Life with Reverend Gains: Recent Episodes
Marcus "Reverend Gains" Pernell
Youth Pastor. Fitness Enthusiast. Yogi. Lover of people and life itself.
As I’m sure we all know and are aware of, life is such an intricate web filled with a number of things. Between asking God questions, seeking answers, being challenged to look at matters differently, and even coming face-to-face with ourselves, God has beautifully woven you and me into this web called life. It’s my hope that we can journey alongside one another in my personal endeavors, “Life with Reverend Gains”.
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"Make space to sit with yourself and whatever is going on in your life."
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I will preface this post in saying that I am preaching to myself and acknowledging the log in my own here.
If you're looking at this segment's title, this week's Marcus's Monday "Motivational" is going to seem less than motivating because something needs to be said about how we as people will complain about any and everything, point fingers at any and everyone else except ourselves in terms of ownership and accountability for our own actions, and how we’ll never be fully satisfied with who and what we have.
This segment is brutally honest and explicit.
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Deal with your trauma, or your trauma will deal with you.
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If I'm being honest with myself, I've not been myself for over three months now. Much of this is due to having my voice suppressed over naming genuine cares and concerns of mine. Despite this, what I'd like to encourage you to do, as I'm encouraging myself to do is the following: Don't be afraid to use your voice.
“You have to keep going.”
This statement has been on repeat in my mind for a while because of where I’m at mentally and emotionally, which is what I dive into with this week's MMM. This segment is also explicit because of how honest and raw it is.
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"Excuses are the easy way out."
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We will never fully know or understand what someone else is experiencing.
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Allow things to happen naturally instead of forcing them into existence.
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"It's OK to make yourself a priority."
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"No one is immune to the human experience."
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"Where in your life do you need to be honest with yourself?"
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"You can tackle the challenges that you encounter."
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"If you're going to preach something, then practice it yourself."
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"How are we making space for the voices of others?"
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"Sometimes you have to be your own cheerleader."
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As we kick off a new year, I wonder what you're being invited into being, doing, and considering. I also wonder how the new year's inviting you to dive into the "deep end" of life.
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Put in the work. If you're really wanting to make a change in your life, then you have to put in the work- plain and simple.
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This recent semester invited me to both ponder and reconcile what it not only means for me becoming a Black, male counselor, but also what it means for me to be a Black man in modern-day America. While this is, and will be, an ongoing discernment process, I found myself asking several questions which this segment centers around. This segment also contains explicit language.
"Context is always key."
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Have a question, comment, or concern about my podcast? Have a prayer request or something on your mind that you'd like to share with me? Email me at askrevgains@gmail.com.
"It's OK to give yourself permission to take a break."
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Have a question, comment, or concern about my podcast? Have a prayer request or something on your mind that you'd like to share with me? Email me at askrevgains@gmail.com.
Where in your life could you use a gentle reminder that it’s going to be OK?
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Instead of forcing things to happen, allow them to happenorganically.
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“In times of adversity and change, we really discover who we are and what we’re made of.”
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Give yourself permission to lean into whatever you’re experiencing.
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"Be a student and allow others to be your teacher."
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Join our Old School RuneScape Discord community, Apple Slices, here: discord.gg/appleslices
I wonder what it would be like to let the following mantra find a home in your life: “I have the capability and capacity to do difficult,challenging things.”
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Be productive and constructive with your frustrations.
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Where are you in need of learning to relax?
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Open yourself to a new adventure.
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Why settle for less when you can be and do so much more?
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For this week’s MMM, I’d like to invite you to consider reflecting on the following statement regarding control: A desire for control points to something deeper.
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In this segment of 'Lessons From Ministry,' I'll be reflecting on learning about active listening during my seminary training, as well as the need to constantly relearn what it means to actively listen with others.
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Former French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, once said the following about commitment: Commitment is an act, not a word. I wonder what this means for you and the commitments you've made and are perhaps making.
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In this segment of 'Lessons From Ministry,' I'll be exploring this all-encompassing question of, "What do you stand for?" through the lens of my own life and upbringing.
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“You can experience growth by receiving genuine criticism on how to improve and get better.”
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In this segment of Lessons From Ministry, I'll be reflecting on several instances of being my own worst critic during my time as a youth pastor and the need for giving ourselves grace.
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"We all have our little illusions about our own mental abilities." - Cornelia Otis Skinner
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In this segment of "Lessons From Ministry," I'll be describing my experience with "Joe" and the idea that we aren't a messiah like Jesus Christ to those we serve.
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“Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity.” – Bruce Lee
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In this first lesson of Lessons From Ministry, I'll be asking the question, "What is your 'Why'?" I'll also be sharing my three, major pillars for my 'Why' as well.
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As we kick off my new mini-series, "Lessons From Ministry," I'd like to invite you to take a moment to listen to what the series is about.
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Frederick Douglass once said, "If there's no struggle, there's no progress." I wonder what this quote means for us- collectively and individually.
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We don't have to be available to everyone and everything.
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“If you want to get through your ‘stuff,’ then you have to go through it.”
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"I smiled, so I know I'm going to be OK."
I wonder where you could use this subtle, gentle reminder in your life right now.
Maybe it's just me, but dating in today's world is complicated and draining in some instances. In this segment, I'll be sharing some of my dating experience and three questions that I've asked myself to navigate the complications of the dating world.
"Our reaction to others teaches us about ourselves." - Susanna Harwood Rubin, Yoga 365.
We're all works in progress. How will we allow this reality to guide us today? How will you allow this reality to guide you today?
“It is not death that [one] should fear, but [they] should fear never beginning to live.” - Marcus Aurelius
"We can't control the wind, but we can direct the sail."
Where in your life do you try to control the wind? Where are you in need of (re)directing your sail?
If we aren’t going to do [insert thing here] now, then when will we actually do it? We all know what “that thing” is we want to do or start on- your big home project, going to the gym, replacing bad habits with good ones, that one (audio)book- you get the idea. The real question is, when are we going to start it?
"Let love be your default."
How is loving God- the Divine- your default?
How is loving your neighbor your default?
How is loving yourself your default?
As I’m sure we all know, personal change isn’t an overnight thing. It’s a process that ebbs and flows. It’s difficult and challenging. It calls us to address areas of our lives that we might be overlooking or ignoring for some reason. Above all else, change calls for intentionality, which is what I’d like to invite you to sit with this week.
“Being human means having doubts and yet still continuing on your path.” - Paulo Coelho
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Dating back to June 29th, 2022, "The Obstacle is the Way" is a Wednesday evening Bible study that I led at First Baptist Church on Saint Clair.
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Mindfulness instructor, Tamara Levitt, once said, “It’s in the absence of wanting that we find peace.” I wonder what this means, or could mean, for your life right now.
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Not only would I like to invite you to consider the following questions, but more importantly choosing to do something with them.
What does Martin Luther King Jr. Day mean for you- right here, right now?
How are we working toward MLK Jr.’s dream that he envisions all of humanity encompassing?
Today's a good day to work on yourself.
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2022 has been a year of transitions. As we head into 2023, I'd like to invite you to consider reflecting on the following questions:
What transitions have you experienced throughout 2022?
What could these transitions be pointing your attention toward heading into 2023? In other words, who and/or what are these transitions inviting you to be and do?
Joy doesn’t simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. - Henri Nouwen
“Take care of your inner, spiritual beauty. That will reflect in your face.” - Dolores del Rio
If it doesn’t nourish your soul, then get rid of it.
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There have been multiple occasions where I've wondered why we as a society desire wanting and doing more. While I don't necessarily think this is a bad or unhealthy thing, I do think it's good to consider- and maybe remember- that more doesn't always equal better, which is the focus of this week's segment.
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” - Michael Jordan
“Strength doesn’t come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” - Mahatma Gandhi
I’d like to consider this week’s MMM to be a prayer, blessing, and challenge- you can take your pick on what it’ll be. Be a force for good.
You might be hung up on a past regret. You might be getting over a breakup. You might have failed with that goal or deadline you didn’t meet. I don’t know what you’re currently experiencing, but can I encourage and challenge you to keep moving forward?
As a Black man who’s offering a reflection on occupying White space and inclusion of all people, let me answer the following questions.
Am I going to attempt to stir up something like White guilt or shame? No.
Am I going to attempt to do something like “race-baiting”? No.
Am I going to attempt to make you feel sorry or sympathetic toward me? No.
Am I going to attempt to make you reflect on the space that you occupy and how you treat and perceive others in the same space? Yes.
Have you ever considered whether you're too connected and tethered to your devices/screens and social media? Have you ever considered your "Why" toward being connected and tethered in the first place?
In this brief segment, I offer some personal reflections toward these questions, and several others, which I'd like to invite you reflect upon.
This segment doesn't do enough justice to the discussion around mental health, but there's two things I'd like to encourage you to sit with:
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Is your mental health a priority?
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What are you doing to care for your mental health?
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“The moment you understand the importance of loving yourself, you will stop hurting others.” - Thích Nhất Hạnh
Why do we care so much about what’s going on in others’ lives that we ignore what’s happening in our own?
“Patience is one of God’s graces that we should embrace with both arms.” - Jason Wilson, Cry Like a Man
In this segment of 'Conversations,' I sit down with Jill Baker to discuss her non-profit adoption agency, "Promise Kids a Future," in Georgetown, KY. As the agency's executive director, Jill has two adoption programs in Africa- specifically in Uganda and Malawi. In Jill's own words, her passion is to "help you be united with a child that is in need of a loving home."
To get more information on Promise Kids a Future, as well as how you can get involved with the agency, you can visit the links below.
Website: https://promisekidsafuture.org/
Email: info@promisekidsafuture.org
Facebook: Promise Kids a Future
Instagram: @promisekidsafuture
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” - Lewis B. Smedes
It’s good to check-in with folks because we don’t know the full scope of what they’re experiencing.
In this segment of On My Mind, I offer some reflections on the human condition in light of "The Slap" between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscar's this past weekend.
For this last week of Meditative March, we'll be reflecting on the issue of control and where in our lives we try to maintain a sense of control.
Dylan Cornett is the owner of the gym, Fisticuffs, here in Georgetown, KY. In this segment of 'Conversations,' Dylan and I discuss how Fisticuffs started, his approach to coaching, his outlooks on life, and what fitness means to him.
Find out more about Fisticuffs below:
Website: https://www.fisticuffsgeorgetown.com/
Email: fisticuffs.georgetown@gmail.com
Facebook: Fisticuffs - Georgetown
Instagram: @fisticuffs_georgetown
Listen to Dylan's suggested podcast episodes:
Jocko Podcast #12: https://bit.ly/3IDEoTt
Joe Rogan Experience #1691: https://spoti.fi/3iEhh0x
For this week's Learn, Live, Laugh segment, we'll be briefly reflecting on the concept of being grounded.
In this segment of On My Mind, I offer some reflections on combating toxic masculinity.
For the month of March, our Learn, Live, Laugh theme is Meditative March where, as you could expect, we’ll focus on the slower, more meditative side of the Christian faith. This week we'll be reflecting on the importance of disconnecting and hitting 'do not disturb'.
In the midst of our daily lives, schedules, and busyness, at what point will/do we slow down and allow our hearts to catch up with ourselves?
For the month of March, our Learn, Live, Laugh theme is Meditative March where, as you could expect, we’ll focus on the slower, more meditative side of the Christian faith. Speaking of “slower,” this week we’ll be reflecting on the concept of “slowness” and the place it has in our lives.
In this segment of On My Mind, I offer some personal reflections on what I believe is the hard, heart work within the Lenten season.
In my first 'Conversations' segment, I sit down with the founder of Justin Fox Media, Justin Fox, to discuss his satirical game 'Black Simulator'. Fox not only dives into how the game brings attention to life in the Black community, but also how he wants to provide perspective toward being a Black man in today's times without submitting to the narrative of what he calls being "tragically black". He also discusses his other creative projects, including his upcoming JPRG game, "Re-Elise".
You can check out Justin Fox Media by visiting the links below!
Website: https://www.justinfoxmedia.com/home
Instagram: @justinfoxmedia
Buy "Black Simulator" on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/811110/BlackSimulator/
For this last week of Friends of February, we’ll be looking at Walter Rauschenbusch and his ideas toward Christian ethics and social justice.
In this segment of On My Mind, I dive into what I've been doing to reconcile my current season of singleness. While this segment's primarily geared toward those who are single and have that desire to be with a partner, there's still something here for any and everyone to consider doing.
For this week's edition of Learn, Live, Laugh, we'll be exploring German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and his concepts toward discipleship.
“Are you willing to sprint when the distance is unknown?” - Georgia Tech strength and conditioning coach, Lewis Caralla
Known as the founder of black liberation theology, Professor James H. Cone was the Bill and Judith Moyers Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology at Union Theological Seminary. He was also an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Some of his most well-known works include The Cross and the Lynching Tree (2012), God of the Oppressed (1975), A Black Theology of Liberation (1970), and perhaps what his most groundbreaking work, Black Theology & Black Power (1969).
In this week's edition of Learn, Live, Laugh, I invite us to consider two different thoughts:
1) Consider the place of liberation theology in your own life. In what ways could you see Christ advocating for those considered poor and oppressed in our current times?
2) In a likewise manner, consider the ways in which you might see the Church (universal church) suppress and oppress others.
Talk with your emotions and choose to do something with them versus dwelling upon them.
Ever since my heart attack last year, death is something I think about more often. More specifically, I think about my own death on a semi-regular basis. In this segment of On My Mind, I offer some thoughts to the following question: Why think about dying when you're alive?
Born in 1820 in rural south-east New York, Fanny Crosby is incredibly well-known for being a prolific hymnist who wrote more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs, including Blessed Assurance, All the Way My Saviour Leads Me, Praise Him, Praise Him, To God Be the Glory, and Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross. What’s even more prolific is the fact that she wrote hymns and songs while being blind after losing her sight to an eye infection and medical ignorance at six weeks old.
In this week's edition of Learn, Live, Laugh, I invite to consider the two following questions:
1) What place does hymnody have in your life?
2) How does hymnody support your relationship with God?
Editor's Note: I meant to say in the audio that Fanny Crosby was born in 1820, not in 1920. My apologies!
If you're like me, do you ever wonder why you overthink and analyze even the smallest of things? In this segment, I offer some reflections toward this question.
Continuing with our theme of "Foundations" for the month, this week we turn to Psalm 1 and the ways in which we're being like a tree, as well as where our roots are at.
Be mindful to one’s life disposition. We don’t know what they’re going through and experiencing.
Based off of 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, who and/or what are we building our foundation upon?
Formerly known as 'Inward/Outward,' 'Learn, Live, Laugh' is based off of my Wednesday evening youth group sessions. While this segment is primarily geared toward middle and high-school youth, it's also welcome to any and all folks.
“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” - Malcolm Gladwell
Reflecting on the absence of my father, I offer some thoughts on the need for parental involvement and affirmation.
Based off of Matthew 7:24-27, who and/or what does our foundation for life look like? In what ways are we being hearers and doers of the Word?
Formerly known as 'Inward/Outward,' 'Learn, Live, Laugh' is based off of my Wednesday evening youth group sessions. While this segment is primarily geared toward middle and high-school youth, it's also welcome to any and all folks.
As this journal comes to a close, I only thought it’d be appropriate to share an entry written shortly after graduating from Georgetown College. Dating back to May 16th, 2013, I took a good, hard look at myself and what I wanted to cultivate within my community.
Ways you can help those impacted by this past weekend's tornadoes:
Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund: https://bit.ly/3IHOCn4
Mayfield Graves County Tornado Relief: https://bit.ly/3dKgvwp
Red Cross: https://rdcrss.org/3ylKkNa
Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund: https://bit.ly/3EQs0OU
Other avenues you can check out: https://bit.ly/30ijo4q
Today’s entry, dating back to Christmas 2012, revisits this reoccurring thought of relationship-obsessed Marcus.
Given that this will be the last Inward/Outward segment for the year, what are those things that you're looking ahead to? What can you in the meantime right here, right now toward said things?
Today’s entry, dating back to September 14th, 2012, brings us to some thoughts I had regarding how chaotic life can be.
Today’s entry, dating back to August 12th, 2012, describes a thought I had about having our heads up (and no, not "Heads Up, Seven Up"- sorry).
Today’s entry, dating back to March 7th, 2012, might arguably be one of the most personal entries that I’m sharing in this entire series because it involves my dad, Marc.
For this week's edition of Inward/Outward, we'll be reflecting on the importance of being (re)grounded in our lives.
While Inward/Outward is primarily geared toward youth in middle through high-school, any and everyone is still included to engage these reflections.
Today’s entry, dating back to September 26th, 2011, looks at a time when my twenty-year old self wanted to ask a friend of mine, “Sally,” on a date following homecoming with the President’s House Association (PHA). PHA is the fraternity that I was a part of. Yes, I was in a frat.
For this week's edition of Inward/Outward we'll be reflecting on the importance of sitting with God and ourselves.
While Inward/Outward is primarily geared toward youth in middle through high-school, any and everyone is still included to engage these reflections.
“You either deal with the pain of discipline or the pain of disappointment.” - Nick Saban
Today’s entry, dating back to September13th, 2011, takes us to 20-year old Marcus who has transferred as a junior over to Georgetown College and gets immersed in Tuesday evening worship services called "Common Grounds"!
For this week's edition of Inward/Outward we'll be reflecting on the concept of perspective.
While Inward/Outward is primarily geared toward youth in middle through high-school, any and everyone is still included to engage these reflections.
Today’s entry, dating back to August 24th, 2011, details some brief reflections I had on the eve of turning twenty. Why did I say eve? Whatever. You get the idea.
This week we'll be reflecting on what it means to both be and offer a listening presence to others.
While Inward/Outward is primarily geared toward youth in middle through high-school, any and everyone is still included to engage these reflections.
Today’s entry, dating back to July 24th, 2011, details some bro seshs with two of my good friends, "Ron" and "Don," and the Christian metal band that never left my mom’s garage, Empty Tomb.
For this week's edition of Inward/Outward, we're reflecting on the two following questions:
1) Where in your life do you pay attention and notice your breath and breathing?
2) What place does stillness have in your life?
While Inward/Outward is primarily geared toward youth in middle through high-school, any and everyone is still included to engage these reflections.
Today's entry, dating back to June 11th, 2011, takes a walk down memory lane to a time and place back in tenth grade where I talked with a girl named "Sherry".
For this week's edition of Inward/Outward, we'll be reflecting on the following question: What do you do when things don't go our way?
(Disclaimer: While Inward/Outward is primarily geared toward youth in middle through high-school, any and everyone is still included to engage these reflections)
"A Journal to Remember" is back with season two! This season will contain ten entries centered around my college years and the various experiences that I had. Entries will be released for the next ten Thursday's beginning this Thursday, October 14th.
I hope you find that this will be a journal to remember!
“I forgive myself for not being perfect. I am living the very best way I know how.” - Louise Hay
For this week's edition of Inward/Outward, I'd like to invite you to reflect upon what your dreams and aspirations are in life.
While Inward/Outward is primarily geared toward youth in middle through high-school, any and everyone is still included to engage these reflections.
For this week's edition of Inward/Outward, I'd like to invite you to reflect upon the concept of strengths and weaknesses.
(Disclaimer: While Inward/Outward is primarily geared toward youth in middle through high-school, any and everyone is still included to engage these reflections)
Welcome to Inward/Outward, a weekly series where we'll dive inward with God and ourselves and then outward with acts of service and love toward others.
To kick the series off, today we'll be sitting with the following question: Who are you?
(While Inward/Outward is primarily geared toward youth in middle and high-school, any and all people are welcome to the series as well!)
"Self-awareness involves deep personal honesty. It comes from asking and answering hard questions." - Stephen Covey
It happened, y’all. Your boy went on his first date. After all these entries, can you believe it?!
As this journal nears its closing, what better way to reflect than to look ahead at my senior year?
I bet you can’t guess what this entry’s about and what I wanted to be worry-free from...
You’re 100% guaranteed to hear the chorus to Linkin Park’s Somewhere I Belong differently after listening to this episode.
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What better way to bring in the new year than making several goals, right? Achievable, realistic goals… All of which I totally met.
RuneScape was my jam back in the day (and still is today), especially with the different friends I had. In today’s entry, I talk about two of those friends named Texas and Jack!
Did you know that I’m quite the poet and didn’t know it? I promise this won’t waste your time. This poem you’re about to hear is quite the dime. Editor’s Note: I meant to say 2007, not 2006. Whoopsie.
The title speaks for itself, but this is a brief introduction to my side-project, A Journal to Remember!
In light of recent events surrounding violence, I’d like for us to reflect on the following idea- It’s good to remember that people are people just like you and me.
In what ways could you use your platform(s) to show and spread love?
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It may seem like an odd question, but what I really mean is, are you remembering to breathe?
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“No one can listen to your body for you… to grow and heal, you have to take responsibility for listening to it yourself.” - Jon Kabat-Zinn
How are you listening to your body?
Regarding social, racial, and gender equality, how can we deal with the roots of issues instead of their symptoms?
In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, the Apostle Paul states, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.”
I wonder how you'll use your troubles to comfort others.
"Comparison is a thief to joy." I wonder what comparisons you're currently making and the joy you're being robbed of looks like.
Michael Jordan once said, "I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come." I wonder what this quote means for you today.
This week I'd like to invite you to consider reflecting on the following question: Who/What are you investing in?
This week I'd invite you to reflect on the following question: What are you learning from others?
"My real questions and concerns are these things: Where do we go from here? How will we go about the process of love and reconciliation with one another?"
This week I'd like to offer us the following challenge: Make room to listen to what others are experiencing.
As we wrap 2020 up and head into 2021, I'd like to offer you the following blessing and challenge: Be what you want to cultivate.
During an interview with comedian John Mulaney, host Stephen Colbert and Mulaney discussed their personal anxieties and thoughts toward how others view them. At one point in the conversation, Colbert said the following, "No one else can be your mirror."
How are you being your own mirror?
One of the many questions that I've been mulling over for the past several months, which I invite you to reflect on, has been the following: What do you want in life?
“Don’t worry about failure. Worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.”- District Judge Sherman Glenn Finesilver
"How will you create calm?"
Editor's Note: I legitimately thought about not posting this episode because of how congested I was making it. Out of sheer self-consciousness I thought, "Who wants to listen to a stuffed up guy behind a mic?" But, why let something like this prevent someone from doing what they enjoy?
“Kindness is choosing love over hate, light over darkness, compassion over judgment.”
How will you practice kindness in the midst of these overwhelmingly dark times?
"The way I live my life is to set examples." - Michael Jordan
What examples are you setting?
If there's any one thing that I hope you take away from this week's Marcus' Monday Motivational, it's that you are not alone toward things like missing people, feeling the ongoing presence of social distancing (and isolation), and "normal" life.
"My biggest fear is not living up to my full potential." - Mat Fraser
What holds you back from unlocking and living up to your full potential?
"There is community when you recognize your hardship in others' hardship."
You can read the article where I've quoted this week's MMM here:
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29844508/clemson-qb-trevor-lawrence-blm-listening-learning-journey-discovering.
This week I'd like to offer the following blessing and challenge: May our prayers lead us to action.
"As awful as 2020 has been, I'm thankful for what it's brought out of me." - Kenny Smith
What has this year brought out of you thus far?
In light of everything happening right now- the violence, political tension and unrest, COVID-19, and perhaps 2020 as a whole- what is the bigger picture?
While I can, and will, only speak for myself, it wouldn't surprise me if there are a number of black men asking the following question in light of the recent shooting of Jacob Blake, Am I next? It's a question that I'm asking and currently wrestling with.
Courtesy of an interview from Men's Health magazine with actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, how are you helping others to be heard?
“Strength is really about feeling scared and being okay with that.” - Caleb Spiro (Men's Health magazine, July/August 2020 issue)
How will you exercise strength this week?
What do you do with the pain that you experience? Wallow and dwell in it? Ignore or suppress it? Or do you choose to be proactive and respond to it?
Civil Rights leader and Congressman John Lewis once stated the following, "Be bold, brave, and courageous and find a way to get in the way."
What does this statement mean for you right now? How might you be bold and brave to find a way to get in the way?
God invites us to be honest with God's own self. What does this truth mean for you right now? Practice being honest with both God and yourself!
Each of us are a part of the body of Christ. How will you demonstrate your unity with Christ?
Revisiting his book Following Jesus, Henri Nouwen states the following, "God fully understands us." How does this resonate with you personally? What is it like for you to think and reflect on the fact that God fully understands you? Do you feel a knee-jerk reaction to panic and run? Do you feel afraid or ashamed? Or, are you like me and feel peace of mind and heart?
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy offered encouragement to the church in Thessalonica by reminding them of God's love for them and imitation of Christ. In a likewise manner, it's good for us to be reminded that God loves us- loves YOU- at an unconditional level. It's also good for us to consider the ways in which we imitate Christ- demonstrating unconditional love to others.
While I was listening to the "Kevin Gates Hotline" with rapper Kevin Gates, Gates offered the following advice to a caller regarding their question- The slower you go, the more you progress.
What areas in your life do you need to go slower with?
On the road to Emmaus, Cleopas and his companion walked with Christ, all the while not recognizing who he was. Why? Why did they notice who he was solely after the breaking of the bread at a meal? Why did they struggle to see who he was?
In the same way, what areas of our lives do we struggle to see Christ? How can we make room for stillness and pay attention to the fact that he's right in front of us?
Editor's Note: Prior to reading the scripture passage in this recording, I say "Cleopas and his companion struggled to see who was walking with them those seven miles to Jerusalem." I meant to say "Emmaus" in place of "Jerusalem"- My apologies!
Stillness allows us to be present with both ourselves and God. What place does stillness have in your life? Does it have any place at all? What could you do to create more room for stillness?
In this passage of Nehemiah, the nation of Israel takes the time to “communally confession” their sin and iniquity by earlier generations. They also take the time to remember the faithfulness of God and how God has kept the promises that God made.
Like the Israelites in the passage, what is your posture- your attitude- of confession? What are you doing to remember the faithfulness of God?
University of Alabama's football head coach Nick Saban created the concept of "The Process," which (in my words) invites us to work on the small things in order to achieve the bigger picture. What place does "The Process" have in your life? What bigger picture goals and aspirations do you have? What small things can you do to achieve that bigger picture?
How are you using the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit has given to you? How are you serving those around you?
"Disappointment can often discourage, but it can also motivate."
In 2017, Swedish CrossFit Games Athlete, Lukas Högberg, barely missed his opportunity to compete at the CrossFit Games by placing 6th in his region when he needed 5th place or better. The following year, not only did Högberg place 3rd in his region, but he also went on to place 3rd at the CrossFit Games and become the third fittest man on earth.
Like Högberg, how might you turn your disappointments into motivation?
This is my honest, personal reflection on being a black man in the current times we're living in.
“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”
What are you thirsting after? What are you going after?
How are you being present with yourself? What are you doing to pay attention to the thoughts and feelings within your head and heart?
This one's pretty straightforward- Know your self-worth. What value do you give yourself? What do you think of your own self? What level of love do you give yourself?
Moses passes on the torch to his commander Joshua and encourages him to "be strong and bold". Likewise, Moses also reminds both Joshua and the entire nation of Israel that God (Yahweh) is a God of covenant and promise-keeping. (Edit: I meant to say “years,” not “months” when mentioning the Festival of Tabernacle/Booths. My apologies!)
"The more I think I know, the more I need to learn." I came across this quote while I continued reading Dr. Tasha Eurich's book, Insight.
What are you in need of learning about, or what do you think you need to learn?
"Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who gain understanding." - Proverbs 3:13 (NRSV)
What inconsistencies are present in your life? What are you doing about them?
Note: This was my first episode using a new microphone, along with a raspy voice for some odd reason. My apologies in advance!
Christ invited his disciples to come and have breakfast with him, and ,in a likewise manner, invites us as well.
“I want to be an unbusy pastor” (Eugene Peterson). While all of us may not necessarily be pastors, how are you being unbusy?
What does this sign of Jonah mean for us today? Like the scribes and Pharisees, do we have any hard-hearted ness toward who and what Christ said he was?
Like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary in this passage, we do not need to be afraid of going and telling others about the great news of Christ.
What weight (sin) do you need to set aside? How are you looking to Christ in running the race of perseverance?
“And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:40 NRSV How will you care for the least of these in your midst?
How will you observe and obey the commands God has laid out? Scripture references: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9; Psalm 147:13-21; Matthew 5:17-19.
In this mini-segment I detail how the Marcus’ Monday Motivational came to exist, namely a weekly text message I’d send every Monday!
“Growth isn’t about who you are right now. It’s about who you’re becoming.” -Ben Bergeron