I LOVE LESBIANS

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day that was worth pondering. He was sharing with me that he had his wife to sew a patch on his leather vest to make a statement about something he felt strong about. The patch read, “I Love Lesbians”. I thought that was a very bold statement to make coming from a man very sure of his sexual identity. After having a long conversation with him, I realized quickly that he had a lot of strong views that consisted of his desires for unity through diversity, which also had always been my life theme. He knew a lot of people that were diverse in their views on life.He knew gay couples, interracial couples, couples with age differences etc… This was a man in his late 50's that refused to allow other people's fears and ignorance due to lack of knowledge of something to put him in a position to be judgmental or to persecute another person's personal choices.

We talked about people's desire and inquisitiveness into other people's personal choices to reveal them, for what purpose? Do people want to know another person's choices because of their own personal motive to pursue or try to just judge someone to avoid their own issues? I grew up learning from the guys that normally when someone was in pursuit of something they would ask as many questions as possible to plan their strategy, to win the task at hand, which was to conquer their prey.

Curiosity has its purpose as well. I feel that to gain more knowledge about something it’s best attained when one takes themselves to the source of their curiosity and ask questions. When one asks questions from the proper source, they can make decisions that are proper for them personally and align themselves accordingly. I realized after talking to my friend that he had done that for all the right reasons and was satisfied. I respect him for his endeavor and his conversation was truly enlightening.

I had to laugh when he shared a story with me about a time he wore his vest to his son-in-law's for dinner and was questioned about the patch. His reply was, of course I love lesbians. I ain’t mad at them, because they are appreciating the same thing I am, the beauty of a woman. I realized that his son-in-law may have taken that statement on a sexual level, but I would be willing to bet that if his son-in-law took it to a deeper level of conversation he would discover this man's insight of the real beauty of a woman, (which therein lies much deeper than the surface pleasures of life),the wisdom shared would broaden his views in a life changing way. Thank you my friend for a conversation to ponder.

"SEE YA LATER," SALLIE BETH

Dear Sallie Beth,
I just got home from your going home celebration, and I have to say that I am grateful to God that I was allowed to see parts of our family through your life experience as short as it was at 53, but very full. When I looked around that church, I saw that your world was much bigger than our family history. I now understand that you understood the healing that was needed in our family was bigger than just the immediate and to satisfy that hunger, you went outside the family walls, just like I did to the bigger family in need. I know this was a healing for you, as it has been for me, because even Jesus had to leave his own home community, family and friends to reach those that were willing to receive Him and his ideas. We were told through many communications of God that if we were going to follow the truths of our heart, we could expect the same. There have been tears in both of our hearts along the way, but by going to your celebration ceremony, I know all of those tears have been worth it. I want to thank you for coming back into my life for such a short time, and it has made a powerful impact on me because I saw standing in that church the power that a generation curse can have on someone's life. To have allowed the curse of a couple of people to affect so many lives within our family and caused us to miss so much sharing is a shame. However, I saw hope in that church through all the lives you touched by staying in that community. You were the person that community needed, not me. To God I am grateful for that. You and I were as much a like, as we were different, but that is the reflection of God within us shining out. I see the breaking of the generational curse in your children, and that means job well done, my sister in Christ. As cousins, we didn't get to grow up together, but in spirit, we did and that reassures me that God will have His way. So, Sallie Beth as your minister said to all of your friends and family in attendance, “When you walk out of those doors, you can make a decision about whether you want to say goodbye to Sallie Beth or just, see you later. It's your choice. She'll be waiting”. Sally Beth, See you later!!
Love, your cousin
Brenda

WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH FOR YOU?

Hi everyone. I guess it's appropriate to say Happy New Year. For me, it’s a new year, a new day, everyday, because every moment is the beginning and end. A yesterday, a today and a tomorrow are all in the same moment. Therefore this moment is what is important. So, I'm happy to have it with all of you. It has been a busy time in the kitchen. It is finally time to serve up one of my latest recipes. I hope you enjoy it and I hope all of you have been cooking up some of your own. I'm looking forward to taste testing some of them. Serve it up!!


If someone asks you the question, when is enough, enough for you? Just tell them when I no longer ask why, and seek answers, and then it will be enough. I feel that it is by Divine design that we seek to know. There are lots of people that do not want to answer questions either because they do not know the answers or because they have something to hide but that doesn't make you wrong for asking. I have asked so many questions in my life of others that a lot of the time, I know they hate to see me coming, but that's okay. I know that all of the answers come from a source much bigger than any of us and humanity has even tried to hide answers as they flowed from the reservoir at times, for their own selfish desires. I believe that no matter how someone or organizations try to hide the truth, it will come to the light in due time to reveal itself, because the purpose of life is to free oneself. If I was to look at slavery as an example I would take note that generally when people are taken into slavery the slave owner tries in the beginning, to bind up all the knowledge of their plan. The slave owner tries to make the slave abase themselves to make them believe they don't deserve any better. Then, when the slave begins to ask questions, the slave owner gets furious because they know that this is the beginning of them losing their grip on that one's slavery. The more that slave asks questions, the freer they become, because when you dip into a well that has no water, you go to one that does. When you have that first, fresh taste of that cool life-saving element (water), your life is renewed and you will always want more. When a soul gets a taste of freedom, there is no turning back. When any part of the story is left out, it is not enough to have just some of the parts that someone else decided is important for you to be free. Ask the question, when is enough, enough for you. When you have a constant flow in the river it refreshes the soul to partake. Don’t let anyone stop your flow of seeking just because they can't or don't want to give you the answers. Ask yourself, what is the source of their motives to not encourage you to find the answers you seek? I don’t think any of us have all the answers, and that is why no one has the right to dictate another's soul’s journey toward fullness. Keep open your flow and switch directions if it means filling your cup for the partaking of more awareness. Ask yourself if you are the master of your destiny this year or are you the slave to someone else's destiny. Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find. Don't be discouraged by what you may find because the truth will set you free from the darkness. As you find your light, share it with others because we all are in this together, but sometimes we only walk with the Master. May you make the decision this year for yourself, when enough is enough?


This piece is dedicated to my cousin Salli Beth,a Rose whom was cut too soon but will always be in my memory.