Friday Supper

Something for readers to feast on tonight:

Life is so much easier when you are mentally grown, and know that a person's heart and mind is more important than a physique.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 14, 2016

People don't show you love until you're dead.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 15, 2016

Prestige vs. Passion

Some ministers go into ministry for prestige, not because of their passion for ministry. Motives are everything.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 8, 2016

When someone chooses ministry as their calling, it's important for them to ask themselves this question: Am I going into ministry for the prestige or passion? The prestige comes from notoriety; folks know who you are and depending on your reputation, they may speak highly of you. The passion for ministry is when you're concerned about people's eternal salvation that even though they may reject Jesus at first, you'll do everything in your power to lead them to Christ because you're looking at where they'll spend eternity. I've watched the Preachers on Oxygen series about ministers in Atlanta, Los Angeles & Detroit and I've noticed the show brings notoriety to the ministers. Yes, those ministers are already rich & famous before the show, but the show has elevated their notoriety.

Unfortunately, some ministers go into ministry for prestige, not because of their passion for ministry. Motives are everything. The best way to figure out a minister's motives is paying attention to their messages. If their message center around prosperity, fame & fortune, it's easy to tell they're looking for fame & fortune. If their messages center around salvation & how to draw closer to God, and they have a servant's heart, that's a minister who is passionate about ministry. They don't care about being on TV, their focus is leading people to Christ. I think when ministers get on TV & get offers for Christian reality shows, they get caught up in the fame & fortune that they lose themselves.

Wednesday Guidance

Never let someone put you through the same mess you've gone through.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 12, 2016

Of the many people who have survived abuse/domestic violence, how many of those haven't gone back to the abuser? The majority of people have sense enough NOT to go back to the same person who put them through that mess, but some people don't. When God gives you a way out, don't go back into the same mess. That's what bothers me about some people, they make it out of abusive situations and have the nerve to go back to the abusive person. Some people are like, "I need closure." Closure? Closure was you fearing for your life every time (s)he went upside your head because it was a matter of time before (s)he killed you. Closure was your loved ones wanting to get at the abuser for putting their hands on you, only to find out you took them back. Maybe some people enjoy going through the same mess they were brought out of, I don't know. God has brought me out of several situations, and I made a promise to God that I'd never go back to what he brought me out of, and I haven't. 

Relationship Gospel

These tweets sum up my view on relationships:

#DumbestRelationshipIdeology: If you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best. I'd never tell a woman that garbage.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 10, 2016

People will always talk themselves out of a relationship when they say things like "Love is worth the stress that comes with it."

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 10, 2016

What you put up with is what you allow:

The difference between me and most people is I have a zero tolerance policy for small issues, meaning I will not allow them to become major.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 10, 2016

L.A. Gang Wars

Every city has struggled to some degree with gang warfare, where a percentage of the city's murders were gang-related, but Los Angeles...SMH. I was watching some documentaries on L.A. gang warfare and to hear about gang murders topping 600 & 700 every year in the 80's is crazy. '90-'93, L.A. had murder counts of 983, 1,025, 1,092, and 1,077 murders respectively, and of those numbers, about 600 of those were gang related. That mess was crazy. I read that L.A. recorded 1,024 murders in '80. I would've hated to live in South Central L.A. back in the 80's and early 90's, MANNNNNN....

Saturday Soul Food

I call today's blog message Saturday Soul Food because these tweets will stick to my readers.

Cyrene showed her behind on last week's Thicker Than Water. She would've gotten knocked out in any other black household for that mouth.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 9, 2016

For every positive story involving black youth, there are at least 10 negative ones to counteract.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 9, 2016

People are used to conflict in relationships that they think arguments are "normal", SMH. I guess no one values peace of mind anymore.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 9, 2016

#RandomThought: The closest I'll ever get to wearing pink is salmon colored, and even that's left up to my interpretation.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 8, 2016

"A man is not going to open his soul to a woman unless he trust her. She can cause him internal pain."-Shane Rhabb

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 8, 2016

America is morally toast. There are discrimination groups lobbying for the rights of pedophiles' sexual preferences. Folks better wake up.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 8, 2016

Warryn Campbell should know he can't keep nothing from a woman. Women know how to find stuff out, so he might as well confess.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 8, 2016

Some ministers are going to be in their feelings over this tweet; ask me if I care:

Some ministers go into ministry for prestige, not because of their passion for ministry. Motives are everything.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 8, 2016

Keeping Secrets

Warryn Campbell should know he can't keep nothing from a woman. Women know how to find stuff out, so he might as well confess.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) April 8, 2016

Warryn may be toast with no jelly if Erica finds out he owes 7 figures because Tina wouldn't do another Mary Mary album. First off, Warryn had no business spending the advance money because Tina told him a few times that she's not ready to do a Mary Mary album. Erica and Tina decided to embark on solo careers so Mary Mary is on hiatus for the time being. Sony gives Warryn an advance with the expectation of another Mary Mary album, and we saw how that went. Because Warryn spent the advance money, Warryn is torn between going into business with Mitchell Solarek (ex-Mary Mary manager) and his friend who makes money (il)legally. If my "friend" had a proposition for me involving illegal or legal money, I'd take the LEGAL money all the way because I don't want the law hot on me. Or I may refuse altogether because legal and illegal boundaries could intersect and I don't want any legal issues. Warryn might as well tell his wife the truth because she's going to find out anyway.

Why do some husbands think they can keep major secrets from their wives? Don't they know that women KNOW what's going on, even if their husbands may never tell them? Women have something called intuition, or discernment that always lets them know something's not right. When it comes to matters affecting the family, husbands should let their family know what's up because his secrecy could affect the entire family negatively. Being the head, maybe men keep some things from their spouses because they feel they can handle the matter, which is true if the situation is small. Major issues that impact the family should be disclosed immediately because the longer you keep something from your loved ones, the greater the disappointment because Erica is going to feel like she was lied to, and no spouse should feel that way.