The 7 principles of KWANZAA 12/26 to 01/1/2012

Principle# 1, Dec 26, 2011-UMOJA, is Unity, to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

Principle#2, Dec 27, 2011-Kujichagulia is self determination, to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves....etc, etc...

Principle#3, Dec 28, 2011-Ujima is collective responsibility, build and manain our community together and make our brothers  & sisters problems-our problems and solve them together

Principle#4,Dec 29, 2011-Ujamaa is cooperative economics, to build and maintain our own stores, shops, and others busuneses and to profit from them

Principle#5, Dec 30, 2011-NIA is Purpose, to make as our collective vocation the building and developing of our community, in order to, restore the people to their traditional greatness

Principle#6, Dec 31, 2011-KUUMBA is creativity, to do always as much, as much as we can, in the way that we can, in order to, leave the community more beautiful than when it was iherited.

Principle#7, Jan 1, 2012-IMANI is "Faith", to believe with all our hearts, in our parents, our teachers, our leaders, our people and the righteousness and victory of our struggle

The colors of KWANZAA are Black, Red and Green
Black represents the color of African American. Red stands for the struggle of the people and Green represents the hills of Africa and hope

I bid you Kwanzaa Yenu iwe
                    Na Heri!
(Kwanhn-Zah Yeh-noo EE-weh-NAH   Hey-REE)
HAPPY KWANZAA TO ALL

On-Point Insights: 75th Birthday Gala-Johnnie's-Trip to Paradise

On-Point Insights: 75th Birthday Gala-Johnnie's-Trip to Paradise: Friends, family, and fellow board members of LCDC gathered at "Chateau Bu-sche' to celebrate the birthday of Ms Johnnie Sun 12/18/11-who rea...

75th Birthday Gala-Johnnie's-Trip to Paradise

Friends, family, and fellow board members of LCDC gathered at "Chateau Bu-sche' to celebrate the birthday of Ms Johnnie Sun 12/18/11-who reached the ripe age of 75 years young. It was indeed, a "Gala Affair". Johnnie's theme was appropriately titled: "A Trip To Paradise", and it was nothing less. Those of us in attendance sip, feast,taste, and some had the pleasure to boast and proclaim of knowing Johnnie on a more deeper level. The friends who took to the podium to edify Johnnie were many, and had the dubious distinction to select from an array of complimentary words to laud, appluad, and heap accolades upon her. Such words as 'faithful', 'honesty', 'courageous', to name a few, were interpolated and some even ventured in the genre of the process of 'exegesis' as demonstrated by a close friend in the person of Rev Charlene Porter. Other noteabe presence and sightings of VIP's were Kim Jackson, Pastor Phil, Pat Herrod, Former Cook County Commissioner Bobbie Steele, Mr & Mrs Little, Pastor Saffore and his wife and, of course, yours truly-was in the crowd too. when Johnnie stood and  strolled to the podiom she began with the pronouncement and utterance of what she was 'Thankful' for. The words that fell from her lips and rang out clearly and distinctly were; "I am..Because; you are, that make me forever thankful. In the middle of her speech, she used these words: "I dream big dreams, and-through the many accompolishments-I am still amazed at the awesome God we serve". In her concluding comments, I was also struct by these profound words: "You are, Because I was, and God still is...What a great evening to spend with such an honorable person as Johnnie., we are all blessed and better people because our path has crossed the path of the Journey where Johnnie has trod...amen...
Reverend Steve Braxton
Board Member, Lawndale Christian Development Center (LCDC)
Also Author: "The Road That Is Difficult To Travel" Impending Books: "The Road Gets Better" and "Creole Soup"

On-Point Insights: What it means to be Thankful or to be Grateful

On-Point Insights: What it means to be Thankful or to be Grateful: If you are "Thankful" you may be touched or impressed with a sense of kindness received, from another, and is ready to acknowledge it, and t...

What it means to be Thankful or to be Grateful

If you are "Thankful" you may be touched or impressed with a sense of kindness received, from another, and is ready to acknowledge it, and to be "Grateful" for it.

 If you have a desire to be "Grateful". It could be directly cause by a  sense of benefits received. An affirming pleasure, that is pleasing to the senses. Something that is held in high esteem; it may be or could be very gratifying.

Food is grateful to the taste of the palate. We are grateful for getting enough sleep, nightly.

Poetic sharing
"Be Thankful"
Be thankful for difficult times-it's during such times when you grow
Be thankful for limitations-this give you an opportunity to improve
Be thankfl for new challenges-builds character and gives strength
Be thankful for mistakes-it teaches you valuable lessons (many lessons learned on the way to the blessings)
Be thankful for good things-a life of rich full fillment comes to those of us who are thankful for the set-backs.

Excerpts from impending book: "Creole Soup"
By; Reverend Steve Braxton
Also Consultant, Life Coach, f\Freelance Writer
AND
Author; "The Road That Is Difficult To Travel"

Another Day-A New Chance-To Begin Again...

I implore you to seize the moment each new day-that The Lord has made.
Be excited! about your future and the future of others you may have touched.
Don't allow self to look back on yesteryear-that may have memories to cause grief and disdain.
That time has come and gone by the wayside....it's recorded in the historic archives.

Dont worry be happy! rather than be perplexed or harbor ill; or troubled; feelings
You may not know what the future holds-it has not yet come...
But what is known, is "who' holds the future.

Strive to live your lfe in the midst of the "here and now"
Take the opportunity and every effort to know and understand what "to-be-present' means.
Make it such a beautiful experiential encounter-that it shall be worth it to have a reflective recall.
A sort of rec-collected happening that shall capture and 'seize the moment' of the pass, present, and the future-for generations yet to come.
Excerpts from manscript & impending book: "Creole Soup"
Steve Braxton
Freelance writer and Authorpreneur
Recent books: "The Road That Is Diffcult To Travel" And "Prayer For An Occasion"

Humility is of the essence of life-it all about being "authentic'

We hear the word humility talked about in many circles of influence, in particularly, the faith-based community. However, we all must take careful precausion to practice the deeds and action of being humble. Particuarly men and women of the cloth, myself included. For example, we as clergy students, ministers, pastors and/or learned scholars should not let ourselves be caught grading how well you do when you speak. We are not our masters, not our own professors, and definitely not our own grader. A servant stands or falls to his/her own master, Paul said in Romans 14:4, "Since we are not our own masters, we are not qualified to judge ourselves".

We are to trust him (God), not even our own time in study, the master of the languages we think we know, the degrees we hold, or our reputation. None of these things matters, because they do not change the hearts of peope or the struggles they may face in life-during the daily walk on the journey of life. The advent of teaching and preaching-it is the working of the "holy spirit" we are only the messenger-the instrument to be used for God to speak through. It's not about none of us. But more about giving glory and honor to God, in the name of Jesus.

Trust him, when you do you'd be surprised what he can do with nothing..!He inspired a nation with a sheperd boy and a sling shot, he used a not to well spoken man to out smart a reigning king in Egypt, he parted the red sea, with an old man holding a rod,he fed thousands with only a little boy's  lunch, he inspired millions with a widow's tiny offeing.

He can probably do some miracelous things with me, with you , all of us! All we need do is be willing
to let him used us for his glory, praise his name! prasie his holy name...!!! Amen