There's an Army Rising Up!!!!

(This post contains a whole bunch of random thoughts. Read if you feel like randomness today!)

Geoffrey Canada

This past weekend, I went on a women's retreat with my sister and the ladies of her church, Shekinah Glory Fellowship Center. A song by Tasha Cobbs titled "Break Every Chain" seemed to be on the minds of most of the ladies, and we listened to it quite often. (If you have not heard this song, you MUST!)

Tracy and me on the retreat this weekend!

I listen to this song quite often, and in my mind I would see a lot of angels rising up to help us whenever we needed it; all we needed to do was make one step. However, one of the times that we listened to it this past weekend, I saw people standing with each other and forming an army. I can hear my Daddy saying that "God ain't coming down here to help nobody; he's going to have to use people." (We need an army.....)

Mom eating breakfast with a million Angels of protection around her!

My mom took a leap of faith and moved to Georgia, and she has an entire army. I am amazed that her army includes the people who work in the bank who know her and look out for her. The people at the Senior Citizen Recreational Center where she religiously goes; they all know her and seem thrilled when she shows up. The people of her church who look out for her, and this one man from her church whom she told me that she totally trust, because he can fix anything. I feel so secure with her being there, because she has a whole army........

I finished reading Geoffrey Canada's book Fist Stick Knife Gun last night in the airport, and I went into the ugly cry when I thought about the amount of time that is required to do what Geoffrey is doing; trying to provide a safe environment for children through his program: The Harlem Children's Zone. Geoffrey is one bad brother. But, just like you and me, Geoffrey needed an army to start and maintain this program. Initially,  his army may have been one or two people, but now his army is huge, and it includes the President of the United States. (Start with the army that you have, and grow it!)

I have taught in those tough inner city schools before, and I know the toll that they take on people: body, mind, and spirit. And, I have vowed that I will never go back; the work is sooooooo tough in so many ways. But, after reading Geoffery books Fist Stick Knife Gun, I feel the need to contact him and let him know that I want to be a part of his army. (I will contact him, but I will make sure that it is God and not my emotions that I act on.)

This is what Geoffrey stated in this book "If we are to save our children then we must become people they will look up to. Children need heroes now more than ever before because the poor children of this nation live  with monsters everyday." (P. 169). (Children need an army to rise up right NOW!)

D. Marshall is the guy with the white hat on!

This morning I thought about my friend, D. Marshall, who asked his running friends to run a half marathon with him two weeks ago. After talking to him, I realized that the race that we ran with him was his first half marathon, and he called his army to be with him as he ran this race. (His army rose, and he successfully finished the race.)

This morning I also thought about all of  the armies that I am a part of, and I thought about the people who are in my army........

There is no stopping us when our WHOLE army rises up!

Today is Easter Sunday, and we are celebrating the fact that Jesus ROSE...and that power that raised Jesus is in us, and we must use that power to build strong armies.....

Start an army and be a part of armies, because they are rising up........

Let me leave you with Tasha Cobbs doing what she do!