I DON'T NEED NO MUSIC

I usually don't type blogs without some kind of music playing in my ears, but I'm going to try with this one.

In other countries, people walk for miles to get to a church service. I don't know this personally, but I've heard from gospel artists that have been to other countries. I bring this up because where I live it's getting cold now. Not as cold as other places in America, but cold enough. I'm already hearing excuses about not going to church or coming out to the building where we fellowship because it's too cold. How spoiled are we in this country? They're people all around that wishes the only thing keeping them from going to church was the weather outside. Let the weather drop a little bit that will require you to wear a coat and actually turn on the heat in your car, and you don't want to leave because it's too cold. SMH...all caps so you know it's real. What if God treated us the same way? What if Grace and Mercy did not exist? What if God didn't love us? We sing the song, "We being the sacrifice of Praise, into the house of the Lord." Yet we don't sacrifice praise. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but what I'm am saying is enough with excuses because God has plenty of excuses to not deal with us.

Hebrews 4:13 in the Good News Translation says, "There is nothing that can be hid from God; everything in all creation is exposed and lies open before his eyes. And it is to him that we must all give an account of ourselves." I bring this up because I hear young people blocking they're parents or any other authority figure from their personal social media pages. You can do all the blocking and private pages you want to but you can't block God from anything. God sees all and knows all. Plus the Bible says in Luke 8:17 also in the GNT, "There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. There is nothing kept secret that will not come to light." So your parents don't see what you're doing on Facebook or Twitter. You can fool parents easily. I do mean easily. Especially the new millennium parents, that's another blog for another day. Now my mom is connected with me through social media. She follows me on Twitter and is friends with me on Facebook. When I post stuff out of line, she doesn't call me out in front of God and everybody. She messages me and tells me her thoughts and most of the time I change the way I say stuff out of respect. I got nothing to hide. I'm friends with my pastor on Facebook. I used to be friends with all the ministers from church but...let's leave that alone. Back to the point I got nothing to hide. Who I am on Facebook is who you will meet in person...or at least I try to be. So keep denying your parents friend request. Keep blocking other authority figures that try to help you. Now I do think that parents shouldn't try to get connected with the kids to spy on them. Got to let kids be kids. When I teach Sunday School or just teach the youth at church in general, it's more of a rap session than anything else. Most of the kids get preached at already by the Pastor and their parents. I like talking to the youth. The little I know about what's going on in the "secular" world I talk to them about. With that being said, I'm the last person in the world from being relevant with what's going on that's "hip."

Like I said I talk to youth I don't judge them or chastise them for their actions. That's not my job. If they befriend me on Facebook, and I see them post filth and foul and filth, etc, I'm not going to rat them out to their parents. That's not how I roll. I prefer giving them the message and let them make the decision to get right. Most of the youth do know better. They just don't do better. Does it have to do with the living environment? I'm willing to say some of it does. At the same time though, they are old enough to know right from wrong, and old enough to decide what to believe in. What I try to do is lead by example. Do I like to laugh? You bet. I like to have fun believe it or not.  I just don't do everything by the doctrine or tradition. By that standpoint, I guess you can call me a rebel. Any other rebels out there? Holla at your boy.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson
Facebook.com/bigdusty
Twitter.com/Big_Dusty

Genius question of the year plus other randomness

So here I am about to go to sleep, to take a nap if you will, and I realized that I forgot to turn my cell phone on when I woke up earlier. I turned it off in the first place because I didn't want to be bothered with text messages and other stuff. Sure enough when I turned the cell phone on and was about to go to sleep, I heard the ring tone telling me a got a text message. Here's what it said, "Why do christian rappers sell albums? Why [do] they charge for the message God has given them? Churches dont charge the service. Why should christain rappers do so?" First of all, I think text messages need the value of a spell check. Second of all, what? "Why do Christians rappers sell albums?" To make money, genius, like all artist. It takes money to go to Africa to witness. It takes money to pay for this little thing called gas? Ever heard of it? It's used to fill cars. "Why [do] they charge for the message God has given them?" I don't think this is a fair question. Again, it takes money to do things. Bottom line. Yes God can make a way out of no way. Yes, God is all we need. But God didn't make us to be lazy. Look at it this way. Let's say God called me to be a playwright. It takes money to pay for actors, band, the set, etc. Even though there's a message in the play, it would be foolish and stupid for me to put on a play and not charge money to see it. If the actors don't get paid, they're not going to stay on tour. Bottom line sir. Music is a business. Gospel/Christian or secular. It's a business. If the music does not make money, the record company doesn't make money. And if the record company doesn't make money, do you think they're going to keep the artist on the label? Heck no. "Churches dont charge the service. Why should christain rappers do so?" Like I said, music is a business. Comparing hearing a message off music your bought and going to church to hear the message is non comparable in my opinion. You do go to church, or you should go to church to hear a Word from God. And I guess you do buy Christian music to hear a Word from God. Churches don't and in my opinion shouldn't charge for services. Remember church is not the building, church is the saints. We use the building to come together to praise and worship God. Ok. So why would you charge money to come together with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to fellowship? Just wouldn't make sense. Now, why do christian rappers do so? To make money. Now is that what it should be all about? No. It is about reaching souls. It is about leading people to Christ. But I think that buying music from Christian artists should be looked at as investing in ministry. I said before, it takes money to go to other countries and witness. It takes money to pay for gas to drive across the country to witness. It takes money to buy equipment used to record the music.

Anyway, Happy Memorial Day!! Once again got the iPod going ready to go. As I'm typing Dad got the ribs in the oven because it's wet outside. Later I'm going to making the baked macaroni-n-cheese. To keep it healthy, we'll having a salad along with everything else. Dad and my little sister are having deviled eggs. I'm not because I don't eat eggs from hell. Also, I don't like boiled eggs at all.

The NBA Playoffs are still going strong. Personally I think the games would be so much better if the games were officiated more consistently. The referees have been "straight garbage" to quote Stephen A. Smith. It has to make it hard for the players to play like they want to because it seems like the refs don't know what a flagrant is or isn't. Either way, as I'm typing this, Orlando is up 2-1 in their series, and Lakers are up 2-1 in their series. My opinion, the Nuggets need to keep Kenyon away from any offensive play. He's a jinx on offense. He's a great defensive player, and that's a given. But on offense, he's a screw up, and if the Nuggets lose the series, I'll put most of the blame on him. On to the other team, Kobe is overrated. Yes I said it. Now as far as the other series. Lebron is doing his thing, but his teammates need to step it up. James can't do it by himself. Magic is taking advantage of that. That's why Magic is up 2-1 right now in my opinion.

Illinois, Big Dusty is coming!! That's right! My sister and I are heading to Illinois for a couple of weeks to visit moms up there. This will be my first time on a plane since I was little. Am I scared? Pshhh...you better believe it, but my sister says it will be ok. Now I'm a little skeptical also because I'm on the plus side of things when it comes to weight. BTW, if you hate fat people, you hate America. Right now, fat is as Americana as bad Will Ferrel movies. But anyway, yeah I'm worried that my weight will be an issue, but my sister assures me that it won't. Mom says it won't be an issue either. I'm definitely going to need some prayer and supplements.

Those ribs are smelling good right now, I'm not going to lie. I'm going to tear them up!!

I've been more consistent on working on my the story I'm writing. I still don't have a title for it, but I believe it'll come to me sooner or later.

So, y'all have a good day today. Hope y'all eat good and well. I know I will. Y'all be good now, ya hear.

Stay saved,

Daniel aka Big d