YES

I believe that nations, times, and worlds are changed with words. I believe words were "in the beginning" and that literally everything starts and stops with the power contained in ideas expressed in language (also known as words).

For the purpose of this blog entry I would like to discuss one word that very specifically can change my life, and yours as well.

YES.

Will I get out of the bed and exercise? Will I invest in my marriage? Will I make time for my children? Will I be wise with my money? Will I prioritize my faith? Will I do my homework and study? Will I be patient? Will I continue to grow by learning? Will I love people I don't like?

Will I pray and not faint, trust and believe GOD?

The word that I choose to answer these and similar questions with determines everything! And the word cannot be said with my mouth only.

I have to be my word.

Am I really up for this?

(insert your word here)

Are We There Yet?

One of the hardest things about seeing your vision up close and clear, maybe through witnessing someone else prospering in a certain way, or a good movie that illustrates your own desires, is having to return to your own reality.

David was anointed to be king over Israel. Then he was summoned to the palace to play for the sitting King. He became best friends with the heir to the throne. As a rural shepard boy, seeing the trappings of the palace probably bedazzled him and kept him up at night dreaming about how the kingdom would all be his soon, hey after all GOD had said it!. He probably reasoned, like I would have, that somehow GOD would give it all to him soon, especially after his defeat of Goliath which made him a national hero. Songs were even written about him.

But that first trip to the palace was only the beginning of a long process for David. He had to go back to being a shepherd in his father's house. How did he do that and exhibit the character he displayed? The mind bending patience? How did he go on the run for his own life, and live like an outcast for years after that initial exposure to success and his calling?

Did GOD do what He said? Of course! It just took 13 years to fully come to pass. However David's reign as king was 40 years.

I would love tell you the life you want will fully be established by December 2010 (just put your money in the plate, praise the Lord hard and long, dance around, scream like a fool and it shall be done!). Most likely that will not be the case. If I was to bet big money though, I believe your dream life shall indeed come to pass, and not when you're too old to enjoy it.

The question is, can you endure the ride?

Conversation between Brothers

Once or twice a week, I exchange emails with a friend of mine currently serving an 8 year sentence in Federal prison. His name is John. He won't mind me telling you this because also via email, I post his blog for him where he gives many details about his experience. You can see that at thevoicefrominside.blogspot.com.

Here is a recent exchange between the two of us that may bless you...

ASON,

Today, I spoke with an older guy over dinner. We talked about his time with the NAACP. He grew up in Chicago, actually in the projects and he was raised in the arms of the NAACP. We had a very good conversation and I realize that in my life of growing up in Brooklyn, NY, the NAACP had already lost it's main focus. Yes, I grew up in a middle class neighborhood which was far from the project life, but what this guy told me blew me away.

His mom was very active. She attended all the meetings and took part in every community outreach possible. The things they did is right along the line of what I've always felt the need to do. The watched kids leaving school and those that didn't look well kept would be approached. They'd take the kid(s) home and then ask the parents if they needed any type of assistance (a ride, clothes, or food). They'd do voting drives to gather new voters. They'd stop by the homes of the old and needy to do chores that were left undone. They'd also give rides to people who needed to go to the doctor or to court. They did a lot and I wish you could have seen his eyes light up as he told me the stories. That was the best part.

In any case, I'm still doing research and I'll be sending of my money to join next week. My only shortage now is filling out the membership application. I've tried to call the NAACP all day and there has not been any answer. I'll continue to try next week, so wish me luck and pray for me. Maybe with my level of energy, my committment to success, and my ingenuity, I can bring a spark back to the NAACP. Never doubt me because I've changed every environment I've ever touched.

I just wanted to write something tonight before I crashed.

JKW

******
Hey John,

That was moving to hear about the NAACP in days past. I've been lamenting our society in general and particularly our Christian family. Doing bible studies can sometimes be discouraging when I see the disparity between how we are today and how GOD intended for us to be.

That is powerful, the community you described there. Pre-crack era I presume. Young boys had a reason to show respect to elders, pastors, and community leaders. Even the town street walkers and number runners had respect for GOD and His people, thus the community, though poor, was strong. I say poor but that is not even true. There were many business owners, land owners, and professionals of all sorts. They just had limited access to white clientele which we somehow viewed as still being inferior.

Drugs, movies (particularly Scarface), and music are 3 powerful agents the devil used to tear that world down. The church, similar to the NAACP has gone off course in many ways and I'm not sure the exact way to get back on track other than pray and continue in GOD's word.

I take courage in GOD's capacity to make things new. Not to try and "patch up" or "fix" but to altogether create anew where there has been destruction. Where there is no more form and a void, He can begin a new work. There's where my hope is.

David did not pray for his sinful heart to be fixed or repaired, but rather "create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. Wash me with hissup, and I'll be white as snow."

My Prayer: Create us new today Father. Let the old things pass away and all things become new. A new way of thinking, a new prayer life, a new passion to study, a new sphere of influence, a new dimension of connection with our fellow man, a new power to triumph over the devil whom YOU have already defeated, a new vision that YOU will bring to pass, a new love for YOU, a new joy that only YOU can give us, a new blessing that will cause men who witness it to glorify YOU. Amen.

Bless you John,

ASON

******

To Contact John:


John Wannamaker, #33616-177, PO Box 7000, Texarkana, Texas 75505, or e-mail me at john@bigsonny.com

Interview with Christopher Terrell

I have a friend, John Wannamaker, who is currently serving an 8 year prison sentence. Two times a week, I help him post a post a blog. He emails me via corrlinks.com and I copy it to thevoicefrominside.blogspot.com and add a picture. His latest entry I had to share. Here it is below:


Christopher Terrell was released from federal custody about 2 months ago. I had the chance to spend some time with him before he left for the 1/2 way house. It is my goal to interview prisoners who I've met before they leave to return to society. I do not interview every person, just the ones that show or have something about them that calls to my writing nature.

Christopher Terrell is 43 years old, and was serving a sentence of 10 years for distribution of crack cocaine in his home town of Shreveport, Louisiana. He's been to three separate institutions with his sentence beginning at FCI Oakdale.

This is his interview as told to me, John Wannamaker (JW); Christopher Terrell (CT)

---

JW: WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST REGRET OF PRISON OR PRE-PRISON TIME?

CT: I regret the amount of time they gave me. This all added up to time taken out of my life and away from my family.

JW: CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF COMMITTING ANOTHER CRIME, IF ALL ELSE FAILS?

CT: No

JW: WHAT ARE YOUR IMMEDIATE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

CT: My goal is to buy an apartment complex that needs work. I'm also interested in offshore drilling. Whatever I do, it will be a regular job.

JW: HOW HAS YOUR FAMILY BEEN WHILE YOU WERE AWAY?

CT: My wife divorced me since I was in prison, and I lost my brother 2 months ago.

JW: WHAT DID YOU LEARN IN PRISON?

CT: I got closer to God. I also grew up a lot, and I really needed to do that.

JW: WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT PEOPLE? THE LAW?

CT: I learned how to deal with people sensibly. I also learned that everyone is not at the same level. Everybody has a measure of faith, and we all need to have patience. About the law, I would have to say that it's not fair, and it's not equal for everyone.

JW: WHAT TYPE OF CLASSES HAVE YOU TAKEN?

CT: I completed a Culinary Arts program, and a Baking Course. I also took up Computers and Building Maintenance. Most of all I completed the Life Connections program.

JW: WERE YOU EMPLOYED BEFORE PRISON?

CT: Yes, I worked on a gambling boat for 6-months, and I owned a beauty salon.

JW: WHAT MADE YOU COMMIT YOUR CRIME?

CT: After I finished high school, I needed a way to make money.

JW: AFTER ALL YOU'VE LEARNED AND ENDURED, WOULD YOU REPEAT THIS SITUATION?

CT: No!

JW: WHAT IS THE WORST THING YOU'VE SEEN IN PRISON?

CT: While at another institution, we had two person rooms. In one of the rooms, one roommate beat up the other one all night, until blood was all over the room and floor (the next morning). Blood was even running out of the door. This happened because one guy found out his roommate wrote his daughter.

JW: WOW! ANY FINAL WORDS?

CT: The prison system makes things worst. Your family and kids don't have the structure they need. It's hard to hold on to your kids and not everyone can do that and God did it for me. Prison is a cycle.



Christopher Terrell may be at home with his family by now. Wherever he is, I wish him the best and I hope he's having a successful time reintegrating back into society. Chris is a good brother who is very mild mannered, patient, and very conscious of himself. I enjoyed being around him. We laughed, joked, talked about the bible, and he made me want to work out even harder when I saw his ethics. Good luck, Chris.

Contact me:

John Wannamaker, #33616-177, PO Box 7000, Texarkana, Texas 75505, or e-mail me at john@bigsonny.com

Is there only one GOD?

Do you think this is a foolish question?

Well can I first ask you "Who or what is GOD?" No, don't keep reading...please answer the question first.

Who or what is GOD in relation to you? What does It/HE have to do with you, if anything?

Who/what is YOUR deity?

Dictionary.com says a god is ANY deified person or object. That means EVERYBODY has the power to deify (which is to make a god of; exalt to the rank of a deity; personify as a deity: to deify a beloved king.)

People do it everyday.

So if a deity is ANY person or thing revered as a god or goddess...how many gods are there?

Who gets most of your time? Where do you spend most of your time? Where does most of your money go? Where does your energy go to? What/who has most of your attention, really? Who/what occupies your mind for the greatest portion of a given day, even on Saturday or Sunday. Who/what will you do almost anything to get or to keep from loosing?

Your answers reveal your god(s).

You have absolutely nothing...except RIGHT NOW!

Without taking on a debate involving the Theory of Relativity let me state that none of us can physically access the past. If you have been to a funeral then you know that you do not have tomorrow and it is not a guaranty for anyone, even the rich and healthy.

All that we really have is now. The only time we can take action and the only time we can actually live is now. We can't do it later and we can't go back and re-do it. We can only ever do ANYTHING now.

If you currently weigh 300lbs and you want to weigh 220lbs you can only BE a 220lb person...NOW. Think about that.

You can be a 300lb person trying to be a 220lb person sometime in the future, that's what most people do. How do you think that works out for them? A 300lb person "takes breaks" and "rewards" themselves and "cheats" on the diet. Someone who is already 220lbs just IS 220lbs and DOES (NOW) what a 220lb person does.

This principle applies to everything. Who do you want to BE? Commit to BEING that person (you guessed it) NOW. That's all you can do and that is all you will ever be able to do.

So what are you gonna do now?

You Can't Serve GOD & Money!

A first read of this statement in Matthew 6:24 and of the entire passage which can be found in verses 19-34 can lead you to believe that to have any "concern" about financial matters is wrong.

It occurred to me, that when we walk in ignorance regarding money, much of our lives are spent serving it, and not GOD.

I have been in church meetings, several hours long, regarding issues less than $300. All because, no one had an extra $300 to settle the issue so we could move on. We were in church discussing money issues, not Kingdom ones.

If you have a mortgage, a car note, a cell phone bill, utilities, etc. and not sufficient funds to handle the responsibilities, how much time in your week is spent serving money vs serving GOD? An 8 hour work day and perhaps a part time gig versus how much time building GOD's kingdom?

I endeavor to increase my financial IQ, and learn what the rich know (No, I'm not one of them yet). Through interest earned, dividends paid out, investments yielding returns, and businesses profiting...they have learned to let money serve them.

So, if money is now serving me, how much more can I serve GOD?