Thursday, October 31, 2013

NOT YOUR AVERAGE ANTI HALLOWEEN BLOG

Today being what it is one would think that I would talk about Halloween and all that. I may talk about it a little bit, but that's not the direction I feel like going with this blog. I don't celebrate Halloween, just to put it out there. The reason I was given was, "It's the devil's birthday." I was told that as a little kid, and I remember going to the daycare, Rocking Horse Daycare, and I told everybody why I don't celebrate it. I never really got envious of other kids either. At least I don't remember getting envious. I just remember us putting a sign on the door that says we don't celebrate Halloween please don't knock. Funny story with that though. One year we put a sign up. We went to what the church calls Hallelujah Night. Came back and someone changed the sign to say, "We Celebrate Halloween. Please Knock." Pretty clever.

I asked the kids at church why we don't celebrate Halloween and most of them said, "It's the devil's birthday." Ok let's put this out there. If you study the Word of God, Lucifer was an angel in heaven  before he tried to arise above his position then got sent to hell. One could assume God always had angels, so how could one figure out when the Devil was born? I mean are we going by when he was sent to hell? Or are we going by when he was made in heaven? I mean where are we going with the "devil's birthday?" thing? Now is it the Devil's Day? I give you that, but the birthday thing is too much for me to fathom at this age. Now I've been told the origin of Halloween by my dad plenty of times. Do I remember what he said?

Moving on. Sticking with Halloween subject a little bit. So, Miley Cyrus Halloween costume this year is Lil Kim. Some years ago, I want to say 1999, Lil Kim an outfit on that stole the show. and Miley trying to wear the same outfit is laughable. Lil Kim actually has a chest. Miley has a chest God gave a preteen that hasn't had her first period yet. Lil Kim covered a nipple but you could still see the outer boob. Miley covered the whole boob. I'm so done with Miley. Miley is going through a mid life crisis and she's only 20. People are giving Miley credit for the outfit, which gives you a reason to stay off of drugs kids. Have y'all seen or heard that song Miley did with Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J called 23? And the fans of 106 and Park have the audacity the unmitigated gall to have that video not just on the countdown but number 2 on the coutdown. Biggie and Tu Pac, well Biggie for sure, are turning in their graves with the state of hip-hop right now. If it wasn't for Eminem still being around, and A.S.A.P. Rocky, and Kendrick Lemar hip hop would be dead as a genre which would make COGIC pastors around the world estatic. Now am I'm saying I listen to Eminem, Kendrick Lemar, or A.S.A.P. Rocky? No. I listen to Lecrae, KB, Flame, T-Bone, KJ-52, and cats like that. I'm just saying, Eminem and nem are keeping the essence of Hip-hop alive. Having Miley Cyrus, the girl who tries to pop her back because she has no booty, in a hip hop video is just blasphemous in my opinion.

Didn't know I was going to go there, but I talk to myself a lot and this is what I think about. Ok, I'm done. Have a good one y'all. If you celebrate Halloween, be careful. Check your candy or fruit before you eat because folks are crazy.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Thursday, October 24, 2013

WHAT YOU INHALE, YOU'LL EXHALE

You ever like hear the same message over and over then at one random moment it hits you like a dart? I think I've even blogged about it at one time talking about watch what you eat. What's in you will come out. Or as my mom would say all the time, "You eat fat greasy food, you'll be a fat greasy dude." I heard this all the time but never really had it sunk in before. When old folk talk about be careful what you watch, they mean it. Example, lately I've been watching Paul Mooney videos. Paul Mooney is a all time great comedian that's still working the roads. I believe the man is 80 or close to it. Anyway, Paul is not the cleanest guy in the world. The man wrote for Richard Pryor. The Richard Pryor. So one cannot expect him to work clean, and trust, he doesn't. So it wouldn't be surprising that if a situation got to a certain point, certain words might "slip" out. It's not really a slip though if that's what's you're inhaling. That's like eating nachos and then when you burp you have the taste of nachos and be like, "Where did that come from?" What you put in will come out.

So with all that being said, I got to listening to this song Paradise by Isaac Carree. The lyrics go like this, "Everybody wants to go there, but nobody wants to die.
So if you wanna see Him, you gotta live this life right, yeah.

Nothing's for certain, but this one thing's for sure.
We all gonna leave here, I pray I make it through them doors.

There will be (no more tears and no more pain).
I wanna hear Him (say, " well done," when he calls my name).
Can't wait to get to paradise (paradise).
Can't wait to get to paradise (paradise). Paradise."

I had this song on repeat. It was just sinking and sinking in. Most of us want to go to heaven. Nobody in their right mind wants to go to hell. But to reach a specific destination, you have to take the right directions. Can't go to heaven playing around with certain stuff that I know is unbiblical. Like the job I got terminated from, right? I went in and they trained us to operate under certain rules. I didn't follow the rules. I broke the rules and got punished for it. Was I mad? Yes. But I couldn't really be mad at the company because I did break the rules. They say if you know right you do right. I say if you know right and don't want to do right, it doesn't really matter.

One big pet peeve that I have is old religious folk talking down to young people like they don't know anything, and then wonder why the young people rebel. Got to use common sense. Another pet peeve is when old religious folk that has seen you grow up and at the same time treat you like you're still that teenager. Even though you're grown with a beard. But anyway, I believe young people do know better, they just don't care. Young people are not stupid. When they want to do better or be better, they will be better. Like for me, I didn't want to eat healthy. I thought eating healthy was not that important. Until I went to the hospital for congested heart failure and realized that this ain't a joke. I say keep teaching the young people the right way. The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it." Sometimes it takes something catastrophic for change to happen. 9/11 ring a bell? Before 9/11, unity in this country was not that important. After 9/11, even though it didn't last long, this country was for once United.

So let me say, to bring this all home, that there is a purpose for all that we go through. We can't waste time worrying about stupid people and what they think they know. The Bible says, "Study to show THYself approved." Keep on keeping on. And..

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

CUTTING OFF DEAD BRANCHES

I talked to God before I started posted this blog because I knew that i had to be careful of what I typed. I will say this much how ever. I sorta understand how the Republicans in congress feel. We all know about the government shut down that's going on. Congress didn't like what Obama presented so besides being grown up and having a conversation with Obama on what to do to compromise, they decided to shut down in protest. The reason why I say I understand how Congress feels is because I too understand what it is like to disagree with leadership. Some people in leadership, to be blunt, really suck at leading. I'm not saying that's Obama, I'm just talking general, but even if they are horrible at their post, we got to show them respect. We may not respect the person holding the position, but we got to respect the position.

Now, a couple of days ago I posted a status on my Facebook, that said, "Have to turn some people off…for my own health and peace." In the comment section I was asked how do we do that? How do we cut people off? I said, "You got to choose to. Delete them from from your facebook. Keep the conversations short. Don't give them a thought." To add on to that delete any text conversations. Turn them off from your memory. The questions comes, who was I talking about in that status? or why did I post that status? That I won't get into on this blog, but I will say that I question if some people really care, or are they just nosey? or if they do care, do they care for the right reasons?

Also I will say that when an athlete is out with an injury, people try to rush them back on the court or field. When the athlete comes back too soon they risk permanent injury. Or they do what Derrick Rose did and sit out an entire season to make sure they are ready to come back to play. Now I'm more of a Derrick Rose. Those that know and read the last blog post know that I was in the hospital. And a lot of people know that I sing in the choir and on the P&W team at my church. At a recent choir rehearsal I tried to come back on the choir and realized that I was no where near ready. At that point I realized that I needed to take my time coming back to the choir stand. I'm not going to let anybody rush me back or force me to come back. I don't care who they are.

I'm going to stop right there because if I keep going, I'll start mentioning names, and that's never a good thing. Update after the hospital btw, I'm feeling better day by day. I'm taking my meds like I'm supposed to. and my weight is coming down also. Yet I shall not be rushed. So yes I am cutting people off in my life. Why? Because, one, I'm tired of losing sleep. Two, my blood pressure is already bad enough as it is. Third, I got better things to do then to spend my time staying mad at folks that don't matter. And I'm tired of having no one to confide in. I can count on one hand of people I can actually confide in on this planet. So I'm trimming off dead branches if you will. I am a bit too sensitive at times I admit that, but at the same time some people are just not worth my time or my thoughts. Y'all got people like that in your life also. I say turn them off and get your sleep back. Nobody is worth your peace.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson aka Big Dusty

Saturday, October 05, 2013

THIS BLOG POST SHOULDN'T EVEN EXIST, BUT GOD

I've heard this all my life, "We're overcome by the word of our testimony."

So I went to this funeral. I was sitting all the way in the back because I didn't want to see the body. I'm definitely not about that life. Anyway there I was sitting in the back. Mind y'all I'm not a big crier. But I was getting emotional and shooken up. Why?

Ok for a long time my blood pressure has been a big issue. Only it took me a while to go to the doctor for it. When I finally did, I got medicine for it. I took it like I was supposed to and then I stopped taking it. Why? Good question. To be honest, I probably forgot one day and then the trend the continued. Plus in my own mind I was feeling fine so I figured I don't need it. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. I was having a lot of issues breathing which caused a long time of sleepless nights. I figured it was one of those, "God is trying to tell me something" type thing so I didn't think to go to the ER or doctor for it. I figured it would blow off eventually. Well it didn't. So one Sunday night it got really bad and I had my little sister take me to the ER. Got to the ER, and not only couldn't I breathe properly, but I was sweating like I stole something. Now I'm a generational sweater anyway, but I've never sweated this bad. So not only couldn't I breathe, but I was sweating like a politician in church.

Again, I shouldn't even be here typing this right now. If my sister wasn't there to take me to the ER, I probably would've been hard-headed. So I was knocking on death's door, but I got another chance. That's why at the funeral, I was overcome with emotion. I got chills. I was scared to be honest. Just to let y'all know I am taking my medicine and I've changed the way I eat. Lifestyle change I wasn't comfortable with at first, but I'm adjusting to it. I still don't trust doctors. Oh let me tell you why. So I was laying on my hospital bed eating my lunch, and this Herman Munster, Google it kids, look a like came in to "check on me." Again I was eating during this. He looked me dead in the eye and said, "You'll be dead by 30." Now I think he was trying to tell me that, "If you don't change your way of living, you'll be dead by 30." But he didn't say that. Again I was eating my lunch. So in my mind I was thinking, "Dude, why don't you just shoot me and end it now?"

I was also told that my heart beat will never get back to where it's supposed to be. See why I don't like the doctors? But I one time read in the Word of God, "My flesh and my heart faileth:  but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." (Psalm 73:26, KJV) Thank you all for the prayers and concern. I will be fine. I will be ok. You know, I've heard all my life, "Doctors say one thing, but God." I never thought I would experience that.

Stay Saved,
Daniel Richerson aka Big Dusty
Twitter.com/big_dusty
Facebook.com/bigdusty