Part 1 of the Performing the World series, created and filmed by the Giant-Slayers' sister-in-Christ, Andrea Chicas (twitter.com/drezchicas)

Destiny is a feeling you have that you know something about yourself nobody else does. The picture you have in your own mind of what you're about will come true. It's a kind of a thing you kind of have to keep to your own self, because it's a fragile feeling, and you put it out there, then someone will kill it. It's best to keep that all inside."

-Bob Dylan

Dear Lord, 

Please don't let me spend the rest of my life like I did last night, looking out windows and wishing I was somewhere else.

Amen

Calling my name

Listen to this track fam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eMRyv7Hnzo&feature=related

I can't speak for everyone or everybody, but even now I still have some Jonah tendancies (I've gotten a lot better though). He says speak here, I decline, He says go left and I go right...but He still doesn't get tired of me and continues to call my name...when I fall and sin..He still calls my name...I'm only saved because He lifted me out the muck and mire, saw the treasure in my trash, and called my name...When I didn't even know HIS! Woah, Woah, Wow. That's not an excuse for me to sin, but an acknowledgement of His love...the love that caused Him to die for me..while I was yet lost, the love that caused him to call my name when I hated him, the love that causes Him to call my name even when I act like I forgot His.

Can anyone else relate?

Here are the lyrics:

How many times do I go against Your will
then You forgive me
but yet I still turn around and do the things
the things I shouldn't do
cuz I belong to You
and I know You will come through
Lord I know I take advantage of Your grace
here in this christian race
but yet I still hear You calling my name

solo:
how many times would it take for me to learn
that it's only in Your will that I'll ever earn
I'll ever earn my life's reward
the honor due to me
life eternally riches in glory
Lord I know I know I don't belong
with You cuz I've done wrong
oh oh but yet I still hear You calling my name
yeah
How many times do I go against Your will
then You forgive me
but yet I still turn around and do the things
the things I shouldn't do
cuz I belong to You
and I know You will come through
Lord I know I take advantage of Your grace
here in this christian race
but yet I still hear You calling my name

chorus:
You're calling my name to come into Your arms
to be safe from fear and harm
knowing this but I still choose to go my way
then You still say, You say that I am He
who will supply your every need
oh Lord I've sinned but You're still calling my name
3x's

oh Lord I've sinned but You're still calling my name
4x's

I watch this every day, it helps me remember why I'm here

..........We now officially have an e-mail address.... giantslayersblog@gmail.com (Questions, Comments, Concerns, Ideas, Guest Bloggers?)

Sharing of Information Part 1

It has been said by many that people.... and especially People of Color, do not share information, and this is one of Many things that holds us back.... I'm not talking about economically, that really does not matter or appeal to me as much as the conditions of our Hearts.... With that said, Let's Lift Each Other Up & not put each other down.... One of the best ways I feel we can do that is to put each other up on game. This is the place to share any helpful advice, articles, or tips on love, relationships, work, finance, nutrition, exercise & the list goes on..... Some say the game is to be sold, Not to be Told... I say, the game's to be told and made your own! Let's help each other be the best we can be!

I'll start it off with some tips I have picked up along the way.....

-Start your day off with prayer (of course), and five minutes sitting still in silence, and SMILING. Something about smiling even when you're not happy sends something to your brain that makes you feel happy. It sounds corny I know, but try it.

-If you can wear it, eat it, or hear it.... It's not a good investment. 

-Stamps and quality diamonds are, however, great investments. The lowest class of diamonds that appreciates in value is SI1 & SI2 H through J in color.... Over 95% of diamond jewelry is actually junk, Do Your Research!

-If you don't want to do something that you know you should, make a point to do it. Listening to the Voice of Comfort is only going to lead you toward Destruction!

-For those who don't like veggies.... Add a handful of spinach into a smoothie made of organic orange juice and fresh fruit, you won't even be able to taste it, and you will look and feel 100 times Better

-If you want to start a small business, put $100 in a business checking account a year in advance, and never ever touch it.... When it's time to get it up and running, you will already have established history

-Your relationships with people can either advance your physical and emotional health or destroy it. Clear up any beef, problems, or questions with co-workers, friends, and family.... A simple disagreement can easily turn into a long-standing feud if you don't nip it in the bud

-If you are going to quit a job, make sure you do so at least one day into the new month, so you can have Health Care for an additional thirty days.

Now, your turn.... (Share) any useful helps, hints, advice, or strategies, I promise it's going to come back to You ten-fold....

;o)

My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)

Get Off the Plantation-The Movement

This week has been mentally a trying one with the amount of violence that has rocked my hometown as of late. The most frustrating part tho, is far too many people are still on the plantation. Yes, in the 21st century people are still enslaved: by apathy, by fear, by myopic outlooks, by sin, by the illusions of this world ( money, car, clothes, and hoes is all a ninja knows!) , by a whole bunch of stuff. As Steven Biko ( look dude up, he was a giant-slayer) said, " The Greatest Weapon in the hand of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." Real talk, this plantation mindset and the enslavement to ourselves and our own desires is the only way that the enemey has been able to keep our generation enslaved.

So how/where can people go to get off this plantation? The answer suprisingly is to go to another one. Yea, Paul talks about it in Romans 6. He talks about how we were once slaves to sin ( or fir, or selfish desires, or thinking that tells us that we cannot change dark circumstances) but then we can become by becoming a slave of righteousness and Christ. ( a do-gooder slavery...see post 2) So this plantation movement is a movement off the plantation of self and/or fear and to the plantation of God. It's a wierd paradigm, especially as black people, to want to be slaves. But that's the only way to be liberated. Becoming a slave to love, to righteousness, to doing right, to using our gifts and talents, to do whatever it is that we can do to create change.

So a giant-slayer must not only tackle the huge problems facing our generation, but they must also serve as liberators. Real Harriet Tubman with it. The same Holy Spirit that enables you to kill the Goaliths facing our generation, must be the same Holy Spirit that allows you to liberate our peers. This liberation is ability to be FREE from the limits of man ( with God there is nothing impossible, I can do ALL things with Christ) and FREE from the wages of sin (death.)

After all, that's what Jesus came to do. He said ( Luke 4:18) , "the Spirit of the Lord is upon me know..for He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, to set the oppressed free."

And Yea fam, our generation is enslaved to a lot of things. Plantation mentailty for sure. But We gotta start the Get off the plantation movement.

Who the Son sets free, is free indeed.

Thoughts?

Tubbs

If everyone is a product of this society, who will say the things that need to be said, and do the things that need to be done, without compromise? Truth will never start out popular in a world more concerned with marketability than righteousness. It will initially suffer ridicule and even violence- yet ultimately it is undeniable. All of humanity is living in a dream world, but suffering real consequences.

(Lauryn Hill, The Middle Man)

I will share my opinion later, but let's discuss now........

Be Eager to Do Good? ( 1 Peter 3:13)

As I was preparing to go to sleep last night, I decided to seriously open my Bible and read it for the first time in 2 weeks. ( unacceptable I know) The Scripture was 1 Peter 3:13- "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?" This simple truth was a revelation for the kid, because I be eager to succeed, eager to create change, eager to have fun...but not simply just to do good. Like be excited to bless my enemies, to pray for those who persecute me, live a holy life.....because for me far too often "doing good" is a burden and not a blessing. It's like man, I can't do this or go to that because I have to be "good...", or wondering is life going to pass me by because I'm tryna be "good?"

Honestly, who is really excited to be a do-gooder? Our culture puts a premium on being bad, bad Michael Jackson. ( Yet another example of how are culture is so anti-Bible lol) Seriously tho, girls love the bad boys, we ain't going nowhere cuz it's Bad Boys for Life....ect.

We have changed language so that now bad=good, and good is no longer a word in our vocab. Yet, I am to be eager, juiced, excited to do good?!

And I will. ( try!) Being good will be the new "bad" or the old good lol. Being good shall be fun. Let's be eager to do right, to be good! WE AIN'T GOING NOWHERE, IT'S GOODY2SHOES for life :) lol

Tubbs

For real, and not for fake

This isn't meant to be an alternative to your favorite lifestyle or hip-hop blog, but a completely different experience.

We put limits on God when we see living for Him as a long, boring existence inside the walls of the church house, punctuated by fried chicken dinners and gospel concerts when there's just so much more. Mike and I are both Bible-believing Christians who believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sin, and was ressurected in three days, and we live our lives in reflection of that awesome truth. We're followers of Christ, but we are also scholars, music lovers, artists, speakers, and community activists. God made each of those hats. He doesn't want us to take them off, He just wants us to wear them a different way. The journey is scary, exhilarating, and sad sometimes, but its worth it. It is more than worth it. This is the greatest story ever told, the true story of the best Good and the darkest Evil.

Some of us are familiar with "double consciousness." The idea that some of us are Nicaraguan AND American, female AND a mechanic .... And how the fight to remain true to one aspect of your being may mean being less true to another. Some of us struggle because we find our purpose in calculating the stars' deliberate waltzes across space, or forming hands and faces within blocks of clay, but feel as if this doesn't mesh with God. We have fearfully dismissed the dreams placed in our hearts and taken on traditional roles, but silently, we wonder if we are really suited for all of this. We wonder if our lives are supposed to be bound with the mediocre stuff of Wednesday night sitcoms, we wonder if we're supposed to be feeling that empty droll in the pit of our stomachs after a crazy night out, we wonder if God is listening at all.... We know there has to be more than this, but we are unsure of how to find it.

Mike and I might not be there yet, but we're on our way, and we want to share this walk, which is both frightening and beautiful under Gods ever-knowing, ever-hoping, ever-believing eye with you, as we want you to share your journey with us.

The Word tells us that God's always there, but there is a choice. He will not force, but we are held accountable, because in the end we choose..... Life or death, blessings or curses. We choose life. We hope you will too.

Welcome to giant-slayers.