Its not my fault I am black

I am on the bus going to the mall and I hear a youngster in the back singing really loudly, then she has the following conversation:

Friend: shh stop singing so looouuuuddd
Loud singer: they will get over it (meaning the other passengers who are disturbed)
Friend: but you maaadd loouuddd
Loud singer: its not my fault I'm black
Friend: (mumbles something)
Loud singer: niiigggaaa staaaap (stop)

When did black become an adjective for loud, ghetto or inability to conduct yourself properly? Are these supposed to be used interchangeably? Have they become synonymous with a host of other negative adjectives?

Dont get me started on the last line!

How to Believe

The problem in the church is that some
believers are not believing and others are not believing the right way. So lets delve into how to believe.

Mark 11:23

If you can doubt in your heart then you can also believe in your heart.
Say (only what the Word says) if I dont say it, the Word cant get in my heart
Believe (in my heart with my heart noy with my physical senses)
Receive the deposit from what I have confessed, dont grieve the Holy Spirit by speaking words of corrupt communication.

How to believe with the heart:
Believe His Word. Well how can you believe the Word if you dont know what it says?
Believing God is a decision I have to make every day... I choose to believe the Word(even in the face of apparent defeat or lack~ stand on the decision to believe the promise).
Believe apart from what the circumstances dictate and againat what it is feeling. The physical body believes what it sees, hears, smells, feels and
The spirit believes the Word of God regardless of what the senses say.

Jesus is the Word with flesh wrapped around it as a manifestation that His Word can become flesh! My spirit is designed to believe the Word and does not believe anything that does not line up with the Word of God.

How can my spirit get faith that my mind cannot attain?

The Word of God. Dont make your spirit get malnourished.

The natural mind cannot comprehend the things of God. It is foolishness to Him. Man cannot live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds out of the Word of God. The Word os health and healing to my flesh.

If you cannot understand past physical things, you are stuck because the physical things that we see came out of a place that we cant see. We need to learn howbtp get physical things to come to places we can see!

Man is a spirit possesses a soul and lives in a physical body. We need to believe with the spirit. We need to contact God with our spirit because He is spirit. Thats way emotions and religious games don't have any impact on God.

The more highly developed I become either in faith or fear, the quicker the manifestation will come.

Other references:
Romans 10:10; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Corinthians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Peter 3:4; Romans 7:22, Prov 3: 3-7, Eph 4:29, Psalm 45:1; Matt 17:20, Romans 4

God said we can have what we say (Mark 11:23) but the problem is we keep having what we say.

Be apart of the solution.

Tuesday was a really good day because I declared it to be. I was speaking to someone who told me how horrible his morning was going so I told him that he needed to make a decision to have a good day. I decided to take my own advice. Lunch was full of laughs and made for really good conversation. The rest of the day went by pretty fast. I forgot my boxing gloves at home so I didn’t bother attending kickboxing class. Stopped by Macys and after getting home, Eva and I decided to do a sleepover.

Deliver Us From Eva
Eva is hilarious! I love hanging out with her. We share the same love language (quality time) so when I got to her house, we didn’t have to decide what we wanted to do, we were the activity! We spent time talking, a lot of laughing, building, planning, cooking, eating etc. We had a really great time. Friendship starts at the moment when you say to someone “really? You do that too, I thought I was the only one” lol

On the hump

Midway through the work week and it is going great.
Mandarin Mondays- my class size tripled. A very tired Rose-Anne walked into class on Monday, energy came from somewhere but my class went really well. The students were enthusiastic but I had to give a pep talk on confidence. Some people would know the words but they were so reserved that they would just mumble the words. By the end of the class, they were projecting their voices and answering questions confidently. By the end of the class, my energy returned from whence it came and I was pooped. I told the book store owner, “ go ahead don’t wait for me, I will lock up, I am sleeping here tonight!”
On my way home, I had the opportunity to catch up with a few friends and receive some very exciting news from a friend!

Fairy Tale

Watch "Tong Hua - Guang Liang (Pin yin: Lyrics) +Transl." on YouTube

So we know that fairy tales are for children but I sincerely believe in writing your own story and having a happy ending.

The actual video for this song is quite sad but listen to the lyrics and sing along!

Time heals all wounds, does it really?

There are people who will say "I'm just tired, I'm tired" well if you're tired go to sleep. Or people will say, I'm not hurt, I am just angry, or they will tell you that they cannot deal with the situation anymore because they are just tired. But it's called hurt. Then there is a vicious cycle because hurt people hurt people. Regardless of what you call it....Hurt, angry, tired, upset...all the same thing, youre spirit is wounded. You're hurt.

Then there is the myth that "Time heals all wounds" - no it doesn't. Over time, if you are constantly distracted from the hurt, you will feel like you are moving on but it has to be dealt with and confronted so it wont linger. The devil wants us hurt. When we are hurt we always look at our past, never at our future! God promises to give us a good future (Jeremiah 29:11) but if we are constantly dwelling on our past, we won't be able to enter into the promise.

Luke 4:18 -The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

God wants you healed, He does not want you hurt. Give it over to God and He will heal your broken heart.

Matthew 5:44, 45 teaches us how to truly forgive and forget. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Two steps
1. Pray for them -- yes and not that they drop dead, or to see how they hurt you and how they were wrong but truly pray for God to bless them - the greatest blessing is a relationship with God
2. Exercise your nature to forgive (Romans 5:5 - And hope does not put us to shame, because Gods love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to.) Unforgiveness isa learned behavior. Children are naturally forgiving because that is the nature God created us with. Remember Genesis 1:26 states that we were made in His image. That does not mean that we look like Him but that our spirits look like Him, remember God is spirit so that is the image He was referring to.

Repeat this confession (1 Corinthians 13:5, AMP)
I pay no attention to the evil done to me and I do not take account of a suffered wrong.

Keep saying it, one day it will manifest!

Three of God's purposes for Money

Money is a very touchy topic because a lot of people feel that someone is always out to get their money. Those people are usually the ones who don't have any money but I digress :) Oh don't get sensitive on me now! God has a purpose for money and it is to advance the Kingdom of God.

1. Establish the covenant of God (Deuteronomy 8:18- But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.)
2. Send ministers to preach the gospel (Romans 10:15 - And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!) - Well how can we send them without money?
3. Supply the needs of the church - (Malachi 3:10- Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.) It takes money to pay for the AC/heating bills and electricity. Newsflash:The government is not giving the church free electricity.

What you may not understand is that there are benefits of being in covenant with God. So you get touchy because you feel like when you give your $2 to the bake sale or the fish fry that people are going to use it to wash their cars, but please believe
1. God's way of advancing the Kingdom is not through bake sales
2. God's main purpose for your wealth is to advance the Kingdom but a benefit of being in covenant with God is total life prosperity which will include material things like the house, car, etc.

You don't look Indian...

I walk into a store to purchase a phone card to call India. The conversation goes a little like this

Me: Good Morning, may I have a phone card to call India please?
Owner: (smiles, looks at me) You don't look Indian
Me: Well, that's because I am not. Where are you from?
Owner: Bangladesh, you call boyfriend?
Me: No, my friend, which one do you use to call Bangladesh
Owner: (names out a few, I make a selection, pay) This one is good, gives me almost an hour
Me: Ok (skeptical), thanks
Owner: Yea, you don't look Indian

Lol, I leave the store smiling but I cpuld have said, well you dont look Jamaican!

Now for those of you who also think like this man, where does this curly haired black chic know an Indian from?

Well, if you must know, I do live in a very cosmopolitan international city referred to as a cultural melting pot. But... we met in China actually!

Oh no you didn't!

So I am at the Puerto Rican restaurant Sofrito waiting for a table when this gorgeous giant walks in. I didn't see anyone he was with because he was so tall that my focus was sky high.

After teasingly exclaiming "oh no you didn't" get a table before me, my friends explain that the couple is NBA LA Lakers Lamar Odom and wife Khloe Kardashian! Don't try to trick me I know this place doesn't do small group reservations!

We continue to dance and then minutes later we are eating delicious empanadas,pork chops, oxtail, rice and beans and sweet plantains.

Compatibility

Adam was blamed for many flaws portrayed in the Garden of Eden but very rarely do we give credit to him for anything he did right.

He searched the garden of eden but was unable to find a suitable match. Adam knew his value and did not deem it necessary to try relationships with the zebras, horses or asses. He decided to wait or do without.

Ladies, that is something we can learn from Adam. Our issue is usually not a lack of knowledge but a lack of endurance.

We see the lions and the tigers and we know that they are not suitable, but we "give it a try" to "just see where it goes" but then when we get all scratched up, bitten, chewed up and then spat out, we wonder what went wrong.

Ladies: leave the dogs, monkeys and beasts alone. Wait to be found by your mate.

Men, it is not good that a man should be alone and when you find a wife, you have found a good thing.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (way of doing things) and all these things will be added to you!

Scripture References

Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for.
Proverbs 18:22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing And obtains favor from the LORD.
Matthew 6:33 Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you!

The Empire State Building

How to believe with your heart (not mental assent)

To believe with your heart means to believe God apart from your body!

Romans 7:22
We have to learn how to contact God with our spirit because we cannot contact Him with our mind or emotions.
The Word of God is the key to connecting with God.

1 Corinthians 2:14
The natural man (mind) does not receive (or have the ability to understand) the things of the Spirit of God, they are foolishness to him. These things are spiritually understood and discerned.

To believe with the heart is to believe with the spirit. How does our spirit get faith that that our intellect cannot get? The Word of God.

Mark 4:4
Man should not live by bread alone but by the Word of God which is spiritual food. The Word is spirit and faith food!

The physical man believes by its senses and feelings. It believes what it sees, feels or thinks.

Believing with your heart/spirit:
Having confidence in the Word even though emotions, feelings and circumstances determine otherwise.

Example: you feel guilty for something you did. The Bible calls you righteous because you are saved but how can you believe you are righteous when your body and past has so much contact with unrighteousness? Believe with your heart

Evicted: Situation looks like you are going to get evicted but God says He will provide for all your needs. Believe with your heart
Cancer: doctor says you have cancer but God says by His stripes you are healed
Broke: bank account is telling you that you have insufficiency and lack, God says that we will have the abundant life.

Believe with your heart, not based on your natural understanding.

When you don't believe with your heart, you cannot contact God so all the provisions He has for you can't be released!

Dont deny your spirit!
Proverbs 3:5~7.Trust in the Lord with your heart/spirit, not your understanding

The result: peace!
Hebrews 4:3: the person who believes enters into rest. How can you rest when you are worried
Philippians 4:7 God will give the peace that passes all understanding
Isaiah 26:3 God will keep me in perfect peace if my mind is stayed on Him.

God is a spirit but He is more real than you think!

God manifested Himself in a physical body. He put on His earth suit. Being in an earth suit did not make Him any less God. He was God dressed up in a suit. Death is a matter of changing clothes.

We cannot know God in our human knowledge. We must know Him in our spirit.Spiritual things are the parents of earthly things. It had to have existed in the spirit realm before it can manifest in the earth.

God is not any less real because He is in a spiritual body.

Believing in your heart

Foundation

Mark 11:23
Whoever will say to the mountain be thou removed, do not doubt and believe in his heart will have whatever he says

Romans 10:10
For with the heart man believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confessions are made.

We don't believe with our physical heart, that would just be believing with your body. When someone says the heart of an object, it refers to the very center or core. The center of man's core is his heart,his spirit. Believing with my heart refers to thinking and believing with the very core of my being.

Romans 2:28
Circumcision is that of the heart, not of the body. So there is an outward man who could be Jewish, but an inward Jew based on the cutting of the heart/spirit.

John 4:24
God is a spirit and if we worship Him, it must be done in spirit and in truth. Done from the heart

The Inward Man

2 Corinthians 4:16
Though the outward man (body) perish, there is an inward man (spirit) who is being renewed daily.

The problem in the Body of Christ is believing. Believers are having a hard time believing.

I am going to kick your ....

So this picture came in handy much faster than I thought it would. I went to a kickboxing class for the first time today and I just went home in my workout clothes.

While I was looking at the pictures taken today, there is a guy driving at the speed I am walking and trying to hold a conversation. Eventually he parks his car and starts a conversation "I dont want you to get offended because I am talking to you from my car, but dont think I am a criminal, crook or anything like that"

But then he stands really close to me as I am walking so I show him my phone and he backs away and asks me if I am a boxer and if I am like Laila Ali.

Then he starts a really ridiculous convo which I killed really quickly...

Random guy: so what kind of mood are you in, good, bad, ok?
Me: I am always in a good mood
Random guy: Oh you must have a good sign, what are you Aquarius, ge...
Me: No, Christian
Random guy: oh you gonna invite me to church? I have a lot of suits
Me: You can wear jeans if you want

He slows down because he is concerned about his car that is parked with the ignition running and I walk off.

Guys dont be weirdos, just have a decent conversation.

The Law of Love

Everyone who wants to be good at something puts in the time and effort to study, get wisdom or learn in some formal setting. Christians expect to just walk down the altar, give their life to God and become a "professional" Christian.

I have done alot of things the world's way and it brought me grief, sorrow or debt. So now I am studying God's way of operating. Currently I am applying scriptures and implementing practical solutions to getting out (& staying out) of debt completely.

One scripture I read was in Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law. Another version (NIV) reads: Let no debt remain outstanding, except the commandment to love one another.... Or NLT pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that!

This ministered to me greatly because:
1. It shows we are no longer under the law of Moses with the ten commandments but under the law of love (which doesn't cancel out or give an excuse to kill but fulfils it as it naturally applies because you wouldn't murder someone if you loved them)
2. Love is an action, not just a feeling. I want to be loved the way I love God...unwilling to abandon or do without. I want to continue paying and be paid the debt of love
3. Owing no one anything leaves no place for debt
4. The reason God doesn't want us to owe any "thing" is because it violates the covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:3 (& Galatians 3:8) of us being blessed to be a blessing
5. Reveals the reason why there has been such an attack on Christians being prosperous in the area of finances and wealth. If we are in so much debt and lack,how can we help anyone else? Thereby we are unable to fufill the righteous obligation of every family on the earth being blessed through us!

Don't be deceived folks. The pastor is not trying to get something from you, but something to you! (And if he is stealing from the church, woe be unto him, God will deal with him)

God is like my....credit card?

Imagine confidently swiping a credit card because you know your limit/ maximum. You dont have the funds or cash to back it up but you dont have to worry about that at the moment. You were already given the credit so you KNOW it will be APPROVED. You cannot be denied!

Credit God for doing that thing in your life. As easy as it is to receive salvation, so it is to receive your healing, peace, prosperity and wealth! Credit God, believe it and receive it. Best thing you dont have to pay it back and there is no limit!

Block party

The association is setting up for the block party. Children are out playing ball games, music is going and the food is smelling great.

I am on my way to the city but I am sure it will still be going on by the time I get home.

Good times

The God of New York

The first time I saw the ad below, I snickered because I thought it was witty and clever. After seeing it a few more times, I still think the marketing is effective but I started to think that the sad part is a lot of Christians think this way.

They think surely God can sustain me when I am in Texas, but New York, New York is too expensive. I have had conversations with so many Christians who were moving to new cities because they were believing God for a new home that was bigger and greater. Some of them moved because they wanted a change or a more family oriented state but most of them moved because they didnt have enough faith that God could provide for them in New York.

Now, from a real estate standpoint this is understandable. Square footage per property is a lot less because we are densely populated and in NY we build upwards to facilitate more people as opposed to across (sideways) to grant more space. So thats the real estate aspect.

Then there is the logical factor tied into the real estate issue of why pay 5mil for a 1 bdrm when you can get a 5 bdrm four bathroom house with backyard and a deck for half the price? I get that.

My issue is many people are leaving and walking away from their desire (living in NY) to try to "help God fulfill His promise" of giving houses we never built and vineyards we didnt plant (Deut 6:10-12) and the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4 & 35:27)

If you have to extend your faith for something, then why not extend it for your true desire? The same process applies. Studying the Word, making positive confessions, etc.

Clearly my reasons for serving God is not to see what I can get from Him but because I am in covenant with Him, I can expect that He will supply my needs. (Philippians 4:19) I don't want to serve a God who can only provide for me when I live in an impoverished city but has difficulty when I live in NY. God is the god of such and such a place and whatever He said in His Word (the Bible) applies to anywhere you are.

Mission of the Day: Walk the Brooklyn Bridge

siriusWe chose the perfect day to walk over the bridge. It was gorgeous, weather was great, what a night!

Now just before you go thinking it was a huge feat, the bridge is 1.13 miles.

The Brooklyn Bridge is very sentimental to me and this started while working for the Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz. We had an initiative to promote Brooklyn as a tourist attraction. I spent a considerable amount of time on the Brooklyn side of the bridge but Tuesday was my first time walking from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

Ni hao

What a fulfilling day! I had a great day at work and topped off the night by teaching Mandarin Chinese to a group of individuals from the community.

I partnered with a bookstore and I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout. What I love about teaching is the outcome. Skepticism, lack of confidence and reserve entered the classroom and it was just minutes after wr started that the room was filled with energy and enthusiasm as the participants gained confidence in their ability to speak Chinese.

#impact#

We remember 9-11

God Bless America sang by America's Idol 10th finalist

7th inning...

Fans doing the wave at the Mets game

Jose Reyes, New York Mets

Admittedly I am not a huge Mets fan but they are playing Chicago so by default I am supporting NY!

Sports analyst named him the best player in baseball.

Mets vs Cubs

Let's go Mets

Dinner at Linden's Place

Almost ready to go

Event then Sleepover

The Ambassadors of Change Outreach distributed school supplies to help the community with their back to school needs.

After the event, we went to church and headed home for a fun sleepover at my place.

New York Skyline Cruise: Lady Liberty

Statue of Liberty

I said I'm going to kick your ....

After work today a very tired Ro walked into a studio, changed into sweat pants and a shirt and learned the rules of Krav Maga.

There are no rules. The techniques are derived from intuituive instinctive moves from street fighting. Krav Maga is an Israeli martial art form focused on the 9 soft spots, aggression/explosiveness and continuation.

After 90 mins, an energized girl emerged and headed home. On the train home, three college students offered a beautiful rendition of Ave Maria.

Faith Moves Mountains

Window Shopping?


Purchased!


Osato must have really gotten a hold of the message tonight about faith. Why in the world would she try to pick me up? Oh, faith moves mountains?! :)

Hey you, yea you! Let patience do her work

So patience is remaining the same and enduring, being steadfast

James 1:3,4
...the trying of your faith works patience.
Let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire (whole), wanting nothing.

What is patience's perfect work?
To stay the same! So let her!
Let her what? Complete the job!

Aren't you listening? lol!

Dont allow fear to stop patience from doing her work to get the job completed! I dont know why its taking so long, just remain patient until the work is done.

The Power Twins to Faith: Confidence and Patience

First, lets dispel the myth...patience does not mean putting up with...its not putting up with long lines or traffic...thats tolerance.

Ok now that we know what patience is not, what is it? Being steadfast, enduring, being committed to, keeping my stance, remaining the same despite the circumstances.

So Hebrews 10:35,36
Cast not away your confidence because it has great recompense of reward.
For you have need of patience that after you do the will of God, you will receive the promise.

1. Dont throw away your confidence
2. Stay the same throughout the entire situation until you receive the promise.

Be like a tree rooted, storms, harsh winds, heat, the trees are committed. Theu dont run away. I am like a tree planted by the rivers of water. Whatever I do will prosper.(Psalm 1:3)The grace of God allows even my mistakes to prosper!

Confidence is Key: Maintain it

Confidence has a great recompense of reward so dont throw it away (Hebrews 10:35)

If I were an enemy, what would my greatest attack be?
Create a fear that what God promised wont come to pass. That's why there is such a huge attack on pastors, tithing and the gospel. If more people have less faith in its accuracy and sincerity, then there will be less credibility thus less people will have confidence in the Word of God. Ever wonder why the serpent tried to get Eve to question what God said? It was getting her to doubt what God said so her confidence would be shattered.

The good news is that the devil cant take your confidence, just dont give it to him.

Don't be moved by what you see or sense in the physical realm, be moved only by the Word of God.

Maintain your stance in what you believe.

Confidence: The Missing Ingredient to Faith

When you walk into a room, if everything looks pretty normal you would go over to a chair and sit down. You are expressing confidence in that chair's ability to support you.

Now say for example you were an alien, you would walk in, look around and be skeptical because you are not familiar with the chair. Over time, you develop faith in that chair because it has never failed you and you will have faith in the chair's ability to support you.

So if confidence is the key to our faith and we don't spend any time in the Word, how can we develop our faith? Spend time in the Word so that you can develop your confidence in God's ability to support you and inability to fail you!

Confidence then moves to Boldness

I live by faith

For me to be born again and not live a life of faith is an act of perversion. It is mentioned four times in the Bible that we as Christians should live by faith.

Hebrews 10:38
Romans 1:17
Habukkuk 2:4
Galatians 3:11

Every one else knows that equipment is needed. Football players show up with their gear and ball, plumbers have their tools but Christians expect to be successful without their Bible!

1Novak Djokovic (SRB) v 22Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)

Seed ranked #1 vs #22-- Let the games begin!

Djokovic


Dolgopolov


Serena and Anna were playing while this game was on and we definitely made a great choice by watching this match. The first set was theeee most exciting tie breaker I have ever seen! It was amazing to watch the #22 seed compete with the #1 ranked player. Everyone thought it would be a breeze by Alexandr had some entertainment lined up for us.....and the crowd goes wild as the tie breaker ended in 16-14.








Djokovic won the overall match.