Because I Love You

Good morning God! Thank you for today! Thank you for yesterday! Thank you for answering all of my prayers and the ones unspoken - the desires requested in my heart that you also answered. Thank you for JOY this morning! Last night I rested. I let go and feel deep within your love, grace, and power and fell asleep. It was a feeling that I would be fine no matter what happened. The feeling reminded me of Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech when he said, "I am not afraid... I am not fearing any man."   For many of us there is a perpetual fear, a feeling that someone is always out to get you when you’re a person whose outward identity is negatively targeted by others. There’s a feeling of a dark cloud diminishing your family’s joy when a close family member is chronically abusive. There’s a feeling of perpetual loss, of seeking and wanting to be found, when you’re separated from your mother or father at a young age. And there’s a constant fear associated with hidi...

A portrait of Tyre Nichols is displayed at a memorial service for him on Jan. 17 in Memphis, Tenn. NPR website 1/28/23 I love writing about joy, I love writing about love, but sometimes I must write about hate. Why? Because it’s with us, and every now and then it raises it’s evil head and shines upon us. I began writing this in my journal 1/28/23, Saturday morning around 6:00AM. The news report of Mr. Tyre Nichols’ killing and video footage released the day before was most disturbing. It left me, and the world, grappling to understand how this happened. I wrote ten pages by hand about my thoughts, and spent the next week, typing them into my computer and trying to organize them more efficiently. I ended up with a five page sort of essay exploring group behaviors. It’s organized by my earliest memories of being seen by others in  When a Baby Smiles , behaviors of bullies and victims in school in  The Lure of Excitement , understanding group behaviors in Mob Mentality  and...

P eace   I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid! I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But be of good cheer; I have overcome this world! -         Who has the audacity to say that? The audacity to believe they can overcome the World and believe they have already done so?  -         Who has the boldness to love others so much, to die for them AND give them peace; their peace?  -         Who says that? Who believes that? Who can do that? – JESUS THE CHRIST! The audacity of LOVE in a hateful World The audacity of PEACE in a troubled World The audacity of HOPE in you,  that you will believe and ask for whatever you want, whatever you need. Jesus said, “Ask in my name, and you will receive it, and your JOY will be complete.” Who wants JOY this holid...

“Don’t take candy from strangers.” “Don’t accept rides from strange men.” “Company is not allowed in the house when your parents are not home.” These were some of the golden-rules-of-protection my parents taught me growing up in the 1970’s and 80’s in Cleveland Ohio. My parents tried to protect me from predators by teaching me these rules; however, predator methods of persuasion continue to evolve. Appealing to empathy, providing encouragement from a trusted source and access to easy rewards were the tactics used on me. Fortunately these attempts didn’t work, but not because I was aware of what was happening. We need more training to protect our most vulnerable citizens and immigrants. This is my story of an attempted kidnapping when I was 17 years old. It was a midsummer day in 1981, I was living in a quaint Cleveland suburb, Maple Heights, population 29,000 in the 1980’s. I stopped for gas at a small station near the center of town on Lee Road nestled between Broadway and Libby Roads...

I was quite old before use of a chair was made by an accident that daily affair. it wasn't the easiest but it's not like I bust. At first it was hard but I did adjust.   The funny thing is I stayed much the same.  My biggest interest still in the spiritual plane. One might confuse my activity as lazy  but I am pondering hard, “ why this world so crazy?”   But in my chair doing more sitting the answers I sought, weren't so hidden. They came to me through books and reflections often suggested by friends and connections.   Working with others to get things done, I found many a project a lot more fun. I think that is why my rewards seem expanded with collaboration, results are better than  planneded.   As you may have guessed from this poem on stage I am not diminished by less use of my legs. Some endeavors are not only unbroken but have been so productive they've left me quite  stokened .   Am I saying life is better when sitting in a chair...

Mrs. Carol Crooms, The Carol L. Crooms Center, Utica, NY Oracle:  a person or thing regarded as an infallible authority or guide on something.   For our lady of wisdom, love, and light. The woman who dishes out loving food and wisdom, from her home, something she had been doing all her life, but on Sunday October 26, 2003, Mrs. Carol Crooms became The Oracle for my son Cannaday and his college roommate Sam. My daughter Ana and I were in town from Rochester for Pratt at Munson Williams Proctor’s family weekend, and Mrs. Crooms, my dear friend Kim’s mom, had invited us for dinner. I don’t remember the meal but I remember the “dessert”- sitting in Mrs. Crooms’ kitchen, the young men eating at the table with Ana, as Mrs. Crooms lovingly “preached.” She spoke many words of wisdom to them as she served extra helpings on their plates. The young people were quiet, either because their mouths were too full or their ears and minds were too full trying to comprehend the wisdom she was te...

My Manifesto as made aware to me 8/11/2020, taken from my journal. It seems like it was written for today.  Bud and Eleanor 1940's There is not an endless amount of time in our lives to live, do, play, create, and love. Mom told me after Dad passed, “when love enters your life, get as much of it as you can, because you never know how long they will be with you.” I knew she was talking about Dad, their love and marriage of 64.5 years, until his sudden passing in 2006.  Bud & Eleanor 1970's Bud & Eleanor 2000's Love enters our lives in the form of people first and foremost. Only people were made in God’s image. We can have love for pets and living creatures but it’s different and those too are finite. We can have love for our work, projects, activities, and careers but those too are different and limited. They can be satisfying, exciting, fun, and be rewarding for others and ourselves; however, we become confused, led astray when we put “love of pets” and “love of wor...

By Tina Chapman DaCosta, Journal entry 9/11/2016 Tina and Mother Eleanor Cannaday, circa 1966 or 67 Happy Mother's Day Mom! And to all our Moms! I wrote this reflection in my journal 9/11/2016: My earliest memories of “my spot” was sitting on my mother’s lap in church. I was maybe 3 or 4-years old, and after what seemed like a long morning of drawing on the church bulletin, making stick people and coloring with a pencil, I needed my spot. I was no longer satisfied sitting on the hard, well shellacked and butt shined wooden pew next to my mother, nestled in like a rabbit in a hole, boarded by the back of the pew in front of us and the other person sitting next to me. I was entrenched in my rabbit hole coloring, drawing, and swinging my feet as they dangled below the pew. I admired my black patent leather shoes and my white lace socks turned down around my ankles. I liked how the lace flared across my shoes, the contrast of white and black with my mocha colored well-greased legs. Som...

"I'm waiting for you... I'm calling you." “Tina, I’m waiting for you… I’m calling you.”   God, please be my writing companion. Let the Holy Ghost write with me and be  my  ghost writer. Make me lie down in green pastures of comfort when I write. Free me from Fear.  Remove the spirit of Fear that wakes upon me like morning dew. Remove the spirit of Fear that follows me around like a puppy. Remove the spirit of Fear that weighs on me like a sweater, like a scarf, then like a noose. Remove the spirit of Fear that chokes my good ideas.   Give me your Holy Spirit of comfort when I write. Give me your Holy Spirit of peace when I write. Give me your Holy Spirit of truth when I write. Give me your Holy Spirit of joy when I write.   In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.  Thank you!   That’s why I write so well when I’m on vacation. That’s why my journaling began, when I wanted to peacefully reflect upon my experiences just for me. There were no audiences to please....

As my husband José and I toasted the new year at a party with old and new friends, the thought of recent news dampened my optimism for a prosperous new year. Last year ended with a somber realization the new year was going to be grim due to receiving some bad financial news. As Krik Franklin’s song “Intercession” says, “ Jesus please mention my name, see I got some bad news today…, its got me questioning my faith.” Like Kirk, I was questioning my faith too. W hen someone at the party exclaimed, “And a prosperous new decade,” I let go of my dashed hopes and embraced the optimism for the coming new decade. Maybe 2020 would be awful, but 2021, 2022... could be   good again. But that didn’t remove my grim outlook. Then the following events happened, and I was reminded that my circumstances were not defined by my financial or physical abilities; it was going to be a year of abundance anyway!   1) My girlfriend’s son and his wife had a healthy baby girl on New Year’s Day, born about...