Bully (A Poem Written by Don Savant)

Bully

When you're growing up
You experience life...
And you learn that
Everyone that calls you friend
Really isn't and
Everyone that swears you're an enemy
Never gave themselves a chance to know you

There's always been that
Entity...
That
Metaphorical beast in your life from
Your first days on the playground
Until you've grown and gone corporate

Kids are
Pushed down in the sand box and
Kicked at the playground

Teenagers are
Pressured into sex and
Drugs and
Different types of sex and
More types of drugs

Adults are
Ridiculed and
Talked down upon and
Treated as inferior
By those who are a few rungs higher
On that corporate ladder but

No matter
Who you are or
What your age may be
A Bully
Is a Bully and
Speaking directly for self I
Plan to stand on my own from this day forth
and claim my independence
From the world...
The biggest bully of all

Stand up and be who you are regardless of who talks about you or what someone may try to do to or against you. Stay strong in your faith and continue your forward progression no matter what.

-Don Savant

*EXCLUSIVE* A Mother of a Pregnant Teenager

Exclusive

My name if Dianne Keenan. I am the mother of three children. I have twin girl, their name is: Regina and Katina. Regina became pregnant at the age of 15. I was devastated, but I told her that she was still going to go to finish school. I was a single parent at the time, working swing shifts. Trying to keep food on the table and keep a place to stay. Regina had to go on home bound because it was almost time for her to have the baby. She had a teacher to come to the house, so she would not get behind in her grades. When it was time for her to have the baby, I felt like I went in labor too. I felt like my water broke, going back and forth to the bathroom. By Regina being young as she was, having a baby she was just like an older women. She did not scream or anything during labor. If anything she started laughing. I thought that was crazy even though I was about to cry. She is a great mother and I never had to buy pampers or clothes for the baby unless I wanted to. I heard the baby cry one night and I went to see what was wrong; she told me to go back to bed. She said this because little nick was her responsibility, so I went back to bed.  When she went to the twelfth grade she and her twin sister were pregnant at the same time. This was Regina’s second pregnancy. Oh my God it was rough. Again I was devastated. Working swing shift, twelve hours, four days on, and three days off was hard. Having to take them to the doctor at different times was insane. It was not easy when I started working third shift either. Regina had her baby first, so she had to go on homebound again! She then went back to school so she could graduate. Katina was still pregnant at the time of graduation. Even though I had other plans for my girls, they both are great mothers. I asked if they had to do it over again would they have children. They both told me yes! Regina has three boys and Katina has two boys and a girl. They all are a blessing. I love all of them. They both are working and going to college. They both own their own home. So even though they were young when they had their children they have it all figured out. God has gotten us all through some rough times.

By: Dianne Keenan

Hi! Regina here; although my sister and I agreed that we would still have our children if we did it all over again, does not mean it is okay to have children at a young age. I want to clarify the statement because many people would misinterpret it. Knowing that my boys made me who I am, I could never say that I would not have them because they are here, and it is too late to turn back. I would find it hard to shallow when I tell my kids I wish I would have waited. On the other hand I know if I did wait, I would have so much more to offer them. It is not easy being a teenager mother because everything changes. I would have prepared my life to be more stable, but I had to do what I had to do to make sure that they were taken care of. My priorities shifted and any selfish thought of myself was thrown out the window. Many mothers choose to continue to think only of themselves and have not figured out that they have a little one to take care of. No teen should have children, but I know my children were not mistakes. Now I am here to warn everyone else of their selfish acts and think of everyone that could be affected by your choices. My mother had to suffer because of my actions, and this was not fair for her. Think about your actions, only you have the control to make smarter and wiser decisions.

By: Regina Stevens

Affirmation

God really works things out in our lives. His will is such an immaculate thing. A few weeks back, my sister informed me of a seminar that would be coming close to my hometown. In that seminar they had several people scheduled to speak and serve as motivators for those in attendance. It was a Get Motivated seminar. Bill Cosby was in that list of speakers. I have wanted to see him speak live for years and I thought my opportunity to do so had slipped away due to my mind slipping and forgetting about it.

That's when God stepped in and did His thing. Just as only He would have it, my cousin mentioned that she had tickets to this seminar and asked if I'd like to go. The only dilemma I had was that it's on a Wednesday. I let her know that I'd check my schedule and get back with her.

I told you God is good right?

I checked my schedule and was off on the day of the event. I VERY VERY RARELY have Wednesdays off. It was absolutely nothing but God. Nothing but God!!!

Not only did I get to hear and see Mr. Cosby speak, but I was also blessed to see and hear a host of other wonderful motivational speakers. Now I've had some people say to me that they are self motivated and don't need anyone to tell them how and why to be motivated. To that I say this. It's not so much that I needed or was seeking motivation. As I said before, one of My dreams was to see Cosby speak live...dream accomplished. It was also a mission of affirmation to make for certain that the motivational tools that I'd been using on my own matched the ones that they were willing to share as well as to possibly gain new tools to move forward with.

It was very well worth it. All of the speakers there were very insightful and brutally honest about how people are when it comes to getting things done in their lives.

You cannot sit around waiting for people to do things for you. You cannot allow people and situations to deter you from your dreams and goals. You have the power in you to get things done for yourself.

A lot of times we sit around and wait on God to provide us with things when we're quite capable of going out and getting them for ourselves because He has already given us the tools to do so. Often times it is He that is waiting on us to get things started so that He knows when to step in with the necessary assistance along that path. It's just like it has always been said, He helps those that help themselves. You have to be willing to step out on faith and start the work required to achieve and accomplish the things in life that you dream about.

Too often we stand in the way of our own future because we're not willing to trust Him or ourselves enough to do the work that's required of us to make things happen. As Mr. Cosby said, "Only YOU know what YOU WANT to be and only YOU know what YOU want to do so GET UP AND DO IT!!!" Don't blame God for things not going as you plan because if you're willing to believe in Him, He will help you plan as you go. The words that I heard today spoke volumes to me because I've started and stopped so many times. I've gotten disappointed at my progress but I now realize that no matter what I must keep going. I cannot take the risk of losing sight of my dreams.

I've been guilty of a lot of things that will stop your dreams in their tracks. One is procrastination which is the sworn enemy of progress. I have accomplished things, but after those accomplishments, I have a tendency of slacking off...I get into a comfort zone so to speak; but what I should do instead is celebrate that success while I forge ahead towards something else. Constant continuity is the key, and also an absolute love for what I do. Time is a God granted gift and as another speaker stated, "where you spend your time is where your heart is". That same speaker also said that "your words are the footsteps to your prophecy".

That is something I've known for quite some time. Our words are incredibly powerful. They can and very often do dictate the outcome of our lives. I've said so many times before that thoughts plus words equals life, or that life is the sum of your thoughts and the things you speak into existence. If you're always pessimistic (which some of us constantly confuse with being realistic), you will call into your life exactly what you think the outcome of any and every situation you speak poorly of will be. Speak of the things you CAN do, the things you WANT to and WILL do instead of the things that you cannot or won't do. You will receive exactly what you call into your life.

Anything you want to be, you can be. Anything you want to do, you can do, but you have to believe it can be done and have faith that it will be done. Most importantly, write it down, prioritize your thoughts and put a plan into action. I will meet you at the finish line. Ready, Set, Go!!!!

-Don Savant

Excuses Excuses

I'm blessed. There's no doubt about that. I'm so very grateful for what I have, for the things that I can do and for having the ability to share things with people that can possibly help them in their journey through life.

I often ask myself though, why am I not satisfied? Why do I feel so ungrateful at times? Sometimes I'm in a place where I feel as if I can do more and be more than what I am. I ask why I haven't accomplished more than I have. Again, I'm grateful, but my mind stays busy wondering how I can achieve more and I sometimes get stuck in a hamster wheel so to speak trying to figure things out.

Life has absolutely no limits whatsoever. We have been blessed with a power so great within us that we don't even realize. What we speak becomes our truth. I'm guilty of second-guessing myself, of doubting my talents which is a blatant slap in the face to my gifts. The one thing about gifts is that they can be taken away if they aren't used properly.

After all the thinking and the doubting and the wondering I now realize that it's me. It's not the people around me, it's not my family or friends, it's me. I am holding myself back from where i need to be.

All this time I've focused on the things I want to do, the things that I need to accomplish and have in my life but when it comes down to it, it's all about God. God has a very specific plan for our lives. He places us in situations and around people to teach us something. When we learn the things we are supposed to learn then He moves us. He moves us to our rightful spot in this world. If we listen and pay attention to the things that He is showing and telling us we will see that He offers us a road map to our lives.

I now know that procrastination is my enemy and that my trials are the tests that fuel my testimony. Everything I've learned must now be applied and once that application has taken place I will begin to move forward. God is always present in our lives and He moves us by faith so if you don't believe in yourself, it's as if you're saying that you have no faith in Him because He made you to be something specific, to do something specific on this earth.

It's time that I tuck away my inhibitions, release myself from the bondage of shyness and stop letting fear run my life. God is here with me...He always has been and now is the time for me to truly recognize and follow Him to the place that He needs me to be.

Father I'm listening now...I have no more excuses.

-Don Savant

Save your life!

As we all should know that tomorrow is not promised. If you were to ask yourself if you were pleased with your life, what would the answer be? This problem could be solved today by simply accepting Jesus Christ in your life. There is nothing to be ashamed about or anything you need to hide. It is a wonderful uplifting feeling of relief to have someone that has your back no matter what. If you make a mistake, the only person that is going to forgive you and forget is him. When you find things not going right in your life and you have no where to turn, he is there. As a teenager, the only thing I worried about was that I could not have fun being a christian. As soon as I got a taste of sin, it was fun, it looked good, I was felt cool at the moment, then it all went away...now what? At this point you are left with heartache, pain, guilt, embarrassment, and the feeling just do not go away, until you accept that you were wrong. Confess what you have done and move on with your life. It is not worth dwelling on things because you thought it was right at the moment. Just think I am taking time to type this letter and warn you about what you can and should do. I do not get paid to advertise what I know, I am just hoping that you will do the right thing and find out what I know. I love each and everyone of you from the bottom of my heart to help you gain a relationship with your heavenly father. Please contact me at image@bocnow.com when are ready for a life change!!

Love you!
Regina Stevens

Ever Present!

Every day in America 4,184 babies are born to unmarried mothers (State of America's Children 2008 Report). Of that number over 1,000 of them are born to teenage moms. Today, over 40 percent of our children grow up in a home without a father.
My heart goes out to children who grow up without fathers in the home. I'm the quintessential "Daddy's Girl." I can't think of a time when my father wasn't physically, mentally, emotionally and financially present in my life. From Thanksgiving Day parades to teaching me to ride a bike and drive. In moments of despair and moments of celebration. He has always been there. Just like another father I know.
Thankfully, we all have a Father in God on whom we can depend. One who promises to never leave or forsake us. One who knows everything about us and yet, still loves us the same.
It's somewhat easy for me to believe that Father God is concerned about me - that He has plans for my life. I've had a biological father who is a great example of that. I can believe that God loves me because I believe that my father loves me. I believe that Father God accepts me as I am because my Dad continues to do that in my adulthood.
Whether we realize it or not, we often transfer our beliefs, disappointments, and thoughts about our biological fathers onto our Heavenly Father. It's hard to believe that Father God is for me when I didn't feel that my father was for me. It's hard to see God as trustworthy when I wasn't able to trust in my earthly father. If my concept of fathers has been damaged or unstable, my relationship with God will reflect some of that uncertainty.
Fathers have to be ever-present. Children never outgrow the love, affection, and discipline that fathers provide. Regardless of our age, we find peace in knowing that our fathers are still present. Long after we've moved out on our own. Long after we've obtained a job and can afford to take care of ourselves. We still need you. We always have and we always will.
Let us first question what it is we feel in our hearts toward our fathers. Then, let's not be afraid to admit what we find there. And if we find some damage and broken areas, let's take the steps that are necessary to heal. Then, let us ask that same question in regards to our Father God.
What we find there may surprise us, but there is nothing too hard for God.
Scripture Of The Day: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” - Revelation 1:8 (ESV)

By Aqualyn Toi Jones

Trust Yourself

 

Every situation we face in life requires some degree of trust. Whether it's trusting someone, something or even yourself, there's always somewhere in the midst.

When we face decisions in our lives, we often wonder which road we should travel. There's usually an easy way and a hard way; then sometimes there's something in between. Most of the time, we operate on a trial and error basis. However, there are times when the choices we must make may have a great positive or negative impact in our lives. These are the times that we must trust our natural instincts. Usually, if something doesn't feel right, it usually isn't. There may be some instances when fear will take over and stop you from doing something in particular when it's exactly what you were supposed to do. That fear produces a completely different feeling. We have to learn to be so in tune with ourselves that we can tell the difference between the two automatically.

We have to trust ourselves enough to make the right situational choices in our lives. I'm not saying that we shouldn't or will never fail at anything because failure is ultimately a major component of success. If you've never failed at anything, then you've never experienced true success.

Never be afraid to fail. That's another part of that trust. You have to trust that if and when you do fail that you will learn and grow from it, not allowing it to deter you from trying again because I can promise you that on one of your attempts, you will succeed.

If you're a singer, you have to trust that you will carry your notes well. If you're a writer, you have to trust that your reader(s) will read and be able to relate to your stories. If you're facing peer pressure, you have to trust that you won't give in to it If it's something you know you shouldn't be doing.

There are so many situations that can lead you to somewhere, someone and /or something great. But, there are also situations that can be harmful and/or fatal to you. Always trust that God will lead you to the right situation and that your gut feeling is usually the one to listen to. Take care, be blessed and be a blessing.

-Don Savant