As a sign of respect, I’m dedicating 2011 to the women that God has gifted to the blended, extended families of humanity’s culturally diverse global village. Since I am the “first man” my daughter will ever love, it’s my responsibility to lead by example. I  choose to love, honor, respect, and protect my baby girl and my wife, KWiz, with my life because as comedian, Mr. Steve Harvey, often says during his morning radio show, “That’s what real men do.“

Whenever time permits, please participate in my year-long tribute to “man’s most valuable resource” by posting a comment about the books you’ve read that were written by and about women.  Hopefully, the men in your lives will do the same. Why?

We, as men, have so much to learn about the wise women God has commanded us to love unconditionally 24/7/365.   As evidenced by Ephesians 5:25-27 NASB, and Ephesians 5:33 NASB, isn’t it interesting that God did not ask women to do the same?

According to the Scriptures, God only asked the wives of men to “respect” their husbands. Do you ever wonder why? If not, reading, “Marital Love,” by Biblical Foundations For Freedom will challenge you to dig deeper into the reasons why God is challenging men to “earn” the respect of the wives in our lives.

Despite what one too many may believe, the men who have chosen to love, honor, and respect all women are hanging our ears on every powerful word you speak. Our hearts, minds, and arms are open as we both humbly and respectfully enter into your powerful presence. We see you!

We, as men, have a lot of work to do to repair the damage that’s been done by the words that have come forth out of our mouths. Matters not how much hearing the sobering truth that makes people free may hurt. We will not run away and hide in our man caves because we’re “here to stay.”

We will not defend, nor justify, our actions by scapegoating the “sins of other men.” We will not blame our misogynistic, dehumanizing, demeaning, demoralizing, devaluing, denigrating, and dishonorable behavior on what happened in times past. If we try, don’t hesitate to check us and if necessary, kick us to the curb until our actions speak louder than our words.

There’s a plethora of excellent books for women and men to read who still may not understand “how” to do better because they still don’t know better.  As always, the choice to seek wisdom and get understanding will keep you from falling to your knees with tears in your eyes while saying, “Baby, please don’t go!!“

Yesterday is now history.  Wise women don’t care and don’t want to hear about what “so-n-so” did yesterday. Two wrongs don’t make it right. Today is a new day.  Women the world over are hurting today because of what’s still happening today. I’m challenging all men to simply say, “ I hear you!” whenever any woman chooses to challenge us, confront us, and constructively criticize us.

Difficult? Yes! Impossible? Not! Together, we can beat impossible odds and complete what may appear to be an impossible task with God’s help. Are you willing to try? For our women’s sake, I hope you will take the time to let our “unsung sheroes” know beyond the shadow of any doubt that we hear their cries for our help.

So men, let’s not blow it this time because we may never again get a second chance to earn the respect and the love of the women who birthed us, nurtured us, cared for us, raised us, supported us, stood by us, cried and died for us, paved the way for us, and saved us from ourselves when nobody but Jesus loved us in spite of ourselves.

During the month of June, I will give the women an equal opportunity to highlight the real men who have courageously risen to the occasion during what I honestly believe is yet another divinely ordained opportunity for women and men to experience tremendous personal growth.

How many of you believe leaders are made, not born? How many of you believe women are better leaders than men? Please feel free to elaborate so women and can engage one another in what I hope will become a mutually rewarding discussion.

Meanwhile, please keep praying, without ceasing, those fervent effective prayers that will availeth much for each of us as the next generation of leading men individually, and collectively face our fears and embrace Change.

The choice to spin from within and begin something new with our God-given gifts will test our faith in God, ourselves, and each other.  With God’s help, the mighty men in your lives will learn to respect “the power of a wise woman’s words” as our humbled souls turn in the refining fire of Adversity’s fiery furnace. We’re listening to you!

Copyright © 2007 ~ 2011 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” ~ Amos 3:3 KJV

S.I.N.™ Stop Incivility Now™ Quick question.  How many more women and children must die for nothing before real men like you and I rise up and start walking together in peace while working together as one to help cultivate a culture of civility? Think about it.

When the world least expects it, a swift paradigm shift will happen that is going to change the way men see women, treat women, relate to women. Matters not the colour of their skin. Real men will choose to Live, Love, and Lead United™ to stop the culture of incivility that condones sex trafficking, rape, and slavery in any form. Difficult? Most definitely! Impossible? Not!

Imagine the endless parade of possibilities that will appear when the women that real men love, honor, and respect finally stop living with Fear. My challenge to all who read this is simple. Stop Incivility Now™! Dare to dream bigger and act like you honestly believe it’s possible to beat impossible odds with God’s help.

As always, the choice for “this one” and “that one” to agree as one that it’s time to do something that has never been done before is theirs alone to make.  But please don’t take too long before deciding to do the right thing by letting love lead the way because it’s much later than you think. Can you imagine a world without women? I can’t. Can you? I hope not. S.I.N.™ Stop Incivility Now™

Copyright © 2011 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

“Nevertheless, there is at least one defining moment that occurs in the life of every generation when limit-testers, who honestly believe there are destined to become great, will choose to face their fears and embrace Change for the first time.” — Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness

After almost 2 years of waiting, what I’ve been calling “America’s Defining Moment” for 2008, has finally arrived. On Election Day 2008, American voters will get up and show up at polling locations to choose the 44th President of the United States Of America. During America’s Defining Moment, the whole world is watching America right now and anxiously waiting to see whether or not American voters will choose to face “our deepest fears,” overcome our biggest fears, and embrace Change. For our children’s sake, our generation cannot afford to get it wrong again.

Please click on “The Inspiration For Change“ if you’re a first-time visitor or just simply don’t remember what inspires Change.

For the first time, our generation can do something tangible to galvanize our fractured, financially faltering country, a country that has been racially polarized and emotionally divided from within for too long and for all the wrong reasons. For the first-time, our generation can achieve what the diligent descendants of our enslaved, albeit resilient, ancestors had enough faith in God to believe that the inspiring words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech would one day become a reality.

One of my “Big Dreams” for 2008 was to live long enough to witness President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama walk side-by-side into their destiny by beating impossible odds and completing the task before them with God’s help. The Obama family has done their part to give all Americans a reason to remain hopeful, a reason to believe that better days are coming, a reason to believe that we can all achieve great things. Matters not the colour of the skin our gifted souls are wrapped within.

My wife, KWiz, and I voted early. We both chose to cast our votes for President Barack Obama. Now, it’s up to each and every one of us to do our part to help the Obamas make history today as we pray on bended knee. Together, we can begin the arduous process of tearing down the imaginary wall that has divided America from within. Imagine the endless parade of possibilities that will appear if we choose to honestly believe that our generation can “achieve greatness.” But be forewarned.

“To impede Change, the predatory employees of Ain’t Fairusee’s mega-corporation must keep you and your generation from achieving greatness. Since your antagonists still believe the end always justifies the means, choose the battles you fight and the paths you walk wisely.” — Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness

Since Power concedes nothing without a struggle, will you have the presence of mind to choose the path you walk and the battle you fight wisely? Can you stop going-along just to get-along with the spiritually-blinded status quo who remain shackled and chained to a “win-at-all-costs slave mentality?” During America’s Defining Moment, what will you choose to do when Adversity strikes, when your cars get booted and towed away, when poll workers lack the resources they need, when the ballots are printed incorrectly, when the weather refuses to cooperate, when the police set up road blocks to intimidate you? Think about it.

During America’s Defining Moment, will you choose to love loving one another instead of loving to hate another person just because of the colour of their skin? Will you choose to do the right thing by casting your vote for Senator Barack Obama because voting for Senator John McCain simply doesn’t pass the common sense test? Do you have the inner strength of character, the confidence, and the courage to cross politically divisive party lines and dance to the beat of a different drum? I hope so.

For the first time, our generation can choose to elect a brilliant person, who just happens to be a Black man, as the next Commander-In-Chief of the United States Of America. Imagine that! Only God truly knows whether or not the culturally diverse members of humanity’s global village will choose to walk together in peace by faith and work together as one for the greater good during “our journey towards greatness.”

During America’s Defining Moment, always expect the unexpected to happen when least expected. Matters not what happens next. Trust God.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Copyright (c) 2008 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

Yesterday’s homecoming celebration of Mr. Tim Russert, television journalist and moderator of “Meet The Press,” has inspired this post. To Tim’s wife, Maureen, may God’s love comfort you and your family during these difficult days. To Tim’s son, Luke, may your father’s precious soul rest in God’s peaceful presence always and forever.

Never again will my Sunday mornings be the same without the privilege of watching the one man whose effective example of “personal leadership” has inspired millions of ordinary, everyday people to “Go Get Em!!” May today’s post challenge all who read these words to live without limits, love without conditions, and lead like Jesus Christ did — by example.

If tomorrow never comes, how much more valuable would your yesterday become to you today? If you knew beforehand when your last tomorrow was going to come, what would you choose to do differently with the rest of your todays?

“For the first time,” would you choose to finally face your biggest and deepest fears? Would you challenge the people you love to dig deep enough inside the heart of their gifted souls to unearth the courage needed to learn how to love loving one another?

If tomorrow never comes, how would you choose to live the rest of your life today? Think about it. But please don’t take too long because it’s later than you think.

Copyright 2008 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

Ms. Marvalus, author of “The Marvalus View,” was one of the first bloggers who chose to invest in an autographed copy of Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness, When Good People Become Great.

“Manchild…

I finished reading your wonderful piece of work and I couldn’t wait to come over and tell you that it has inspired me beyond words!

I weep at the amount of inspiration you have given to me, and thank you for sharing this with us…I am going to do a write up on my site to share this book with my audience over the next couple of days…

Thank you again…blessings to you!” — Ms. Marva

Please click on “Marva’s Book Review” to read what Marva had to say about this introspective, inspirational story about “personal leadership.”

Copyright 2008 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

This “revised” post now only contains the Prologue to Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness, “When Good People Become Great.” As time permits, I will begin posting brief excerpts from this introspective, inspirational story about “personal leadership” to inspire you to “face your fears and embrace Change.” Only then will you choose to take the next step necessary to make your “Big Dream” come true.

In the meantime, please feel free to peruse “The Archives” to see how far this humbled beginner has come by faith since January 1, 2007.  As many of you know, I didn’t “choose to write this book.” Over 10 years ago, this thought-provoking, 272 page book chose me.   If I can beat the odds with God’s help and choose to “keep risin’ to my feet after every fall I survived,” you can do the same.  The choice to do so will always be yours alone to make. So choose wisely.

“But by grace still go I.”

The Prologue — “Always Expect The Unexpected”

Quick question. Did reading the Prologue to Steppin’ Out Of the Darkness inspire you to sit up in your seat and say “Hmmmm” upon first glance?  Hopefully, what you found has peaked your curiosity about what else you’ll find beneath this book’s cover.

When time permits, post a comment to let me know if you felt inspired you to “finish writing the vision” you prematurely abandoned in the “valley of sun-dried bones” sometime “after the fall” you survived.

Copyright © 2007-2008 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

Last year, my wife, KWiz, and I watched the movie “Freedom Writers.” This year, we watched “The Great Debaters.” Both are unforgettable films. If you’re an aspiring writer who needs a reason to finish writing your book, please don’t wait to see either of these films. Both are amazing examples of the art of story-telling.

It’s true! Everybody has a story to tell. Some of you are extremely talented, gifted writers who can effortlessly employ the power of the written word to tell your stories. For me, writing is a struggle, which is why I started blogging last year. Have you ever wondered if there’s some secret formula or writing technique that will make one book sell better than another?

Can “talent alone” ensure the success of the books that authors allegedly choose to write? Who or what enables prolific writers to repeat the meticulous process behind the creative chaos that made your book a success? Does the timing of a book’s release play a significant part in its author’s ability to emotionally connect with one generation and not another? Do you believe that book sales, or the lack thereof, are an accurate indication of the perceived success or the failure of a book?

According to prolific author Paulo Coelho’s profile, “Slow initial sales [of The Alchemist] convinced his first publisher to drop the novel, but it went on to become one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time.

Have any of you ever pondered the possibility that the part you played did little to determine the success of your book? Did God’s sovereign will and perfect plan have anything to do with the success of your book? If yes, does it really matter whether or not an author chooses to employ “urban street teams” or “main stream” marketeers to promote a book that’s destined to become a national best seller? As writers, what part do we play in the books we author?

Do books choose their writers or do writers choose the books they pen? I had no desire to write a book before I began to pen Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness. I believe the book that I birthed chose me. I can still recall waking up in the middle of the night to write the first page of my big dream. Once I began writing it, I couldn’t stop. Whenever I felt inspired to write, I didn’t sleep much. I didn’t eat. I didn’t talk. Since I didn’t have anything to distract me, I just wrote. I constantly canceled or rescheduled appointments until the words stopped flowing from somewhere deep within the heart of my soul.

Am I crazy or has this ever happened to any of you? What did you do initially? Did you look around the room to see if you were all alone? Did you ignore the words you heard or did you heed the still, small voice that inspired you to believe that you could achieve something bigger than yourself? Did people laugh at you, ridicule you, and reject you when they heard about the genesis of your big dream? My mother and my wife stood by me at a time when I needed their love and support the most.

Writing Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness was an act of faith for me. I wrote on anything and everything I could get my hands on as evidenced by all the cardboard boxes still stuffed with the hastily scribbled notes that I stockpiled over the years. During those difficult days when I had no place to lay my head, I didn’t have time to feel sorry for myself. For reasons that still escape me, I refused to give up after the fall I survived.

Nevertheless, trusting God when nothing made sense wasn’t easy. To challenge myself to keep getting up and showing up for my street fight with Adversity, I started writing poetic essays. Writing literally saved my life after my business failed and I was forced to file bankruptcy. Because of the vision that God gifted to me, I had a plan that I could believe in. God’s unchanging love gave me hope during my darkest days. It’s true! Without a vision, people with no reason to hope will perish.

For reasons now known, “But by grace still go I” is not just some empty Christian phrase that I casually toss around to sound spiritual. If you’re a published writer, did your book choose you or did you choose your book? I hope this post has encouraged somebody to rise to your feet and inspired you to honestly believe that you can beat impossible odds with God’s help. If so, please let me know.

Copyright (c) 2008 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

“I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”

–Picasso

Guess what? My blog is “broken.” Why? Because I broke it during a failed attempt to fix a possible security risk that upgrading to WordPress 2.3.1 is supposed to resolve. Quick question. How many bloggers have not attempted to upgrade to WordPress 2.3.1 because you’re afraid you might fail? As evidenced by my “Home Page,” my efforts to finish this arduous upgrade have failed.

Why is failure and failing perceived as a bad thing if one learns more by failing to “do something” than by succeeding to “do nothing?” Does failing and failure frighten you? If not, share your “success story” by letting us know what you’ve done for the “first time” during 2007. Before you post a comment, think about how you’ve been programmed, conditioned, and taught to define “success” and “failure.”

What have you done for the first time this year? For the first time, I’ve published a blog. Did I fail to write perfect, error-free posts?  Most Definitely!  Did I fail to achieve all the goals I set out to accomplish thus far? Most definitely! But I’ve learned so much and met so many beautiful bloggers because I stepped outside the boat of my self-imposed limitations.  Steppin’ outside the boat of what gave me a false sense of security and launching this blog was truly an act of faith for a person like me with perfectionistic tendencies like mine.

Because my site is not monetized, I sacrificed my blogging goals as a blogger to birth my big dream by finishing a literary project that began before leaving Los Angeles, California in 1997.  For the first time, I’ve “successfully” written, designed, and produced a 272 page book that has taken me over 10 years to complete. Only by the grace of God is Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness finished.

But because I’ve failed to write a post for this blog as frequently as expected to become a successful blogger, am I a failure in the eyes of my peers? Does anybody know who wrote the rules that govern bloggers and blogging?  Who sat down and wrote the formulas  and algorithms that determine “Page Rankings?”  Did they succeed or fail?  Does money earned determine who becomes a successful blogger?

How many of my prolific peers in the blogosphere will vilify me, ridicule me, reject me, and think less of me because I’ve failed, fallen short, and missed the mark set by a few professional bloggers? How many of my “subscribers” will stop supporting my relentless efforts to make a difference by abandoning my community because I’ve failed to rise to the level of your expectations? How many of you still believe that nobody loves a “loser” as much as everybody loves a “winner?”

During your quiet talk with God in your secret place, ask yourself, Does failing and failure frighten you because you still fear ridicule and rejection? Think about your answer before posting your comment.

Copyright © 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

It’s no secret that Christian marriages are still failing at an alarming rate. Why? I honestly don’t know. But today’s provocative post about love, sex, and relationships will present a few questions about the monogamous relationship Adam shared with Eve to provoke thought. Like many of you, my heart’s desire is to make love work, maintain an intimate, healthy relationship with my wife so that our marriage will last till death parts our paths.

I, too, am still searching for a few answers in a proactive attempt to help our generation break the generational cycle of divorce that’s destroying our families. Doing the reading and research required to prepare for the “Women Of The Bible” series revealed something that I’d like to share with you today. I’m still searching the Scriptures found in Genesis 2 and 3 to discover specific details about the health of the intimate relationship Adam “allegedly” shared with Eve while living in the Garden of Eden.

Since Eden means, “place of pleasure,” here’s a perfect man and a perfect woman that God made for each other who had it all. Adam and Eve had a legitimate “marriage made in Heaven,” a sanctified, sexual relationship that was holy, ordained, and blessed by God.

According to the Scriptures, the Master Potter deliberately, and with premeditation, tailor-made a woman for Adam and nobody else. Since God created Adam, it’s safe to assume that Adam was perfect in every way before his great fall from grace.

Since our Creator doesn’t make any mistakes, one can only imagine how beautiful, how blessed, and how alluring Eve must have been to Adam. Adam had the perfect partner to share his life with for all of eternity. Imagine how much Adam must have loved and adored Eve. Since God created Eve while Adam slept, this woman literally became this man’s “dream come true.”

But what about Eve? Here’s where this epic love story gets interesting because some traditional, long-standing assumptions have been made about the first family’s divinely ordained marriage. Has anybody else out there in the blogosphere ever ponder the possibility that Eve never felt the same way about Adam?

Nowhere in the Scriptures does it ever say that Eve “loved” Adam. But don’t take my word for it, take a look for yourself and tell me what you find. Can it be that Eve just wasn’t that into Adam? Maybe Adam didn’t “fit the profile,” didn’t “measure up,” didn’t meet her expectations.

Ladies, how would you describe the man of your dreams, the man you’d ask God to tailor make just for you if given the opportunity? Only God and Eve know if Adam was tall, dark, and handsome, if he had a six pack, if he was a good hunter, if he could sing a love song like Luther Vandross. But what if Adam wasn’t all that Eve expected from the man of her dreams?

If Eve was just as enamored, infatuated, and as in love with her ideal man as Adam was with his ideal woman, how in the world did the “original down low brother” manage to get her undivided attention? Maybe Adam didn’t satisfy Eve, didn’t listen when she talked, didn’t know how to communicate with her. Maybe Adam didn’t have what it takes to make the heavens and the earth move when they made love together.

Maybe Eve “felt” lonely, bored, and had grown tired of living a mundane existence with a nice man, a good man, a predictable man who never made her cry, never gave her any drama. Did Eve need Adam as much as he needed her since it wasn’t good for a man to be alone? If Adam was indeed the perfect man for Eve, how did some charismatic snake in the grass manage to successfully seduce his woman?

What empty promises did the father of lies proffer to distract Eve while Adam was “allegedly” standing right beside his woman? Had Adam become so emotionally disconnected from Eve that he didn’t know Satan found a way to get his hedonistic, misogynistic hooks into her? Do you ever wonder if Eve cried out to her man for help or ask the question, “Adam, where are you?” because Adam was missing in action?

Why didn’t Adam intervene, do what real men do, and kick Satan to the curb before a bad thing could happen to these good people? Before God created Eve, did something go terribly wrong with Adam? Maybe Adam had issues that didn’t get revealed until it was too late to reconcile their intimate relationship with God. Have you ever pondered the possibility that Satan had also attempted to seduce and deceive Adam before God created Eve to be her husband’s helpmate?

Do you ever wonder what prompted to God say that it wasn’t good for a man to be alone? Did Adam develop some type of pathological, dysfunctional behavior because he walked alone in the garden of earthly delights long enough to become too lonely for his own good? I wonder why God never said the same thing in the Scriptures about a woman. Do you?

What did Satan say, or do, that Adam didn’t say or do? What were the persuasive, albeit deceptive, words that flowed out of the perverted mouth of this fallen, false angel of light that convinced Eve to “doubt” God’s words in the first place? Did Satan convince Eve that Adam “wasn’t good enough” for her? Can it be that Eve didn’t appreciate Adam, wasn’t content with the perfect man God created, and secretly desired a “bad boy,” “a gangsta,” a “street thug” that she could hate to love for more than one night?

Quick question. How many married people do you personally know who are living with a person they secretly hate to love? Can it be that sharing a love that’s worth receiving and giving is an act of faith that a person chooses to do without ever expecting anything in return. I wonder if God is the only one who loves a cheerful giver? Think about it until the next time we meet.

– To Be Continued –

Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

God’s angels came today and carried my Uncle Bay home. The chariots came and went as they escorted the mighty man of valor who made such a huge difference in my life into our Father’s house. This soldier’s homecoming was not televised nor widely publicized. Nobody held a press conference when God smiled at him and said,

“Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Nobody from the mainstream media interviewed members of his family to find out what we already knew about Uncle Bay. No paparazzi stalked him day and night. But the greatness of God’s faithfulness did. No flags are flying at half mast. Nevertheless, none of these earthly accolades would be indicative of just how great of a man he was in the eyes of the people who knew him, respected him, and loved him. Only God knows the true measure of this man of few words.

After all these years, my Uncle Bay, his beloved wife, and his only son are back together again and celebrating their long awaited “family reunion.” No longer will his new body have to endure the pain from the cancer that attacked his old body. He can raise his hands and praise our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for giving him the greatest gift of all and for saving his precious soul from a clear and present danger.

No longer will my uncle have to hear the angry voices of the myopic, mean-spirited people who judged him by the colour of his skin instead of by the content of his character. No longer will he have to maneuver his way past all the stinkin’ dung hills of discrimination that polluted the air he breathed and cluttered the paths he chose to walk wisely. He has wings now. He can fly high above all that we are still struggling to overcome.

As your wife would say, “I am blessed and truly grateful” that God chose you to be my friend, my mentor, my uncle, my mother’s brother. God chose your hands to touch me and stir up the gift our Creator placed inside my soul. God used your walk, your work ethic, your high moral standards to show me how to earn an honest living.

As I watched you lead by example, you taught me what it means to be a real man by the life you lived and the love you unselfishly shared with so many people. I’m grieving the loss of your powerful presence but I’m also celebrating because, once again, all is well with your soul. Although my heart is heavy now, the tears I shed today are tears of joy.

Uncle Bay, may your soul rest peacefully in the presence of our most gracious and merciful Father now, always, and forever. Enjoy the celestial place God has prepared for you in our Father’s house. I love you!! As a sign of respect, I salute you soldier!!

Missin’ you much!!

Copyright 2007 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.