I saw this on my Facebook page (facebook/acstowe) and thought it’d be great to share: (Thanks Melanie)

“Wherever you are in life, remember-and say out loud-”this is the place where God is.” Build an alter wherever you are……

School’s back! Next the weather will cool down, and before you know it we’ll be dropping those Thanksgiving and Christmas dollars (yea, right)! Happy Freedom Mom! The kids are back in school!

I’m looking for a hit man to carry out a hit! I want the N-word killed! I heard audio from Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s radio show. She’s was talking race with an African-American woman and used the N-word 11 times (and she didn’t  say ”n-word” either). It wasn’t directed at the worman, just her way of making a point. She later apologized on her website saying it was wrong. Thank you for the apology Laura, but why let that word come out on the air in the first place? Her point was that Black men and Black comedians use it all the time, and you always hear it on HBO! She’s right, but she’s still wrong for using it and not because she’s not Black but because it’s a negative term of endearment in our community that needs to die! We’re 10 years into the new millenium! We have a Black President! How long are we gonna be held back by this one word? Can we kill it already?

I’m liking WalMart a little too much these days and I’m having to find excuses NOT to drop by and pick up a few things! And it got me to thinking about the things we spend our hard earned dollars on. What amount of things do we buy that we really don’t need? It’s probably more than we think, and there in “lies” the problem. We don’t always think enough about the stuff we buy, and we lie to ourselves about needing this stuff. If you’re guilty, raise your wallet or your pocketbook, turn it upside down and kiss your money goodbye! You’ve heard the phrase “think before you speak?” Well, next time we’re getting ready to drop a few dimes lets take a moment to “think before we spend.” I’m just sayin…..

Another 125,000 jobs eliminated in just one month! When does it all end? And how are you being affected by this, even if you are employed? The Recession that began in 2007 is still in full effect in 2010 1/2, and there appears to be no end in sight. If you’re blessed enough to be gainfully employed, be grateful and say a prayer for those still looking for employment in these difficult times. I’m sure you know someone.

It’s summertime and the living ain’t easy, that’s fo’ sho’! Double digit unemployment, and very high among African-American teens. How do they get through the summer broke, busted and disgusted? Some will just choose to chill in the AC , play video games, watch tv and rob the refrigerator at will. Others may look for work and some might even find some. It is my prayer and wish that this summer, none of us fall victim of the realities of our economy. There are many ways to entertain each other and involve our children that don’t cost a lot of money. This summer, maybe you don’t get that vacation you want, but you can still vacate the premises (whatever happened to Sunday drives)? There’s always a close or distant relative to visit or a grandma to check up on. Hard times are supposed to bring families closer, so let’s do this. Get close to your loved ones this summer. Don’t cost you much, and the rewards can be even greater!

To all dads here and gone on to glory, I’d like to wish you a very Happy Father’s Day. I am so blessed to have my life influenced by Rev. Donald Stowe (R.I.P.). The spiritual values he instilled in all his children has helped us become better fathers and mothers to our children. Out of all the men of our generation that I could point to as a hero, my father was mine. I miss ya dad, and I know you’re up there preaching to Jesus (uhh, he’s Jesus. You don’t have to preach to him)!

I’m Carolina born and bred, so my support is always with the home team. I’m a Charlotte Bobcats fan (and I hope MJ changes the name of the team). But that being said, we got the classic NBA finals going on, and for whatever reason, I want the L.A. Lakers to take the trophy! I just like Coby’s work ethics and determination. It rubs off on ya! Are you with me, or the Celtics?

When you think about the oil spill in the Gulf Coast, do you think “man, I’m glad I don’t live in that area?” Sorry folks, but this one affects us all, from the gas pump to the seafood we love. It may soon even affect the water we drink. There’s tons of oil about to be swept into the eastern seaboard (uh, that includes the Carolina coastline). And the question remains, what’s the best way to clean up this mess? Sure, BP will toss millions at the clean up effort, but how long will it take? And how will we be affected by this disaster. The bigger question is how do we clean up our unquenchable thirst and dependency on oil, both foreign and domestic? Maybe it’s time to start drilling the great minds in this country to find new alternative energy sources that won’t continue to destroy mother earth. Afterall, it’s the only one we got, and it’s pretty dirty right now.

Did you enjoy the church service Sunday?  Did the preacher “tear the house up?” Yea? Ok, what did he preach about? Or did you just join the others who got caught up in the “emotion” of the sermon at the hoop. God speaks through His man servant, but how often do we really hear what God is saying? It’s so easy to get caught up in the “feeling” of church and come away with nothing but a temporary emotional high. Blessings to all pastors who focus their ministry on preaching and teaching the Word. We hear ya speaking Lord!