy having the material things you want? Or is joy having all of your needs met? For me, joy is knowing that what was meant to kill me, made me stronger. Joy is having my destiny sustained by God. Knowing that there is nothing that can come between the love God has for me. Think for a second back to your dream and all that you want to accomplish. What will your testimony say when the morning comes? This is what John Mayer said:

I got a pocket

Got no pills

     In essence, John declared that in this war of his life, if fear hasn't killed him yet, then nothing will! This truth is the very thing that the enemy wants to keep you from getting. The enemy knows that if you ever set your mind to believe this, then you are free from every attack he has for you. The bible says, "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free!" Knowing this gives you the power and authority to declare that "no weapon formed against you shall prosper." It gives you the audacity to declare that "all things are possible to them that believe." And it allows you to fight boldly declaring "I am more than a conqueror through Him that loves me." 

    So in this "War of Your LIfe" stop running, get prepared, and receive Joy!!!

The Off-Season

When you think of the off-season for an athlete, what comes to mind? Vacations, spending time with family, relaxing, swimming, playing golf. These are typically some of the things that are done in the off-season. And I know you're thinking these things sound like an amazing time, and it is. However, the time spent doing those things is probably a lot shorter than you think. In order to be an elite player, the off-season has to be a time to get better and a time to improve some area of your game. 

Michael Jordan is quoted, "My attitude is that if you push me towards something that you think is a weakness, then I will turn that perceived weakness into a strength." That is what the off-season is all about. It's the only time when everything is all about you as a player. You don't have to pass teammates the ball or wait until after practice to ask your coach for instruction. In some ways, I enjoyed the off-season more than the actual season. Getting better and seeing improvements in my game gave me the confidence I needed in order to dominate opponents. I would often work on things, find some friends to try them against, and then perfect it some more. Once it was time for practice, my weaknesses were no longer a weakness and my strengths were stronger. 

The amount of effort and intensity put into the off-season has to be equivalent to the success you want during the season. Consequently, if you just want to make the team then you can get away with working just as hard as your other teammates. However, if you want to excel, you have to be willing to do things that others are not doing. "In order to do go where you've never gone, you must first do what you've never done."

 Today is June 3, 2013 and for most of you, school team practice starts in 21 weeks. Will you be ready? Will you be better than you were last year? Have you turned your weaknesses into strengths? If you have answered "no" to any of those questions, don't worry, there is still time. Get in the gym, get a personal coach that will help you with specific parts of your game, and put in the work. Jordan also said, "Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." Which type of person are you?

OPTIONS...

Congratulations are in order as students are graduating and excelling on to college, high school, and higher grades. I had an opportunity to share in the celebration of Nick Williams as he graduated and prepares to attend High Point University in North Carolina. As I shared with him my college experiences, I was reminded of my early years at Vanderbilt. Preparing for a different level of studying, focus, and time management. My advice was simple: work hard early and enjoy every minute.  Those 4 years fly by so fast. If not careful, it is easy to get so caught up in one aspect that you don't fully enjoy others. Getting off to a really good start early will afford you the opportunity to enjoy college life in a more relaxed way as you near completion. This advice helped me finish my last semester having only one class. Which made my senior year the most enjoyable year of my life.

The four years I spent at Vanderbilt were some of the best years of my life. Which is interesting considering how hard I had to work both on and off the court. However, the relationships I formed and the lasting friendships that were built made for some amazing experiences. You learn so much from your fellow classmates and the learning aspect never stops. Many life lessons were taught that made me a better man, not to mention, MEMORIAL MAGIC.

A few days before, my sister Ashanti sent me a text informing me about her third straight year of making ALL A's and receiving an outstanding science award and the Principal’s Award, which only two people were awarded. She was also awarded $100 for her achievements. Wow! Ashanti is a prime example of excellence. I am more than proud of her. My other sister, Alexandria, has set the bar as an older sister being a straight A student as well. I really could not be prouder of them. All of my siblings are doing wonderful things and God has blessed each of them tremendously. I really wanted to take this
opportunity to shout them out for their outstanding efforts. It is an incredible blessing to have a family that values education. The sky is truly the limit for them when they take care of business as such. They are setting a standard of excellence for themselves and for generations to come. When the time comes
for them to select a college to attend, they will reap the harvest of all their hard work. One of the biggest blessings one could ever have is OPTIONS. Not being limited by what is available, but having the ability to choose what’s most comfortable and best is a great feeling.

1 Corinthians 9:24 "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain." God wants you to win more than anyone. Not only does He encourage you to do things in a way to obtain success, but then He also rewards those who do things the right way. Always position yourself to receive whatever God has in store for you. Whatever your dream is, whatever you want to become, find out the requirements and begin to position yourself for it. Do what you can do and watch God take over that which you cannot!

God said it, I believe it, that settles it!!!

My Dream Is More Important

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-larosiliere/the-future-belongs-to-you_b_3045222.html

After reading the above article, my first thought was to congratulate STOKED for bringing such an effective after school program to the Los Angeles community. And don't get me wrong, there are many programs that mentor the youth and inspire them to be better than their surroundings, which is awesome. However, the kids that were described only make up a small portion of most school's population. What's staggering is the percentage of kids that dream of doing great things but never take advantage of the programs available. Why is that?

One would think that when trying to achieve something it only makes sense to seek out those that are willing to help. The fact of the matter is, it's just not the cool thing to do. Kids heavily rely upon the affirmation of their peers when considering after-school programs and extra-curricular activities. Which is the reason sports are highly sought after programs. Kids applaud and celebrate each other's success in sports. Unfortunately, those same kids frown upon the ones who excel academically and participate in thought provoking activities. That's mostly male dominated, but for the young ladies, cheerleading and dancing take precidence over most other activities. And while they do exert themselves more academically, there is a large portion of those who would rather go home and face the music as well.

I'm reminded of an evening I spent engaging with a 2nd grade class. The teacher asked me to talk to them about bullying and fighting amongst each other. I asked the question, "After all the fighting is done, are you closer to attaining your dream or further away?" The kids shouted in unison, "Further away!" It was shocking to see that the knowledge was there, but the application was lacking. As if there was no connection between their dreams and their actions. Somehow, we must teach our youth the process of sowing and reaping. This biblical principle is just as definite as gravity. You can fight it as much as you would like, but eventually gravity will always win. As we continued to discuss reasons behind their actions, they learned the importance of the decisions they make and how their future is on the line when being provoked or met with adversity.

What I learned was that we, the adults, have a part to play as well. Tyler Perry quoted, "That which is left covered does not get healed." That simply means that unless the truth is revealed, healing cannot take place. We have a tendency to treat our young people in a way that suggest mistakes were not a part of our process. We walk with our heads held high and nose turned up at the youth, as if we have arrived and are waiting for them to catch up. The truth is that "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." We miss our opportunity to reach this generation because we don't want them to know that the reason we're experts is really because we made the same mistakes and learned the lesson we are trying to teach them. In actuality, we are not as smart and wise as we try to persuade, but rather, learners by experience. Healing starts with us! Our testimony is not in perfection, but rather in perseverance. Something tried to destroy us but we're still here to tell the story.

In conclusion, dreams are one of the few things in life that are free. Your car can be towed, home foreclosed, but a dream can last forever. History teaches us that very principle and proves it to be true year after year. The Bible confirms, "Where there is no vision the people perish." We were created to push, strive, achieve and conquer. Our children are depending on us to show them the way. Lets not let them down.

P.S. That class left the room chanting, "My Dream Is More Important!!!"

Tribute to Nasvhille...

Wow... It feels so good to be back in Nashville. After traveling the world and seeing some of God's greatest creations, I can certainly say that Nashville is my favorite of them all. I mean really, here are a few:

• Colliseum Rome, Italy
• Isle of Capri Napoli, Italy
• Venice, Italy
• Istanbul and Antalya, Turkey
• Brussels, Belgium
• Amsterdam
• Eiffel Tower, Louvre & Arc Du Triomphe Paris, France
• The Netherlands
• Statue of Jesus - Rio De Janeiro, Brasil
• Great Wall and Tiananmen Square - Beijing, China

I've also spent a considerable amount of time traveling within the United States of America. Walking amongst many of the country's greatest people is a true blessing in itself. Meeting people and experiencing different cultures has been my 2nd job.

 Growing up in the greater New Orleans area, I was afforded the best food on the side of heaven along with amazing culture and music. I was given the opportunity to see other places, experience different cultures, and try different foods as I got older. Some of those places were:

• New York
• Chicago
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Atlanta
• Miami
• Indianapolis
• Houston
• Dallas
• San Antonio
• San Francisco
• Jacksonville
• Charlotte
• Washington D.C.
• Boston

All of these experiences were great in their own way, and I've taken a little something away from every place. However, there's just something special about Nashville. I'm reminded of my college visit to Vanderbilt University back in '03 and not knowing anything about Nashville or country music, I decided to see what it was all about. Now 10 years later, I'm proud to call this great city HOME. My second home of course, but home nonetheless. The hospitality, warmth, and community feel is second to none. I believe that Nashville's best kept secret is its heart. The heart of Nashville is extremely big and welcomes all who walk within. For those of us whose careers take us much further away from the state lines, there are open arms waiting when we return. Thank you Nashville. I guess Music City isn't so bad of a second home!!!

So as I begin this journey towards whatever God has in store for my life, I invite all of you to walk with me. I'm in the process of writing a book, starting a motivational speaking career, launching an outreach mentoring program, and training the youth of Nashville in the greatest sport there is...Basketball!!! 

I welcome you into my heart as I dive into these areas. My passion is helping the youth prepare for their future. The Word says "Where there is no vision the people perish." I strongly believe this. We perish as a people because we fail to reach for something great. Greatness is within all of us, but many times our current environment creates a glass ceiling for us. I believe that if we can expose our youth to the many possibilities that lie beyond his or her surroundings, the more they see, the more they can become.

If it had not been for people opening my eyes to new possibilities I would still be in New Orleans today. Limited to only what I witnessed my neighbors or friends doing. I'm no better than those who I grew up with, however, my goals changed when I was exposed to more. Some are exposed to more and feel as though that level of success is unattainable due to current circumstances. My response is simple, If God could raise Jesus from the dead, then changing my current circumstance is definitely within His power.

If you think about those bible stories God did things that we could not handle Him doing now. Can you imagine walking on the beach, and all of the sudden, the ocean rises up and a dry path is shown through to the other side? WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA could not handle that. But God did it. And we just have to be crazy enough to believe that if God did that for them, I just need about 2% of that and it will change my life forever. All things are possible to him that believes. The fact of the matter is we have to believe first. It is time to teach our young people that they should not be sitting back waiting on the blessing, rather the blessing is waiting on us. 

I'm going to stop here because I could literally write all night. I will be blogging frequently so please stop by. I pray that you are blessed by what flows through me. Again, thank you Nashville for having such an amazing heart. I am so excited about what God is getting ready to do and I'm yielding to His plan as I step out on faith in the above mentioned areas to encourage this generation. I pray for you and you pray for me, and we'll make this thing work somehow. May God bless and keep you, until next time...

P.U.S.H

Pray Until Something Happens!!!