More Than a Rib

This post is a poem that I recently wrote for my beautiful wife Candace. Now some may ask, "why is he putting a poem about his wife on here?" Simple answer. God blessed me with my wife (Proverbs 18:22). This poem is an expression of my love for her. This is not strange or out of line. Solomon wrote a whole book of the bible to his beloved (Songs of Songs).

Beauty defined/ in terms of an intricate design/ a smile that shines/ its a blessing to see like sight for the blind/ She is more than a rib/ She is a part of me/ one flesh in God's eyes, by His will joined in unity/ that's why I can speak so fluently/ about her worth and how even in the midst of my mess ups, she was still true to me/ She is more than a rib/ God filled my heart with love for her, though/ it's not always what I would show/ my river of love never truly changed its flow/ She is more than a rib/ my love flowin'/ into her ocean of emotion/ I'm grateful and thankful that God allowed me to seize this moment/ to let her know that she has me like the Bible on the 'This do in remembrance of Me' table...perpetually open/ She is more than a rib/ the embodiment of beauty, wisdom and strength/ to display my unconditional love, I'll go to great lengths/ She is more than a rib/ I love every inch of her being/ and if seeing is believing/ I believe I'm seeing a woman whose internal and external beauty is simultaneously beaming/ She is more than a rib/ my wonderful woman of worth, the mother of my kids/ holding the essence of phenomenal in her heart/ my best friend, my lover, sexy, classy, smart/ more valuable than calling her a dime/ I am hers and she is mine/ She is a part of me/ one flesh in God's eyes, by His will joined in unity/ that's why I can speak so fluently/ on how Candace A. Parker is more than a rib to me.

Now I know this poem is written for my wife, but there is also a message in this. Men, particularly those that are married or even engaged, you should be able to openly express to your woman how you feel about her. It doesn't make you weak or a punk to let her know that you love her. If anything, you show greater strength by openly displaying your love for her. Treat your woman right. It even talks about it in the Bible in 1 Peter 3:7 and Ephesians 5: 28-30.

Women, your man should feel something similar about you. He should honor, respect and love you as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5: 25). Also, as women of God, you should be the crown for your husband like it says in Proverbs 12:4. This meaning that he should take pride in the fact that you are his wife, like a king takes pride in wearing his crown.

I pray that this encourages those who are married, engaged, or in a serious relationship to seek God first, let Him show you how to treat your significant other and how your significant other should treat you. God bless.

Draw nigh

I know that on the last post I said that there was to be a continuation of the "Setting a Higher Standard" series, but God put something in my spirit that I needed to share. There has been a song in my heart for a while now. Every time that I hear this song my heart goes into a position of praise. The song is called, "Praise is What I Do" by William Murphy III. Really, my heart is in a place of permanent praise now simply because of the goodness God has displayed to me and my family's life. However, this song does move me.

In the song he sings, "Praise is what I do when I want to be close to you." Another part of the song goes, "Praise is what I do. Even when I'm going through, I learned to worship You." Here is the thing that God spoke to me and told me; that despite your circumstances or issues (whether it be financial, physical, mental, or whatever) when you praise God, you are pushing yourself closer to him. That's why this song moves me, because in the past and even now, I realize that I have to praise my way through and push myself closer to Him. I can't sit back and be quiet about God's grace, mercy and love. I have to outwardly praise God whether I'm in the four walls of the church or not.

God doesn't want the physical motions of praise or the talk of praise. Anybody can go through the motions or say the "key" words. What God really wants is your heart. It says in Deuteronomy 6:5 to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." Now, in order to complete this task, we must first draw nigh to God (James 4:8). The word "nigh" means near in space, time, or relation. So when you draw nigh to God, you are drawing near in space, time and relation. Now because you are in relation to Him, you can truly do what Deuteronomy 6:5 says. Let's be honest. Most of the time people only try to get closer to God because we've tried to do things on our own and couldn't do it. After we come to this realization of not being able to make it without God, then we must do what Jesus tells us in Matthew 6: 33. We have to "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness..." By doing this, we are drawing nigh to God. In our seeking of His kingdom and righteousness, we are seeking Him. And when you diligently seek God, he will show himself true and bless you more than you can even imagine.

God bless.

Love Letter to God

I pray that by reading this, it may help you realize all that God has done for you and how much He really loves you. Think about the mess you were in and how you thought you wouldn't make it through. But you're here now, more refined, more polished. Now it's a new day. Realize, there are renewed blessings coming your way. Just realize that God loved us enough to send his only begotten son, Jesus, to die so that we may have life. On top of that, Jesus loved us enough to tell us, with our flaws and everything, that He is preparing a home for us in heaven just by accepting Him as our personal Lord and Savior and living a life modeled after Him. It may be hard, but look what Jesus' love did for us. I don't know about you, but I feel loved. Ain't no lovin' like God's lovin'.




Dear God,



Everything that you've done for me, I wish I could just hug you/ I love you/ That's why I place no one above you/ I love you so much/ I can't breathe without you, I can't live without your healing touch/ by bringing me through so much/ I know I was blessed by your son Jesus' strength to make me so tough/ And people ask me, what can your love do? and I tell them your love got me through school/ that your love saved me from the deep end of death's pool/ your love took me home when I had no business being out/ your love kept me from letting spiteful words come out of my mouth/ that your love has been there before I was born into this world we're in/ that your love is going to stay with me through thick and thin/ and I know that your love is all I need to survive/ and that your love is never cut short because you overly supply/ your mercy and love has brought me through/ everything that I've been through/ and if people knew what you knew/ then they would know that myself alone would have been through/ That's why each day I praise and love you more and more/ when I'm against all odds/ I know I have you God/ to even the score/ and I praise your name with each breathe I take/ each step I take/ each move I make/ and since you're the O.N.E. G.O.D./ that gives me that true T.L.C./ I can step out on faith/ and I love you because you enabled me to think with the head on my shoulders/ I'm your heavenly soldier/ and I'm not worried about what the quote, unquote cool people deem as cool/ because the One I'm worried about passing judgement is you/ I love you because you loved me first/ you loved me even before I put you first/ and you loved me enough to send your only begotten son, and your son, Jesus loved me enough to die for my sins/ and I love Jesus because in Him I have THE best friend/ so thank you Lord for each and everything that you've done, without you I am not the same/ these and all the blessings I thank in your son Jesus Christ's sweet and precious name....Amen.