Thursday, May 27, 2010

STATISTICS

25% of all men are unstable
25% of all men can't be faithful
30% of them don't mean what they say and
10% of them in maybe 20 is gay
That leaves you a 10% chance of ever finding your man
That means you never paid attention to these words that I said
I'm gonna teach you how expose the 90%
and show you what to do to keep the other 10.
RULE #1 Don't be a booty call If he don't respect you girl he gon't forget you girl
RULE #2 If he's in a relationship If he will cheat on her that means he will cheat on you
RULE #3 Tell him that you're celibate And if he wants some of your goodies he gon't have to work for it
RULE #4 Be the person you wanna find
Don't be a nickel out here lookin' for a dime
STATISTICS!1 5% of all men got a complex
15% of all men don't practice safe sex
20% of them come from homes without a father and there's a 50/50 chance that you'll marry a coward
Something to think about when you're taking a shower
Something to swallow when you're drinking bottled water I'm gonna teach you how to expose the 90% and show you what to do to keep the other 10
25% of all men are unstable
25% of all men can't be faithful
30% of them don't mean what they say and
10% of them in maybe 20 is gay
Be patient! He's waiting! You don't gotta settle for that Leave what is past alone! Get you a backbone! Stop being a silent phone yourself!
Have you no checklist?
It's gonna take patience
Time is still wastin'
Don't be a booty call
If he don't respect you girl he gon't forget you girl
If he's in a relationship
If he will cheat on her that means he will cheat on you
Tell him that you're celibate and if he wants some of your goodies he gon't have to work for it.
Be the person you wanna find
Don't be a nickel out here lookin' for a dime.
STATISTICS!STATISTICS!STATISTICS!
Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

CALLING FORTH MIRACLES

Praying Single Mothers
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.


Today, I take the time to pray for every Mother represented in this network. Heavenly Father, I may not know what each person is enduring but I know you as a restorer, healer, forgiver, way maker, promise keeper and Savior. Today I call forth supernatural miracles to take place in the lives of every Mother in Jesus name. I call forth peace and God’s love for the Mother who lost their child to sickness, violence or the system, I call forth hope to the Mother whose child is missing, I call forth prosperity to Mother who is homeless/unemployed, I call forth patience to the Mother whose child is rebellious, I call forth love to the Mother whose child has turned away, I call forth salvation to Mother who doesn’t know Jesus, I call forth deliverance to the Mother whose suffering from addictions, I call forth righteousness to the Mother who struggles with the things of this world, I call forth Jesus to every Mother who needs restoration and a personal relationship with God.

Today is the day that you place every burden at the feet of Jesus and walk away knowing that your prayers have been answered. You are loved and Jesus has not forgotten you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 says “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Mother’s know that there is not a care on your heart that God can’t handle.

God bless you all,

Minister LaVeda
Visit Praying Single Mothers at:
http://psmothers.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Monday, May 24, 2010

5 SECRETS OF SELF MADE MILLIONAIRES

5 Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires
By Kristyn Kusek Lewis

They’re just like you. But with lots of money. When you think “millionaire,” what image comes to mind? For many of us, it’s a flashy Wall Street banker type who flies a private jet, collects cars and lives the kind of decadent lifestyle that would make Donald Trump proud. But many modern millionaires live in middle-class neighborhoods, work full-time and shop in discount stores like the rest of us. What motivates them isn’t material possessions but the choices that money can bring: “For the rich, it’s not about getting more stuff. It’s about having the freedom to make almost any decision you want,” says T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. Wealth means you can send your child to any school or quit a job you don’t like.According to the Spectrem Wealth Study, an annual survey of America’s wealthy, there are more people living the good life than ever before—the number of millionaires nearly doubled in the last decade. And the rich are getting richer. To make it onto the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans, a mere billionaire no longer makes the cut. This year you needed a net worth of at least $1.3 billion.

istockphoto.com If more people are getting richer than ever, why shouldn’t you be one of them? Here, five people who have at least a million dollars in liquid assets share the secrets that helped them get there.PLUS:
13 Things Your Financial Adviser Won't Tell You1. Set your sights on where you’re going Twenty years ago, Jeff Harris hardly seemed on the road to wealth. He was a college dropout who struggled to support his wife, DeAnn, and three kids, working as a grocery store clerk and at a junkyard where he melted scrap metal alongside convicts. “At times we were so broke that we washed our clothes in the bathtub because we couldn’t afford the Laundromat.” Now he’s a 49-year-old investment advisor and multimillionaire in York, South Carolina.There was one big reason Jeff pulled ahead of the pack: He always knew he’d be rich. The reality is that 80 percent of Americans worth at least $5 million grew up in middle-class or lesser households, just like Jeff. Wanting to be wealthy is a crucial first step. S ays Eker, “The biggest obstacle to wealth is fear. People are afraid to think big, but if you think small, you’ll only achieve small things.”

Continue reading at ....http://shine.yahoo.com/event/financiallyfit/5-secrets-of-self-made-millionaires-1370279/

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Thursday, May 20, 2010

A MOTHER'S WORRYING!

Planning Funerals that Won't Happen Today
Lysa TerKeurst

"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?"
Matthew 6:27 (NIV)

Devotion:
A couple of years ago my teenage son came to me and asked if he could take his brother and sisters to go get ice cream. How fun! How thoughtful! "Sure," I said, "Let me grab my keys and we'll go." "No, Mom ... we sort of want to go just us kids," he quickly replied. "Oh," and that's about all I could get my mouth to say as my brain started racing and reeling. In my mind's eye pictures started flashing of a terrible accident, a phone call from the police, planning a funeral, and then thinking back to this moment when I could have said no. And it was that strange sense that everything depended on me and my decisions that made me want to say no. Absolutely not. You will stay home today. You will all stay home forever. I have to keep you safe. Why do we moms do that? Most of us live with this gnawing, aching, terrifying fear that something will happen to one of our children. We carry the pressure that ultimately everything rises and falls on whether or not we can control things. And mentally, too often we plan funerals that won't happen today. We do it because we know the realities of living in a broken world where car accidents do happen. Tragedy strikes old and young alike. We have no guarantees for tomorrow. And that's really hard on a mama's heart. I stood at the front window of my house chewing my nails and watching as the entire contents of my mama heart piled into one car. And I realized I had a choice. I could run myself ragged creating a false sense of control that can't really protect them. Or, I could ask God to help me make wise decisions and choose to park my mind on the truth. The truth is: God has assigned each of my kids a certain number of days. My choices can add to the quality of their life, but not the quantity. They could be at home tucked underneath my wings and if it's their day to go be with Jesus, they will go. "When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:15-16) Jesus conquered death so we don't have to be afraid of it any longer. Of course, the death of anyone I love would make me incredibly sad, heart-broken and dazed with grief. But I don't have to be held captive by the fear of death. "Since the children have flesh and blood, he (Jesus) too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death." (Hebrews 2:14-15). Death is only a temporary separation. We will be reunited again. In 2 Samuel 12, when David's infant child died, he confidently said, "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (v. 23). David knew he would see his child again--not just a faceless soul without an identity, but this child for whom he was longing. He would know him, hold him, kiss him, and the separation death caused would be over. I know these are heavy things to process on a Thursday morning. And I certainly don't claim that these truths will help you never ever fear again. But I do hope these truths will settle your heart into a better place. And the next time my kids go get ice cream together, instead of chewing my nails I'll only pick at them while awaiting their return. See progress? It's good.

Dear Lord, the fear of something happening to one of my children is so raw. And I guess the thing that makes it so hard is I know we live in a broken world and awful things happen to kids. But if I focus on this fear, it will consume me. Instead help me focus on You so I'll only be consumed with Your truth, Your love, Your insights, and Your power. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

MOTHER DAUGHTER

Mother and daughter relationships are complex because the daughter looks to her mother as a role model of what a woman is. As she grows up and sees other woman who live their lives differently, she chooses between imitating her mother or other significant influences in her life. As an adolescent she may come to look down on her mother and think that other woman are much better. Of course she is not a fully grown woman so she does not understand the challenges and choices that her mother faces. It is only when she herself becomes a woman that she can fully appreciate her mother.

Source: Mother Daughter Poems http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/family/mother-daughter-poems.asp#ixzz0oNjQeEX5

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Monday, May 17, 2010

MY MOMMA

On Saturday, May 15th my mother celebrated 55 years of life here on this earth. I have known her for 30 of those years and I love her very much. Although we don't always agree and she is having a hard time letting go of the reigns of parenting, God used her to birth me and my sister into this world and He makes no mistakes.

She is my mother for a reason and there are many things I have learned from her and countless experiences I had because of her.

My mother made sure my sister and I went to the best schools in the City of Chicago. She made sure we were involved in different activities as she wanted us to be well rounded people. I have traveled to other countries thanks to my mother being an above and beyond type of momma.

She helps me with my son and has helped my sister with all of her boys as well.

My momma is a woman that loves her children, grandchildren, and her family very much.

If it were not for her and God on her side as well as mine, I don't know where either of us would be.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOMMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Thursday, May 13, 2010

A TESTAMENT OF A MOTHERS LOVE: DEDICATED TO MY BIG SIS

♥♥ Before you were conceived, I wanted you. Before you were born, I loved you. When you were born, I saw your face and knew I was in love. Before you were an hour old, I knew I would die for you. To this day, I will ♥♥.

8 years ago today my nephew Christian was born. Early on in my sisters pregnancy from an ultrasound the doctors saw there was a complication, my nephew had a hernia and his stomach and other organs were not/may not be forming/developing properly. The doctors gave him a 10% chance of survival. At 5 months the doctors suggested that my sister terminate her pregnancy. Her response was if God wants Him God will have to take Him! She had a mother's love, a mother's faith, and a mothers determination!

When Christian was born, prematurely 2 months early, he was immediately taken from Northwestern Memorial and transferred to Children's Memorial Hospital where he lay in a bed sedated. He had to have surgery only days/weeks into his life. Nevertheless he had a praying mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunties, uncles, and cousins. As my sister lay in her hospital bed hours later once my mother returned home my mom received a phone call that they had to give my sister a full hysterectomy.

So days went by before my sister was able to see her son. On top of the c-section delivery she now had to face another surgery herself. The day she left the hospital she went to see her son Christian. Everyday my sister would send her oldest boys off to school in Bolingbrook and drive to Chicago to see about her son. EVERYDAY......She had a mother's love, a mother's faith, and a mothers determination!

Christian spent his 1st nine months of life in the hospital on oxygen and with a feeding tube in his stomach. He came home in February 2003 with oxygen tanks and his feeding tube. My sister never once used his oxygen as she had faith and knew that he could breath but by the grace of God! She had a mother's love, a mother's faith, and a mothers determination!

Admittedly I was watching him and his feeding tube fell out, that was about the 3rd time it came out. That day my sister decided enough was enough, he would suck a bottle or learn to eat on his own. She had a mother's love, a mother's faith, and a mothers determination! That entire weekend she sat with him holding the bottle to his mouth he cried, he hollered. See Christian had never taken anything in by mouth except for his binky. So my sister went to the hospital and through the niceness of a nurse she obtained a lot of binky's and used them as bottle tops for Christian as that was the only nipple he would suck. She had a mother's love, a mother's faith, and a mothers determination!

Today Christian is 8 years old well, able bodied, and a normal child that drives his mother crazy some times.

I think what if my sister would have listened to the doctors and given up on her baby, her miracle baby? I think of how we look at a situation and we see with our flesh. I also think about the Faith that she was using during this time, she didn't believe what anyone said she placed her baby in God's hand and exercised her faith. She had a mother's love, a mother's faith, and a mothers determination!

Today we celebrate the life of our miracle baby. We Thank God for blessing us with Christian for these last 8 years and the many more years that we have with him to come.

My sister is a phenomenal woman and a great mother. She did what real mothers do she loved and nurtured her son believing in God and leaning on her faith and not her own understanding. She decided despite the odds, despite the naysayers, despite what anyone else had to say she only listened to God and what he had to say and His report said that all is well!!!!!!!

She had a mother's love, a mother's faith, and a mothers determination!

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

A WIFE OF NOBLE CHARACTER


Heartlight Daily Verse
Crosswalk.com
Proverbs 31:10 27-28A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies... She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

Thoughts on today's verse
Give honor to whom honor is due! This biblical principle is most certainly true of women, and especially those who are godly mothers. Let's make sure we praise the key women in our lives today!

Prayer:
Father, I want to thank you for the women of character and grace, tenderness and fire, love that and tenacity, who have helped shape my life in a way helped me find you. Please bless them this day, I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

MOTHERS WHO SACRIFICE

Part of being a great mother is making sacrifices for their children.

I think of my grandmother I used to tell her grandma your food is getting cold go ahead and eat. Her response would always be I have 8 kids I haven't had a hot meal in a long time....she's a mother who sacrificed.

I saw an old friend on the train last week and thought to myself that can't be her on the green line she lives in the South suburbs. Then I remembered she sends her children to a charter school on the West Side of Chicago that they have been attending since they were little girls. So she gets up early in the morning, takes her children to school, parks and then catches the train to work all by 8:30A everyday.....she's a mother who is sacrificing.

Then I thought about another friend of mine whom her husbands grandmother kept all of her kids until they were walking and talking and then she sent them to day care. She drove from the West Suburbs to the West Side of Chicago only to drive back to work in the West Suburbs to go back to the West Side to pick her son up to drive back to the West Suburbs to go home....she's a mother who sacrificed!

Now it is my turn, my son will be attending a great school on 16th & Avers. I will be taking him to school everyday then driving back to the train to take the train to work....I will be a sacrificing mother.

To all the mothers who have sacrificed time, energy, sleep, who have gone without for the well-being of your kids. Your sacrificing is not in vain. Even when your kids don't seem to appreciate you know that you did all that you could and what was best to fulfill your duty as a mother.

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Monday, May 10, 2010

RESHAPING MY FAMILY TREE

Reshaping My Family Tree

T. Suzanne Eller



"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." John 15:4 (NIV)



Devotion:

The manager at Atwoods just might think I'm a stalker. I'm the one in the Red Durango driving slowly by the garden section every time I'm in town. I've already selected two hardy trees on the Atwood lot, and I can tell you exactly where I'm going to plant them when it's time.



Spring. Just breathing that word makes me happy. Flowers. Birds singing. Digging happily in the dirt. Yesterday I knelt to admire the dark shoots on my Knock Out rose bushes, and the green buds on my perennials.



But there is a tree that used to cause me pain. The branches of my family tree bent under the weight of addiction, of physical and verbal abuse, of parenting patterns that didn't work but that were handed down from generation to generation like bad apples.



When I became a mom, I determined that my family tree had to grow in another direction. I had nothing to cling to in the natural. My parenting knowledge was based on a broken childhood filled with chaos.



That's when faith was grafted in.



I prayed as I walked my colicky baby girl. I asked for strength when I was mentally exhausted from piles of laundry, from nursing, and from encouraging and disciplining three little ones. I closed myself in my bedroom, getting alone with God when I had a fight with my teen, admitting that, "Sometimes I don't have a clue, God." Faith didn't make me a perfect parent, but it did give me hope that I could be the mom I wanted to be.



Motherhood was often challenging, but it was also an immense blessing.



Today I'm still a mom, though my role has changed. I have two sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law I love like crazy. And now little Elle is on the way. My first grandchild will be born in July, and Gramma can't wait to hold her in my arms.



Even as I write this, I fight tears because I can clearly see how Jesus answered a young mom's prayers.



Maybe, like mine, your family tree is crooked and gnarled with disease. You don't have to do it alone. Grafting in faith is simply inviting Jesus into the process. Faith plants seeds of hope. It prunes away parenting patterns and legacies that caused injury and harm to you, so that you can give your children something greater.



And greatest of all, new branches sprout, taking you and your family in a new direction entirely.



Dear Jesus, I invite You into my family tree. Where there is brokenness, may You be the Healer. Where there is disease, may You prune so that new life can begin. Come alongside me as a mom. Let me see the beauty of these children You have placed in my heart and in my life. Thank you for walking with me every day.



Related Resources:

The Mom I Want to Be: Rising above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future by T. Suzanne Eller


Visit Suzie's blog for a chance to win an autographed copy of her books



Building the Christian Family You Never Had: A Practical Guide for Pioneer Parents by Mary E. DeMuth

Read on for more encouragement with Raising a Godly Generation

Application Steps:
Growing tips for your child:

· Water: Encourage with sincere praise.

· Shape: Love the child always while addressing the behavior with calm, consistency, and reasonable consequences.

· Prune: Be honest about unhealthy parenting patterns that affected you as a child that continue on in your home. Replace unhealthy patterns with those that produce stability.

· Harvest: Look beyond the now (feelings) to the end result. Your child is a work in progress. Consistency will produce fruit.



Reflections:

"If our kids see us humbly committing each new day to Jesus, they'll learn that He truly loves and cares about every detail of our lives. That's humility." Susie Larson, author of Growing Grateful Kids.



Power Verses:

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (NIV)

Matthew 7:7-8, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (NIV)

© 2010 T. Suzanne Eller. All rights reserved.



Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org


Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Friday, May 7, 2010

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

EPIPHANY ESSENTIALS

WOULD LIKE TO WISH

ALL OF THE MOTHER'S OUT THERE A


HAPPY


MOTHER'S


DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

FAITH FRIDAY'S - A SONG FOR MAMA

Boys II Men
A Song For Mama


You taught me everything And everything you've given me I always keep it inside
You're the driving force in my life,
yeah There isn't anything
Or anyone that I can be
And it just wouldn't feel right If I didn't have you by my side
You were there for me to love and care for me
When skies were grey Whenever I was down
You were always there to comfort me
And no one else can be what you have been to me You will always be you always will be the girl In my life for all times
Mama, mama you know I love you
Oh you know I love you Mama, mama you're the queen of my heart
Your love is like Tears from the stars Mama,
I just want you to know Lovin' you is like food to my soul
You're always down for me
Have always been around for me even when I was bad
You showed me right from my wrong
Yes you did And you took up for me When everyone was downin' me You always did understand You gave me strength to go on
There was so many times
Looking back when I was so afraid
And then you come to me And say to me I can face anything
And no one else can do
What you have done for me
You'll always be You will always be the girl in my life
Never gonna go a day without you Fills me up just thinking about you I'd never go a day without my mama

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Thursday, May 6, 2010

FAMILY WELLNESS GUIDE

Visit this link for tips on keeping the entire family healthy and active!

http://www.parents.com/fun/sports/exercise/family-wellness/


Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

When Mom Needs A Break

When Mom Needs a Break
Some Useful Tips for Stressed Out Mothers

Apr 5, 2010


By trying to abide by society's standards for "ideal motherhood", many mothers are becoming needlessly stressed out. Here are some tips for dealing with that stress.

Mothers today, whether they work or stay at home, are more stressed out than ever before. Due to the rise in nuclear families most mothers, both single and married, perform more domestic duties alone. This along with society's changing expectations regarding "ideal motherhood" compounds the daily stress mothers face today. This maternal stress, combined with stress faced by working mothers, can be detrimental to one's health and well-being.

Stressed Mothers More Likely to View Their Children as Being Difficult
A study from the Journal of Pediatric Psychology revealed that maternal stress is more likely to cause mothers to view their children as being temperamentally difficult. The study, led by Stephen J. Sheinkopf, was conducted at Bradley Hospital, Brown Medical School and Women & Infants' Hospital and consisted of asking a group of mothers, some of whom had indulged in cocaine use during pregnancy, how temperamental they viewed their infants to be.

The result was that extremely stressed out mothers, regardless of whether they engaged in drug use or not, were more likely to view their babies as being temperamental. It also found that low socioeconomic status exacerbated maternal stress. Past studies have revealed that high maternal stress is related to children exhibiting poor behavior. In addition to its negative impact upon children, built up stress can cause long-term health problems for mothers, ranging from ulcers to depression and anxiety.

Some Mothers Rebel Against Standards for Ideal Motherhood
Society's changing expectations regarding ideal motherhood further aggravate maternal stress. Modern mothers today are expected daily to handle the housework, plan and prepare meals, ferry the kids to and from school/after-school activities, be actively involved in the PTA, entertain kids, help them with homework, break up the kids' fights, maintain bedtime routines, and/or work outside the home all at the same time primarily on their own.

On top of this today's mothers are expected to live by the latest trends in childcare and household maintenance, which include things like exclusively breastfeeding, preparing health conscious meals, sustaining an eco-friendly home life, busying kids with lots of kid-friendly outings and activities, and so on. While living by these trends is admirable, it becomes difficult to maintain when mothers are stressed by their more mundane domestic duties.Read more at Suite101: When Mom Needs a Break: Some Useful Tips for Stressed Out Mothers http://womenshealth.suite101.com/article.cfm/when-mom-needs-a-break#ixzz0n41mSp73
Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

MOTHER


Mother.......

When you're a child she walks before you,To set an example.

When you're a teenager she walks behind youTo be there should you need her.

When you're an adult she walks beside youSo that as two friends you can enjoy life together.

- Author Unknown.
Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

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Monday, May 3, 2010

SUPPORT OUR BLACK MEN

I was at a fight party to watch Suga Shane and Mosely fight on Saturday. As everyone who watched the fight knows Chris Brown sung the National Anthem. One of the friends at the fight party felt in her opinion that Chris Brown shouldn't be singing at a fight when he was accused and plead to fighting Rhianna.

Her opinion was valid because it is her opinion and we all have one. My stand on the issue is that Chris Brown has served his time and paid for his crime. Should he have to stay away from boxing matches forever and not be able to support himself? Chris Brown is having a very difficult time getting his career back on track. He made a mistake he paid for it must we label him and condemn him for the rest of his and our lives? No.

Michael Vick was accused of dog fighting and they wanted to take his entire career from him. Never wanted him to be able to play in the NFL ever again. Praise the Lord he is back in the NFL but if I am not mistaken he can no longer have any pets.

What bothers me the most about these two cases and their are countless others. Is that we African Americans jump on the band wagon and crucify and persecute our black men. I am not saying that neither one of these men should not have been prosecuted and charged for their crimes yet after they have served their time should we always look at them as criminals?

For the Christian when you repent and turn from sin God doesn't look at you and say thief, murderer, adulterer, fornicator....he says your sins are forgiven and forgotten. The bible also tells us to forgive 77 times 7 times so even if both of these men did the exact same thing again they deserve forgiveness and another chance.

We wonder why African Americans are in the state that they are in. Many studies have been done and proven to show that the family is the cornerstone of society. If our black men are locked up, underemployed, demeaned, disrespected, and the list can go on and on how can we have that strong black family. Black women have even bought into the system that they must be in control of their homes and not their men. Where can the black men go to find peace and relaxation if not in his own home or community?

It is time for us to rise up and support our own no matter what providing guidance and corrective measures in love. Not in disdain, disgust or with our noses turned up at them. We need to stop believing everything that the media says about our black men and them jumping on the band wagon with them and crucifying our black men.

It is time for us to support our black men and to support one another. As long as we are in conflict and divided we will never rise as a people. It is not enough for some of us to rise and make we as a people need to get together and rise up and it starts with the upliftment, support, love and respect that we show to our black men.

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials