IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE

The difference between their success and your struggle is YOU!

When I was a little girl, I enjoyed watching Saturday morning cartoons. One of those entertaining cartoons was Popeye. Popeye the popular sailorman among my generation had a reputation for success when eating his spinach. The cartoon character struggled in fights and failures when he had nothing inside of him to help him handle his outside challenges. Once he ate his spinach the fight was on.

Understand the spinach did not give him fighting power until he ate it. Once he ate the spinach, he received enormous strength that helped him overcome outside obstacles and adversaries.
As I read many stories about our struggles in today’s world, I can’t help but wonder if it is due to what we eat. Our television, radio stations and internet are filled with violence, hatred and pornography. We as adults along with our children have become overeaters of these activities. We no longer go outside and enjoy God’s creation. We don’t pick up a book and read. We don’t take the time to cook and serve healthy meals to ourselves and our children. Every time we face obstacles and adversaries we get beat down, because we don’t have on the inside what it takes to overcome the obstacles and enemies from the outside. Therefore we find ourselves vulnerable to the wiles of the enem(ies).

If you want to change the signal light in your life from red to green, change YOU. Turn off the television, pick up a book and read, go back to school and get some more education. Spend quantity and quality time with your children. Instead of going to the club, volunteer some hours with a local church, school or community organization. Do an inventory of your circle of friends, if they are at the same place in their lives from 5 years ago, its time to expand your circle a little bit.

Most importantly invest in yourself by reading God’s Word. God’s Word increases your faith, strengthens your walk and gives you peace.
At the end of each day, ask yourself this question, “What signal light am I on?”

Chaplain

Senator Barak Obama

I have to admit, as an African American Woman in her forties, these are some exciting times and some very real times. It is exciting to me, because I finally see my generation wake up from the dead and begin to really dialog about politics and election.

I would say the awakening began with the injustice of Jena, Louisiana. I joined thousands of people in a small city to make a powerful statement. I know many contributed to the road towards Jena. It was a person from my generation that stood up and stood out and that was Michael Baisden. I don't agree with everything Michael Baisden says, but I DO agree with the fact that HE CHOOSES TO DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN JUST TALK.

For 20+ years my generation has been about partying, drinking, drugging and sexing. We didn't vote, we dropped out of college, we got into debt, we committed crimes and went to prison. We were takers and not givers. We had many children out of marriage, we were only committed to "me, myself and I." Our theme was, "You gotta get yours and I gotta get mine." Now we are raising a generation whose theme is, "I gotta get mine and I'm gonna take yours."

The course of my generation's heart beat has changed. Maybe, because of age or stage, but I like the new found energy.

Now, we have a chance to represent again. This time the stakes are higher. The future of our country is at stake. The future of our nation is at stake. The future of our CHILDREN is at stake.

It's time to get involved. It's time to make a loud statement for unity. Let us show the media that there is more to us than sound bites. If you have voted, participate in your state party's convention. If you have not voted then VOTE. If you didn't vote in the primary, REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.

Let's get the focus back on what really matters about Election 08, that is health care, economics, education, the war and our children's future. I

If you hear or see media side bar the issues, let me know.

Chaplain Jones
http://www.kgcmradio.com/

Death has a part in everyone's life

Hello Everyone,

I am beginning what I consider an open diary of some of thoughts. There are a few things that can be stamped as my passion.

I was blessed to be raised in a two parent household, which in today's world seems to be rare. My father was a strong man even with his silence. I would say that my dad was my first passion. I wanted to grow up and be just like my dad. He was the best counselor I've ever known. He represented strength, knowledge and wisdom. He was a husband of one wife, a father of four daughters and uncle who raised 10 nieces and nephews, a grandfather of ten grandchildren, a youth pastor, a boyscout master, a preacher of the gospel and a community leader, a former police officer and an honorable discharged marine. I say was referring to my father, because he died May 5, 2005. It was the most difficult time in my life.

For two years I was the support for my church's pastoral care. It was an area that allowed me to minister to persons in one of their most darkest moments. I felt compassioned and compelled to comfort in a very personal way. I watched how strong people became week, leaders could not lead and the confident become unsure.

As I strategically ministered, whether in the hospital, in their home, the funeral home, at the wake, or the church, I noticed the one common denominator of those grieving was the painful reality of having to move forward without their loved one. It didn't matter if death was tragic, due to long term illness or a short notice of tragedy, it was still a hard or even harsh reality of eternal separation.

This separation I wasn't familiar with until my personal experience. I have to admit, even with words of encouragement and the OFFICIAL home going service, they didn't remove or even soften the reality that I would never see or talk to my father AGAIN on earth.

I watched many funerals and homegoing services and I saw the tears and cries of family members over the death of their loved one. My assumption (which was very wrong) was that each person who cried deeply, over the top and with heavy emotions, probably didn't have a good and right relation with the one they loss. Though this may apply in some cases it is not true in all.

At my father's funeral, I couldn't hold the tears, I didn't feel encouraged and I wished I could have spent more time with my father (though I was with him at least 4-5x a week). My emotions was not because of the lack of relationship we had, but because of the close relationship we enjoyed as daughter and father. I was looking forward to many years of us being close as adults. Now I live in a reality that I would receive no more emails, phone calls, text messages and home visits from my dad.

As time passed and I reflect on those hard moments and compare them to how difficult life must be to live in eternal separation from God the creator and maker of life. How painful that must be. For me the separation from my father gave comfort that at least he will go live forever with God who is our Heavenly Father. I know one day I will be able to see him in glory. That thought gives me comfort to move forward.

If you are experiencing difficulty during bereavement, what helped me was time. Minutes became hours, hours became days, days became weeks, weeks become months and months have turned into almost three years. Be encouraged to move forward and live life the fullest. Take no relationships and opportunities for granted. Tomorrow IS NOT PROMISED.

Chaplain

www.kgcmradio.com