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.