Time is constantly moving and things are happening all over the city. The unfortunate thing is it’s fragmented and the scales are only going to tip slightly in favor of being good for the city as a whole.
November 10 was the Marine Corps birthday, 239 years of exemplary, exceptional service to our country and November 11 was Veteran’s Day. It amazes me and somewhat bothers me when some people in passing say, “Thank you for your service.” It seems sometimes it’s scripted and rehearsed and unemotional. That’s cool because I have come to accept the fact that people are gonna hate on you just because they didn’t have the opportunity or were denied the opportunity to become a Marine. I get it, but it doesn’t direct my path or affect my day.
Shout out to West Care for actually stepping out to do and not just say like so many others have done for years. They just had a ribbon cutting ceremony for turning the Mustard Seed located on Central Avenue into a 55 man facility for homeless vets. I love this kind of stuff and it touches my spirit because we have needed help for years.
I met with several of the key people that made this happen and I’m looking forward to working with them in the future.
I didn’t mention it but the University of Faith was on the front page of Sunday’s Tampa Bay Times, Nov. 2 (Click here for full story).
I actually had to stop reading it several times because some of the content and the attacks and inaccuracy of the material. Again, people will always look to the negative and attempt to capitalize on it but the truth of the matter is this, it was on the front page of a Sunday paper of a newspaper with over 800,000 subscribers.
When the article is written in our paper, The Weekly Challenger, written by us for us about us, I think it will have a different spin on it. For starters, there is no mention of the hell and hardships we went through to bring the university into existence; the internal battles that have occurred between the key players of the university, the 24-week series that will be starting either this week or next week entitled “The Christian Man in the 21st Century” that I will be conducting at my church, The Apostolic Open Door Church of God and True Holiness located at 2800 41st Ave. N.
By the way, we are one of the largest apostolic churches in the U.S., being international in scope with churches in Canada and we celebrated 84 years this year.
See, this is the kind of information that isn’t mentioned because of the intent of the writer and their desire to either write negatively or positively about a particular subject. Why not just be complete and unbiased when you decide to attack or address a subject and not tear it down for your own gain or benefit.
We already have an abundance of that going on in our communities and neighborhoods and we need good, positive things reported.
But I’m known by several of the movers and shakers in this city but they don’t have a clue I’m apart of so many other organizations. I applaud the ones that were at West Care on Tuesday, the ones that have attended one of our PSFEC, meetings and know of the historic event happening Nov. 17 and attended the all-day forum back on Oct. 15 conducted by Dr. Karen Mapp and brought into being by Superintendent Dr. Michael A. Grego of Pinellas County Schools and Dr. Valerie Brimm, the ones that are supporting University of Faith.
They are the ones helping out Cornerstone Boxing Gym to develop into a community gym for the youth and pattern our goals around those of the Downtown Boxing Gym highlighted on “20/20” some weeks ago; the ones that are helping Advantage Village Academy fight off the SPHA in efforts to keep our home of over 10 years in the heart of the Midtown community helping our at-risk and under privileged kids.
I could go on and on about the many things that are happening in this city to combat Satan in his attempt to destroy our youth but the sad thing about it is the very people who should be attending these events are a no-show and these things are nowhere on their radar.
I want you to understand when I say “we or us” because I don’t just go and visit these organizations; I’m family with each and every one of them. We all have a common goal, to give our kids a fighting chance and to stop the talk, it’s time for action and everyone mentioned has done so but is fighting the powers that be to help our kids win. That’s not right but I will tell you this, if they are linked to me, we will win.
