Thursday, March 25, 2010

10 Lies Young Black Men Believe

1. I Can Do It Myself!
The truth is No You Can’t!

You can probably do some things but you can’t do it all. Just try! In the life of a young black man, it really does “take a village”. Young man, you need a team around you who has the experience to help you make it over the hurdles you’re about to face in life. Even Batman had Robin!

2. School Is Not That Important!
The truth is…in today’s economy, school is more important than ever before!

We are in the middle of a global recession, and affirmative action is no longer a “safety net” for African Americans. You need to be equipped to compete in this new economy and education is critical so you will have the tools necessary to be able to compete in this difficult arena!

3. It’s Not Cool to be Smart!
The truth is…being uneducated has never been cool!

Don’t let peer pressure cause you to accept being less than your best. Momentary popularity is not the goal. When people laugh because you can’t read, write, or do math, that’s not cool! Some may be laughing with you now, but the ones who can will be laughing at you later!

4. Things and Money will Make You Happy!
The truth is…things and money and stuff in and of themselves have never brought lasting happiness!

They weren’t designed to do so. Things and money are not bad; just don’t make the mistake of making them your God. Happiness depends on circumstances. Joy can be experienced despite external circumstances. Look for things that last. At a funeral, I never saw a hearse pulling a U-haul! Think about it!

5. But I Deserve Stuff!
The truth is…you have to earn stuff!

Thank God he doesn’t give us what we really deserve. The bible says, “If a man doesn’t work, he shouldn’t eat”. That doesn’t sound like a welfare mentality to me. When you earn your stuff through hard work, you’ll appreciate your stuff and attempt to take care of your stuff! God says it’s all my stuff anyway! I just want you to be a good manager of MY stuff!

6. Talent is more Important than Effort!
The truth is…talent can get you in the door, but hard work and effort can keep you in the door!

Lebron James has incredible talent, but he and Kobe Bryant are also the hardest workers on their teams. They know the game better than all others also. God gives us the talent we have. It’s up to us to develop that talent through a strong work effort. The world is full of talented failures. Your goal should be to do the very best you could to maximize the talent you’ve been blessed with.

7. What I Watch and Listen to has no Effect on my Behavior!
The truth is…whatever controls your mind, controls you!

Advertisers, music producers, and marketers are spending millions to gain control of how you think and it appears that they are succeeding! This is a war we must win. You are in control of what you see and listen too, and the old saying is “garbage in…garbage out! Pornography, drug and alcohol abuse, crime is all on the increase among young black men. Please don’t believe this lie!

8. Everybody’s having Sex, Why not me!
The truth is…everyone talking about sex isn’t having sex!

Most young brothers are lying about their sexual exploits with young women, and those who are having sex are many times paying a price you really don’t want to pay. Sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy, dreams deferred. Momentary pleasure outside of the will of God always brings life altering consequences. Ask yourself … is it worth it, especially when most teens are lying anyway?

9. Respecting Elders is not that Important!
The truth is…elders in your life deserve your respect and appreciation!

If you only realized the sacrifices made for you in prior generations, you would never disrespect any elder in your life! People went before you so that you might enjoy the life you have today, even if it isn’t the life of your friends and dreams. How will you ever earn respect if you can’t give it to those who have earned it? Respect is the least you can give. If you have a roof over your head, food in your stomach, you are among the richest young men in the world!


10. I can do this Without God!
The truth is…that is the devil’s greatest lie of all!

Young man, don’t you realize that without God you can't breathe, you can’t see, you can’t talk or you can’t walk! God is the creator and sustainer of us all and we need to recognize that without Him we would have nothing. The enemy wants you to think that’s for old people! You have time! But even tomorrow is not guaranteed! Life is a gift. How you spend it is your gift back to God. Paul told us that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, but remember the flip side is that “without Him, you can do nothing”!


ULTIMATELY THE CHOICE IS YOURS! DO YOU BELIEVE THE WORLD’S LIES, OR DO YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE A LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD?

WHAT’S YOUR CHOICE …YOUNG MAN?

Lakita Garth: Sexual Purity in the Real World

Monday, March 22, 2010

HOW DOES GOD MEASURE A MAN?

Darryl Harris

Manhood is measured in many ways by many people. However, today we ask ourselves the question; HOW DOES GOD MEASURE A MAN?


HOW DOES GOD MEASURE A MAN? - Not by his physical strength or intimidating presence, but by his recognition that his real strength comes only from the Lord!


HOW DOES GOD MEASURE A MAN? - Not by his fame, wealth, or position, but by his willingness to seek first the kingdom of God!


HOW DOES GOD MEASURE A MAN? - Not by how many women he can satisfy, but can he satisfy one woman for a lifetime!


HOW DOES GOD MEASURE A MAN?
- Not by how many children he can produce, but can he provide for the children he does produce, and does he point them in the direction of Jesus!


HOW DOES GOD MEASURE A MAN? - Not by how many people serve him, but how willing he is to serve others, before he serves himself!


HOW DOES GOD MEASURE A MAN? - Not by how many obstacles he faces, but by how he stands strong and courageous against those obstacles, and overcomes them in the power of the Lord!


The Ultimate Measure of a Man is not how he measures against you or me, but How Does He Measure Against Jesus!


FOR OUR CHILDREN’S SAKE!
FOR OUR WOMEN’S SAKE!
FOR OUR COMMUNITIES SAKE!
FOR OUR PEOPLE’S SAKE!
FOR GOD’S SAKE!


WILL THE REAL MEN OF GOD, PLEASE STAND UP!!

Steve Ferrar - "Men Leading the Charge"

Friday, March 19, 2010

What’s So Important About Easter?

By Rick Warren
Saddleback Church
Two thousand years ago, in the Middle East, an event occurred that permanently changed the world. Because of that event, history was split. Every time you write a date, you’re using the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the focal point.
What’s so important about Easter? It’s important because it proved that Jesus was who he claimed to be. He was God in the flesh, and he came to earth to save us.

Three events occurred in a dramatic succession on that Easter weekend: the trial of Jesus, then the death of Jesus, and finally the resurrection of Jesus. Let's look at each of those events and their implications.

The Trial

Jesus actually went through six trials. In that one night, he was brought before Annas, Caiphas (the high priest), the Sanhedrin (the religious Supreme Court), Pilate (the governor of Jerusalem), Herod (the governor of Galilee), and then back to Pilate. At the end of those six trials, what did they find to accuse him of? Nothing. He had done nothing wrong. They brought in people to make up phony charges, but those didn’t stick. Finally they convicted him on one count: claiming to be the Son of God. That’s the sole reason Jesus went to the cross. They didn’t like that claim.

Everyone who has ever been presented with Jesus has already made some kind of decision about who he is. You either believe he’s a liar, or you believe he’s a lunatic, or you believe he’s the Lord. It can’t just be: “I believe he was a good teacher.” He couldn’t be just a good teacher, because a good teacher would not say, “I’m God, and I’m the only way to heaven.” A good person would not say that unless it was the truth.

Jesus claimed to be the Savior of the world. In John 12:47, he is recorded as saying: “I didn’t come to judge the world. I came to save it.” He allowed himself to be put on trial so there would be no doubt about who he was. He could have stopped the trial at any moment. He knew he would be proven guilty and put on the cross -- but he allowed it to happen. It was all part of the plan.

The Death

After a night of beatings and mocking, after being crowned with painful thorns, Jesus was crucified. Crucifixion is probably the most brutal and torturous death penalty ever devised by men. His hands were stretched out wide against the cross and nailed through the two bones in each wrist. As the nails went through this part of the flesh, they would strike the nerve that travels up the arm and cause excruciating pain.

If you hung this way for any period of time, the muscles around your chest cavity began to be paralyzed. You’d be able to breathe in but you couldn’t breathe out. Death on a cross would have been a simple matter of suffocation -- except the Romans didn't want to make it that easy. They’d take a person’s knees and bend them a little bit and nail the feet to the cross. So a man would hang there in absolute agony until the pain in his chest was about to explode -- and then he would lift himself up on his nailed feet to grab a breath. When the pain in his feet grew unbearable, he’d let himself back down again -- until the pain in his lungs became unbearable. It was an incredibly torturous event. Eventually, the soldiers would break the legs of the criminal to hasten death by suffocation.

In the case of Jesus, they didn’t have to break his legs, because he had already died. But just to make sure, they stuck a spear in his side. Water and blood came out of the chest cavity, which, doctors say, only happens if the heart rips. You can call it what you want, but Jesus died of a broken heart.
Why did Jesus have to die? Because he alone was able to pay for your sins. You deserved punishment, but Jesus paid the penalty for you.

The Resurrection

After Jesus died, they took his body down and put him in the tomb, and a giant millstone was set in front of the cave. The religious leaders -- worried that Jesus’ body might be stolen -- asked for Roman guards to be posted in front of the tomb. They didn’t want him coming out! But of course, he did.
You know the story. But it’s important to remember that Easter is not some memorial to a nice, good religious teacher who lived 2,000 years ago. It’s a celebration of the fact that he is alive today. I’m living proof -- and so are the approximately 1 billion Christians who will celebrate Easter this weekend.
“... by being raised from the dead he was proved to be the mighty Son of God, with the holy nature of God himself.” (Romans 1:4, LB)

Easter is the good news about God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who came as a human baby, born into King David's royal family line. Four historical records say he showed himself to 500 people at one gathering. Can you imagine witnessing his death and then seeing him walking around Jerusalem three days later? What an amazing thing! When Jesus was hanging on the cross, the skeptics and critics mocked him and said, “If you’re the Son of God, why don’t you just pull yourself down from that cross? Why don’t you just come down and show that you’re really God?” Jesus had something more spectacular planned. He said, “I’m going to let you bury me for three days, then I’ll come back to life to prove that I am what I am.”

What does this mean to us today? In one sense, Jesus Christ is still on trial. He’s on trial in the heart and mind of every person who has not yet acknowledged him as the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

What’s your verdict? You see, Easter really boils down to only two issues. One, is Jesus who he says he is? Is he God? Or is he a lunatic or a liar? And two, if he is who he says he is, when are you going to start following what he says to do with your life?


Today, you sit in judgment of Jesus Christ. Just as Pilate asked, “What shall I do then with Jesus who is called the Christ?” you also must decide whether he was who he said or not.


Are you willing to gamble your life that he was wrong?

How to give your life to Christ:
1. Admit you are a sinner and need forgiveness.
2. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave.
3. Through prayer... Confess that Jesus Christ is the only way to God and commit to live for Him for the rest of your life.


What to Pray:
Dear Lord Jesus,

I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and rose from the grave to give me life. I know You are the only way to God so now I want to quit disobeying You and start living for You. Please forgive me, change my life and show me how to know You. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Spoken Word Presentation - Amena Brown, The Resurrection


A Great Run for a Great Son

2009-10 Northeast Inland All-District Basketball List - Examiner.com

 

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Basketball coach not missing a beat after heart attacks, bypass surgeries



OXFORD — Charlie Coles can see all too clearly his fate in a world without the technological advancements in heart care that have been achieved over the last several decades.

His heart has been through the wringer. A heart attack and triple-bypass surgery at age 43. Cardiac arrest while coaching a basketball game at age 56. A quadruple bypass at age 66.

“If I’d had these problems in the 1950s, I would have been long gone. Several times, not once,” said Coles, whose heart, instead, has helped propel Miami University men’s basketball to three NCAA tournament berths, including a spot in the Sweet 16 in 1999.

That’s why Coles, who at age 67 will soon begin his 14th season as Miami’s head coach, said he is happy to be the celebrity starter at this year’s Butler County Heart Walk.

Coles’ heart troubles surfaced while he was coaching at Central Michigan.

“They discovered my arteries were clogged up,” he said. “I had angioplasty (a procedure to unclog the arteries) and that didn’t work, and then I had a heart attack in the hospital. I waited six weeks to get stronger and then I had a triple bypass.”

After coming to Miami, Coles nearly died in 1998 during a tournament game at Western Michigan.

“I had a heart beat over 200 beats per minute,” he said. “My heart stopped on me and they had to beat me with a paddle to bring me back. That’s when they put in a defibrillator (with a pacemaker).”

All seemed well until the end of the 2007-08 season. The clogging had returned.

“That was the most serious of my problems,” he said. “They gave me a quadruple bypass, a new defibrillator. My open-heart surgery lasted 14 hours, and I had surgery again later that week. That was the real rough one right there.

“It took them a little while to decide whether I needed a heart transplant or a heart bypass,” Coles recalled. “They reshaped my heart. It was so complicated, I asked them how can you do that? It’s amazing what our medical people have come up with. It blows my mind.”

Now the spring has returned to his step.

“So far, so good,” he said. “Every day I wake up, I say a prayer and move on. I thank God for the people who have helped me — nurses, doctors, family, friends.

“When I was growing up,” Coles said, “I was convinced that if anything went wrong with the heart or brain, cash it in, it’s all over. Well, that ain’t the truth now.”

I AM SO PROUD THAT CHARLIE COLES WILL BE MY SON'S COACH AT MIAMI-OHIO IN 2010

Jon Harris Twinsburg, OH 2010 off to Miami-OH

Monday, March 1, 2010

10 Guidelines From God

Effective Immediately!


Please be aware that there are changes YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill My promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I [don't] apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. Please, follow these 10 guidelines.



1. QUIT WORRYING:

Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit

and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here

to take all your burdens and carry them for you?

Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little

thing that comes your way?



2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:

Something needs done or taken care of. Put it

on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY

to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care

of the problem. I can't help you until you turn

it over to Me. And although My to-do-list

is long, I am after all... God. I can take care

of anything you put into My hands. In fact,

if the truth were ever really known, I take

care of a lot of things for you that you never

even realize.



3. TRUST ME:

Once you've given your burdens to Me,

quit trying to take them back. Trust in

Me. Have the faith that I will take care of

all your needs, your problems and your trials.

Problems with the kids? Put them on My list.

Problem with finances? Put it on My list.

Problems with your emotional roller coaster?

For My sake, put it on My list. I want to

help you. All you have to do is ask.



4. LEAVE IT ALONE:

Don't wake up one morning and say,

"Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think

I can handle it from here." Why do you think

you are feeling stronger now? It's simple.

You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking

care of them. I also renew your strength

and cover you in my peace. Don't you

know that if I give you these problems back,

you will be right back where you started?

Leave them with Me and forget about

them. Just let Me do my job.



5. TALK TO ME:

I want you to forget a lot of things.

Forget what was making you crazy.

Forget the worry and the fretting because

you know I'm in control. But there's one

thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't

forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU!

I want to hear your voice. I want you to

include Me in on the things going on in your life.

I want to hear you talk about your friends

and family. Prayer is simply you having

a conversation with Me. I want to be your

dearest friend.



6. HAVE FAITH:

I see a lot of things from up here that you

can't see from where you are. Have faith in

Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me;

you wouldn't want the view from My eyes.

I will continue to care for you, watch over you,

and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me.

Although I have a much bigger task than you,

it seems as if you have so much trouble just

doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?



7. SHARE:

You were taught to share when you were

only two years old. When did you forget?

That rule still applies. Share with those who are

less fortunate than you. Share your joy with

those who need encouragement. Share your

laughter with those who haven't heard any in

such a long time. Share your tears with those

who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith

with those who have none.



8. BE PATIENT:

I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime

you could have so many diverse experiences.

You grow from a child to an adult, have children,

change jobs many times, learn many trades,

travel to so many places, meet thousands

of people, and experience so much. How can

you be so impatient then when it takes Me

a little longer than you expect to handle

something on My to-do-list? Trust in My

timing, for My timing is perfect. Just

because I created the entire universe in

only six days, everyone thinks I should

always rush, rush, rush.



9. BE KIND:

Be kind to others, for I love them just

as much as I love you. They may not dress

like you, or talk like you, or live the same way

you do, but I still love you all. Please try

to get along, for My sake. I created each

of you different in some way. It would be

too boring if you were all identical.

Please, know I love each of your differences.



10. LOVE YOURSELF:

As much as I love you, how can you not

love yourself? You were created by me for

one reason only -- to be loved, and to love

in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me.

Love your neighbors. But also love yourself.


It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don't ever forget...... Touch someone with your love. Rather than focus upon the thorns of life, smell the roses and count your blessings!


Give Myself Away by William McDowell