True happiness is a state of mind. Happiness is not a consequence of things that happen. Do not pursue happiness without practicing it. Sing, even if you do not sound good. Smile, even when things go wrong. Create happiness, and happy you will be – happiness you will find.
– Elder Janice Smith
“You cannot control someone else’s actions, or words. The choices that an individual makes is not your fault.
What is your choice is what you do with what was said and done. What is your choice is up to you. You can allow a situation to make or break you.
You have that choice! Not anyone else” – My spiritual mom! (Love You!)
I am a Christian. Not Religious. I don’t believe in tradition. I believe in breaking it.
I hate it when people refer to me as religious. I’m not.
I am a Christian. I was taught that a Christian is to be “Christ – Liked.” The Greeks gave us the name.
Jesus healed on the sabbath, talked to the Gentiles, converted a murderer into an Apostle. Jesus was not religious. He defeated the box that “religion” made!
Therefore I am Christ – Like.
My blog post typically end with biblical passages. They are inspiring. I do not believe in using the bible as doctrine for hate, intolerance, and discrimination.
No! I’ll leave that to the “religious” people.
I am not better than anyone, never will be. I’m human, and with every flaw possible. I have been blessed with the gift of forgetfulness. I don’t hold grudges, and I am not consumed by anger, or hate. I am consumer with passion. Justice runs through my veins.
Since I am not religious I do not compare my self with other faiths. I believe at the root of most faiths there is a supreme being. Whom I call God.
The apostle Paul said it best, in Romans 15: 20 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. (THAT’S IT FOR ME)
I want to advocate for youth in foster care, and low-income families. I want to write policy. That is my passion. Not to condemn people to hell, or preach morality (what every that really means).
I’ll speak love, honesty, truthfulness, commitment, forgiveness, hard work, and perseverance. That is what is most important.
I will not deny who I am as a Christian. But I can promise you I am not one of those, fake, hypocritical, condescending, insulting, blasphemous religious folks.
I am Christ – Like. Meaning what you have heard about Jesus, is who I try to be. Nothing more, and nothing less!
Religion fights, and kills. Religion and false doctrine breaks hearts, and scars humanity. Religion breaks families, and destroys a nation. Religion is prideful, arrogant, and self-fish. Religion is the bullet in the gun. Religion is the worst invention, invented by man. That’s it!
Religion is man-made!
Christ didn’t fit into a religion that’s why he was killed! He just wanted the good, not to debate over scripture, and wound nations upon nations.
I’m Christ – Like!
So forgive me, if I end every blog with a scripture, and leave every sentence longing for something eternal. It’s just who I am.
I am not better than you. I do not hate. I try to love. I try to be open. I try to be who Christ was while he was living on this earth.
I am Christ – Like!
NOT RELIGIOUS
I live in a suburban area. It has been pretty quiet until this past week.
I live with a white foster family, and across the street when I first moved in I realized that I was not the only person of color.
I was not upset or angry. During 2008 elections I saw a republican flag hanging from a black mans house. Shocked, everyone on my street was a liberal. I never knew how you could be of color and a republican.
Until that point I never knew that there were African-Americans who would vote for “Bush.”
Today June 24 2012 I was walking from the corner market. I have dread locs and I just washed them. I look like a rug. However, I finally said walked crossed the street and said “Hi, I am Domenia your neighbor” The young man, said “hey, I’m RJ” and we had a conversation.
On my street at RJ’s home it was crowded outside. There was a graduation celebration. I was disturbed though, because the quietness, and stillness in our neighborhood I realized would soon be no more, and maybe the other “white” neighbors would move out in fear of our culture, music style and urban lifestyles; that didn’t fit the white upper class society.
I talked with RJ. He is really cool! He was sitting on his dads porch. His dad came out front, RJ immediately said “dad, this is your neighbor Mia”
The father immediately said “we ain’t got no neighbors.” He hesitantly shook my hand. I wanted to cry, because I felt in my heart that he was responding to stereotypes. Just because people choose to sit on their porch does not mean that trouble is afoot. I asked God to forgive me, because I had made that same assumption when I saw that there was more color added to Belmont Street it would some how change something, we would be united solely because of the color of our skin.
I’m in awe. “we ain’t got no neighbors.” I wonder if the Republican flag was really just to fit in or if he is a true Republican. I wonder if he was worried about how other people saw him and his family.
Finally on my street I thought I could befriend a family with hair like mine. And then I heard the words “we ain’t got no neighbors”
The African-American community is not all bad. It’s false that, one bad apple spoils it for the rest. However, we are fighting the stereotype. I feel as though that African-Americans creates more tension than what needs to be. The mentality of being 3rd class citizens, animals, “niggas”, defeated and demoralization has to go.
Our young men and women need to grow up, and be raise into position of authority and respect for themselves, their country, their family, and their community. Yes, the African-American Community has seen turmoil, death, hate, depression and oppression. However so has the Jewish Community, Hispanic/Latino Community, Mental/Handicapp Community, Foster Care Youth and Immigration Community.
“WE HAVE NEIGHBORS! AND IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZED THAT TOGETHER WE STAND AND DIVIDED WE SHALL FALL”
SO TO 15 BELMONT STREET “YOU HAVE NEIGHBORS, BLACK, WHITE, HISPANIC, GAY, HANDICAPP, AND OF DIFFERENT FAITHS.
Philippians 4: 12-13
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
My Journey, My Style 