inspirations


By Derek Smith Proverbs 22:7: “The rich


rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”


This recently found mani-


festo advising African Ameri- cans of the things we should do, both individually and col- lectively, in order to advance ourselves bears repeating. Some adhere to this list now, but not nearly enough of us do. Having said that, here’s what we must start doing:


1. Put God first. The Lord’s


word must become our way of life, not just a “Sunday go to meeting” ritual to be endured.


2. Put financial security


first. Too much of our earn- ings go to expensive clothes, fancy cars and “good times.” Some say that African Ameri- cans “buy what they want and beg for what they need.’


3. Put education first.


Trade in “da club” for the PTA meeting, the strip joint for community college. Teach our children to read. It’s the first rung on the ladder to eco- nomic security.


4. Have pride in our homes


and neighborhoods. We should be running our communities “up,” not down.


5. Dress respectably. Know-


ing when, what and how to wear your clothes is the ear- mark of good character and plain ol’ common sense. Re- member, no decent person wants to see your butt.


6. Wipe out mass ignorance.


Folks from Third World coun- tries who barely speak English come to America and become doctors, lawyers and business owners, while more and more African Americans are gradu- ating to prison cells than from high schools.


7. Overcome poor work and Derek Smith


business habits. Stop coming to work late and leaving early. Do our jobs with pride. And if you run a business, open it on time and demand polite- ness from your employees. “Please” and “thank you” never hurt anyone.


8. Behave with digni-


ty in public. Freedom of speech’does not mean its okay to talk loudly on your cell phone while waiting in line.


9. Stop charging our fail-


ures to “da (White) man.” There are also many Cauca- sians who helped advance our cause. Our forefathers overcame odds that the aver- age Black person today simply could not withstand. The op- portunities we have were in- sured on their backs and with their blood. Our ancestors de- serve a better return on their investment than the one we’re giving them.


This absolutely relevant


manifesto was actually written in the early 1900s. It’s amaz- ing that our collective attitude toward life and wealth seems little changed in more than 100 years. There’s an 1860s sta- tistic that says Blacks owned one-half of one percent of all the wealth in America, and 98 percent of Blacks worked for


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE


Nine things African Americans must do


Caucasians. Guess what? In 2010, Blacks still own one-half of one percent of all the wealth in America, and 98 percent of all Blacks still work for Cauca- sians. Have we really made no collective economic progress in 150 years?


When a Jewish person


earns a dollar, that dollar is recycled in his community, touching ten to fifteen other Jewish hands before it leaves. For Caucasians its eight to ten hands, for Asians its five to eight hands, and for Hispanics its four to six hands. But with Black folks, money leaves our community the moment we earn it. This explains why, all across America, corridors like the one on Woodward between Grand Boulevard and Eight Mile are so dilapidated.


August 18-24, 2010 I prophesy to my feet!


By Sheila Thomas As Christians, we often


find ourselves asking God to guide us and lead us in the right direction for our partic- ular lives. This has been an ongoing and constant prayer for my life, as I have often- times felt like I have been running through an obstacle course as opposed to walk- ing the path that God has laid out before me. But re- cently during my prayer time, I heard the Lord say clearly, “Prophesy to your feet!” Feeling strongly convicted to immediately obey, right in the middle of my prayer time, I began to tell my feet to go only in the direction that God ordained them to go in. I im- mediately began to prophesy to my feet.


Not only did I do so out of It


has little to do with “racism.” Banks invest with people who first show an interest in in- vesting in themselves. We must put some “skin in the game” before asking someone else to pony up. Why should another be willing to do more for us than we’ve demonstrat- ed we’re willing to do for our- selves?


cans still


Too many African Ameri- look at things


through the jaded prism of one’s race, but Caucasians, Jews, Asians, and even His- panics know that America’s true race is an economic one. Brothers and sisters, we’d better get in the game or else we’ll forever be the borrower and never the lender, the (eco- nomic) slave and never the owner. What kind of legacy will you create for your chil- dren?


Derek Smith is a freelance


Christian author, speaker and columnist. Contact him at divine.connection@yahoo. com or PO Box 312296, De- troit, MI 48231.


Poetic Reflections ‘A Change Has Come’


Imagine me seated at the tip of a boat not con- templating on jumping in, nor searching for an anchored rope, yet basking in the glory of my high hopes, of a change.


You see,sailing on another ship it’s time for a new trip,


This boats floats with hope bringing peace to the sea, as I sail upon these blue waters I feel so, so free.


Being led by a new a leader, I scream, now taking a moment of silence remembering Mar- tin’s dream.


Our skies are a bit brighter and our optimism is nowhere tired.


Our souls feel the joy of a new day, and our ears welcome the music of sweet sounds of victory that so graciously play.


From sea upon mighty sea as I smile upon these waters.


Although it took many grieving generations of innocent pain, years of tiredless tears, viva- cious voices, heard and some unheard, weary walks, spectacular speeches, and powerful words!


Mountain climbing marches, beat downs, mental and some physical, yet I still stand


before you strong and visible.


Conveying these words, oh! haven’t you heard, heard, heard…… A change has come.


Making thanks to the Martins, the Malcolms, the Rosas, the Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshalls, Carter G. Woodsons, Barbara Jor- dans, Jackie Robinsons, Crispus Attucks, Arthur Ashes and many more.


Breaking down barriers and busting through doors, the Mary McCleod Bethunes, making waves in the ocean bringing forth Barack’s room, Sojourner’s Truth’s, Harriet’s tracks for being dilligent enough to have our backs, Rosa’s seat, yet she took a stand.


In the words of Barack, “Yes we can!”


So stay a float, live with peace and embrace hope. A new leadership is sailing. Haven’t you heard? A change has come. © 2010 Kayatta L. Brooks


‘The Raging Sea’


Like the raging storm on the waters of the sea, Life’s uneasiness just won’t let me be.


There’s a whole lot of preaching and teaching to do.


And don’t even think about Satan, ’cause he can’t help you. To ease the raging storm that is within,


You’ve got to pray and ask JESUS to forgive your sins.


Remember, the pathway to heaven is paved in gold. It’s an old story that has always been told.


Don’t rush to get to heaven, make sure it’s your time.


Get your house in order, so you’ll know all is fine.


While thanking the LORD in prayer at night,


Know you have carried out your day by faith, and not by sight,


JESUS said, “When the storm inside begins to rise, call on ME,


I’ll be there with you during THE RAGING SEA.” © 2010 Floria Willis


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obedience, but I did so be- cause I so earnestly want to go only where I am ordained to go. I want to walk through the right doors.


I want to


take the right paths. I want to be doing the right thing at the right time at the right place with the right people. After I operated in obedience, I immediately felt as if I was moving in the right direction. I felt like I was placed in the center of the will of God by simply prophesying to my feet. Prophesying to my feet is an awesome experience because it wraps up a bunch of prayers in a nutshell. If I prophesy to my feet, and my feet obey, then everything else will fall into place. There will be divine order. There will be peace. There will be healing. There will be pros- perity.


overtook me when I began prophesying to my feet.


The spirit of confidence I


truly felt God in the mix. Therefore I must say that confidence and boldness are important elements that must be utilized when proph- esying to your feet. Miracles occur when you prophesy with confidence and bold- ness. Look at the prophet Ezekiel and what happened when he prophesied to the dry bones in the midst of the valley. (Ezekiel 37:1-10) He fully expected the bones to come together and come to life. It is the expectation of miracles that makes them occur.


But there is another ele-


ment that c o m e s into play w h e n p r o p h - e s y i n g to one’s feet.


It


has to do with the spirit of the living God abid- ing


in Sheila Thomas if


you. For you


prophesy to your feet, and the spirit of the living God is not inside of you, you run the risk of going in the wrong direction. However, if you have the spirit of the living God abiding in you, and you begin to boldly and confi- dently prophesy to your feet, you will go where you are ordained to go even if your carnal mind has no idea what the heck is going on. That is an awesome place to be.


Therefore, we should med-


itate on John 15:1-7, which basically states that if God abides in us and we in Him, then, “ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.” Sounds to me like


having God abide in you is the key to being in the center of His will. Once we have God abiding in us, it becomes easy to prophesy to our feet, because only then does the spirit of the living God take over. The spirit of the living God is on the inside of me. Therefore, I fully expect that when I prophesy to my feet, divine order will immediately take place in my life. I fully expect to walk in my pur- pose.


I fully expect to wit-


ness miracles. I fully expect to be a blessing to others and I fully expect others to be a blessing to me.


I have the


expectation of Ezekiel. When he prophesied to the bones, fully expecting them to come to life.


I pray in agreement with


you that we meditate on John 15:1-7, and that we boldly and confidently walk through the doors that God begins to send us through.


I pray in


agreement with you that we boldly and confidently proph- esy to our feet!


Sheila Thomas is a Detroit-


based freelance writer who can be reached at set717@ gmail.com.


A Very Personal Thank You


To my 7 Children, Tommy, Sheila, Darlene, Carolyn, Ronald Charles, Preston III, John Paul Sr; My 18 grandchildren and 14+ great grandchildren as well as my entire family and friends.


Thank you for being so supportive during my illness and my recuperation.


Special thanks to my church family, The Chapel Life Church, Williams Chapel Pastor James C. Jones;


My Miller High Alumni, class of 1953;


Greater Grace Temple, Bishop Charles Ellis and his Missionary Ministry;


Oasis of Hope Christian Church, Pastor Claude Allen May; Thank you all for your prayers.


Sincerely, Mary F. Taylor


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