GUTTER BLOGS
"EXPLAINING TRUTH FROM THE BOTTOM UP"
Can You Question God? by Delvyn Crawford
Time and time again, I've heard from my grandmother that God doesn't make any mistakes. Having my uncertainties about my grandmother's statement, I then began to question God. When my grandmother saw this, she immediately told me to be quiet because a man wasn't suppose to question God. In respect for my grandmother, I did exactly what she said and kept my mouth shut. I couldn't help but think, however, about the disabled kids in my school, that were in wheelchairs, back braces, on crutches, wore helmets on their heads, and couldn't stop themselves from drooling out of their mouth. Surely, God messed up when He made them, I thought to myself. How come they couldn't have the health and strength that I had? Why did they have to be subjected to the name callings and ridicule of others?
I then thought about those people they showed on television, that had insects swarming all around them; who didn't have access to clean water, medical care, and was dying from starvation. Did God care about them? Maybe He made another mistake.
How about the innocent bystanders that died from the result of something they couldn't control such as bombings, war, robbery, stabbing, or a stray bullet? How could a loving God allow these horrible things to occur and happen to people on a regular basis? Certainly, God had to make a mistake somewhere, I thought.
Since I wasn't suppose to question God about these things, I posed the question to my parents, teachers, leaders, and mentors. But all they could say was that I needed to be thankful for the life that I lived. When they told me this, I became more confused. Was I suppose to rejoice because I wasn't handicapped? Was I suppose to be thankful because I had food on the table? Was I suppose to be happy because my residence didn't get bomb; and I didn't get robbed, stabbed, or shot by a stray bullet? Was I??? How unfair would that be to all the others who experienced these things?
The day that I seeked God, and grew to know Him by His nature and Diety, I found out that a man shouldn't question God. I'm suppose to "REJOICE". I'm suppose to "BE THANKFUL". I'm suppose to "BE HAPPY". I'm suppose to be appreciative of the life that God has given me! One thing that I've learned, is that we can't explain why things happen the way that they happen, due to our "FUTILE" minds. Who can explain how the "SUN" shines everyday of our lives, without it ever malfunctioning? Who can explain the complexity of all creation; in which an owl can turn its head 360 degrees, where a bat can hang and sleep upside down, and a human possessing the intelligence to travel to the moon?
When we lean on our own understanding, we never see the bigger picture; which is God's purpose. All things work for the good of those who love God, and is called according to His purpose. Just like the blind man in the scriptures who committed no sin to cause his blindness; but was healed that God may be glorified, so is everything else that we may not understand. I now know why man shouldn't question God. The reason why is because God's ways are much higher than our ways, and his thoughts are much higher than our thoughts. We just have to pray for those in need, and trust God.
Can We Last? by Nadja G-C
Over the past few decades many people who haven't seen their married friends in a while greet them by asking, “Are you and what's his/her name still married?” Why isn’t it the option to say, "When are you all having your 20yr anniversary dinner not there?” Marriage, in my eyes is looked at as a temporary "situation" (Erykau Badu). I personally never had a great example of how a marriage was supposed to be. With that said, I was forced to try and figure it out on my own. When the path of marriage was filled with boulders, I didn't want to exercise and climb them. Never the less, even without the example of what to do when things are going wrong wasn't there, I still tried to keep it together. My husband was also in the same boat I was in with no one to show him how a marriage was meant to be. When things weren't going the way he felt it should be, running was the same path he wanted to take; just like generations before him.
What makes running so easy for many people? The only thing that comes to mind for me is; people have been taught by example to run from something that scares them, then to stay and show that you have a little ounce of courage. When life gets hard, husbands and wives need to show that they’re warriors. Getting stabbed in the fatty tissue of your leg is just a flesh wound. Don't get me wrong; taking a knife to the heart (Infidelity) is another story. We need to fight! If we don't step up to the plate and be an example for the next generation then the 360° effect will equal infinity.
In the first half of my marriage with drama coming from every angle, the warrior in me was getting exhausted. My husband was strapping up his sprinting shoes. After talking about seeing a marriage counselor, I then saw that we were going to put on our armor and get ready for round two. We talked to our pastor and seen that outside of fighting each other, we were fighting generational curses. Neither my husband nor I were quitters. If this meant we had to fight in order to show God we meant our vows, THEN SO BE IT!
If we had of “GAVE UP”, we would have never been blessed with our sons. If we had of “GAVE UP”, we wouldn't be able to show our friends, family and on lookers what a marriage can be like.
I am not saying marriage will have a fairy tale ending, because there is no ending. Marriage is an ongoing work in progress. Showing your strength in a marriage shows others your true character.
Does Age Have A True Bearing? by Tina Williams (Freelancer)
Over the years I have taken part in plenty of discussions on the "RIGHT" age to start a family. Many of my peers say that they chose to start their families at a young age because they wanted to be able to "RELATE" to them and the experiences they may encounter or some felt they would be able to "ENJOY" their children more while they were still young. On the other side of those conversations I have brought this subject manner into play with some of my previous teachers, older coworkers, and even a few of my mentors that were just beginning their familes.
The reasoning behind waiting until their late 20's, mid 30's, and in some cases early 40's, was due to wanting to be better established in life allowing them to "ENJOY" and "RELATE" to their children more. Whether it was to be better suited emotionally or financially, those happened to be the core reasons. I myself do not believe there is a particular age that is "CORRECT" when starting a family. I do however believe it to be the type of communication and love you give your child/children that ultimately dictates the "ENJOYMENT" you share and "RELATIONSHIP" you build. A younger parent may have the advantage in the way of age, but do they have the life knowledge that the older parent holds, or are they still "LOOKING" for themselves!? Maybe an older parent has the advantage in the way of stability, but do they have the time needed to wear yet another "HAT!?"
Age does not dictate how well we will be at raising a child, yet the spiritual strength, willingness to share ourselves, communication, trust, and understanding will have us off to an outstanding start. I always tell my children's teachers that I don't send my children to school to be raised but to be taught; because I'm a firm believer that a child being raised begins at home.
Contact Tina Williams for Freelance writing via email at: soitiswrittenbyt@live.com
Fast Food, Alcohol, & Cigarettes by Delvyn Crawford
Fast food, alcohol, and cigarettes have to be good for you! I mean... every company that sells these products have some of the most alluring, eye catching, attractive, and most striking people that I've ever seen advertising for them. I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but one can't help notice the smooth skin, white teeth, and toned physique that these people exemplify on posters, billboards, and commercials. In fact, I don't know what's all the hoopla and commotion that these "DOCTORS" pronounce about fast food; and why cigarettes and alcohol are mandated by "LAW", to put those "SURGEON GENERAL WARNINGS" on their products!
Who cares about "HEART DISEASE", "HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE", "KIDNEY FAILURE," "DIABETES", "OBESITY", "CANCER", and getting "ADDICTED" to these products anyway? If you're young, it just may be worth taking the risk; don't you think? Just the other day, I observed a poster of a guy holding a fifth of liquor with gorgeous women all around him. What man wouldn't want that attention, I thought. The poster had me convinced that it was "THE LIQUOR" that brought the women around, not him! Similar to "KELIS" Milkshake bringing all "THE BOYS" to the yard, and the "Axe Body Spray" that men "PURPOSELY" put on, to have women of every ethnicity "FLOCKING" to them.
When I considered eating "FAST FOOD", drinking "ALCOHOL", and smoking "CIGARETTES", something profound was brought to my attention. Through a trusted source, I was informed that these companies are masters of deception. I couldn't believe it! What was more interesting, was that a lot of these companies search for people who are appealing; that's "TYPICALLY" in dire need of money. Conscious about their "DIFFICULT" circumstances, and fully aware that they would do just about "ANYTHING" to obtain money and notoriety; due to the fact that "MOST" of them come from poverty stricken backgrounds, these companies "EXPOSE" them to sell their "HARMFUL" products.
Surprisingly, these companies admitted that they wasn't oppose to advertising with people that frequently use, and overindulge in their products. The problem they emphasized, however, was that "THOSE" people are either unavailable or unqualified to advertise, because some of them are on respirators, in hospitals, or look older than what they really are. With that said... I guess I won't be eating "FAST FOOD", drinking "ALCOHOL", and smoking "CIGARETTES" after all. If I did, it wouldn't be because of those ads!
