Who threw the deck of cards up in the air?

Yep it’s been like that. A deck of cards unshuffled, some missing, some face up and some face down scattered all about. I’ve been waiting for a time to write so I could tell you how marvelous everything is and fill you in on some major accomplishments, but truth be told things have been weird. Nothing has gone as planned, but that’s what makes life interesting and helps to build character.  

I’ve been rolling with the punches and I haven’t felt a lick! Seriously, I’m so at peace in the midst of this chaos and that is beautiful. Years ago I probably would’ve blown my stack, did some self medicating and filled my life with distractions to escape some of this craziness, but now I stay focus and keep smiling because I know that great things are coming my way. Not because I see them or have been told that by anyone, but GOD’s promises never fail. I feel and know that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be at this moment in time.

First thing is that the place where I was supposed to stay when I got here only existed in someone else’s mind and dreams. I hope that dream materializes for her more than I do for me. So after spending a few days in a hotel waiting for this dream to materialized I called out to GOD and said I know you didn’t bring me here for this. I also asked him for some wheels so I could get around and not feel confined. And like the good FATHER HE is, poof! The very next day I found a place and a car I could afford. Talking about grateful! 

Next thing was my shipment from Gambia. Now that was a headache because of miscommunication. I only found out last week where the shipment was and now I’ve got to pay all kind of crazy storage fees. Dang!

Then the publishing company that I had contracted with to publish my book last April sent me an email saying that they were not going to publish it because they didn’t have much success at publishing books of that particular genre. Huh, what!? They knew what they were getting when they asked me to contract with them. Hmph!!!!

Not to mention that my children’s lives are somewhat turmoil these days. Geez! This is the main reason why GOD has brought me back here. Just to be here for them. Whether they call me or not to reach out to me for me to help, I’m here!

I’ve so enjoyed cruising around the city, taking my grand daughter shopping for her birthday, going to church on Sundays and catching up with some old friends. Despite the fact that things have not gone the way I would’ve wanted it I so appreciate all that is in my life. And I know it only will get better!

People ask me if I miss Africa, well all I can say is that in spite of all the cards in the air I’m too busy enjoying the moment to miss anything!

Here to There

Well it’s been a while since we last met here. It’s all on me because I have been silent these past few weeks. I had to keep quiet so I could hear that small still voice that dwells inside of me. I’ve have made some crucial decisions and more importantly my spirit is causing me to reposition myself. 

I’ve prayed about it, asked for a sign and received it. As difficult as it may be I’ve decided to leave Gambia and move back to the states. Yep, out of Africa for now. Hold on, wait a minute, not my organization, just my physical being.

This is not an easy thing to do. I’ve lived here for almost 10 years. 9 years and 5 months to be exact. So I liken this part of my journey as gestation period in the womb of Mother Africa.  She has nurtured me and fed me with her many riches and now it is time to come forth.

This all feels weird and at times quite unreal or at least surreal. I imagine this is how a baby feels when it has reached full term in the womb. No matter how you turn, which ever way you stretch there isn’t enough room. It was my spirit that led me here and now it is leading me on, almost like a pull that I can’t resist. There are some greater things waiting on me, I can feel it and I must be where GOD wants me to be to receive these great blessings HE has for me and also to be a blessing to others. I knew that when GOD gave me the inspiration for It’s Nice To Be Nice International httpwww.intbn.org  that it was not only to be in Gambia, but in whatever part of the world HE chose to send me to. I’m being obedient so who knows where to from here. 

I’ve discovered and rediscovered so many things about myself. I’ve learned how deep, strong and widespread are my roots. Many of us from the African Diaspora long to reconnect with our African Heritage, to know our ancestral roots, but what I also discovered is that my roots are not only in Africa, but they are also in North America. So my love is far and wide. My family is there in the states and I can not ever forget that or them. They need me, I need them!

So, I’ve been packing, selling, shipping and storing my stuff for this major move. It’s hard enough moving from one residence to another, let alone moving from continent to another. And get this, I don't have an address in the states any longer. I'm moving on faith and know that GOD will provide me with what I need and much of what I desire. It’s sort of freeing getting rid of so much stuff though. Furniture, clothing, linen, house wares, office supplies, satellite dish, and electronics you name it. I’ve either sold it or given it away. And as I look around I still got too much stuff! Geez!!!! My vices are clothes, shoes, handbags and the like.  And oh yeah, my art! My art is a reflection of life and places I’ve been; nothing expensive in a material sense, but as I look around at it I see where I’ve been and it also tells me where I want to go.

This is why I’ve been silent all these weeks my friends. It was and is just way too much stuff going on to be able to sort through all the emotions, boxes and suitcases to share. I wanted to make this transition as calm and stress free as possible. To do that I prayed then I’d plan each step in order not to create chaos and be out of my house that I’ve rented here for 6 years on the target date that I set.

I did it and I’m on a countdown now and only have a few days left here. I’m excited by what’s coming next, yet weepy for what I’m leaving behind. Will I come back to Gambia? Of course all things by GOD’s will! I’ve got property here, I’m a citizen of The Gambia and my organization is here......

But right now I’ve got on traveling shoes.

Lady in waiting!

Welcome! What a blessing it is to share with you again. I apologize for the inconsistency of my post. It’s not because I have grown tired of posting to my blog or that I have forgotten. You my readers are important to me, but stuff is going on. Good stuff!

If you can recall in my post on April 8^th of this year, “Brother can you spare a dime”, I wrote about asking GOD for a sign to let me know if I was going in the right direction and following a path that HE approved of and more importantly a path that HE is me leading down. That’s when a pineapple plant I planted over 3-4 years ago fruited. Wow! I’m still in awe and testifying about that!

Well anyway since to me that was my sign I’m moving ahead with some plans for my future and that of my family. And oh yeah, big things happening for my organization, "It's Nice To Be Nice (INTBN) International". www.intbn.org  That may not sound like a big deal to you or anything out of the ordinary way of thinking, but it is for me. You see, I’m a late bloomer. So some of the things people did when they were young I’ve experienced in my latter years and thank GOD for that. I believe that since I’m more mature now I can fully appreciate experiences deferred. 

In my life I have not really been a planner. I actually believed and still have a belief that if it’s intended for you and if that’s how GOD wants it, then that’s how it’s going to be. So I felt like what was the use in planning, just live and GOD would work it out. Like I’ve said I’ve matured and praise GOD I’ve matured with wisdom.  So this planning thing is so new to me. I must admit though, by not planning and following my spirit it has taken many places I’ve wanted to go and experienced many adventures, people and things I desired.

One of the things I’ve learned about planning is to hold those plans tight to you chest because haters are everywhere and some people hate for no earthly reason at all. I say that to say there is a lot I want to share with you, but I can’t right now till the chicken is ready to hatch. Huh, what!? 

Yeah, cat’s got my tongue.

      

People make the world go round!

Hello! What a week huh!? I didn’t post last Monday because it was just too much going on and like most of the world that has access to international news or if you’re in the states national news I was focused on last Monday’s events on my television. 

It was sad how some people were responding to this tragic event. You know what I mean, those old clichés like, “chickens coming home to roost” and so forth. While everyone’s opinion is just that, theirs, sometimes it’s best to be quiet, especially when there is loss of life. We should be comforting and supportive or quiet. I’m quite sure if a tragic event happened in their lives these are not words they would care to hear. I’m just saying.

Well let’s move forward and that’s what this post is mainly about, moving forward. And I’m talking about moving forward together so I’ll be writing about the mind of, “the people” and “a people”.

Huh, what!? You say you didn’t get that! Okay, I’m going to break it down from my point of view and remember I said everyone has an opinion. 

In my way of thinking, “mind of the people” represents a group of people that have come together and formed a consensus of how they want the world to view them or how that group is expressing themselves to an audience or the world in general. Almost like a mission statement or a cause. So even if these people are of different mindsets, backgrounds and what have you they still have come together and are supposed to be moving in unity: so groups, clubs, associations, fraternities and so forth function on this accord. Does that make sense now?      

I’m not talking about the people that get caught up in fads either, that’s a whole nother discussion!

Now on the other hand the mind of a people to me are people who not come together in any shape form or fashion, but have some of the same characteristics as others. Like the guys who walk around with their pants on the ground, now these guys have never met or come together to decide this is how we’re going to do this, it’s just a mindset; or when disaster strikes and people come to the aid of others. You got me? Well the latter has been on my mind for some time and I’ve been wanting to write about it, but it’s so sensitive I’ve had a difficult time putting it into words. I think the best thing I can do is share what I think about it and let you do the same, think about it. 

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Brother can you spare a dime?

Welcome! I hope everyone had a good week and that you are looking forward to tomorrow!  I know I am! 

I don’t know where this week’s post is going to take us since I kind of sort of feel like I’m on a share lockdown right about now. Huh, what’s that you say!? Well the best way for me to answer would be for me to say; I have a lot of things I want to share with you, but I’m not ready to let the cat out of the bag so to speak. Give me a week or two and I’ll do my best to fill you in and take you out of suspense, that is if you're in suspense.

So in the mean time I’m going to share some random thoughts and experiences from this past week.

I’ve been praying about my decisions and directions in life to make sure I’m on the right course and asked GOD for a sign to let me know. Well, I planted a pineapple plant in my backyard here about 4 years ago as an associate looked on. On one of her recent visits as we were in my backyard she commented. “Pineapples must take a long time to grow”. I told her that after all this time the pineapple wasn’t going to grow and that it has become a very large and beautiful non fruit bearing plant.  Well one day last week I went out in my backyard and was marveling at GOD’s glory and looked down at the pineapple plant and there it was, a baby pineapple. Now I think that’s clearly a sign! 

Like in the states people that beg here tend to hang around areas associated with money; banks and grocery stores mostly. Anyway when most of them see me or any foreigner they almost run to you, often times dragging behind a blind or otherwise infirmed person. Recently I was the supermarket and beggars on foot, in wheelchairs and crutches literally chased me from place to another. Geez! I felt like I was walking through a flock of pigeons. Because there were so many of them on the chase nobody got any thing. All I wanted to do was escape. When it’s able bodied women with children I refer them my organization’s literacy program. But this day, phew! Sometimes I’ll ask them, “You see all these other people around you, why not ask them as well and stop targeting me because you think I have money.” And when you’ve given to them in the past they treat you as you’re a returning customer when they see you and hurry to you. This has annoyed me for such a long time. Not giving, but the targeting part of it. 

That is until today, I had a revelation. An epiphany! What I heard in myself, my spirit today when a young girl that was leading a blind man in my direction while I was sitting outside my gym waiting on a taxi. I was thinking to myself that they looked familiar and I could tell she was thinking the same thing of me. I went on to think, “Don’t target me”, when I heard it deep within. “When Jesus was in an area there would be throngs of people around him and his disciples were there as well, but the people didn’t shout for just anybody in the crowd. They didn’t shout after or for His disciples. They shouted for Jesus and they shouted for Him because they knew He had something for them!” BOOM!!!!! So I will do my best to no longer see myself as a target, but as someone special to them, because in their mind they think I have something for them.  I’ve been convicted! To GOD be the glory! I’m not saying I’ll give to everyone all the time, that’s the purpose of creating my organization; a way to help many. But I will definitely view the mindset of these beggars differently.  

Looks like a sign to me!