Beyonce comes to DC August 9th!
May 31, 2007
This Saturday, tickets go on sale for my future ex-wife’s US Tour and to my delight, she’s coming to DC on August 9th!
Pharaoh’s protégé 101
May 31, 2007
On February 22, 2006, I published what would be my first article on blogger.com. This article would be the 101st I would have written.
When I first started writing, I never imagined that I would have a loyal readership that would extend as far as China, Australia, the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean.
Ever since my first article, this blog has been a work in progress; as a matter of fact, none of the articles that I write are exempt from my ‘Edit Pen’. A few articles have actually been re-written over time and in a few cases, removed for possible republishing in the future.
February of this year marked a turning point when I decided to come out from the shadows on my blog which at one point was incognito and made available only to a few select friends.
My blog was restructured, with a new design, a different target audience, a new domain name (pharaohsprotege.com) and for the first time, I added pictures and videos of myself.
From my heart, to yours,
Ohians- nice people!
May 31, 2007
I have to say that I enjoyed immensely my trip to Ohio last Memorial Weekend.
One thing that stood out the most for me is the friendliness and warmth of the people of the buckeye state.
Taking photos is one of the hobbies I enjoy the most and the trip wouldn’t have been complete if I didn’t have my camera with me.
Check out the photos from the trip here
From my heart, to yours,
Akhenaton
PS: I am still editing the videos from the trip and they will be published within the next week.
God’s more hi tech than you think!
May 27, 2007
There are few traditions that are hard for me to break on Saturdays; two of which are listening to one of my favorite radio stations (WGTS 91.9FM) and going to church.
Being away from Maryland (I’m writing from Ohio), you’d think that accomplishing these tasks would have been impossible, right? Wrong!
Thanks to my Treo 700p Smart Phone, I was able to connect my phone to the car’s cigarette lighter and listen to WGTS 91.9 FM while travelling through Pennsylvania and while at my destination (Ohio).
Later in the day, I was able to watch today’s sermon from church. (on the same phone!)
Isn’t that cool?
! Well, for fellow Treonauts (i.e. the 7.3 million people who own a Treo Smart Phone) that’s no biggie, but I still think it is just radical how technology can make our world seem so much smaller by the click of a mouse or the tap of an LCD screen.
This is nothing new to the Big Guy up there (speaking of God). He is the pioneer of the ‘technology’ that allows Him to be in touch with what is going on everywhere, whether it be the United States, Iraq, Europe or elsewhere.
The scriptures say that He is ‘omnipresent’, meaning that He is present everywhere… simultaneously!
We all have access to that ‘technology’ today. You see, God dwells in the heart of every living human being on the face of this earth, but the only way for Him to manifest Himself in us is if we call on Him.
The Broadband Connection that allows me to listen to WGTS 91.9fm or watch the sermons from my church right from my Treo phone is always there, but it takes a few steps before I can actually listen or watch…
I pay a monthy subscription to be able to access the aforementioned services, but the technology offered by God is not $10 a month, not even $20 a month, it is free….yes…FREE! I invite you to make use of that technology today.
If you haven’t done so, just ask Him to take control of your life, find a Bible-believing church and a supportive network of friends and I promise you, your life would never be the same.
From my heart, to yours,
Akhenaton
WGTS 91.9FM www.wgts919.com
New Hope Church www.lookingforachurch.org
Frolicking in the Buckeye State Memorial Weekend
May 26, 2007
This Memorial Day weekend, I will be frolicking in the Buckeye State (Ohio) with friends and family.
- The Buckeye State is the nickname for Ohio, one of the 50 states that make up the United States of America
- In the United States, Memorial Day (May 28, 2007) is celebrated in honor of those who died in any war or military action.
How do your friendships fare?
May 21, 2007
Today, as I sit and look back at the past week, I have to say that it was a lonely week. A lonely week when it came to friends that is. It seemed as though most (if not everyone) was too busy; too busy to call or return calls, send text messages or e-mails. That it happened all in one week amazed me.
A quick note: Friends of mine who read this blog, don’t get upset now, this is not a friend-bashing rant; I would never do that, mainly because I am not perfect regarding the aforementioned either.
So, what or who fits the mold of a friend? How do we know if the people that we have in our lives are deserving of the word ‘friend’ (or even best friend)? Author, Speaker and Professional Certified Coach Valerie Burton says that friends would
- …enrich our lives. They inspire us when it comes to the secular and/or spiritual matters of our lives
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…even in the hectic pace of their lives, refuse to allow an overloaded schedule to crowd out space for connecting with us
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…be there in the critical moments of our lives. True friends emerge during the tough times of our lives
Dr. Gary Chapman, Counselor and author of “The Five Love Languages” writes that the ‘languages’ you would find in healthy friendships/relationships are Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Gifts, Acts of Service and Physical Touch.
Looking at the aforementioned tells me one thing; friendships need constant reciprocal maintenance. In my opinion, this should not be hard at all because (genuine) acts out of love are second-nature.
I did the following experiment on some of my friends and family today just to see how much effort (in terms of time) it took for me to reach out to those I care about…
- Text message saying ‘how are you doing?” (how r u dng)- LESS THAN 10 SECONDS
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A phone call just to wish them a great day- 15 SECONDS
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An e-card, just to let them know that I care- LESS THAN TWO MINUTES
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Write or Respond to e-mail from a loved one. LESS THAN TWO MINUTES
When I was done, I was like Whoa! With 24 hours in a day (24 HOURS!) how could I in good conscience justify anymore not having the time to respond to an e-mail from my mom or to check up on the other people in my life whom I purport to care about? Really, there is no justification!
Now, on the other end of the rope, there are some realities that we need to accept when it comes to friendships such as that
- …friendships actually die. They do! For a moment, I felt heartbroken when a great friend of mines felt that they* had become too dependent on me and started what they* called a “withdrawal process”. This was hard, but I have been learning to accept this, we need to accept that friendships do die.
-
…sometimes we outgrow our friendships and as we reach different stages in our lives our ‘requirements’ when it comes to friendships do change. There are many people whom I’ve met in my lifetime that I have actually outgrown. That is life!
The loss of friends should be seen as another chapter in book of our life experiences. I’ve always been of the opinion that everyone we meet in our lifetime (everyone!) is for a reason, some for a season, some for a lifetime.
So how do you fare today when it comes what you invest in your friendships? Do you need to reprioritize your friendships? I have to work on this myself. I also have to sadly drop a few and give the deserving others more attention.
The Bible gave great advice on how to do this; it says in 1 Corinthians 1-:24 that as you (we) create boundaries to maintain pure friendships, it is important to think of others before yourself (ourselves). Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.
From my heart, to yours,
Akhenaton
* Please forgive the use of the generic word
You can go on vacation…..every day!
May 15, 2007
When was the last time that you stepped out of traffic?
Now, it’s not rush-hour traffic that I’m talking about, but the mental ‘traffic’ caused by the organized chaos that dominates each and every day of our lives.
The traffic of taking care of the kids, studying for that exam, balancing the Check (cheque) book, dealing with folks with bad attitudes or even getting to and from work can be overwhelming for even the biggest emotional hulks out there.
Then, there is the noise ‘traffic’ coming from cellphones and other electronic devices, emergency vehicles, noisy neighbors and really, I can go on and on about the tremendous amount of traffic that we come across on the path of our lives.
Peter, one of Christ’s disciples creatively warns us in 1 Peter 5:8 of a “roaring lion” that is walking about, seeking all whom he can devour. The roaring lion spoken of is the Devil.
Do you know, the more traffic we have in our lives could actually increase the likelihood of us becoming easy prey to that ‘lion’?
How? If we are not careful, the ‘traffic’ could actually serve as a distraction from the lamb. Who is the lamb? Simple answer: Christ, Jesus.
A couple weeks ago, I made the decision to take a moment every day to step out of the ‘traffic’ of my life. That meant no cellphone/PDA, no e-mail, no watch/clock, no music. It would just be me, myself and God.
Here’s what I do…
- I Lock myself in the bathroom for a few minutes- for many, the bathroom is one of the few places that one can get some alone time
- Yoga- I have actually customized my yoga routines so that the focus would not be so much on myself, but talking to God, deep breathing, stretching, and meditation
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Jogging/ Walking along a nature trail in my neighborhood- No cellphone!- The only person I’m talking to is God; my music- The birds chirping; My watch/clock- the sun…whenever it starts to set. This is actually my favorite!
When I step out of traffic, I return feeling rejuvenated physically, emotionally and spiritually. I am at peace with myself and I am at peace with God.
The ‘traffic’ of the day suddenly disappears because they are no longer my problems because I’ve given them to God. By then, in fact, I’d be already praising Him for my breakthroughs!
I want to invite you to try stepping out of traffic today. Step out of the traffic of your life for a moment everyday.
Give that moment to God; use it as a faith-building opportunity, use it as an opportunity to renew your strength, use it as an opportunity to praise God even when the traffic has you overwhelmed.
I’m telling you this not by what I’ve heard from a preacher or otherwise, but I am talking from experience. You know what that experience has been? PEACE! The peace that surpasses all understanding.
That is what I am experiencing at this moment. There are many many many things going on in my life right now and the devil keeps pushing me and pushing me and pushing me; BUT, I have a Savior who is pulling me…you know what…. as a matter of fact… He is holding me in His arms!
Yes! That’s what happens when you step out of traffic, that’s what happens when you give Christ the opportunity to work through you away from the traffic, away from the noise, away from the distractions of this world.
Give Him that moment today and you can experience peace. It’s worked for me…. It can work for you!
From my heart, to yours,
Akhenaton
The desire to challenge..
May 14, 2007
I have always tried to keep an open mind in every situation. One of my uncles who is a Minister, frequently says “always look at the big picture”. As a man of faith, presumably this can be difficult at times right? I think not.
For me, my curiosity or want to find out the “why” or the “how” in matters of faith have actually brought me closer to God. When some Christian leaders said that the DaVinci Code was ‘off-limits’ to Christians, I rushed to the store to get the book (and subsequently the DVD); when a family member of mines converted to the Jehovah’s Witness faith, against the wishes of others, I visited a Kingdom Hall (Jehovah’s Witness Church) to get a better understanding of their faith.
- Approach everything with an open mind.
- Wonder about God- It’s okay to challenge the established. Do not rely on everything you have been taught because ‘he or she said so’. Find out for yourself why…!
- Look at the bigger picture. Do not be so quick to sum up things/events in your life. Take a step back; take things apart and allow yourself to think before taking action.
Sunday and Monday phenomenon…
May 13, 2007
For the past couple weeks my network at home has been pissing me off.
Sundays and Mondays of each week are met with (frequent) unexplained intermittent interruptions in my network connection.
Consulting with the manual for my Belkin Wireless Router left me more confused than anything, so I called customer service for assistance.
Three hours later, the problem remains unresolved. Is it time to switch back to Linksys?
From my heart to yours,
Akhenaton
Happy Mother’s Day to my mom
May 13, 2007
I opted for making this Mother’s Day slide for my mom in lieu of using someone else’s creation.
Love ya mom!
Akhenaton
For you…
May 12, 2007
There are times when we are so close to throwing in the towel. There are times when we feel rejected; there are times when we cry; there are times when we feel worthless in the sight of God. There are times when we mess up BIG time!
BUT….in the midst of it all, who is there? Who is there when we dial a number and no one answers? Who is there when we are too ashamed to go out in public; who is there when we do not even have the zeal to get out of bed?
JESUS is there!
It is my prayer that if you are going through an unpleasant moment in your life today, you would find the courage to reach out to God- in the best way you can.
He (God) wants better things for you in every area of your life! He is ready to fight for you….right now! (Nehemiah 4:20) All you have to do is give it ALL to Him and you will experience a breakthrough, more than you’ve ever imagined!
May you experience peace today.
From my heart, to yours,
Akhenaton
oooh patience!
May 11, 2007
- …you get all of the red lights en route to your destination?
-
…there would be an accident on the road?
-
…all (and I mean ALL) of the idiot drivers come out on the road?
So what do we do?
- …slam on the horn
-
…show the driver who cut you off the middle finger
- …curse!
What should we do?
- Ephesians 4:2- Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
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Romans 12:12- Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction…
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Psalms 37:8- Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret–it leads only to evil.
Finally…
2 Corinthians 6:4-6: In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.
(5) We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food.
(6) We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.
From my heart, to yours,
Akhenaton
Electric fences
May 9, 2007
To all my readers
May 9, 2007
When I check my e-mail on mornings, my is Inbox bursting at it’s seams with e-mails from family, friends, clients, spammers (angry face) and e-scriptions.
