Good Courage...

What is courage? According to dictionary.com, courage is the quality of mind and spirit that allows an individual to face difficult situations, danger, or pain with little or no fear. For several years, I believed courage was the ability to run into a crowd of men, who hated me while swinging my fist or standing in front of an "enemy" with a gun daring them to shoot me; however, these types of behaviors are not courageous at all, they are actually acts of immaturity and foolishness. What then is it that makes an action courageous? Well thanks for asking, that is a very good question, and it is a question that I will help you to answer.

Unless you are a member a local police department, a member of the military, or a professional fighter, any act of violence must be considered nothing more than disorderly conduct and foolishness. Understandingly, we as individuals have the right to defend ourselves, our families and friends, and our property, but outside of these specific areas, violence is simply foolish and should be avoided whenever possible. Now that we have established what courage is not, we must now figure out what the word courage really means. The word courage is simply used to describe an act of bravery and determination and the willingness to face the unknown.

As a young man I had made several mistakes, some of which I was convinced I just couldn't overcome. The years of senseless violence and bad attitudes had taken a toll on me and the thought of ever becoming a useful member of society had just seemed so far away. For several years I had a dream of leaving the lifestyle I was living, attending school, and becoming a success; however, I had always succumbed to the fear of failure and the negative environment and people around me. I can even recall one of the members of my crew telling me that God will never Love me because I had done so many things wrong and that I was destined for hell; understanding, it was so hard to believe in myself when someone who claims to love me told me that God didn't love me, I felt just so low, as though I was the scum of the earth. Fear of the unknown had literally gripped me and held me bound; accepting such nonsense as fact, I never had the courage to push through the darkness in search of the light, and my life was in perpetual ruins.

However, one day, a good friend of mine asked me a question, he said “do you trust me with your life?" after answering yes, he invited me to church. After attending a few services, neither often nor enthusiastically, I slowly began to realize that there was more to life than just existing. Whether an individual chooses to believe in God or not, he or she has to arrive at a point in which there is a realization that life is bigger than the small box in which they reside spiritually, emotionally, and often physically. The stress of life was working against me, I wanted to believe there was something better; however, I was afraid, what if I had truly done so many bad things that I could not be forgiven? Again the fear of the unknown had gripped me, the agony of defeat ripped me to the core of my very existence, until one day, I reached an epiphany, and this was the verse that had caused me to realize that life is Bigger than I could ever imagine.

 Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Be strong and fear not, be of good courage, God is with you! These are the words that began to ring through me heart, mind, body, and soul, over and over again, I simply could not grab hold of the fact that God does not want me to fear failure; he wants me to face it knowing he is with me.

Honestly, my life didn't undergo some sort of amazingly drastic transformation; however, things did slowly begin to change for the better, and I was able to see much more clearly. Although at this point, I had not completely grasped everything that God had for me, I did begin to visualize a better future for myself and my family. The fear of the unknown had begun to slowly dissipate while the Love of God began to grow and flourish in my life. Fear not and be of good courage is an extremely large part of my life today as well; although I have been walking with God for quite a while now, there are still those times in which I become gripped with fear and I must remember God has instructed me to be courageous and bold. Fear is the enemy of your success, fear tells you that you cannot or you will not; however, courage is the exact opposite, and through the courage that I have been granted, I stand boldly claiming that you too can and will be a success.

Fear Not and be of Good Courage, Press Through the Darkness, Seek Out the Light...

This message is intended to encourage you to set goals and achieve them, to break through to the other side! If there is anything holding you back, break through it now, if you need help, there is someone available to help you. Although my goal is to ultimately encourage everyone to give God a chance, I am determined to help anyone and everyone realize their goals in life whether they are a believer or not, so please do not hesitate to contact me here, I am available anytime.

The Substance.....

Have you ever felt down and out? Or maybe stuck in a rut that you just could not get motivated to get out of? Well then welcome to the human experience here on earth. Over the past four to five weeks, I myself was stuck in such a rut, the pressures of this world had begun to engulf me and although I tried to fight it, I eventually succumbed to the overwhelming pressure. As a result of the pressure, my grades began to falter; my personal life became stressed and although I physically participated in regular events at church and at home, spiritually and emotionally, I was feeling completely defeated.

Overcoming this difficult time in my life was not easy, the more I pressed forward, the more pressure was placed on my shoulders, at least this is the way that I felt at the time. Daily task such as completing homework assignments, reading my bible, or even cleaning my room had simply become unbearable and my life began to spiral terribly out of control. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Well it should if you are human, life’s daily pressures have caused even the strongest of men to slip, fall, or question the meaning of life. King David of Israel made several mistakes and Peter denied Jesus three times just as Jesus had stated. Need more examples? Charlie Sheen is a very large example of someone who has succumbed to the pressures of life; however, the subject of this post is not to discuss who buckled under the pressure or why, the point is to discuss getting back up, standing on your own two feet, and pressing forward towards the finish line.

As a Christian, I constantly lean on my faith in God to get me through rough and difficult times; however, simply stating that I have faith is not enough, I must act on that faith.  Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for with the evidence of things not seen (KJV) or in simpler words Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (TNIV) Dictionary.com says this about faith; faith is the confidence or trust in a person or thing or a belief that may not be based on proof. No matter which view point is taken, or how we personally feel about the word faith, faith is simply the belief in something that at the time may not be substantiated in the physical form. That being stated, do you have faith? Do you really have faith in yourself? Do you feel like the sky isn’t the limit because you are shooting for the stars? Or do you just give up, give in, and succumb to the pressure.

What is faith, and what does it mean to us? Well that is an excellent question; perhaps we can discuss it in simple terms and by using examples. One example of faith is the trust we place in a common household chair; although we may not be carpenters, we are quite sure that when we sit in a chair, it will support our weight. Although we have no knowledge of how the chair was constructed or how it will react under the weight of our body, the faith we have in the chair supersedes any fear that may be present and we ultimately sit down in the chair KNOWING that it will support our weight. Faith is the substance of our hopes and dreams, and through faith, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish, we must simply have faith. Life is so much larger than the small box in which we live in, we go throughout our daily lives without stepping outside of our boxes, and whenever we do step outside of the box, we quickly jump back into the box due to fear. However, through faith, we can break out of these boxes and truly begin to live. Fear forced me back into the box, a fear of algebra forced me to perform poorly in both classes when all I actually needed to do was to stand fast and break through the wall of fear KNOWING that I will succeed because I have FAITH; you too can break through the wall of fear, or whatever has you bound, with FAITH.

Compassion for Life Love for Others....

According to dictionary.com, the word compassion simply means to have a feeling of deep sympathy and sorry for another who has been stricken with misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. So what does it mean to be compassionate? Well that is a good question, so once again we will refer to dictionary.com's list of definitions. According to dictionary.com, the word compassionate means to have or show compassion: as in a compassionate person or letter. The word compassion has so many meanings and implications to many different people, and if you ask one person what it means to them, and ask another individual the same question, chances are you will receive a different answer.

For me, being compassionate is something more than mere words on a page, on a screen, or thoughts in our minds, compassion and being compassionate is an action word. If we are to change our lives for the better, we have to take the necessary steps, simply saying that I plan on graduating from college will get me no where close to attaining that goal; however, if I call colleges and universities in my area, meet with staff and counselors, and take steps to enroll then I have taken the steps which will bring me to that goal. Showing love and compassion is exactly the same way, we must take the steps that transform these words on a page or computer screen to words that actually begin to show that we are compassionate and sympathetic, and that we do feel empathy for those who are hurting or in need of help.

The main theme of my blog is to encourage others to get up and chase after their dreams; however, the fact is that if the individual doesn't know and understand how to turn simple words into actions, the likelihood of attaining these dreams will be nearly impossible. Simple everyday things such as reading a book or a set of directions means nothing if the individual does not actively follow the directions or place him or herself within the pages of the book to experience what is being read. The same principles can be placed into any situation in life, we must experience everything life has to offer, both good and bad, before we can truly understand what others may be going through, and before we can truly begin to show sympathy, empathy, and compassion.

I Peter 3:8-9 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

Recently, I have had the honor and pleasure of spending time with individuals and families who are or have experienced some of the worst of what the world has to offer; however, after experiencing some of these things in my own life, I more than prepared to minister to these families, I actually felt their pain, I cried when they cried; the sadness and grief they felt, I felt right along with them because I had been there too. By the grace of God, I was able to share with them words of encouragement, comfort, and love. The point I am attempting to make is this, no matter what you have gone through, or where you have been in your life, there is a purpose behind it, and if you grab a hold of it, you can use these experiences for good instead of a hindrance, let these events be a source of encouragement for you. Last but not least, these words were written to encourage you to keep pushing, regardless of whether you believe in God or not, you must understand that life is bigger than the sadness we feel or the unfortunate event from our past, you are bigger than that bad day or that loved one who treated like less than a person keep pushing towards your goal, and please just give Jesus a chance to make himself known in your life.

Faith, Hope, and Love....

Radioactive rain drops are falling from the sky, multiple deaths in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the massive Tsunamis, Earthquakes,and aftershocks currently being experienced throughout Japan and the Pacific ring of fire, what do the all have in common? Fear, all of these events are causing fear throughout the planet Earth. Although not all of these events are man-made, all of these events can be affected by man in one way or another, through the showing of love to our brothers as the Bible instructs us, we as humans can work together to ease the pain of those in need, not sympathy, but empathy, not caring, but love.


I Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The greatest of these is Love, that is correct, the greatest of these is love. The first goal of everything that I do, write, say, or pray is to present the faith to individuals who may not know the Love of Christ Jesus; the seciond goal is to encourage people to push forward and forget the things of the past. Whether you are a believer in Christ Jesus or not, it is absolutely imperative that you know and understand that you are more important than the problems, you are better than someone's negative opinion of you, and there is more to life than living in misery.

The first step in making positive change is to understand that there is hope; that through faith all dreams are attainable. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for,and the evidence of things not seen. That is the Biblical definition of faith, but what does faith mean in the real world? When you grab that chair and sit down to have lunch, you literally have faith that the chair will hold your weight; when you are driving down the road and approach a stop sign, you have faith that the brakes will grip the rotors, and the car will stop. In life, we must have faith that we can overcome any obstacles laid down before us, in life we must have the faith and courage to press through when it appears that the world is coming against us, and that through faith we can achieve our goals.

Last year, an individual made a decision that literally changed his world; what was the decision you ask, the individual decided to go to college. Although this is a choice that several thousand individuals make every year, for this individual it is much different. The gentleman in question graduated high school in five years instead of the standard four years that most students follow, the gentleman has not taken any formal classes in over ten years, and the indivudual has a family to take care of; however, the gentleman in question has faith that with help from God, friends, and family, he can reach his goal. That individual in question is me, Fred Blackman Jr. As of today, I have not failed a class, I have acquired thirty credit hours, and I am course to graduate college just as my oldest son is graduating high school. You too can reach your goals, all it takes is Faith, Hope, and Love.......What's next?

Sometimes....

Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation, or maybe at a point in your life where you just realized that things are not going as planned, well I have, and I know these times can be very hard to handle. It has been only a few years ago that I was facing one of the most difficult points in my life, and although I will not bore you with the details, I can tell you that I was at the point of no return, and I was literally stuck between a rock and a hard place. My life had spun way out of control, and it was as though I was on the outside looking in as my life went around faster and faster and I was being thrown out of orbit.

Sometimes life can throw you an unexpected curve in the creek, and at other times, we honestly know that the path we are currently on,only leads us directly to that curve in the creek; however, it doesn't truly matter how you arrived at that point, only that you are there and must now figure out what course of action to take now. For me, the choice was right in front of my face; however, I just could not bring myself to take that leap, I was afraid that I would fall in and drown. Obviously, I am using a metaphor to describe the way I felt at the time,but literally, I had a choice to make, the easy choice that lead to points unknown, or the much more difficult path that leads to life. The Holy Bible tells us in Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it; I was literally at this point in my life, and I knew that something would have to change. Thank God for praying parents and faithful friends; although things had not gone the way I had planned, things happened in a manner that showed God's glory in His ability to change my life.

Shortly after reaching that point in my life and realizing that it was time to try the other path, things began to improve, there was a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders, I had reached an epiphany as I realized that the path I was on previously ran directly into the arms of destruction. Am I saying that you must become a Christian in order to change your life, in all honesty, I am praying that you would at least consider it, just give God a try; taste and you will see that God is good. However, the true purpose of these letters is to tell you that sometimes we make mistakes, sometimes we do bad things, sometimes our lives are just spinning out of control, but you can change, you take steps to begin a new life.

Five years ago, I would never have thought that I would be a full time college student, that I would be involved in any type of ministry, or that I would be writing a blog, tweeting, or face booking;however, here I am now, composing a blog in hopes that just one person could be changed. Set a goal, and chase it down, and then set a new goal, and chase that one down, before you know it, you will be walking down the straight and narrow path. Sometimes you just have to take the first step.

Brotherly love

In today's fast paced environment of fast food and the "I want it now" attitude, we must stop to do more than just smell the roses. The main purpose of my postings on twitter, Facebook, and even here on blogspot is to encourage others to better themselves and become the person that he or she was meant to be. Therefor, I make no attempt to hide my own faults or to place my skeletons in a closet with a lock and key, rather it is my desire to share them and discuss them openly in an effort to encourage others to change as I have.

Recently, on March 11, 2011 to be exact, I was awakened in the early hours of the morning feeling pain and agony that could not be explained;although I tried and tried to go back to sleep, I simply could not. After deciding that sleep was not an option, I grabbed my mobile phone and began reading the morning headlines, and to my horror, I discovered the events that had taken place in Japan. In my spirit, I could feel the pain of countless lives lost, and I could almost hear the voices frying out in fear of the unknown. In an instant, the lives of millions had changed, and the realization that the world would never be the same fell upon me as I began to pray.

The overwhelming need and desire to pray fell upon me all day, as I walked about completing my daily tasks as tears rolled down my face, I was asked why did I care? And I answered "these are human lives and lost souls that can never be reached" all I could do is pray. In 2 John 1:5&6, the Bible tells us that we are to Love one another; loving one another is feeling the pain of a friend losing a loved one, or lending an understanding ear to an individual who simply has too much on their mind and must let it out. To love one another is to purchase an extra two dollar deal at Taco Bell and give it to a homeless person, to love one another is to feel the hurt of an entire nation as everything changes in an instant.

The title of this blog is Brotherly Love; however, it does not simply mean to love your physical brother or family member, it means to love humanity as a whole. Within the last week, there have been earthquakes in Fiji, Chile, the Acension islands, Dominican Republic, and Ethiopia;knowing and understanding that it is impossible to physically or financially render aid to each of these areas, why don't you just send a little prayer? Brotherly love is more than just a title of a blog written by some weird guy, it is an action that has far reaching implications, Love works, Prayer works, and a simple smile can change the destiny of someone going down the wrong path.

A Fresh New Shiny Start

A few years ago when it became apparent to me that I would need to make some changes to improve my life, one of the largest and hardest obstacles to overcome was me. Sure I consumed a little alcohol, smoked a little weed, and participated in activities that were completely outside the realm of God, but these things were seemingly easy to fix compared to the pride and the guilt I held close to my heart. Pride is important, pride in who you are, pride in my Christianity for example is very important; however, just like anything else, too much pride can be dangerous both spiritually and physically.

Looking back on my life, I can clearly see how an excessive amount of pride forced me to participate in activities that were not only dangerous for myself, but for the general public as well. Street fights, bar fights, gang fights, and any other type of fight you can imagine, I participated in simply because my pride would not allow me to back down; however, even pride could not stand up against the need and the desire to make changes in my life and I was able to put pride in its place, but the guilt of my actions was more than I could bare. Guilt is a funny thing, it is almost like being insane, you know you feel guilty for whatever it was that you did, but then in an attempt to overcome the guilt, you do something else that  you will feel guilty about later, at least that is how it worked for me anyway.

The problem is that we condemn ourselves mentally for the mistakes that we have made, the sins we have committed, or the failures in our lives; however, Jesus himself tells us in John chapter 8. In consideration of time and to make a point, I will paraphrase the story, but feel free to read it for your self. There was a young woman who had been accused of adultery, in those days, anyone who committed the  sin of adultery was to be stoned to death. A group of men presented the woman to Jesus and asked him what should be done with the woman; however, Jesus did not immediately answer them. Jesus then began to write in the dirt, when the group of men asked again, Jesus stood up and said "He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her" at that point, the men began to leave, and Jesus spoke again, this time to the young woman "Where are your condemners?" the woman answered "no one is here" and Jesus said to her "neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more". The premise of the story told in John chapter 8 is quite simple,  if Jesus himself will not condemn you for past failures, why then do you condemn yourself.

There is no one alive on the face of the Earth that has not made a mistake, failed at something, or is guilty of something; however, the question is will it destroy you, will you be defeated by guilt, or will you find the strength to overcome whatever it is that is holding you back. My faith in God has given me a fresh and shiny new start in life, and a little faith can do the same for you. Do not allow a mistake to hold you back from attaining the best that life has to offer you, the plans you have made are reachable, you just have to let go of your pain and failures and let God deal with them for you. Will it be easy?, no of course not, but if you put one foot in front of the other and take it one step at a time, you too can have a fresh and shiny new start in life.