That Same Sky, Same Moon, Same Stars...

Celebrity Lights

Celestial Lights

I remember watching Tom Hanks in his role as Chuck Noland in Castaway, and thinking, "how brilliant is this man?!" He was in survival mode the entire time of his tragedy, he didn't panic, he was well educated, he took control and responsibility of the situation the whole time he was stranded. As an actor Mr. Hanks was brilliant, and to perfection, portrayed the role of a brilliant businessman that simply refused to give up. We should all be so inspired in our daily lives to live and love in the same manner. Never give up! 

Love fueled his desire to live. He looked for every resource that he could find that was natural, and he looked through the resources he had from the wreckage that would help him survive, and enable him to return to his love. 

Mr. Noland was a desperate man towards he end, he was in an all or nothing frame of mind. I won't spoil the ending for you in case you haven't seen the movie, but I'll introduce you to a scene that helped change my outlook on life. 

Mr Noland decided that it was do or die time. So rather than wait to be rescued, he built a raft, one that he felt would endure the breakers, and see him afloat off in the deep blue sea. He again utilized his resources, and began navigation by calculating his direction based on the tools provided by God in our solar system, the sun, and the stars. He was an extraordinary mind. This scene in the movie led me to do some critical thinking of my own while on a missions trip. What if my plane were to have gone down in the vast deep? What if I were just told by the people on the island that I couldn't return home? Even though I now swim like a fish, would I be brave enough to overcome my atavistic fear of sharks and water? Would I be intelligent enough to utilize my resources and find my way home if I were? Or would I be like Djimon Hounsou in his role as the captured slave "Cinque" in another powerful performance and movie, "Amistad?" Cinque wanted to get home as well. However, even as great as his love for his home and family were he did not have the privilege in his camp to obtain the knowledge of the skies like Mr. Noland had. Cinque would need help. Love is a powerful drug. 

Have you ever sat underneath the midnight sky and wandered in your minds eye to ask the question, "I wonder if my loved one is thinking of me right now?" "I wonder if he/she is looking at that same big, full moon that I am right now?" "I wonder if he/she is wishing on that star, like I am, praying that soon, very soon, I'll be reunited with the one(s), I love?" 

What would you do, what have you done, or endured for love? If credit cards could buy love, my company's slogan would be, "What's in your heartbeat?!" Tell the people you love that you love them. Now... yes, right now! This blog is over, go tell that love what they mean to you... go on, get ta gettin'! 

Peace, blessings, and joy... that real PB&J

Want To See Inside A Prison?

Some people are locked in their own minds. Held captive by their belief, sealed behind the vault of a closed mind. You are about to meet some of them now. 

Follow me please. We will walk down the long hall, where the floors are polished, and the gray concrete appears to be as slick as it has the potential to be icy cold. We pass a series of heavy cast (steel or iron) doors, some slam shut with each repeating the apothegm of, "you're now at our mercy." The officer escorts us for the remaining portion of our journey and it is there we meet individuals from all walks of life. In a snug room with few tables tightly fit, men sit along each one either begin their studies or await instructions. Some individuals are mature enough to belong to the geriatric setting, while others are young enough to be fresh out of high school. Some are Caucasian, some are of African ancestry, some with lots of hair, some balding, some bearded, some clean shaven, and others in between. It is then that one of the younger in between's calls out, "Hey... Hey... Excuse me, Mr. Obama!"

The facilitator lifts his head and eyes turning to the gentleman calling for his attention, and replies with a lighthearted laugh, "Did you just call me Mr. Obama?" 

"Yeah," he replies, "I can't remember your name, and it's different, like 'Obama.'"

Another man laughs out loud saying, "Man he wrote his name on the board and how to pronounce it!" 

The other men  I.  laugh at the first man as well now. 

The first man, with a sly grin on his face says, "That word with the 'w/' next to the letter, and plus sign next to those other letters is how to say his name?! Man I thought that was algebra, or something!"

Needless to say, that earned a boisterous laugh from the entire group, even the facilitator, aka "Mr. Obama." 

How is it that I cannot seem to escape the connection to this man? I have to admit that I have mixed emotions concerning that connection. Association with the intellect, and articulation is great. Association with the humanitarian in a person is also great. Association with a politician... not always so great. 

Speaking of politicians and humanitarians. Some men will seek to help you as they help themselves, while others will look to get one over on you, and do not desire to work hard and make a change. They only want to help themselves, and not due to hard work either. Those are the imprisoned, and don't plan on leaving that prison even after they leave the facility. What do I mean by that? 

Some men that are incarcerated actually look forward to earning their diploma, getting their GED, rightfully obtaining their freedom. Others are stuck in the mindset, of having to get rich, quick, or die trying. The sad thing is, that their attempt and dying from trying is most likely going to be a long painful death. It is a death that kills a families spirit, it kills morale, and it kills freedom. That individual ends up back in prison, on lock down, and in most cases incarcerated for several years. They are prisoners of an inescapable prison, the reprobate mind. 

You have now encountered my walk into prison. My walk out is something like this: my Christmas wish and prayer is that all that walked that hallway with me just now counted each step. That you counted each step as though you were blind, that you listened to every door slam shut a little more intently, and that you felt the variance of temperature through each corridor in the same manner. That as you now enter the gatehouse with me, you can see the officer at the controls, and understand that he or she will assist us to obtain our freedom again, just as each man in the room that we just left looks to us and their instructors to obtain their mental and educational freedom. As we walk out together I pray that you thank him/her, as I do, for assisting us to exit. I pray that you'll join me in also in praying that as we help these men obtain their education that they will use it to better themselves and better serve our communities, their communities, our state, our nation, our world. Lord, free our minds, so the rest will follow... Amen. 

(Love myself some, En Vogue)! 

Show the World? Nah Show Yourself!

Ali, Balboa (Stallone), listen to the confidence, and the determination, the conviction in their speeches! Just the speeches alone motivate me! But these vids are cool too. Turn to where you have to, to find some motivation today. That invigorating fire, called desire! Desire to be better always, do not settle for mediocrity!

Cassius Clay said, "I'm gonna show YOU, how great I am!"

I think it's best to tell self, just how great self is. Self will listen, and not only hear the truth, but feel it, and know that it's real! So as David said... be encouraged as I am encouraged, and let self know how great you are, self will manifest it to the rest of the world without having to say a word!