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.

For those of you who have been consistently reading this blog since January 1, 2007, you know that blogging was an “act of faith” for an ex-perfectionist like me.  Like many of you, I am a fallen, imperfect person. I, too, have good intentions. But I’ve also got some bad habits and some great weaknesses.  Sometime my Big Dreams don’t cooperate.  So we probably have a lot more in common than you think.

During the past four years, you chose to love me, to challenge me, to encourage me, to pray for me anyway. And for that, I will always and forever be grateful.  Although we’ve never met face-to-face, I still love you more than you could ever imagine.  Your love lifted me out of the ashes of obscurity.

You’ve graciously endured my many mistakes during my humble beginnings.  You’ve watched me fail publicly, stumble badly, and fall flat on my face.  Yet and still, so many of you refused to give up on me.  You’ve made my private victories possible.  By choice, you became my “champions.”  So many of you loved me unconditionally and encouraged me despite my many shotcomings.  Because of your love, I kept getting up, showing up, and challenging you to take the next step towards making your own Big Dreams come true.

To this day, your love, your private words of encouragement, your comments still inspire me to keep blogging and doing what I love to do — write.  I hope and pray that all the culturally diverse members of our galvanized community will choose to “keep loving to love one another” as we share our thoughts and ideas. So please don’t stop challenging the rest of our blended, extended family members to keep risin’ to our feet after every fall our gifted souls survive until the day we can all stand side-by-side and meet the greatness of God’s faithfulness.

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” ~ Proverbs 27:6 NASB

Together, I honestly believe those of us to whom “little” appears given really can make a difference in the lives of the children who will become the next generation of leaders.  Do you? I hope so. Remember, upon first glance, looks can be deceiving. As always, the choice to dig deeper so you can climber higher than you thought was possible is still yours alone to make.  I believe in you.  But do you believe in yourself? Gee, why not? Think about it.

“But by grace still go I”

Copyright © 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.