Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Rejection: Observations and Solutions

Observations

I have observed through my own life and the life of others that rejection SUCKS. We all go through it, some much more than others. The worst thing about rejection is what it creates. That creation is called fear. After enough rejection anybody will be paralyzed. It seems so automatic..our subconscious seems to have stored all the negative experiences we have been through and when something comes up that triggers that past event we automatically tense up and shut down like Daewoo car factory…This fear causes us to miss out on opportunities that are set up to take us to the next level in our lives…our destiny is postponed or derailed..and the list goes on and on…Another observation I have made about rejection is that is causes us to stay in bad situations…out of fear of rejection we will put up with relationships and circumstances that are damaging to us rather than step out and face the world… We feel a false sense safety and acceptance in these situations therefore remain even to our own detriment.

I have felt much rejection in my life…don’t get me wrong I have had love…..family friends..etc etc…and thank God because if I didn’t have that I would have went coo coo….most of my rejection has come from wanting a woman more than she has wanted me, failed sporting activities and many other things that we all go through…I know my issues are not near the worst I have heard and seen from very close friends and family but the fact is we get that same feeling and develop the same kind of fears as a result.


Solutions

I will give some keys that I am currently using to overcome rejection..I don’t not claim to be an expert and I am still in the process of being healed from my past rejections but I have made some progress with these tips:


1. Love yourself and die to yourself at the same time. What? Yes the bible says to love your neighbor as you love yourself..Hating yourself and being extra negative will never change a thing so quit the pity party…Likewise if you die to yourself , you won't fear or be worried about the opinions of others…what does a dead man have to fear? Nothing…...some people think Kanye West is extremely arrogant…..well in some ways he is..but I think he has just had to deal with a lot of rejection in his life and he refuses to let others or circumstances stand in his way….and guess what? It worked…..I feel many people are uncomfortable with him because they can't be like him....the darkness flees from the light.....we choose to live in our funk and blame others….. The only way that you can truly do the above is to encounter Jesus on a continual basis…looking at him will transform you from the inside out…You will feel his love for you and therefore love yourself and others more…you will realize that although Jesus would have still died on the cross even if you were the only sinner ever, that you are not the center of the universe ,He is, thus you will die to your selfish ambitions…this doesn’t mean you become a robot but it does mean you have a more fulfilled life, I promise you that…



2. If you were rejected because of a changeable truth...meaning someone rejected you for a reason that is true but it is something that you could change about your self or a situation......Realize this and change....if you choose to stay the same and rejection continues don’t blame others..


3. If you are rejected because of something you have no control over and can not change. Accept who you are or the situation and make the best out of it. Process the truth and accept it so you can gain power over it, therefore no one else can use it against you.


4.Sowing and reaping, Karma....the golden rule..etc etc..you know.....
I have noticed that some of the rejection I have recently received mirrored very closely to the rejection I had given... for example........Recently over the last year I have discovered I am not as cool as I thought I was....I thought I was Mr. people person and that every one loved me...at least they loved me in the way I thought they should....well I noticed I wasn’t being invited to certain events, not asked to participate in certain activities and not being called back. These were all things I would have sworn no body would forget to tell me about...well it was happening and I was seriously butt hurt...I tried in every way to figure out why these people had forgotten about me or not called me back....at the end of my massive pontification I realized the finger pointed back to me.........As much as a people person as I thought I was...I have actually spent much time alienating myself from others......often I wouldn't call people back often,...I wouldn't stay in contact with people etc etc etc...
So I realized that the same stuff that was being done to me..I did to others and often..now I thought I had my reasons...I was going through hard times etc etc..but that doesn’t count...relationships are a two way street..and although in life you will have friends and circumstances that will always favor you...most of the time..life isn’t as fair...

5. Check yourself...and you won’t get butt-hurt when someone else tries to check you... You have to keep it real with yourself..most people seem to avoid the hardest thing which most of the time is dealing with themselves...we all need to have our ego's popped every now and then...but its good...because if you can make an honest assessment about your self...you are now empowered..why, because now you are not deceived and have the ability to make changes....so if some one rejects you because of a flaw you have it wont bother you as much because you know about it and are in the process of changing it.....

This is something I have been doing with significant success. If you ask God to show you the areas you could work on he will get right to the root and show you....Once I lay it on the table between God and me it is there...I know he forgives me and loves me despite my weakness and with his help I can change...so If some one rejects me because of some character flaw I become more motivated to change it......


Conclusion
If you noticed all the above suggestions had to deal with stuff you have to do...no body else is responsible for your progress in life...you can not be worried about what others have done and are doing to you...I know that can be hard...but the sooner you learn that the freer(is that a word?) you will be!!!


Just some ideas that were in my head…maybe I am wrong, please let me know…… Just in case I didn’t help anybody with the post there is a link to an expert that I know will help you greatly. It is a teaching called " In a Heartbeat,The secret to altering your state is to alter the meaning you attach to events" …I suggest you download the teaching and take some time out to listen to it and ponder about how you can change…if you like the first teaching you can purchase the remaining 3 mp3 or cd's at this website...at first the teaching might seem not to have anything to do with rejection but it does, so hang in there and listen to it all.

This first link is a sample or description of what the teaching is about..and the second link is a free download to part 1 of the teaching.

Click here for overview of teaching, it will ask you to register but you don't have too, just click "register later."

*For all my people who I love dearly who are not regular Church goers or bible readers you may hear things you don't understand but just ask God to clarify it for you.

After you listen to the above link click here to download for free part 1 of the whole teaching...you have to fill out a user form but it is free..just complete the whole process

THIS STUFF WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE IF YOU APPLY IT.......THE KEY..YOU HAVE TO APPLY IT...

I would love to know your thoughts or opinions on what I write so please leave a comment.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Jamiroquai video of the Week 04/27-05/04

Every week I will bless you with the funky sounds of my favorite group, Jamiroquai..this weeks jam is called "Shoot the Moon". This is from a live show back in 2003....Enjoy!


JAMIROQUAI "SHOOT THE MOON" ....LADIES AND GENTLEMEN..PLEASE FEEL THE FUNK!!!

Friday, April 25, 2008

A new look at church and the Christian life by reclaiming the 7 mountians of society!

TODAYS VIDEOS WILL EXPLAIN HOW WE AS CHRISTIANS ARE SUPPOSE TO TAKE THE 7 MOUNTAINS OF SOCIETY. THIS STUFF WILL CHANGE YOUR OUT LOOK ON YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK. ENJOY!

I have always had a passion to take the love of God outside of our Sunday meetings and charitable evangelistic events. I feel that Jesus is so real that he should mainly flow out of us naturally..in every area of our life and be part of our everyday reality.
Religion and religious activities will never change a person..A life changing encounter with the person of Christ through you is what changes people. After leaving bible college the usual questions I was asked was if I was going to be a youth pastor or go straight to the mission field. Although I had a strong desire to do ministry I also had a strong desire to do other things. At first I thought this was a conflict between the Spirit and my flesh. I figured I must die to those other desires and pursue full time ministry. But over time I have realized that any burning desire you have in your heart to accomplish something during this life is usually given to you by God. For example, the title of my blog page, "My life- Jesus, travel, dance,buisness and hip hop" is a reflection of all the specfic things I have had a burning passion for and God has shown me that they are part of his plan for my life. Likewise, you may have a desire to sing but that doesnt mean you are called to sing christian music to christians. God may have you write songs that touch people at a night clubs. We must expand our mindset. Of course, there are people who are called and have a great passion to go into full time ministry....but I have some news for you, statistics show that only 1-2% of the body of Christ is in full time ministry. SO WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF US? That is the question.

Over the last 2000 years one of the biggest mistakes Christians have made is to be reclusive and hide out in their Sunday and weekly meeting bubble of life. While at the same time leaving the rest of world in the hands of satan and the people he uses to create more evil, perversion and destruction. We have lived as if are only thing to do after salvation was to wait for death and see those pearly gates. Also we have sat back waiting for Jesus to come when he clearly said that when the message of the kingdom was preached to the whole world then the end will come. News flash..40% of the world's population still have never even heard of Jesus. We have work to do. Jesus told us to occupy until he gets back...that term occupy in the Greek means to occupy in the same way a military would. We are called ambassadors of Christ..what does an ambassador do?....He goes to a foreign country and represents his home country's will and agenda. His word is as if the leader of the home country was saying it...delegated authority...That's what we are ...Our home is heaven, or the Kingdom of Heaven(which is in us) and we are here on earth to be a broker of heavens will on earth.....That takes us way beyond Sunday meetings...it means we get involved in every area of society and let God use us as a vessel to manifest his kingdom and will in any and every earthly place and circumstance....We are to take the 7 mountains of society(Which will be described in the videos below).
What ever is burning in your heart to do is from God..connect with heaven and the Holy Spirit..maximize your talent and skills and serve your gifting to the world... If it's something within church or if it's any field that falls under the 7 mountains of society, no matter which one dedicate your motive to God.


It is very important to understand that in no way am I down playing the need or the command (Hebrews 10:25) to be at a local church and being connected with leaders and fellow brothers and sisters. I don't know what I would do without my Friday morning men's group. I am just trying to shed light on what has been missing in the lives of most Christians. The vision, equipping and encouragement to go into the world with their unique character traits and giftings as a vessel to which God can use to bring kingdom reality to every sphere of society.


Here are some links with helpful information on this subject to check out after you watch the videos:

"God out of the box" by Chuck Ripka this book rocked my world. It completely changed my mindset on how God can use me anywhere and in any situation in ways that bring blessings to others and to my self. A must read.

Lance Wallnau is a great speaker and one of the leading ministers proclaiming the message of the 7 mountains. Visit his website and watch some full length teachings.

Here is a great article about city reformation and reclaiming the 7 mountains,
click here.

The Reclaiming the 7 Mountains website

Below I have three 5 min video clips from some of the key speakers on this type of thinking.....check it out and leave a comment to let me know what you think.


Overview of the 7 mountains



Lance Wallnau speaking about the christian duty



Lance Wallnau 7 mountain strategy



I would love to know your thoughts or opinions on what I write so please leave a comment.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Classic Hip Hop.........I think I am getting old

Just heard this song on the radio..and it is one of those " perfect verse over tight beat" songs I mentioned on my previous blog about the movie "Brown Sugar". This song is extra extra positive and tells a good story over a crazy never been done again hard beat......something about early 90's hip hop that sticks with me!

Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth " They reminisce over you" 1992 wow I was 12 when this came out.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Future travel plans and a blast from the past










Shout out to Tim Mcgintizzle!
The reason why I started this blog was to write out my life experiences in all areas with a hope that what I go through and learn may help somebody else. However, my other main motivation is to record my upcoming world wide adventures. My site eventually will be cross between these three links, vagabonding.com ,this clip from "Finger of God",a doc from a skeptical christian who traveled the world to see if God was really doing miracles signs and wonders, and lastly, this clip from an expeditionary trip in Africa by Overland Missions. All with my own special touch as described in my first blog entry.If you know me you know there will be plenty of dance footage.
Matter of fact, lets have one now:
This may not be hip hop dancing which is my first love, but I plan on mastering many different styles:




I already have my budget set for my professional camcorder ($1000-$3000) and a MacBook Pro($1999+), recommended by everybody as the best laptop for media and audio editing. Also I will need to get Final Cut Studio, a video editing software made just for Macs. Finally, sometime in the next 6-8 months I will go to the Travel Channel Academy. At this academy I will learn how to film my travels, edit them and do the commentary so I can produce quality material that can be put not only online but also on TV. I happen to know what God has in store for me so this should be some very interesting video.....Wow I just realized how much this is going to cost...oh well that's the price you pay to do what you feel called to do. ( Thank God our new business will cover the cost).

Anyway,..It has been over 5 years since I last got on a plane and headed to a foreign country for an exciting journey..so you can say I am well over due... Seeing the whole world in a vagabondish non touristy way has been in my heart for a while. I guess I just finally got to the point to where I starting taking the steps necessary to make it happen...One thing I have learned is that you have to live life on purpose..if you don't you will look up and 4 years will have passed and you haven't done anything but gone to work and pay bills. Find your purpose and then make everything else in your life work to benefit that purpose.

I must take a few lines and mention my main motivations to pursue my dreams.

1. God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit....thanks for putting it in me! Also thanks for being so patient for me I know it took me a while to get off my butt and put action to the vision.

2. Robert T. Kiyosaki,real estate investor, speaker and author of "Rich Dad Poor Dad". Thanks for completely changing my mind about money, the rat race and entrepreneurship.

3. Timothy Ferris, entrepreneur, vagabond, world record holder in tango and author of "The 4 Hour Work Week". This book took everything I had thought, felt and hoped for could be true in my life besides spiritual matters and put it into one book. "No more W4W, that is work for works sake" Check out his website and blog.

4.Dr. Lance Wallnau, pastor,author, life coach and business consultant. Thank you for confirming what God had put in my heart. Taking Jesus to the world through the gifts and talents given to me that don't have to stay behind the 4 walls of a church. There are some you tube videos featuring Dr. Lance Wallnau on my April 20th entry. You can visit his website for more information or click here to see some full length video teachings.
5. Much much love to my business partner! None of this would be possible without God connecting our visions....thanks for your support and belief in me.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ALL THE PEOPLE ABOVE, ESPECIALLY FIRST ONE.

In the meantime I will give you some videos and pictures from my 2003 trip to India....after this trip I knew that my life would not be fulfilling if I didn't get to travel. This particular trip was a mission. My future travels will be similar but more on a vagabond/expeditionary style.
( I just realized that I will probably need to learn some more languages...Where is the time?..well, it is coming soon...want to know how get "The 4 Hour Work Week".)

The camera was a 3 mega pixel from 2003 so the video wont be that great and audio may be fuzzy.....


Walking and children


Walking through a beautiful Indian village


My first over seas sermon, I was nervous but it changed my life




I would love to know your thoughts or opinions on what I write so please leave a comment.

Quick Life Chicken Nuggets and a great song

SHOUT OUT ABE!!! WE ARE ALMOST THERE!!!

Don't have time to write much today. So I will just say a quick snip and give you a video of one of my favorite songs of all time.

"Make sure your life has a purpose, you have to be driven by something greater than bills, sex and attention."

"Use a greater amount of your energy, time and resources in becoming who you want to become, spending time with loved ones and doing everything you have wanted to do since your were 10 rather than spending your energy, time and resources becoming a professional consumer, which most of us are."

All quotes fresh off the top of the dome of Antonio :)

This is more of a slide show playing one of my favorite songs, "life" by Mondo Grosso a Japanese Jazz, R&B and dance production group:



I would love to know your thoughts or opinions on what I write so please leave a comment.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Jamiroquai video of the week

A little Jamiroquai for ya! This is one is for Ramon.
Since this is my favorite group every week I will post a differnt jamiroquai video. Why? Because I feel the world should know about them. Enjoy!

Jamiroquai "Travelling without moving" Live from abbey road

"You are the perfect verse over a tight beat" Dre in "Brown Sugar"

One of my favorite movies of all time is "Brown Sugar"...if you haven't seen it go pick it up today..I know its like 5 years old but I recently watched it again and it sparked some thoughts so I decided to share them...."Brown Sugar" is a story about love and hip hop...the two main characters are childhood friends that became enamored with hip hop in the 80's. As adults they both end up working in the industry, one as an A&R for a major label and the other as an editor for one of the largest hip hop magazines. The movie chronicles the love they have for hip hop and the love they have for each other...

This is why I love this movie:
1.I love good love stories.(Also check out "the Notebook")I know how special it is to find that friend who knows you in and out,bad and good and loves you unconditionally, ride or die ya feel me.
(Watch this scene from 0.00 to the 4:05min mark. This is a down friend,shout out to Sydney. Click Here .

2.I also love how they portrayed hip hop, they showed the positive side and how you can be grown and love hip hop at the same time...

3.I also love the fact that the main characters were two African Americans who were successful in their late 20s but still avid hip hop followers instead of the stereotype troubled black youth story.

The quote from the title of this blog, "You are the perfect verse over a tight beat" struck a chord with me .......In the movie Dre says this in admiration of his best friend Sydney and if you love hip hop that quote hits you right in the heart...think about all those songs that have stayed with you through the years..you know all the words...as soon as you hear the beat nostalgia over takes you and you get into the groove....those classics that make you immediately hit the dance floor bustin 15 year old dance moves not caring who is looking.....So if you are a fan of hip hop and love that quote should do it for you....Shout out to Sydney! Watch the scene. It is between the 7:40 and 8:35 min marks. The video and audio dont match but you will still get it. Click here.

Below I have a clip from the opening of the movie as well as the music video from one of the soundtrack songs. Enjoy!

When did you fall in love with hip hop?



Erykah Badu "Love of my life"



I would love to know your thoughts or opinions on what I write so please leave a comment.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Staying with God and people in times of weakness/ Todays videos are about destiny

For a lot of people, my self included, when times of adversity or weakness come upon our lives we actually choose to hide or run from God. Why do we do this...well I guess there are many reasons..sin, guilt, shame etc etc etc. I think the foundational issues is our incorrect thinking about the love and grace of God and most importantly the finished work on the cross by Jesus Christ. The bible makes it clear that what Jesus accomplished was a completed work. His blood makes us clean and allows us to enter the holy of holies. The sad thing is we often think we can do things better our self...........let me tell you something, Gods original plan was to have intimate relationship with humans, we lost it and Jesus brought it back. He knows we suck without him...I think we insult the work of the cross and the resurrection to think our short comings are so strong that it disqualifies little ole us for the benefits that Jesus released for us......I can say this without having to look at anyone else. I, of course have gone through this cycle many times in my christian walk........However, in this current season of my life I have determined that no matter what state I am in I must do two things at all times:

1. I must be honest with my self and others about my current state of affairs...no lying or pat religious answers to questions such as " how are you" " Whats new in your life"(Granted, their is wisdom in not just blabber mouthing all your business to everybody..also you don't want to throw up all your issues on to someone else making their day miserable. There are ways to be honest without doing the above, always have a person or a few people you can be completely honest with, sometimes hard to find so pray and ask Father to bring you somebody else..even though God wants us to have a close relationship with him he made us a body and we need each other). OK that was a long parenthesise writing I know

2. Be honest with God, he knows it all anyways, and stay in fellowship with him even during a weak season..the blood has given you that ability...run to him like a loving father who wants to help you in your weak area...the bible states that Jesus knows the issues we go through so go to him and stay with him.


Some examples in the bible: David, man after Gods own heart.. did some evil things...and although he had to deal the consequences of some of his actions he is still remembered in the new testament as a man after gods own heart a doer of his will...why..he was quick to repent and stay with God even in his times of iniquity. I mean he even committed adultery and killed the women's husband...he had to pay for this but he still stayed with God...and that is old testament before the cross.

Also look at the disciples while they were with Jesus they were unbelieving and selfish yet they were in ministry training the whole time...

Paul states that in his weakness he gets to see the strength of God.

I wrote all this because I am currently going through a situation. I am refusing to quit on God or body fellowship because of shame or others opinions.....I need to be with my father more now than any other time..what good will it do me to run away from him. I know the choice I am making will have its consequences attached to it that I will have to deal with...but that doesn't give me the right to stop pursing God. I almost got caught up in that mindset.... I recently had to miss a few weeks of church due to business trips but I must admit I wasn't in a rush to go back because I felt like a hypocrite and didn't want to be bothered by people.....I knew this was wrong so with counsel from my business partner I jumped back in...my fears were false and from hell.....All though my brothers in the lord don't want me to make this decision they love and support me through it. I met with my pastor and he told me to stay connected fellowship, run after God come to prayer etc. etct...I told him I felt like a hypocrite and he assured me I wasn't..because I wasn't acting or lying about any thing...I was being honest about my current position and I was aware of my choice...so that is not hypocritical...what I know is that everybody has things in there lives they have not given to God, the difference is that mine is public...this doesn't make a bad choice right but it allows me to be free from the worry or the fear o man........

The irony of this situation is that people are probably mad at me for still wanting to pray, read my bible and pursue God and his calling on my life while in this situation...It seems as if people want me to back slide and come to the church all doopy and full of shame........not going to happen........

I do understand that right now I should not be in a place of authority over people or an official ministry position while I am in this season and that is ok for me....matter of fact that is one thing I have tried to always have in my life, not to cover up my sins or failures by ministry and giftings....this is a great time for God to develop more character and I can develop my giftings in private and in the highways and byways so that when the season comes where God puts me in front of his people I will be prepared.....ok that's it for this entry, long I know but I needed to get this off my chest....by the way...if your wondering what I am talking about......I am getting a divorce.


Each entry I will try to have a video from something this has helped my life by confirming the things God has put in my heart to do..I share them because I know I am not the only one and I hope I can give something to someone that will move them closer to their destiny. I have three videos today:


Lance Wallnau Discussing the 7 Mountains







Lance Wallnau Discussing the 7 Mountains contin...





Doug Addison discussing the importance of finding and pursing your destiny


I would love to know your thoughts or opinions on what I write so please leave a comment.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

My Biggest Spiritual Challenge

My biggest spiritual challenge... well it all really comes down to trusting God vs. the pride of life...its funny that was the original sin...Satan deceived Eve into thinking that God wouldn't keep his word and she would be better stepping out on her own...well we see where that got us.......So I cant be mad at them seeing that thousands of years later here I am struggling with the same thing...So what is my dilemma? All things that are in my heart to do....from ministry..super navy seal Indiana Jones style......to big business deals for my family and the kingdom...to dancing and seeing the world.....all things I have had a desire to do for many many years and I believe God has placed all those desires in my heart.......the fear I have is if i truly surrender all my life to God(cuz lets face it many of us do not surrender it ALL so I am not fearful in admitting I struggle with that issue) that some how those desires will not come to past......or at least not in the way I think they should............I honestly think most of my worry is grounded in church experience....I love the Church and I love going to church...I just feel what I will do will be more than Sunday and home groups during the week...so I fear the limitations of man..........but it all boils down to this.........Jesus said if you want your life you will lose it.......and He gave me the desires in the first place.....so I just have go with him...so Ill keep you updated..........

Well here are two dance clips from "Step it up 2" and "Stomp the yard", this is why I love dancing:





I would love to know your thoughts or opinions on what I write so please leave a comment.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Where am I right now?

Life is something special...At this current time I am at a serious transition, must make a serious decision that will affect the rest of my life...but I am joyful through it.....Did five sermons this past weekend they were all good and all related..its funny how that works...

Thursday, April 10, 2008

This is a product that will make you smarter try it out and let me know what you think.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Welcome to my blog!


This is the first of many..I plan to share my life lessons and experiences....the main purpose of this blog will be to log my travels and experiences around the world and local from the perspective of a 27 year old hip hop,acid jazz, jamiroquai dance,brazil,books,downtown style and livin' lovin' African American who is an apostolic prophetic christian and loves diversity,social activities and being in the middle of nowhere in some deep dark jungle....and this is just one description of me. I seem to be finding more and more about my self as time goes on.

Its not that I think I am anybody special(Trust me, I am well aware of why I am not)..but I do know that I have something special I am suppose to do in life and it will touch many people. It involves traveling and engaging many cultures around the world as well doing things that are dangerous and life threatening. So I thought I would record it...right now I guess you can say I am in preparations for the great adventures that are soon to come. I look fwd to the lessons I will learn and the growth I will gain. I also look fwd to your comments....Enjoy!

p.s. I know this blog is plane jane now but give it time I will spruce it up.


Antonio M. Fisher II