Bondage comes in many Forms

"that every man should set free his male and female slave—a Hebrew man or woman—that no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage."- Jer.34:9 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." - Exodus 2:20

Bondage is defined as: The state of being a slave. A state of being greatly constrained by circumstances or obligations. 

 

There are so many circumstances in life that keep us in bondage outside of the normal and/or obvious ones. The important thing to remember is that no one is exempt from bondage. Regardless of social status, money in the bank, health, etc. anyone in any situation can be in bondage. It's easy to point fingers at people like addicts and criminals because of their circumstances, but make sure you are examining yourself as well. The millionaire can be in bondage to his/her money, the hard-worker in bondage to his/her job; getting a little deeper a parent can be in bondage to their children or vise versa and the "every day church going, bible reading, roof raising prayer warrior" can be in bondage to their church. Oh yeah, I went there. Before you get all up in arms and stop reading hear me out, satan will use whomever is not paying attention. 

 We pray daily and put on the armor of God and cover, cancel, bind and block agendas but we tend to let our guards down at church. The one place we should really be on high alert. We should hope and pray that un saved folks are coming into the church every service, that is the purpose - to seek and save lost souls right? So why is it that we get in church, leave our purses and such laying around unattended because "it's church", we take everyone and everything at face value because "it's church" and we feel like if the minister is reading a scripture we don't need to see it because he/she is a minister and they know the word. 

Corinthians 12 talks about having different roles within the body of Christ, none of those roles include not knowing the word for ourselves. Our ministers, teachers, spiritual leaders and even mentors in within he body of Christ are there to teach and guide us. Not do it for us, no one just can get you to Heaven, you have to speak and believe the words yourself. If your child's teacher stood in front of the class, taught the literature, gave all the answers during the test and physically did the homework for them you would be highly upset because they wouldn't learn a thing. 

 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was." - James 1:22 

Being a doer is in prayer and in works. We hear and are given revelation of the word by our spiritual leaders, and it is up to us to go back and study and really get even more revelation and self-clarification in the word. How else can you fully explain it to someone else if you are only mimicking what you heard? 

When you fall into that type of bondage it is very hard to get out or even realize that you are in bondage. You feel like you are just being obedient and serving the Lord, but you have to be careful and make sure that you are truly serving the Lord and not man. How you pray, what you pray, how you give, how you tithe, how you worship, how you praise; it's all between you and God. When we fall into a rhythm of only being able to pray one way because "that's what sister so and so said I should do" or we only sit on the left side of the church because "brother so and so said you can't really receive on the right side"...that's bondage. Waiting for someone to tell you how much to tithe before filling out your offering envelope, instead of praying on it and giving what you've prayed on...that's bondage. 2 Peter 2:19 talks about us being slaves to whatever overcomes us. We need to serve God and all times and not be pleasers of man. 

We go to church to learn, fellowship and receive revelation in a holy environment. Not for a fashion show, not to see who makes the most money and not to find out what our next move should be. Our ministers, spiritual leaders, elders, etc. are there to guide us teach us and help mold us. Getting to a point where we cannot think and make moves without their consultation can very quickly become bondage if you are not paying attention. And if you are a spiritual mentor, leader, counselor, etc. to someone make sure that you are not keeping them in bondage by allowing them to put you before God. 

Break loose from any and all bondage in your life.

Flomotiontry - All In My Feelings

I'm all in my feelings and out of time to think...
think about what it means to submerge my devotion to only you...I'm in my feelings.
Like an out of body experience I watch my soul gravitate to yours and the Sparks that fly are extraordinary in an array of lights that can only be seen with a loving eye...all in my feelings.
The intimately intimate embrace of your comforting arms I've never felt is still so sensual and reassuring on an immeasurable level of pleasure and I'm all in...all in my feelings.
I'm all in my feelings as the gauntlet has been thrown, the challenge accepted and I'm running towards the throne...to my King...who has me all in my feelings.
Vulnerability is a badge of honor, naked, raw and open to you with trust that is an absolute must as I enter this phase of being all in rather than luke warm...I'm in my feelings.
At 212 degrees the boiling point of no return.
No cooling off...going full throttle...
all in...
my feelings.
SYM💙

Flowmotiontry - I Prayed for you

I prayed for you...I prayed that you would find me even though I didn't think you were really looking. 
I prayed for you...I prayed that you would embrace me not just in your arms but into the very depths of your soul. 
I prayed for you...I prayed that you knew God on a level that surpasses even your own understanding. 
I prayed for you...I prayed that you were searching for your modern day Ruth and that you would see her in me; not bae, not wifey, more than your girl...your Queen...my King.
I prayed for you...I prayed for you on an unconditional level with all of me, more than I even prayed for myself...I prayed for you. As God prepared me, Ruth, for you...Boaz...I prayed for you. 
I prayed not for a superficial wedding or the perfect life...I prayed for a forever marriage as your Queen, partner, lover & wife. I prayed for you...not knowing if we would or will ever meet. 
I prayed for you...I prayed that you would one day sit on a throne next to me. I prayed for you...I prayed that we will walk by faith and not by sight so that when our spirits meet they will know and give our flesh a moment to catch up. 
I prayed for you...My Man of God, My Boaz, My King, My lover, my complimentary piece of everything...I sit still and continually will...Pray for you...

SYM 💗 

Black History Month Day 2: What's in a "Negro"?

Nigger, Negro, Nigga...they all have the same back story and just because it comes out of the mouth of a black man or woman, it doesn't make it less offensive. In all actuality, it is more offensive coming from a black person's mouth because of the struggles that our ancestors endured to earn the right to be identified by more than the color of their skin. Ignorance and an absolute lack of respect for the root of black history is why so many Black people feel that it is "okay" for the word "nigga" to be thrown around amongst one another as if it were an everyday acceptable greeting. Black people are so concerned with being offended by others that we don't take into consideration the disrespect and offense that we blindly bring to one another. Knowledge is power and if we are educated on and really dig into how okay modern America is with throwing around forms of "nigger" we may take a different approach to what we see as acceptable, even amongst ourselves 

I chose not to replace the word "nigger" with the commonly quoted "N-word", that so many articles overuse, because it's a real word that offends real people and is still very alive today whether people chose to turn a blind eye to it or not. So let me open some eyes...

Negro Hollow, Negrohead Creek, Negro Spring, Dead Negro Draw, Little Negro Creek... just a few of the 757 cities nationwide that contain the word Negro. While there is a small percentage of these cities that have Spanish influence with a different connotation, the vast majority were cities that originally had the word "nigger" in its name and was later changed in the 60's to make them, seemingly, less offensive. 

In order to be more objective, even though this is Black History month, there are more than just cities offensive to Black America. On record, there are: 757 places with the word Negro in the name, 20 places with the word "Dago" (many more have been changed to Italian), 1,100 "Squaws", 30 "Chinamans", 8 "Injuns", 35 "Spooks", 14 "Sambos", 30 "Spades", and too many "Coons" to count. There are also at least 7 "Darkeys". Interestingly enough, what we didn't see listed or on record was any "peckerwood lakes". "Cracker creeks" or "Honkey Hills". Too offensive or unacceptable...possibly? 

I won't call it White America, but I will say a very Whitewashed America has allowed and made it okay to have recorded cities, such as those listed above and more, with little to no blow back because of a lack of knowledge and/or a lack of the desire for knowledge. The people choosing to fight for these things to be changed are all too often labeled as radicals and extremists. Because of the negative association with standing up for what is right ignorance becomes a safety net for those that don't want to be labeled  too ethnic.

There is so much more that I have to say on this subject, and trust me I will, but I will save that for a later date...Black history is more than a month. 

Knowledge is power and ignorance is not bliss, it is simply ignorance. The less you know, the more dangerously you walk through life. Educate yourselves.

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today..." - Malcom X

References: http://www.factreference.org/GeographicFeatures-Negro.html

                     http://www.amren.com/news/2012/02/from-negro-creek-to-wop-draw-place-names-offend/

Black History Month Day 1: Cathy Williams The first and only female Buffalo Soldiers

I want to start Black History Month off on a positive and uplifting note. I am going to change it up this year and make this month of blogs both educational and little bit controversial. I hope to be as objective as I possibly can, but we shall see. 

A phenomenal woman indeed Ms. Cathy Williams was the first and only Buffalo Soldier. A poem about her life quotes:

"Cathy Williams became William Cathy
And no one was to know
The secret of her identity
As a soldier she did grow"

Cathy Williams was born into slavery in 1842 in Independence, MO. Shortly after the civil war broke out she was freed by Union soldiers and went on to work for the Federal Army as a paid servant. 

When Congress passed an act authorizing establishment of the first all Black units of the military, later known as the Buffalo Soldiers, Williams joined the Army. At that time women were not allowed to serve as soldiers so she posed as a man, calling herself William Cathy. At that time only a cursory medical exam was required and she was deemed fit for duty. 

It was recorded that Williams was admitted to 4 different hospitals on 5 occasions and it was never discovered that she was a female.
On July 13, 1868 Williams was diagnosed with neuralgia. It was during this hospitalization that her true identity was discovered. On October 14, 1868 Williams was discharged at Fort Bayard with a certificate of disability.

Williams spent time after that working various odd jobs and fighting to get her pension and disability. However, after various doctor's exams and investigations it was determined that no disability existed. Additionally, the wording on the discharge certificate noted that her "feeble condition" existed pre-enlistment so she was not eligible for it. Finally, since she was a female, her service in the Army was never legal and any type of pension and/or disability was denied. 

It is not known exactly when Williams died. She is believed to have passed away sometime between 1892 and 1900 as her name no longer appeared in the census rolls from 1900. 

And the poem of her life ends...

"A salute to Cathy Williams
The hero of this rhyme
A special woman of the west
A legend in her time"

GUEST BLOG: AYSO Region Sweeps Child Endangerment under the rug

Hey All!  It's been a while since I've been on here.  I'm still writing, just on a different assignment right now.  Anyway, I came out of hiding for a guest blogger. I strongly feel this story is worth sharing. Bloggers, please feel free to share this and spin off your own story if you like. I have more contact information for you if you are interested in doing so.  Anyway, welcome Ms. Skylar Bond to my blog **Enter Applause here**

Hi everyone. I'm Skylar and I wanted to share a very serious issue that a concerned mother came to me with. Please read it in it's entirety and help her get her story heard to force some answers from AYSO. Thanks in advance for your support!

The American Youth Soccer Organization, better known as “AYSO”, has been a positive part of communities across the nation for years and is always improving upon its growing organization to develop confidence, sportsmanship and an all around camaraderie amongst youth.  So, when one hears about how one region is sweeping a child endangerment case under the rug; it really strikes a chord and is worth exposing because, that’s not what AYSO is all about right?

A concerned parent wrote this letter telling of an incident at her son’s game.

“AYSO Board Members,
I write to you in seek of justice for an incident which occurred June 18, 2013 at approximately 1900 hours where a child was endangered on Newton Middle School soccer field during a friendly game between AYSO All Star team and Wolves club team.
Let me start by expressing the hurt I have with the referees, board members and parents on the field that day.  We all know soccer is an aggressive sport and aggression grows with age and levels. Nobody questioned why or how this led to the situation in which we’re in. They simply brushed it off or as a board member said to me “he started it” (name of member upon request). As you investigate what happened on this day, you will see that no child asked for any inhumanity from a parent.
I would like to inform you that I’ve reached out to the police department Lieutenant on duty the day and making sure my rights as a parent are heard and handled properly. The case was closed on the day of the incident because parents/ref’s and board members of AYSO claim they did not see Andre’s father strike my son. The case has been re-opened with the City of Industry Sheriff’s department. My intentions are to file child endangerment against Andres’ father.
Here is an explanation of what I seen and was told by witnesses from both sides. You may also do your own investigation. The game was great, boys from both teams showed aggressiveness. With soccer boys get agitated when an opponent takes the ball away. My son kept taking the ball away from Andres and each time he did Andres would kick my son in the back with what seems to my son as a gesture to trip him. He ignored Andres with the hopes a referee would notice or Andres would stop. By the time the 2^nd half came around Andres successfully tripped by son. My son was agitated as well so he stood and shoved Andres telling him to stop. As Andres was approaching my son his father, Mr. Botello ran onto the soccer field pulling his son back and taking a swing at my son. My son was hit in the head, but thankfully the mid ref (a witness on this case) pulled my son from the full hit of Mr. Botello and luckily my son did not suffer any physical damage or knocked unconscious. He does suffer trauma from the fear he has towards Mr. Botello. Mr. Botello also cursed at my son calling him a f’en b(word) and cursed him in Spanish that nobody touches his son or he will kick his rear end (nicely put) Mr. Botello threatened my son.
I would like to know how you pursue this incident and actions taken upon Mr. Botello. As you review your records, you will see Mr. Botello coached my son Kenneth Carlos Kincaid at the ages of somewhere between 5-8 years old.  I do not see Mr. Botello fit to coach and hope you do not take his aggression lightly.
I do not feel his son Andres should suffer the consequences, as he is a child and cannot control his father’s aggression behavior. For other children’s safety Mr. Botello should not be allowed to attend any games as well as coach. He is an endangerment to children.
With all due respect, please provide a response within 24 hours of this email so I do not take this matter to a higher department. (Regional/or lawsuit)
If you have any question you may reach me on my cell
Dated: June 19, 2013”

After reading the letter, Region 23 commissioner David Skalsky responded that the matter was being deferred to the Legal department because of the “threat of a lawsuit”.  He then proceeded to say he spoke with one of the officers on the case.  The concerned mother gave an incorrect name of one of the officer’s and that’s the one that the commissioner claims to have spoken to.  Secondly, he called the coach that was not at the game the weekend the incident took place and reported back that the “coach didn’t see anything”.  Well of course he didn’t because he wasn’t there. 

The mother of the young boy that was struck said “I have a case open with the police department that is on hold. I talked to the officer for a while and I don’t want to ruin the man’s life or take him away from his children. I’m trying to be forgiving, but it doesn’t change the fact that I don’t believe he is fit to coach other people’s children. If he can openly lose it like that, then it’s not an isolated incident. To me, both boys are victims in this.”

AYSO has a fantastic program that was implemented called Safe Haven^®.  “The program is designed to address the growing need for Child and Volunteer Protection in youth sports. The components of the program help create a safe, fun, fair and positive environment - “safe haven” - for all participants.” It goes on to mention safety and injury prevention, child welfare, child safety, etc.  After jumping on the field during a game (which is not allowed) and hitting a child in the head (pretty sure that’s against the rules as well); it would seem that the mission statement of the Safe Haven program was violated on a few levels.

AYSO prides itself on being accredited by the NCACE (National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education).  There are 8 coaching standards and benchmarks listed on the NCACE site as an example for organizations to found their coaching standards on.  Domain number four is Growth and Development and one of the sub statements under it says “Teach and encourage athletes to take responsibility for their actions in adhering to team rules.” How can a coach teach something like that when he himself has not taken responsibility for what he has done, nor has anyone made him?  It may also be a safe assumption that the Positive Coaching Alliance, which is also one of AYSO’s partners would not be on board with his behavior either.

Should the boys have been so aggressive with one another? No.  Should they have both been carded for tripping and shoving one another?  Absolutely!  Should a grown man jump on the field to fight his son’s battle?  You consider if it were your child on the receiving end of it and answer that for yourself.  This could have gotten way out of hand had the mother chose to get involved physically or went for reinforcement to “settle” the score.  Instead, she went to the proper channels to plead for fair justice without any more violence or confrontation.  Instead she has received a brush off and is being treated like a parent overreacting.  Meanwhile, there’s a guy who hit a child in the head that still gets to coach other people’s children.   What happens if he loses his temper during practice?  Boys on the same team get aggressive against one another and may get physical in the heat of the moment; will he fight another one of his son’s battles?  Will he give a child a concussion next time around?  Is Mr. Skalsky going to brush that off as well?  A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

 

Autism Awareness Month: What is Autism

 

April is Autism Awareness Month.  Someone near and dear to my heart is mildly autistic and I am still trying to learn more about autism and its effects so, in honor of Autism Awareness month, I will be posting facts about Autism and exploring various organizations & celebrities that support Autism.  I hope to learn and educate at the same time.
It's been a little tough for me to truly understand the effects of autism because of the broad spectrum. I have a cousin, that is severely autistic and doesn't really speak. He requires 24/7 care and will most likely require care for the rest of his life. My friend's son is 14 and, at glance, or even meeting him you cannot tell that he has autism. That's where things get rough for me because, I tend to treat him like a normal 14 year old.  For the most part he is, but he is more on the emotional side and still a bit young emotionally.  I have to remember that I can't explain certain things the same way I would to the average 14 year old boy.  Granted he is a typical teenager when it comes to sleeping, eating & more recently the opposite sex lol. Nonetheless I'm learning to be more understanding of his needs and I'm really trying to learn more about this thing called autism...

What is Autism? 
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. They include autistic disorder, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger syndrome. With the May 2013 publication of the new DSM-5 diagnostic manual, these autism subtypes will be merged into one umbrella diagnosis of ASD.

ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math and art.

 *Side note: SS is very into art and has amazing drawing skills. Interesting*

Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. However, the most obvious signs of autism and symptoms of autism tend to emerge between 2 and 3 years of age.

Each individual with autism is unique. Many of those on the autism spectrum have exceptional abilities in visual skills, music and academic skills. About 40 percent have average to above average intellectual abilities. Indeed, many persons on the spectrum take deserved pride in their distinctive abilities and “atypical” ways of viewing the world. Others with autism have significant disability and are unable to live independently. About 25 percent of individuals with ASD are nonverbal but can learn to communicate using other means.

Autism statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identify around 1 in 88 American children as on the autism spectrum–a ten-fold increase in prevalence in 40 years. Careful research shows that this increase is only partly explained by improved diagnosis and awareness. Studies also show that autism is four to five times more common among boys than girls. An estimated 1 out of 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls are diagnosed with autism in the United States. By way of comparison, more children are diagnosed with autism each year than with juvenile diabetes, AIDS or cancer, combined. ASD affects over 2 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide. Moreover, government autism statistics suggest that prevalence rates have increased 10 to 17 percent annually in recent years. There is no established explanation for this continuing increase, although improved diagnosis and environmental influences are two reasons often considered.

What Causes Autism?
Not long ago, the answer to this question would have been “we have no idea.” Research is now delivering the answers. First and foremost, we now know that there is no one cause of autism just as there is no one type of autism. Over the last five years, scientists have identified a number of rare gene changes, or mutations, associated with autism. A small number of these are sufficient to cause autism by themselves. Most cases of autism, however, appear to be caused by a combination of autism risk genes and environmental factors influencing early brain development.
In the presence of a genetic predisposition to autism, a number of non-genetic, or “environmental,” stresses appear to further increase a child’s risk. The clearest evidence of these autism risk factors involves events before and during birth. They include advanced parental age at time of conception (both mom and dad), maternal illness during pregnancy and certain difficulties during birth, particularly those involving periods of oxygen deprivation to the baby’s brain. It is important to keep in mind that these factors, by themselves, do not cause autism. Rather, in combination with genetic risk factors, they appear to modestly increase risk.

A growing body of research suggests that a woman can reduce her risk of having a child with autism by taking prenatal vitamins containing folic acid and/or eating a diet rich in folic acid (at least 600 mcg a day) during the months before and after conception.

Increasingly, researchers are looking at the role of the immune system in autism.

Resource: http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism