I had a great holiday weekend. I had 6 days off which included July 4th and didn't give as much thought about what I would do with the time when it grew closer to me taking off.
Only July 1st, I went to pick up the last of my items left in my parent's living room. Of course there is more I have to get, but I won't talk about that. I've been moving for more than a month now and have just too many things I need to purge.
One of the items found in the July 1st load was a Bible Promise book I received from a Seventh Day Adventist church several years ago. I may have had two copies at one point when I was doing a tract and book ministry during those years. The one I held in my hand last night has the church's address printed in the front.
I read some of those promises after seeing the chaos on the news and after enduring uncomfortable moments around other adults and children.
I took my son to the aquarium on the first day of my vacation. When we left, a white child was behind us outside and spoke what many black people in this country know unfortunately to be true. He said that we were black and he was white and he is protected. My little son at three could not understand what this boy was saying and the parent or chaperone who accompanied him tried desperately to shush him. I made sure to look over my shoulder to show I heard them. It bothered me when we returned to the car and part of the drive home. He is right, we are not safe. With Texas and Minnesota and more protests unfolding, people are showing their true colors and how they really feel about black people. I can't even go into a grocery store and shop with my son without receiving judging looks from people of a different race. People in bmws and mercedes notice I am black and driving and purposely speed past and cut in front of me when no one else is out on the road. I am not served first even though I arrive first. Eyes dodge mine and people purposely sit far away when it is more convenient to sit in my area. I have been overcharged and received low quality items. I have been made to feel out place and profiled. The only people who have said words that shouldn't be said are asian and indian (those other asians). White people cough when I approach. So racism is very real to me and alive. This spurred a renewed interest in looking to traveling the African continent.
My sister did a genetics dna gift for my dad for his 74th birthday and I learned that at least for his genetic make up, he shares dna with people from South Africa, bushmen, something from Saudia Arabia, and what he knew from meeting family as a child, a blending of native Americans. I do not know my mother's roots, but looking at her face and the faces of people from the continent, I see west African features, Ghanaian if most. From one of my past jobs, my family and I befriended a young lady who lives in Ghana. She came to the states to work with us during a summer job that I had and now every other year she comes with her church group for a conference in various states. She was in NC last year and came up to NY so we were able to see her and she stayed with my parents. Prior to me knowing anything and in the midst of the renewed interest, I was looking up information of people repatriating to Ghana and other countries on the west coast. I looked at the culture, businesses, and things people were testing out and said to my son that night that we would plan for our next trip to be to Ghana.
I met with mother the very next day after work to learn that the young lady will be coming to stay with my parents in a few weeks and mom wanted to know if I could plan to leave for work a little later than I typically do.
Another thing I will jump to is that my cousins were on my mind. I don't know if it was in prayer or in a dream, but I know I took some time thinking about these cousins (one of which I held as a baby when I was but a little girl). I thought about this cousin and her brothers the day before I spoke with my mother. When I spoke with my mother, she informed me that this cousin was sentenced to 4 years in prison for trying to kill my aunt the day I had my thoughts about her. When the judge asked for her comments, she said that my aunt deserved what happened to her. No remorse at all. I also learned that another cousin on my dad's side of the family who would be graduating college next year broke up with his girlfriend and fell into what they say, a depression. He then started doing sporadic things, risky things. He had a motorcycle and was racing with a friend and ended up going into a ditch and crashing into a tree.
He is paralyzed from the waist down and has to be moved out of state to a special rehabilitation center. Another cousin on my dad's side had a similar accident some years ago but was able to walk again. Out of all people on my dad's side (and I don't deal with those people), he was the most interested in me and my son (I'm still searching for motive). He showed extra kindness to my son and he has a little boy a few months if not a year older than mine and was trying to arrange a play date for him. However, our aunt on that side does some shady mess and I don't want to be entangled with them (no offense to him). There are also two others on my dad's side who have not been in motorcycle accidents, but they are paralyzed from the waist down, unable to walk I believe.
There are generational curses but God's promises are sure and can help any and all that are experiencing such curses. My story is eerily similar to my eldest sister's life story. Major car accident on October 19th? Hers was a year later on November 19th. We look the most alike. We have similar manerisms and similar failures. The only real difference is that she got married to her monster, had a daughter, and didn't finish college. She wanted to be a dentist and for reasons only God and her know, she gave up that dream.
God says, "And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." (Genesis 28:15).
I live in a racist country and come from a family that has bad history on my mom's and dad's sides. If I were a stranger to myself, I'd say all odds are against me. I am a single mother. I am black. I am despised by people who don't know me. I am avoided by family and judged by them. I could too be paralyzed from the waist down. I was in two bad accidents, three even as a young child, but God was with me. As a child I daily refused to wear a seat belt. That night the Lord put it in me to fasten it and I sustained a small cut on the lip as a result. The cars were totaled in all three collisions. Even if I was injured, God would still not abandon me. He has not abandoned my cousins and there is still hope for the one in prison. She had an abortion in jail at 2 weeks and she was or still is in solitary confinement for fighting another girl there. He can enter any cell wall and reach us and I know He can see her where she is.
We can hold onto God's promises. God said He would be with me. I have Joshua 1:6 on my living room wall. I know I am not perfect. No one is perfect and that is why we need a Savior. God has been with me at every point of my life. I thank God for this and encourage you to look at His promises and see that they are real and can work for your life as well. I've gone through terror and treachery, abuse, and abandonment. Many people turned their back against me and spoke evil on my life. But God, Jesus saw me and picked me up. He can pick anyone up no matter how bad the sin is.
Happy Sabbath.
Only July 1st, I went to pick up the last of my items left in my parent's living room. Of course there is more I have to get, but I won't talk about that. I've been moving for more than a month now and have just too many things I need to purge.
One of the items found in the July 1st load was a Bible Promise book I received from a Seventh Day Adventist church several years ago. I may have had two copies at one point when I was doing a tract and book ministry during those years. The one I held in my hand last night has the church's address printed in the front.
I read some of those promises after seeing the chaos on the news and after enduring uncomfortable moments around other adults and children.
I took my son to the aquarium on the first day of my vacation. When we left, a white child was behind us outside and spoke what many black people in this country know unfortunately to be true. He said that we were black and he was white and he is protected. My little son at three could not understand what this boy was saying and the parent or chaperone who accompanied him tried desperately to shush him. I made sure to look over my shoulder to show I heard them. It bothered me when we returned to the car and part of the drive home. He is right, we are not safe. With Texas and Minnesota and more protests unfolding, people are showing their true colors and how they really feel about black people. I can't even go into a grocery store and shop with my son without receiving judging looks from people of a different race. People in bmws and mercedes notice I am black and driving and purposely speed past and cut in front of me when no one else is out on the road. I am not served first even though I arrive first. Eyes dodge mine and people purposely sit far away when it is more convenient to sit in my area. I have been overcharged and received low quality items. I have been made to feel out place and profiled. The only people who have said words that shouldn't be said are asian and indian (those other asians). White people cough when I approach. So racism is very real to me and alive. This spurred a renewed interest in looking to traveling the African continent.
My sister did a genetics dna gift for my dad for his 74th birthday and I learned that at least for his genetic make up, he shares dna with people from South Africa, bushmen, something from Saudia Arabia, and what he knew from meeting family as a child, a blending of native Americans. I do not know my mother's roots, but looking at her face and the faces of people from the continent, I see west African features, Ghanaian if most. From one of my past jobs, my family and I befriended a young lady who lives in Ghana. She came to the states to work with us during a summer job that I had and now every other year she comes with her church group for a conference in various states. She was in NC last year and came up to NY so we were able to see her and she stayed with my parents. Prior to me knowing anything and in the midst of the renewed interest, I was looking up information of people repatriating to Ghana and other countries on the west coast. I looked at the culture, businesses, and things people were testing out and said to my son that night that we would plan for our next trip to be to Ghana.
I met with mother the very next day after work to learn that the young lady will be coming to stay with my parents in a few weeks and mom wanted to know if I could plan to leave for work a little later than I typically do.
Another thing I will jump to is that my cousins were on my mind. I don't know if it was in prayer or in a dream, but I know I took some time thinking about these cousins (one of which I held as a baby when I was but a little girl). I thought about this cousin and her brothers the day before I spoke with my mother. When I spoke with my mother, she informed me that this cousin was sentenced to 4 years in prison for trying to kill my aunt the day I had my thoughts about her. When the judge asked for her comments, she said that my aunt deserved what happened to her. No remorse at all. I also learned that another cousin on my dad's side of the family who would be graduating college next year broke up with his girlfriend and fell into what they say, a depression. He then started doing sporadic things, risky things. He had a motorcycle and was racing with a friend and ended up going into a ditch and crashing into a tree.
He is paralyzed from the waist down and has to be moved out of state to a special rehabilitation center. Another cousin on my dad's side had a similar accident some years ago but was able to walk again. Out of all people on my dad's side (and I don't deal with those people), he was the most interested in me and my son (I'm still searching for motive). He showed extra kindness to my son and he has a little boy a few months if not a year older than mine and was trying to arrange a play date for him. However, our aunt on that side does some shady mess and I don't want to be entangled with them (no offense to him). There are also two others on my dad's side who have not been in motorcycle accidents, but they are paralyzed from the waist down, unable to walk I believe.
There are generational curses but God's promises are sure and can help any and all that are experiencing such curses. My story is eerily similar to my eldest sister's life story. Major car accident on October 19th? Hers was a year later on November 19th. We look the most alike. We have similar manerisms and similar failures. The only real difference is that she got married to her monster, had a daughter, and didn't finish college. She wanted to be a dentist and for reasons only God and her know, she gave up that dream.
God says, "And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." (Genesis 28:15).
I live in a racist country and come from a family that has bad history on my mom's and dad's sides. If I were a stranger to myself, I'd say all odds are against me. I am a single mother. I am black. I am despised by people who don't know me. I am avoided by family and judged by them. I could too be paralyzed from the waist down. I was in two bad accidents, three even as a young child, but God was with me. As a child I daily refused to wear a seat belt. That night the Lord put it in me to fasten it and I sustained a small cut on the lip as a result. The cars were totaled in all three collisions. Even if I was injured, God would still not abandon me. He has not abandoned my cousins and there is still hope for the one in prison. She had an abortion in jail at 2 weeks and she was or still is in solitary confinement for fighting another girl there. He can enter any cell wall and reach us and I know He can see her where she is.
We can hold onto God's promises. God said He would be with me. I have Joshua 1:6 on my living room wall. I know I am not perfect. No one is perfect and that is why we need a Savior. God has been with me at every point of my life. I thank God for this and encourage you to look at His promises and see that they are real and can work for your life as well. I've gone through terror and treachery, abuse, and abandonment. Many people turned their back against me and spoke evil on my life. But God, Jesus saw me and picked me up. He can pick anyone up no matter how bad the sin is.
Happy Sabbath.
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