90/10

10% of our lives is what happens to us, the other 90% is how we deal with what happens to us. As human beings we choose to wrestle with the 10% of our life that can easliy be pinned, given the 3 count and defeated by what we choose to do with the other 90%. It all has to do with attitude and how positive we are about the life we live. Every day is a struggle and god gives the strength to handle those struggles, he gives us the opportunity to work for him through our positiveness. Positiveness gives us the ability to garner attention and that's where God recieves the glory, through the attention that is paid to us. That's when people ask questions like: how is she getting out of bed after he left her at the alter, how does he still smile when he has no job and no money to take care of his family, how can you continue to live when your love one's death came so quickly and suddenly, they were so young, y'all had a long life ahead of you. It's because Jesus dwells in that person, and the only way he can dwell there is through the positiveness and the faith that person clings on to. The lord cannot dwell in any unclean place and the reason we feel so disconnected from him is because there is no room for him to dwell in our heart when it's cluttered by negativity. The bridge to understanding our life and how we continue to find him amongst the trouble, the heartache, the impossible moments, and diffculties is through positive moments in a not so positive place. The souls of men and women are found during the great diffculties that cannot be explained or that can't seem to be defeated. America's greatest generation defeated the greatest war in history and a baffling depression, America's greatest presidents are known for what they did in a time of crisis not peace, and Jesus most defining moment was escorted by pain and suffering. And if our god is for us then what and who could ever stop us, that is a positive thought and you cannot believe that truly without thinking positively. With those words we gain great power, with those words we are a avalanche of faith that cannot be stopped, with that faith we cause destruction that changes the world for the greater. It all starts with positiveness and the attitude we use today to defeat tomorrow problems that God turns into a story to change one soul at a time! What can stand against us when we are positive? Nothing! I don't know what I will do with my life, but where ever I live it from I will be a mountain of positiveness. I've been to negative for this portion of my life. So God shine through me whether it's from a house on 1600 Pensylvania Avenue, whether it's from the rolling plains of Alabama, whether it's from southwest side of Clay, whether it's from a city street corner, let me be positive in your image so I maybe used for the good of the world. God bless you, God bless the good ole USA and may god make us positive every day that we live.

From 30,000 feet, Ich bin ein Berliner

From 30,000 feet you can see miles beyond the natural road blocks that prohibit our fore sight on the ground. From 30,000 feet our adversities are small hills compared to the mountains we see from the ground. From 30,000 feet the vision you obtain from the ground seems to be useless. I do think that one reason God made it possible for man to suspend from 30,000 feet is to get a inch of a glimpse of how high he sits as we wonder the maze that we call life. Being this high gives a whole new meaning to a lot of things, for example; I think when God said if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will be able to move mountains. I truly believe that he meant if you trust in his vision from way above 30,000 feet there is not a mountain that can hender you, essentially saying that they have been moved to provide a path for the life God has in store for you. For some unknown reason God gave me this amazing best friend (Jacob Morris) who is allowing me to escort him and his wife to the beautiful mountains and valleys of South Germany. During this long 8 hour flight that I am currently in the midst of, I've been able to acknowledge how small I am compared to the large movement God is trying accomplish on the ground. I recall President John F. Kennedy standing before a wall in Berlin on June 26, 1963 and saying that, "Freedom is indivisible and when one man is enslaved all are not free." He went on to say that Americans from across the ocean are as one with the free man that stands on the free side of the Berlin Wall. Our fallen president then let go of some of the most famous words an American has ever said in the German language. "Ich bin ein Berliner!" meaning WE ARE ALL FROM BERLIN or we are all Berliners. What a pleasant sight it would be for the Lord that has given his all for us, to look down and see a world where all men wasn't just free but saved by the blood of his son Jesus Christ! This may seem like the impossible and is an accomplishment that couldn't take place in any man's lifetime but if we all lived by the thought of IF ONE IS ENSLAVED by the darkness of this world then NO MAN IS FREE. We would work tiredlessly to find freedom for one soul, so that we may find freedom. We would work as hard as a woman who went to be a missionary in Iraq in the middle of the War on Terror.  Her and her husband dug wells for the waterless Northern Iraqis who only recived water from Saddam every few months. On there way out of  the village some terrorist lined the highway and fired machine gun rounds into their truck. She awoke from her comma months later only to realize she had a body full of bulletts, that 3 of her fingers were gone, and her husband was killed. After mourning her losses she found a way to realize god was way above 30,000 feet and is currently tring to become a missionary once again. Ich bin ein Berliner!" We are all from Berlin. How great would it be if we could scream amidst our life full of mazes filled with mountains and natural roadblocks with useless vision, Ich bin ein christen! We are all Christians! May God bless you, May God bless these States that are United under him and May he continue to love us from way above 30,000 feet.          

Not me but we, which turns into HE

Years ago a 16 year old young girl stood in a bathroom shaking from the thought of herself being with child. She paced back and forth nervously as she shook the stick that would determine her life's fate. When the reading finally showed itself to my mother she dropped the stick and before it could hit the ground she knew she would not stroll the stage of her High School graduation, nor grace the halls of any university. There in her belly forming, was all the hopes and dreams that she had left and Marion Clark Thomas was later born into the world. Even though the young father of my brother promised to be around he later took off after graduating and my mother knowing before he ever left that she needed to quit school and begin caring for her child, she was ready for the responsibility. Later came Sherrie Thomas by way of the same father and later me when my mother met the lanky love of her life in my father. My mother is THE STRONGEST WOMAN I know, she has suffered loss after loss and she continues to move forward. First it was the loss of her dreams, then it was lostness of the door shutting behind the father of her two children, and the heartfelt loss as she stood beside a casket with the man of her dreams within. With all these losses it's amazing that she could still stand to live this life and I marvel at this beautiful woman everyday. The reason she still stand are many and I believe it has all to do with god but as far as rewards I finally saw why she is so satisfied with a life with no fulfillment, at least that's what I call it. A wise man once said that the greatest gift you could ever give the world isn't your services or efforts but it is the gift of another human being. If you could give this world another person who will continue to push forward the efforts of truth and service years beyond your living then you will change the world more than any Nobel prize winner or president. When you have the chance to mold a person to transform human being after human being it leads to change beyond years, decades, and generations. My mother's joy and rewards was for a trophy case of accomplishments or for degrees of acrediations, but it was turned into pushing her children to do well to this world every since she drop that stick when she was 16. Her trophy case is filled with the image of a high school Valedictorian and a degree and masters won by that Valedictorian from the University of Alabama that made her the most sought after tax manager in the city of Birmingham and on the edge of CFO. I believe there is an image of a solider who went from the battle field to building government ships as a private citizen with a degree in engineering for the betterment of the strongest Navy the world has ever seen. In the recent part of that trophy case is the image of a younger Thomas who was to prove wrong his caring school counselor who called his mom after hearing of his acceptance to Auburn to debate whether he should attend or not. The counselor argued that his ACT score was to low to finish the increasing toughness of an Auburn University degree, but she pushed her son forward and in a couple days I'll walk across a stage to shake the hand of the president of a university I love and as a memory in my mother's mental trophy case. Matter of fact it won't be me but we who walk across that stage. As in we I mean Elizabeth,Ronald, Marion, and Sherrie. For we forged this life together and we stormed the gates of difficulty together all for the betterment of this world and to my mother she should receive all the glory. If I know Elizabeth like I think I know her she would add not me but we turns into he. She believes that through all things, through all that this world brings and it's impossible moments and the days where you lose all hope and all dreams. That life is possible through Christ that strengthens her, me, our family, and the life we continue to live. It's not about me but we, which turns into he, and he being our lord and savior Jesus Christ. God bless you, may God bless these great states of America and May god continue to let us all be trophies to our parents.

The Small Things

There is something that always take us down, I don't care who you are and how holy you are, there is this one thing that you can't beat no matter how hard you try to dominated it. That one sin, that one mess up, that one uh oh, or OMG that as long as you can remember has led to you finding some kind of disbelief in the one true God, and leads to a network of future sins. For instance a huge problem in my life has always stemmed from the lost of my father, not that its my fault or its because of my sin that he is no longer with me. Since I lost my father I've been hell bent to find a mate so I could make sure that I wouldn't experience the nights of loneliness that I witness my mother go through. Due to the fact that he left this world early in my childhood, I would say that my life has lacked a manly presences. I was raised by three woman at different stages of their life. I had a sister who was in high school and college, a mother at middle age and a grandmother. So to often I depend on women, a lot of my life has been defined by the girl I'm dating and when they leave, my world is shattered because my girls, My mother and such has always been there. I also confide in women way too often, for the most part the girls in my life has always known more about who I am then the men in my life and that's not right. I didn't know that it wasn't right until recently when God confronted me through my own actions. He set a scenario that the devil had a trap in and I fell right into it. The beautiful thing about this misery that I'm going through now as I wait to leave this trap is that he is changing me for the better. Females is my problem they should not be as high of a priority that I make them and I'm going to change that now. Knowing that, I'm more than eager to have a son, so I can make sure he knows what I didn't know, and have the manly guide that I didn't have. The thing about tragedies and traps in our lives is that they give us scars that become souvenirs we never lose and those scars remind us that our past is never that far away. I once heard a song state so truly that, "To live is to suffer but to survive is to find meaning in that suffering." To often we let our sufferings define us and that's where our one thing we can't defeat develop. By trying to be in control of my life and being so aggressive in going after girls, dreams, and materialistic things I lose myself and my purpose. Jesus used the perfect parable to describe this wondering and losing of self in John. He says something to the effect of I am the shepherd, who watches his flock and when one of mine stray from the pack they wonder towards the evil one. That's what we do when the littlest of things distracts us from the path we were made to tread. Just the hope of being a mother one day can lead to a unhealthy relationship that can find pregnancy before marriage, just one drink can lead to addiction that takes years to break, and the dream of marriage can turn into a deep lust that's hard to shake. The smallest things can cause the biggest disasters. February 1st 2003 a shuttle filled with mothers, father, sons, and daughters made it's way back through the atmosphere that has protect us for so long, but that day it brought destruction. As the Columbia Space shuttle made it's way back home, a couple of tiles as big as the ones on your kitchen floor was broken off as the shuttle entered space weeks ago and was now missing. These specially design tiles keep the bottom of the space shuttle from overheating and breaking apart, well on that day the smallest part of the ship led to one of the biggest tragedies in the history of the space program. The smallest things makes god withhold blessings from us and every time we miss a blessing it's a small tragedy in life. God has to know the blessings he give won't be wasted, he has to know you will use it to bring those in who are lost. Just like the parable of the talons, god gives us these things we treasure and it's up to us to bring the glory back to him. Some of the reasons the people who desire fame haven't found it is because fame defines their life not Jesus. The reason most girls can't find that happy ending is because the wedding ring and the story defines you and not Jesus. Some of the reasons those like me who seek that girl and can't have her is because she defines you and not Jesus. At the end of that parable above I mention from John. Jesus finishes by saying I will search for the lost lamb and save them from the evil one that stands at the gates of my pastures. Today me and you need to let that one thing go and not let the evil one lure us beyond the pack and through the gate where he awaits. He takes us past that gate and deeper and deeper into the woods where a small hill becomes a mountain range. For I can witness to that fact, I let the smallest thing like my mother, sister, and grandmother love lead to the trap in which I lie now: broken, apologetic, and humble. The Lord is speaking to us who are in the trap and beckoning us saying find me, look for me over those small things, search for me over the little things, Seek ye the kingdom of heaven and all those small sins will be erased and all of your small wishes shall be given. For there is great power in small things and great faith and praise is given to our god when we abandon them, only to get them back! May God bless you, may God bless these United States and may God bring the small things to our attention.

What Jesus told me, Phillip Marshall, and Cam Newton

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people  
gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of  
the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They  
made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this  
woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded  
us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this  
question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.But  
Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7  
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to  
them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a  
stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At  
this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones  
first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.  
10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has  
no one condemned you?”11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither  
do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of  
sin.” John 8:2-11

One of my favorite beat writers for Auburn University football is  
Phillip Marshall. I look on in awe at ole Phillip on Saturday  
afternoons and mornings right as he works the media room right before  
Auburn plays. See, Mr. Marshall diligently strolls around the room and  
shakes hands and spills 47 years worth of stories he's accumlated over  
his prize winning career that has seen him rise to height of winning  
The Herby Kerby award and 29 other awards given in the state of  
Alabama Writers Association. The best story I've ever read by Mr.  
Marshall had to do with himself more than it had to do with Auburn  
athletics, which is a rarity for him since he goes out his way to not  
be the center of his writting. He told a story about him being a young  
wreckless man who had too much to drink and ended up eventually  
arrested after crashing the Huntsville Times car the newspaper had  
provided for him. This story is beautiful to me because he uses it to  
draw a line of how no one is perfect and how that mistake changed his  
life. From that day forward he no longer took a sip of acohol before  
driving a car. Every one has had that one moment in their life where  
they have made the biggest mistake of their life but the lord changed  
their life from that moment on. I made a huge mistake in high school  
my senior year that almost led to me being chained to the woodshop  
back in Clay County Alabama, where young small town hero's dreams in my beloved county go to die. For some unknown reason God found mercy on  this poor sinner and now I'm a month away from graduating from one the  
nation's top 50 universities. See god never takes a mistake made by us  
and lets it die, he uses it for the good of the kingdom, not only does  
he use it but he magnifies it. This world is a very dark place, and if  
you've ever tried to find your way through a dark room you have found  
it incriblely hard. Well to save us the trouble of stumbling, stubbing  
our toe, or outright running into walls god creates a light in us that breaks the darkness like the sun ends the pre dawn night. He uses us as a beacon of hope in darkrooms that light the way for others who are  
trying to find their way through life. Sometimes our lights aren't  
bright enough, they're not distracting enough people from making the  
mistakes we barely escaped from with our lives. So God sometimes sends  
people to up the ante, fuel our candles and make our light  
unavoidable. God has made no better example than the story in the  
above lines where the priests are foaming at the mouth to murder this  
poor young lady, but since god has told us that he is never changing  
he's repeated himself through history once more. Today their is a  
sinner, accused of stealing lap top, a blamed rule breaker that took  
money to play, and now an expelled (allegedly) student from the University of  
Florida. What other charges are the press going to throw at this man?  
What else can they say about Cameron Newton that has not been said  
already? They have dragged my fellow peer into the streets and have  
asked everyone to pick up their stones to take the life he has worked  
so hard to regain. Yes, he has fallen short of the kingdom of god, yes  
he has made some mistakes, but who hasn't? They accuse him of being a  
cheater where he has been deemed just about as clean as one can be,  
but yet bad journalists rise from the masses much like they did in John  
chapther 8 and much like the Jews that brought false witness against  
Jesus. Now the University of Florida breaks the law by releasing  
information about Cameron as student at Florida (allegedly), what else will Fox  
news, Espn, and the other journalists do to be able to throw the rocks  
of judgement and discouragement at someone who has moved past their  
past? They all sit back and wonder why does he still smile, how does  
our case fall apart when we present it, why do our witnesses mix up their  
stories. I'll tell you why because it's a man that kneels in the dirt  
that's drawing in the sand,and he's speaking to Cameron as they scream  
charge after charge. He says what have you done they haven't done  
before, be strong for I am here with you, and when that man finds the  
right time, when Cameron's light is the brightest, when the arms are  
drawing back to mangle, He will rise from the dirt and say " may he without  
sin cast the first stone", and as he goes back to finish what he was  
drawing there will be silence. Within minutes you'll hear the  
slanderous filth hit the ground just as the rocks did when the woman  
accusers walked away; and Just like Jesus told Phillip Marshall, myself,  
and now Cameron Newton, Go and Sin No More!

DWB (Dating While Black)

This blog is going to be a little risky for what I usually write but I want to be direct in my thoughts and intentions whenever I do talk about this world. That's exactly what this world is very direct and uncomfortable and no matter how many times we try to avoid conflict we're only avoiding what will eventually happen. All my life I've always had friends that tilt towards the white side of skin color. All my life I have always dated people that tend to be of the lighter color race. I don't know why but I always have been like that, it's not a race thing because I have a ton of black friends and I happen to think the two most beautiful women in the world are African American, those being my mother and sister. I do still have a attraction to women that are black and I truly see the world as being anyone for anyone and color not mattering much but God has made the small majority of women I do find attractive because of dislikes and likes to be white. One time my mother who is very supportive of me and anyone I would like to date told me, "the life you lead tends to end up with you being alone Brodrick." I never quite understood what she meant when she said that but recently it has weighed on my heart and the weight is as heavy as gravity. I think what she meant was, no matter how I see the world in no way is the world as I see it. Where I believe in looking internally to find the intentions of people, some people believe in describing people by what they see. Even though I think this is as right as a left turn, I'm really guilty of it also. Just like the priests who drew back to throw stones of death and judgment at a adulteress, we hurl our beliefs at people of what we think the world should be like and no one likes to live a life under the intense pressure of other people judgement squeezing you night and day. What I believe my mom intended to say in my own words is that, you want to do something large with your life outside the walls of fear of the public. Meaning I want to lead a life in the view of the public: as a servant, motivator, and leader of people where every camera is on me. Therefore I will need to be able to withstand the stones that people toss and in order to stand to the rocks flying at my beliefs and the judgement squeezing my relationships, I will need a mate that can dodge flying objects as well as I and take just as much pressure that will be given to us and finding that is terribly hard. No one wants to lose family and friends due to a relationship they are in or deal with relationships that are difficult enough themselves without the added pressure of something deeply rooted as color. So when I have found potential love I believe it has been constricted by the fact that when that person looks me in the eye they believe in what I'm possible of and shy away from that stage. I remember Cam Newton's State Trooper that protects him (Gene Wiggins) told me this during a road trip, "I seen you speak while I was protecting the Speaker of the House and I don't want you to ever forget my name because I will see you on T.V. one day." That's a lot pressure for me and anybody else that plan to be by my side one day. It's sad that it matters this much but history has made it impossible to change and I must find someone who is willing to rewrite the history books with me. Someone who cares about what the world thinks of them solely for the reason of fear that a person may not think it is of Christ. They care not what the world says and care not what the world believes for we are made by a savior that is not limited by the powers of this world. We stand on ground that doesn't shake when the world shakes, we sail upon tides that don't rise when the earth's gravity pulls them, and our days are bright when the world's are cloudy. We should find a common strength in our love with our mates that no man can break and no task can make weary. The only way we can find this is by limiting ourselves and extending God in our lives, we have to let go of our power of choice and tell the Lord whether you make me single for rest of my life or perfect love with me and another you have the reigns. My worldly desire to love is SECOND to your will! That's how you find love that ascends racial differences and color like John Smith and Pocahontas (it's a true story)... That's how you find marriage that last beyond 50 years where you tear up when you talk about the love of your life like Laura Boyd's grandparents. That's how you live a life of singleness for the service of the lord like Mother Teresa. No need to fear what may be in store.... if we never find what we are looking for ....because I know of one that gives more than what we've been waiting for.... and if I find loneliness on this side he'll hold my hand along this life's shore. The life I lead may end with me being alone but I will never be alone. I am in a marriage with the lord where he will never be ashamed of my color, nor shy away from the stages that I will take, never succumb to pressure and there will never be a til death do us part.
May God bless you, may God bless these United States of America and may he continue to change our view of the world.

Greg Varner

If you hate politics just continue to read through, I promise there is a great point at the end of this!

What is Quantitative Easing? Any clue at all? Before you google it let me stand upon my soap box and lecture you. I'm not a Democratic or Republican, I'm not even a Independent. I truly seek the best intentions for my country, some would say that's exactly what a Independent is? To be honest why is and has there ever been a political affiliation to anything but the American people and the laws that uphold this land. President Washington warned of political parties during his farewell address, he mention that while useful to holding the current administration accountable parties could become more about what's great for a small few and less about compromise. Quantitative Easing is a new plan in place by our Federal Reserve to get money flowing through our economy and financial systems by continuing to extend Non Borrowed Reserves and lowering the Federal Fund Rate while keeping the Interest Rate low. This is to promote a pro liquidity agenda to increase money to small businesses. The point of that question was to expose how little we know about issues that we elect officials to handle for us. The reason Quantitative Easing is so important is because it provide businesses that are in credit crunches with loans from banks that aren't lending because they have to hold so much money in order to apply with the federal loan rate. This is a huge issue for us students who are in search of jobs from businesses that can't make payroll because of the lack of loans. They depend on these loan because they are waiting on customers who have no money to buy products or pay bills. That's just the tip of the ice burg, it's so much more under the plan I just explained that I barely know. There are few things in this world that upset me more than people not voting. Can you imagine the great pain it would cause those women that stood in picket lines for the right we sleep on, or the heartache of the people that were sprayed by water, bitten by dogs and hung from trees for the privilege we forget. We fought a entire war on the princple of taxation without representation yet we forget to file for absentee ballots or drive a mile down the street. Then we wonder why America isn't the same as it was in our nation's younger years. A anger I hold that's even larger than not voting is the reason that nobody knows what Quantitative Easing is, the few times we do go out to vote we vote straight ticket or we guess vote. There is no way we can get it right every time when we choose men to represent us, but it's just down right dangerous to choose a man upon party. There is a small town lawyer that lives in the beautiful cheaha foothills of Ashland, Alabama. He has done nothing but dedicate his life to the service of people. I remember him taking in a troubled young cousin of mine and a group of her peers from all over Clay County for counseling to prevent their reoccurring troubles. He has held bible studies from his small law office all in name of faith in god and the hope to make a town better. One day this gentlemen received a call from district 13 senator Kim Benefield who was stepping down to handle family business. She was calling to ask this small town servant to be her hand picked successor to her seat. No matter the party affiliation Greg Varner dedicated himself along with his amazing wife Kelly, stealing time from their law firm and three beautiful daughters all in the name of service to the state of Alabama. After months and months of his name being slighted in the public eye, his money being drained by the campaign and a tired spirit it looked as if he had defeat his opponent after winning 3 of the major counties involved in district 13. Then Lee county. See, District 13 is the largest district in the state of Alabama it covers more than half of the entire link of the eastern border of Alabama and Georgia. The counties that are mostly involved in the politics of this giant district is Chambers, Clay, Cleburne, and Randolph. Cherokee and Lee county barely wants anything to do with the rest of us. We only own half of Lee county in our district and the population lives mostly in Smith- Station which is suburb outside the state lines of Georgia and people there basically only care about Georgia politics. After winning three of the counties that truly care about the issues, Mr. Varner lost Lee county by 1800 votes. Meaning that the candidate Greg Varner lost too, whom was a democrat just 4 short years ago won by a slight margin because most people in Lee County had no clue of the issues or who the candidates were, they voted straight Republican. He didn't beat Greg but Washington D. C. beat a candidate that more than half the people that cared picked to be their representative. My whole point to this political rant, pertaining to God of course, is that Greg Varner came to the mic with hymnal in hand and read a song that basically said Lord I am at your service and I am your servant, you lead me where you will and I will follow. In that moment I knew what it looked like to become 2nd to the lord's will in defeat, to minster from the loser box, when we live in a country that glorifies the winners. A man that had put his life on hold donated his family and money to win, just praised the lord for his loss in front of a room of supporters. I think he did more for everyone in that room than he could ever do for us in the state's capital. So even when we try so hard but don't succeed know that the Lord is in that loss just as much as he would have been in the win. I hope when Washington D.C. is against me, and the politics are too much and life has given me a loss. I know that the wins and losses are only secondary to the true service that I live and I hope to be as much of a servant in a time of loss as Greg Varner was Tuesday night.

#2

I have experienced the Earth's elliptical dance around the sun for 24 times now and this recent time has been one of the most eye opening journeys I've taken these past years. I feel as if I've seen it all even though I have so much more too see and learn about myself and this great God we serve. Recently I have had to step back and "take a Gatorade break, to get everything straight" as Young Jeezy would say. So many times in this violent collision of emotions that we call life we lose our purpose and our reason for being here. During my Gatorade break I have discovered that the number 2 is very significant in my life. It has nothing to do with our quarterback who happens to wear the number 2 and is doing so well, even though it does bring me great joy to see him break left and right across pat dye field and step on grown men as if they were insects. The number 2 means much more than a game, a girl, or accomplishments, even though I thought they did mean more. My number one reason for my new found love of the number 2 has to do with the fact that we lose the meaning and the purpose of our lives. We over complicate our relationships with people and our faith. God knows of our great ability to make clear water muddy and has offered us a clear solution. Jesus told us the 2 most important rules we need to follow and live by in whatever situation we may fall into in this treacherous life is: Love your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as you would love yourself. There is no problem that can topple those 2 commandments. A lot of the time our selfishness make 2 commandments 500 commandments and we get distracted from our true missions on Earth. We become our own little monsters haunting ourselves with thoughts of I need a job, I need a mate, why don't they like me, and why is god doing this to me. I believe as Christians we think that were suppose to have it easy or something, that our roads should be smooth and our oceans less choppy . False, the greatness of being a follower of Christ is that we rise above whatever holds us down. When I want to be mad at god or vent I like turn on my rap music and avoid the conversation me and him need to have. God chases you when you are his, no matter where you are and believe it or not God spoke to me through a Lil Wayne song. The song name is right above it and God said to me as the catchy verse hit my eardrums, I know where your problems are but I need you to live right above them, I know of your situation but we got too much to do for you to remain where you are become second to me let me lead and we'll do this together. That's the second reason that I'm fond of the number 2. It's this website called Iamsecond.com and it has famous people and regular people with amazing stories as to how God has changed there lives because they have submitted their dreams and hopes to the lord and has allowed their selfishness to die, to live a life of less worry and more focus on our true missions. I have always been one to take life on, I would like to call it brave but to be honest it's as stupid as trying to tackle the wind. We try to wear life like shoulder pads when the truth is we're only shouldering thousands of pounds of problems, people and situations we cannot control. As of today I'm taking my pads off and handing them to the lord, he can hold way more than I could imagine. I've always been proud of my titles: 1st African American Mr. Clay County High School, Auburn Tiger Walk-on, a speaker to senators, and, President of ACF. Those are great achievements but only through God have I received those accomplishments. My life has only been possible through him not because I did it or I helped him, He used me for the betterment of the kingdom, this isn't a LLC or a partnership but a relationship where I Am Second! Today there is change that has needed to happen, today I no longer control my dreams,today my legs don't quiver from the weight I hold, today my purpose isn't to achieve my dreams but the kingdom, today in the 24th year of life I have became less so he could become more, today I. Am. Second. This chair that sits atop of this page represents me and my blog post. May my story be used to show that I lean not on my own understanding, nor walk by my own strength, speak with breath developed by me, or accomplish anything by my own doing. In my life I am number 2! God bless you, may God bless these United States, and may he continue to be the head of our lives as we take the back seat to him in our journeys.

History Repeats Itself

For my birthday my amazing friend Candie got me a set of the History Channel's series on the Presidents of the United States. It's something so magical about that office, it demands  attention and respect and is known in the least of countries. You could go to Kazakhstan and they would know of the office of the President of the United States. The amazing thing about history is that you can revisit it time and time again and you will find something new about it that you missed the first time and it also tends to relive itself. Tonight I went to the Governor's debate/Gubernatorial debate and I left it feeling lost and empty, not just because I don't see any of the candidates fixing the problems that overwhelms our great state, but more because of some stuff I read in a blog. I found myself in my amazing intern Virginia's car completely confused and lost for no reason. Then from those little cute lips she said "it's not about you?" then she finished,  "Why are you trying to carry the whole world on your back?" Well it didn't all connected until later that night when I realized that President Lincoln was my favorite President and not Jefferson. When Lincoln took the office of The President of the United States, he had no intention of freeing slaves or giving equal rights to black men. Lincoln was an ugly man who was found attractive by his wit. From childhood he was driven to make something of his life, to climb from the poverty of the log cabin he was born in. The thing that no one knows about the 16th president is that he was complex and a depressed man. He was very enjoyable in public but suffered  from prolong sadness and upsessed over matters. What I suffered from in Virginia's car was the fact that I felt useless to God, I felt like I had done nothing with my life. I have realized after tonight that the reason history is repeated is because God proves himself over and over again to men, that no matter what you are he will use you, it's the way he proves he is real. God used Moses whom was a murderer to split waters, turn rods into snakes, and become one of the most revered figures of the Bible. God used discples who were nothing and Paul who hated him. The lord used Washington whom was a poor farmer's son with no college degree to start this country, and used Abe who also had no college degree to fix one the most complex problems between bothers in this country. I'm not trying to call myself Abraham Lincoln but I will say God has prove through this subject I love so much that a man's name nor face, skin color or past, matters, not when he is changing the world because he fills our empty souls and moments of longing with missions of greatness. We should all know the Lord is our sheapard and we shall not want for he maketh us to lie down in green pastures, he knows our wants and desires and has never left us empty even though we feel like it. For if we didn't feel this way there would be no priorty to achieve the greatness set before us, we would be content with where we are in life. God reveals himself through history through repeativeness. On  April 12 1861 when Fort Sumter went down to the Confedrate Army. It's tattered, rip flag was brought to New York and hung from a building as a battle cry much like the flag that was displayed across New York that was from the two towers that fell on 9/11. In 1861 the northern citizens began to wave their flag proudly,just like we did in 2001. Abe's mission was given when he was born but wasn't realized until the war had already began, and wasn't assured until he was re-elected when he wrote, "Malice towards none and Charity towards all!" God didn't make Abe the Great Emancipator but God developed the Great Emancipator and eventually made him the lover of his brothers to the south. So if you feel like you don't have the ability to push humanity forward, or change the world in which we operate, don't worry for the Lord's ability isn't limited to any face and History repeats itself. God Bless You, God bless These United States of America, and may God continue to repeat himself in the history of humanity.  

Win in Auburn Before You Win in Arizona

I feel as if my previous blogs have been a bit gloomy and dramatic so hopefully I can put more of a positive spin on this one and evoke some feelings of hope rather than despair. The other day I was driving back from class as usual and I looked out to my right and I saw a man around the age of 50 with a bulky knee brace on moving at about the speed of muddy water rolling uphill. I have probably seen this gentlemen a total of 100 times in my college career whether it's been at Wal-Mart working at the front door, on College Street climbing a steep side walk slowly, or walking past ACF on Gay Street, I see this guy all the time. Every time I see him I wonder the same thing, why doesn't he just order a ride from a taxi or take any of the offers nice people give to him? It must take him at least two hours to get to Wal-Mart from where ever he lives on Gay Street. Then it occurred to me, maybe it's not about the time to get to where he is going, but maybe it's about the journey. Maybe with every slow limp he encounters on his long walks he intentionally enjoys them. Taking my time is something I'm painfully bad at, while hanging with my great friends Leah and Eric, who will be a beautiful married couple next year, I realized I'm not ready for the life they are about to ensue. I rush into relationships when I find them usually because I know what I want when I find it, but the truth is I may have what I want but I have no idea where I'm going with it. For example, when my parents bought me my first 4-wheeler at the age of nine, I thought from watching all the older kids I knew how to ride my new ATV. In my usual rush I jumped on my machine thinking I knew what I was doing but in the few seconds after my attempt to push the gas as hard as possible I found my self up under my uncles house disconnected from my 4- wheeler. I wanted to go fast but I had no clue what I was doing. Too often in life we overlook where we are and look to the future for our hope, we move-on or move too fast. We've never been a patience people, whether it motivates us to correct the wrongs of slavery or motivates us to kill the savior. When our current situation consumes us we look to our dreams of what our future will be like to save us. When the truth is we don't need to trust in what our future holds when we have a lord who is willing to be our battle axe in our times of war in life. We don't need to huddle under our dreams when we have the lord who is willing to be our shelter in a storm. We need to find refuge in the saviors arms and have the patience to look to the hills for which that's where our help will arrive. I heard Coach Rocker (our Defensive Line coach at Auburn) say, "You have to win in Auburn before you win in Arizona."( where the national championship game is) We have to win the battles of today before we dream of the successes of the future, we must enjoy every step like the gentleman with the knee brace, and we must not rush or we may find ourselves discounted from more than our 4-wheelers. At the end of the day we must Win in Auburn Before You Win in Arizona.

May GOD bless you, May GOD bless these United States and may he bless us all with patience.

Rise Like Paul

As I rode through the mounts and peaks of the mighty Appalachian foothills of Northern Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. I started praying, lord save my soul, please lord save my soul. I wasn't asking the lord to save my soul as in the sense of allow me into heaven, let me walk through your gates and see your face. I was praying that God would save me from the misery that I try to inflict on my soul by believing in the things of this world and finding my hope in this world. This world has done nothing for me beside destroy me and the people I love and the only hope I want to find in this place is the majestic sites written by the hand of God and the moments in which he shines through people and situations. Those moments give me hope, those moment where God energizes me to continue to fight to change this world for him. Moments when, this world denied my good friend a landing place when he had none, as his airplane engine sputtered and went crashing to the Earth, God steadied his hand and allowed Ben Price to avoid killing an interstate full of people and his passengers. When the world strongest Air Force promised my close friend the opportunity to fulfill his dreams to fly for this nation he loves, but he was denied after four years of service to them because of a slight shade of green. His smile that he still wears is why I persist, it's why I continue to seek a way to do something big even though I have failed at my attempts for 23 years and 364 days. It's amazing what a person can do after finding the right reason to do something. It's amazing what Abraham Lincoln wrote in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania because of the dismay he had for the practices of owning another human being. It's amazing the strength Nelson Mandela found in the walls of an iron prison because of apartheid taking place in his country. It's amazing what we continue to do as this world throw blow after blow and we continue to turn cheek after cheek. We must take on life as Paul did, Paul took more beatings than any follower of Christ and he continued to get up time and time again. I believe as the rocks pounded his bones and the rods landed upon his body, Paul saw past this world, he didn't ask why this world did this to him. He persisted because as the packs surrounded him and the dust stirred as they all lined up to take their shots. He saw Jesus in the background, He saw him carrying a cross that ripped his shoulders from it's sockets. He saw Jesus skin being ripped from his bare bones by whips. He saw the savior of the world being hung and eventually giving up life for the love of a world that hated him and continues to beat us. RISE LIKE PAUL continue to fight for what we believe in, for it's not of this world. We are the salt of this place that taste so bad to God but it's edible only because of us! God bless You, God bless these United States of America, and may god continue to bless us as we find hope in him.

Annuit Coeptis

If you have ever met me once then you would know that my so called love language is touching. Whenever I enter a room I usually don’t just say HEY, and sit down. I walk around and give everyone I know a special hand shake and hug the ladies. Last week was no different when I entered ACF’s main student room and hugged a little cute Texan by the name of Andi, then I realized that I had lost my eagle from my necklace. My father gave me this eagle when I was in 4th grade and it’s never left my side since then and I plan on giving it to my son and I hope my son gives it to his son and so on. I could feel the tears come to my eyes as I looked in desperation to find it: upstairs, downstairs and through couches, it’s like I felt my father’s memory slipping away from me as I searched each painful second for it. Those feelings fled as I seen the shine of that eagle charm come from under the couch cushion I had laid on earlier. After this whole scramble I asked myself, if I would have lost that eagle forever, would I have seriously lost all of my memories of my father. Would I had lost the moment I first remember seeing him as my father, would I had lost the vision of him when he would stand in the window and watch me run from end to end pretending to score touchdowns or, the memory of him smiling as I opened Christmas presents. No, those memories aren’t attached to anything physical, those memories can’t rust or pass away as this earth does, those memories will never leave me. For the Lord says in Matthew 7: 24-27 what men build on the foundation of sand will be washed away as the rains descend and the winds burst, but if you build your foundation on the rock of God, on the hope of God, on the strength of God, our foundations shall never shake nor find rust or be destroyed. I remember when people swore the end of America was at hand when President Obama was elected, some even thought that President Bush was leading us to death of our nation. I preached it then and forever more will I continue say that no one person can destroy These United States, No one session of Congress can destroy this nation of immigrants, and nothing can destroy this foundation but US. The founding fathers built a nation among the foundation of God that survives war after war, cowardly attack after cowardly attack, depressions and recessions alike, and natural disasters in any shape or form. If you have a dollar on hand right now flip it over and read the Latin above the pyramid with the all Seeing Eye. It says, “Annuit Coepits.” which means He approves! He approves of what was done many years ago when we named Theses United States as one under him. We need to look deep into our souls as a Christians and ask ourselves what is our hope built in, what is our foundation made of? Is our faith sitting on the beautiful beaches of life that are great until the hurricane spins at the edge of our shores and brings a torrential downpour that leaves us with nothing and no foundation to restart our life. If we build our attention towards God and not towards the desires of this world,and avoid looking towards looks that will turn to wrinkles with time, don’t look towards money for it will rise and fall with interest rates and the crashing of markets, and don’t look at people for we fail each others “Great Expectations”, then we will find the foundation of God . Annuit Coepits, God has chosen and approved us, now let’s choose to make him our foundation and build a spirit that is not afraid and of him, not needing to be braced or supported by things that will rust, wilt to rushing waters, or be toppled by great winds. God Bless You, God Bless These United States of America, and God Bless our foundations made of him.

An accident waiting to happen

 I'm going to address a question I recieve often, and that question is why don't you go to the bars? People ask me this all the time, they say Brodrick I know you don't drink but why won't you just go sit and chat and have a good time. Well let me set the record straight. I've been to the bar before, probably about 3 times and every time I've went I have had to fight a strong temptation. My temptation isn't drinking or feeling up and dancing on some girl. Mine is fighting, I'm extremely protective and if one of my guys danced on the wrong girl, bumped into the wrong person, or even worse if a girl I knew was being messed with by a jerk that couldn't keep his hands to himself. I would punch him in his face so hard that every time he took a deep breath he would smell his butt. Excuse my tone but I had to make my point of how angry I would be! I have admirations and all of those dreams probably can't be accomplished with a police record, to be honest with you I don't even have a speeding ticket to my name (knock on wood). I know I could end up fighting someone about the same thing in another place besides the bar but at the bar your asking for it. You just have a collection of drunk people who aren't thinking clearly and everybody is so packed in together. It's an accident waiting to happen! So go enjoy yourselves peeps, I'll just hang at home and do my thing!


 

Every speech isn't perfect

I do believe that speaking is my gift, but last night when, I gave this speech to the SGA, I didn't kill it. I know when I have the crowd on the edge of their seats and excited about the next words I'm about to utter but I pretty much sucked this one up. #1 reason why is because this message isn't fitted for my audience. I went into to much history that left it dry and left them bored and hanging for most parts.#2 and most important reason, is that I think god is trying to show me that in no way will I be perfect every time I step to that podium. I can't let my sucess at speaking be the reason I am happy during my day because... Every speech isn't perfect!
Here it goes

Hi guys I'm brodrick Thomas as Kirk said... And just like the president of our wonderful institution Dr. Gougue would say..... It's another beautiful day in Auburn Alabama ...and the longer I hang around here that statement tends become more and more true to me....I believe god  to be a artist painting away and making beautiful pieces of art and it seems to
 me that auburn is one of his favorite canvases...he continues to make this place more and more beautiful as the days go by! But I'm not here to state the obvious about auburn's beauty...here to talk about a American coming to the kitchen to prepare breakfast... When making this breakfast their going use a orange orignated from the Mediterranean  a canalope that found it's beginning in eastern Asia, and a watermelon that was born in Africa... A pair of waffles that were created by early scandanavians....they'll probably use syrup derived by Indians from Canada and if they are a Christian most likely they'll sit down to pray over this meal to a Jewish deity. My point is that Nothing about America is orignal besides it's ideas...America has always been diffcult or somewhat a problem.. It was a problem when Christopher Columbus, pilgrams, and immgrants sailed the ocean blue to find it, and they found it even more diffcult to conquer america's vastness when they arrived. Actually America was so difficult that no one ethinc group could conquer her...Native American, European Americans, Asian Americans, African American and others had to all come together to find solutions to problems that they had never been seen before...today we face the same type of problems that have never been seen before and if we want to conquer them as Auburn Men and Women... as representive of this canvas of god. we must do it as one, we must do it as one student body at aubrun, we must do it as one state, as one country and as one with humanity... Cause there is no one person in this room who can solve the problems that this sga group face by themselves ...you must seek each other counsel to move auburn in the right direction, and we must do the same when we leave this place and go into much more bigger problems that awaits us in this world. Last week our football coach took a lot of heat for say that our Clemson win was a, "God Thing." What people don't understand is that he in no way meant for that to mean God loves us  more than Clemson. He meant that this football team faith in God is what connects them to each other. The exact reason when Cam throws a int. Josh Bynes can say I got you man... or why Zach can blow a coverage and Darvin can say don't worry about it were going to drive down and score this time. I'm not saying that y'all have to believe in God to work together but you all need to find something in common to fight for each other..... God bless y'all and god bless this small village on the plains of Alabama. 



    

attempted video blog

(I could not get the links or video to work for this blog so if you want to see what I'm talkling about you probably need to paste the link in your url and go watch it....thanks

While leaning on a fence post of upchurch field in the devil's pitt known as Clay County's rival Lineville. I realized between a hurtful text message and a look at the scoreboard that read my beloved panthers were getting beat by 27 in the 2nd quarter that my last semester of college didn't get off to the start I had wished for, its not just those things that have bothered me but between troubles at home and friends with broken hearts its been impossible to sleep, eat, or have a good day. I love The West Wing, its one of my favorite shows and when I watch a show that I like, I try to live it, I try to become part of it, I kind of make it my own. I think thats why we all read, listen to music , or even watch t.v. because those things take us from our own crazy little worlds and relates with whatever were feeling. So this first video is exactly a depiction of my talks with God when I've prayed to him for peace but bad things comtinue to happen. President Bartlet has just lost a woman that has pretty much been a mentor in his life since he was in grade school to a drunk driver in a car crash and is struggling with why all this bad stuff is happening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FScv89J6rro

If your wondering what he said in Latin at the end. This is it
"Am I to believe that these are the acts of a loving God? A just God? A wise God? To hell with your punishments. I was your servent here on Earth. And I spread your word and I did your work. To hell with your punishments. To hell with you!"
The sad thing is thats exactly what I say to God when I think God has tilted the world against me, I wrote a blog not to long ago called "the steel of the ship". I pretty much said that God didn't care about us at all and just threw us to the wolves for his glory. I still believe a lot of what I said in that blog but I feel like I"m missing a large part of the reasons why God do the things he does...Now watch this last part of the same show after the president's spat in the church (that Woman is Mrs. Landingham she is the President's mentor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48LjON9NW1I

The thing about me is that there is no tougher crtic of myself than myself. Its nothing you can say about me thats true that I haven't said about myself already. When bad things happen I just sit here and judge myself about what I did wrong or why this is happenning. Then when I can't figure it out I turn towards God and I guess that he is punishing me for some reason. When the truth is that he is building me to be stronger, preparing me for a time thats going to be much tougher then the one I'm currently in. Thats the other half that I was missing to the whole God throws us to the wolves thing. Yes he does throw us to the Wolves and it hurts as the teeth of life bite into our skin and and our problems surround us like a wolfpack, but we have to stop saying why me and say what are you trying to say God. Virginia and Dan help me realize last night that in our impossible situations that God is trying to show us something through it, not just to punish us or to gain glory, but actually drawing us closer to him for we can't concive or make it on our own understanding when our world is falling apart around us. Rick Warren says it best," Pain warns you something's wrong. Without it, you'd ignore what needs to be fixed in your life.What needs changing in you?" Maybe the reason I can't sleep isn't because of home, maybe the reason I can't eat isn't because of something that happen to my best friend but maybe the reason that my days are harder is because God is wrestling with me about some problems that I have. I have no clever punch line to place here, or no heart tugging line to pull the emotions of your heart written into a sentence to wow you. I just have realness, brokeness, and sadness and in some way I'll be better after it and you will be too if your going through the same thing

Believe and Submit!

Mattew 14:29-31
29"Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

I play a little guitar and piano, not much but a little. I have no desire to learn past what little I know now because the only reason I desire to play at all is because whenever life becomes to much for me to handle. I like to sit in a chair and play a couple of sweet tunes. I could defintely turn on some John Mayer, The Fray, or Brad Paisley and listen to them do it much better but its nothing like getting lost in the rift of your on strum and touch as your sadness sails on the sound of those 6 strings vibrating and the intermixing of chords from little black and white keys (thats a long sentence). Life is a sea, you start on a shore and venture out into the middle of it, get lost, find the hope of finding your way only to lose track of your destination again and for me during my lost moments I like to past my time by playing music because of its beauty. The most beautiful thing about this sea and getting lost in it is the fact that a wonderful savior comes walking out to us on the surface of it beckoning us to submit to his will. He gives a smile and say COME, do the impossible give up your dreams and everything you thought was right and submit to my will by trusting me through the wind of the sea and the lack of ground under you. The amazing thing is that when we finally leave the boat in the trust of his will we can stand on the impossibleness of nothing and walk but as we get closer you would think that we would believe more but we actually believe less. When we start to believe less we start to sink and Jesus begins to seem farther away than what he really is. So we panic lord don't let me drown in the tides of my disbelief, and he says "Why did you ever doubt?" I have a hard time listening to the Lord, he can make me feel uncomfortable about something but I will not quit at it, maybe because of a lack of faith but more because of what I want. What I want really doesn't mean much when I can only walk across 3ft of ocean compared to his 30 miles but I continue to struggle with this. Sometimes God remove things from us because it hinders our water walking ability or because at the time it slows our water walking ability only to be given right back to us later. The funny thing is that, I don't believe our doubt in God is the problem all the time. I believe it has more to do with the doubt we have in ourselves. Peter's doubt wasn't in Jesus at the time whenever he was starting the descend into the sea, because Jesus was standing on the water before him it wasn't a question of real life like the poor kid under drugs after his dentist appointment on youtube. It was a question of if I can do this? Can I submit to your will and do what your asking me, Can I make it through the next wave of life coming at me, Can I keep my balance against all the wind of people disbelief in what I'm doing for you, CAN I LEAVE THE BOAT! If you are a Christian you have left the boat! You are on water, believe and submit, step over that wave of life, spread your arms wide and hold your balance against that terrible wind, and submit to JESUS belief that he has in you to accomplish your destination. For God has built you to the purpose you are suppose to fulfill, you are specially made for this and I leave you with one of my favorite quotes ever!
Do not pray for easy lives, Pray to be a stronger person, Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, Pray for powers equal to your task, Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle!
The moment you walk on water is no Miracle, but the miracle was created when you were born and set forth on your journey across the sea! God bless you! God bless these United States of America and may God continue to believe in us!

The Dark Room

Alright this blog is going to be all over the place... its going to go on crazy tangents and left turns thats going to seem not to make any sense at all but hopefully by the end it will all make sense, so with that said lets get started! I believe in evloution to a certain point, I believe that God made us and gave us the ability to change and adapt to this ever changing world. I also believe that no matter what any christian say and no matter how educated or righteous they are, they have no clue of who God is or what he is capable of and I believe the same about any scientist. I believe they can draw physics problems on miles of chalk boards and make the most diffcult theroies true but they will never capture a portion of God's mystery and how he's done what he's done since the inception(Great Movie) of Mankind. So this theroy I'm about to run off on is just that! A theroy from a man who barely knows his right from his left and still has troubles with commas and punctuation in his Blogs. My theory starts like this, Why does water boil and heat up? My answer to this question which could be completely wrong is because there are particles in that pot of water that are moving very slow until you heat them up then they begin to move at a incrible pace, while moving at this incrible pace they begin to bump into each causing friction which leads to heat. Something like what we do when we rub our hands together really fast to warm them up or start a fire by rubbing two sticks together. Our sun makes up 99% of the mass of our solar system thats including planets, moons, and all. Its about 875,000 miles across, were talking about fitting 64 million moons in the sun or 1600 Saturns. That big ball in the sky shoot particles at our beloved Earth and warm it up much like my boiling water theroy, not exactly like it but close to it. These particles are really unhealthy and can cause some serious damge to our tender skin, but the beautiful thing about this process is that the Lord provides so many barriers just to where we can enjoy the tingle of the sun on our skin for extended periods of time without pain or side effects. From the 93 million miles that seperate us from our massive star, or a invisible magnetic field that blocks the most harmful particles, to the Earth spherical shape that allows it only to recieve a lot of sun in some areas and not so much in other areas to balance the cooling of the planet. Which leads me to evloution and our lineage, some people lineage is traced from Eastern Europe to far reaches of the Pacific onto the plains of Africa or down into the Latin Continet of South America, but the thing about lineage is that we wear it. We wear it with our last names like Mosbacker, Eguae, Van Pernis, or Schwarzenegger. We wear it with our voice and our accients and especially with our physical features. I've been asked time and time again do I sunburn as a Black Guy, and the truth is I don't. The reason why ties into my belief in God and evloution. We all orginated from the same source, we were all alike at one time I think everyone agrees with that but what happen to make us different? I believe the reason we are so different as far as skin tone is because some people lineage happen to find the top half of the Earth where you don't see as much sun and my lineage, hispanics, middle eastern and other darker human beings lineage found the center of this globe of life where God allowed us to develope a defense mechanism to protect us from our sun particle blasted region. Its why people tell you to wear white on sunny days and not to wear black. Light colors or (white skin) reflect light allowing particles to bounce off your skin particles causing heat, so in other words cooking our lighter friends making them darker, while darker colors or (dark skin) absorb the particles (much like a paper towel soaking up water) stopping them or slowing them to a pace that allows people with darker skin not to get burnt or cooked so fast. Even though this was used and probably only needed many years ago as you see darker people in cooler parts of the world and lighter people in warmer parts of the world our lineage still follows us...but thats it, only lineage. There is no difference between you and me besides these imaginary things that we make up to belong to a group. Like religon or race, but at the end of the day we all belong to one race and thats the Human Race. I have a roomate who is as white as a polar bear but is much more educated in rap music than I and I'm sure I could school him in Country Music. We make departments in our minds and place people into them to use it as an excuse to be too lazy to get to know them or be to shy to peer through our sterotypes. We are one people put on this rocky ball hurling around a gas giant, and we must find hope in each other in order to feel our way through The Dark Room that is our future. Where would Anothny Gulley-Morgan be if a family with lighter skin than he would have left him on the streets when he was younger. I guarantee he wouldn't be recieving a free education playing football for the Tigers of Auburn. So lets not let our Defense Mechanism god blessed us with years ago be used as a judge or allow our lineage to determine our friendships. For how can you love God who you have not seen and hate your fellow man that you walk with every day. John 4:20-21. God Bless you and God Bless these United States of America!

The steel of the ship

People have told me before...not anyone that knows me really well, but they have told me, "Brodrick you have it all together you know what you want to do in life and you love God and your a good person." I usually just say thank you and move forward, because the problems I have are so deeply rooted that I could not begin to describe what's wrong with me. It's time to confess some of them now though, I don't deal with adversity well...if I meet failure I just kind of shut down and I'm not very responsive... I just meet a wall and slump until I can get out of it, and worst of all I usually lose a little faith in God admist those hard times. I won't be very honest about the pain I maybe experencing in that moment either. I don't have a lot of confidence also due to past relationships that have either ended in my partner cheating or just walking away when I thought things were going really well for what I would call no reason. The biggest problem I have is that I wrestle with god and question him way too often with the knowledge I obtain compared to his extensive vast all knowing ability. In other words I refuse to listen him sometimes and when he tells me something I usually ask him, "are you sure God?" How crazy does that question sound? When I'm mad at God our conversations go something like this... why do you allow horrible things to happen to great people and why do you always screw me over and hide from me when I think I've found what I think you want me to do and who you want me to do it with. Notice I said I think a lot in that sentence. The one thing I have discovered though is that I don't matter that much during those prayers because God rarely ever gives me what I'm searching for in those angry talks with him. I think I have developed a little bit of a answer to those questions I have thrown at the heavenly throne all these years after reading Hosea. First thing I want to say is that all men look forward to getting married... Every man does, no matter if they are a slow footed about jumping into the fire or wheather they are scared from a impossible childhood or just has a troubled heart from past relationships. The bottom line is that guys want to find that woman that fits perfectly into his rib cage as if god removed her from him in a reinactment of the first marriage. So when I read Hosea, a incriblely godly man being told by this master who Hosea loves so much that you have to marry a prostitute? Why would you do that to him... Why would you put him in the awful pain of sitting at home alone knowing that the woman meant for him is being tossed from man to man. All while Hosea is at home taking care of their kids and they are looking at him and asking where is momie! Then during the whole story God rarely talks about Hosea, his feelings and what he is going through... It's like Hosea doesn't even matter. Right there, after I finished that sentence it occured to me that we don't matter! That's why bad things happen to great people. God's glory must be met and he needs people who are open vessals that he can pour into and empty out to meet his glory! Hosea relationship with his wife Gomer was a dipiction used by God to show Iseral a sign, to fear what they had done to it's faithful husband (God) but a future of mercey if they want to come home where they belong. If you truely think about it we always win in these situations because Hosea's wife came home to stay, Job life was restored, and Jesus conquered the grave! So the truth is god puts athletes on the field, strecth them to their limits and even hurt them for the good of team Christianty to keep this incrible tradtion going. The reason God choose the best people to do this is because they are usually the only ones that continues to believe in him all the way to the bitter end of pain to be exhalted on the wings of eagles. Just like a stressed, and currently unpopular president said Tuesday night from his desk about American Troops. " Our troops are the steal in our ship of state and though we maybe traveling through rough waters, they give us confidence that our course is true and beyond the pre-dawn darkness, better days lie ahead." Hosea, Job, Paul, Jesus ...All are apart of the stern, hull, and outer edges of this ship of christianty that god continues to steer through the choppy waters of creation and we are just as much apart of it. As wave after wave beat its exterior. So you've heard be a vessal for god but today i'm asking myself and you to be the steel of the ship that continues to right the wrong that this much bigger ocean creates. God bless you... God bless these United States of America and may god continue to impose his painful yet satisfying will on us!                       

What I wrote right before the ASU vs Aub game

War eagle? I can't exclaim how many times a person has asked me.... What is war eagle .... Is it two mascots, are ya'll War Eagles...is it a chant or what is it? To me war eagle is a moment, a god given moment forget about all the lengends of how we got the battle cry it's more than that to me... Its a moment in 1967 when  shug jordan was recruiting a talented quaterback who choice of school came down to Alabama and Auburn. Coach Jordan convinced this player to go with him to a ball game at legion field ...only to have his car break down on the way....on the walk towards the stadium a convoy passes by with sirens screaming and a detail security force and the player ask "who is that coach?" Coach Jordan said, "That's Coach Bryant and you can either ride with him or walk with me" from that MOMENT on Heisman trophy winner Pat Sullivan knew he would play for the Auburn! War Eagle is unexplainable MOMENTS that aren't very factual... it's an intangiable feeling...it's not I got a bigger stadium than you, it's a roar that shakes the ground you stand on and sings war eagle to you from a choir of 87,451...for you could put 200,000 in a stadium and it would not equal the feel of a chant being echoed as a beauitful golden eagle lands on a symbol iconic to auburn men and women. War Eagle is a great MOMENT in which a Pat Dye football team sat dejected after a lost to a much better Georgia team and as Coach Dye reached for words to say a roar from outside the locker room interupted him with yells that said "it's great to be an Auburn Tiger" I know of no better place I could wanna be...I know of no other team I would rather pull for, I know of no other saying I would rather believe, or of any other moment I would want to feel... As i stand on top of the scoreboard now and take on one of my last MOMENTS i would like to say,war eagle to you and yours, god bless you, god bless these united states, and god bless war eagle moments happening to evreyone in this stadium as this sentence ends!

Winners never Quit and Quitters Never Discover America

"My destiny is assured. I have a decided heart. I am passionate about my vision for the future."

My favorite book in the entire world is Andy Andrews' The Travelers Gift. The above line is from a ambitious Captian in the book who set sell for a land that was believed impossible to find. This Captian was doubted and ridculed and even exclaimed to be dangerous for a faith and a desire to change the world, and Cristobal Colon better known as Christopher Columbus continued onward anyway. His ambition to move forward against other peoples' will is not even the point of this quote. When the main character of the book ( who journeys through time visiting famous world changers at their significant point of changing the world) visits Columbus, his ship is in dissray as the crew is trying to convince him to turn back and threatens to toss him overboard as rations become less and less. As the main character watches this he ask Columbus, "How can you continue onwad after failing to reach land hour after hour, day after day, and month after month?" "My destiny is assured....I have a decided heart...I am passionate about my vision for the future." Columbus stated. The thing about me is that GOD has given me a heart that is so passionate and so intent on doing good will in his name or chasing after things that i feel he is calling me to seek that I burn out whenever I face adversity. No matter what it is if I fail to reach it, I usually quit and walk way and stay depressed about it afterwards, but thats not the action of someone who has a decided heart! Moses led a stubborn people through wilderness after wilderness but never quit after failing to reach the promise land year after year, God continues to chase a stubborn people day after day even though they continue to flee from him at this present moment. Where would we be if he decided to quit on us centuries ago, when our fore father and mother bit an apple, what if he would have quit when they beat his flesh and blood on a cross, or where would be if he decided to turn his back on us now. God has given us passions and he has given them to us for reasons beyond our understanding. It could be finding a America, finding the first degree in your family, or finding that special someone. For Friday night I was ready to quit a passion that awaits me, but today if you are reading this know that I'm not quitting on you and take all the time you need for I have a decided heart, and a vision of a beautiful future that could eventually change but not anytime soon! Because Winners never Quit and Quitters never Discover America....because they give up when the tide is high and the food rations are low, but I refuse to give up anymore because I was told at one time that anything worth having, is really worth fighting for! God Bless You, God Bless These United States of America and God Bless us with Decided Hearts FOR Him and His will!

Fight and Touch

This is my desire...comsume me like a fire...cause all I want.... is something beautiful to touch me ....I know that I'm in reach cause I'm down on my knees waiting on.... something beautiful.
-NeedtoBreath
When I hear this song my mind immediately falls into a scene full of people crowded in a town square waiting for a glimpse of this proclaimed son of man to appear. When this son of man finally arrives and makes his way through the crowd, all spectators fight and jockey for position to recieve a miracle or just to see what he looks like. Little do all those spectators know that there is a woman who stands in the back, stricken with a disease that she can't bare to withstand any longer and she knows if she can just touch his robe that she may just find a change that breaks the chains of diease that has conquered her life for its existance. With all the faith within her body she crawls and with each yard she covers, she see a day that she can be happy, with each foot that she gets closer she see no more sleepless nights in her future and within the inch of touching his Garment she see's something beautiful!
Too often were within reach of what we want and the miracle we need but we refuse to fight, and we choose to fear. Too often we ignore what a polo stricken president told us as he rose to address a nation in fear of another world war at hand. He said, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself!" For the only thing we should fear in this life is the fact that we do fear for we shouldn't! The reason being, on that day in that town square Jesus didn't heal that woman, her faith in him did and if we have faith then there is no fear for the two can not and will not coincide! God is unchanging, even today in this life right now if we look to the sky and pray to a this great God for a miracle it won't happen unless we believe that he can do it. My Aunt Karen Chandler knows because what she waited on happened, when that doctor walked in and said I can't find a spot of Lupus in your body. She didn't get there by wishing but her faith reached and touched. God has just blessed me with something I've waited so long for but I'm fearful right now of what this world has to say about what I have recieved but through Aunt Karen's faith and that hemorrhaging woman from Capernaum, today and here on out I'm no longer fearful because what they say matters not! Because words are invisible and takes no root in a mortal man's heart unless he allow them and has no effect on a God who don't hear those words unless a tangible action is attached to them. Like a woman who I can't mention enough, who didn't just wish to get through a thick crowd only to touch the hem of a robe, but a woman who said to the Lord, I need this and even if I get crushed under the crowd I will come within reach and touch you! Do not shame at what they say as you crawl, do not fear the thickness of the crowd, do not coward at the impossible situation but fight and touch what is waiting for you....god bless you and god bless these United States of America!

Where Two or More Stand

And we know that GOD causes everything to work together for the good of those who love GOD and are called according to his purpose for them. -Romans 8:28
This topic was chosen by my great friend Virginia Belt, who asked me to write about this in relation to community. So here it goes VB!
To me this verse is tied back to what I mention in my past blog, when I said, "I think that God has created this vast world and has scattered knowledge too and fro and in order to solve our problems we must piece together what we know in order to defeat chanllege after chanllege." This world is in trouble and is always in constant commotion, at times it seems to be completely burning down aound us. This generation has already seen a earthquake shake Chilie so hard that it has slowed the Earth's rotation, we have seen a tropical storm sink a hole in Guatemala thats 200 feet deep, we have seen a flood cover a 5th of Pakistan land and Haiti emplode on itself after the Earth shook up under it. The beautiful thing is that everything is working for the best. We stand in amazement as GOD shows us that we can stand on the edge of a hole and peer 200 ft into the world, he slowed the Earth with one quake, and then think of all the people who believe in America and Our God after we have rushed to dig through the crumbles of their life in Chilie and Haiti and have rescued them from rushing waters in Pakistan. This world is one big community, in which ever person matters. A freshman in Auburn know relatively little about Jesus, when someone gives them a blow pop on campus and tells them they have a free food at a Chrisitian minstry right down the road. That Freshman goes to grab a bite to eat meets a friend or two and now attends a bible study just to hang out with their new friends, where they hear a great sermon and decides to give their life fully to GOD. Only later to decide that they want to go to Haiti, Chilie, or anywhere to serve someone who is less fortunate. Thats the defintion of Community, everybody working equally for the Good of God, for God works through us for his good. The world is in bad shape, she's old and coming off her axis, but its the community of Generation after Generation that continues to push her forward. When Moses died Josh and Caleb dragged onward, when Jesus died the disciples pushed forward, when Bendict Arnold betrayed his country Nathanel Greene and Geroge Washington fought harder, when we meet land in Central America, Americans and Panamanians digged unitil they met the Pacific, and when 10 missonaries were excuted by the Taliban for bring medicine and God's word to the people of Afghanstan, American Soldiers spilled their blood justly. Let not our heart be trouble of the darkness that lay before us because as long as we are a Community all things will work for the Good, because this is our Gerneration and Our Chance, Let us Stand as one for it says where two or more stand in accordance God is also there! God Bless you... GOD Bless our Generation....and GOD Bless Theses Great States Of America!

My Firm Grip

Genesis 32:24-32

All my life all I ever wanted to do is something big, I've just always wanted to expand my boundries beyond what my little hometown,state, and country could hold. I've dreamed the biggest dreams that a mind could withstand, and the pressure of those large wishes have torn and ripped at my soul as the years have went by and I feel as if I haven't completed any of those admirations. One of my biggest fears is that I'll reach my elder age and look back and realize I have done nothing, which I would consider a large failure and I've never took losing well in my life, but today I sat and thought about my life and it's shortcomings. I thought about the 7 year old kid that dropped back in the pocket with his ole football. Who threw towards his moma's bush on the far end of the yard and when he finally hit the bush he would jump up and down pretending that his best friend Jacob caught the winning touchdown pass to bring home the state trophy for his beloved Bibb Graves Bulldogs. In which he would eventually watch those dreams fall short while playing for another school and losing in triple overtime to a team that he had help beat 47-6 during the season. Then I thought of how he had watched the Tigers of Auburn and wished to play for them so often when he was young. Only to get the opportunity to play and watch that dream fall apart due to his lack of ability to do well on standardize test. Then I went on further to remember Major Lightfoot sitting directly across from him with tears in his eyes as he told him, "Mr. Thomas you tried to late and the other cadets are way out in front of you." as his dream of making the coveted NASA astronaut program met its end in Air Force building that day. Then I thought about other people, like my mother who lost her best friend and lover 13 years ago, and how she has woken every mourning to an empty pillow knowing that the most perfect person for her no longer lived. Then I thought about one of my closest friends who just watched who he thought was the love of his life and his precious baby girl walk away just because the mother of his child thinks she's too young to settle down. As tears fill my eyes now, they make me know that my selfish failures mean nothing, I shall overcome the lack of my self called achievements in my life right now and wrestle this world that continues to break my heart and the people I love hearts. I shall graps like Jacob did as that angel slung him left to right and right to left and crushed his bones, and just like Jacob my spirit shall not succumb because when this life ends all that will remain is not what I accomplished but the good fight and the faith that I have in a savior who was hung by the hate that this world had for him. So let the winds of uncertianty come, let waters rise, let fire fall and burn all that it will, I shall not be stop for my firm grip is not of this world but comes from the power the savior has given me and I shall suceed at whatever he has predestined for me to be! God Bless those with Broken Hearts, God bless You and God Bless These United States of America.

Break Down The Walls

Last night we were all sitting around at my christian ministry( Auburn Christian Fellowship) and one of my friends turns towards me knowing that I have an unbelieveable passion that was sown in my heart 10 years ago. When I looked over into an eye piece and saw the craters of the moon and later the Venusian clouds, a marriage was formed between me and space explorartion and my friend says, "As a Christian why don't you think we should focus all our attention towards Africa and feeding the poor and making crops that can grow through drought instead of trying to go to the Moon and Mars." So I replied, Cause Man came out the cave and looked over the hill and discovered fire that kept them warm, cause pilgrams jumped on a boat crossed an ocean and found a land that gives more than any nation that has ever exisited, cause those piligrams took west and allowed for that giving nation to grow and create trains that deliver food to the masses and airplanes that take missionaries to the front lines, cause those piligrams motivated us to take to the sky, in which we found plastics that keeps those food products that christians send to the less fortunate from spoiling. It's a good thing I had a predetermine answer for that question, because I don't think I could have came up with that within the moment. Too often we shrink God and believe that he thinks like us but the truth is he overt thinks us to achieve his glory. What does India and Neil Armstrong have in common? When Neil was on his way to the moon he need a new age filter to provide him with water. There are countless people in India that drink of clean water from their polluted rivers because of American ambition. Only a god as big as ours could foresee what he saw and intermix a man's passion with thirsty lips in the Eastern portion of the world. The solutions that we search for here on the Earth can't be solved in the same enviorment in which that were created. We can't sit in the cave and pray for heat,We must step out of the shadows and peer over the hill to find Fire! We shouldn't walk to the Atlantic costline and say I hope to find a land of religious Tolerance, We should faithful sail towards it! We shouldn't let the great rivers of life seperate us from the other bank, we should cross it and pioneer the West! We shouldn't stop at the Moon because what lies between us and Mars may save lives! Maybe it'll be a crop that can grow with less water than used before, a shelter that can within stand the strongest winds of a Hurricane, or hold back the floods of a Typhoon, there may lie the next great medical invention, a cure for cancer, a cure for diabetes, and Aids, for Apollo gave us the CAT scanner that discovers cancerous cells. It's so much to be discovered and we hold so little knowledge of it and the only way it may be found is by leaving the safety of Earth, venturing farther than we have before all in the name of FAITH. For being satisfied with what we have discovered compared to what is still out there, is like sticking a cup in the ocean and saying I have all of the ocean within my hand! Ladies and Gentlemen the cave has been left, the ocean has been conquered, the west has been settled and the glass ceiling has been punctured and the moon has been touched.Let us continue to break the walls down!

May GOD Bless you and May GOD Bless these Great States of America!

My Burning Bush

So this is the speech that I walked way from saying....the lord has called me to do this, so I call it (drum roll) MY BURNING BUSH....It was amazing, when I finished with the last word it was this silence among the applause and I lost where I was for a moment until I look over and found my mother with tears in her eyes and my sister fighting them back and then Speaker Hammett touched me on the back to shake my hand and as my good friends Kari and Virigina would say "The Rest is History." So I'll set the mood for you... The speech took place in Montgomery on the 12th floor of the RSA building,one the nicest buildings that overlook the entire city. Every student body president from every university in the state of Alabama are placed within the room, my mother and my sister are wishing me on sitting slightly to my left. In between is every major political player you can think of from lobbiest, to House members, to Senators and slightly to my right is the 12 year Speaker of the House of Alabama: Seth Hammett. He was being celebrated by the Higher Education initiative for the speaker's efforts to bring our education up to what it should be. Therefore thats why I was there, to speak of why I valued my education at Auburn University.After taken all this in i looked directly at the camaras in front of me among the claps I say:

the .... are pauses in my speech so I can remember to break.


Thank you… Thank you…. for your generous applause ….It’s a pleasure to be here…
I was going to start out with a joke about Alabama….but its not much you can say about someone who places their National Championship trophy in Wal-Mart.

Actually tonight I want to be serious with you all about this world and how its changing… Tonight someone will turn on their T.V. and watch in fear as increasing threats continue to hurt our way of life…. They will watch our natural resources grow shorter. They will watch evil plots be planned against this beautiful land because of our love of freedom. And they will also watch our economy and unemployment rates spin out of control….But tonight I stand before you as a Representative of future Auburn Graduates. That in courage will raise our hands in hope that fate will call on us and allow us to guide the ship out of troubled waters…. For we have been blessed with a creed that has given us the ability to do this. And if me and my fellow classmates are faithful to Auburn and this creed then we will do exactly what our beautiful Alma Mater demands of us when we sing it….“To work for thy just fame, and hold as we do now Auburn’s cherished name.” And tonight I want to stand as a witness to tell you all, how this creed has changed my life.

The Creed Starts with: “I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.”

There was once a young man from the mean streets of Bessemer Al…Who’s mother had to do all but hold him at gun point to keep his head on straight….Because she seen something special within him. He attended Auburn University and learned that this is a practical world and if he provides the work…..Then he can obtain what he earns….
Bo Jackson won the 1985 Heisman Trophy due to his hard work. And he inspired me to believe in my work. And understand when my mom and sister had the gun to my back.
That they just wanted me to know that this is a practical world and all I have is what I earn….

The next line of the creed is:

I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

There was once a young girl….who was wowed by Auburn University at a young age.
And dreamed of coming to school here to gain knowledge to train her hands and her mind to work skillfully….She became involved in as many as ten organizations at Auburn University. Including becoming the SGA student body president all while having a 3.95 GPA. ….Lauren Hayes won a prestigious Rotary Scholarship to attend any historic school within the UK, and inspires me to value my education, which can take me farther in life than the small backyard that I wished to escape from when I was young….. to the far reaches of the world that I never dreamed I would see.

Within the next line the Creed says:
I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

There was once a young accounting student at Auburn. Who made an honest mistake in a project that led the professor to believe that someone had cheated within the group. And the professor was ready to give all the students in the group a zero….but Todd Burlieson went against the chance of being reported to the Academic Advisory board….and admitted his honest mistake …..And earned the respect of his fellow classmates and his professor who instead rewarded him with full credit for his honesty….Todd has pushed me to be honest as I can possibly be, I met him when I was a young Freshman and now our relationship has grown into accountability partners. Who check on each other daily to make sure we both face the mistakes in life with honesty. So I can earn the respect of my fellow man.

This document holds this great belief:

I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities.
Last year was a unusual year for our football team….We lost a coach that meant so much to us… but Athletic Director Jay Jacobs stood tall with a spirit that was unafraid and a sound mind that believed that… Gene Chizik could lead our football team like an Auburn man should….. And now Coach Chizik is the only 1st year Auburn football coach to lead the Tigers to a January bowl game. Him and his underrated coaches have put together the current number 4 recruiting class and has a shot at not only the best in school history ….but also the number 1 recruiting class in the nation

Working for Auburn University football team has been one of the greatest pleasures in my life ….and every day I am inspired by their fearless courage to withstand the questions after a disappointing loss….And their clean sports that they display every day and in every game…. And the soundness of Mr. Jacob’s mind to believe in what he stands for…. when everybody else doubts you.

The next line goes something like this:

I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.

As I sleep within the comfort of my bed every Tuesday and Thursday mourning….
My roommate Jordan Wall wakes up to report for his Air Force Physical Training class…
In hope to be one of the many officers Auburn University commission to the battle field. To protect the great law of this land and to protect the rights of others from the greedy who tries to seize it….that’s true service within higher education….I believed for a semester that I could honor America with my service as I attempted to become a member of Auburn University Air Force ROTC….Only to find that I wasn’t cut out for service on the battle fields for America …..but I found success in that failure… a success….. That says I can serve my country through my education and upholding and strictly following the laws of this beautiful land, laid before me by the past hero’s that died for those very laws….

The heart of Auburn Men and Women show in these next lines:

I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

There was once a young rough man from Georgia…..Who played Defensive Back for the great Pat Dye at Auburn….He cared nothing for his teammates nor anyone else ….until Coach Dye removed him from the football team and took away all he had accomplished in his life…. That night Chette Williams got on his knees with his roommate….Who was the only person who had sympathy for him….And through that sympathy Chette Williams gave his life to God….And cultivates health spiritual lives in our athletes till this day with the same human touch that led him to God….And Chette has been an important part of my life… As he has spiritually guided my life just as he would for a star running back or Quarterback….He poured into my life story to make sure I have strength in the walls of my character.

And this next paragraph is as beautiful as any words every written:

I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."

There was once a young man from Covington, Alabama ….Who loved his country so much that he was willing to dedicate his life to the service of it….by doing it justly and giving his loving mercy to it….Seth Hammett dedicated his life to the U.S. Air Force….And now he dedicates it to the citizens of Alabama as the Speaker of the House….Speaker Hammett has showed me how to truly represent something and how to serve it justly….

In the not so distance future ….I will stand before my future employer with this creed locked in my heart so tightly that it has become part of my DNA….And I will look him or her in the eye and tell them this …That numerical ink after the words GPA is only a small portion of my experience on the plains of Auburn…probably because its not the highest GPA haha…But more because I have not only been educated in knowledge, but I have been educated in love for my community, I have been educated in love for my community, I have been educated in a bravery that’s not so common, Educated to have a spirit that is not afraid of the dark world that awaits, And that I can face the harsh winds of life and not sway nor stagger because….. I’ve been educated at Auburn

Auburn has believed in me

And Auburn has loved Me
That’s why I believe in Auburn and Love It



I