Kwesi Speaks

This is an interview with my sister from another mister. We go back to the mid 90s, and were blessed to minister together in Joyful Noise and Total Praise. She recently wrote a book titled “Graced.”

I met Mr. Jeremy Durm some years ago at church. At that time, I did not know that we shared musical interests. As we have grown, things have come full circle, as you will hear in this candid conversation.

Ms. Barclay graciously agreed to give me an exclusive interview on the eve of the release of her sophomore poetry project. Preorder is available on Instagram @emekawrites.

Despite the stereotypes that I do not fit, I am not an anomaly. When Elijah hid and whines to God that he alone was serving God, God told him that there were at least 7000 that had not bowed Baal. I’m not the only black man that loves God and family, and that dresses appropriately on occasion. I Am A Child of God!

I remember coming to my wits end at failing to fill this guys shoes, and openly declared that “I AM NOT CHRIS!” I needed myself to hear me say it, so that I could take the pressure of being him off of me. I have since matured and happy to share our candid conversation.

This guy is the epitome of great friend. I had to get him on and pour words of encouragement on and into him.

Phillip is on fire for God and it is infectious! His schedule is jam packed with service! My first impression was that he was an extremely nice guy with a kind heart; I wasn’t wrong. Here are links to connect with him: Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edgelife7/id1493405279?i=1000475350406 Instagram: @_phillipedge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inspiremePhillip/ Twitter: @therealpedge Website: http://www.phillipedge.org

These interviews have revealed to me how strong of a team that I am affiliated with. They aren’t just busy, but they are busy invoking change in people’s lives. Paul is naturally funny and has an infectious personality. I hope you enjoy the interview.

Delighted to share this interview with my friend and brother Larry Cothran. The interview does have a brief technical issue; however, the information was so good, that I did not want to risk losing it.

Charles Webb, at one point, was the youngest Professor on the campus of Alabama A&M University. Students were flocking to his class because of his unique ability to teach Math. He trains dogs, has an amazing family, and he and I talked music for two hours after this interview. He is an extremely kind gentleman.

I met Mr. Brett Johnson while we were both on assignment at McNair Junior High. It was the first year of two rivalry schools being merged together. Brett was teaching and I was mentoring. His ability to maintain his cool amidst it all was nothing short of miraculous. We get a chance to reflect on those days, his life, and one of our former students that was murdered.

This is the first episode of “The Nice Guy Series.” Due to the current climate in the U.S. stemming from the recent murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota, our conversation became very therapeutic dialogue from one nice guy to the other.

Quarantine was more than enough time to plan your next move. What is the current hold up? If you say that it’s money today, you’re always going to make that excuse.

I’ve read the Preamble and can’t help but recognize the ambiguity of the objectives that are listed in it. The objectives are relative! As long as we constantly compare the present to Colonial times, things look pretty good. What the Governed actually meant by establishing a new government is written in the Declaration of Independence: “...., Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - - That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.” By the time we get to the Constitution, those objectives are liquid and take on various shapes depending on who the plaintiff and defendant are. Ahmaud Arbery was murdered and the law is seemingly hesitant to respond properly. We must not render evil for evil. The justice that the Preamble promises is relative, therefore I expect a certain outcome. The government is no different from all social institutions; it should not be trusted. Mark 12:17 says, And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. I owe Caesar taxes, but I owe God my trust.

COVID-19 has caused people all over the world to rethink what we have called necessity. At the same time, many will return to the old norm and continue existing. Settle yourselves and enjoy the presence of your families.

We often self diagnose OCD as if it is a light thing. The truth of the matter is that it can be quite debilitating. Here I read a definition and talk about how insistence on kindness is a great obsession. Just help out!

Losing Kobe was like losing a relative. I can honestly say that losing Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, and Kobe, hit me almost the same. Others however, used the time to rehash his past, like the others that I mentioned. We root these people on as they entertain us, but call for their heads when their humanity shows up.

A lot of the opposition to Christianity is against those practicing it. I mean the idea of a person taking on God’s wrath for all of humanity and purchasing their freedom is a wonderful story of redemption. On top of that, in dying, he (Christ) left a flawless guide (Holy Spirit) to provide humanity assistance with managing life on Earth. We are flawed! Some of our interpretations are flawed, and some of our perspectives just jacked! The weight lifted off of me the day that I accepted my flaws, and Christ as my help to overcome them. I am but a vessel!

On October 31st, 2017, I started the journey towards the successful completion of the John Maxwell Speaker Training Track. I am proud to say that I have successfully completed the training, and now a Certified Member of Team Maxwell. I didn’t bleed or cry along the way, but definitely sweated some! Thanks for the prayers and the seeds sown in order to make this dream a reality!

I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a time where people were more starved for attention than now. We eagerly post and wait for alerts from those that we are sure will respond. To post a rant or vent online is a disrespect to the people that you confide in the most. Instead we take a shot at inviting everyone to our pity parties, with hopes of having our problems solved. Nothing could be more inhuman. The machine is not going to help you because it is soulless.

Sure I have an opinion about the apathy by which celebrities are judged. We fall down but we get up oftentimes without people knowing. It’s the reason some people fall so frequently. Until you know the pressure of being none worldwide, every move being recorded, faith on the big screen regularly, fall back with the judgement.

With the amount of internal battles that people face on a daily basis, it is a wonder that they find time to critically analyze other people. Some of us will never know the struggle of maintaining a godly standard on and off camera. Those that do are not privy to simply asking for forgiveness and moving on; the media will not allow them to move on. We must not side with the voices that condemn.

I am an equal opportunist when it comes to defending my family. A person that attempts to put their hands on my wife or children could be green, but still catch these holy hands. What I have found out is that stereotypes and predispositions are rooted in distrust. The distrust can be so severe, that people pass it along to their children. In order to heal the hurt of these painful past experiences, one must identify the error of saying “all” when referring to any ethnic group, nationality, even generation. Making yourself available to dialogue will prove that humans really are an eclectic bunch.

I don’t care if it’s by way of commission or omission, we will all reap! We are never surprised when openly/deliberately mean people get what was coming to them. We just pass it off as them “getting what they deserve.” What about these closet and secretly evil folks? Those that avoid confrontation so they just learn to smile and wave? Whether you do it in secret or in the open, You and I will reap every word and/or action-both good and bad.

Imagine living in a place where words like “freedom” are really only catch words, that may come with ridicule. That’s right! Only in Democratic societies are people’s mental capacities questioned when they think for themselves. The Matrix is easily one of my favorite films because of the message. Today you can take the blue pill and forget that I ever mentioned how anti-freedom it is to ridicule the out-of-the-box thinker, or take the red pill and mind your own freakin beeswax!!! LOL!

Weird as a noun means “A person’s destiny.” Choose to embrace those authentic components of your makeup. Weird is in style!!

I confess to spending 16 hours on my phone, on games last week. I could have built a time machine or even built a house in that amount of time! No seriously! We are trading research for sound bytes and punchlines, even Pokémon for healthy dialogue. I’m not against Pokémon, I’m against the use of Pokémon or games as replacement for wholesome quality time with other humans. We have become some freakin’ Zombies folks! Not brain eating, mindless carcasses, but time wasting, apathetic bodies taking up space. As Ice Cube once said “ You betta check yo self before you wreck yo self!”

Racism as a whole is here to stay! However, lording over it is only possible through the help of Jesus! Like it is going to take a miracle to uproot the evil that goes back generations.

Have we really grown so shallow as a people that we think we can determine a person’s wealth by what they wear, drive, and/or where they live? Honestly, we commonly hear people proclaim or declare a person to be rich based on possessions. When really, unless you’ve seen their portfolios, you really don’t know. If posting it under the false pretense of “I’m not boasting; I’m just encouraging!” floats your boat, float on. However, if each person considers their own happiness, and living their own best life as the priority, using themselves as the measuring stick will never happen.

It is easy to be merciless when you feel that you’re untouchable, like trouble will never arrive at your doorstep by way of false or true accusations. If you sow mercy, you will also reap it. If you choose the mean and apathetic route, avoid long scripture filled rants about forgiveness and mercy.

I hope the world is flooded with churches, the same way it is flooded with a variation of all other types of things. Who decided that a church’s effectiveness should be determined by the number of people that attend? I’m pro-church, and believe that if people like where they go, leave them alone!

A child doesn’t owe their parents for life, just because they are here. I mean, no child sent a request to be here. However, when a parent works to create a legacy, guiding the child through the ends and outs, it is then that child’s responsibility to carry that legacy forward.

“The Blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” So that we’re clear, there are more than Christians misusing and misquoting. For every person that ever used the statement about blood being thicker than water, to gain some type of advantage over someone, shame on you. It plays into my ongoing skepticism of our ability to establish justice in social institutions, without taking on a religious/spiritual perspective. Families generally esteem the words of matriarchs and patriarchs higher than God, and quickly blame him for their demise. How can we trust the justice of families with the amount of secrets that many hold, and suffer in silence. The blood that is shed with brothers and sisters in the trenches often creates deeper and more meaningful bonds than relatives. I need you to know that it’s okay; you are not a bad person for acknowledging the truth of your situation. From henceforth, govern yourselves accordingly.

I know you want to believe that you have the best friend in the world, and that the feeling is mutual. However, what would you do if you found out that you weren’t the best friend? It happened to me, and to be honest I was a bit hurt. Prior to hearing it, it was all speculation anyway. While the unknown worked perfectly fine for me, the reality of hearing the other person’s thoughts, forced me to consider the silliness of wasting energy over it. If you are married, thank God for sending you your best friend. Be blessed!

GoFundMe does not take the place of having life insurance. Some people have zero established relationships with financially well families, thus the gamble of using GoFundMe as life insurance. The lack of trust for insurance companies caused a hesitation in me, but was soon overcome by my sister-in-laws new career as a New York Life agent. I trust her and in that premise took out a life insurance policy on myself. The sense of pride that I felt after the physical examination was quickly disrupted by the concern for people who won’t pass the physical exam or be able to afford premiums due to their current economic status. We must get and stay healthy, and we must have health and life insurance. For more info contact: lgarner@ft.newyorklife.com

I did not do the study, but I certainly believe there’s something to the impact of the touch. If it is natural and pure, it will be received as such. As the song says, “Reach our and touch somebody’s hand; make this world a better place, if you can.”

These are the confessions of a delivered “Butthole!” I thought that I had every right to be one, but in hindsight I was only making everyone around me pay for someone else’s wrongdoing. This is an open apology and a little assistance to people that are currently suffering with this “itis.”

I grew up from grades 7-11 in what our city refers to as “tha hood.” The catch phrase that people are often allowed to get away with is referring to “tha hood” as urban. Urban actually denotes location not socioeconomic status. However, being new to the area and not fully understanding the code of the street made acclimation extremely challenging. The fear and anxiety that I already possessed was only fed there. In these bars I liken the results to those of our servicemen and women. Imagine a child growing immune to gunshots, profanity, and lasciviousness. Chances are, unless the pattern is disrupted it will continue with no end.

The first episode was so therapeutic that I had to follow up. Here I am at age 44 still trying to piece through parts of a childhood that I tried so desperately to forget. I am in no way attempting to demean or minimize the trauma that is faced by our servicemen and women; however, a stepparent can create the type of tumultuous household environment, that will leave both physical and mental scars similar to PTSD. I lived to tell it, and overcoming it daily.

I do not know what it feels like to be a stepparent, but I know what it feels like to be a stepchild. Studies show that stepchildren are more susceptible to mental health issues as well as bullying. I have had great stepparents that taught me life issues with love. On the flip side, I have lived in terror! I can empathize for those that suffer in silence. As Usher says “These are my confessions!”

I remember watching some music awards show, and thinking how crazy it was for people to thank God for the inspiration behind profane lyrics. I did not realize how judgmental that I was being. The fact of the matter is, Every good and perfect gift comes from God.- James 1:17. The responsibility of the recipient is to say thank you. Thank you should be more than words; the gift should also be used to help others. The guys that I heard were no doubt a blessing to their families and friends. Who was I to judge their relationship with God? What could I gain from judgement? Would God be pleased with me attempting to take his grace and withdraw it from someone?

There is a fighter in all of us. When we live amongst average people, we without thinking, adjust our example to our opponents. Take back the fight for greatness!!

None of this is new, and I’m not knocking current artist. I am suggesting that mainstream hip hop culture does not reflect style or fashion that was created by the communities that it strongly influences. Listen as I explain. Lyrics: Pay attention to hip hops many directions you’ll see that the mainstream reflects some other culture’s trajection Can you imagine Tupac wearing nail polish Or Biggie Smalls in skinny jeans at an all white party I know the picture flashed and it quickly disgusted you Unless you’re wearing skinny jeans and sporting nail polish too My problem is not merely with the fashion It’s that we easily put it on before we’re asking Like does this hand sign mean I’m ok And why are guys in red looking angry and running up on me Or cats C-walking cause they saw Dub C Or sporting blue rags saying that you’re paying homage to Nipsey Be aware of the social constructs Cause slipping and using the N word can get ya head bust Busted or burst either or it’s all worst Live in fear to sell an album just a way to quench a thirst A gator hey Slow sipping hater aid In my neighborhood sucka ducks were always catching fades Like it must have been the clippers frontin like you’re brave but you ain’t Chipper Bad biz from following the Jones And the OGs on the block would send you home Scuffed on the elbows And punched in both eyes that’s why I think the L bows One of the OGs gave me a throat punch I thought we were slap boxing and didn’t expect to get punched But they raised me to be independent We were passed the wack fashion real heads Just rescinded Sent back to the sender Posted a note that said I’m owed 50 cents forward to the vendor We just some window shoppers Have contemplating the truth of an Illuminati got me reaching for the chopper The black hawk is down And Mr. Dominque Wilkins deserves to sit down Human highlight reels Better than Shaquille O’Neal in steel Number one bound Don’t like germs EU So instead I’m giving out pounds

Motivation to get busy living!

I am an educator in the Public School System; however I do not trust the system to fairly educate my child. The school system and parents should be a team, with the child’s development being the priority. When a child fabricates or truthfully communicates a situation where they have been spoken to in a condescending manner, parents rarely miss a pop up visit. The same parent will allow an entire school year to nearly pass before inquiring about failing grades.

I am not a fan of religion, but active in my church. Religion identifies problems with the relationship between mankind and God. Without Him we fall short often. I do not trust people, without the influence of Christ, to exercise justice. Any good or justice in this world, is a result of God’s presence in it.

These are people worth knowing: Lance Bailey (Word Sumo), Ronald Rawls, Kelvin Wooten (wu10), Brian Lyles, Nakita Jackson, Detrick Redding, Jamel Strong, and Ruben Studdard

As a Christian I stepped into love with a perfect person named Jesus Christ. All that he was is what I aspire to be. The evil of men are of no surprise; therefore, the templated responses to calamity without a call to reaction are futile.

The giving of alms should be done in secret. I mean isn’t the point to try to protect the dignity of the receiver? When you give alms is the point to please men that are looking? Or to please God?

Get off of the wall of do nothing and allow the narrative of the life of Christ to dictate your every move!

If you refuse to be you, someone else will gladly do it.