. I wonder how God is feeling up there when he sees our mess.

The Great Theologians

I remember attending Liberty University online, and being shocked.  Shocked at the narrow-mindness of the professors in this need era. I STOPPED MY LIFETIME DREAM OF A PHD IN THEOLOGY BECAUSE OF RACISM BY CHRISTIAN ELITES.  

The great people.  The theologians.  The Pharisees, the Sadducees, etc.  That was in Jesus' time. 

So the focus is History, but the application is for today. 

She said, “You know what keeps me up at night ………… you know why I cannot sleep ……… it is because of you guys  …….. I am not even dead and you are fighting”.  This is what my mom said. 

Since the death of her sisters, she embarked on a quest to amend the relations with her siblings.  She is now calling her sisters and brothers and those in Puerto Rico.  She schedules surprise dinners and things of that nature.  She makes amends. She is angry because of her children, that includes me.

Elijah came to see me.  He was a Muslim with a mission.  He is of those terms “with the heart of God”.  Most would say of the wrong religion. 

Then, you have the Methodist up the block.  They provide the best food pantry in the area.  They have a monthly dinner for the community.  You have Wendell Baptist, the great ramp makers and house builders.  You have the Catholics, as in Catholic Charities with their food program.  You have With Love from Jesus doing the same.  The best one around is community helpers thus far. 

Different religions, and, in the midst people with the Love of God and a Heart of God.  But, there is the fighting.  I am Baptist, I am Methodist, I am Muslim.  Sounds like to me what was happening in the Jesus times, The Pharisees, The Sadducees, etc. 

She lives a hop and a skip from Hephzibah Baptist.  She said, “you keep on doing what you are doing  ……… it is the right thing to do  ….. [asking for a handicapped button to the entrance of the church]”.  I saw one service on tv, she said.  I do not know how to work the thing.  Meanwhile, she is yards from the church and no once can go over there on Sunday and get the TV to work to see the services. 

The fight opened the opportunity to see.  Fighting over the denied food stamps, again, in error.  Then, I looked into the community. I found who was helping in the community [while most churches would just refer you to social services].

Her sadness was profound when she was informed there is no more food pantry at HBC.  She had tried.  She tried to “feed them in the past” and “no one showed up”.  She was deeply sad. 

So we went one recent Sunday morning, and no program there given.  In the History of HBC, Mary Lou White always had a program to give you once you entered.  The elderly do not have or want to be on an email list.  They want a program.  And, supposing I am a visitor, what makes you think I want to give you my email address. 

I remember visiting churches and when I had nothing to do, would turn to the program tossed on the desk.  I would them follow up and visit or attend an activity.  But, that is not even possible for visitors of the elderly.  She was sad beyond belief. 

We talked about the glory NY days.  The four pews in front of the church dedicated to the mothers and the elderly of the church.  Not here in NC. 

The young had mentors and the elders to talk with.  Not here in NC.

So, she cannot come to church, why not then have her answer an HBC prayer and counseling line. 

She has not been to church for a year and a half.  I asked why.  Why?  It was the Sharlita Wilkins answer. 

The years before coming to NC, I purchased a van, with a hydraulic lift, for Sharlita Wilkins.  Sharlita could transfer from a wheelchair to a car seat, but it was hard.  Hard because she was not stable. 

So, one day she fell.  Not too bad.  But, that is when I decided to get a wheelchair van.  It was for her.  I took her places.  We went all over. 

Imagine, an elderly person, with a bad back, lifting another elderly person, with brittle bone syndrome.  Imagine all the liability for all involved.  

She said, “it is just hard work”.  I got people to take me to church.  I got several offers.  All this she said.  But, she said, “they do not understand …… it is hard work being lifted  …….. on leg in the car …. And then the next ….. “ .  She echoed what I knew Sharlita faced and felt. The van made the difference then. 

I asked her, what about if the church had a van that would allow you to stay in your wheelchair.  She, in an excited and jubilant manner said, “That would be great”.  I would go.  We also talked about getting a scooter, since she is so close to the church and Robinwood, and McDonald, she can scooter to church.  She lite up like a Christmas tree. 

So, the young people, church members, society overall, repeat the same errors, because the elderly are not there to counsel them.  Once they cannot get to church on their own, it is over and done. 

You never get to see the glory, if you do not start to help.  The glory is the special times and being in His will.  It is getting them to church. 

One of the places the church absolutely needs to be is the nursing homes, etc.  You know it is just a question of time for them to cross that bridge.  But, the least presences of the church is there at; and even more horrific is the lack of vans in churches with wheelchair equipment [this and the prisons, hum]. 

Way back when, it was hard to come across a van with a wheel chair lift.  Now, you can find them at just about any state auction.  Before, the cost of handicapped modifications was off the wall and not financially reachable.  Now you can modify just about anything. 

He said, “I will donate the lift I have” to that church for Mary Lou.  They just have to guarantee they will use it for her and not for private gain.  My stepdad was a van driver for the disabled.  That is what he did and he has a lift from one of those vans. 

The application in all this is we just do not talk to each other and call ourselves all children of God.  My family does the same and is engaged in a feud.  Jesus, he did just about everything in the field and not in the churches.  The reason being is the churches refused to go out and help.  We have the same scenario. 

We talked about Elevation Baptist church and the ministry they had.  I told her in 2001, I would go there and see all the vans on Sunday wheeling in the elderly and the disabled.  She said, “I wish I could have been there  …… it sounds glorious and a blessing.”

She said, I have been in Wendell all my life. I worked at First Citizens and retired.  I was the church secretary at HBC.  But, I never visited Wendell Baptist.  We talked about the one step to the elevator, she said “Goosh”. 

Churches, outcasts, that help, while others do not.  Most do not help or talk to each other, but, we are all called of God. 

So my mom takes her pills to sleep because of us.  We keep fighting and not talking to each other.  I wonder how God is feeling up there when he sees our mess. 

She almost was charged with a Felony

Well, just a word on Applications on Smart Phones an Using them Safely for the Teens

A family member was almost charged with a felony. 

It is interesting, President Trump makes posts, threats, statements, allegations. 

Others forward the post, tweets, etc. 

Suppose, you forward a tweet or a post, would you think law enforcement would show up at your doorstep.  

Along that line of thinking, you have Facebook and Snapchat and Instragram.  Supposing, one of your friends, bullies someone, make cyber threats, films and post themselves in criminal acts.  Would you think, if you forward one of those post, you could be charged with a felony. 

The possibility is real and is faced by our teens in North Carolina.  We are talking about activities in the cyber world from, after school, on that Smartphone. 

So, parents need to know, not just how to “take the phone away” but also add some security or consequences when rules are broken. 

Norton App Lock is something I used to lock up those pesky apps.  You want them to be able to call you, on that smartphone, but you do  not want them to use the internet; or, “No SNAP CHAT for you”.  Or, “no playstore access for you”. 

Norton Appl Lock is what I found to help.  It turns on when the phone turns on.  Loads first, and does not allow itself to be uninstalled or by passed.  I tried other “App locks”, but, some did not work so well.  They would take time to lock the apps if you restarted the phone.  The time in between, those few seconds, was the open door to allow a teen to shut off the app. 

So, at times, Snap chat was locked, Chrome Browser and Samsung Internet Blocked, Phone Settings Blocked, Instagram Blocked, etc.  That all depended on the seriousness of the violation or broken rules or broken trust. 

When properly installed, apps are stopped, and usage denied.  But you know teens will just keep working on “undoing” restrictions, so, you continuously need to “check the phone”. 

Again, we live in a world where kids can reach 200 other kids with one click.  A world where you can make one post and reach hundreds if not thousands.  A lot of this internet stuff is just fake.  But some is real. 

So, A friend of that person made a threat, “I am gonna shoot up the school”; the family member shared the post by commenting on it.   The family member intended on getting help to stop the person.  However, the family member almost was charged with a felony for sharing the post. 

Hence, coming back to Trump; imagine if every shared post or commented on post becomes “evidence” that you “partnered” to threaten N. Korea or China, etc.  Hence, the app lock came in to “call in emergency” but that is all. 

Parents and family members and loved ones and friend may want to consider “App Locking”.  One person said they use it for privacy “just incase my wife needs my phone, she cannot see my emails or anything else”  [go figure].   As a parent and as a family member, it is used to lock out those apps that may get them in trouble, or as a punishment “consequence” for just not listening.  

https://my.norton.com/Mobile/AppLock

for whatever the reason, sometimes this is just an added level of security to control access to those and by those apps. 

Let Us Go to the White Church

Let’s Go to the White Church

It was so funny.  I tell my children that on Sunday, it is not a question of where you are going, but when.

So, I told them I was taking them to Elevation Baptist Church.  I said so because of my daughter.

She is on vacation, and goes with me to the stores.  Dollar General, an elderly black women said, “your looking good, and touched me on the shoulders.”  At Walmart, we were talking so well, she said, my daughter, you better go back and get her number.  Exposure is the problem.  Not being exposed to educated black women from churches and the “Southern Hospitality”.  So, I said, “I need to take yall to a black church again ……. Because I am failing to expose yall to that culture.”  But, the voting came in on Sunday. 

They came up with options.  “NO, we do not want to go to a black church,” they said.  They take too long.  “it is too much”, she said.  So, they ran down the list, and Hephzibah Baptist Church came up on “Their List”.  That was amazing that it was on their lists.  It was definitively not on my list.  

The look.  A person in a wheelchair came and sat next too us.  Then the remembrance of the conversation at Wendell Baptist.  My daughter said, “no I do not want to come here”.  There is nobody like me.  This is all white chicks, she said.  The sandals, the dress, the look, the talk.  “I am the only minority here”, she said.  I am not welcome, she felt.  I told her, that is how I feel when I enter each church.  I am the only one there.  I feel unwelcome.  But I go to make the difference.  I go to be that one to make the difference.  So, she immediately looked at me when she saw the “wheelchair lady”.  She smiled and grimaced.  It was so funny.  Then, she was in shock when the person stood up as the worship leader asked everyone to stand; she said, “ I felt bad”, but she understood the message.  I am, Rey, a loner in all these churches often, churches that are supposed to welcome the elderly and disabled. 

So, I entered the church with them.  I started the count down.  We go to one, and it did not happen.  Nobody was their to open the door.  The promise was, “You come here …… And I will open the door for you”.  The promise was, “We have greeters that will open the door and greet you.” We take the elevator, and their he was.  I inquired up as to the promise he made.  The response was, “they were there ….. you are late”.  So here is the repose, the condition, the disqualifier, the thing that does not make sense; is it not common place for people to arrive late.  Hum. 

No programs, no greeting, “I was late” supposedly.  The experience was still not welcoming and “loving” on visitors.  It was funny because the kids said “black churches are too emotional”.  There is one lady, they said, “that runs around the church screaming ‘Thank you Jesus’”.

The icing on the cake was two things.  My son did one of my maneuvers.  He said, “okay ….. we still got time to go to the Hispanic church”.  This tickled me pink.  This is something I always did when I was alone.  Visit two to three churches on one Sunday  And, he, my offspring, was willing to spend the whole day in church.  Then we, on the way out, counted down, will someone hold the door.  No, plenty of people around the door gathered, and no help, not even the person hidden behind the desk.  THE PROMISE BROKEN.  I drove to the vans, they are still not being used [almost crashed getting to them because people hurrying to leave]. 

The promise broken still.  Except, the broken promise came from the Shepherd.  And now, no programs, no Mary Lou, no smiles, no guarantee to feel welcome.  I looked for a program, wanted to know what was happening at the church, none to be found.  Something is wrong there, not sure what.  Nobody to fill her shoes.  Missed the smile and those expressions of love.  The cohesiveness.  The unadulterated love.  Love without bounds. 

They were happy when they left.  I was depressed due to the broken promises.  Key thing to learn, don’t come late; nuh, shepherds lie too.  God Bless.  

When we were entering, my daughter said, he is counting, here goes the blog, here goes the emails, he is about to piss people off; my son said, he is about to sue somebody.