I always write down ten things I've learned each year around my birthday. Here goes:
1. "I'm sorry" only works when the action that you are sorry for is not repeated.
2. Stubborness can be a virtue if used for the right reasons.
3. It is a crime to keep your mouth shut if others are using theirs to badly influence the future.
4. It doesn't take guts to ensure that justice is done. It takes determination not to accept less than what is just.
5. Memories are there to be shared. Others never know what you meant to them until they know the things that you remember about their past with them.
6. God does His best work when you trust Him completely with your problems.
7. When you stand for righteousness, God always has your back.
8. You will never BE the person you want to be until you decide to ACT like the person you want to be.
9. Forgiveness sets you free to be yourself. Humbleness helps you stay that way.
10. If you can't be grateful for what you already have, you will never achieve all you desire.
Shonda Ponder
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
My Birthday
Today is my birthday. It brings back memories of a lived life:
I was fixing to turn 12 years old. I had moved in with my dad about a month before, and I was in the 6th grade. I had never had a surprise birthday party. My dad hadn't been there for most of my birthdays before, so he was surprised to hear that I had never had one. On my birthday, it was a normal school day.
I loved my new school. I had made everyone my friends (which was REALLY new for me...) and had started going to church a couple of blocks from my house, also. My class only had about 14 kids in it. Our school was so small that we were in the same classroom with the 5th graders, with the same homeroom teacher who taught in 30 minutes intervals to each class, so while one had class, the other had study period. I loved all my new friends and classmates.
As kids used to do, we passed notes around during study period. Today, there was a lot of notepassing going on. My friend, Rosa Edwards (Jones) was giving me note after note to pass to different people. Being all honest and filled with integrity, I never read any of them before I passed them along. After school, when I got home, everyone in my class was waiting for me with a big "SURPRISE!!!" I was so taken.
I was even more taken when Rosa informed me that I had passed out my own invitations!
I was fixing to turn 12 years old. I had moved in with my dad about a month before, and I was in the 6th grade. I had never had a surprise birthday party. My dad hadn't been there for most of my birthdays before, so he was surprised to hear that I had never had one. On my birthday, it was a normal school day.
I loved my new school. I had made everyone my friends (which was REALLY new for me...) and had started going to church a couple of blocks from my house, also. My class only had about 14 kids in it. Our school was so small that we were in the same classroom with the 5th graders, with the same homeroom teacher who taught in 30 minutes intervals to each class, so while one had class, the other had study period. I loved all my new friends and classmates.
As kids used to do, we passed notes around during study period. Today, there was a lot of notepassing going on. My friend, Rosa Edwards (Jones) was giving me note after note to pass to different people. Being all honest and filled with integrity, I never read any of them before I passed them along. After school, when I got home, everyone in my class was waiting for me with a big "SURPRISE!!!" I was so taken.
I was even more taken when Rosa informed me that I had passed out my own invitations!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Obama's Racists
Today at work I fell victim to Obama's racists. As we were getting ready to open the doors, one of the girls on the line was loudly proclaiming to everyone that they should vote for Obama. Well, since she was voicing her opinion, I felt it was safe to voice mine.
My response was, "If you vote for Obama you are a fool." Mind you, all the girls (at least seven of them) were black. I was white. In my workplace, I am a BIG minority.
She said I didn't have a right to call her a fool for voting for Obama. I told her it was foolish to vote for Obama, again, and said, "and that is how I feel. That is my opinion. In my opinion, he is a treasonous coward and a traitor to our country after what happened in Benghazi." She said, very loudly, "and I don't have a right to my opinion?" I said, "No one is taking away your right to an opinion, but if you can state your opinion then I can state mine."
Then she got volatile and called me "White trailer trash" to which I got volatile and called her racist while she was threatening, with all of her friends there to gang up on my "white trailer trash a**"
I said, "I hope you do"...and I didn't back down. I went off on her about her racist remarks and said that she cannot expect to be permitted to call me such without me calling her things I didn't say. What she was doing now was crossing the line between having an opinion into committing a hate crime.
I went to the back of the restaurant near the office and she met me there and got in my face. I forgot what she said, but I told her again how I was not going to tolerate her using hateful speech toward me that I couldn't use against her and I was two inches from her nose, looking UP at her. (She's a BIG TALL girl)
At that point, my boss came out and told us both to clock out and go home. I did so, with the determination that I did not want to work in a place where I am forced to hear other's opinions without being allowed to state my own, nor do I wish to be bullied or have racist remarks forced upon me that I do not use on other people.
The next morning:
I got to work about 9:15 and clock in. I just non-chalantly go to work. Then, Richard calls me to the office. He wasn't there yesterday when Bryce sent us home. He came in later yesterday afternoon.
I went to the office and he asked me, "What are you doing?"
I said, "Working. why?"
He said, "You don't work here anymore. Bryce said you called in yesterday and quit."
I said, "That is a lie. I did not call in, I was already here. And, I didn't quit, he sent me home, and I can prove it." I went and got my time card to show him.
Richard said, "Well, you don't work here anymore."
I said, "Does Latonya still work here?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Then so do I. Excuse me, I have work to do."
He said, "You will leave or I will have you removed."
I said, "Then I will sue your ass for discrimination. Either you fire her or I am not leaving."
He wouldn't tell me he would fire her so I told him, "Then do what you have to do. I won't leave peacefully until I know she is gone too."
I told him what happened and why I had to leave. I also made it a point to let him know that I didn't leave yesterday until I knew she left, too.
Then I told him I was not leaving until I knew she was fired too.
He said, again, that I should leave before he calls the cops. If I could have reached the phone I would have handed it to him. I pointed at it and told him, "Call the cops." Then I went back to work.
A few minutes later, one of the girls, who was there yesterday during all the yelling, came to me and said, "The cops are here, Shonda."
I said, "Good. They can come and get me." I kept working.
I was halfway done with my duties when Richard called me to the office.
The cops just looked at me and said, "We were asked to escort you out of the building."
I said, "You do what you have to do, but I'm not leaving until I know Latonya is fired, too."
They said, "That is none of our business."
So I asked Richard, "Is she fired?"
He said, "None of your business."
I said, "Oh, but it is. I am being discriminated against if she isn't being fired to. I want justice."
For about fifteen minutes we went back and forth over whether I was going to leave peacefully, whether or not it was any of my business if she was fired, or whether or not they would arrest me.
I told them, "Do what you have to do. But, if you don't arrest me, what can I do to make justice happen?"
They told me to go and talk to Judge Hadaway because it is a civil matter. They said he would tell me what to do from there. As I was speaking to the police about this, Richard finally said, "I have decided that I WILL take action against Latonya."
So I agreed to leave peacefully; and, Richard had me banned from the property.
I have decided I am going to talk to Judge Hadaway, anyway, to find out what I need to do if such action ISN'T taken care of.
My response was, "If you vote for Obama you are a fool." Mind you, all the girls (at least seven of them) were black. I was white. In my workplace, I am a BIG minority.
She said I didn't have a right to call her a fool for voting for Obama. I told her it was foolish to vote for Obama, again, and said, "and that is how I feel. That is my opinion. In my opinion, he is a treasonous coward and a traitor to our country after what happened in Benghazi." She said, very loudly, "and I don't have a right to my opinion?" I said, "No one is taking away your right to an opinion, but if you can state your opinion then I can state mine."
Then she got volatile and called me "White trailer trash" to which I got volatile and called her racist while she was threatening, with all of her friends there to gang up on my "white trailer trash a**"
I said, "I hope you do"...and I didn't back down. I went off on her about her racist remarks and said that she cannot expect to be permitted to call me such without me calling her things I didn't say. What she was doing now was crossing the line between having an opinion into committing a hate crime.
I went to the back of the restaurant near the office and she met me there and got in my face. I forgot what she said, but I told her again how I was not going to tolerate her using hateful speech toward me that I couldn't use against her and I was two inches from her nose, looking UP at her. (She's a BIG TALL girl)
At that point, my boss came out and told us both to clock out and go home. I did so, with the determination that I did not want to work in a place where I am forced to hear other's opinions without being allowed to state my own, nor do I wish to be bullied or have racist remarks forced upon me that I do not use on other people.
The next morning:
I got to work about 9:15 and clock in. I just non-chalantly go to work. Then, Richard calls me to the office. He wasn't there yesterday when Bryce sent us home. He came in later yesterday afternoon.
I went to the office and he asked me, "What are you doing?"
I said, "Working. why?"
He said, "You don't work here anymore. Bryce said you called in yesterday and quit."
I said, "That is a lie. I did not call in, I was already here. And, I didn't quit, he sent me home, and I can prove it." I went and got my time card to show him.
Richard said, "Well, you don't work here anymore."
I said, "Does Latonya still work here?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Then so do I. Excuse me, I have work to do."
He said, "You will leave or I will have you removed."
I said, "Then I will sue your ass for discrimination. Either you fire her or I am not leaving."
He wouldn't tell me he would fire her so I told him, "Then do what you have to do. I won't leave peacefully until I know she is gone too."
I told him what happened and why I had to leave. I also made it a point to let him know that I didn't leave yesterday until I knew she left, too.
Then I told him I was not leaving until I knew she was fired too.
He said, again, that I should leave before he calls the cops. If I could have reached the phone I would have handed it to him. I pointed at it and told him, "Call the cops." Then I went back to work.
A few minutes later, one of the girls, who was there yesterday during all the yelling, came to me and said, "The cops are here, Shonda."
I said, "Good. They can come and get me." I kept working.
I was halfway done with my duties when Richard called me to the office.
The cops just looked at me and said, "We were asked to escort you out of the building."
I said, "You do what you have to do, but I'm not leaving until I know Latonya is fired, too."
They said, "That is none of our business."
So I asked Richard, "Is she fired?"
He said, "None of your business."
I said, "Oh, but it is. I am being discriminated against if she isn't being fired to. I want justice."
For about fifteen minutes we went back and forth over whether I was going to leave peacefully, whether or not it was any of my business if she was fired, or whether or not they would arrest me.
I told them, "Do what you have to do. But, if you don't arrest me, what can I do to make justice happen?"
They told me to go and talk to Judge Hadaway because it is a civil matter. They said he would tell me what to do from there. As I was speaking to the police about this, Richard finally said, "I have decided that I WILL take action against Latonya."
So I agreed to leave peacefully; and, Richard had me banned from the property.
I have decided I am going to talk to Judge Hadaway, anyway, to find out what I need to do if such action ISN'T taken care of.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Journalism and Controversy
When I was a student at Hooks High School, my passion then was as it is now: writing and news gathering. I took 2 years of Journalism. My column was the opinion column in the school paper.
During one year, a number of students were allowed to smoke on campus with their parent's permission. There was a smoking area. Then, the school board decided to do away with the smoking privileges and get rid of the smoking area, forcing students who smoked to go off campus. That seemed fine, since smoking is bad for you, and we don't want our children to think it's okay.
One day I went to the teacher's lounge to get something for a teacher. When the door was opened, you could smell the smoke coming from the teacher's lounge. As a smoker, who was now not allowed to smoke on campus, this infuriated me. The teachers had no right to ask us to do something they weren't willing to do for themselves. I determined to write my column that week on smoking on campus, and why teachers could smoke and we couldn't.
My teacher thought it was a great idea. When I finished, and turned in my work, she showed it to our principle. Then she came to me and told me that she would not be running it in the newspaper, but that my grade would reflect an "A".
I was angry. At this point, I didn't care about the A. I had worked hard on the article. Why couldn't she post it? She explained to me that our principle was, in essence, our editor. And, if I were to work for a newspaper, anything I wrote would have to meet the approval of the editor. In this case, the editor of our school newspaper considered the article "too controversial".
What about freedom of press? What about freedom of speech? I asked her. What about all those things we learned from our textbook? Isn't it the job of the paper to expose controversy?
She agreed, but would not budge. So, I determined that one day, I would own my own paper, and I would be the editor. Then, I could post whatever I wanted.
During one year, a number of students were allowed to smoke on campus with their parent's permission. There was a smoking area. Then, the school board decided to do away with the smoking privileges and get rid of the smoking area, forcing students who smoked to go off campus. That seemed fine, since smoking is bad for you, and we don't want our children to think it's okay.
One day I went to the teacher's lounge to get something for a teacher. When the door was opened, you could smell the smoke coming from the teacher's lounge. As a smoker, who was now not allowed to smoke on campus, this infuriated me. The teachers had no right to ask us to do something they weren't willing to do for themselves. I determined to write my column that week on smoking on campus, and why teachers could smoke and we couldn't.
My teacher thought it was a great idea. When I finished, and turned in my work, she showed it to our principle. Then she came to me and told me that she would not be running it in the newspaper, but that my grade would reflect an "A".
I was angry. At this point, I didn't care about the A. I had worked hard on the article. Why couldn't she post it? She explained to me that our principle was, in essence, our editor. And, if I were to work for a newspaper, anything I wrote would have to meet the approval of the editor. In this case, the editor of our school newspaper considered the article "too controversial".
What about freedom of press? What about freedom of speech? I asked her. What about all those things we learned from our textbook? Isn't it the job of the paper to expose controversy?
She agreed, but would not budge. So, I determined that one day, I would own my own paper, and I would be the editor. Then, I could post whatever I wanted.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Friday, October 12, 2012
Just One Thing; How Hard Can That Be?
There is only one thing God asks us to do. And that is to "endure until the end" "He who endures until the end shall be saved." We can't stop the things that are happening, we can only be accountable for ourselves. However, that means we also have to do everything in our power to make sure that the people we care about know and understand the truth, that God IS. And, that His son came to seek and save us, and died in our place. That we have everlasting life -- only if we accept it. We do that by believing in Jesus and accepting his sacrifice for us. After that, we need only to hold steadfast to our belief and point others toward the way, the truth and the life.
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Are we infidels?
The Bible verse for today is: But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (1 Timothy 5:8)
I thought of this after seeing this picture posted on facebook about how we are sending money overseas to other countries when we have our own that need to be cared for. God has been talking to me about this for years. I pray He talks to our leaders in Washington, too.
A few years ago I did a study on "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby. If you have not done this study, I recommend it. One of the ways God communicates with us is through His word. The other way is by personal experience and learning from your mistakes, and the other way is through other people and their experiences. There are other ways, but these are the main three.
When I got that post, I remembered the verse from God's Word. That was God speaking to me. So, I'd be remiss not to speak to you.
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