You Can Be

You have the power to be anyone you want to be from the inside out. You can be a leader and never serve in office. You can be a parent and never have any children. You can be a savior and never walk on water. You can be a hero and never leap a tall building in a single bound, because you have the power. You have the power to be a trusting son or loving daughter. You have the power to be faithful lover and dependable friend. You have the power to be an ethical person of principle and you have the power to be a believer in core values. You have the opportunity to share this power, everyday you live. You have the power to rule a kingdom simply by being the role model in your own home. Rules are not meant to be broken. They are meant to be rules. There is no such thing as an exception to the rule; otherwise it would not have been a rule in the first place. You have the ability to change the world without ever leaving your community. Just by being you. So today, choose to make a difference for yourself and the ones you touch along the way. Choose to be the best you can be for yourself and the ones you love.

De'Master A. Thomas

Once an Adult-Twice a Child

Every life has reason. How that life came to be is nowhere near as important as how invaluable that life is once it is in the world. It is common to harp on how a child was conceived and far too common to live in regret believing that child's purpose is any less than another simply based on when, where or how the child came to be. Regardless, once you are here, guess what! You're here. Welcome.

Now that you are part of the incredible tapestry of life, what are you going to do with it? The options are indeed limitless. While they may not appear that way at first, they are. As a child, you will learn, grow, and develop your mind, body and spirit from your internal and external environment. While you may not necessarily contribute financially to your household, you bring joy, laughter, challenges, learning opportunities, moments of enlightenment, times of self-reflection and most importantly, you bring a message. A message that unconditional love is not a concept, but a reality. You are, for most parents, the focus, the point, the reason they carry on each day. Life without you is soon seen as a hazy blur in the rear view mirror. You are the gift and the purpose for a loving parent. You are literally a slogan-"you bring good things to life." So it is only fair that you live your life as the blessing you are-to the fullest. As a child, now is the time to take in as much as you can. Ask as many questions as your heart desires, but be prepared to accept the answers, whether it is what you want to hear or not. Know that if you are reared in love, you will reap the benefits of a healthy upbringing and while you may not like all the things you see and experience now, it will come into good use at some point in your life. All things and experiences can be used as tools for adulthood.
-De'Master A. Thomas

Adults. Through your early years, you were told what to do and how to do it. Now is the time to put your skills and knowledge to work. You are an adult. It is only fair to ask that you act accordingly. When you were a child, you thought like a child, now that you are an adult, you will think like one. You will make rational decisions based on realistic facts with a hint of gut feeling to support your choices. You will not take advantage of others, but instead gain advantage by embracing opportunity for growth when you see it. You will find throughout these years that these are the most productive, most creative, most contributing years of your life. You will continue to ask lots of questions. You will continue to make mistakes and you will continue to learn from them. Career, family, professional and personal relationships will consume most of these years. So be sure that you are choosing wisely in all categories. If you don't like something-change it. Now is the time to explore, expand, and entertain those childhood dreams. As long as they are healthy and beneficial, go for it. This is the time to embrace responsibility, work hard, play hard and set yourself up for the future. At times it will seem like the struggles are not worth it, but struggles build character. Each experience shapes and molds you into the true man or woman you were designed to be. Find your unique gift, share it and be a blessing to yourself and others. If you do not know what your unique gift or ability is yet, be open to new ideas and avenues along your journey. You may not know your true calling, but your true calling knows you and knows just when and where to find you. If you have already set ground for a successful personal and professional life, reach one, teach one. "Maintain and elevate" and teach your children well. And while you may not like all the things you see and experience now, it will come into good use at some point in your life. All things and experiences can be used as tools for your senior years.
-De'Master A. Thomas

 

Say it loud, say it clear. You have survived the living years. There were lots of moments filled with laughter and others filled with tears. You have come so far and struggled for so long and carried heavy burdens along the way. But you can now look back and say it is was all worth it; you did it all for this special day. The day you can say your wisdom, your time and your love are the reasons you never strayed. You stayed focused when faced with adversity and made a way when the path was not straight. If you have not done all the things you want to do in this life-do them now before it's too late. You spared nothing when it came to raising your children and always saw them through. Good thing you did, because the ones you took care of, will one day take care of you. Be wise when planning for the final hour, you can finally sit back and smile. We leave this life as we came in it, once an adult and twice a child.

-De'Master A. Thomas

A Letter From God

Dear child, I noticed you sitting here and wondered if I may sit with you. I heard your thoughts, but it was so loud that when I answered you, you could not hear Me. I saw your tears, but it was so clouded, you could not see Me. I saw you fall, but you were so angry in fear, that you could not feel Me. So I thought I would write you this letter, and when you had a moment, you would read it and remember how much I love you. 

When others called you ugly, I said you are beautiful. When others said you were mean, I said you are my friend. When others turn away from you, I call you my hero. When others have forgotten about you, I think about you everyday. 
I only want the best for you, if you want it for yourself. So when they tell you that you were a mistake, tell them I said you were made with purpose. I knew exactly what I was doing, when I brought you into this world. I will keep my promise I made to you, before the day you were born; to enjoy the laughter and smell the roses and help you endure the thorns. You see, you are truly, madly, deeply loved, so stay close, because it gets better. And if ever you need a reminder, know that I Am with you always, and go back and read this letter.

Forever Yours, 
Love God

(De'Master A. Thomas)

Lust vs. Love

And the winner is...

As if you had to ask.  Look.  Our society and progressive sexual revolution have led us astray.  We have only one body - one mind - and one "heart."  To believe that overindulgence in carnal pleasures is healthy is a complete scam to rope you into buying pointless products that do more damage than good.  And to lure you into doing irreparable damage to yourself physically, mentally and emotionally.  It starts in the home.  That's right. Sounds old fashioned, but proper care of the body and mind starts with the parent and child relationship.  What you learn as a child, you take with you into adulthood.  What you teach or fail to teach your children they will learn somewhere else and then it may be too late.  Never lie to a child.  About anything.  Including fully educating your child on the proper use of their bodies.  After all, it is "procreation" not "recreation" and while it may feel great for the moment, every time you lay down with someone you give a small part of yourself away that you will never get back.

So ask yourself.  It is worth it?  Is the price of lust worth the value of love?  Obviously there can be no wager on something that is priceless.  We all live with temptation.  We are all born with natural desires, wants, and needs to be desired in return.  Sex is a beautiful and fantastic expression of love between two people who are committed to each other on every level.  Did you catch that? Sex is an expression of Love.  When it is equally shared between two people who are committed to each other.  Ask yourself. What better way to show how I feel about someone than to give myself completely to them?  But there must be an all 4 points bond or it is only sex-not making love.  The outcomes are irreversible and so is the passion or pain depending on which role you play.  Learn what is natural and maturely seek to share your love with someone.  You will find that true love and happiness in a relationship requires no special effects to be magical and spectacular.  Take your time with love and be mindful of how you treat your body.  Indeed you will get out of it what you put into it so if it is a landfill you are planning then so shall it be trash that you put in it.  If it is warmth, compassion, ecstasy, and the embrace of your deepest connection with this person, then unleash the beast and go for it.

Indeed the body is amazing, attractive and exciting.  But the mind is strong, wise and careful.  Let your mind be the guide of your body-not the other way around.  If it is not appropriate for children, it is not appropriate for adults.  Adults, lead by example and know that those who follow are watching.  If you are careless and destructive with your sexuality and make hurtful decisions with negative outcomes, then there is a greater chance the child to follow will make the same choices.  So choose wisely in your quest to find a life partner.  If you are not ready for love then you are not ready for sex.  Plain and simple.  If you are not completely and totally ready to bring a life into this world in a two parent household that is stable and prepared to raise a child, then you are not ready for sex.  If you believe that lust is love - then you are definitely not ready for sex.  There is this great illusion we have fooled ourselves into believing; that it is okay because we can always use protection.  Again I say to you, if you have to invite any type of external devices into your bed with your life partner, including contraception, then you are not ready for making love.  Sex between two people with any type of foreign object is not love.  Because love knows no boundary and knows no border.  So if you think you are doing yourself a favor by strapping up or plugging up-think again.  You are purposely manipulating the design of intercourse to become strictly recreation and taking away its original purpose: to bring a life made out of love into this world.

And there you have it. K.O. knockout, first round. Love wins with one hit to the heart and lust loses with all its empty body blows to the senses.  Be wise in your step and let your mind be the guide for the body.

-DeMaster A. Thomas

Forgiveness

Forgiveness. It is not a concept. It is a fact. Forgiveness is always a win-win solution. It does not matter what the reason was. Far too often you hear people say well that's unforgivable. Literally speaking, there is no such thing. Humans are conditional beings. We forgive, but we do not forget. This is also on purpose; by design. If you forget, you do not learn from the mistakes and remember to avoid them in the future. I have been known to say forgiveness is not for them - it's for you! I say this because of the incredible relief it brings to the heart and mind to finally "let it go" and of course, it lets the other person know that you are no longer holding that negativity over them.

Here is a little exercise in forgiving deeply. If you have a picture or are in the presence of the person you wish to forgive, say this aloud to them with sincerity. If it is yourself you need to forgive, say this aloud and put your name first. (Example: mom, dad, son, daughter, their name or your name here and keep going....) If the other person is not ready to listen, write them a letter or leave a message. Either way, the healing begins now. If the other person needs to say these same words to you-be prepared to listen and be forgiven!

"( insert name here ), today - I forgive you. 100 times for a 1000 things, I forgive you.  It was not your fault that (state issue(s) here) happened.  Even if it was, I still forgive you. To wish (__) was never born is to wish (__) was never loved and that is not truly how I feel.  I may have let outside influences determine what I think about (__). I can see the lies from the truth. I am ready to accept the truth. It is time for me to enjoy my life completely without the stress of being angry. So today (___), I forgive you. I forgive you for (list all the things you can think of here). I have to start taking better care of me. I will no longer bring these things up as a way to hurt you or to get back at you. In return, I ask that you forgive me for anything I may have done along the way and know that I will do all I can to learn and grow from this."

To be most effective, choose a quiet setting where all parties can listen and speak without interruption. It is crucial that the listener holds their response until the end. Do this and you will be fulfilled. To forgive is to love and to love is Divine.

-DeMaster A. Thomas

These Three Words

I Wish I Could Describe Him To You

Dr. Shadrach Meshach (S.M.) Lockridge's famous sermon

True religion is a changed heart. Rebuild your foundation on love.

D. A. Thomas

See, Believe, Live

Never Give Up

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Reflection

I CAN BE 100% COMPLETE IF I PUT THE MIRROR OF TRUTH AND LOVE IN FRONT OF ME.

-DeMaster Thomas 

The Four Points of True Compatibility

If there is one thing dating and marriage has taught us, it is no two people are alike. While this may be true, contrary to all beliefs common and uncommon, males and females are naturally designed with only four points of undeniable compatibility.

These four points are:
1. Mental - There must be a meeting of the minds. You must have healthy communication and share your thoughts with clarity. Remember to be respectful, courteous and open-minded. All successful relationships start here. 
2. Physical - There must be mutual attraction. If you are no longer attracted and decide to stay in the relationship anyway, your relationship will suffer. Instead, go back to point #1 and try again. 
3. Emotional - There must be a meeting of the heart. Do not be afraid to express yourself with thoughtfulness. Emotional stability also plays a key role in your personal health and wellness.
4. Spiritual - No matter what your beliefs are, there must be a mutual foundation. If your partner does not believe in what you believe in, your relationship will suffer. Do not seek to convert or convince your partner to change. Respect their decision and move on.

Ultimately, the goal in any relationship is to learn and grow together. Think of these points as cylinders in your vehicle of love. If one of them burn out, you will end up on the side of the road. But do not fear. You can always take it to the shop. And with a little repair, you'll be back on the road again.

De'Master A. Thomas