Your Vote Is Your Voice

For anyone seeking to effect change or is desirous of having a say in our democracy, voting is your obligation. Casting a ballot for your choice of candidates in local, state, and federal government is your voice. Despite what anyone says, every vote matters and every vote counts. Were it not so, qualified candidates wouldn’t invest so much time, energy, and effort jockeying for your vote. Your vote is your constitutional right and declaration of your choices to govern and whether or how you’d like tax dollars to be allocated.

As an African-American, I understand the gravity of possessing this precious right to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It was created to protect and enforce the 14th and 15th Amendments of the United States Constitution. It was enacted in response to the blatant voter suppression in the 1960s by state and local governments as well as law enforcement. The 14th and 15th Amendments were created to ensure equality for the recently emancipated slaves.

It galls and saddens me to hear younger generations proudly boast about not voting because “it doesn’t matter or won’t do any good because the system’s already somehow rigged”. Securing this precious and sacred right did not come to be without terrible, painful, and sometimes fatal costs. Great people of all races and creeds, and believers of equality and justice, paid for the right to vote with their blood. Countless others even made the ultimate sacrifice by paying with their lives. Whether it was from a bullet, blade, high pressure water hose, or attack dog, good people willingly gave their lives for this precious right.

I don’t believe it’s too much to ask one to simply pay it forward by spending a few minutes of their time at the polls on election day. One’s political beliefs and political party affiliations should not matter–the most important thing is ensuring you’re registered, knowing your polling location, showing up, and casting your vote. Sadly enough, the very people who complain about the state of our government are usually the ones who choose not to vote. So let your voice be loudly heard by honoring all those who came before us and labored, bled, and died for us all to perform our civic duty.

Let your voice be heard by exercising your right to vote!

Gratitude

As another year nears its end, November and December are the months that families spend the most time together. Thanksgiving and Christmas are celebrated with elaborate dinners including all of the trimmings, as well as parties and gatherings. It’s a grand time that celebrates fellowship, fun, and family.

Thanksgiving is a special day when we celebrate and express gratitude for all of the blessings we’ve received. But truth be told, to me, we should give thanks daily and always be grateful for all of our blessings. Every moment of each day we’re afforded to experience should be cause for celebration and something special to cherish. The fourth Thursday of November shouldn’t be the only time to give thanks.

Far too often, most people spend too much time complaining about what they don’t have to fully appreciate everything they do have. Focusing on what you’re grateful for keeps you in the present moment. It prevents you from lamenting about your past or looking towards the future. There’s always something to be grateful for. If you’re living, you’re breathing, and chances are you’re blessed with a reasonable portion of health and strength. We all have so much to be grateful for! Everyone should be able to easily identify at least ten things they’re grateful for daily. If you feel you don’t, start your daily list by giving thanks to God for waking you up. By the end of the day, I’m positive you’ll have more than ten things that you’re grateful for.

Focusing on gratitude instead of lack creates a subtle shift in your thought process that removes negativity. With dedicated practice, everywhere you turn and every thought you think will be about something you’re grateful for. Appreciate everything–bemoan nothing. Before long, expressing gratitude for all things, large or small, will become a daily habit and a new way of living and seeing the world.

‘Tis The Season…

The holiday season is upon us and is in full gear! It’s a season of gifts, parties, and elaborate dinners topped off by some good ‘ole fashioned fellowship. Like myself, I’m sure that around this time of the year you feel this heightened and overwhelming sense of joy, happiness, and goodwill towards others.

It feels special–almost magical! For a month, the entire world appears more courteous, kinder, and gentler towards each other. There is truly more peace, love, and goodwill being given and received by all.

I’ve always wondered why we can’t experience this type of utopia every day of every month throughout the year. Treating others the way we’d like to be treated shouldn’t be reserved for just December. Imagine what kind of world we’d live in if everyone made more of an effort to making courtesy, respect, and lovingkindness a daily practice.

As we celebrate this advent season with merriment and excitement about celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let’s not lose focus about what the Christmas season is truly about. Starting now, in this very moment, let’s not only celebrate the birth of Christ, let’s strive to do as He charged us to do EVERYDAY: Let’s feed the hungry and give drink to those who thirst. Let’s clothe the naked and shelter the homeless while visiting, comforting, and praying for those who are sick and imprisoned. Peace on earth and goodwill to our fellow man, woman, boy, and girl shouldn’t solely be for the holiday season, but everyday and in every season: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Be joyous spreading daily cheer, warmth, and love!

Refuse The Excuse(s)

Now that a New Year is upon us, what goals and resolutions have you made to achieve in 2019? You must first decide if you’re truly committed and open to the changes that are necessary to reach them. To take it a step further, I believe every goal or resolution should be planned and implemented incrementally. What short-term moves towards your goal do you have? What about intermediate and long-term goals? Granted, most of us have many lofty goals and resolutions at the beginning of the New Year. But, are you truly committed to sustaining your pursuit of them?

Most people view goals or dreams as simply that––a wonderful but unobtainable wish that couldn’t possibly come true. On a conscious level, they do this for for a number of reasons. Mainly, because they don’t feel worthy of living their highest ideals or goals. The very thought of pursuing and working towards something they really want frightens them. Unconsciously though, they’ve been conditioned by those closest to them that attaining that dream or goal is virtually impossible simply because they’ve allowed fear and doubt to chase them away from their pursuit. Nothing would please them more than for you to surrender all hope and forget about aiming higher in life. They’ve accepted and even embraced the mediocrity of a mundane existence. They’ve gotten comfortable and have even forced themselves to love it on some level. And sometimes, if you’re not careful, you’ll even talk yourself out of pursuing your dreams!

In order to make positive change in our lives, we must first be open to it. Fear and doubt should never be a part of your mindset. Choose faithfulness and fearlessness instead of a faithless and fearful life. You must believe that nothing’s impossible and any dream or goal is worthy of being brought to fruition. But, it can only occur if you add faith, effort, and determination to the mix. You must want it more than anything. Fear, doubt, and excuses mustn’t ever deter you from accomplishing your goal or making your dream real. Dreams and goals begin with a vision–it is your belief and effort that propels you towards reaching it.

Refuse to ever entertain any excuse that could dissuade your belief in it or your efforts towards it. Determination and drive must become your dream or goal’s engine, and your faith its fuel. A goal’s biggest hindrance can be all of the excuses and drawbacks we come up with and the limitations we place on ourselves. Even if you somehow fall short, you’ve still made progress. Start chasing your dreamiest goal today–don’t hesitate, and never doubt! Formulate a plan and execute it. Start short-term, stretch and climb into your intermediate goals, and eventually progress to going after what you want in the long-term. 2019 can be the beginning of a new mindset with renewed faith and determination. Claim and own your power while refusing to never again be victimized and held back by fear, doubt, and excuses!

Libraries: The Bedrock of Literacy

The path of a fluent reader hopefully begins in the library. After grasping the basics of the alphabet and the nuances of phonetics, the mastery of simple site words usually follows. From Pre-K to kindergarten, and on through elementary, middle, high school, and college, the library has been the greatest resource for anyone with a love of reading.

Reading came pretty naturally to me as a kid. Being quiet and incredibly shy, books provided great comfort and companionship. To this day, our bond of friendship remains stronger than ever. With my trusty library card, I’d proudly select the book(s) of my choice, go to the librarian at the counter, and check it out. He or she would simply stamp the return date on it and send me on my way. I considered the book mine until that return date.

I never allowed the ending of the school year to separate me from the joy of reading. I’d go through the required reading list the teachers gave me and continued to check out even more books afterwards.

I’d simply turn one in and check out another. Back in my younger days in the library, computer catalogues were nonexistent. If you wanted a particular book, you’d have to look it up using the Dewey Decimal Classification System. Back then, books were shelved by genre, but they were also assigned into ten main classes by using the number of a decimal system catalogued on index cards. Of course, the librarian was always there ready and willing to assist readers with finding their books, but even back then, as far as I can remember, I always relished the challenge of looking up and locating my own book.

During most of my free time during the summers, I’d find the books I wanted to check out, then stay there and browse through the newspapers and magazines I couldn’t afford. But above all, I thoroughly enjoyed being surrounded by so many books in a quiet and peaceful setting. Libraries have decorum that is strictly adhered to to this day. Not only has automation made libraries even easier to navigate, most of them even provide computers for readers to use and read online.

Great books will not only inspire you to read even more, but they’ll pique your imagination and transport you to worlds you’ve only dreamed about. My love of books and reading has inspired me to write my own stories. To date, I’ve published three books with many more to come. Had it not been for the love of reading and the love of books, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Libraries are invaluable necessities. They’re the fertile soil that will eventually grow and harvest the bountiful seeds of literacy!

Hail To The Queens

Throughout history, especially in the case of American History, women have fought long and hard to prove themselves equal to men. They’ve had to claw and elbow their way just to claim a seat at equality’s table. They’ve excelled and overcome so much, despite being perceived as unqualified to possess equal footing with their male counterparts. The month of March is set aside to honor all women.

Former President Jimmy Carter initially declared March 2-8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week. In 1987, March was declared by Congress to be Women’s History Month in perpetuity. Each year, a special Presidential Proclamation is issued to honor women.

Through sheer grit and determination, women have gained great strides on the equality battlefield. From securing voting rights through the suffrage movement, to supporting war efforts, women have excelled. Be it politics, sports, academia, entertainment, journalism, fashion, and the corporate world–they are excelling! And, while some metaphorical ceilings have been smashed to bits, there are others that are still yet to be breached.

We’re in the year 2019, and as a whole, the earning gap among genders remain unequal. On average, women earn seventy-eight cents for every dollar that men earn, showing that the wheels of progress have spun slowly thus far. In its history, America is steadily shedding her archaic norms of the past. Sadly though, there are parts of the world that have a lot of catching up to do. There are nations where women practically have no rights, with laws in place for men to maintain their status quo. While no nation is perfect, America can serve as an example to nations such as those, while continuing to improve herself. Think about this for a moment; the world’s population exists because of women who gave birth to it. Here’s to all the women of the world…I salute you!

Running In Plain Sight & Other Stories: If All Minds Are Clear – (FREE Chapter 4 Excerpt)

Tucker and Jada’s wedding day finally arrived, and Tucker was beside himself with joy; nervous, but incredibly happy and excited. According to Viola, so was Jada. During the ceremony, both tears and rejoicing were clearly evident. Even I shed a few, being in the midst of so much love and emotion, how could I not? Watching Tucker and Jada drive away, headed for their honeymoon, excited me a little about our wedding. I suppose I look forward to it because every pastor needs a great wife. I don’t believe I can do any better than Viola. I know she loves me dearly, and will always faithfully support me and stand by my side. I’ve known her practically all my life. Besides my mom and Tucker, there’s no one I trust more.

Before leaving the reception, I was cornered by Monica Hawkins. She is the daughter of Sister Ruby Hawkins, who chairs our board of trustees. Long widowed, she dotes on Monica and her son Robert and is fully immersed in their lives. If that wasn’t enough, she constantly tries to marry her kids off because she’s so desperate to be a grandmother. It’s been long rumored that Robert is gay, so she tries all the harder to marry Monica off.

She has no respect for my engagement to Viola. Since Viola’s a virgin, Monica and I fool around from time to time. As far as I know, only Tucker, Monica, and Mrs. Hawkins know I’ve deceived Viola. I suppose the only reason Sister Hawkins hasn’t blackmailed me is the fact that she, Monica, and Robert would be publicly shamed and possibly exiled from the church. I know that aside from her kids, presiding over the board gives her the most joy. It fulfills her purpose. Plus, she knows I’m going to be named pastor soon, and she and I are going to need each other. My mother dislikes her a great deal because rumor has it she was one of my father’s many paramours.

Anyway, Monica suggested I meet her at her place after I take Viola home. I know I shouldn’t have, but before long, I found myself at her apartment. It was a warm summer’s night, and the black sky wore a full moon woven with a blanket of stars. Monica is a very attractive and sensual woman, so needless to say, the sex is amazing. She claims her feelings run deep for me, and maybe they do, but she’s a grown woman who knows I’m engaged to marry in less than a month. Plus, I’m a couple of weeks away from being named Reverend Cousins’ successor. My mother hates and refuses to acknowledge this side of me because it reminds her of my father. I’m told he was a womanizer to the nth degree, and most of his lovers were members of Grace Baptist….

Running In Plain Sight & Other Stories: Home – (FREE Chapter 4 Excerpt)

As the plane descended into Jackson, I took a few deep breaths, looked out of the window, and took in as much as the city as I could. Along with my lingering anxiety, thoughts, memories, and feelings flooded through me as we landed. Tutweiler is only about one hundred and forty miles away. The seventeen year old boy who was forced to leave there in the middle of the night returns as a successful forty-seven year old who is hoping to once and for all heal some old wounds and finally rid himself of the demons he’s carried inside him every since.

I think about my mother often and try to imagine what my life would be like if she was still here. She was my bedrock, my biggest supporter, and best friend all rolled up into one. Juanita ran a close second. I have some guilt about not being in contact with her all these years, and I’m sure she does also. But holding on to the pain and disappointment of our pasts will only hold us there. Resolving them will bring us both present with hopes of a brighter future.

Mama raised me to love myself unconditionally and to be proud of how I see myself rather than how the world saw me. She said God made me extra special for a reason and someday I’ll know what that reason is. She told me to never allow folks on the outside to take away all of the goodness and power I have inside. Still, I regret it’s taken me this long to get the nerve to come back here. Problems don’t resolve themselves I suppose, and hopefully, before this trip is over, I’ll accomplish that. But it won’t happen without me accepting some of the responsibility myself.

After picking up our luggage and grabbing our rental car, Heather and I left the airport headed downtown for our hotel. It was a beautiful and warm summer day. I’d almost forgotten how beautiful Mississippi can be this time of the year. Needless to say, having never seen the south, Heather was beyond excited, and I must admit, so was I. So after phoning Rudolph and freshening up a bit, we headed to the restaurant to meet and dine with Rudolph, Paul, Rachel and their spouses…

Running In Plain Sight & Other Stories: A Balanced Imbalance – (FREE Chapter 3 Excerpt)

After a month and a half of intensive treatment and therapy, I was discharged and taken back home. Fortunately, it was Summer and the ruse of a vacation covered for me. I normally don’t schedule that much this time of the year anyway. Physically, I have no energy or appetite and sleep is very scarce. Down twenty-five pounds and rapidly weakening, I can barely muster enough energy to pull the covers away, get out of bed, and use the bathroom. My appearance is horrific–I haven’t had a haircut or shave in weeks. Barely showering, brushing my teeth, or even combing my hair. I’m taking my meds as prescribed, though I continue to free fall, moment by moment.

Stephanie and Gail have been wonderful to me as usual. They take care of me and protect me. Besides them, Dr. Lucas, and his staff, no one else knows my condition; which in and of itself has probably worsened my condition. It heightens the stress of being who I truly am and wearing the “my life is together” mask in public. In bed, surveying my bedroom, I look at my chair and wonder how much energy it’d take to grab a belt and hang from my pull up bar. There’s a huge gulf between wishing death to take me and actually doing it myself. I was readying myself to get out of bed when the phone rang. The caller ID let me know Dr. Lucas was calling again, probably to check on me.

“Hi Zach, how are you feeling today?”

“Hi Doc, nothing’s changed much. Feels like the hole is growing deeper and darker.”

“Please try to eat, and get a little rest, ok?”

“Ok, I doubt it’ll make me feel any better.”

“Look, can you do me a favor, please?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“I need you to do a couple of things for me, ok ?”

“I’m listening.”

“I want you to shave, shower, eat, get a haircut, put on some clean clothes and come see me in the morning, ok?”

“Ok Doc, what time?”

“See you at ten A.M.?”

“That’s way too early, it’s gonna take some time for me to do that. How about two o’clock?”

“Perfect. I want you to come in with an open mind, I have some things I’d like to discuss.”

“Ok, I’ll be there, goodbye.”

I arrived at Dr. Lucas’ office about ten minutes shy of two P.M. A couple of minutes later, he entered the waiting area and escorted me to his office.

Now seated, he asked, “So Zach, how’s it going? How are you coping?”

“I’m not, Doc. I feel like I’m sinking further down into a bottomless pit. I have no energy, I barely eat and sleep and my quality of life sucks. Why’d you want to see me today?”

“I’d like a commitment and a favor from you.”

“Ok, what is it?”

“First, I need you to really dig in and give me and the treatment a chance. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but your life has both purpose and meaning. I just want you to try as hard as you possibly can. Do you think you can do that?”

“I’m willing to commit and do everything I possibly can to escape this darkness. What’s the favor you need from me?”

“Well, first off I believe part of your struggle has been your lack of commitment, but the other part is the undue stress and energy it takes to conceal your condition. I told you at the beginning that it doesn’t have to be a death sentence nor will it stop you from thriving and living a productive life because you’ve done it before. I want to take you to a treatment facility to spend some time with some adolescents. They look up to you and I believe this can be a great thing for them and you. But I don’t want you to answer me now, go home and think about what I’ve said, ok?”

“Will do, I’ll call you in a couple of days. I promise to commit and try to do what you’ve asked of me.”

“Ok, that’s all I ask. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

“You do the same.”

How To Write A Book: Tips For Writing Christian Fiction

When writing Christian fiction, follow these simple tips:

(They can be used when writing general fiction as well.)

1. Read the Bible. It goes without saying that in order to write accurately, some study of the Word is required.

2. Purchase a copy of “The Elements Of Style” by William Strunk & E.B. White. It’s a great reference tool for writers. It teaches grammar, punctuation, tense, and covers all the specifics of writing.

3. Choose your POV (first person, second person, etc.)

4. Create flawed, yet believable characters with relatable issues to overcome. Readers want to connect and feel invested in your characters.

5. Be real, but not raunchy. Especially when describing true life situations, i.e. lust, temptation, forgiveness, waning faith, etc.

6. Weave the prevailing theme throughout the entire story.

Stay tuned! More tips to come!