There's A Difference Between Being Blessed By Someone And Raping Someone For Their Gift

First thing's first:
Y'all are funny. Y'all ask for positive music but then won't buy positive music when it's available. On more than one occasion, I've been told by many of my friends in the industry that they hear the constant, "I couldn't get it to work" or "I don't know what I'm doing". Please stop. They'd much rather you say you weren't interested or it wasn't your type of thing. That's actually cool. People can live with that. What is a little more difficult to tolerate is being told you lacked the dexterity to download an MP3 or WAV file (for all my Itunes heads out there) when you are completely capable of handling every single form of social media, Microsoft application, etc. One is truly no more difficult than the other.

Secondly:
To book someone actually means a transfer of medium has taken place. Christian artists, Holy Hip Hop artists or whatever you wish to call them, feed their families and dress their children using the same money you use to feed and support your own. To continue to "book" these artists only offering the usual "you're more than welcome to sell CDs afterwards" is common but shouldn't be used as a tool to make the artist feel guilty for wanting to get paid off of their gift. Gas prices and vehicle maintenance is real. They've blessed your event with their time and talent. You, in turn, should be a blessing to them as well.

Third:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with said artist seeking compensation for his or her art. If Bishop T.D. Jakes writes a book and it becomes a best seller, we say he's a genius. If Tyler Perry (who may be a bad example for this exercise but bear with me) releases a movie you have no issue supporting him financially. Why is it when the Pastor or the Artist seeks compensation they've become demons straight from  the depths of Hell? They come to your events to be a blessing when you know good and well your church isn't purchasing CDs. (funny how y'all always manage to find the money to pay the speaker or the national recording artist you wanted). They record with the secular artist (because truth be told we've always received more love in the hood than the church), you see them as traitors; and honestly, when they came to your Church, and you cut them that $15 check (if that) and told them "we wish we could give you more", they have a thought as well. They're thinking "I wish you could have too".

Fourth:
Let me clear something up. Truthfully all churches lack financial resources to do these things from time to time. We all understand that. Most of these artists don't have any problem being a blessing and are more than willing to tune into the Holy Spirit from time to time and minister because ministry is truly needed. I've given away a hundred CDs on more than one occasion because the Holy Spirit told me that everyone who needed to blessed by the music didn't have the ten dollars to pay for it. We've all done it. I've done paid and free events; but some of you NEVER pay anybody, can't or won't even agree to send them money when you can pay them ( a week or so later is okay, trust me), and truthfully are doing so knowing you could be a financial blessing to them if you want to. There's a difference between being a blessing and being raped for your gift.


Think about it..........................


Fin

Copyright September 2015   GQ_4_Eva
www.teamgq4eva.com

Brady’s Better. Get over it already (This one is very sentimental. This got me my job as a sportswriter)

   December 12th, 2010, as time expires in the first half, Brady throws a 25 yard pass that Deion Branch turned into a 59 yard touchdown. It was just another day at the office I guess. It’s just one thing. There’s a blizzard going on at the time. I thought of about a lot that day. I thought about how Brady’s play has always made average receivers look like Pro Bowlers. It’s even gotten one a Super Bowl MVP award.  I thought about how routine Brady made great play after great play with less talent around him. I thought about great throws Peyton made; but if I have to win one game and I can have either one of them, give me Brady.
     
Why? I’m thrilled that you asked! Let’s go back to those bad weather games. Brady: always excellent.      Peyton: not so much. Peyton is like that employee you had that had to have everything go right. You give him the proper preparation, training, conditions, practice and everything else, we’re in business. Throw any kind of wrench in, (fight with the wife, car accident, upset client) we have a problem. He can’t adjust. Peyton can’t adjust. He never could. The Colts knew that. Remember the Sunday Night welcome home party thrown for Peyton in his triumphant return to Indianapolis? The roof is open for the first time all season. The video board displays a rather lengthy video tribute. There’s a long standing ovation. All of a sudden, Mr. “I need warm ups to go a certain way” struggles. Again, a heavily favored Peyton loses a game he’s favored in to a lesser team.
     
     It’s the story of his college career. Let’s go back to Tennessee. The All American leaves and Tennessee finally wins the National Championship with Tee Martin at Quarterback. No for real. Tee Martin. I could go on, but I won’t. We’ll go back to the NFL level. Lets check his playoff record. He’s 11 up and 13 down (most of those games he was favored in), including a 41 point Hulk Smash delivered by the Jets, a home loss to the Steelers (again he was favored), and two straight losses to the Chargers (favored in both and one of those was at home). He’s 1-2 in Super Bowls. I could go on and on here too but I’d only upset the typically delusional Peyton Manning fan who can’t hear the truth. Remember two things in life. People think you’re smarter when they agree with you. Never argue about Peyton Manning with a Peyton Manning fan. It’s pointless.
    
 We’ve become a nation of stats. Fantasy football, baseball purist, fans of Peyton Manning. Typically, we ignore Brady for that reason. There isn’t enough flash they say; but hold on Young Jedi, let’s not be so swift to say so. Peyton has spent his entire career surrounded by Hall Of Famers and Pro Bowlers. Brady’s had one real all star: Randy Moss. You want stats? Let’s start with this one. In his first season with a REAL Hall of Fame level receiver he went 16-0 in the regular season and set the NFL touchdown record at the the time. Think of what could have been. While Manning’s had Edgerrin James, Reggie Wayne, Jeff Saturday, Dallas Clark, and some scrub by the name of Marvin Harrison. Brady’s had Troy Brown, Kevin Faulk, and a broken down Corey Dillon.
     
Oh yeah. The stats. Tom Brady’s 21 up and 8 down in the playoffs, including a 4-2 Super Bowl Record: and if not for a David Tyree helmet catch, a dropped Assante Samuel interception, a sideline catch and an almost perfectly thrown Hail Mary that was dropped, he could easily be 6-0. I can remember a young Tom Brady leading a drive that resulted in a game-winning field goal in his first attempt as a starter. Peyton’s first season? 28 interceptions.
     
Both are great. We all know that; but give me one game, and I want Tom all day. He’s clutch. Peyton isn’t. He’s done more with less. Peyton’s disappointed when we’ve expected more. He’s risen to the occasion when he’s had to be better. Peyton stays the same or has gotten worse. Blame systems. Bring up deflated footballs. Bring up whatever, but know this. We have been witness to two of the greatest examples of quarterback play in the history of this game. I’m impartial. I’m an Eagle’s fan. We’ve never had that level of quarterback play ever. Facts are facts though and it is what it is. When it comes to the Brady versus Manning argument, advantage goes to Brady. Period. Point blank. End of sentence

Copyright 2015  GQ_4_Eva
www.teamgq4eva.com

Fallen Soldiers & Leaders/ Forgotten Issues/ Forever Remembering

    

 I have a friend of mine, and he wouldn't mind me saying this. When he was younger, his mom took an insurance policy out on him and then fed him battery acid in an attempt to cash in. By the grace of God, the acid for whatever reason (be it supernatural or whatever) never went past his lips. Unfortunately, the scars remain on his lips, neck, and face. When finally able to visit her (dad wasn't there), now as a man, what would become their relationship was forged with each other sharing the Sundays he was allowed to visit, letters, and eventually emails. I recall the major moment in his life when he told me he accepted Jesus, studied true forgiveness and eventually genuinely forgave his mother for her mistakes, absence, and his many years in foster care and eventually group homes and overnight visits to jail.
    
 I admire his ability to forgive though I've never been able to master it on my own. This week, I lost one of the men who played the role of my spiritual father for several years of my life. My biological father did everything a man should do for his son. I searched for this in my faith walk. Unfortunately, I was never able to find it. Do I love him? Absolutely! It's only an Agape type of love but I do. I admired his love for God. I admired his work in the kingdom. I admired his work in ministry. I love his teaching style, his effort, and his resiliency. He was a man who left us to soon. My father died early as well, and I miss him. He never got to see the man he knew I was capable of becoming. I also, at times, still feel I need him so I could bounce ideas off of him such as these.
   
  I also knew another side of my bishop. I read countless recants of his accessibility. I read how he was only a call away. I read of his passion. This was the man I didn't know. I remember a man who never came to see me while on suicide watch. I remember a man who knew I was on suicide watch and after seeing me return to his church NEVER once asked me if I was okay. I remember his wife's blatant attempts to look past me or through me.I remember a man who never returned my phone calls. I remember a man, who seeing me coming, made an obvious attempt to walk in the other direction and grab someone he clearly wasn't talking to so he wouldn't have to deal with me. I remember a man who took the time to go on the local news and state his views of the need for stronger marriages in the community of believers; but I also remember that man giving me his behind to kiss when mine was in question (maybe because my wife was too precious of a commodity to not pull further and further away when the truth is a wife should come before her pastor).
    
 I forgive him. I love him. In some ways I will miss him. That's the presence of God in me. I will continue to pray for a wife who lost her husband, children who lost a father, and grandchildren who lost a grandfather. That's the human side of me; but what I haven't matured to yet is the man who can forget those issues. Some would call this petty. Some would say my timing is off. Others would agree or say I'm honest. To say, I feel a way I don't does me no service, doesn't fool a God who created me, and damn sure doesn't change what happened. It's a necessary part of my journey; and wherever that journey leads me to next, my fantasy of me elevating to levels he couldn't reach and him remembering his failures in our relationship is dead now.
    
 Did I, at times, want revenge? Yes. Was that wrong? Absolutely; but honestly, we played for the same team. We were two men who were different who could have been an awesome combination together reaching lost souls in two totally different ways. Now he's gone; and I'm left to wrestle with the conflicting ideas of seeing myself as a man that would gain my own audience and one day use that as my platform to bury him for his mistreatment of me and the ideas of how this man's ministry would grow to be one of the ones I admired the most and hoped to emulate. Maybe this is how the man feels who sees that father pass that never acted like a father. That feeling I will never know thankfully. This feeling I know all to well. As great as I've become, I still have a ways to go. They say honesty is the best policy. We'll see........


Copyright 2015 GQ_4_Eva
www.teamgq4eva.com