Ball Don't Lie!

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Ball Don't Lie!

March 01, 2010 Bloggies by Ken McCardell Edit

"Ball Don’t Lie!”
 
Some people may not understand that phrase. Others may think it’s just some foolish basketball jargon. And opposing fans around the NBA may think it’s the only sentence that Rasheed Wallace knows how to put together.

But 'Sheed’s favorite three words are more than just a simple taunt used on the hardwood court; they’re really a philosophy of life. The ball doesn’t lie.

For those who are unfamiliar with this phrase I’ll explain. In basketball if players get too physical with each other while jostling for position or trying to block a shot then fouls can get called. And if a player gets fouled he often gets the chance to shoot “free-throws” which are a pretty easy way to score points.

Now, on the court, Rasheed rarely likes to admit that he’s done something wrong. So when he gets called for a foul and somebody is shooting free-throws then one thing is guaranteed. If the player misses one of their easy free-throws Rasheed is sure to proudly yell out, “Ball don’t lie!”

In his mind since the other player didn’t get the easy points then that proves Rasheed hadn’t done anything wrong. It also shows that the other player hadn’t earned any points or reward. Things went the way they were supposed to no matter what the official on the basketball court or anyone else said.

And that’s the same in life. If you keep moving ahead every day you’re sure to have some long climbs up hills and you’re sure to have to travel through some very low places. But in the end you’ll reap the rewards for your efforts.

“You reap what you sow.”

“Ball don’t lie.”

Those two phrases go hand in hand.

Now let’s be clear, when a person “sows” they are planting seeds. And when a person “reaps” they are collecting what they’ve planted and grown. But if a person doesn’t plant quality seeds then they shouldn’t expect to grow anything that can sustain or nourish them. If they don’t put anything good into the ground they won’t get anything good out of it.

There are so many ways to say the same thing but still many people don’t get it. I grew up with the phrase, “You are what you eat.” That phrase was said simply enough to sink right into my head and provide very clear pictures while doing it. I knew if all I ate was gum that gum is all my body would have to feed on, which would mean that pretty soon my body wouldn’t be doing so well. And as a child I wondered if this meant that someone would be able to pop me like a big, Bubblicious bubble.

Now as easily as the “You are what you eat” phrase made a concept clear to me it didn’t work for everyone. And with fast-food restaurants polluting the landscape of our country there are still some people who wonder why health-care costs are sky-rocketing.  Unhealthy lifestyles and costly doctor trips are correlative. But until people figure this out insurance costs will never have any reduction of substance.

Then there are people that spend quite a bit of their time at their local watering-hole or possibly a nearby casino. Or maybe they prefer to sit at home and watch TV. Whichever the case may be, if too much time is spent like that then they shouldn’t be surprised when life hasn’t taken them to the fabulous places they’ve seen on TV.

You reap what you sow. And time on the couch doesn’t produce much to reap.

But that’s just what I think. What about you?

kenneth w.
My Online Interview: Today (Friday, Feb. 19th) at 5:45pm

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My Online Interview: Today (Friday, Feb. 19th) at 5:45pm

February 19, 2010 Bloggies by Ken McCardell Edit

To Watch this Interview, Click the Following:  Ken McCardell on Living Saved with Rev. Kerrene

 

 

If you don't know me or you don't know what my company BibleRhymes is up to then you can hear me in an online interview later today. And even if you know me, most likely you don't know what's happened over the last couple days.

A couple of people are interested in joining the BibleRhymes team. And it may very well be that you've seen their work before in movies or TV shows or books. I'm actually kind of in shock about it and I'll explain why during the interview.

A local Reverend in a city not too far away has invited me to visit her for her show that's called Living Saved with Reverend Kerrene.

The show starts at 5:45pm and lasts for an hour.

You can watch the show by going here: http://livingsavedwithrevkerrene.com/media.html

Feel like asking me some questions? You can call in to the show at (646) 478-5942.

Now it's time for me to get some sleep so I can actually make sense during the interview.

If you're sleeping now I hope it's in a cozy bed surrounded by angels.

If you're up right now I hope you send someone close to you a note and tell them how much they mean.

And until next time...

kenneth w.


www.BibleRhymes.com

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Tidal Wave of Love - Pursuing Happiness

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Tidal Wave of Love - Pursuing Happiness

February 17, 2010 Bloggies by Ken McCardell Edit

I’ll start today’s writing with some scripture.

 
“The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (KJV Luke 17: 20, 21)
 
That short quote from Jesus can simplify the pursuit of a peaceful life in a substantial fashion.
 
Accomplishing things in life happens not by waiting, watching and hoping; rather by doing. This is true whether you’re trying to find God, do well in bowling, grow a quality garden, or whatever the case may be…
 
On one hand watching is definitely important. Oftentimes observation (with eyes and ears) is a key to learning and gaining insight to knowledge. But on the other hand, being able to watch someone bowl a perfect game is far different from being able to bowl one yourself.
 
Even if you’re trying to grow a garden, you can take the first step and plant the seeds but if after that all you’re planning on doing is watching then you won’t end up with a very productive garden. You have to weed gardens, trim growth, and bend branches to allow more sun penetration … and on and on.
 
Such is true in the pursuit of God as well.
 
Parents can (and should) plant the seeds of spirituality into their children. But if after that the parents just stand back and watch, chances are that not much good will come of it. Children are curious souls and often wander off of the paths that they’ve been set on. Good parents keep their ever-watching and loving eyes focused on their young ones to make sure that they don’t stray too far from the desired pathway.
 
An undisciplined child is like hair that has never been cut or combed or nails that have never been trimmed or a garden that has never been weeded. There is so much potential but without constant grooming and attention the child will get out of control.
 
Adults are not much different than children in this regard. Without spiritual maintenance our engines break down and our spirits as well as our lives can become unmanageable and unenjoyable. But getting close to God and having spiritual maintenance performed isn’t a difficult task. You don’t have to call anywhere and try to set up an appointment to fit your schedule. Wherever you are, whatever time it is, you can close your eyes and find God within yourself.
 
He made you. You’re a breathing piece of Him. You are forever conjoined with Him (if only you allow it). He made you. He loves you. And because of this He also made true happiness and the kingdom of God easily accessible.
 
If you see someone that is bubbling over with happiness and contentment you need not say, “I want what they have.” Each of us has the ability to be filled with happiness if we open ourselves up to the Lord and invite good spirits to surround us. But inviting the Lord into your daily life is only the second step (recognizing that you need to do this is the first step). If you’ve reached this point though, now it’s time for the “doing.”
 
You don’t have to look for heaven, it’s within you; and it’s just waiting for you to recognize that. We have to engage heaven. We have to be a part of it. Bystanders just won’t do.
 
We can make our own portions of this world a heaven on earth. By doing good things and affecting society in a positive way you can not only start feeling but also seeing a glimpse of heaven. Good spirits not only from the other world but also from this one will come to your side (after awhile they won’t even need to be invited because your persona will become magnetizing).
 
Pretty soon it will feel like a tidal wave is crashing down on you. Except this wave will crash down on you with feelings of love and leave you awash with contentment. This is one wave that you won’t mind drowning under.
 
Yes, the kingdom of God is within you. And it can be all around you too.
 
kenneth w.

 

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You're On Display

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You're On Display

February 16, 2010 Bloggies by Ken McCardell Edit

There is an attitude that I’m sure each of you is familiar with. You may even be the proud owner of it sometimes. This attitude is a feeling of not caring what anyone else in the world thinks about you.
 
To be honest that’s an attitude I need to have every day. Otherwise I might not feel that I’m “cool” enough because instead of going to clubs or some fancy place at night I’m usually sitting somewhere writing a rhyme. And often I’m writing religious rhymes for kids which is definitely not something most “cool” people would readily admit to.
 
But I figure as long as I can look God in the face then I don’t care what anyone else says or thinks about me. If I can look Him straight in the eyes, that’d be cool enough for me.
 
And if I lived in a bubble, alone somewhere, then it wouldn’t matter what anyone else thought of me. Yet a benefit and a detriment of living in a world such as ours is that everything we do, no matter how small, has an impact on others.
 
Even a two second glance can make a difference in another person’s day. If I’m in my car stopped at a red light and frustrated because something in my life has gone awry, and I glance over with an angry expression at the person stopped next to me then I very well may have given them some kind of bad feelings without giving it a second thought.
 
But I’m giving it thought right now because every place I venture I want to bring with me an aura of sunshine. I want to display all of the best traits I can possibly muster. Not just for my own sake of being a happy man but to hopefully inspire or incite others to do the same. And with that I’m hoping for some kind of domino effect with people across the globe reaching inside themselves to pull out their best.
 
Now some people may think this could mean I put on an act by pretending like I never have a bad day. But here’s the truth of it; I’ll let you in on a little secret…
 
I’ve been grumpy before. I even thought I was going to have a bad day before. And to be perfectly honest years ago I did have a bad day, possibly even two. But it’s been a long time since that happened.
 
What’s been my cure? Faith.
 
I’m not saying I’m Superman or that I have a permanent shield against difficulty in my life. But if I allowed the Lord control of my spirit one-hundred percent of the time then my shield would be permanent.
 
Again, I haven’t had a bad day in a long, long time; but I have had a rough five or ten minutes. And as far as I’m concerned five minutes is way too long to wallow in misery or negativity of any form.
 
If we ask for God’s strength and assistance then we can control our thoughts. And if we use this control then we can push away any type of deleterious thoughts (whether impure or angry or jealous, etc…) that could’ve ever slipped into our brains. And if we push away all of these negative thoughts then what do we have left?
 
Happiness and hope, confidence and peace…
 
It’s easy to see people who’ve reached that level in life. They don’t walk around holding neon signs or basketball-size magnets yet others are still drawn to them. Instead of neon signs their happiness flashes incessantly. And their hope breathes life into the most worn out of souls.
 
These people are displaying the best they have to offer. And the best they have to offer seems so wonderful because it is simply a reflection of God.
 
People are simple creatures too. Often we see things that look good and become inspired to follow suit in our own fashion. How you display yourself to the world could be the inspiration someone else has been looking for their whole life. And that’s why we have to care what other people think about us or how they view us.
 
Our actions are not solely our actions. Whether we like it or not, whether we chose it or not, we are part of something much bigger than any one of us. Our actions, our “displays” can have exponential effects on countless people in positive or negative ways.
 
Now whether we want to have a positive or negative impact on the world is something we are able to choose. And it’s something only we can choose. But if we don’t choose to bring the world something positive every day then instead, by default, we will be choosing to bring something negative.
 
kenneth w.
Beacons of Light

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Beacons of Light

February 15, 2010 Bloggies by Ken McCardell Edit

When someone turns on a light an area will become illuminated. If they turn on a light in their home a room will illuminate, chasing away the darkness. And if a mental light gets turned on then their mind will be illuminated.

                                                                                                     
People have obviously figured out how to turn on light-switches and street-lights. Large cities across the globe shine in the night because people understand how to generate electricity. Now whose responsibility is it to turn on the mental lights? Who will ensure that the light of truth will be seen?
 
This is not a governmental responsibility; not only is it far beyond their capabilities, oftentimes it wouldn’t even seem in their best interests. Illuminating with truth can’t even fall on the shoulders of religious leaders. Heads of many organizations can be too involved with policy or administrative duties to actually spend the proper amount of time turning on mental lights around the world.
 
What good leaders can do is shine a light of truth in their area. Then it is up to everyone these leaders have come in contact with to absorb that truth and become their own beacon of light. Switch by switch, person by person, streets then neighborhoods then cities and states can all start shining … with spiritual truths.
 
There are many people that go to church on Sundays. There are many others that don’t go to church but still feel they have a strong relationship with God. And out of these people a large number of them you’d never know they had any religious beliefs unless you pried that information out of them.
 
Religious beliefs stay indiscernible for a myriad of reasons. There are a plethora of bad habits or untoward behaviors that people exhibit which could well overshadow anyone’s professed belief in a higher power. And even if a person with these bad behaviors were familiar with goodly truths and spoke about them, the truths would likely be received with raised eyebrows and skepticism rather than open ears and hearts. The light of truth can be blotted out by undesirable actions or lifestyles.
 
This has always been a problem for different religious groups. Who’s going to listen to Muhammad when people that claim to be his messengers blindly slaughter innocent civilians? Who’s going to listen to Jesus when people that claim to be his messengers line up at funerals remorselessly displaying signs that say, “God hates fags!”
 
God doesn’t hate anyone. And God doesn’t approve of killing anybody in His name.
 
But God does need maintenance workers here on earth; He needs more lights working. Some lights that were shining brightly have dimmed. Other lights that could be shining just haven’t been turned on yet.
 
With different pastors or fathers of various churches getting in trouble for indiscretions not only have some lights been turned off but a multitude of others have short-circuited. Now work needs to be done to bring the Lord’s truth back to the world. His truth needs to be polished and presented with the clarity and love it was shared with when Jesus walked on earth.
 
The truth can be shared with simple ideas of love and sharing and caring for others. If you can represent the Lord by showcasing His truth in these forms then you’ll be one of the many beacons of light the world is in dire need of. And when your light starts shining you may just brighten up your neighborhood enough that someone else will be able to see the truth clearly enough to absorb it. Then their light will shine; and on and on.
 
So do your part. Polish yourself. Plug yourself in. Read the Bible. Do whatever you need to so you can make yourself shine. Because whether you realize it or not, there are a whole lot of people counting on you.
 
Including me…
 
kenneth w.

 
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