Devil & God Inc.

For so long I thought I was the one writing my story. I wanted to be the one creating my destiny and my fate. I realize now I’m only the publisher. I can edit. I can adjust. But it’s up to me to show the world what I want. It’s up to me to show the world the things I’ve gone through. The trials. The tribulation. The pain. The problems. The miracles. The grace. The blessings. The good days. I know some of you may read the next few lines and just stop reading, but please give me a chance to show you what I’ve realized for me. I believe in a higher power. I believe in a lower power. I believe in God, and I believe in the Devil. I believe in them because they write my life. Some may not believe in either, and that’s okay with me. Some may believe in a different god than I do, and that’s okay with me. I love you no matter. We grow and adapt as to what we’re taught to know. But this is my life, and this is what I believe. So many think God and the Devil are so far apart, I think they’re just sitting across the table from each other planning out the day. I think the Devil says “Ha, I’m gonna get him pulled over and get a massive ticket.” God says, “Ok, he’s avoiding the accident ahead.” Devil says “I’m gonna give her cancer.” God says, “Ok, I’m gonna heal her.” The Devil says, “I’m gonna take her baby away from her,” God says, “Ok, I don’t think she’s ready yet anyway. But I’ve got twins on the way.” I think they have this great writing partnership, but we’re so blind to discount the work of the Devil just as much as we discount the work of God. See they are the writers, but the things they do for us are merely stories. It’s up to us to publish our life and show the rest of the world what’s happened for us. What if everything in the Bible had never been published? If the stories and books had just disappeared with those who lived them, we wouldn’t have the number one selling book. Too religious for you? If Bob Kane would’ve never published a story he’d created, we would never know of Batman. Too Hollywood for you? What if no one had survived the Titanic? We wouldn’t have any story of one of the most historical and devastating disasters ever. The Devil gives us great opportunity of disruption and says, “HA! I have a great idea to mess up their life!” Then God comes around, takes the cliffhanger, and says, “Ok, I like where you’re going with this. It’s going to be hard on them. This will be a difficult time, but I’ve tried and tried to show them what they need. I've tried and tried to get them to see where they could be in life. I’ve tried to show them the steps to take, but they’re just ignoring me. I see you’re problem Devil, and I raise you a solution.” The Devil is a liar, he is a problem. But at times he is a necessary evil. With every problem comes a solution. With every problem comes an opportunity for testimony. It’s time to take your situation and publish it. You may have gone through an embarrassing time, a hard time, and a “Dear God! I don’t know how I’m going to make it through this!” time, but it’s just so you can pass the testimony along to the next person who’s going to have a harder time with the same situation. You may be heartbroken from a death or a loss, but this is the time for you to publish your story to those around you and become an encouragement of hope. I’m not saying to go out and start spreading the word that you got out of a speeding ticket cause you felt God was telling you to be nice to the Cop.  But some time you will find yourself standing in a store, at work, at school, maybe even the shower (that’s where this whole idea came from), and you will get a feeling in your stomach or maybe even a vision of someone in your mind. That is God dropping a new character in a story the Devil has started. You could be a solution to a plot that’s twisting in someone's life. They have the problem and you have the solution. PUBLISH. PUBLISH. PUBLISH. No one else can tell your story. You have to. I don’t know what all you've been through. I can’t tell your story, unless you want to sit and tell me all about it and I’ll write it for you($10 an hour). You have to do something about it. Move toward that person, talk to them. Go and make waves. You may be nervous and think there’s nothing you can do. But it might just be you giving a simple “Hello” that could make a change or an edit. It might be for just a moment, but there’s no telling what just a second can accomplish. If you don’t know what I’ve gone through you may not know to ask for help. But don’t just leave the story in the hard drive of your mind collecting cobwebs and hoping God is going to punch a hole in your “Overcame Situation” card. Tell others what you’ve gone through. Publish your story. Give your testimony. To you it might not be some epic New York Times best seller, Academy Award winning, history changing tale, but to the one who needs it, it is everything.

Now let me adjust for those of you who are reading this the wrong way. It does not have to be front page news. It does not have to be known to the entire world. There is a difference between gloating, bragging, publishing, and testifying. You will know when it is necessary. I've been thinking of this topic for a week now. Clearly I need to practice what I preach. But maybe it just wasn't time to publish.

If you’re still reading this I thank you. If you’re not...maybe you’ll be back.

What would you do?

This is a true story. I'm going to tell it to you, but I want to give you a moment to clear your mind. I want to hear your opinion and comments but after you read this I want you to take 5 minutes to think about it before you answer. It is a true story, it happened. 

Imagine you work for a large billion dollar international retailer, you work hard, you do what you're told, and you do it right. You're not late. You don't miss work. You are the ideal employee. You wouldn't want to just settle and stay in the same position forever do you? So you work harder. Obviously, literally, in every obvious way you work harder than those around you. So you apply for that higher position, only to not receive it. Yes, it's depressing not getting it, but you work harder. You apply again. Again, you're turned down. 

Almost sounds like your life doesn't it?

I hope you're still paying attention because here's the juicy part. One day your boss calls you into his office. They say you work hard. We see it. But I need to be blunt with you. You're never going to get that position you want or any promotion. This company is only promoting women and one particular race, and you are neither of those.

This is the moment when you're quite frustrated I assume. But what would you do? Then again, what could you do?

You could bring it up with Human Resources but you were the only two in the room. It's your word against theirs.

You could've turned your phone on and recorded the conversation, but that’s recording a conversation without the other person’s permission and wouldn’t hold up. Unless, of course, you’re Donald Sterling I guess, then somehow it’s completely legal. Let that sink in.

So again I ask, what would you do?

What could you do?

This world has changed. What works for one race is racist for the next. What opinion one has is homophobic for the next. What thought you have no matter how word for word perfect detail compared it is to the last person, one of you is wrong.

Even if we try to change something, we’re against the rest.

What happened?

What can we do?

Maybe there isn’t anything.

And that's frightening.

Let It Roll

I love Casinos...OMG! He did not just say that! I know, half of you just gasped with fear, twenty-five percent just started to rebuke and pray for me. But before you pass judgment take a moment...Take a gamble on what words are in front of you. You might just like it. A casino is just another visual depiction of life. From the entrance, or beginning, you're entry is based off your age, whether you're eligible to be allowed in. Once drug through the zodiac, eye color, address, zip code and identity check questions you'll be let in. You're first time in is mesmerizing, much like you're first steps through life. The lights, the sounds, the people all tingle through you, sparking every sense into a caffeinated high. It's exhilarating. But it's just like life. Filled with highs and lows, sights and sounds, happiness and sadness. Segregated by high and low limit table and machines, all demanding your attention to pick a number, a color, a side, or an end result. Take a seat in any spot and be zoned into the moment. Hit. Stand. Fold. Double. Raise. Press it. Evens. Odds. Take your pick. In the walls of the building include every comparison of what you're going through. Call it a chance, brave, challenge, venture or risk...Call it whatever you want, but you do it every day. Win some. Lose some. You have to keep on your game. You can play safe, but you'll win small. Play big, lose big, win big. Take your eyes off the prize for one second and you could lose the thought, opportunity or moment to up the stakes and come out on top. No one else can play the game for you. It's up to you. Wait for the right opportunity and might miss another. Wait for the right opportunity and it might take too long. Every second is a gamble. You disagree? You took a gamble. You always do. You gambled with wearing that shirt today. With what you said to your boss. Your friend. Your loved one. You gambled getting out of bed that you would make it through today. You gamble with believing what's true, real, right or wrong. You aren't guaranteed a win, but you can take the steps to make sure you come through ok. I'm taking a gamble that the other 25 percent of you are actually taking this in, seeing that everything around you is because someone took a gamble on you. Four cards down, one more decides it all. One more pull of the arm. The wheel spins. The dice roll. Your odds are out. What's it going to be? Fold? Take a chance? Make that gamble? Let it ride and Defy The Odds.

Support A Cause

Real Men wear pink. Better Men wear it for a cause. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Show Your Support and Inspire. Be The Revolution

Check...

I know it's difficult sometimes. Things don't always go as planned. As the sun rises, so do new challenges and tasks that test our very existence. Every second we're faced with a choice that effects our future. It's as if life were a huge game of chess, one wrong move, you lose your advantage, and possibly lose the game. Every piece plays a part, no matter how far or what direction each piece moves, it still has a great effect to the game.

Picture yourself standing there.

All around your acquaintances, your pawns, there's more of them than anyone else. Doesn't seem like they do much, but if they weren't there, you're life would be more vulnerable to attack. Cherish your acquaintances, you might forget their names, they might be distant, but they are there for a purpose. And even sometimes if they make it to the end with you, they become more.

The next, keep life moving forward and direct, the Rooks are our jobs, skills, trades, and talents. They may move back and forth in front of us, but they keep us going forward. But when things get tough we have the option to take a step back and look at where we're going. They have great purpose, but not many directions. Each person's Rooks may be different than the next, but they serve the same purpose. A purpose of advancement.

The Knights are our materials and effects, whether necessity or desire. Our homes, cars, clothes, music, and social networks create the personality of us. Every other piece is more direct, but our Knight shows the curve of who we are. Strangely placed just right to wrap around our lives. It tells our swag, our style, and our dare to be who we want to be.

Your faith, beliefs, hopes, dreams, and even fears are your Bishop. It separates us mentally from the rest, with the ability to indirectly affect our lives. No matter how many times we move, or no matter how long the game, we will always be on the same color mind set we started.

The best part about these three is if we lose one, there's another chance to take our other Rook, Knight, or Bishop for a little back-up and make more of an impact on our lives.

The Queen is our everything. She's our family, our closest of friends, and those there for us in any way possible. She helps us through the hard times. Makes sacrifices when she needs to. And even if we lose her, sometimes comes back. She's by our side from the beginning, and fights harder than anything. She is worthy of her title.

All of these pieces, people, characteristics, and things come together for one purpose, to overcome, to make a stand, to become victorious, and to protect the King. You are the ruler, director, and the King in this game. You have everything you need to win. To become everything you want. To overcome. You have every piece you need to rule your world right at your fingertips. It's your time to become a revolution and show everyone you are more than you ever expected. It's right in front of you. As simple as black and white. It's time to keep moving.

It's your move.

Check...

The Beat Of The World

Check your pulse. Are you alive? But are you living? Feel your pulse. Feel the beat. That's the beat of your life. Just like music, the beat keeps us alive. We dance. We sing. We move. It makes us smile, it makes us cry. Music has been the way of life since the creation of time. With so many genre's, the music culture is the greatest influence in lives all over the world. From the sleepless streets of New York, to the festivals of Rio de Janeiro, to roaring pubs of Dublin, to the desolate plains of South Africa, to the fortuned population of Tokyo, and to the beaches of Honolulu, music makes the world flow.

Music is the universal, timeless connection the world has. One chart topping hit has the power to travel the world in seconds. The revolution of music has been more epic than anything in time, with the transition from LP's, to 8-tracks, to cassette tapes, to CD's, to MP3's, to satellite and internet radio. It segued to new heights in the past 70 years that no one could have predicted. There’s no denying music has been a part of the history of life, we grow with it. We love one generation of music, and hate the next. However we all come together for that one special song that makes the right moment perfect through the year. We remember old acquaintances in the first few seconds, say I love you, fight our Irish out, Mariachi out, sing blessings on the 4th, sing spells to ghouls and goblins, and watch red nose reindeer.

We have our driving songs. We have our church songs. We have our club songs. We have our funeral songs. We have long summer day songs, and long winter night songs. We have songs stapled to memories, and memories stapled to songs. We have songs that makes us rock, songs that make us jive, songs that calm us down, songs that rile us up, songs that break us down, and songs that build us up. We all have a song we wake up to, and we have a song we go to bed to. We have a beat. We have a rhythm. We have a message. We have a life. Put them together and we have a song for the world. Never stop singing. Never stop dancing. Never stop the beat.

Stage Of Life

Shakespeare definitely had it right when he said, "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts..." I think it's forgotten from time to time that we all have a part to play in this world. We never fully understand what our sole purpose is, but we will see other's. Friends, family, and even total strangers help paint an astounding picture of who we are. The epic thought of the stranger next to us is shadowed by the simplicity of the word stranger. Just like a friend or family member, they have a purpose in your life. Whether it be for the moment you're experiencing or another fateful encounter. There is a part that human being is playing in the stage of your life. Cherish every moment you spend in life, you never know when your last curtain call will be.

 

Jeremiah 29:11 (The Message)

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

 

In Memory of a father, a grandfather, a husband, a brother, a son, the humble, the caring, the security, the direction, the best tour bus driver I've ever seen. He'd give you the shirt off his back, and today I take my hat off to you. My life will be forever changed because of you friend.

 

Paul Trice, I love you and I will never forget you.