Being A Great Dad

Growing up in a broken home

Taught me that parenting

Should not be done alone

Indeed we have our heavenly Father

He also gives us rules to follow

That we all should honor

A mother is to nurture her children

Instill compassion in her children

Teach them brilliant cooking skills

A mother plants amazing feelings

Into her children so that they take root

A father gives his children advice

Teaches his children how to ride a bike

Teaches his children how to drive

How a man treats a lady

He leads by example

He’s his children protector whether

Or not he and the mother are together

A mother’s and a father’s love for

Their children should always be equal

Too many are trying to minimize

A father’s unique contributions

As if it means nothing at all

These kinds of attitudes are part

Of the black community’s problem

I know men who are good fathers

Who have had the worse life experiences

I’m talking horrendous

Yet they don’t use them as crutches

Are there petty mothers

Who for no good reasons stops

The children’s fathers from having

A relationship with their kids

Yes and those situations I don’t accept

But let’s be honest those kinds of

Situations are rare

How about the fathers who makes

The choice to neglect

Having a relationship with their children

Those kind of fathers

Don’t deserve any respect

Once  a person becomes a parent

A mission must be made to make sure

That their children have

The absolute best

A parent’s love should always be felt

Even when they aren’t present

Children should never ever feel

As if they never received enough love

There’s nothing that hurts worse

Then to feel rejected by

Your very own parent

Why should a child have to learn

How to become immune to hurt

It’s the same old tune

We are living in a society

With people who are self absorbed

Classic narcissistic behavior

Some of these fathers who aren’t good

Align themselves with

A bunch of yes men

Ones who agree with everything

Whether they are right or wrong

Bobble heads who are afraid

To stand up or challenge

Newsflash they are not true friends

Sick of some of these dead beat

Fathers crying about children support

When you didn’t do right on your own

So mothers had to turn

To the government for assistance

It’s your fault that you fathers

Have to pay it

Some of your fathers words

Ain’t worth nothing

Never consistent

No wonder why you have bad credit

Constantly trying to make

A mother feel bad for asking for help

Dude we didn’t make these

Children by ourselves

If you can’t be a good father

Do us all a favor

And get yourself fixed

So over these good for nothing fathers

Who’s always coming up with excuses

Like a student sitting in

The principal’s office

Offering a reason for skipping

How about this don’t just be a father

Be a dad

That’s called being a man

A sign of great parenting

Is not having children

Who becomes estranged from you

The moment they reach 18

All behind past things that happened

In which they are still hurting

Having a blessed relationship

With our children until we are old

Should be every parent’s

Ultimate goal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday MLK

Happy Birthday to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Today is more than just a day off from work. I want to thank Dr. King for helping to make civil rights possible. I appreciate everything that  you have done and  I will never take it for granted. You fought to make your dream come true. Thank you for getting us to love one another in spite of our color.Yes we still have a longs to go because of people with their heart issues regardless I just want to thank you. I won’t complain instead  I will do my part to help enforce change in a positive way.

John 13:34 – A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Culture Awareness

Recently I finished a course in Intercultural Competence and it taught me a lot of new things when it comes to interacting with different cultures. In order to become aware of other cultures it helps to become aware of your own. I have learned that once we understand others cultures; we can then appreciate them, establish a relationship and build an alliance. To build a strong community it takes a large number of people to make it work. Each culture is unique and has perspectives and strengths that any community can benefit from. Having an understanding of every culture can help us to overcome as well as avoid ethnic and racial divisions. A community can win when people don’t struggle with the vision of what a fair, moral and harmonious society is. There are many cultures and of course many of us would like to know about them all a good way to start is finding out about who lives in our community, the kind of diversity that already exists, the struggles that exist between the cultures, the struggles that are openly recognized and the kinds of issues that the different cultures have in common.

When it comes to having a community that is united there certain steps that should be taken and there are things that should not be done as well. Let’s use the African-American culture as an example there has been a lot of bad things that have taken place. There is still a lot of hurt that has turned into anger which is present in America to this very day. Even though I am an African-American one thing is true making people feel guilty for what their ancestors have done hundreds of years ago will not help diversity to become effective. People tend to change when they don’t feel condemned or guilt tripped. One day I saw a post from a Facebook friend she actually apologized for what her ancestors had done hundreds of years ago and I commented telling her that it was unnecessary. It may come as a shock to many but I get called names a lot like sellout and even accused of not being true to my culture. I have gotten slammed on several occasions all because of my views. My Christian beliefs help to keep me hopeful no matter how a situation looks like. In my opinion when it comes to bring cultures together everyone must be included, a solution of what can be done to solve the issues with hope of getting it done together is a huge step into the right direction. Having a strong community can only happen by  people working together from every culture this will help to build a strong relationship that has a core.

As I have written in the beginning getting to know one’s own culture and other cultures builds bridges that can connect people in addition recognizing the differences is important too. Many times people don’t want to recognize cultures differences out of fear that it may cause division however it’s actually on the contrary. Learning about other cultures can actually bring people closer together. When people are aware of other cultures they learn how to interact without negativity happening. A mind closed mind is not open to knowledge and so ignorance grows. It’s important that we all keep in mind that regardless of our cultures being different we all have feelings,we are human beings and we are all God’s Children.

Galatians 3:26

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

What’s Tameeka Listening To?

This is my last What’s Tameeka Listening to post of 2016. I will say this over and over again I love music!!!! When it comes to mainstream music  I enjoy very few songs. My playlist has a lot of old school music in it. I was having a conversation today  and  I was thinking about how  most times my favorite songs by an artist usually isn’t one of their biggest hits. When  I listen to an album I listen to the entire thing not just the big hit. I’ll give an example my two favorite songs by Prince are Money Doesn’t Matter 2 Night and Adore. Most people favorite song by George Micheal is Careless Whisper but my favorite song is Praying for time. Speaking of Prince and George Micheal they will be missed  I can’t believe that they are gone. There were many musicians who passed away this year David Bowie, Phife Dawg, Joey Feek, Maurice White, Natalie Cole, Merle Haggard, Frank Sinatra Jr., Paul Kantner and Glenn Frey to name a few. Life is short get right with Christ, forgive and love.

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Vanity

45th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards - Concerts On Fremont - Day 2

Joey Feek Country Singer

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Maurice White

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Phife Dawg

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David Bowie

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George Michael

Photo of PRINCE

Prince

These people were some incredibly amazing artist; they will definitely be missed.

Blessing Our Food

One of the things that I am most proud of is how my boys have a relationship with Christ. We pray together, and we take our time when we connect with Christ. 4G lightning speed is great, but that doesn’t apply to grace. I don’t care how hungry you are taking your time and show God his proper respect. We have food to eat; therefore, we are blessed.

Where does grace come from? Well, I will tell you blessing food is a tradition that most Christians follow. Jesus Christ gave thanks and blessed the food at the last supper (Mark 14:22-25).

22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.

24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.

Every time my sons and I place food into our mouths, we give thanks.  Father God, thank You for always making a way when there seems to be no way at all. Some people aren’t able to eat. Thank You for allowing us to be able to. Please help my sons and me to never take anything for granted.

Spiritual Maturity

I will not and do not pretend that  I have it all together; however, I will say that I am a woman who has learned from her mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes that  I have done in the past is allowing my emotions to control me. Too many times we live off of our feelings when we live from off of our feelings, we don’t make wise choices. Spiritual maturity is knowing how to manage our emotions and not allowing them to control us. It’s good to have feelings they help us to be able to relate to others we can empathize and have compassion, but we can’t allow our feelings to lead us the wrong way. There can be no spiritual growth as long as we follow our feelings; we have to know what feels wrong but choose to do what is right.

The enemy mission is to kill, steal, and destroy the one thing he wants the most is to kill our faith; he tries to do this during times of trouble. How we respond to the enemy attacks is to not act like him but act like Christ. I speak about marriage a whole lot; it’s a covenant that was created by God; marriage is one of the best examples of commitment. Marriage is a beautiful thing, especially when it has God as the foundation. So many marriages end in divorce because people go into it with unrealistic ideas of what marriage is. A word of advice if you are standing in front of the pastor exchanging vows with the thought of if this doesn’t work then. Do Not Get Married!!! Divorce should not be an option if a marriage encounters problems. Unions have problems sometimes  I don’t care how great it is at times. The vows have for better or worse, let’s focused on both words because they are both critical. When people first get married, everything is new, but after a while, it will wear off commitment is suppose to step in, it takes a marriage to a deeper level which is more substantial.

I want a husband that is committed to me once the excitement and newness wear off. I want a husband who loves Christ more than I do, is loyal, faithful, sincere, a leader, and is more stringent than the toughest times that we encounter. Commitment is strength and not giving up just because things don’t feel right anymore. An excellent marriage strength is in its commitment and not just feelings alone; it’s a sign of real victory!! Remember a marriage will lose its newness like a brand new car but you will still keep the car, right? Total commitment is staying committed to the very end.

I’ve come along way, and  I have been through a lot, but I thank God for all of it. Every day I commit to putting on love, kindness, and patience regardless of the situation or how I feel. People have disappointed me, betrayed me, let me down, and hurt me even after  I have been helpful to them. I feel sorry for people who are always angry; it’s a sign that they are operating off of emotions alone, and that is never good. Regardless of how people treat me, I am still going to do things on purpose like loving those who have hurt me and pray for them. Hurt people hurt others healed people heal others; I am whole!! I am always counting the cost of every move that  I make, and I am walking in love too. Thankful so much for becoming strong spiritually off of the Word of God.

Colossians 3:14

And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

A Letter To My Boaz

The Book of Ruth has been a blessing in my life. It made me want to be the best wife that I could be when God feels that  I am ready. I want to live according to His will. On my journey, things will come along as a distraction to get me to miss my blessings. To me, the most significant sign of maturity of a person’s walk is admitting to their faults and learning from them. When I got married ,God wasn’t in it, a marriage cannot survive without God being the foundation. God wasn’t in it but who knows what God can do. Everyone wants marriage but not the responsibilities that come with it.

Another thing this doesn’t apply to me but a good man wants a good woman of good quality. It’s not a good thing to be posting distasteful photos on the internet remember:

ruth-boaz

Back on topic, I learned that sometimes gaining something you may have to lose something. I also learned that if you have a relationship with Christ, there will be less tough lessons to learn because you will be in tune with His voice. Christ is hope with Him in our lives; we will always make the right choice.

To my future Boaz:

I want to thank God

For making you just for me

A faith, loyal, praying

Man of God

Even though we both have

Encountered tough times

God allowed us to survive

We learned what we wanted

Wasn’t what we needed

That when God isn’t in our lives

There’s more of a chance of

Us not doing what’s right

You need to know that  I value you

Already without even meeting you

Yet

I respect you

My Boaz with Ephesians five standards

I trust your leadership

Because  I trust God first

I want to pray with you

Read the Bible with you

Worship and fellowship

With you

If you have children

They are included too

Understand that there is no we or us

If everything or everyone that we love

Isn’t involved

I want to be a problem solver

Not a trouble maker

I want to ease your pain

And not cause it

I don’t care about material things

They come and go

Besides the Bible says that when

A man finds a wife he finds a good

Thing and will receive favor from

The Lord

So until the day, we come together

I want  you to know that

I am working on being awesome for

God and you

I want you to be my Boaz

And  I want to be your Ruth

I love the Book of Ruth

Ruth 2:4  And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee.thee.6

Wedding Rings

I truly believe that healed people heal others; that’s why  I don’t mind discussing events that have taken place in my life; I pray that it helps someone else. Think about the Bible; everyone in it had some sort of battle that they all overcame with God’s help, of course. God wanted us to see ordinary people tackle everyday problems with the help of an extraordinary God!

Back on topic, it seems like every channel I watch is promoting commercials about wedding rings, it’s Christmas, which is the time when most people get engaged. A wedding ring though it is a small piece of jewelry it’s meaning is very significant. A wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger on the left hand because it was believed that the vein in the fourth finger ran directly to the heart. It’s sad that some people don’t take wearing their wedding rings seriously, which is the reason marriage end it’s not taken seriously. Marriage is a covenant and not a contract; God intended it to last for a lifetime. A marriage can only survive on the foundation that is Christ-based, loving freely, and unconditionally committing. Marriage is not something that we pick and choose to do when we want to. I wish that  I knew these things years ago. I sure hope that this help someone somewhere.

So marry the person who you can’t see yourself without. Marry the person who is your best friend. Marry the person who regardless of who comes along your love, reminds strong.  Marry the one who you can’t stop thinking about or talking to. Marry the one who makes you better and even when you don’t feel your best; they treat you like you are. Marry the one that even if the ring came from a bubble machine, they would wear it proudly.

Wear your wedding ring always it’s not about the value of it but about the person whom you are married to for they are priceless.

wedding-rings

Genesis 2:24

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Last Month of the Year

My, My, My this year sure went by really fast. The year 2017 will be here before we all know it. I have to say that  I am pretty content with the way my year went. I’m very thankful for the things that happened and the things that didn’t. I am thankful for the people who came, went, and the ones who stayed it was all apart of God’s plan. There have been situations that have gotten me to think about what took place throughout my life. I’m taking a new course called Intercultural Competence it’s fascinating so far in the class we had to write about an experience in our lives that impacted us. The life experience that came to mind immediately was being a single parent. I am so thankful for having a relationship with Christ if it wasn’t for Him, not sure what my life would be like.

When  I think of single parenting, I reflect on the way  I was raised. I grew up in a single parent home for a short period which is sadly the norm in the African American community. I’m used to getting slammed for my views; however, I don’t care someone has to speak about it. I have numbers to back up what  I say African Americans are a minority yet 57.6% of fathers are absent from the home 31.2% of Hispanic fathers are absent from the home, and 20.7 white fathers are absent it’s a cold situation. Something has to be done; I am not sure exactly I have three sisters, and every one of us is single moms; it’s worth thinking about. I care about the children my mother was blessed to have someone special to come along; unfortunately, not everyone is. I would like to see a positive outcome, not sure how it will happen all  I know is God can do anything. I’m stay prayed up; it’s all we can do when there are no other solutions in sight — just looking forward to having a stronger relationship with Christ so I can continue to weather any storm that comes along.

This month  I believe in Christ doing something big, being an incredible mother, lasting relationships, success in my education, being a blessing to others and for God to use me anyway that He can. Lord, I’m ready to do Your Will and what You want me to do. I realize it took a certain situation to happen to help me to become a better person. Whether we want to believe it or not making us better may mean some not so good things were happening. December may be the last month and cold too; however, one can still look on the bright side new beginnings are on the way.

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

Thanksgiving is not just about the turkey being  that I am Vegan there will be no turkey at all. Besides too much gobble gobble will make you wobble wobble and I don’t mean the dance either.LMBO!! I am thankful for so many things number one my relationship with Christ Jesus. Thankful for my two sons and life lessons. Thankful for my family and friends. No matter what occurs good or bad they both work together for good. Just thankful for everything it’s all a blessing in one way or another. Happy Thanksgiving to all! Blessings!