I would love to go through this whole introduction of WHO I AM and WHERE I'M FROM, but I have so many other interesting things I want to talk about with YOU. My past is cool, but being here in Birmingham at this time in my life is so wonderful. You and I will get to know each other through this correspondence. Hopefully, I can pass some good insights and information on AND hopefully you can teach me some things as well. If this is your first time experiencing "A BLOG", welcome and you'll get the hang of it! Just follow the others and don't be afraid to express how you feel. Not into censorship, but instead fairness. Everyone else, you know the drill! Enough of the formalities...

I noticed something in my spirit the other day ya'll that kind of set me back on my toes for a minute. I don't know where you are in your spiritual walk, but I make mistakes on a constant. Trying to control my MIND and my MOUTH are a full time job some days. I hate complaining, but I find myself fussing about the "littlest nothing". Have you ever noticed how you can be straight all day, and then one little thing will ruin an otherwise cool day? It can be work, home or everything else. You allow yourself to get irritated (and yes I mean "You" allow - we'll come back to that in another blog) and then you unleash that negative energy onto someone else. The thing that I saw in myself the other day was the capacity to administer venom instead of LOVE.  Let me break that down because we're just meeting and as much as I can express my true intentions, I want you to walk away with a clear understanding of what I really mean. I made light of a friends situation and I could tell they were upset with me. That was never my TRUE INTENTION. The truth can often be told in a joke, but it still doesn't make that truth or THAT joke funny! Ya'll, my conscious is a beast! I was so convicted. When a flaw is pointed out in my make up, I try to step back and see if there's some truth or is the self refection unwarranted. Either way, I wasn't cool. My friend was upset (un-necessarily) and I'm looking like an ass. The point I'm trying to get to is this, I'm not perfect - you're not perfect. We are going to make mistakes, but don't be AFRAID or too PROUD to make AMENDS. If you messed up, admit it and go on. But, after all that, LEARN from the mistake. If you don't learn from it, you will repeat it and cause more damage to yourself and anyone else involved. Sorry, but I don't want that spirit of malice residing in my soul. Recognizing it is the first step though. I know a lot of folks that don't want to admit that they are as my big sis Ms Gloria says, "Low Down Dirty Folks"! AMEN! But, there is a little low down in all of us - TRUTH be told. Before you start moving furniture around in someone's crib, make sure your own house is in order. That might shut a couple of us up...at least for a while. lol! Every circumstance good, bad or indifferent is here to help you walk in purpose and PURPOSE is what I'm on right now! The test comes as I learn from this mistake and make sure that I UPLIFT, ENCOURAGE and help my friends instead of tearing them down. I have to be real aware of when I might be getting out of hand with my conversation and better yet, just shut my mouth. You can't control others, but you can control yourself. Make an effort this week to speak LIFE into the people around you. You'll be amazed to how the blessings come back.

Be blessed