SHINE BRIGHTLY

Hello my friend. I take it that you, like most of us, are going through something. I’m here today to share a bit about adversity: you know, those challenges that seem to turn us every which way but loose…

We hate to see it coming, but come it must, if we are to evolve as people. There is much to be learned and gained by adversity. Just look at a baby learning to walk; it’s the falling down that teaches the babe to balance and hold on to support. Likewise, we find our truest strength in adverse situations: overcoming and persevering teaches us to trust ourselves and the wise counsel of others. We experience growth from pushing through the pain and we gain stability and greater self-reliance.

Most of us love to shine. We brush and polish our hair, teeth and skin into a state of radiance. But when it comes to our souls, we resist the abrasion, the heat, friction and pressure that fashion us into better human beings, enabling us to shine brightly for Christ.

WHY PIMPOLOGY

To Pimp: verb 
Use, Manipulate, Enslave, Take Advantage, Exploit, Pander

Pimps: noun

Systematic or Institutionalized Oppression

Imagine a beautiful mad-scientist, hell-bent on conquering the world but there's one hiccup, he has to get past God. So what would any cowardly villain do when attacking the head of the household is off limits; they go for the kids. After all, destroy the youth and there's no hope for the culture/civilization.

That's the way all pimps work. They poison the minds of the precious youth that parents have sacrificed for, robbing them of their hope for the future.

Mind you, real pimps are not the colorful clowns portrayed by the entertainment industry; They are the corrupt courts, indifferent educators, greed-driven leaders and criminal-masterminds who pass themselves off as politicians and business-people.

Pimps are anyone who would profit from the misery of another. Megalomaniacs and sociopaths who lack any forms of human empathy. Thus they are not only capable of atrocities to fellow human-kind, but feel justified in doing so.

This was the case with the first pimp, Satan, and remains so today as more and more people feel entitled to misuse and abuse others, whether for profit or licentious pursuits.

What better way to punish the creator than to degrade His Children?

The world is full of shrewd, crafty and ingenious people who wouldn't (Knowingly) profit from the degradation of another human being (or animals), but Satan has a way of making the profane seem normal while depicting honorable endeavors as odd and out of sorts with reality.

This Blog is entitled "Pimpology" to express my desire to share truths and wisdom as I seek enlightenment along my journey through life.

I have been Blessed to see and experience much and I know Jehovah as kept me for His good purpose. I am compelled to explore the hidden and share the light which has been so graciously shined upon the shadows of my life.

Pimplogy is not meant to shock or offend. It is merely a rallying cry to wake up and look around, for Satan is on the loose to kill, steal and destroy. Uncovering his tactics may help someone avoid his various pitfalls and traps, which he has laid throughout the world.

MADAM HERO

Say the word HERO and most brains form images of Caped Crusaders, Crime Fighters, Super-Powered Beings and Civil Servants. And though Teachers, Soldiers, Civil-Servants and countless others do save and changes lives, the World is filled with Unsung Heroes  & Heroines who pour out themselves to those around them, daily. 

Moms & Dads top the list as such and are seen as Heroes to the children that honor them, often later in life, after becoming Parents themselves and fully grasping the true depth of sacrifice their own parents made to ensure them the best quality of life possible.

Today I pay Tribute to My Aunt Ruth, who has been a Genuine Heroine to Generations: and though I’ve been Blessed by Many Beautiful Women in my Family & throughout Life, especially after My Mother passed on from this mortal realm, it was My Aunt Ruth that chatted with me daily, before she fell ill, Always offering encouragement, wisdom and insight.     

There’s not a female child born into Big Mama Ruth’s family (however extended or removed) that has not donned one of her Authentic Crochet Masterpieces: mittens, hats, scarves, ponchos, vests, afghans, skirts & skirt sets. She believes in dressing well & bade us all, likewise.

Aunt Ruth’s Community, Church and the Many Civic Organizations, to which she belonged (Lifetime-Easter Star) have been Blessed by her loving dedication to improvement, literacy and beautification. 

She never went anywhere without touching hearts and lifting lives. Aunt Ruth’s motto “ Do & Be Your Best,” has helped many to reach higher and achieve more. 

Born in Mississippi, she has traveled the entire globe many times. She’s volunteered to feed the hungry and clothed the less fortunate. GIVING is her mission. 

                            LOVING VIDEO

From all who have been touched and loved by You, Aunt Ruth…Thank You, Madam Hero. 

SEEING LIFE WITH NEW EYES

I’d been looking at my situation as one of dire straits because it was uncomfortable and amazingly challenging. There were times when I thought walking away from it all would afford me, at the very least, a bit of R&R. 

Truth be told…despite the dreadfulness of it all, I am simply not a quitter. I’m tenacious and once I sink my teeth into and idea I’m not easily dissuaded. I have to live with my choices and that gives me more courage; puts for bite into my fight. It’s not that I don’t know how to let go, I simply choose not to be intimidated into letting go. And when I do walk away, it’s because I have calculated the value of doing so. 

That said; Satan took it upon himself to challenge my stance on this issue and to present me with the most difficult question I’d ever had to ask myself…

“Should I continue to fight for my home?” 

Of course, Satan was there at every turn with opposing views and indecision. But it was I - Me, who had to make the choice and to  not allow emotion or interference sway my judgment. People and their opinions often came into play. But again, I was the one living this nightmare and I knew that it was not an accident that Jehovah, in all His infinite wisdom, had allowed me to come to this place in my life. So, being the adventurer that I am, I sought to find out what I was that I was positioned to learn and how it might help others facing a similar plight. 

It didn’t take long for me to realize that our darkest days are the ones that prepare use to rejoice in the brightest light - like the storms that cause us to appreciate the calm after it has pasted. 

I’m still in the midst of this storm. But I’m in a stronger boat now. A boat made of appreciation. From the portholes of this vessel I see my situation and life in general in a new light. One of brilliance and Glory, because I’m so grateful to be so Blessed. It’s not about what happens to me or even how I fare as a result of the outcome. It’s all about what I’ve been fortunate to learn and how my experience might inform and encourage someone else who has found themselves in a similar predicament. 

I believe that all will turn out rosy and rewarding. But right here - right now, all is well with my soul. I know unequivocally and unquestionably that this experience, like all others, is shaping me and my life to be more efficient, effective and infectious when I tell people about the Glory of Christ and what He has done in my life. 

I have human eyes to see and appreciate all the beauty that is everywhere around and about me on this lovely, green earth. But I also have spirit eyes to see that which is less visible, obscured by the clouds of trials and tribulations. It’s through these spirit eyes that I view my situations and place merit on all the lessons learned by going through them. The pain and heartaches are not in vain and I strive to share these lessons with any and all who would take something away with them and put it to good use. 

I’m sharing this with you because I know that you too may be going through a painful time that has caused you to question…

“What did I do to deserve this?”

“Where is God now?”

“Why me?”

Or any of the other gazillion retorts that we spout when we hurt.  

I am not here to make light of my situation, because it is a mess. I simply want to convey that there is nothing that I can not handle because I know that I not in this by myself and I and not doing all this for myself. There’s a bigger picture. I see it far more clearly now…with my new eyes…SMILE*

THE UGLIEST LIE EVER TOLD

Sometimes we opens our mouths to explain all that we don’t have, our short-comings and the reasons why “we can’t.” Little do we know that God has given each of us everything that we need to proceed in the task(s) that He has allotted us. But knowing how to proceed requires faith and hearing from The Lord. Like putting a puzzle together; all the pieces lay before us, yet we need a system to fit them correctly. And it helps to have an image of the desired outcome - the finished product. The picture is a continual source of direction that helps us stay on track, like the visions or dreams that God has set upon our hearts.

Just as we can get stuck and confused when putting a puzzle together, life’s journey can seem full of missing pieces and confusing diagrams. Often, life’s questions leave us feeling incomplete and inadequate. But, just as the picture on the puzzle box instills hope of completion, God has a grand vision for the lives of each of us. We need but look to His word and hear His voice in Prayer to begin/continue putting the pieces together: Working with God to create the masterpieces which are our lives.

The pieces are here. The ugly lie is that we “Ain’t Got”, “Don’t Have” or “Can’t Get” what we need to get the job done. Satan is the father of lies and this one takes the cake because The Twenty Third Psalm says…

 

             THE LORD IS MY SHEPARD AND I SHALL NOT WANT

If God cannot lie, and He has promised to supply ALL our NEEDS, then, it is not a matter of not having, but not using correctly what we do have. Here, in this land of plenty, we have too often believed this lie and fallen to the greatest depths of poverty and sickness. Confusion can lead us to use what we have unwisely. Anxiety can cause us to act hastily while fear can stifle us or prevent us from taking action at all.

Provisions and resources are too easily mismanaged or gobbled up by mishaps too numerous to name. Misguided emotions and misplaced affections only add to the mayhem. But the reality remains. We do have all we need to at least get started. And that’s what’s important - to get started. The challenge is vanquishing the lies that resound in our psyche, telling us all that we are lacking.

 

                                    I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH…

Ability, Knowledge, Patience, Power, Energy, Friends,  Money, Time, Connections

…aren’t original thoughts of the heart. They are the lies of the great pimp Satan who would have us believe that we are less than Children of The King, Lord God Jehovah. And if that lie doesn’t take hold and corrupt the soul the Devil simply lays down a more subtle version of the same brand of deceit. A lie telling us that what we do have available simply isn’t good enough. My house, looks, car, education, clout, voice or whatever, just won’t cut it. The truth is that we can start with what we have and build; improving as we learn more through experience and Faith.

Moses didn’t think he had “The Right Stuff” either, but that’s because he really didn’t want to do the job…who would? Come on - it seemed more like a suicide mission than A Great Calling. And God didn’t tell Moses anything about being a Historical Biblical Figure. But we are quick to react the same way, even though we know God has us covered, even if the situations get sticky and the puzzle pieces seem scattered to and fro. We know it from His Word, our own personal histories, the tales of those who have counseled us and we have but to look about and see how God is working wonders in the lives of believers every moment of every day. The believers God is using have challenges and issues of every imaginable kind. Yet they proceed because THEY MUST, THEY CAN, THEY LIVE FOR IT. They understand that if God be for them; who/what can stand against them? Diligent Believers fall, get back up, get knocked down, even trampled, knowing that each breath of life is another opportunity to continue the work of God…one more puzzle piece…because it’s there. And the lies are drowned out and subdued by Praises and shouts of Victory in Jesus.

ROSES

 

“Give me my roses while I can yet appreciate them…” my Mother would say, and so do I. Let me enjoy them as I live. Witness their beauty, caress their silken petals and smell their sweet perfume. I am not royalty, yet, no queen pageant winner has known more pride than I for all the praise and accolades given me.

 

I ask only that you heed my sage advice and follow not the tawdry paths that I have taken, for they have taken their toll. Choose you paths of your own; and not for fame or folly-but the path of enlightenment due all those who would seek the truth. I have lived long and seen much, and this much I know…Your life is your’s and you must live it for you.