Breaking News
February 28, 2010
News Junkie that I am, I subscribe to CNN’s Breaking News alerts (not that I watch CNN). Of late though, sometimes I would find myself pausing before reading those alerts.
With so much turmoil going on in the world today, I think that it’s about time that we start embracing our Faith; we never know what our Fate would be today, or tomorrow.
Akhenaton
ProgressING
February 11, 2010
So in this video I did not exactly do 5 the push-ups my cousin asked me to do but you’d cut me some slack when I tell you that there was a time when I could barely conquer 5 regular push-ups. I’ll do five next time around….I promise!
OSX- Sofware we can believe in!
February 10, 2010
Apple's OSX- Software we can believe in
It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Apple and couldn’t resist getting this Obama Campaign-themed t-shirt. Click here to purchase yours at $12.99.
Merry Christmas from my heart
December 25, 2009
Prisoner of…
September 5, 2009
Prisoner of FEAR HOPE
My personal belief is that life is best lived as a prisoner of hope than as a prisoner of fear. We tend to sometimes allow our fear of hurt or the hurt we have seen inflicted on others to rule or ruin our friendships and relationships.
There is nothing wrong with embracing life with fierce optimism. I strongly believe that to be happy, we must free ourselves of the need to be in control and from the tyranny of fear and procrastination and embrace hope. By giving in to fear, we often deny ourselves many opportunities, and by extension, many blessings. (Psalm 146:5)
We should be hopeful and not fearful of the future. Out of fear (of what we perceive would happen in the future), we should not make choices. We must, however, understand that the choices that we make now determine the quality of our future.
When we let go of fear and procrastination and embrace hope, our friendships, relationships and lives will be more meaningful, fruitful, longer lasting and peaceful. Today, embrace hope.
“God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Akhenaton
mail@pharaohsprotege.com
Hey You!
August 5, 2009
Each and every time you make a dash for the door out of fear. How many times more must you allow fear to rule and ruin your potential for good friendships and relationships?
Two Red light Pictures and Stories
May 6, 2009
Street Sign for First United Methodist Church in Hyattsville, MD
Thanks to the red light, I was able to catch a glimpse of and take a picture of the sign for my neighborhood United Methodist Church. Just in case you cannot read the caption, it says “God is never in a hurry, HER timing is always perfect”. Yes, “her” timing. Now my personal belief is that God is gender neutral. Does that make me a (United) Methodist?
Street Preacher?
Thanks to the red light, I was able to (finally) take a photo of this guy. He can be seen walking up and down the Maryland side of Pennsylvania Avenue with Bible and other Christian paraphernalia in hand every day. Usually he has his middle finger up, pointed at and cursing at motorists. As you can see, he was happy to pose for my picture. Must have been a good day.
Akhenaton
mail@pharaohsprotege.com
Unwelcomed visitor
April 27, 2009
The lizard (or whatever it is) that greeted me this morning.
Here’s a picture of what greeted me when I walked into my office today. Of course I did the manly thing and called Animal Control. Well, that is after a friend suggested that it might be poisonous. Poisonous or not, I DO NOT mess with any creature that creeps, shrieks or crawls.
UPDATE: Animal Control never showed up.
Akhenaton
mail@pharaohsprotege.com
Virginia Tech- two years later…
April 16, 2009
Today marks the two year anniversary of the Virginia Tech Massacre. On the 17th, the day after that tragedy, Poet and Activist Nikki Giovanni delivered a soul-stirring speech that offered hope and consolation at a time when it was sorely needed.
Her speech centered on prevailing in the aftermath of the April 16th tragedy, while touching on recurrent worldwide tragedies like children dying of AIDS (among other things). Read my account of the Virgia Tech Tragedy and Giovanni’s speech here
Akhenaton
mail@pharaohsprotege.com
Not a book review
March 16, 2009
I have to be honest; Christian Fiction or Christian Literature for that matter hardly finds it’s way to the top of my ‘have-to-read’ book list. I caved in, however, at the insistence of a fellow sports enthusiast (Go Wizards!) that ‘The Shack’ by William P. Young was an awesome book.
I concur; it was! BUT.
Little did I know, it was fate that lead me to reading ‘the Shack’. A few weeks after picking the book up at my local bookstore a cold January afternoon, I received a call that my best friend died in a vehicular accident. I was devastated.
At the risk of giving away the story of ‘the Shack’, the author told the story of the tragic loss of a daughter who’s father, because of this tragedy struggled to reconcile his relationship with God, or rather, who he thought God was. Understandingly, there was a profound sadness in his heart and like me, he was angry with God.
I would not delve further into the book because I’d rather that you read it yourself, but I would go as far as to say that it is a great read if circumstances in your life have created a rift in your relationship with God.
For me, it has helped, or rather, it is helping me put into perspective the tragic loss of my best friend, something that is difficult to do, but something that I am successfully doing. It is also helping me see God’s love and grace in this tragedy.
Sometimes I think about how the act of reluctantly picking up that book that cold winter afternoon was part of or the start of a journey that included my own tragedy, a shocking loss. Shocking was the loss, but more shocking perhaps was that I would have been able to so profoundly relate to the main character of ‘The Shack’. God set things in place, knowing that I needed that book, weeks before my own tragedy.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 55:8
Akhenaton
mail@pharaohsprotege.com
Celebrate Recovery
February 7, 2009
Written for www.pharaohsprotege.com/blog
Last night I attended ‘Celebrate Recovery‘ at Church of the Redeemer in Gaithersburg, MD after hearing the announcement during last weekend’s worship service. That was a program I felt I needed to attend because my personal walk has left for a great want for a gospel (of which I am well aware of the theoretical) to be substantiated by and through what is concurrent to the theory but is practical, real-life and relevant.
Celebrate Recovery has been hosted by Church of the Redeemer for over ten years, existing to introduce God’s healing power through Christ-centered Twelve Steps and eight Recovery Principles found in the Beatitudes. There are thousands of Celebrate Recovery programs offered throughout the country.
Last night’s program (Friday night Live) was a celebration of the recovery of those who, through grace, have been living a life of sobriety or abstinence. As I asserted earlier, I was anxious to hear and see first hand God in action because sermons, Christian Music and even the Bible for me was losing steam.
Last night, God became real, relevant and even a necessity as I sat in a room full of about one hundred and fifty individuals who without shame and without the fear of being judged, spoke openly about how God delivered or has been delivering them from (among other things) substance abuse, anger, co-dependency and depression.
While I still to some degree find God to be elusive, even insane and ridiculous at times; last night, as life experiences were verbalized, with intense clarity, I saw a God who is powerful enough to transform lives by and through grace and the love and support of grace-filled believers.
Read a related article ‘Where it’s okay to just talk’ here
Find a Celebrate Recovery program in your area here
It’s a girl!
January 25, 2009
Written for pharaohsprotege.com
10:10 AM
The excitement here at the Southern Maryland Hospital is so thick in the air, it’s palpable. In a moment, my cousin would give birth to what we hope would be bouncing and screaming baby girl.
Today is also my sister’s birthday. A twist of irony (albeit an unfortunate twist of irony) is that my mother is currently at the same hospital at which she gave birth to my sister 26 years ago.
Back at the hospital in Southern Maryland, friends and family are in the waiting room, at the edge of our seats, with bated breath, waiting for someone, anyone to come through the over sized double door in front of us with the news we’ve been waiting for- she’s here!
LIVE BLOG
12:05PM- Still waiting…
12:08PM- They’re seeing the head
12:12PM- The baby is here
12:16PM- A little over 7lbs
12:30PM- Just saw baby Rene’
12:54PM- Rene’ is taken to the Nursery to be cleaned, etc
1:20PM- All is well with baby and mother
4:05PM- Signing off
Life in a bag
January 12, 2009
Written for pharaohsprotege.com
All of the possessions of a Winterhaven Guest
Close to 30 men were hosted on the campus of my faith community, New Hope Adventist Church in Fulton, MD; we provided food, fellowship and a warm place to spend the night for the last seven days through our Winterhaven Homeless Ministry.
I took the above picture of the bag of one of the guests during the final hours of Winterhaven. The bag contains all of the possessions of one of our guests. All of his earthly possessions. Over and over again, I keep coming back to that picture.
During the next seven days, our former guests will spend their nights at the Emmanuel United Methodist Church (UMC) in Laurel, MD, after which, they will spend another seven days at another church, and another through to March of this year.
Pictured below is New Hope’s Winterhaven Homeless Ministry Leader, Paulette handing over the Winterhaven Ministry documents to Nancy, the Winterhaven Homeless Ministry Leader of Emmanuel UMC.
Paulette of New Hope and Nancy of Emmanuel Church
Click here to view pictures of the final night and transfer and preparation to transport the possessions of the Winterhaven guests from the New Hope Campus to Emmanuel UMC.
Akhenaton
mail@pharaohsprotege.com
Winterhaven Homeless Shelter
January 9, 2009
New Hope Volunteers at Training Session
God showed up marvelously in the past week in the New Hope Community- in more than 150 ways! More than 150 members volunteered their time to be Jesus to the 30 homeless men New Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church in Fulton, MD hosted on their 17 acre campus through it’s Winterhaven Homeless Ministry.
The primary objective of Winterhaven is based on the Isaiah 58:7 passage: “provide shelter to the poor and homeless and feed them”.
New Hope volunteers spent close to 200 hours in fellowship, serving and sharing meals, watching movies and playing board games with the appreciative guests. Volunteers also took time to converse with many who were eager to share their life experiences and talk about current events, do their laundry and provide transport.
On Sunday, January 11, the sun would set on this year’s Winterhaven Homeless Ministry at New Hope Church. The following words, however, to God’s pleasure would forever reverberate through the hallways of New Hope’s campus:
“Thank you for that delicious meal”
“Thank you for the blanket”
“Thank you for providing a place to stay”
Volunteers serving dinner
“Thank you for listening”
“Thank you for praying with me”
God was pleased by the work done at New Hope and until we can figure out a way to end homelessness and poverty in our community, let us continue to be His hands and feet to the less fortunate through our ‘Sharing our Pantry’ Ministry and other initiatives.
A moment must be taken to thank all of our grace-filled volunteers. Large and small, their acts of kindness wrought upon our guests and church community rich blessings. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
“Because they were hungry, you gave them something to eat. They were thirsty, and you gave them something to drink. They were strangers, and you welcomed them.” Matthew 25:35 (paraphrased)
Click here for more pictures from New Hope’s Winterhaven Homeless Shelter
