Tania Not Tanya: December 2016

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Separated But not Equal

Separate but Equal: In 1890 a new Louisiana law required railroads to provide “equal but separate accommodations for the white, and colored, races.” Outraged, the black community in New Orleans decided to test the rule. On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy agreed to be arrested for refusing to move from a seat reserved for whites. Judge John H. Ferguson upheld the law, and the case of Plessy v. Ferguson slowly moved up to the Supreme Court. On May 18, 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court, with only one dissenting vote, ruled that segregation in America was constitutional. That ruling impacted the lives of black folks throughout the United States e.g. education, workforce, travel, etc.). But I don’t really want to focus on that as it brings up ugly painful memories like Jim Crow laws, etc. If you have interest, do a google search on separate but equal.

More than 100 years later when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I went on a trip to the SF Zoo with a group of people from the community. While playing in one of the children’s areas, I guess I must have stayed too long, because when I surfaced EVERYONE was gone. I cannot say for certain how much time elapsed, but clearly the adult responsible for me was afraid because when we were reunited she gave me a good old fashioned tongue lashing (in love), minus the cuss words, as tears streamed down her eyes and she warned me to “never do that again!” What did I do? I got lost or shall I say separated from my group.

In 1986 I was forced to make one of the (then) most difficult decisions of my life. Separate myself from my husband and father of my children or stay and die. During that time, you didn’t just leave a man in the COGIC. We were taught to “stay there, baby, pray and the Lord will deliver you.” Now, if you’re a COGIC person, hold on a minute. It is not my intention to be condescending; that was (and in some cases still is) the advice given to women in “troubled” marriages. I didn’t think I had a biblical “justification” for divorcing, but I was desperate for peace, so I made the agonizing decision to separate from my husband after about 5.5 years of marriage. My hope was that he would get it together so we could live happily ever after. To keep it ‘one-hunid’, I would have settled for just living ‘ever after’. I would have sacrificed the happily part so my children could grow up in a healthy environment raised by their biological parents. Why would I say that? I was raised with my parents and I wanted the same for my children. I didn’t want to be a single parent though I would have done it; nor did I want them to be raised by a step-father based on my perceptions of what that looked like. However, my children and I were in an unhealthy toxic environment (mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually) so when the time was right, I left and ultimately that marriage ended in divorce once I discovered I had just cause.

Fast forward to 2011: I saw the proverbial writing on the wall. I knew it was coming, I even warned my staff and while I was on vacation, they (my employer) made their move. In hindsight, it was like a relationship from a cheating spouse/partner. You know what I mean; the unnecessary lies and crazy moves (because of their guilt); or what about the ultimate blindside: you come home to discover the locks have been changed and your name has been removed from the shared accounts. Yes, that thing right there! That’s exactly what it felt like just prior to getting my separation papers from the last organization I worked for. I made a vow to never work for anyone else again as a W-2 employee.

That’s a great Segway into my primary thought for today, the fact of separation. Now if you adamantly don’t believe in God and you’re not even open to hearing dialogue about the possibility of his existence, nothing in this blog moving forward will matter to you, so you can stop. However, if you are curious, even just a little, I challenge you to read the rest of it and ponder my written thoughts. Deal? Okay, let’s go deeper.

I realize this is a very unpopular topic, but a lack of popularity does not negate the truth, which is sin negatively impacts our relationship with God because sin separates us from him.

· What is sin? The biblical definition is found in 1 John 3:4 (Common English Bible): every person who practices sin commits an act of rebellion, and sin is rebellion. Rebellion is defined as opposition to one in authority or dominance. The King James Version says: Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. In short, sin is breaking God’s law.

· Where did sin come from? From man’s disobedience (breaking God’s Law, rebellion) What man? Adam, the first man created by God. Genesis 2:9; And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And, Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Sin was inherited by all of mankind as a result of Adam’s disobedience (rebellion, breaking God’s law). Of course if you believe you evolved from a monkey, you have completely rejected everything I said. But again, I challenge you to read on.

Read my blog See, What Had Happened Was to get caught up.

Yes, I know this is the 21^st Century, if it feels good, do it, right? Ummmmm, the fact remains that God takes sin so seriously that he separates himself from it. The definition of the word separation is: the action or state of moving or being moved apart. Don't think that the Lord is too weak to save you or too deaf to hear your call for help! It is because of your sins that he doesn't hear you. It is your sins that separate you from God when you try to worship him. You are guilty of lying, violence, and murder. Isaiah 59:1-3 (GNT). Verses 1-2 speak for themselves but let me expound on verse 3 the last sentence.

Tania Not Tanya nugget: In scripture we can tell the importance of a thing, person, etc. based on the order of reference. Notice that lying precedes violence and murder. It is no mystery today that very little value is placed on lying. Some have even taken the liberty of categorizing lies (e.g. white, black, little, big, etc.) and then there is the justification of lying for: benefits, to save or protect something/someone. Listen, listen, listen Linda, God does not make a differentiation or categorize lies nor sin. As far as he is concerned, lying rates right up there with murder. Let’s sit right there for a minute and take about 10 deep breaths before we go any further.

God is so serious that he will press mute when we pray. It's useless to bring your offerings. I am disgusted with the smell of the incense you burn. I cannot stand your New Moon Festivals, your Sabbaths, and your religious gatherings; they are all corrupted by your sins. When you lift your hands in prayer, I will not look at you. No matter how much you pray, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with blood. Isaiah 1:13, 15 (GNT). I can hear some of you now: the Spirit always talks to me, when I prayed God answered my prayer; etc. First of all, which spirit are you talking about, because there are many, including the spirit of deception? Secondly, God’s word is very clear on his stance against sin and its impact on his relationship with us. For him to ignore this fact would void the purpose of sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to help us (we will cover that in another blog). As sweet, innocent, nice, helpful as you are, if sin is present in your life he will not hear you. John 9:31Good News Translation (GNT): We know that God does not listen to sinners; he does listen to people who respect him and do what he wants them to do. I know it may seem confusing especially when you received the help you prayed for or something miraculous happened in your life. To keep it “one-hunid”, it wasn’t you, boo, it was a result of others praying for you (intercessory prayer), including perfect strangers you will never meet:

· Romans 10:1 (ASV): Brethren, my heart’s desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved.

· 2 Timothy 1:1-6 (GNT) First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people;

Finally, separation is defined as: the action or state of moving or being moved apart. I listed several forms of separation above to give you a mental image of various types of separation to ultimately help you understand our state when we are separated from God. I know I used this text above, but I wanted to expound on it and a few additional verses: 2 Timothy 1:1-6 (GNT) First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people; ²for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct. ³This is good and it pleases God our Savior, ⁴who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth. ⁵For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and human beings together, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself to redeem the whole human race. That was the proof at the right time that God wants everyone to be saved. As believers, we are instructed to pray for everyone: believers, unbelievers, even our enemies (aka haters). There are Believers all over the world praying for peace, healing, jobs, restoration, housing, food, transportation, businesses, etc. to meet the needs of people, to bless and protect the sick, afflicted, incarcerated, despondent, down hearted, oppressed, abused, our lawmakers, police officers, armed forces, you name it, and including the things we don’t know what to ask for. So then, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed. The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect. James 5:16 (Good News Translation). Our prayers have an effect on the world that you may never realize or comprehend.

My references are from my Favorite Book, the Holy Bible, they are not just my opinions. It’s not my job to convince anyone of the Good News of Jesus Christ, it is powerful enough on its own. You can believe or reject the fact of separation, the choice is yours, but what if I’m right? Selah

Tania Not Tanya

Servant Author Teacher

http://dailyflicker.blogspot.com/

www.tanianottanya.com

Saturday, December 10, 2016

See, What Had Happened Was

Evina and Avie were now 16-year old fraternal twins being raised by their parents. They were fraternal in almost every way imaginable: Evina was tall, lanky, navy blue, with a charismatic personality, athletically inclined and a smile that lit up any room she entered. She also had the gift of gab, to the 7^th power, just like her momma, Lydia. Avie was average height and naturally stocky, light brown (like coffee with way too much cream in it), a deep raspy voice, who was an introverted people watcher that didn’t talk much, but never missed anything. Like his father, Avery, Sr., you better not cross him or his family because you would never see the retribution coming. “Nope” you didn’t want to get on their bad side; it wasn’t a good idea at all.

What they lacked in similar physical features was the complete opposite in their disposition, for example their practical joking (aka trickery), storytelling and connivery. Most of their antics were childish buffoonery but of late they were taking on a different form; as if they were improving their “craft” to the degree that they were able to easily manipulate their peers and almost as many adults. What started out as being kind of “cute” and “tolerable” when they were younger was now developing into a behavioral and moral problem.

Tania not Tanya nugget: I know you’re probably thinking that connivery is not a word, but I will remind you, I’m a writer and from time to time I will make words up, this is one of those times, but for good reason. In this instance, connivery is a combination of conniving (given to or involved in conspiring to do something immoral, illegal, or harmful) buffoonery (behavior that is ridiculous but amusing). Ok, where was I? Oh yes.

The twins had very creative imaginations, Avie more so than Evina because he was so quiet; always watching people and things. The world seemed to fascinate him. Over the past six months or so, their parents started to notice a shift in their trickery/storytelling. In essence they were (on their own) cultivating the ability to lie. I don’t mean little white lies, I mean really believable ones that were actually quite colorful. Some of the “stories” they came up with were so believable that it was scary. Avie, the quiet clever thinker, could take Evina’s ideas to a whole other level, which would be executed with excellence by them both. Did I tell you they were also detailed perfectionists, almost to a fault? Well if I didn’t before, consider yourself told. In other words, they were transitioning into learned liars who had done more “trickin” than anybody their parents knew at that age.

One day while looking through old family photos, Avery, Sr. stumbled on one that caused an immediate flash back so vivid that he felt as if he was having an out of body experience. The more he thought about it the more his emotions seemed to rise. The primary memory was the feeling of helplessness when he realized Evina had been suffering for hours with a broken arm while he was busy working. He chuckled to himself and shook his head simultaneously while uttering the sound: “umph, umph, umph” as he allowed his memory to wander down memory lane to the day of the incident when he interrogated, I mean asked Avie how his sister ended up with a broken arm. Avery, Sr. had learned something about his son that Avie wasn’t aware of. Whenever he was up to “no good”, about to lie or some type of connivery, he always talked in a slightly higher pitch. Why is this significant? Remember, I told you earlier that he has a deep raspy voice. If Avie knew that was a character flaw he would have worked on correcting that give away and would have mastered the control necessary to keep it normal. Avery, Sr. felt the anxiety welling up as he recalled asking his son the million-dollar question, “Avie! What in the world happened to your sister?” The trip was that he could feel his son’s heart as he began to formulate the lie. He tried desperately to fight the overwhelming disappointment as his son stood before him and began to lie, I mean tell his “story.” To keep from knocking his teeth down his throat, he immediately pressed mute in his mind and watched as his son came up with the most conniving buffoonery he had ever heard him tell. As much as he wanted to sock him in his throat, he resisted the temptation because the emergency room staff would probably have an issue with it and accuse him of child abuse. The irony was that Avery, Sr. would have believed Avie, but the sound of the first five words out of his mouth sent a chill down his spine. They were: “Dad, what had happened was …” in a pitch so high he sounded like Mini Mouse’s baby sister.

Now that you have the background, let’s talk about the words: what had happened was …” Have you ever had anyone utter those words to you … and you know off top they were lying, standing flat footed, straight faced and everything. You wanted to believe them, but your internal warning signals were so loud you could hardly hear yourself convince yourself that “surely, they are not lying to my face”? They start telling you a story (lie) about how what happened was everybody’s fault except their own. They are the victim, the world is against them, the white man, blue man, red man, whatever man won’t give them a chance, somebody else did it, anybody but them? You see themselves digging a hole so you offer a life line but they push it aside, grab their proverbial shovel and continue to dig in the bottomless pit of lies, I mean stories. you know you shouldn’t, but you try to figure out why in the world they chose to lie versus simply telling you the truth; because let’s keep it one ‘hunid’ and one, we all make mistakes and on rare occasions we make purposes. What do I mean? Girl bye, you know what I mean. You thought about that thang, figured out how to get this, that and the third to make it work and it was a wrap after that. In other words, you intended to do that wrong but there was never an intention to get caught or get away with it only to discover it came with a life time guarantee of guilt. Quit playing.

Tania Not Tanya: First, let’s moonwalk back to my statement above, “we all make mistakes”. This includes your boss, parents, accountant, attorney, professor, church mother, deacon, preacher. How can I be so judgmental? I’m not; I’m simply citing my Favorite book which says: “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, BUT all are treated as righteous freely by his grace because of a ransom that was paid by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24 CEB. Second, I’m a great story teller but I suck at lying. Hopefully you know my writing well enough by now to know that the majority of my stories are fictional and that I generally tie it into some type of truth about practical living, ultimately leading back to living a triumphant life with power over self-sabotage and every other thing that seeks to deny you your greatness. There is a huge difference in my storytelling and the story I made up about Evina and Avie. You do realize that was fiction (made up stuff), right? Umph, umph, umph, shaking my proverbial head at some of yawl. LOL!!

What’s the difference you ask? Great question. The answer is simple: lying which is defined as one who makes false statement(s) with the deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood. Habitual liars have one primary commonality; they get it from their daddy. Ok, ok, ok, I hear you. Some of you are like: “What? You don’t know my daddy like that.” Or, “blame it on my daddy, for real. I don’t even know dude, so how are you gonna tell me that my character is like his.”. Well, calm down and let me explain. First of all, I’m not talking about your biological father; because you’re right, in all likelihood, I don’t know him. But that’s not the father I’m talking about. I’m talking about Adam. Ok, ok, before you stop disconnect mentally, physically, and/or literally, let me explain, but in order to do so, we have to travel back in time, I’m talking about the beginning of creation. There’s a lot of details to this explanation but I don’t have time to give them all so I’m gonna need you to focus, put your listening ears on and pay attention.

Sin entered into the world through our forefather, Adam, the first man created by God. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:27 (KJV): According to the law of creation (which I believe in unequivocally) we are descendants of Adam, not monkeys that evolved into human beings – Boy, BYE!!!. When I made the statement earlier ABOVE about you being like your father, Adam, that was my reference because we are his direct descendants, making him our forefather. Just as through one human being sin came into the world, and death came through sin, so death has come to everyone, since everyone has sinned. Romans 5:12 (CEB) That being the case we inherited his Adamic nature – to sin and blame as well as death.

What is sin? 1 John 3:4 defines it as: every person who practices sin commits an act of rebellion, and sin is rebellion. Common English Bible. Rebellion is defined as opposition to one in authority or dominance.

Where did sin come from? Genesis 2:9; And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And, Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Sin is real and God takes it very seriously regardless to how unpopular we may see in the 21^st Century. Denying something (in this case, sin) does not mean it doesn’t exist. Look around at all of the evil in the world and while you’re at it, stop blaming God for the crazy, stupid, selfish, etc. choices you and others have made like: making things that are wrong LEGAL and “Right” and ridiculing, judging, downplaying that which is RIGHT as wrong. It boils down to humanity wanting to do whatever it feels like with no penalty. Sorry Boo, it ain’t happ’nin’. Because [Carmen] will eventually catch up to you. I’m being sarcastic right now, you know I’m talking about Karma which some people believe in. Listen Linda; you listening? I don’t believe in Carmen or Karma, I believe the passages from my Favorite Book, one of which says: Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8 MSG

Tania Not Tanya

Servant Author Teacher