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.

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.

For those of you who don’t know, B.M.A.D.™ In 2008 means “Bloggers Making A Difference™ In 2008.” Mr. Troy Anthony Davis, a Death Row inmate for the past 15 years, needs your help, your presence, and your support to help save his life. Mr. Davis is yet another Black man whose accusers have admitted that they “incorrectly” identified him as the perpetrator of a crime he was found guilty of committing.

Because America’s criminal justice system remains flawed beyond belief as evidenced by the heinous murder of Ms. Kathryn Johnson by undercover Atlanta police officers, I am “against” the “Death Penalty.” It’s undisputed that a disproportionate number of Black men are falsely arrested, falsely accused, and found guilty of crimes they didn’t commit. But by grace still go you and I.

Ms. Laura Moye, from Amnesty International, is hosting a “Free Troy Anthony Davis Rally” on the steps of City Hall building in Atlanta, Georgia this Saturday, May 17, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon. Click on the words “Free Troy Anthony Davis” for additional information. Click on the words “Sign The Petition” to help save the life of a man who doesn’t deserve to die for a crime he didn’t commit.

Thank each and everyone of you who live in the Atlanta metro area and choose to attend Saturday’s rally for the gift of your time. If you can’t attend, call somebody, sign the petition, and do what you would want somebody to do for you. Together, we can make a difference. I’m willing to try. Are you? I hope so.

On November 5, 2007, I asked a question to my fellow bloggers that arose during the final editing phase of Steppin’ Out Of The Darkness. The question posed,

“When does a girl become a woman?”

Marva, author of Opinionated Black Woman and Woman To Woman, responded by writing a post worth reading. As a gesture of my gratitude to MarvalusOne for taking the time to answer my question, I’ve decided to spread some link love by sharing her reply.

Click on “Sunday’s Thoughts On Tuesday: Womanhood” to read her reply. I hope you enjoy reading her post as much as I did. If time permits, please leave her a comment.

Thank you, for helping to spread some love on Good Friday, a day when Jesus Christ loved us enough to die on an old rugged cross in order do what had never been done.  Because He lives, ….

Copyright (c) 2007-2008 by Roderick O. Solomon. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve posted Senator Barack Obama’s speech, “A More Perfect Union,” for those of you who still need a compelling reason to believe that this 2008 Presidential Candidate is a brilliant person who just happens to be a Black man whose time and season has come.

There’s absolutely nothing that Senator Obama’s critics can do to change the inevitable. Sit back in the safety and security of your own skin as you listen to Barack’s wise words prayerfully and carefully.

Quick question. If Opportunity knocked on your door, called you on your blue tooth enabled cell phone, sent you a text message on your iPhone or Blackberry five minutes from right now, would you be ready? If not, here’s a quote that I hope will challenge you on this “Hump Day” to get ready for your special date with Destiny.

“To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour.”

– Winston Churchill

The failed attempts by the Clintons to “marginalize” Senator Barack Obama and “minimize” the accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. validated my honest belief that voting for Barack on “Super Tuesday” is the right thing to do. Obama is a courageous candidate, who just happens to be Black, that will give all Americans hope. Matters not what ethnicity, what gender, what political affiliation, what generation, or what income bracket you claim.

Unlike Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Obama spoke truth to power in love when the majority of our political leaders believed the infamous lie President Bush told to justify a war that has bankrupted our children’s future. Obama got it right when he refused to go-along just to get-along with the status quo who got it wrong once again. Americans are not the only great nation of great people who desperately need Change that we can all believe in. The whole world is watching and waiting to see what will happen during what will become America’s defining moment in 2008.

The words, ” I see your true colors shining through,” came to mind while watching the Clintons execute their failed character assassination of the only 2008 Presidential Candidate whose time and season I believe has finally come. Their publicly televised, fear-based actions reminded me of what frequently happens privately to Black men who boldly stand in the way of powerful people precariously perched in positions of influence. The end does not justify the means. Never did. Never will.

Together, we, as Bloggers For Barack Obama, can make a difference by casting our votes for Senator Obama on Super Tuesday. As one of the many bloggers, who are not ashamed to publicly stand with Senator Barack Obama, I honestly believe that we can impact the ultimate outcome of the 2008 Presidential election process.

Together, we can beat the odds and achieve what Obama’s opponents refused to believe was possible before now if we choose to walk together in peace and work together as one for the greater good of humanity’s global village. Do you believe? I hope so. We can’t afford to get it wrong again.

“Yes We Can!” Divide and Conquer No More!

Copyright (c) 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.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” — Ephesians 6:10-20 kjv

Always remember that the final outcome of spiritual battles all God’s children choose to fight by faith, not by might, nor by power, or by sight, has already been predetermined and predestined. The perpetual spiritual war that’s raging amongst us as we speak has already been won by the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

So don’t allow yourself to get deceived by the “weapons of mass distraction” now trying to entertain us by lying to us in order to maintain the undivided attention of the masses. Don’t be deceived by the “smoke screen of superiority” created by a few misguided strokes from a pen in the mere mortal hands of myopic, misogynistic men who appear to have self-serving, hidden agendas.

Don’t let yourself, your families, your friends to get so stressed by the stroke of a pen that it provokes you, angers you, and pokes you in eyes until you become blinded by Rage. As you already know, any person who can blind you with rage can control you. Cooler heads must prevail so you will recognize the clear and present danger that awaits all who fail to choose the battles they fight and the paths they walk wisely until it’s too late to respond proactively and effectively.

Trust God. Lean not upon our limited understanding. Until the truth that desires to “make you free” prevails over the lie that desires to “make you a slave,” stay dressed up, not stressed out by all the billowing smoke coming from a perpetual spiritual battle too hot human hands to handle alone. Keep your eyes focused on the task at hand. When you’ve done all you can do, stand for something instead of falling for nothing.

Oh! Be forewarned. It’s not wise to stand like a sitting duck on a fence stuck between the diametrically opposed ideologies of all the people still standing with God and all the people still standing against God. I prayerfully petition you to “choose you this day” where you will take your stand during such an “emotionally divisive” season as this.

I, therefore, challenge each of you to choose love over hate and refuse to discriminate based upon the colour of a person’s skin instead of the “content of their character.” As always, the choice to “think critically” about where you will take your stand with the “spiritual weapon” in your hand, disguised as a pen, in your hand today is yours alone to make.

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

It would be an understatement to say that my recent journey back in time — while walking in the segregated streets of Jena, Louisiana with Jesus Christ– resurrected old memories long forgotten. Seeing the vast sea of beautiful faces that spiritually blinded white supremists hated to see coming created new memories I will not soon forget.

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”  — 1 John 4:4 kjv

The video, “Jesus Walks With Me,” by award winning artist, Mr. Kanye West, speaks for itself. Watching this provocative video reminded me of the reasons why we, as civilized human beings, can never go back to the way it was back in the days when the “good ole boys” — who hid the heinous face of hate beneath dirty, blood-stained white sheets thought that they alone ruled the world. But they “thunk” wrong!

Click on the highlighted words, “Jesus Walks With Me,” to see why Jim Crow and all the nefarious descendants of this pernicious predator must never again be allowed to live above the law while perpetrating and perpetuating hate under color of law. If you’ve never ever been unfortunate enough to experience first-hand the collateral damage from a discriminatory, dirty deed done to impede Change, be grateful.

If you’ve never had a head-on collision with the hideous face of hate, keep living. As a final act of desperation, the enemy within our midst is busier than ever before marking God’s children for destruction. Nevertheless, it will take much more than the misguided stroke of a pen in the mortal hands of D.A. Reed Walters and a few myopic, men to prevail over the children of God’s kingdom.

To impede Change, acts of desperation predicated upon systemic, institutionalized ideologies protected by fortified, fatally flawed strongholds of perceived superiority are increasing at an alarming rate. A clear and present danger is stalking our gifted souls as evidenced by the recent rise in the proliferation of hate crimes against the actually innocent people still walking the perilous playgrounds of humanity’s culturally diverse global village.

During divisive, subversive seasons such as this, the “voice of reason” and “cooler heads” will prevail if all God’s children remember to pray while trusting only in God and loving to love one another like never before until the day God wipes the tears from His eyes, rises when least expected, agrees with all of us who are sick and tired of the hate and shouts,

“Not On My Watch!”

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