Mom, Is that gospel?

I can't tell you how many times we have been riding in the car listening to the radio when a song would come and one of my children would ask "Mom is that a gospel song?" My response would be "Shhh, let me listen......they said Jesus so "we good we good we good".

Honestly.... that's a shame.
I don't listen to the radio much anymore. I prefer to listen to music of my choosing through my CD player. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with tuning in to the radio. I still do it from time to time but I drew the line when I heard a "gospel" radio talk show host give Beyonce praise for her song "Single Ladies" Dance contest citing that God was using her to promote marriage while helping to improve the economy....RIIGHHHT.. thaaatttss what she was doing....



 



 

As some of you may know, my daughters love interpretative dance. They have been blessed to serve under some wonderful dance leaders. Their first dance instructor was Sis April Boyd of Christian Fellowship Church in Warner Robins and now they are taught by Sis Darlene Fowler of Victory Tabernacle in Albany, GA. My oldest daughter is constantly listening to music and scanning YouTube for inspiration.

 

She came into my room this past weekend after spending some time on YouTube. With a funny look on her face she asked, "Mom, does Detrick Haddon still sing gospel." I said "I guess. Why?". She replied " I just watched this video he made of the song "Beautiful Soul". There was a girl in booty shorts dancing in the background and he was talking to a woman. I guess it's for a movie?"

 

So I went to check it out. Let's watch....

 

 

I am learning through research that in order to increase both record sales and target markets some "gospel' artists will make the decision to change their style of music and lyrics. "Gospel" songs that omit words such as God, Jesus, Christ, Savior and Holy Spirit etc. can be used in the secular world as well. In addition, some "gospel" artists admit to collaborating with secular artists so that they can reach a wider market. I admit. It's a tempting concept, especially if this is how you make your living. However, the last time I checked, God said that HE would supply all our needs according to his riches and glory. (Phillipians 4:19) I know that the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the just (Proverbs 13:22) but this doesn't mean that we are to conform to the ways of the world either (Romans 12:2) When something is "laid up"...it's in storage, arranged and awaiting. The spoils of war are only awarded after God fights our battle and rewards us for standing true to his word. Besides, how can two walk together except they agree? I know that people make decisions BC (before Christ) that leaves visible marks that last a lifetime. I'm not dogging that. On the other hand, never in my life have I seen a growing trend of unusual body piercings, tattoos, sagging pants and bootylicious clothing being worn on the bodies of "saints."

 

The world pulled the oldest trick in the book by saying through forced tears "You are judging me. You make me feel bad about myself. You make being saved sound boring. Besides God knows my heart." And as a body of Christ, we fell for it. Hook. Line and Sinker. So in order for them not to feel bad said "Oh no baby I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. Do you Boo. Be who God made you to be. You can be saved and still be cool. See watch this." And we conformed to look, dress and act like them to make them feel comfortable around us. What we should have said was "Baby, I love you but that's me making you feel bad. This ain't even me talking to you. It's God talking to you through me. What you are feeling is not offense. It's conviction."

 

As children of God, we should be prepared for the pouting, blank looks, silent cricket moments and "would you please sit" attitudes? Jesus got them all time. It comes with the territory. What love reading about Jesus the most is his loving but firm stance.

 

When my daughter asked "Mom, is that gospel?" My reply was simple. I replied "Baby, if you have to ask, that ain't it."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deadly shooting near the Empire State Building

As Reported By Jason Sickles on Yahoo Lookout....

Eight people are believed to be wounded and at least two people are dead Friday after a shooting outside the Empire State Building in the Midtown area of Manhattan. The two victims include the gunman, who was shot and killed by police near the tourist entrance of the landmark skyscraper.

The shooting occurred at around 9 a.m. ET at Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. The New York Post reported that the incident was the act of a disgruntled former employee. The gunman was fired from his job on Thursday and returned to his office Friday morning to target his boss, local and federal officials told NBC News, according to a tweet.

The shooter followed his coworker down 33rd Street, and shot him outside of Legend's Bar, the Post reported. It is unclear if he fired into a crowd of pedestrians outside of the Empire State Building, or if pedestrians were caught in crossfire, reported the New York Daily News. A bystander was killed.

 

Oddly enough, my mind goes back to rapper Jay Z, who in 2009 released the song"New York" which the contained lyrics that stated "life starts when the church ends."

 

Given tragedies that continue to plagued our world, I beg to differ.

 

Saint's in a word......PRAY.

 

 

Crunch Crunch Cereal

Mom and Dad

My mom was famous for creating precautions to protect us as children. When we were introduced to "big people" breakfast cereal, she took the precaution of crunching them up to make sure we didn't choke while eating.

Now, here I am, a 36 year old wife and mom who absolutely cannot eat my Frosted Flakes without crunching them up first. They simply do not taste the same. I've tried to psych myself out mentally. I've said to myself "Bridgett, you are a grown woman. Just pour the cereal, pour the milk, say the blessing and eat it!

Didn't work.

I tried switching to Grapenuts...I didn't like them. 

Me and Angela

My sister Angela admits to having this same problem. We both have to sneak and crunch when eating our cereal in public. There's nothing worse then having someone look at you with concern  and ask slowly "What you doing?"



Kayla and Bre

Needless to say when I started having children, I decided to use this same"precautionary" method. I got schooled quickly because our (then) two year old daughter MaKayla, wasn't having it. I remember her giving me the same "What are you doing?" look as I crunched her cereal and then saying in tears "You broke it!"

With a sigh of relief I didn't push the issue. After all, why should they inherit my cereal crunching complex?

That was ten plus years ago...

This morning while the kids were getting ready for school, I decided to put on a load of laundry when all of a sudden I heard the sound of dry cereal crunching in a bowl....it was MaKayla. She's caught my disease. I chuckled to myself. Then I heard God say "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he won't depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

In this instance, God reminded me that even though our children may not accept the lessons we try to teach them at first, if we hold true to what's right....without saying a word they will follow. 

Kayla Today

I asked MaKayla when did she start crunching her cereal. She shrugged her shoulders and said " I dunno but you are the one who got me started."

Our children watch us everyday. Not just in church. They pay close attention to how we handle our spouses, our jobs and life struggles.  As parents, we are our children's first and prime example. We see our children as angels when they are born but they still don't know God. They learn God through our standard of living.

They mimick what they see. If you cuss in one sentence and pray in the other. Your children will cuss in one sentence and pray in the other. If you tell them to leave them "lil boys" alone but you still sleeping with BobJohnDave&Rick; they are gonna find them a BobJohnDave&Rick.

There are a few exceptions to rule. There are some kids who decide early on they will NOT become a product of their environment. But this is rare. And yes, there are excellent teachers, youth ministers, mentors and counselors who are dedicated to helping our children. STILL, parents, learning starts with you. Give your children the best gift any parent can give. Give them a standard. Be their standard. If you don't have a standard, try God's standard. His word teaches us an abundance on how to live and parent. I promise you with his advice, you can't fail.

 

 

Escape to Savannah

For our 16th wedding anniversary my husband and I decided to take a getaway to Savannah Georgia. Savannah came highly recommended as the perfect place for some much needed "couple time" and relaxation. My husband was able to secure a great rate at the Hyatt Regency through Priceline's "Name Your Price" program. (Travis and I were both excited about staying in an upscale hotel.)

The Hyatt is a beautiful hotel and is conveniently located in the historic district and along Riverstreet. We were in walking distance of restaurants, boutiques and touring sites. One of the first restaurants we visited once we arrived was 'Five Guys and Fries. The employees were friendly and made us feel welcome.We ordered bacon cheeseburgers and fries. Not only were they delicious but HUGE....a sure diet buster. As much as I wanted to, I could not finish my meal. We decided to take a walk to work off our first belly buster meal.

The Savannah streets are beautifully lined with aged oak trees perfectly arched to umbrella tourists from the sun. The next morning Travis and I decided to have breakfast at Henry's, a quaint restaurant located on Drayton St. I became an instant fan of their chocolate chip pecan pancakes and Travis fell in love with their southwest omelet. We were fortunate to meet the owner, Henry who was just as warm and inviting as our meal. His menu prices were quite reasonable and the serving portions was quite satisfying!

My husband and I enjoyed our early morning walks after breakfast. I was able to purchase a cute gray and silver purse at Fine Things Under Twenty, a boutique located on River Street. I was especially excited when they helped to find a bird brooch for my mom to wear in memory of my little sister at one of their sisters shops.(My sister was our family's songbird). Fine Things Under Twenty has a great selection of items all for under $20.


Travis can have a serious sweet tooth at times. So I'm sure you can imagine how happy he was when we visited River Street Sweets, a candy shop famous for their pralines. Customers are given a sample of their pralines when entering the store. My husband truly became a kid in a candy shop. He couldn't wait to get back to our room and dive into the pralines he purchased. Their
prices are higher than most but well worth it!

On day two, we decided to have lunch at Cilantros, a local Mexican restaurant. If you are in the mood for a relaxed atmosphere and a mouthwatering chimichanga, visit this place!!!


There is so much to see in Savannah. The city is rich with history and southern charm. Savannah takes you back to a time when life was simpler. Hours would fly before Travis and I knew it. We laughed, we giggled and we enjoyed the history lessons during our walks.....It was nice :)

On our last day in Savannah, Travis and I took a 20 minute drive over to Tybee Island to enjoy the beach waves. The weather was absolutely perfect!!!

I was excited to finally be able to go to Bonefish Grill after hearing Travis brag about it over and over after he visited one in Washington during a recent business trip. He guaranteed me that I would love their Bang Bang Shrimp and he was right! Don't believe me??? Check out the before and after pictures below...lol

 All in all, our trip was a wonderful and much needed experience. My family has had to deal with quite a bit of loss over the past couple of years. I didn't realize how much of a mental toll it had taken on me until my wonderful husband whisked me away to a place that help me to remember the true meaning of relaxation. Savannah provides a wonderful escape from the hustle and bustle of life. I'm looking forward to visiting it again sometime soon.