Avant-Garde of Encouragement

OVERCOMING...

Ah, encouragement, it is something we all need intermittently and perhaps, on a daily basis for some.  Nonetheless, life offers a tapestry of hard earned and unwelcome lessons, as well as, simple ones.  Given the last two years of financial disorder experienced around the world, many people lost jobs, have been displaces from their homes (i.e., Haiti), with untold mounting healthcare related debt; it's no wonder why many people have become discouraged and dispirited.

Well, despite these real events that is occurring and has occurred in your life or to a family member's life or others you know, you can surmount whatever challenge you are currently experiencing with your innate fortitude.  That's right, you can and must decide you will overcome.  It may not be easy, but you can do it!

How you ask?  By telling yourself first, "The challenges I am experiencing is just temporary and it is only preparing me for greater things to manifest in my life."  Sounds simplistic?  Well, if it does, that's just the initial 'doubt crepe' trying to grow.  The main thing is not allow 'doubt crepe' to blossom because it can become emotionally and mentally draining in your pursuit to effect the circumstance in your life, positively.

Second, do not wallow in self-pity because you do not h ave time for that and besides, you are not the only one faced with life challenges.  Prime example, just remember our fellow brethren in Haiti!

Third, be productive and manage your time wisely, by organizing and prioritizing things that matters most to you in life.  Eventually, things will work out for you, you'll need to trust and believe.  Now, all of this is relative to your overall perspective - how you envision the outlook for your life.  The only way to change anything is through action.  But be mindful, life does not and will not offer any guarantees.  It's all up to you.  You must pay the price to OVERCOME...

Be active.  Stay committed.  Be hopeful.

Tony D. Spencer

"That's My Song"

"That's My Song"...

I was just sitting here listening to some podcasts at work and heard,  "welcome to the terrordome" and automatically I wanted to get up and start marching like the S1Ws....(if you don't know who the S1Ws, you are not a PE fan).  What I realized is that there are just some songs, no matter when you hear them nor how long ago they were made, it just touches/sparks your "soul".  It just speeches energy or subject matters in  your life.  That is why I know music is so crucial and influential.  Taking nothing off the new artists of today, but how we go from "Ribbon in the Sky" (Stevie Wonder and/or Intro) to "Bust your Windows" (Jazmine Sullivan).  Something just ain't right with music today!

I can name numerous songs, that when I hear them.....everything stops.  Just one of those...."that's my song"...finger snappin episodes. 

1. Love Ballad - LTD (Jeffrey Osborne).  George Benson made an uptempo version of this same song but LTD slowed it down and it is a classic to me. 
2. Special Kind of Fool - Basic Black.  A one hit R&B wonder that went under the radar. 
3. Forever in Your Eyes - Mint Condition.  Those dudes from Minnesota were a beast.  It is a must to see them in concert before I leave this earth.
4. Scenario and Scenario (remix) - Who can say when they here Busta Rhymes' part, they don't want to tear something up??? "Heel up wheel up bring back come rewind"
5. Set it Off - Big Daddy Kane...."let it roll get bold..." How Marley Marl chopped this JBs drum pattern for this track is amazing to me!
6. I Ain't No Joke - Eric B & Rakim....I don't know if it is the song or the video for the song I love the most.  Graffitti, B-boy stance, boom box, gold chains, Eric B scratching at the end.....That was classic hip hop at its best.
7. Andre 3000's verse on International Player....I don't care what folks say...He is in my top 5 lyrics of all time.  What he says....folks cant relate to so people don't give him his props  "like a premie out the womb, my partna yelling too soon don't do it, reconsider" 
8. Gotta Get Mine - MC Breed & Tupac.  The HARDEST Tupac verse to me ever.  "I keep my mind on my money, money on my mind, finger on the trigger, hand on my nine" RIP Tupac and MC Breed...
9. As - Stevie Wonder off Songs in the Key of Life.  If you don't have that CD in your collection, you missing the best of the best.  But "as" is songwriting at its greatest.  Listen to the words. 
10. "By the Time I get to Phoenix" - Issac Hayes.  Hot Buttered Soul.  A 16 minute song that tells a story.  WOW.....
11. "Yes" - Shekinah Glory Ministry.  Just say "Yes" to the Lord.
12. "Encourage Yourself - Donald Lawrence.  This song will truly help you overcome trials and tribulations 
    

....I could go on and on.  I know there are several contrasts, but that is what music is. It has to challenge you mentally and physically.  To me, stuff today don't do that.  Don't get me wrong, Jill Scott, Ledisi, Musiq SoulChild, Anthony Hamilton., Common, and even Kanye (sometimes)....their music speaks to me.  I can relate, but it gotta be more substance than just fighting, shooting, and saying I got the most cars and stuff.  Bring back the soul music.

I ask you.....What songs touch your soul? 

Regards,
"Bobby Womack" (...if she's lonely now...)

THINGS TO ADDRESS IN 2010....#1

. . . . DUDES  THAT RESPOND TO YOUR MESSAGES WITH, "K."  Like broads.  It's getting out of control and it's hurting me. 

___ * * * (pop, pop, pop)

/

GREAT DEBATE: Will KOBE end his career in top 5 EVER??

Will/can Kobe end his career top 5 best ever to lace em up?

Undisputed top 5 ever to date (in order):**

MJilla - [silence]

Wilt - most skilled big man to ever play. 7'0 of hot monkey balls dominance. A beast.

Magic - ushered in modern era of nba ball. He's a champion. You respect magic more now that he has retired. Unbelievable court awareness. He's 6'9 of crustacean funk dominance

Bird - saved whyte america from bball extinction. Unlike magic, you respected bird MORE when he played vs now (he hates n*groes now). His shot was unorthodox and he and my father are the reasons my J is unorthodox, but I'm so deadly. GUUTgawd I luv my game :-( UNTIL WALMART MAN FROM OXON HILL BURIED ME ON A LAST SECOND J IN 2005. But lookahur, bird is 6'9 full of orangaTANG hot balls dominance.

The Doc (J) - brought gracefulness to the game. Carried two leagues on his back -- aba and nba. His up and under move against LA IS the single greatest move ever in the nba. If u deny that ur a clown. You look at the Doc and envy this cat. Smooth. 6'9 of teraDACKtul dominance. Amazing.

IN-D-FACE.

Re: kobe, Whom would he supplant? And why?

**if u debate that list, you're a schmuck. Those 5 revolutionzed the game and were absolutely dominant. Only wilt didn't play in a era of parity. the big O, albeit h*lla nice, the triple double avg for a season wasn't all you think it was. Read about that season. O would be top 10 tho.

I luv me and hate u all.

'I'm Understanding"

"I'm Understanding"....
 

I think a lot.  I analyze everything.  The whats, where, whys, what nots, how comes…basically everything and all questions.  If you know me personally, you know this about me.  I feel sometimes there is a realization or "understanding" of situations that occur and it becomes frustrating trying to figure it out.  That is me.  I need answers.  

Recently, I have been troubled with death, disputes, arguments, and relationships.  I have puzzled my mind trying to understand…."what is going on?"  Why is this happening?  What is God trying to tell me?  Can I work this thing out with them?  What have I done wrong?  What could I have done differently or more of?  Just a lot of questions.  Then it hit me….

Why stress?  If I believe God is in control that is enough.  I must continue to pray through trials and tribulations.  My pastor says all the time that "a storm with Jesus is better than a storm without Him".  I know I am in a storm and it is overpowering.  I am not going to be able to understand everything.  No one can.    Everything does not deserve an answer.  I can not ask and even tell people to do what they are not able to do.  If they do, they do, if they don't they don't.  I have to keep moving on with what I have to do for me.  Which leads me to my other realization...  

…I stress, analyze, and question I know because I care.  I care deeply for people and their feelings, thoughts, and actions.  I bend over backwards for just about everyone and everything. Is that a bad thing?  Is that a weakness?  Sometimes I think (scratch that…I know) because I care so much it makes me vulnerable to things that should not affect me.  I step in and try to figure things out that sometimes I can not resolve.  It is just my nature.  I can not save everyone and sometimes people don't want to be saved. The key is to "semi"-transform this pattern, and accept what you can not change.  I can continue to care, but don't let it consume me.  I can not help everyone.  

I say all this to say, that we are in critical times and true understanding is going to happen within.  You have to truly know yourself.  Know what you are capable of; know what drives you; know what challenges you.  I know this thought pattern has been erupted in me because of situations that have happened recently, but I thank GOD, for giving me the discerning spirit to recognize it.  Years ago, I know I wouldn't have been able to see it.  It is a process and I am learning.  

Like I said, I am "understanding"….

Spoiling Kids

If I was one of those facebook/Twitter addicts who like to describe every step of my life in 1-2 sentence increments for my 300+ friends to see every 5 freakin minutes...this is what I would have posted this morning:

Status Update: "It's 7:45am and I have been dressed and ready to walk out the door since 7:15am. But I have to wait for my wife to finish cutting the edges of the cheese toast and removing the yoke out of the boiled eggs perfectly slicing it in two for the girl's breakfast!"

7:51am I would have posted this

Status Update II: "This doesn't make no sense...I am going to be late for an appt. because my oldest daughter doesn't want boiled eggs and is crying cuz she wanted bacon and apple sauce instead. Now, me and da wifey in a "heated" disagreement cuz I think she need to eat what da hell was prepared and da wifey wants me to give in and go ahead and make her something else to eat......I betcha I wont!"

..... anyway, after I finished cooking the turkey bacon in the microwave (lol) it was 8:05am and now I'm pissed. Why we cant just fry a bologna sandwich with the slit on the side and throw a pack of nabs and a red Capri sun in a grocery bag so we can get up outta here?!!?"

I am dead serious y'all...us new age parents are spoiling our kids!

Check dis out here.....I have a patna whose wifey is so particular on what their child eats, it drives him up the wall. His wifey wouldn't let their son eat table food until he turned 1...and now he has to have special food like organic Turkey meatballs...organic cinnamon apple sauce...Organic DHA Milk...lol...when they roll to Chic-fi-la, he gets the grilled chicken sandwich...lol. His wifey even buys those $3 jars of organic
Gerber meat links that he says taste just like VIENNA SAUSAGES.

And as soon as their son shakes his head when he is eating...she says, "oh he doesn't want it let me fix him something else!" lol..

Dude what happened to old school...when you ate what your parents gave you or you didn't eat at all?? What happened to grits and bologna for breakfast...bologna & cheese for lunch with a pack of nabs and a Nu Grape or Red Rock?  Some of y'all big city folks don't know 'bout a pack of Lance Nabs!!

Do you remember putting grape jelly or peanut butter between Ritz crackers and thought you were truly makin a gourmet snack?   How 'bout that fried Spam w/ the good imitation cheese?  What about a Capri Sun or Tang....or better yet, what ya'll know bout drankin some Tab?

Then for dinner you eat exactly what the grown folks ate...pork chops...neck bones...fried chicken...rice...butter beans...macaroni...that good Va. salty ham...cube steak and gravy...and if you didn't want it...you went to bed hungry! How many times do you remember asking your momma to stop at
McDonald's and she said "we got ground beef at home"...but you ain't never eva have any hamburger buns! LOL

Now these kids getting all this special high-price organic crap...grilled chicken and salad's...it's just spoiling the heck outta these kids and making them soft (especially ya'll wit lil soft boyz)...

STOP SPOILING THE CHILDREN...


...now go update your facebook status with that!