I just had lunch with a friend.  We had some fun and talked about family, life and ministry.  Usual stuff.

Then he got in my face about a specific area of my life.  At that moment, he wasn’t being disrespectful or mean, but very concerned and to the point.  ”This needs to change”.  (Side note: It’s not a sin issue or anything crazy like that.  Just wanted to say that.)

I received it gladly.  At this point in my life, I’m not wanting to get by.  I want to grow, I want to be better and my friend called that out of me today.  He told me the areas I’m doing great at but cares about me too much to let me slide by living less than I’m designed.

It was a life changing moment for me.  I needed to hear what he said.  I need to change a few things in my life.  I recognized that and told him that’s why I keep him around.

It may have been easier to receive because we have been through a ton together.  If he handed me a super soaker and said, “We’re going to Hell, You down to roll?” I’d grab a water bottle and roll out with no reservations, knowing we would succeed.

Do you have that in your life?  Are you that person to the person you consider “Your best friend”? Are you able to be called out without offering excuse after excuse?  Do you call out your friends?  Calling them to be better?  Showing them their blind spots and warning them?  If not, WHY NOT??

It’s time to step your game up and be that person now.  Ask someone to mentor and help you.  Examine your life and give your friends the freedom to call you out for real.  I’m not saying everyone should be able to talk to you in this manner, but someone should feel close enough to you to be able to do that.

Be that my friends.  ”You’re not doing great, Not so much here, or here, but right here….”

I’m just sayin.

Drizz

#1 Black people don’t go camping.

While most black people are accustomed to some bugs and the occasional mouse, Black people generally don’t do Animals.  Dogs are a no go, why would we hang out in the forest with coyotes, bears, Snakes, mountain lions or ardvarks? Yeah, Not happening.

You want me to sleep where? where am I gonna shower? Can I bring my wash cloth?  WORD?  Not Happening.

Here is a post from my friend Black Ryan Leak on his first camping trip in Death Valley where the first thing they tell him is to watch out for snakes and scorpions:

http://wp.me/pLbEo-6X

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

You ain’t catching me out there.  I’m just saying….

It made me think about my haters and how much time I’ve actually given them by replying to them.  How much respect I’ve shown them by giving them a second thought.  How it must feel good to them that I’ve wanted to go at them like a spider monkey at times.

For WHAT?!  Why do we (YOU and myself) allow these haters to effect us and cause us to snap out?  Do they really deserve our respect?  Is it that Deep?  Why do we feel the need to reply to their madness?  Are they paying your light bill??  Are they feeding your children?  (If they are… YOU NEED TO BOUNCE!!!)  Do they have a right to be in your business?

NO?  So FORGET THEM!  Don’t allow that mess into your life!!

I came across this post by Maya Angelou that I think you should read.

A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all
their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.
They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever
good enough! When you make your mark, you will always attract some
haters…That’s why you have to be careful with whom you share your
blessings and your dreams, because some folk can’t handle seeing you
blessed…

It’s dangerous to be like somebody else…

If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given
you what He gave them! Right? You never know what people have gone
through to get what they have.

The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but
they don’t know my story… If the grass looks greener on the other side
of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there
too!

We’ve all got some haters among us!  People envy you because you can:

Have a relationship with God
Light up a room when you walk in
Start your own business
Tell a man / woman to hit the curb (if he / she isn’t about the right thing)
Raise your children without both parents being in the home

Haters can’t stand to see you happy, Haters will never want to
see you succeed, Haters never want you to get the victory, most of our
haters are people who are supposed to be on our side. How do you handle
your undercover haters?

You can handle these haters by:

1. Knowing who you are & who your true friends are *(VERY IMPORTANT!!)
2. Having a purpose to your life? Purpose does not mean having a job.
You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. A purpose is having
a clear sense of what God has called you to be. Your purpose is not
defined by what others think about you.
3. By remembering what you have is by divine prerogative and not
human manipulation. Fulfill your dreams!

You only have one life to live…when it’s your time to leave this earth,
you ‘want’ to be able to say, ‘I’ve lived my life and fulfilled
‘my’ dreams,… Now I’m ready to go HOME! When God gives you favor, you can
tell your haters, Don’t look at me…Look at Who is in charge of me…’

Maya Angelou

WHOOMP THERE IT IS!!!  Don’t let these people, that don’t deserve your attention, Get your attention.

Let them talk their noise and feel good about themselves.  Control YOU!  Love God and take care of your family and the people God put in your life that need blessed.  Let the haters hate.  Just sayin

I’m a fighter. I always have been. Not so much physically, although I’m not opposed to smacking someone in the mouth. I’m used to persevering through hard times and craziness.

As I look back at my life, I’ve noticed a common denominator. No matter what i went through in life, i was always surrounded by great people that helped me fight thru that season.

I left my job recently. When the decision was made to leave, i sent a text message to 10 close friends. In the 5 minutes after that text went out i had received 15 text messages and 4 phone calls. They were offering words of encouragement, places to stay and new jobs. I’m surrounded by great people.

I have some of the realest friends on the planet.

Jeanne always says show me your friends and i’ll show you your future. Who are you surrounded by? Do you have great friends or are you surrounded by whack people? Do the people around you strengthen and encourage you or are they just there? Do they tell you what you need to hear no matter how rough or do they just smile in your face and nod when you are out of line? Evaluate the people around you and where they are going and make adjustments to your friend circle.

In the movie 300, leonidas wouldnt take the hunchback as a warrior because he couldnt handle the sheild and therefore couldn’t provide protection for the man beside him.

Hmmmmmm…. If the people around you don’t make you stronger and don’t provide protection in battle, refuse to go into battle with them!! They will only disappoint you and let you down in the midst of battle. Don’t believe me? Do what you want. It’s your life.

You dont have to like the truth.

Who is the one good friend that will look you in the face and tell you the direction you are going is wrong?

In my life, i have many. Ryan, Garret, Danny, White Ryan, Jonathan, Cory, Bronson, Tavares, and Dan just to name a few.

If you can’t think of the last time one of your friends called you out or made you better, you need to make a change in friends. I’m just saying….

Some of you may know that I was seeing a counselor before I moved back to Chicago.  His name is Fred.  I held nothing back in our sessions which led to very productive meetings with Fred.

Fred and I had been talking for a while one day and we got to the bottom of a major issue.  After Fred stated the problem, I asked him, “What do I do??”.  Fred replied, “There’s nothing you can do”.  I yelled, “YOU ARE THE WORST COUNSELOR EVER!!!!”

Now Fred and I laughed about it and moved on.  Here’s the point: You can’t change your outward actions without an inner change.  You can attempt to change who you are by acting different but you will eventually go back to being the same person unless there is an inward transformation.

I’m reminded of Romans 12:2 in the Message. 

Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

The key is changing on the inside by putting your attention on God.  There are things we are blind to.  Things that we don’t realize are wrong or we don’t see how they effect us in a negative manner.  The only way most of these things are going to change is if We change on the inside.  Stop thinking you have it all together, Fix your attention on God and get the change started on the inside through Prayer.  It’s the only way things in your life are going to change for good.

You can keep playing the game in your life, ministry, job, marriage or whatever.  You can keep trying to just Do things instead of changing on the inside, But you Will revert right back to who you were originally.

You may be thinking, “Andre, So what do I do??”  My answer, “There’s nothing you can do”  ”This is the Worst Blog EVER!!!”  I know.  I’m Just Saying.

I just sold my leather couch before this last move.  It was the most comfortable couch EVER!  I loved it as does Charlie who had to take his house apart to get the couch in his living room!

As much as I love to be comfortable and chill out on a couch and do absolutely nothing, I’ve never been too comfortable to make moves.  I’ve never been the type that refuses change in life.  In my 3 years of marriage, We’ve lived in Florida, Omaha, Indiana 2x, Chicago, Western PA and Eastern PA.  My wife and I have made these moves based on what we feel God wants for our life.  I know God has things He wants us to do and achieve.  I try to stay open and do the best I can do no matter where I am placed.

Proverbs 16:9 A Person may plan his own journey, but the Lord directs his steps

I’ve had plans and I’ve done my part and I feel God has continuously directed my path in ways I never thought.

I’m now in a place where I feel I’m on the brink of living the dream.  The dream I had since I was 7 years old.  Looking back, I see how all these moves have helped shape areas of my life to prep me for Right Now!  It’s so dope on this side of the journey.

My question to you: Are you on the journey or are you on the couch?  Are you fed up with not living the dream right now?  Did you just give up because you HAD to have it right now or not at all?  My friend Ryan Leak speaks of the Process.  The process is what shapes us and enables us to do what we are called to do.  I couldn’t be where I am right now had I been frustrated with the process and decided to just sit down and be comfortable, on the couch.

If you aren’t where you want to be, think it thru and start making moves/plans.  If they don’t work out, God will still direct you as stated above and get you to where He wants you and where you should be as a person.

Dan uses the quote about the sailboats docked in the harbor, but that’s not what a sailboat was made for.

Stop trying to be comfortable.  Stop just getting by.  Make moves.  You are wasting your life just sitting on the couch.  You deserve to have your legs whipped.  I’m just sayin…..

Drizz

I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on my life and who my mentors have been. The main one that comes to mind in my life is Dan Valentine. He’s one of the most driven, motivated and busiest guys I know. Dan has also invested more personally into my life than anyone else has been willing. You can call him a Hard A. You either love him or you hate him. He doesn’t let what people think about him effect him. Nevertheless, He’s one of the greatest friends/Mentors I’ve ever had.

Here are a few things that make him a great mentor/friend in my life:

1. He saw my potential and helped me realize what I was capable of.
2. He always made time for me, no matter how busy he was
3. When I made mistakes, He let me know it and took the time to help me grow through it
4. He never gave up on me
5. When other people were against me or done with me, He stood beside me, Battled people for me and supported me.
6. He didn’t HAVE to invest into my life, He chose to.
7. He’s seen me at my best and it never changed how he treated or spoke to me
8. He’s seen me at my worst and it never changed how he treated or spoke to me
9. When I left my job recently, He was one of the first calls I received. Offering help, support, Prayer and even a place to live for a while.
10. He gave me opportunities to stretch and grow as a man and pastor.

As I pour out some of my iced coffee for the homies that paid for my freedom and remember what they have done for me. I remember one of the single greatest influences on my life.

Who does that in your life? Who do you do that for? You need to invest your life people. You need a Dan Valentine like person in your life and you need to be one to someone else. If you aren’t, You are wasting your life. I’m just sayin…

Just moved back to the Chicago Area and it’s my birthday today.

Celebrate with me.  Do something meaningful.

That’s all I wish to blog today