G.O.S.P.E.L
It’s the full story of life crushed into four minutes
The entirety of humanity in the palm of your hand crushed into one sentence
Listen its intense right
G – GOD | O – OUR | S – SINS | P – PAYING | E — EVERYONE | L — LIFE
The greatest story ever told that’s hardly ever told…GOD
Yes, GOD
The maker and giver of life and by life I mean any and all matter and substance
Seen and unseen, what can and can’t be touched
Thoughts, Image, Emotions
Love, Atoms and Oceans
GOD
All of it is handiwork, one of which is master piece made so uniquely that angels looked curiously
The one thing in creation that was made with His imagery the concept so cold, it’s the reason I stay bold.
How God breathed in the man and he became a living soul
Formed with the intent of being infinitely, intimately, fond
Creator and creation held in eternal bond
And it was placed in perfect paradise ’til something went wrong
The species got deceived and started lusting for His job
An odd list of complaints as if the system ain’t working
and use that same breath He graciously gave us to curse Him
and that sin seed spread through our souls genome
and by nature, your nature, your species you participated in a mutiny
Our, yes our sins
It’s nature inherited, black in the human heart it was over before it started
Deceived from day one and led away by our own lust
There’s not a religion in this whole world that doesn’t agree there’s something wrong with us
The question is, What is it?
How do we fix it?
Are we eternally separated from a God that may or may not have existed
But that’s another subject
Let’s keep grindin’ besides tryin’ to prove God is like defending a lion, homey
It don’t need your help
Just unlock the cage
Let’s move on, on how our debt can be paid
Short and sweet…
The problem is sin
Yes, sin
It’s a cancer, an asthma choking out our life force, forcing separation
From a perfect and Holy God and the only way to get back is to get back to perfection, but silly us
Trying to pass the course of life without referring to a syllabus
This is us
Keep up the good deeds
Chant, pray, meditate
But all of that of course is like spraying cologne on a corpse
Or you can choose to ignore it as if something don’t stink
It’s like stepping in dog poop and refusing to wipe your shoe, but all that ends with
How good is good enough
Take your silly list of good deeds and line them up against perfection, good luck
That’s life past your pay grade
The cost of your soul, you ain’t got a big enough piggy bank
But you can give it a shot
But I suggest you throw away that list
Because even your good acts are an extension of your selfishness
But here’s where it gets interesting
I hope you’re closely listening, please don’t get it twisted
It’s what makes our faith unique
Here’s what God says that’s part A of the Gospel
You can’t fix yourself, quit tryin’ it’s impossible
Sin brings death
Give God His breath back, you owe Him
Eternally separated and the only way to fix it, is someone dying in your place and that someone’s got to be perfect or the payment ain’t permanent
So, if and when you find a perfect person, get him or her to willingly trade their perfection for your sin and death in.
Clearly since the only one that can meet God’s criteria is God, God sent himself as Jesus to pay the cost for us
His righteousness, His death functions as payment
Yes, payment
Wrote a check with His life but at His resurrection we all cheered because that means the check cleared
Pierced feet, pierced hands, blood stained son of man
Fullness, forgiveness, free passage into the promised land
That same breath that God breathed into us, God gave up to redeem us
And anyone and everyone, and by everyone I mean everyone who puts their faith and trust in Him and Him alone can stand in full confidence of God’s forgiveness
And here is what the promise is
That you are guaranteed full access to return to perfect unity
By simply believing in Christ and Christ alone
You are receiving life
Yes, LIFE
This is the gospel
G – GOD | O – OUR | S – SINS | P – PAYING | E — EVERYONE | L — LIFE
5 Tips for a Healthy Voice
I work with many singers, actors and speakers. All of which have one thing in common, their voice is their ticket. Many people mistreat their voice, so I present to you, Anthony’s top 5 Tips for a Healthy Voice:
1. Drink water to keep your body well hydrated, and avoid alcohol and caffeine. Your vocal cords vibrate very fast, and having a proper water balance helps keep them lubricated. Important note: Foods containing large amounts of water are excellent hydration-conscious snacks, including apples, pears, watermelon, peaches, melons, grapes, plums, bell peppers and applesauce.
2. Allow yourself several “vocal naps” every day, especially during periods of extended use. For instance, find quiet ways to spend your meal times during the day.
3. Keep your throat and neck muscles relaxed even when singing high notes and low notes. Some singers tilt their heads up when singing high notes and down when singing low notes. Over time that may cause strained vocal muscles and future limits on the vocal range.
4. Pay attention to how you speak every day. Even performers who have good singing habits can cause damage when they speak. Many skilled singers don’t continue their healthy habits when they speak. Singers would benefit from more breath flow even when they speak.
5. Don’t clear your throat too often. When you clear your throat, it’s like slamming your vocal cords together. Doing it too much can injure them and make you hoarse. Try a sip of water or swallow to quench the urge to clear.
Fake Christians
People use the term, “Fake Christian” alot these days. Does that mean they have an image of what a Christian should be and the person does not live up to their image? You see, Christians do not have to be in the image of the world, because we are not of this world. Jesus told us that we are not to be. We are made in God’s image. No, Christians are not perfect… By any means. But we have mercy and grace on us at all times. We have forgiveness that God gives us. It has been freely given so we freely give.
If you have been offended by a Christian, I want to apologize for all of us. You see, we do not have a right to offend, judge or cast the first stone… We have a right to love you with agape love. With love that never ceases… Love that God showed to us when He looked down on our sins and then sent His only Son to die for them. Yeah, you can reject God. Yeah, you can argue… But who is it helping?
People also say that they do not go to church because of “Fake Christians.” So what? What do they have to do with YOUR spiritual walk with God? Do you have to pray to them? No. Don’t worry about them. The Father in heaven sees and knows all things. They will have to answer to Him one day. I promise, it will be much more terrifying then you calling them out. Think about this, are you hurting them by keeping something against them? Or are you hurting yourself?
Thinking about it,
Anthony
Personal Thoughts… From an E-Mail
1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your
computer history if you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize
you’re wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was
younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure
I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the
person died.
9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work
when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the
rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t
want to have to restart my collection…again.
13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if
I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I
did not make any changes to.
14. “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this -
ever.
15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Darn
it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to
voice mail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run
away?
16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing
anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
17. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to
answer when they call
18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well
19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or
Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
20. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.
22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand
than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in. .
31. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not
know what time it is.
32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys
in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey -
but I’d bet my you-know-what everyone can find and push the snooze button
from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every
time !
Sittin on a Porch
You know, in the south, front porches are everything. Sometimes I think they define southern people. Northern people, unless you grew up in the south or have family here, this blog will not make that much sense to you. Sorry.
I love sitting outside and listening to the crickets, birds and distant sounds of interstate traffic. Yeah, it’s awesome!
Southern people can spend entire days on porches. That’s where some live and die.
Best Email I Have Gotten in a While
I got this e-mail from my uncle, very good.
No one can make you serve customers well…..that’s because great service is a choice. Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey ..He handed my friend a laminated card and said: ‘I’m Wally, your driver. While I’m loading your bags in the trunk I’d like you to read my mission statement.’Taken aback, Harvey read the card.. It said: Wally’s Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment…This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, ‘Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.’ My friend said jokingly, ‘No, I’d prefer a soft drink.’ Wally smiled and said, ‘No problem I have a coolerup front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice..’ Almost stuttering, Harvey said, ‘I’ll take a Diet Coke.’Handing him his drink, Wally said, ‘If you’d like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.’As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you’d like to listen to the radio.’And as if that weren’t enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he’d be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.‘Tell me, Wally,’ my amazed friend asked the driver, ‘have you always served customers like this?’Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. ‘No, not always.. In fact, it’s only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.He had just written a book called You’ll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you’ll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, ‘Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd..’‘That hit me right between the eyes,’ said Wally. ‘Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and theirdrivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.’‘I take it that has paid off for you,’ Harvey said.‘It sure has,’ Wally replied. ‘My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I’ll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don’t sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can’t pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.’Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I’ve probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn’t do any of what I was suggesting..Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.How about us? Smile, and the whole world smiles with you… The ball is in our hands! A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up… let us do good to all people.No one can make you serve customers well…..that’s because great service is a choice. Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey ..
He handed my friend a laminated card and said: ‘I’m Wally, your driver. While I’m loading your bags in the trunk I’d like you to read my mission statement.’
Taken aback, Harvey read the card.. It said: Wally’s Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment…
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, ‘Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.’ My friend said jokingly, ‘No, I’d prefer a soft drink.’ Wally smiled and said, ‘No problem I have a coolerup front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice..’ Almost stuttering, Harvey said, ‘I’ll take a Diet Coke.’
Handing him his drink, Wally said, ‘If you’d like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.’
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you’d like to listen to the radio.’
And as if that weren’t enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he’d be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
‘Tell me, Wally,’ my amazed friend asked the driver, ‘have you always served customers like this?’
Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. ‘No, not always.. In fact, it’s only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.
He had just written a book called You’ll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you’ll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, ‘Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd..’
‘That hit me right between the eyes,’ said Wally. ‘Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and theirdrivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.’
‘I take it that has paid off for you,’ Harvey said.
‘It sure has,’ Wally replied. ‘My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I’ll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don’t sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can’t pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.’
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I’ve probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn’t do any of what I was suggesting..
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
How about us? Smile, and the whole world smiles with you… The ball is in our hands! A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up… let us do good to all people.