The Bible or the Dollar Bill: Creating balance in the message of prosperity

A recent issue of Time Magazine asked a question many Americans have been curious about in recent years… “Does God Want You to Be Rich?” It is a rhetorical question designed to address an important issue facing modern Christianity. There has been a movement in recent years in the church that focuses on preaching and teaching about abundance on Earth instead of anticipation of streets paved with gold. The message in its purest form simply fits under the theological premise that God does want you to have the best of everything. The message when diluted, however, simply focuses on financial gain solely. Has the emphasis of the church shifted from salvation to wealth in many of America’s churches? Many churches have begun to preach “the prosperity” message, a message that basically says your level of prosperity determines your level of spiritual growth. What are the implications from associating this particular slant on prosperity as theologically sound?

Imagine a scene…Fast cars, “bling bling,” money, huge “cribs” and women in abundance. Trips all over the world, yachts and island paradise vacations any time you want. Is this the lifestyle of a rapper? a basketball player? a football player? These groups now have to share their limelight with some individuals you would least expect…pastors! Many pastors in today’s society have lifestyles the average individual can only dream off. Their “ministry” is their means to gain the things in life they have always wanted. Are some pastors more focused on the dollar bill than the Bible? Are there messages coming from some churches that put personal financial prosperity over the Biblical principles of service and internal growth? Where does the message of wealth fit in the church?

The good pastors out there will tell you…everywhere! When you do not put restraints on the definition of wealth, by limiting it to money, it falls within the guidelines of “total life prosperity.” “Total life prosperity” is a concept that I learned from Pastor Harold Gentry when he was discussing the flaws with the financial prosperity message. It consists of a person having abundance in every area of their life including health, career, spiritual development and finances. Prosperity is good when it involves the total lifestyle. It is good when it focuses on every area of life. When it is narrowed down to simply financial gain, it no longer is a prosperity message based on theology, it becomes a financial seminar disguised as church! Pastor’s deserve incomes like every other profession, but there has to be a balance between their compensation and the church’s income. The ministries must receive as much proportional financial support as the pastor. The messages must proportionally cover all Biblical concepts, not being limited to just money although money needs to be included.

When the message becomes polluted, the messenger is often misguided. The end result of this misguided teaching has been churches that were formed to simply “pimp” the people instead of spread the Good Word. At that level, the pastor is no different than any other person that utilizes others for their own gain. This emphasis can create negative viewpoints of pastors in general when many of them started churches to teach salvation, hope, and restoration. The church is under scrutiny now because of the polluted messengers. I think people should ask questions about the church and prosperity to keep individuals focused on what is right.

Finally, there are many pastors, including my Pastor (Pastor John Pyles–Tabernacle of Praise Family Worship Center), that are spreading the Good News of salvation, that are uplifting the community, and teaching people “total life prosperity.” We need to salute all of the pastors that are “in the trenches” and serving through “the vocation in which they were called.” We need to salute all of the pastors that keep the balance in the message of prosperity. The balance can only come when the Bible is taught and the Dollar Bill is put into perspective. Simply put, Godly prosperity is not just money, it is a lifestyle of abundance in every area.

Undocumented Murder: The illegal immigrantion crisis in Texas

Illegal immigration has been a problem in this country for a while. Politicians continue to dance around the subject and act as if it is not their job. Border patrol officials make excuses and many lives have been lost on both sides. People have lost their lives because of some ignorant individuals that promised them freedom in America by way of the back of a truck with no air conditioning. Other people have lost their lives because of “undocumented” criminals that have made it into the states “undetected.” In the middle of the argument you have a president, a “proud Texan,” and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Bush has not adequately sought to secure the borders even though we are constantly bombarded with the rhetoric of the “war on terror.” Shouldn’t such a war include secure borders? While Governor Perry is busy campaigning, he has forgot to mention a clear strategy on border security. His website states, “he has poured millions of dollars into border law enforcement initiatives to dramatically increase the number of officer patrols and tap into new technologies to help border police put a stop to illegal activity.” What? What concrete evidence can they provide showing the borders are more secure in the state of Texas? ICE is the most unorganized governmental agency, next to FEMA, that is unwilling to take credit for its clear failure to control immigration in this country. Finger pointing is the center of the border crises! No one wants to be accountable.

It unfortunately takes tragedy to show all of the “finger pointers” the results of their negligence. A Houston police officer and veteran of the force, Rodney Johnson, was recently murdered in the line of duty at the hand of an illegal immigrant. The immigrant, while handcuffed in the back of the patrol car, shot him in the head four times according to news sources. Officer Johnson did not know the immigrant hid a gun in his clothes. What is more disgusting is the reality that this immigrant had been previously deported for indecency with a child. What was he doing back in the states? Furthermore, the Houston police department has a policy that prohibits them from asking a person’s immigration status. Would this crime have been prevented if they could have asked the critical question? If the governor has spent “millions” in border security, how is it that a deported illegal immigrant can re-enter the state of Texas and commit such a deplorable crime? Officer Johnson leaves behind a wife and five children! I want Bush, Perry, and ICE to look his widow in the eyes and explain to her why this idiot was even back in the states in the first place!

Our borders are not secure. I believe every person entering this country should be documented. The unfortunate reality is some people are just coming to seek a better life, but others should have never been here in the first place. This tragedy has raised the stakes on the arguments for border security. The State of Texas has seen a rise in violent crime from the infamous gang MS13 comprised of illegal immigrants, rapes and shootings from illegal immigrants, and other crimes come from this population, yet there is no clear strategy to protect the borders. You see, the problem I have with the argument supporting illegal immigration, without a plan for citizenship, is the crimes that result from the negligence associated with such arguments. Illegal immigrants are just that…ILLEGAL. We need our borders protected just like we waste money in Iraq. We need to have illegal immigrants documented just like the drug dealers that “can’t be found” are documented. We need immigrants to come into this country to become citizens and be willing to abide by the laws of this country and the state of Texas. If you don’t want to pay taxes, stay where you are because I do not want to spend my hard earned money supporting your freeloading behind. If you do not want to abide by the laws of the land, stay in your country and cause havoc because we have enough to deal with battling our own gangs and various crimes. If you want to be here legitimately, I am all for that, but do it the right way.

The stuttering President, the “proud Texan,” and the ICE need to all get together and have an old “pow wow” and figure out that this problem is not decreasing. Illegal immigration is causing far more damage than any American from New Orleans could ever cause and the government is quick to try and deny them resources. It is ridiculous that we offer more social services to the illegal migrants than we do to the American poor. Who gets caught in the middle? A officer and a gentleman, a father of five, a husband, and an American that was just doing his job! Mr. Bush and Mr. Perry, if you are proud Texans you need to act like it and put the needs of your citizens above political correctness and political agendas!

FOR SALE: Gender at a special low price!

In the framework of America, many people have always fought for their right to choose. The constitution protects and at the same time controversially denies certain rights to our citizens, depending on which judge you get. Landmark Supreme Court cases have been based on the right to choose. Major legislative decisions have been based on the right to choose. Educational institutions instill in college students the freedom to choose. What happens when that freedom of choice loses boundaries and the freedom becomes an evasive act though? Freedom of choice can be good for a society, but it is detrimental when societal laws no longer uphold moral standards. You choose what clothes to wear, what cars to drive, where to live, and where to work. That is your freedom. You choose what friends to have, who to marry and what you want to do with your life. That is your freedom. Where does this freedom of choice stop though?

There is a new procedure called Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) that allows parents to choose the gender of their child prior to conception. PGD was originally created, according to news sources, to test embryos for defective chromosomes that could cause disease. The idea was to give potential parents an opportunity to have healthy babies. This was the original intent of the procedure. It was also discovered, however, that PGD could equally be used to screen embryos for gender. This is where the debate began. When people discovered they could use the procedure to determine the gender of their children, they began to get the procedure not for the health implications, but as a means of controlling nature. Many refer to it as “playing God.”

There is a fertility clinic that is allowing potential parents to utilize PGD for gender selection now, even though that was not the original intent of it. In keeping with the American way, there is a tremendous price tag on this procedure…$18,000. The process scares some “would be buyers” away because it requires invetro fertilization (IVF) whether the individual is fertile or not. PGD has a nearly 100 percent success rate. Would you choose the gender of your child if you had the financial resources and the opportunity? According to an interview with ABC news, Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg’s Fertility Institute has performed PGD procedures on nearly 2000 couples. In his own words, “eighty five to ninety percent of those couples have done it simply for gender selection.” Steinberg also boasts 940 babies have been born using PGD. Should couples have the right to choose gender? Where will it stop?

It amazes me this hasn’t been a hot button item for the “evangelical” talking heads! They can talk about supporting a president, war from their pulpits and prosperity but lack the moral courage to approach the issue of gender selection? Why aren’t legislative bodies concerned with the implications from this procedure? When I was a kid, one of the biggest insults that could come from another person was to be called a “test tube baby,” but many children of today literally are “test tube” and “petri dish” babies. How confusing is it to explain to your child that he was birthed by his grandmother but comes from his parents? How interesting is it to explain to your child they were “made to order” like a Burger King Hamburger. I can already see the advertisement:

DOES UGLY RUN IN YOUR FAMILY? ARE YOU TIRED OF FAT AND LAZY CHILDREN? WE CAN CREATE A PRETTY OLYMPIC TRIATHLETE AT A REASONABLE PRICE! DON’T RUN FROM MIRRORS ANYMORE! DON’T WORRY ABOUT HIDING FOOD FROM THAT KID WITH THE DIRTY ROOM ANYMORE! CALL PATS CUSTOM DESIGNED CHILDREN TODAY! 1-88NO MO UGLY

Pretty soon, we are going to end up with genetic grocery stores where a couple can choose to have a White baby with African American hair, Asian eyes and a Spanish accent! Where will it stop?

I think one of the pioneers of the procedure sums it up best. Dr. Mark Hughes, Director of Genesis Genetics Institute in Detroit stated, “I went into science and into medicine to diagnose and treat, and hopefully cure disease. And the last time I checked, your gender wasn’t a disease.” According to Kathy Hudson, Director of Genetics and Public Policy Institute in Washington D.C.,”About 40 percent of Americans approve of using genetic testing of embryos to pick the sex of their future child when it’s not related to medical conditions.” Maybe the “mad scientists” aren’t too far from reality. Frankenstein won’t have a block head and two left feet though, it will be that beautifully picked out daughter with Hallie Berry’s beauty, Angelina Jolie’s lips, Lucy Lui’s eyes, Sarah Jessica Parker’s style and Jennifer Lopez’s hips!

The essence of midnight…

“If you are going through hell, keep going.” –Sir. Winston Churchill

 

In our darkest hour, when our backs are against the wall and we have purposefully sabotaged our faith for the convenience of pain, we feel like we are in the solitary confinements of life’s misery. Sometimes life will yield you in a position that seems unfair, a place that you feel you are unworthy of…a chapter in a comedy that makes it seem as if you are the butt of a cruel joke that is your daily existence. This place of struggle and internal turmoil is very uncomfortable. It will cause you to look up and question God’s infinite grace and the depth of your faith. What do you do when the struggle seems to have a greater impact on your being than the essence of your faith? What do you do when everything looks like it is falling apart all around you and hope is nonexistent? What do you do when you are in midnight?

For those of you that do not like religious references, this is definitely not a blog for you. Conquering midnight begins with identifying with your spiritual nature. When you don’t have the ability to push beyond what you see, something has to push for you! Midnight is the dreary place where you have forgotten that life never ends until it is over. It is the place where you have forgotten that when you don’t have hope, God has to be your compass and direct you in the places that you have lost the energy to go. Midnight is a internal low point that we reach or an external circumstance that we go through. Edgar Allen Poe talked of how on a “midnight dreary” he “pondered, weak and weary.” These are the very feelings of midnight. You are weak, beaten down and literally at the point of quiting.

To overcome midnight, you must first quit relying on your human nature to make it through. When your human nature fails you, your Godly nature must propel you! You cannot make it through midnight without God…this is not simply a belief, it is the reality! To come out of midnight, you have got to fight to endure, not using your strength, but by using your Godly nature. The good news is midnight is temporary! It is the darkest hour before daylight, change and new beginning. Our human nature is simply a shell, God must be the fuel. When you are in midnight, all you can do is be still and wait for the beautiful sunrise. The secret about midnight in your life is its literally the darkest hour before daylight! When you are going through hell keep going until you get to the other side!

“The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven. –John Milton

A tale of two cities..

Sometimes you can get so caught up into the daily grind and “downs” of life, you forget about all of the beautiful things that life has to offer. You can find yourself so focused on your circumstances, you become oblivious to the true essence and meaning of life. I believe life must be a balance of needs, wants, and fulfillment. You have to work because of things that you need, you work harder so you can have some of the things you want, and you go after your dreams so you can be fulfilled and tie everything together. In this process, you also can decide to enjoy life in spite of your circumstances or be miserable in your life because of your circumstances.

I view it as two levels of consciousness, like two cities where you have the choice to decide in which one you will reside. We can choose to focus on the positive and enjoy life or we can reside in the negative and miss the beauty of life altogether. I am reminded of this everytime I experience life’s beautiful moments. There are points in our life that play out like movie scripts, flow like poetry, and are harmonious like the best songs ever written. There are times in your life when nothing around you seems to matter except for the moment if you allow it. This is the place that I often forget to travel to! This is the city where we should all choose to reside. I experienced a moment in that city recently and it reminded me of the reality I need to visit there more often…I call this poem “Two cities “

Two cities converge at night,

One in darkness, another filled with Light,

I anticipate the journey away from my solitude,

I release my inhibitions and allow my body to move… in the direction of my mind,

If I visit this city, what will I find?

The self-inflicted crime where I reside is hindering me from being free,

Not allowing me to see what I can choose to entertain presently in front of me,

This new place starring me in the face,

distinctive and different, fresh and new, refreshed…what should I choose to do?

Even the darkness is full of light,

this feeling once again is right…

Is this reality…it could be,

For once I feel complete again and free,

The scenery flows like living water with newness as the old horizon fades away;

How long will I choose to stay?

Two cities converge, but only one city and a new undiscovered place begins to emerge,

a breath of fresh air and a connection delicate like a flower,

intimate like a deep stare, my new life I can declare…

Is it her?

Is it the scenery I see?

This is the place I want to be…

I see infinite possibility!

When I leave what I thought had to be,

and travel to a new city within me!

Two cities converge at night,

One in darkness, another filled with Light,

I appreciate the journey away from my solitude!

 

Choose to visit and enjoy things in your life that make it more fulfilling! Choose to be happy and, even when you are in difficult circumstances, you will be. Choose to pay attention to life’s beautiful moments and use them as a basis to make it through the difficult ones. Choose to live! Take a chance, and move to the “new city!”

“Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed.” –Corita Kent

Even when I want to quit….

The past couple of months have challenged my entrepreneurial spirit, forced me to reorganize my business, and honestly made me want to quit running a business all together! There are times when a business owner cannot see the fruits of their labor on a daily basis. There are times when a business owner wants to walk away and lose their true identity by melting into the commonality of convenience. There are times when a business owner does not see the financial results of the physical investment. Simply put, there are times when a business owner wants to quit and throw in the towel!

Owning and operating a business defies all rational thought! The idea that an individual would walk away from a “steady paycheck,” good credit, great meals, and some of life’s luxuries to start a business seemingly doesn’t make sense! What person in their right mind would focus on a dream and actually believe that it can happen? What person in their right mind would literally live every week and every day on the edge? What person in their right mind would risk everything on an idea? Isn’t that crazy?

The reality is when you choose to be an entrepreneur, you know the risks that are involved. Business owners know that they can have periods of prosperity and periods of pain all in the same month! Business owners know that the reason they risk everything is because they know what they envision can happen. A true business owner cannot quit, even when they want to, because they know that their life depends on it. Even when I want to quit, even in my darkest hour of business, even when it seems irrational, I cannot quit because God designed me for this path! The hope that drives an entrepreneur is completely based on faith. The faith that a few years of trials, troubles, and financial strain will produce a lifetime of triumph and comfort. Even when I want to quit, I can’t. If I quit, I am giving up on everything that I am destined to be. If you quit, even when it seems impossible, you are giving up on everything you are destined to be! I wrote a book entitled “Life in Rhythm and Rhyme” that is my personal testament to never giving up. In the book, I utilize poetry to express the emotion behind the words and chapters. I wrote the book for myself to share with others. In one of my darkest hours, I wrote this poem:

If you think your beaten, you lost

If you think you lost, you have

If you want to quit, you will

If you think to throw in the towel, it will find the ground

If you want to give up, its done

If you fight to see it done, you’ve won

If you live for the positive, you smile

You walk with grace through a trial

If you feel unbeaten, you endure

If you trust in God, you’ll be sure

If you live for purpose, you will give

You will triumph through disaster no mater what it is!

If you focus on joy, you don’t need to be happy

If you feel victorious, you have discovered life’s mystery!

 

You see, you unlock the mystery of life when you realize that what your going through is not the reality. What you see, through faith, is the reality! Your circumstances are a gateway to your greatness and mine! Through great trial comes greater triumph. If you are like me and you feel at times that your purposed path is challenging everything in you to make it, then I say you are on your way. We must push through midnight, press on through struggles and fight like our lives depend on it to see what God has put in us happen–because your life and mine does depend on it! The road less traveled is the pathway to the success seldom achieved! We can make it and we will!

 

 

You’ll be a man my son…

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
‘Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

-Rudyard Kipling

My mother celebrated her 60th birhtday this past weekend, a true blessing to all of us! As I thought about the tremendous impact that mom has had on all of her children, grandchildren, extended family and friends; I began to reflect on what a true living legacy is. Often times, people have a tendency to focus on the things that can be acquired in life. Many focus less attention on family, friends and the “simple things” in life. Many people put an emphasis on things that simply do not matter. I realized that my mother, on the other hand, has spent her life giving and continues to do so. God allows her to see her legacy daily through her faith, service to others, children and grandchildren. What is your legacy going to be? Legacy is not a statement of tribute to someone that has passed on, it is a statement of achievement for someone that continues to live on.

The thought that a living person can actually see their legacy in their lifetime forces individuals to take more time to make their lives more meaningful. One of life’s greatest quest is the quest for significance, trying to find where you “fit in.” This search can often yield you in an unsatisfied position with your current state. This search can also positively motivate you though to spend your life focusing on more fulfilling endeavors. My mother is an example of how valuable and fulfilled your life can be when you simply focus on giving to others. Your legacy usually is going to involve what you have given to the world! I often say that superficial existence is all about what you can get in life and spiritual existence is all about what you can give through your life.

In today’s society, many motivational speakers, life coaches, therapists, and counselors are hired by individuals everyday to help them figure out or deal with their legacy. A college education is simply a gateway to creating your legacy and significance in the world. A career is simply a gateway to creating your legacy in the world. Your religious affiliation is often a gateway to creating your legacy in the world. What do you want your legacy to be right now, not long after you are gone?

Unlike many writers, life coaches and therapists; I do not feel you can discuss legacy without including spiritual development. The only way to truly know your legacy is to reconnect with your Creator. In our society, people have become so scared to mention God. My mother’s legacy is so strong because of her faith in God. Legacy begins with God and ends with God. Despite what many scientists say, we are responsible for honoring God through the work that we do. Legacy is a nice way of saying, “Are you doing what you were designed to do?” Your faith must be the center of your life’s work!

Rudyard Kipling’s “If” is one of my favorite poems because it expresses the true value of what an individual’s life should be. To “fill the unforgiving minute” with “60 seconds worth of distance run” challenges you to look at ways to make every second in life meaningful. Time is unforgiving! You see, through all the adversity my mother has faced in life, she has never quit and she continues to stay focused on helping others. She fills every minute with value! What is your legacy going to be? What impact do you want your life to have right now?

I would like to add a caveat to Ruyard Kiplings poem. If I was afforded the opportunity, I would end it like this…

“If you can follow the example of 60 years worth of distance run, follow after God, live a life full of purpose until its done,

yours is the Earth, you’ll have a life full of worth..and which is more, your mother raised a man, my Son!.”

A woman scorn and a nation torn: The aftermath of hurricane Katrina Pt.1

I saw the President of the United States of America giving a “special address” commemorating the one year anniversary of hurricane Katrina this week. As he stumbled through the pre-written speech that he didn’t even take the time to study, I wondered if he could possibly really believe what he was saying or if he wished that he did believe what he was saying. He found a way to dance around mentioning the words “Michael Brown,” “FEMA,” or “Superdome” directly and he brought his wife up there to talk about some arbitrary tax shelter, I mean foundation, that she formed to aide hurricane victims. I wondered if I was really watching MSNBC or a skit on Saturday Night Live because if this was reality it would be anything but funny!

How could a President say with a straight face, “We will stay until the job is done, and by working together, we will help our fellow citizens along the Gulf Coast write a new future of hope, justice, and opportunity for all,” when it is a year later and the job should have already been done! How could a President of the “greatest nation in the world” stand there and make excuses for overlooking Americans in need? How could a President “accept full responsibility” for the federal governments’ response, but ignore the responsibility to aggressively rebuild New Orleans? The bigger question…Why aren’t more Americans outraged!

I watched every news station exploit the people of New Orleans as the “hot” topic of the week. I listened to radio stations give a “where are they now” commentary on the people of New Orleans to increase the number of calls they received. I read various articles quoting the President of the United States, congressman and community “leaders” that all gave speeches because it was “the right thing to do” on the anniversary of hurricane Katrina. We are not suffering from global warming in America, we are dealing with a temperature change because of all the hot air that has been released from the mouths of idiots over the past year! Where is the real compassion? Where is the real assistance? Where is the real outrage? When are people going to address the “real” issues surrounding hurricane Katrina?

If it wasn’t for the Spike Lee special on HBO, many people would still have a “hold hands and sing together” approach to the “hot topic” of the week. How can we talk about Katrina in the past tense when it is still very much presently a problem? The very framework of our nation was exposed during this one event. We became the butt of national jokes, the joke of terrorists around the world, and more divided than we ever have been before in terms of the rich vs. the poor in our country through one event. Somewhere in the middle of all of the debates, fundraisers, and commentaries there has been little action to return the city back to its natural state. There are a couple of problems that I have with the so called “activist” for the victims rights.

Why did politicians utilize and exploit the people further to progress their own agendas? Katrina became the “hot” button next to Iraq for white politicians to use to appeal to black voters and black politicians to use to show they were “down for the cause.” Why did these so called self proclaimed leaders spend so much time on race and so little time on action? I am all for black leaders and all leaders fighting for the rights of African American people, but in that fight don’t lose sight of others that are hurting. Hurricane Katrina was not just racial…if it were this would be so much easier to figure out.

The evangelicals equally should have been called the evan-hell-acals during this time. They talked about the evil New Orleans from their pulpits, but showed little love from their pocket books. Some of them in the African American community used it as a ploy to fight for racial issues even-though it was much deeper than a racial problem. These “Rev.” talking heads need to stick to their day jobs if they are not going to live up to their Biblical mandate to fight for all suffering even when it seems like the majority are of one race. If I see one more worn out civil rights leader and preacher with a perm standing on a corner protesting with tv cameras behind them, I don’t know what I am going to do! Many “Christians” chose to argue the rhetoric of evil instead of open the arms of love. Most preachers of all denominations spent so much time denouncing the evil, that they forgot to open their doors to the people of New Orleans. The last thing you want to hear when you lost everything is “you were evil.” If they would take time to read the bible that they supposedly live by, they would understand that all things “rain on the unjust and the good.” None of these arguments are the real issue, they are divisive, condemning and they take focus off of the real issue…VICTIMS OF KATRINA NEED HELP! Where is the outrage?

I am going to point out in a series of blog entries several “hidden” issues that were somehow lost in the cracks of the Katrina debate. I am going to read between the lines for you and allow you to make your own conclusions about what is really going on with the Katrina problem in America. It has moved from a natural disaster to a serious problem in America. It is not my goal to offend, although some may get offended. It is my goal to bring important issues to the forefront so more people will be informed. I want to ask the question that my friend Duane and I asked when we were discussing the topic…why aren’t more people outraged?

To every person that opened their doors, their wallets, and their hearts to help the victims of hurricane Katrina–I salute you! To every church that feed them naturally and loved them spiritually–I salute you! To every organization and volunteer that provided services to give them hope–thank you! But to every person that made promises that were not kept, ignored people on rooftops, and made excuses to ignore valuable Americans…I am writing this blog just for you! I am going to mobilize outrage that will hopefully turn to compassion and more action!

to be continued……