Dancing in the Rain

Did you ever see children playing in the rain hopping in every puddle they couldn’t wait to get to; splashing water everywhere that brought about laughter with every drop? The clothes would get wet but the spirit giggled with delight. The mud doesn’t matter or the season of the year. It’s a time to dance and play and enjoy the present moment

When the storms in your life bring about deep puddles, shallow puddles or the appearance of puddles, do we walk through them, jump over them or do we wait for them to dry up on their own? Sometimes waiting causes life to be a lot harder than if we would have acted on the situation or circumstance right away.

Some of us thought that if we ignored the problem that it would go away if we did not acknowledge it on its own, only to look a little further down the road and run into it again head on. We have not learned to navigate properly. We fear. We don’t understand that going through the storm circumvents obstacles that we would not have to face later on in life. I call it “handle your business.”

Step up and do the stuff that keeps you from dancing in life. Face the storms, prepare for the storms and hold to God’s hand as He takes you through the storm. Some storms are light weight and others pact a full force. No matter which one you are weathering, God will be there. Trust Him, seek His Word and let Jesus guide you daily.

Storms are a natural pattern of the seasonal life, just as they are a part of our natural life. They come and they go and only last for a short time. Determine that you will be like a little child when the storms bring rain in your life. Learn to be God’s partner as He hand dance and waltz you through each puddle. Let Him lead. His steps are well practiced and sure.

Think of rain as it gives us a rainbow of God’s promise to us. It can water the flower gardens of life with hope, peace and destiny. Learn to dance, dance, dance!


Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass… it’s about learning to dance in the rain.

You May Not Be Who You Want To Be but, You Can Be All You Need To Be

As we celebrate milestones in our lives, so we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King. There will be many events and programs put on in his name.

If Dr. King would have lived, I’m sure he would be a prominent figure at one of the biggest milestones of this century. Dr. King had a dream although he didn’t see it come to fruition. As we gravitate to our first black presidential inauguration, which is a huge milestone in this United States of America, Celebrate!

Celebrate the famous quote of Dr. King when he said” Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." A new hope has been created in America. More people now believe that a bold and audacious dream can come true. Imagine the possibilities that will come into being as people of all races, colors and creeds realize that accomplishing their musings is a thought a change a doable yes we can. Can you participate in a milestone in your personal life, “YES YOU CAN”.

How will you treat the milestones in your personal life? You have lived to participate in this milestone and will benefit from all that it brings. What say you to your new lifestyle change? Its time to grasp your dreams and begin to put feet and shoes upon them. You may have started off crawling, but now its time to begin to walk in new ways. Once your dreams are on sturdy ground, then its time to run the race. In Hebrews 12:1 it states “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

There were times before this milestone took place that we had lost hope of seeing a black president in our lifetime. We often heard the phrase “Yes we can” throughout the campaign. Now that Barack Obama has become the first black president, many believe that our dreams can come true. The words” Yes We Can” are a reality. We know that we may not be who we want to be, but we can become who we need to be by following our dreams and moving forward seeking to reach our own private milestones.

Do you want to honor Dr. Kings’ dream or one of your own? Then push, push and push until you have made it to your milestone. When you arrive--- CELEBRATE CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE!!

SPW
01-13-09

“There is little hope for us until we become toughminded enough to break loose from the shackles of prejudice, half-truths, and downright ignorance.
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Happy New Year!

We have made it through another year. It’s time for 2008 to leave us and make room for 2009. ‘08’ has seen its trials in every form of life, but for the most part, we have survived. So, now that we are here, what were you celebrating as the clock ticked down to a new year? When the ball dropped in Times Square, or when you were standing in a church in prayer, what was your new year’s resolutions? Do you know why you go through these rituals each year?

New Year’s celebrated at different times in different countries. This holiday has been celebrated in September in Egypt when the river Nile flooded. Egypt was desert land and this was the way its people could grow their crops. In Babylonia they celebrated in the spring of the year. The Romans New Year was on the first of March in the beginning but was changed 46 B.C. by Julius Caesar to January 1st. January was named after the Roman god Janus who was always shown as having two heads. He looked back to the last year and forward to the new one. In Europe, New Year was often a time for superstition and fortune-telling, and in some parts of Switzerland and Austria, people dress up to celebrate Saint Sylvester’s Eve.

In the West, which is us, we think of New Year’s Day parades, football and resolutions we often don’t keep. The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. This parade celebrated the ripening of the orange crop in California. The football game was played as part of the celebration in 1902. The following year the game was replaced by Roman chariot races. In 1916 the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.

The tradition of using the baby to signify the New year begun in Greece around 600 BC. The baby is a symbol of rebirth. The early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. The Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus.
For luck, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. Traditional New Year’s foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck because it symbolizes “coming full circle” completing a year’s cycle. Black-eyed peas and cabbage are others foods served in many families.

Finally we look at the song Auld Lang Syne. This song is sung at the stroke of midnight across the nation. The song was partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700’s. It was first published in 1796 after Burns death. Burns produced the modern version as others were sung previously. An old Scotch tune, ”Auld Lang Syne” literally means “old long ago,” or simply “the good old days.”
It’s good to know why we celebrate the different holidays. Take the time to know and celebrate that God has created you to enjoy the festivities with hope reason and purpose. If you choose to make New Year’s resolutions, then resolve to know why you do what you do. Know your purpose, research why things happen in your life. Study to show yourself approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15.

SPW 12-31-08