Daddy I wanna be a Man

Daddy I wanna be a man
But I need someone to teach me how to take a stand

I can’t turn to you because you sell drugs

I can’t lean on you because you’d rather be a thug

Daddy I wanna be a man

I wanna be there for my wife and kids

Not jet like a coward as you did

I wanna be more than a rolling stone

I wanna be the undisputed head of my home

I wanna be there for every spelling bee and football game

I wanna be more to my kids than the source of their last name

When I think of you and all the pain I’ve endured

Because you thought you wanted to be a father, but then became unsure

It motivates me to seek the higher road

To be there as a father ; to help bear the load

Daddy I wanna be a man

A man in every sense of the word

 Because anything less is truly absurd

Something more than a sperm donor I desire to be

Something more than you’ve ever been to me

Someone my kids can come to when they need affection

Someone that will hold them when they need protection

Someone through whom they can see Christ’s reflection

Daddy I wanna be a man

To say that your absence hurt is an inadequate description

Buy being a better dad than you is the healing prescription

By the way, where were you all those years?

Why weren’t you there to wipe away the tears?

Why were you not at even one game?

That name on the back of my Jersey should have been your last name

You will probably say you were busy and couldn’t make it

That’s a lame excuse Pops, so don’t even waste it

Say what? You were in jail and it wasn’t your fault

I say, you wouldn’t have been there if you had been doing as you ought

Let me save you the trouble of even responding

Don’t worry, I’m doing fine, my grandfather and me, we bonded

Daddy I wanna be a man

I wanna give my kids what I didn’t have

Someone to tickle me and make me laugh

Someone to scold me when I did wrong

Someone to be an example of how to lead in the home

I don’t know what happened to make you leave

But it’s motivated me to be there for my kids as long as I breathe

I wanna be the one to follow God’s divine plan

That’s right daddy, I wanna be a man

Dr. Rick Wallace 

5 Ways Fathers Can Inspire Their Children

by Karen Anderson

They’re both called parents, but mothers and fathers bond with their kids differently. For the mom, the relationship begins at conception and grows through the pregnancy and throughout life. For the father, the bond is forged at birth, when he first lays eyes on and holds his child. Most dads have to work harder than moms to sustain and nurture the bond they have with their children, and when they share a special relationship, it’s easy to inspire their kids to go on to do great things in life. If you’re a father, here are a few ways to inspire your children:

• Set an example: Rather than teach your children with words alone, show them what needs to be done by setting an example. If you want them to be healthy, eat healthy food and exercise regularly. This way, it’s easier to get your kids involved in sports and also make them realize that junk food is not good for them. When you’re hardworking and responsible, you teach your kids to be so too. They look up to you and want to emulate you when they grow up.

• Treat their mom well: Kids are very attached to their mothers as they grow up, so if you don’t treat their mom well and accord her due respect, they’re not going to like you or respect you, leave alone be inspired by you. The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mom and be nice to her.

• Spend time with them: Fathers who are absent most of the time from their children’s lives don’t have much of an impact on them. So if you want to inspire your children, be around for them and spend time with them; help them with their homework, play games with them, drive them around for their activities, and get to know what they like and who their friends are. This way, the bond between you becomes stronger.

• Encourage them without finding fault: Kids have a natural enthusiasm that cannot be curbed. They are full of energy for the things they are passionate about, and as a father, it’s up to you to encourage your children to reach for the stars and achieve their goals. Don’t push them to do more than they want to or are capable of; rather, be there for them and offer support when asked or needed. Don’t find fault because they don’t live up to your expectations. There’s nothing like negative criticism to curb enthusiasm.

• Teach them right from wrong: The best way to do this is to be a moral and ethical person yourself; when your kids see that dad doesn’t lie, cheat or treat other people badly, they pick up these traits naturally. You’re an inspiration as to how they want to live their lives and treat their children. 
This guest post is contributed by Karen Anderson, who writes on the topic of online bible colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email id :karen.anderson441@gmail.com

Addressing the "Black Code" with our Youth

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — I thought my son would be much older before I had to tell him about the Black Male Code. He's only 12, still sleeping with stuffed animals, still afraid of the dark. But after the Trayvon Martin tragedy, I needed to explain to my child that soon people might be afraid of him.

We were in the car on the way to school when a story about Martin came on the radio. "The guy who killed him should get arrested. The dead guy was unarmed!" my son said after hearing that neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman had claimed self-defense in the shooting in Sanford, Fla.

We listened to the rest of the story, describing how Zimmerman had spotted Martin, who was 17, walking home from the store on a rainy night, the hood of his sweatshirt pulled over his head. When it was over, I turned off the radio and told my son about the rules he needs to follow to avoid becoming another Trayvon Martin — a black male who Zimmerman assumed was "suspicious" and "up to no good."

As I explained it, the Code goes like this:

Always pay close attention to your surroundings, son, especially if you are in an affluent neighborhood where black folks are few. Understand that even though you are not a criminal, some people might assume you are, especially if you are wearing certain clothes.

Never argue with police, but protect your dignity and take pride in humility. When confronted by someone with a badge or a gun, do not flee, fight, or put your hands anywhere other than up.

Please don't assume, son, that all white people view you as a threat. America is better than that. Suspicion and bitterness can imprison you. But as a black male, you must go above and beyond to show strangers what type of person you really are.

I was far from alone in laying out these instructions. Across the country this week, parents were talking to their children, especially their black sons, about the Code. It's a talk the black community has passed down for generations, an evolving oral tradition from the days when an errant remark could easily cost black people their job, their freedom, or sometimes their life.

After Trayvon Martin was killed, Al Dotson Jr., a lawyer in Miami and chairman of the 100 Black Men of America organization, told his 14-year-old son that he should always be aware of his surroundings, and of the fact that people might view him differently "because he's blessed to be an African-American."

"It requires a sixth sense that not everyone needs to have," Dotson said.

Dotson, 51, remembers receiving his own instructions as a youth, and hearing those instructions evolve over time.

His grandparents told Dotson that when dealing with authority figures, make it clear you are no threat at all — an attitude verging on submissive. Later, Dotson's parents told him to respond with respect and not be combative.

Today, Dotson tells his children that they should always be respectful, but should not tolerate being disrespected — which would have been recklessly bold in his grandparents' era.

Yet Dotson still has fears about the safety of his children, "about them understanding who they are and where they are, and how to respond to the environment they are in."

Bill Stephney, a media executive who lives in a New Jersey suburb that is mostly white and Asian, has two sons, ages 18 and 13. The Martin killing was an opportunity for him to repeat a longtime lesson: Black men can get singled out, "so please conduct yourself accordingly."

Like Dotson, Stephney mentioned an ultra-awareness — "a racial Spidey sense, a tingling" — that his sons should heed when stereotyping might place them in danger.

One night in the early 1980s, while a student at Adelphi University on Long Island, Stephney and about a dozen other hip-hop aficionados went to White Castle after their late-night DJ gig. They were gathered in the parking lot, eating and talking, when a squadron of police cars swooped in and a helicopter rumbled overhead.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Trayvon-Martin-my-son-and-the-Black-Male-Code-3431857.php#ixzz1q3x4FGqH

The Believers Initiative

This went out to the Facebook open group "The Believers Initiative". Anyone that wants to better themselves in every aspect of life is willing to join. 

Anyone that knows me knows that I am intent on being informed about past and current issues. I was contemplating the objective of this Group Forum : To help advance believers in every aspect of their lives. So I took the 21 principles of Christian Living as revealed to me by the Holy Spirit and I wanted to address the 5 that are lacking the most.

21 Principles of Christian Living

1. God above all else ( When God is placed first the process of power begins)
2. Always know that God is in control (This is the essence of faith)
3. Constantly renew your mind and your thinking (transformation begins here)
4. Daily intake, digestion, metabolism & inculcation of Bible doctrine
5. Always look to give more than you receive (Fill your space)
6. Wholeness of Life (let no area be in lack)
7. Living in true abundance (finance is only a small portion of true abundance)
8. Guard Your Tongue & Understand its power. (Life & Death lie here)
9. Maintain the Temple (our bodies; health, fitness & nutrition)
10. Teach others as you learn (Of whom much is given, much is required)
11. Build up rather than tear down (Christians have become good at the latter)
12. Forgive (Forgiveness is one of the greatest ways to reclaim stolen power)
13. Live in your purpose (Your Purpose defines your pain)
14. Honor God in your Walk (This is your greatest testimony
15. Allow Praise to become a daily practice (Praise confounds the enemy)
16. Work in harmony with all believers (stop being a busy body & complainer)
17. Accept Correction (Only a fool despises it)
18. Maintain a heart of gratitude (take notice of the simple things)
19. Develop a sense of order (Without order chaos rules and little is accomplished)
20. Expand your vision & God will enlarge your territory (We have been trained to
        think small, criticized when we open up to the possibilities (God is not a god of
         mediocrity)
21. No surrender; No retreat (God takes not pleasure in those that draw back)

When we follow these principles victory is inevitable. When I began to delve into the things that were troubling believers most, I found the following 5 things to be most prevalent.

1. Financial Struggles (falls under principle #3)
2. Fitness and Nutrition (falls under principle #9)
3. Relationship Issues (falls under principles #11 and 17)
4. Poor Vision or Dwarfed Goals (falls under principle 20)
5. lack of Knowledge (falls under principle #3)

Each of this issues are due to lack. The issue is always lack.

25 “This is the inscription that was written:

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

26 “Here is what these words mean:

Mene[e]: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

27 Tekel[f]: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

28 Peres[g]: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

This is the famous passage in Daniel dealing with the writing on the wall. Belshazzar was weighed in the balances or searched by God and found to be lacking. Any area of perpetual personal struggle is always due to a lack of the virtue that provides foundation and strength in that area of your life. This is why we are to have an abundance in every area of our life, not just focusing on wealth.

We are going to address these issues head on. The first thing that I want each of you to do is determine which of these areas of struggle apply to you. Determine what the exact need is. Second you are to determine which of thse areas you are strongest in and decide the best way to use your strengths to help others with weaknesses in the area of your strengths. If you know of courses, products, people and other resources, prepare to share them with the rest of the group beginning Monday. If you have something you want to share before then thats fine too. I need all of you Entrepreneurs, Life Coaches, Motivational Speakers, Spiritual Leaders to step to the forefront. I will provide support on several fronts. I will provide insight from my years of experience as a business owner; Health, fitness, health, and holistic living from my expertise in the fitness arena; and scriptural foundation in order to build the foundation on which we will build up each of these areas of weakness.

Let every one you know that is in need of help to come. Tell all the heavy hitters that this is a chance to give back as well as generate business within the guidelines of the program.

Together we will make a difference, not only in the lives of the people within this group, but the people we come in contact with outside this group.

Okay, lets do this.

Bishop Rick Wallace
http://rickwallaceministries.com
http://funnychurchclips.blogspot.com
P.S. Pastors, I have some special resources to share with you. Those of you in the Dallas and Houston area should contact me directly. This includes Author and Publisher Andrea Taylor of Third Chapter Press

A Father’s Lead, a Daughter’s Vision

by Adrienne Carlson


I consider my greatest blessing in life to be the fact that I have wonderful parents, people who have nurtured and supported me throughout my life. If mom was the one who went out of her way to make sure we kids were loved and pampered without being spoilt, dad played a stellar role in helping me become an independent and responsible adult. He showed me the way and allowed me to take it without holding my hand too tightly; he allowed me to make mistakes and was always there for me when I failed without every saying “I told you so”; and he took as much pride in my attempts as he did my achievements.


I could say that my father had the greatest influence in my life, and as far back as I can remember, he was my role model. In fact, I wanted to marry a man who was just like him. While that did not exactly happen, dad has remained a part of my life even though I moved across the country following my wedding. And nothing reinforced his presence more than his words to me during the bleakest period of my life. 


My husband and I were ecstatic when we discovered that I was finally pregnant after 5 years of trying hard to have a baby, but our joy was short lived. The first scan showed that it was an ectopic pregnancy and that I had to undergo an emergency surgery to save my life. I spent three days in the hospital, crying and refusing food and company after my doctor told me I could never have a baby of my own for various medical reasons. Until my dad walked in, that is. He had flown across the country to be with his baby girl and to offer his support, as he had throughout my life. 


I cried my heart out in his arms, and as he held me, he had just a few words for me – in fact, it was the words of one of our favorite hymns. As he sang the opening bars of The Lord is my Shepherd, I felt my tears fall faster. But my heart was finally at peace. I knew that my father was the real shepherd here, one whom Christ had sent to soothe my ravaged body and soul. He would lead me out of this horrible experience and into the light. 


I went home with dad to recuperate and get some much needed rest. We went on long walks together and talked about life and everything else under the sun. I wondered how I would be able to go forward knowing that my dreams of motherhood had been dashed forever. But dad, in his infinite wisdom, counseled me and gave me a vision to look forward to – a life spent in the service of orphaned and abandoned children. 


Today, I am satisfied as a foster mother – I have not one but hundreds of children, all of whom I love to bits. I don’t cry when they leave me because I know they have found good homes, but I make sure that I enjoy every single moment I spend with them. They are God’s gift to me, the vision that kept my soul alive and well during those dark days.

This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of Christian college online. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson83@yahoo.com
http://onlinechristiancolleges.net/

http://funnychurchclips.blogspot.com
http://rickwallaceministries.com