New territory

HEY HEY HEY...IT'S MISS MYA!

BACK IN NY AS OF MONDAY. WEATHER'S BEEN DECENT. MOTHER'S DAY IN MARYLAND WAS REALLY SIMPLE & NICE. MY DAY STARTED EARLY WITH ERRANDS... PICKED UP A FEW FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS & CARDS FOR MY GRANDMOTHERS & MY MOM. STOPPED BY GRANDMA'S- WHO'S A COMEDIAN. SAW A FEW COUSINS OF MINE. ORDERED A LARGE PLATTER OF JAPANESE FOOD, SAT IN THE YARD WITH MOM, ATE & TALKED ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY.  LATER ON...MY COUSIN, A FEMALE FRIEND FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL & I HEADED TO THE BEACH. BEAR TAGGED ALONG. WE SWAM, PLAYED CATCH, GOT TORN UP BY MOSQUITOS & HAD SOME GREAT LEDO'S AFTERWARDS. HE SLEPT LIKE A LOG THAT NIGHT. THOUGH I DON'T HAVE KIDS, ALL OF MY ANIMALS MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A MOM. I REALLY ENJOYED MYSELF. HOPE ALL THE MOM'S HAD A BEAUTIFUL ONE.  

I'M CURRENTLY IN NY. HEADED TO KENTUCKY IN A FEW DAYS TO SEE MY BABY BROTHER WHO JUST JOINED THE MILITARY IN MARCH. THE ENTIRE FAMILY MISSES HIM. NO PHONE, NO EMAIL, NO CAR, NO FREEDOM.  HE'S ONLY ABLE TO WRITE LETTERS DURING BASIC TRAINING.  HE'S GETTING IN TIP TOP SHAPE & VERY HAPPY.  TOTALLY HIS IDEA IN THE FIRST PLACE. I WONDER HOW HE'S GONNA LOOK WHEN I SEE HIM. SHAVED HEAD? CUT UP? SMALLER, HEAVIER IN MUSCLE MASS? WHAT'S HIS DEMEANOR GONNA BE LIKE? MORE TAME, OUTRAGEOUS? IT'S ONLY BEEN 2 1/2 MONTHS, BUT IT FEELS LIKE FOREVER.  I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE HOW HE'S CHANGED IN SUCH LITTLE TIME.  

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HOW ARE WE DOING? 

MANY HAVE REMAINED ANGRY AT SOMEONE FOR YEARS FOR NOT CURING THEM IN A TIME OF NEED. FOOLISHLY, THEY ARE FILLED WITH BITTER DISSAPPOINTMENT, SAYING, "YOU DIDN'T STAND BY ME. YOU WERE NOT THERE FOR ME!" IT MAY BE TRUE THAT YOU DIDN'T GET THE SUPPORT THAT YOU HAD A RIGHT TO EXPECT, BUT EVEN IF YOU HAD GOTTEN WHAT YOU THINK YOU NEEDED, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO STITCH THE WOUND SHUT! MAYBE GOD BYPASSED THE INTERNS AND BROUGHT IN THE HEAD SURGEON TO HEAL YOU HIMSELF. ACCEPT THAT AS A BLESSING AND MOVE ON.
I WANT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE MEN IN THE WORLD. WE CAN BE YOUR LOVERS, BUT WE CANNOT BE YOUR LORD. IT IS NOT REALISTIC FOR US TO TELL YOU THAT WE CAN. WE ARE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE. WE NEED HEALING OURSELVES. AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO BE YOUR HEROES, WE CANNOT BE YOUR SAVIOR. MOST OF US LIVE TO IMPRESS YOU, AND SOMETIMES WE ARE SO DESPERATE TOO IMPRESS YOU THAT WE PROMISE WHAT WE CAN'T DELIVER. SOMETIMES YOUR OWN SISTERS PROMOTE THE MYTH OF MALE POWER BY SUGGESTING THAT THEY HAVE EVERYTHING IN THEIR COMPANION. THEY ARE SO LOYAL TO THE MYTH OF SOME AREAS THAT NO ONE TOUCHES IN ANY OF US. BUT THOSE AREAS NEED TO BE TOUCHED, AND THAT NEED DRIVES YOU BACK TO GOD.
MEN ARE TURNING BACK TO GOD AS WELL. NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY HAVE WE SEEN MILLIONS OF MEN GATHERING IN WASHINGTON SEEKING SPIRITUALITY & RENEWAL. I LAUGHED AS SOME OF THE PRESS WORKED TO ASSIGN SOME HIDDEN AGENDA TO THE MEETING OF MEN WHO WANTED ONLY TO PRAY. IT WAS HARD TO WRITE ABOUT IT, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A TANGIBLE NEED THAT BROUGHT THOSE MEN TOGETHER. MEN ARE DESPERATELY NEEDING TO FIND GOD BECASUE LIFE HAS SHOWN US THAT WE ARE NOT HIM. NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO DEFER TO HIM WITH OUR PAIN & UNRESOLVED ISSUES, THERE ARE TIMES WE NEED TO CLIMB UP IN DADDY'S ARMS & ALLOW HIM TO MEND US AS WELL. YOU CANNOT BEAR THE RESPONSIBILTY FOR HEALING US, NO MORE THAN WE CAN HEAL YOU. WE MAY BE EACH OTHER'S NURSES OR ASSISTANTS, BUT WE CANNOT PERFORM THE SURGERY. WE ALL ARE, AT BEST, JUST HELPERS. WE ARE APPRENTICES: THE DETAILED CRAFTSMANSHIP MUST COME FROM THE MASTER.

-T.D. JAKES
THE LADY, HER LOVER, AND HER LORD

I love this one!
WE PERMIT PAIN TO HIDE BEHIND MONEY. WE LET IT HIDE BECAUSE IN THIS COUNTRY WE BELIEVE THAT SUCCESS CURES PAIN. WE DO NOT MINISTER TO THE WEALTHY, ONLY TO THE HOMELESS. WE SHOULD HELP THE POOR, BUT WE CANNOT STOP WITH THEM,. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE POOR TO BE BROKEN. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING IN A HOT TUB CONTEMPLATING SUICIDE. THERE ARE MANY FAMOUS, WEALTHY PEOPLE WHO NEVER HEAR ABOUT CHRIST. CHRIST IS NOT JUST THE GOD OF THE WELFARE MOTHER. HE IS THE GOD OF EVERYONE-RICH & POOR ALIKE. AND PAIN REACHES ALL SOCIAL CLASSES. PRO FOOTBALL PLAYERS, MODELS, ACTORS, AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS ARE AT THEIR WITS END. THEY ARE STRESSED & EMPTY, HURTING & VULNERABLE. IT COST THEM SO MUCH TO GET WHAT THEY HAVE THAT THEY HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO MAINTAIN WHERE THEY ARE. YES PAIN IS DRIVING A PORSCHE TODAY. IT ISN'T JUST PUSHING A BROOM. PAIN BELONGS TO THE COUNTRY CLUB & OWNS A SET OF GOLF CLUBS. IT OWNS ITS OWN COMPANY. IF YOU WERE RAISED TO THINK THAT ALL YOU HAD TO DO TO BE HAPPY WAS MARRY MONEY OR FINISH SCHOOL & MOVE TO THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN, I HAVE A NEWS FLASH. SUICIDE IS ON THE UPSWING AMONG PROFESSIONALS, AND DIVORCE IS HIGHEST WHERE THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE GAINED IN THE SETTLEMENT. PAIN DOESN'T JUST CONFINE ITSELF TO THE PROJECTS. IT IS ALIVE & WELL IN BEVERLY HILLS. WHY DO WE NEED TO KNOW THAT ONE THING LEFT IN THIS COUNTRY THAT IS COMPLETELY UNPREJUDICED IS PAIN? WE NEED TO KNOW IT SO THAT THERE IS NO NEED TO WORSHIP "SUCCESS", ACCOMPLISHMENT, WEALTH, OR INFLUENCE.

-T.D. JAKES
THE LADY, HER LOVE, and HER LORD

SOMETHING I READ THAT I WANTED TO SHARE. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING BUT THE FOOD PART. GOOD FOOD ACTUALLY MAKES ME VERY HAPPY OR AT LEAST ENHANCES MY HAPPINESS.

All living beings have the same basic wish to be happy and avoid suffering, but very few people understand the real causes of happiness and suffering. We generally believe that external conditions such as food, friends, cars, and money are the real causes of happiness, and as a result we devote nearly all our time and energy to acquiring these. Superficially it seems that these things can make us happy, but if we look more deeply we shall see that they also bring us a lot of suffering and problems.

Happiness and Suffering

Happiness and suffering are opposites, so if something is a real cause of happiness it cannot give rise to suffering. If food, money, and so forth really are causes of happiness, they can never be causes of suffering; yet we know from our own experience that they often do cause suffering. For example, one of our main interests is food, but the food we eat is also the principal cause of most of our ill health and sickness. In the process of producing the things we feel will make us happy we have polluted our environment to such an extent that the very air we breathe and the water we drink now threaten our health and well-being. We love the freedom and independence a car can give us, but the cost in accidents and environmental destruction is enormous. We feel that money is essential for us to enjoy life, but the pursuit of money also causes immense problems and anxiety. Even our family and friends, with whom we enjoy so many happy moments, can also bring us a lot of worry and heartache.

Happiness and suffering are states of mind, and so their main causes cannot be found outside the mind. In recent years our understanding and control of the external world have increased considerably, and as a result we have witnessed remarkable material progress; but there has not been a corresponding increase in human happiness. There is no less suffering in the world today, and there are no fewer problems. Indeed, it could be said that there are now more problems and greater unhappiness than ever before. This shows that the solution to our problems, and to those of society as a whole, does not lie in knowledge or control of the external world.

Why is this? Happiness and suffering are states of mind, and so their main causes cannot be found outside the mind. The real source of happiness is inner peace. If our mind is peaceful, we shall be happy all the time, regardless of external conditions, but if it is disturbed or troubled in any way, we shall never be happy, no matter how good our external conditions may be. External conditions can only make us happy if our mind is peaceful.

Finding Peace Of Mind

By sincerely engaging in spiritual practice we can gain mastery over our mind.
Since time without beginning we have been under the control of our mind, like a puppet on a string. We are like a servant working for our mind; whenever our mind wants to do something we have to do it without any choice. Sometimes our mind is like a crazy elephant, creating so many problems and dangers for ourselves and others. By sincerely engaging in spiritual practice we can reverse this situation, and gain mastery over our mind. Transforming our mind in this way, we will finally enjoy real freedom.

For our spiritual practice to be successful we need the blessings and inspiration of those who have already gained deep inner realizations, but we also need to give ourselves constant encouragement. If we cannot encourage ourselves, how can we expect anyone else to? When we understand clearly that inner peace is the real source of happiness, and how, through spiritual practice, we can experience progressively deeper levels of inner peace, we will develop tremendous enthusiasm to practise. This is very important because to attain the permanent inner peace of nirvana we need to engage in spiritual practice sincerely and diligently.

NYC: LEFT THE STUDIO AT 4 AM THIS MORNING.
LOST MY I-PHONE... WONDER IF I'LL GET IT BACK. OF COURSE, I DIDN'T BACK UP MY CONTACTS. I REALLY THINK I HAVE A.D.D. (ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER). WOKE UP AT 1PM TO SOME GREAT MUSIC OUTSIDE. NO ALARM. WHY? MY ALARM IS ON MY I-PHONE. THANK GOD I DIDN'T HAVE SOMEWHERE TO BE. ANYWAY, FELT LIKE I WAS WAKING UP TO A ROMANTIC FOREIGN FILM. MANNN, MUSIC IS SO POWERFUL. LITTLE BIT OF CNN & CHECKED EMAILS. JUST HOPPED OUT OF THE SHOWER. AND THE SUN IS HERE...HELLO! FEEL LIKE GOING TO SIX FLAGS. GONNA TRY SOME DOMINICAN FOOD FOR LUNCH. GOOD FOOD..YES, THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY DAY...CAN I GET AN AMEN?! HEADED BACK TO DC SOME TIME TODAY. TOMORROW... AUDITIONING YOUNG JAZZ MUSICIANS FOR THE 1ST ANNUAL TAP FESTIVAL IN DC IN APRIL! SO EXCITING. GONNA CHILL OUT AT JUSTE LOUNGE TOMORROW NIGHT. WHO WANTS TO DO PATRON SHOTS WITH ME?

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