Planning for the Future

An Ibo lady once said to me:

"Man proposes, God disposes"

lol! I never heard it said like this before. But she was referring to the idea from Lamentations that who can plan? in the end its whatever God wants.

So how can we plan? This kind of argument can cause people to live day by day not hoping for much. But there is a way to circumvent it.

I think by adding the Godly factor in the proposition, it eliminates His inclination to "dispose".

(1) sighing. Just like life was put into us by His Divine Breath, so we too can put life into things by focusing on what we lack.. and then sighing. Of course it may take a while. But the important thing is to have it on our minds and in our hearts and truly yearn.

(2) Connecting our physical pursuits to a spiritual conquest. By connecting to something deeper, it gives our goal more credibility-- to ourselves. rather than simply, "I want jewelry!" so we can "look good", it'll be more, "I want jewelry!" to represent a positive godly image, for example.

(3) Praying out about 500 reasons why we ought to achieve x. The first 5 or even 10 reasons will be 'store bought' reason -other people's borrowed reasons, but as you continue to seek other reasons why you should achieve x, you'll either realize in your heart that this is for you (i.e. waking up that Godly part of you in the planning!) or you'll realize this is not for you.

For example, if you want to convince others that say Michelle Obama is not a representative of all BW and shouldn't be, the first five or ten reasons will be stuff we 'bought' from someone. With those reasonings alone, whoever that seems more significant than that first person can come and say the total opposite that will be the end of that! But as you get down w/more and more reasonings, your heart will provide you with the real reasons YOU feel Michelle ought not represent all BW. Again, to connect your goal/ideas to God or at least the Godly part within you so that no 'other' can come and wash it all away with their reasonings.

(4) The big cure all: Charity. Charity brings blessings. Either you give to people on the streets- lets call them the undeserving. You can also give to a worthy cause- deserving people. Either way is a win win. For the undeserved charity, you get undeserved goods- random blessings. For the deserved- exact Blessings.

Anyway the theme here is that our goals have to be connected to something deeper otherwise its just... a man proposing.

Passover with Obama, Deserving the Split Sea

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According to Haartz Online newspaper, and other media reports, Obama is the first to have a seder (Passover) meal at the white house!

I wonder if Michelle Obama's cousin, Rabbi Funnye was there...?

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Yesterday was the celebration and commemoration of the parting of the sea. The Loan.

When it was time to save the Hebrew slaves, they were not worthy. But if nothing was done that would have spelled the end. So, God gave them a loan. No, not one of those sub-prime loans, but a loan none the less. With a great outstretched hand the Almighty parted the sea to allow the Hebrews to escape.

There are many times we get "gifts" from above, things we sense we don't deserve but we get them anyway. Those are usually loans. Eventually comes pay back times.

We can unfortunately see the lack of merit in this case, by the way the newly freed Hebrews complained left and right all the way to Israel. Slowly slowly they were building within themselves the vessels to truly understand what God had done for them, how indebt they are, and what a beautiful thing it all is.

Its great to take the time to reflect at all the great things we got. Great things that fell on our lap. Great people who came into our lives and gave us purpose, shape, love, joy. All these types of gifts asks that we grow into them.

Lets take a look at the recent gifts that BW have received of late. Lets build vessels to secure them.

(1) The knowledge that NAACP and CRIC are not our friend and we must stop sending them money.
That is a gift and a visible step upwards. Its a gift because our eyes have been made opened so that we don't foolish throw our money to the wrong organizations. From what I'm hearing many BW have realized they ought to stop funding such charitable organizations (especially since they have a going pretense that they are out to serve ALL BF).

However, charity is good. "Charity saves from death" as the proverb goes. Charity also mitigates alot of (heavenly) cases -where someone did wrong, charity smooths things out. Its great that BW have stopped giving charity to the wrong organization, but I think it would be wise to funnel the charity to a more appropriate group rather than not give at all.

If one is at a lost as to where to send it, I'll be glad to use it LOl! Just kidding, but seriously, it would be sad to loose the merit of giving charity just because we have been giving to the wrong people. Even misplaced charity has a merit (the giver receives undeserved merits). But this is a step upward because no longer are we driving on undeserved merits (and thus receiving random undeserved goods), we can now channel our charity in more precise ways. (Organizations like Al Sharpton's are actually chasing after rapists and criminals to defend them. Do you really want your money going there?).

(2) So many self empowering blogs are out there to help BW.
Since I've discovered blogosphere, there have been so many blogs popping up with the express mission of self empowering BW and hoping that they make better decisions, get better results in their lives, etc.

The sound message to truly learn from these blogs is to not substitute one "leader" for another. There is a salad bowl of good advice out there. Each one should be weighed while at the same time the messenger herself or himself should be looked at to see where and why the message is coming from where and why its coming from. If we hear the good news and instantly follow them blindly, in no time -strictly because they are human- if the time should ever come that they become corrupt or arrogant or greedy or whatever, we would have entrapped ourselves again by following a leader blindly.

(3) The president and first lady of the United States of America are black.
Okay okay, Mr. President is part black African. But the fact that this couple and their children on in such a visible spot, is probably going to make many take another, and closer, look at African Americans.

(One reason I love going for walks with a baby is because I look at the whole world all over again with new eyes! So, also, those who have never done so before, just may begin to wonder how does Obama view the situation in Kenya, Congo, etc. How does he does he manoever through the covert racism in America? The overt racism in America? How come AA are still around? How have they coped?)

This is an opportunity to create and make ties with groups we haven't dealt with yet. Only recently, at Black African Woman's Villager blog, the Brazillian President is quoted from an article:

The president, white and bearded, said: "I am not acquainted with any black bankers. This is a crisis that was caused by people, white with blue eyes. Before the crisis they looked like they knew everything about economics.

"Now they have demonstrated they don't know anything about economics."

Mirror Newspaper (hat tip =Grata)

Personally, that seemed a bit raw to me. Like someone trying too hard to get brownie points from Prez. Obama. But the point is many may test the waters and see perhaps a relationship can be forged with this group rather than shun them as so many propagandas suggest.

There are many more gifts to say Hallelukah for! Many in our personal lives and in our collective lives. Let us work at building the proper vessels in ourselvs -having the proper attitude, the proper degree of character (not too arrogant, not too insecure and self conscious -but justly confident with a dash of chutzpah!) to contain the gift that God has given us and to use them wisely!

This is not to say that these gifts are undeserved! I really don't know, but its always good to build and improve.

BW and Charity: A Different Perspective

Charity Rescues From Death

This is an old saying here. And I just was wondering: BW have been funding foolishness -probably unbeknownst to them for a while. Supporting cable stations that portray them in the most demeaning way, rappers that outright name call, civil rights group which are finally showing their true colors.

This in a way reminds me of a story:

A simpleton was in the habit of giving money to the beggars on the street. Even though he had a meager job, he was very well off and so, he gave. Once folks found out he was doing this, they admonished him. "You fool, don't you know these people are drug dealers?! Alcoholics! They don't deserve your money, they'll just go out and buy more booze /drugs!"

The simpleton was bothered by these accusations. He thought to himself, but what if this time, this one special time, one of them was ready to change?

Sometimes I wonder if because that simpleton gave so freely, that he also was "given" things he didn't deserve from Above (or the universe or whatever you fill in here).

Sometimes I also wonder if that is the case for BW. We are now opening our eyes to many of the foolishness out there, and are not giving out our money.

Does this mean that we've entered a new spiritual realm? No longer needing to be given that which we didn't deserve, but now able to demand justice and be expected to be just?

rather than learn the habit of not giving, surely we can find a better charity to fund. Charity is a great way of making God give back or making the universe owe us. It would be even nicer if that organization was actually pro-BW *smiles*.