Big Is The New Small

As the pages of history are being so eloquently written, we get the opportunity to take a first-hand look over the authors shoulder.  As we look over the shoulder of the author we have the opportunity to inspire, affect, create, manipulate, lead… what’s being written on the pages ahead.  The title of the book is a reflection of the past, and an understanding that we’ve made a leap over the precipice of history… “We Have A Black President!”

• My mom used to have to go to the back door of a restaurant, she was called a n$#@*%, attended segregated schools, was not allowed to vote, she had dreams for her children’s lives to be different… “We Have A Black President!”
• A nation disagreed, fought like two battling heavy-weights, can’t agree on all the issues, wanted their candidate to win, disagreements crossed racial and party lines… “We Have A Black President!”
• Sunday is still the most segregated day of the week, diversity in the church is an after-thought, not many people want to talk about it nor address it… “We Have a Black President!”
• A good man of God ran for the highest office in the land, he was voted in for two terms, he led out of his convictions, he stands at the exit doors of the white house facing a nation in which the majority of the people disapproves of his work… “We Have A Black President!”
• I can look my two boys in the eyes, whom BTW will never know this country without a Black President and say without question you can be whatever you want to be… “We Have A Black President!”

My friends, those of you who have read my blog for some time know where I stand on The Issues; however that is not important… What’s important is that our nation has and will continue to make history.  Let’s embrace where our nation has come from to the fact that “We Have A Black President!” We have work to do; let’s work hard, lead out of convictions and imagine what could be.  Win or Loose, Our God is So Good!

I’ll close with a quote from President-Elect Obama’s speech: “Our stories are singular, but our destinies are shared.”

Share Your Thoughts… Transcend The Isms’

Starbucks is giving away a Free Cup of Starbucks Coffee for everyone who exercises their constitutional right to vote today.  My friends today is the day; November 4th… the day that we will remember for the rest of our lives.  I am a traditional guy when it comes to voting: I like to go to my polling place, talk with the little old volunteers who know me by name, cast my vote and get my “I Voted” sticker.

My 9yo son Wesley got the opportunity to go to the polls with me for the very first time at the age of 5; and today is that special day for my 5yo son Jayden.  He will get to check the boxes with his daddy and get an official “I Voted” sticker.  I take these moments as opportunities to remind and teach my boys about the Civil Rights Movement and the fact that Black People didn’t have the right to vote, just a little over 40 years ago.

Today is a day that I don’t take lightly and tomorrow will be a new day, a new time and a historic moment for our Country to embrace.  When I check those boxes this morning, I will do so based on my firm beliefs, my values and not based on popularity or status quo.  Voting is not an act of futility; but rather one of the most significant acts granted to us under the Constitution.  Go Vote; becasue It’s Your Duty, It Matters and It Counts!

I will share my voting experience as it relates to: the line, the mood, the ambiance, the experience…  I encourage you to stop by and do the same, by posting a comment and saying “I Voted!” and my experience was ______________.  Follow me on Twitter {here} to get my thoughts all day!

Go grab some Free Starbucks, Participate in a Free Election and watch the 60 sec. Starbucks video below… 

I am not the type of person who likes to say “I Told You So!”  well maybe I am… who knows.  There was a little blog post that I wrote exactly 10 months and one day ago today entitled “The First Black President” and it was about President Elect Obama.  I know, I Know, “It’s not over until the Pleasantly Plump Lady Sings” (there is political correctness for everything) & “The Mac is Back” yada yada yada!

I am turning off the comments on this post and instead I would like for you to read and comment on the original post “The First Black President.”  Below is a comment sampling from the original post:

• “I’d say that’s a pretty bold assertion to make, especially at such an early stage of the campaign. Who knows what will happen between now and November? So, unless you’re omniscient, or have an inside track to some information that the rest of us don’t, I’m really curious to understand why you are so certain that Barack Obama will be the next US President.”
• Mark it down: There’s no chance Obama gets elected.

Barack Obama will be the next President and “The First Black President” and uhhh well “I Told You So!”

Go check out the Original Post “The First Black President” Sound off on your current election thoughts, thoughts on the original post, thoughts on the comments…  Be sure and exercise your right and Vote!

My 9 year old son Wesley doesn’t like watching the local news; as he thinks it’s “nothing but negative and scary.”  The local news is supposed to be a snapshot of our local area, our surroundings, our world…  As I was watching the news, thinking, praying and listening;  I was reminded that my son has a point and it was motivation to post this ranting run-on sentence; I apologize in advance:

I am sick and tired of all of the negativity, as I was watching a totally false negative campaign ad against a personal friend of mine, who in my opinion happens to be one of Oklahoma’s top politicians, I just shook my head, then I listened to the story about the young girl who was kidnapped and found with help of the amber alert, then the story of the prison warden’s wife who ran off with an escaped inmate for more than 10 years, he said this she said that, voter fraud and then one of my twitter buddies said the deaths of Jennifer Hudson’s family being murdered is all over the news in Chicago, the people are buying up guns because the fear of their gun rights being negatively affected, people are hanging a look-a-like dummy of V.P. Candidate Sarah Palin suspended with a noose around her neck and calling it Halloween art, the bail-out, and this truck driver allegedly saw a little girl bound and gagged riding down the street, and these guys were caught planning the assassination of Presidential Candidate Barack Obama and a thief runs over a Lowe’s security guard, OU’s defense is not any good, the Governor allegedly gave over the limit in campaign contributions, he said this-she said that, this ignorant person dropped the “n-word” in addition to saying everyone should “own one” and to top it all off, Joe the Plumber aint even a freakin’ plumber… 

Are You Freakin’ Kidding Me…  Stop The Freakin’ Madness!  

I see why an innocent 9 year old or 40 year old for that matter can thin the news is “negative and scary.”  This Madness is not just happening because we are a week away from Nov. 4th although it ’s heightened.  {Ugh}

A small silver lining: The stock market is up nearly 900 pts., gas is as cheap as it has been in a long time ($1.95) and the Oklahoma City Thunder kick off their inaugural season tonight.

The Real Silver Lining: God is Good… All The Time!    Praying…

If you could pick anyone that is currently living to be the next President of the United States, who would it be?  They can be a current candidate, a national leader, pastor, politically unknown, your boss, corporate CEO, military leader, neighbor, professor, business leader, coach… the choice is yours!

Everyone can join in, this is politics made easy as you get to Pick The President!

Hey Everybody,

My name is Bert. I’ll be your emcee for the next few days while Scott Williams and family are “sufferin’ for Jesus” on a large boat somewhere South of here, and blue, and luxurious… I’m not bitter, why would I be bitter?

Moving on– the next few days we’ll have guest bloggers filling in for Scott:

Dusty Takle from “The Randomness of Dusty Takle” on Tues (for some reason I feel like fishing?!?)
David Turner from “Turned Out” on Wed
Scott Rodgers from his self titled blog “Scott Rodgers” on Thurs, and
Roger Garrett from “Roll Mental Camera”  rounding out the week on Friday

To start things off Scott wanted to get your opinions on some of the latest political news…

• What are your thoughts on McCain’s V.P. Pick? 
• Will it make a difference? 
• What do you think of Palin? 
• What do you think of the overall election thus far? 

Shout it out, let me hear ya’!

Some people say I shouldn’t talk politics on my blog; well I agree… kinda!  Me and a few buddies of mine were recently chatting and asking some “What If” questions; however we didn’t know it was going to lead to all this!  Check out video below:

I don’t care who you vote for; get registered, stay informed and go vote!

Here are some news stories that have my attention, my thoughts in parenthesis:

• Starbucks is closing 600 stores across the U.S.: (They use to build them on every corner, 12,000 employees will be affected… Phenomenon’s don’t last forever)
• J.C. Watts says “Don’t count my vote for McCain” : (I consider J.C. a friend and he could have been the front-runner for the Republican Presidential Nominee, this is raising eyebrows around the country)
• The Seattle Super Sonics are moving to Oklahoma City : (We had season tickets to the Hornets and will have season tickets for our new permanent NBA Team, this is huge for Oklahoma City)
• Hancock might not be a hit : (I am always looking forward to a good Will Smith movie; however Hancock is receiving mediocre reviews, I will have to go check it out for myself)
• Watermelon yields Viagra-like effects : (I just couldn’t resist; especially with the 4th  of July being tomorrow… I thought I would share some news you can use) 

Any thoughts on any of these stories? Any other news that has your attention?

I just wanted to keep it real today and let you know that I Really Don’t Care What People Think!  Last year I posted a blog with the same title and I was talking about People Pleasers.   As I was looking at my most popular/most commented blog posts (some of which are controversial) and to be honest I have a strong position on each of them and I Really Don’t Care What People Think!

Check out each of those posts to the right.   As you are reading the below statements please add “I Really Don’t Care What People Think” to the end of each, here we go:

• Barack Obama could be the first Black President but I think he’s a phony (He Scares Me!) 
• Obama’s position on abortion, parental notification and the protection of the unborn is horrendous
• I want to hear from more of you; if you have linked BigIsTheNewSmall let me know
• Definitely tithe
• I’m down w/ secular music in the church, we play it every week
• I’m still Black; however the new blog look was definitely an upgrade
• Reverend Wright is now a household name; I definitely don’t agree w/ his negative crud; however I think he’s being honest about how he feels and about Obama
• I own some of those $150 jeans
• The church is a great place to talk about sex and I’m not ready to talk to my oldest son yet
• I personally don’t care what a pastor spends his money on… I don’t know their details or live their life; nor am I in their conversations w/ God…  Wisdom, Wisdom, Wisdom!
• Abortion is Murder… enough said!
• I spent many years working with Sex Offenders and although it’s not a popular position, Sex Offenders have to be treated different!

Your Turn!  Any thoughts relative to any of those blogs or my opinions?  Go ahead, sound off because I Really Don’t Care What People Think!  BigIsTheNewSmall

With all of the school shootings many states and students are pushing for concealed weapons to be approved for college campuses.  The legislation failed in Oklahoma; however there is a rapidly growing group called “Students for Concealed Carry on Campus” that is pushing to make concealed carry on campuses a reality everywhere. 

• Do you feel like having the ability to have a Concealed Weapon on a College Campus can be a deterrent for school shootings?
• Do you have any other thoughts for or against Concealed Carry on College Campuses?