I Have A Dream (poem excerpt)

Here is an excerpt of my poem entitled "I Have A Dream." The entire poem is in my debut poetry book Take It From Me: Cautionary Tales From A Former Fool (The You Can Take It Poetry Series: Volume I). Blessings to you all today.

I stand today and see the dream inside of me

It’s deeper than what my eyes can see

Look at me, I have ambition, I have a desire

Nobody can put water on this fire

I have this dream inside of me that’s growing strong

If I can bear the short-term discomfort, the dream won’t take long

I am encouraged, I am blessed, and I am a soldier in this fight

Because I’m strong in the Lord and in the power of His might

I can’t let anything tie me down; I have too much at stake

I know I have to press forward and do whatever it takes.

Never to neglect the Lord who blessed me and saved me

Because it is He who loves me and it is this dream He gave me

I have to fulfill it; I have to nurture it with all of my heart

Because He knew this dream was for me from the start

If Pharaoh and Dr. King can have a dream, then I can have a dream

And when it’s resurrected and affirmed, it’s not as distant as it seems.

If I neglect this, I’m letting you, God, and myself down

This is my time, and I’m turning this life of mine around

This is it! Destiny has to be fulfilled

I refuse to be tied down; that’s not God’s will

This poem might be hard for your ears, so it seems

But this is me, and I’m blessed to be living the dream.

The Dream & The Process

Wherever you are at this moment, think about the time when you dreamed a dream that was beyond what you currently saw at the moment (but you knew it was achievable). Now think about the time when you actually achieved that dream when all odds were against you (to include family & friends). What were your emotions like? Did you feel like you could accomplish any challenge that you would face in the future? Did you feel like you were on top of the world?

The purpose of having you think on when you dreamed big is because many people have stopped dreaming (due to the current state of the economy, complacency, or having deadbeat friends and family trying to keep you inside their little box). I want you to be open to His Spirit to let Him speak to your spirit. He knows what you’re ordained to do and for many of you, it’s beyond what you currently see. Don’t let this world stop you (and it will throw anything it can to stop you).

Now, I need to qualify what I have been saying because there are people who ARE dreaming big, but then they want to penalize God because it’s not happening on their timetable (typically within 24 hours). Let’s be realistic for a moment, if you have goals (something simple such as getting out of debt, or losing weight), don’t think that you’ll reach your goal in 24 hours. It’s going to be a process (and of course, I can’t say how long the process will be) and I won’t promise you that it will be easy. But if you can find joy when you’re going through the process; that will determine how hard you’ll rejoice when you reach the end of your goal!

In summary: keep dreaming, and rejoice in the process. Many trials we will go through, but we will be delivered by Him in due time!

Blessings.

The Mayne Man

America: Land of Entitlement?

On July 3rd, 2013: I posted this on Facebook (and these series of questions were asked on a blog by a well-known author) so we can discuss due to the importance of what we are facing in America today: Why do some of the best entitlement benefits go to our leaders—the President of the United States, our Congressional leaders, and other government workers? Once a President or congressman is elected, we the taxpayers take care of them for life. If they are qualified to be our leaders, why can’t they take care of themselves?

My sister & fellow author Angelia Vernon Menchan responded that they can but one of the reasons those jobs are so attractive is because it has been written and decided they didn't have to. I loved her response so much, that I asked her to elaborate for this post.

Angelia: My answer was that politicians could take care of themselves but the perks of being cared for, for the rest of their lives made politics very attractive. Not all are attracted for those reasons but the perks are undeniable. Are they entitled to them, forever? Or do we as voters, taxpayers and citizens have a right to protest and vote these perks away? I feel we do have the right but it is not an undertaking that would be without consequences for all. Does doing away with high level perks trickle down to us and even more losses are incurred. For instance would government workers want to forego retirement or not have a percentage of the thrift savings plans go unmatched? Do we care enough about the overall country to make these changes for the coming generations?

Also we enjoy capitalism and to a great extent that has led to the bankruptcy of our county while many private businesses and CEOs reap millions, even billions. Do we regulate those entities to change that thus changing our culture?

A larger question is as Christians how political should we be if we know we must be in the world but not of the world?

Tremayne: If the truth be told, it’s almost like saying there are rules for a group of people, and there are rules for another group. One thing that comes to mind is the credit card companies (they have rules that we don’t). I’m going to correlate that to the parable of unforgiveness at the end of Matthew 18. A man owed a king a huge amount of money, and the king forgave him. Now the man had someone under him who owed a lot less than what was owed to the king, and the man opted not to forgive him. Now the credit card companies today are no different. They asked for a bailout and they got it, now when we want forgiveness, they closed down our credit, raised our interest rates and demand that we pay it. Sounds like to me, the credit card companies can’t take care of themselves.

One of the tragedies we’re facing today is that we feel that the world owes us a living. And when we don’t get our way, we turn to revolting and civil disobedience. Is this all because we feel entitled? YES!

I add to Angelia’s questions: what are we going to do about it? Complain and continue to allow us taxpayers to take care of them while we are only a day short of bankruptcy? Do we feel entitled or are we going to do whatever we can to make our dreams come true?

Finding Your Passion

It’s Labor Day and 2/3 of this year is done. Where are you with your dreams and goals for 2011? Well, if you’re like me, you’ve had to endure some struggles this year. I’ve told many people at the beginning of 2011, that this is a year of big moves. I know some people can testify to that, but with it came a lot of struggles and unnecessary strife. From unemployment, threats of losing your job, people on your job (co-workers) threatening to drown you underwater to save their job or just tired of being a gerbil running on wheels (the rat race). There’s more, people are jealous because you decided to pursue your passion (or calling of God), other people are fearful of what the future holds because they have nothing to fall back on (not taking the time to find or pursue their passion) and want to make your life a living hell, your closest friends and family won’t support your passion/talents (see last week’s post entitled “No Love, No Honor, No Support” for more on that), or you are just ready to leave your current job to focus on your passion/talent to impact other people’s lives for the better (because you know that your passion/talent is not just for you, it’s for others around you and those you haven’t met yet).

If this describes what you’re going through, then this post is written for you to encourage you not to cast away your confidence, not to give up on God, and to press forward with your passion. Just know that this post is also for me. I need encouragement as well (considering I’m going through some of the things I mentioned above).

So, I ask you the following questions:

1. Do you know what your passion is? Many people don’t, and they have a hard time finding it. If this is you, it’s OK. To find your passion or mission, you have to dig deep inside, get alone with God and pray for Him to reveal it to you in His time (remember, the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God). It will be revealed to you; meanwhile, just keep your mind stayed on Him and experience His perfect peace. If you know what your passion it, then give God praise and perfect it for the glory of God. If you perfect your passion, and present it in excellence, people will take notice and want more of your passion (granted, some people will actually be inspired to pursue their passion).
2. Are there any activities or thoughts that absorb you so thoroughly you lose track of time?
3. What subjects do you find most exciting to talk about?
4. Do you have any skills or talents that inspire self-confidence? I know some of you have the gift of knitting, singing, writing, speaking life to others (and giving them hope and encourage with the love of Christ) and you know it too.
5. When you have a free afternoon, how do you choose to spend it?
6. If you had all the money you needed to pursue a hobby or a special project, what would it be?
7. If you could develop a “dream” business for yourself, what would it be?

Talk about your passions with people who you know well and trust. Now I need to inject something here. Not everybody can embrace your passion, so you need to discern who you tell it to. Joseph in Genesis 37 is a prime example. He should’ve read his brothers better (they said, we shall see what will become of his dream). As one of my sister friends would say, not everybody is a divine connection to you. You don’t tell your business to someone who has a “what’s in it for me” mentality. Back to my original point, sometimes other people can read our souls when we can’t. Once you become aware of your passion, you can determine your mission and begin to feed it. This in turn will feed the drive that will make your dreams come true.

If you are making statements like the four mentioned below, I strongly consider that you pray and work on pursuing your passion now!

1. I wish I could quit my job.
2. I’m tired of going from job to job.
3. I can’t keep working this hard. I’m getting too old for this.
4. I’m tired of wasting my time, hanging around people without much ambition and who aren’t going anywhere.

Some people don’t want to pursue their passion (this is for those who know what their passion is), because they have selfish motives. They’re being stingy or prideful with it because their church or people around them won’t accept them or their passion/talent. The easy way to rectify that is to give it to God and understand that it’s not about you!  It’s for the glory of God – let Him do the work and give Him all the glory!

With that said, this is the time to make it happen. As Gloria Estefan would say, “Get On Your Feet!”

No Love, No Honor, No Support

Jesus was explaining a parable in Luke 14:15-24. There was a man who made a great supper and invited people to come. One by one, there were excuses as to why they couldn't come. Eventually, the master said to the servant to go out to the streets and lanes of the city, the poor, blind etc., and invite them. When they all came, there was still more room at the supper. The master then said to the servant to go to the highways and hedges so the house will be full. What's the focus here? Well, this parable was an invitation to Israel to accept the invitation to Jesus, but they rejected him (granted, Jesus would say in other gospels that a prophet is not welcomed in his own home town). Jesus got from Israel no love and no honor.

You are called to do something great, and people who are close to you won't accept you and what you can provide. Instead, they will find every excuse in the book not to support you, or they will want you to give something to them at a discount (or better yet, for free, cause we're brothers, sisters, first cousins, whatever). What happens is that you get no love, and no support from your own.

I dedicate this section to my fellow authors (you will understand this). One of my fellow authors wrote a comment on her Facebook page and it provoked my thinking on this topic. To all the authors that have complained to me about how their friends and family don't support them and haven't bought their books, I say," So! There are way more people out here that you don't know than the ones you do know and are related to. Millions! So if your friends and family won't support, reach out to the millions of strangers that WILL!" I still have several "friends" and family members who haven't done a thing to support me.

What she said was the essence of the parable mentioned above. There is no love, and no support from your own (I'm referring to close friends and family - whether immediate or extended). But when you make it big and are a celebrity, that's when people will take notice. By that time, it will be too late.

This post is not to convict anyone, it's just a little thought about the need to support each other's visions, dreams and talents. We don't do that because we're selfish (and some are just jealous because they went for it) and we need to suppress that spirit. There's no need for us not to love, honor and support someone who's trying to make their dream happen. We all have dreams and talents and we need to support each other. But if you want to sit on your dream and talent, you have no one to blame but yourself! Let me repeat that, you have no one to blame but yourself! Trust me, if you support me, I will support you. This is what it means to have love, honor and support! 

Is Laziness Still In Your Dream?

I was originally going to write a quote about this on my Facebook wall, but a friend probed me to write a blog about this. So many times, I see people who have dreams and have told me their dreams; but one the biggest things I see is the root of laziness. So, I ask you today, is that still in your dream?
I know you have passions and talents, but are you willing to get out of bed and work towards that dream in your heart? There's a biblical saying that goes: the soul of the sluggard desires but gets nothing; while the soul of the diligent shall be made fat (another translation is simply this: lazy people want much but get little, while the diligent are prospering). So many times, people get mad when others are prospering and they're not. I repeat my question: is laziness still in your dream.


A good acid test to see if you're downright lazy. If your alarm clock goes off, and you stay in bed for another 30 minutes to an hour (95% of the time), more & likely, laziness is part of your dream. If you plan to be somewhere at a specific time and 95% of the time you're late (and even those who wait till the last minute to do something 95% of the time), more & likely, laziness is part of your dream.


I'm willing to bet that most millionaires had a dream and/or an idea and decided to pursue it no matter the cost. Laziness was not in their vocabulary. I believe faith, perseverance, and persistence was in their vocabulary. Will you today, pursue your dream and pluck the root of laziness out of your dream and burn it so it won't keep you defeated and bitter? Will you today, have faith in the God who sees all and knows all, be persistent and persevere at all cost. Will you today declare that desire is not enough for your life. Once you get that desire, back it up with a decision, determination & discipline (most people stop at the latter), and on a daily basis, we have to keep laziness from creeping into our dreams.