Tag: Twitter

“Rona” Life Hack #4

One of the few places that are still open right now are the doctor’s offices. It’s definitely not a place anyone wants to be, but now is the perfect time to knock out those doctor’s appointments. Dentist, general practitioner, dermatologist, chiropractor, orthodontist, podiatrist, optometrist, whatever it is, go for it now!

I have already knocked out a few of these appointments myself. There was no line, no waiting & questions asked – I was able to get in right away and take as much time as I needed with my doctor. Grant it, everyone had on masks and gloves and I even had to have my temperature taken just to enter the office, but I am glad that I got it out of the way.

For those of you with insurance, go now – medical offices are open & everyone working there is happy to help people who don’t have the Coronavirus.

“Rona” Life Hack #3

Now is the perfect time to discover new talent! Listening to music is one of my favorite pastimes. I love all forms of broadcast media – whether it’s podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, Pandora, etc. I like to explore new artist’s music and jam to the “oldies but goodies”. Quarantined at home, I’ve been listening to music like never before so it is a perfect time to update my playlist.

I challenge everyone who is reading this at home to create a NEW playlist – 1 for occasion. You should have at least one playlist for:

  1. Cleaning the house
  2. Working out
  3. Soft background music while working
  4. Cooking
  5. Washing the dishes
  6. Learning – a new language, how to videos…., etc.
  7. The news
  8. AND OF COURSE, Praise & Worship music

Listening is one of the most important senses and this is the perfect time to exercise your sense of hearing. Share your favorite playlists in the comments!

“Rona” Life Hack #2

Let’s Learn! Since we’re stuck in the house for at least another week, there’s nothing wrong with a little extra learning. As we speak you can enroll in an Ivy League course for FREE. That’s right, for free! Here’s the link – https://www.classcentral.com/collection/ivy-league-moocs?page=2. Many of you may be working from home & may even be helping your kids with their homework  so now you can learn right along with them.

There are other online courses, but this one offers courses in Humanities, Business, Art & Design, Programming and even Math (ew!). So, since you’re saving some time on that daily commute and dinner has already been cooked, go ahead & crack open that PC (or Mac) and get to studying!

In the Day of Trouble

“In the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”(Psalm 27:5, NIV)

People ask all the time, “Where is God in tragedy?” When we encounter difficulty and tragedy, we have to trust that God is right there offering His shelter of peace to our troubled hearts. He has a plan to lift you up out of despair and set you in a place of stability. He has a plan to restore, renew and revive your soul.

Scripture tells us that it is the thief — the enemy — who kills, steals and destroys. God’s plan is to bring you life. (See John 10:10). We have to remember, the enemy uses circumstances to get our eyes off of Jesus. He tries to steal our peace and keep us focused on this earthly realm. But when we lift up our eyes to Jesus, when we hold fast to our profession of faith, that’s how we stay in victory.

Friend, when the day of trouble comes, know that God is with you and for you. He’s not the one who is against you. Keep your eyes on Him. Trust that He has a plan. Trust that He will make your crooked places straight and your rough places smooth. Lift your eyes to Jesus because He is the Author and Finisher of your faith — a very present help in the day of trouble.

Father, thank You for being my shelter when the storms of life rage. When I don’t have the answers, I trust that You do. I put my hope in You and receive Your peace and strength. Thank You for leading me in the path of victory all the days of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

#FlybySaturday: James Banning

James Banning was an African American aviator.

He was born in Oklahoma, the son of Riley and Cora Banning. The family moved to Ames, Iowa, in 1919, where he studied electrical engineering at Iowa State College for a little more than a year. Dreaming from boyhood of being a pilot, James Herman Banning was repeatedly turned away from flight schools because he was Black. He eventually learned to fly from an army aviator at Raymond Fisher’s Flying Field in Des Moines He became the first Black aviator to obtain a license from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce.

Banning also operated the J.H. Banning Auto Repair Shop in Ames from 1922 to 1928. He left Iowa for Los Angeles in 1929 where he was the chief pilot for the Bessie Coleman Aero Club. There he became a demonstration pilot flying a biplane named “Miss Ames” for his days in the Midwest. In 1932, Banning and another Black pilot, Thomas C. Allen, became the first Blacks to fly coast-to-coast from Los Angeles to Long Island, NY. Using a plane pieced together from junkyard parts, they made the 3,300 mile trip in less than 42 hours in the air. The trip actually required 21 days to complete, however, because the pilots had to raise money each time they stopped.

Sadly, James Banning was killed in a plane crash during an air show in San Diego in 1933. He was a passenger in a biplane flown by a Navy pilot, which stalled and entered an unrecoverable spin in front of hundreds of horrified spectators.

#HumpDayLoveDay: Spike Lee + Tonya Lee

Spike and Tonya met at a Congressional Black Caucus dinner in 1992.  Tonya recounts the pair’s first meeting “We walked past each other. Spike circled back around and proceeded to give me the third degree. ‘Are you an actress? A model? A singer? Who are you here with? What do you do? Do you have a boyfriend?’”

Tonya was attracted to Spike’s creative career, which was a sharp contrast to her role as a corporate lawyer when they first met. These lovebirds have a love of the arts in common. Spike is a talented filmmaker of course, and Tonya is a concert-level pianist, author and TV producer.

Spike and Tonya were married in 1993. This year marks their 27th wedding anniversary.

Wait For It

“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:36)

One of the biggest reasons so many of us have hardships, financial problems, relationship problems, and so many other difficult times in our lives is our lack of patience.  The person who feels they have to have things right away instead of waiting patiently for them, soon finds themselves in a financial bind.  Bills aren’t paid, and very soon, that person begins to have other problems related to their lack of patience.  Their health begins to suffer from the stress of bill collectors constantly calling.  Their relationships become strained because of their indebtedness.  All of these issues arise because of a lack of patience.

For each of us, God desires that we do well and prosper.  However, to get to that place of prosperity and peace we must have patience.  God has a great reward in store for us if we remain patient and steadfast in our pursuits.  We need to let patience work its perfect work in our lives.  Our peace and stability depend heavily upon our waiting for what we desire.

Prayer:  Father, as we seek to fulfill the plan and purpose you have for our lives, teach us to wait patiently for those things that we desire.  In Jesus’ name, amen.