President Obama (Song)

Did you hear or see the latest news concerning President Obama? It is amazing how something as harmless as a positive song about a nations leader can stir up such controversy. The media is indirectly (some times) responsible for projecting division within our nation by supplying our conscious with ongoing political arguments. There are many songs in the music industry whose lyrics are vulgar and convey a negative message into the hearts of its listeners. Is it right honor your mother and father? If you answered yes, then it would not surprise me if you also agreed that its OK to honor your leader. According to the news program I viewed, the song was introduced at an elementary school. The children were singing, "Barack Hussein Obama!"

It is sad to say that some parents were appalled that the song was taught in the school however, there were no complaints of teaching them how to do the Soldier Boy dance. Wow! If any human is trying to do something positive from a platform such as the President of the U.S., why would you fight against that? America has a long way to go and will not get there any time soon if we're continuously fighting over something like this.

Should this song be banned from our schools because it may cause as some parents stated, "Brainwashing"? Some times I feel that Americans are the United States worst enemies not Al Qaeda. What do you think about this latest U.S. drama?

I Disagree vs I Declare War

It is amazing how often disagreements develop into an all out war? Humans have disagreed for thousands of years with each others opinion. Some of the greatest wars in our history escalated from a disagreement into decades of violence and bloodshed. Countless people have lost their homes, fortunes, relationships and even their precious lives over nonsense. Why does a disagreement have to result in separation, anger, hate or violence?

Exercising the right to disagree is as a necessary element of our success as a civilization. If we agreed with everything presented to us, there would be utter chaos in every corner of the earth. How many times have we allowed anger to get the best of us because a person refused to agree with our theory, idea or opinion? Even though I have not perfected accepting a disagreement, I am actively embracing this critical necessity. Numerous friends, families, couples and organizations have suffered loss because of one person's opinion. We can learn a lot from small children who refuse years of anger and debate upon recognizing a disagreement with a friend or sibling. Many Americans are still fighting against each other today as a result of a disagreement spoken years ago.

It is OK to voice your opinion if you are willing to be opposed. Should we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with disgust if someone disagrees with us? Should a disagreement in a friendship develop into a physical altercation? Does a disagreement among married couples have to lead to a divorce? Why does a teenager who disagrees with a parent's idea of fun have to suffer punishment? Do we have to always be right? When is somebody going to agree with MY opinion? (Hmmm) Do you remember Rodney King's question, "Can't we all just get along"? My answer to that question would be an emphatic, "No!" We take highly overrated opinions to serious. What are your thoughts about the violent global war on disagreeing?


Marc L.

What Do You Do?

What do you do when someone you've trusted for years breaks it by doing or saying something unimaginable? What do you do when your family seems to turn their back on you because of one of your hick-ups? What do you do when your husband decides to have an affair in spite of all you have done for him? What do you do when your wife no longer embraces your intimacy towards her? What do you do when your long time friend puts a bad word out on you? What do you do when your son or daughter refuses to listen to you anymore? What do you when your house note is pass due? What do you do when your car is in jeopardy of being re possessed? What do you do when you are called in by your supervisor to be handed a pink slip?

So many of us are faced with life altering changes throughout our lives. These interruptions come many times without warning. Let's take a look and share some ideas.

All natural disasters demand attention. Let's take a moment and compare two. A hurricane typically begins as a tropical depression and develops in stages as it travels over our open waters. The reaction time for most people in North America is provided days before the storm hits our shores. Some people take preventive measures like boarding up their homes, taping their windows, stocking up on water, and buying food. All of theses activities serve a purpose especially for those who plan on hunkering down to weather the storm. I often wonder why so many people have died over the years during hurricanes, especially those who decided to stay in an area that was threatened. The best thing that you could do with a hurricane warning is to board up your house, lock your property and LEAVE! What do you do?

Now tornadoes present a different circumstance than a hurricane. Tornadoes normally come with little if any time to react. When a tornado is upon you every action that you take is critical. Your life is immediately at stake as well as your possessions. If the tornado is formed during the day sometimes you can see it far away but sometimes it is right over your head. If it is far away you have a little more time to react. If you experience a tornado during the night you are in a terrible situation. What do you do?

Our lives at times can become saturated with events, conditions, issues and drama. Have you ever been faced with making a life altering decision? What was your thought process? Who would benefit from your decision making? Who will suffer because of your decision? Who did you seek for counseling (if time permitted)? These are just a few questions that we should ask ourselves before we make decisions. The question I proposed in the title flood our minds countless times in our lives. So many people are affected by the choices we make. I honestly believe that prayer is the best starting place. There should be some effective counseling prior to making most decisions. We must also consider others before and during decision making. What about after the decision? Although we may attempt to console people affected by our decisions, more than likely the saying is true, "To Little To Late". I know that in challenging times we must make decisions, but let us choose wisely.

I ask again, "What do you do?"

Thanksgiving Day Reflections

Well, it is post Thanksgiving dinner and I must admit, "I over did it again". My wonderful wife Joyce made her famous dressing/stuffing from scratch. I am going to contact The Food Network to see if she can enter that dish into a contest or something. It should be illegal to have more than a plate full of Joyce's stuffing around the house. You will eat yourself silly, especially if you have some delicious gravy with it. Oh my Lawd! We had a great time reflecting on how gracious the Lord has been to the Stratton family. Helena my 8 year old daughter made a sweet potato pie (with mommies help of course). I couldn't even eat one slice of that pie until a few minutes ago (4 hours later), because of Joyce's ridiculous dressing. My son Terrell was assaulting the many dishes that we spread on the table. His favorite seemed to be the rolls. Unfortunately those were not my Mom's (Blessed Bread). The rolls were Sara Lees but he killed them like they were shipped in straight for Wachapreague, Va (Grandma Florence's Home). Helena was nuts over her mom's dressing and rightfully so. So today I ask this question:

What was your favorite dish served at this years Thanksgiving dinner? And Why?

May God bless you and your family:)

Marc

Why Should I Trust Again?

I concluded a conversation not long ago with a young man who is currently attending college that really sparked my thought tank. He was in a relationship with a young lady who he'd met there last semester. He feels as though the amount of time, effort and affection that he had invested in the relationship was not honored by this young lady. He says the young lady wants to continue in the relationship but she had been hurt in her past from several relationships. She asked him this question: Why should I trust someone again? The young man says that if could come up with an intelligent enough answer she may be willing to ration some of her trust to him. I am not an expert but many people think that I am because I learned how to be a good listener. I hope the experts or the over comers of this barrier will pour in some advice to this post. Thanks and God bless