God Made Me Everything I Am & Everything I'll Be! @jeff-seed - Tumblr Blog

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#redsmoovepercussion captains @drumatically_ and @c_simmons2 were blessed to participate in the #DontStopTheBeat project, a #TRUTH initiative by Brenton Logan. Students from T.W. Andrews, Dudley, Highland Springs, and SE Raleigh high schools along with their percussion instructors and students from NCCU and @i_teach_d.r.u.m.s (who also wrote the music) were in the actual video recording, which can be seen at the link below: https://youtu.be/UPzkzba-0O0 (at North Carolina Central University)

#redsmoovepercussion #dontstopthebeat #truth

Congratulations to Alexis Pegues (Castanet) and CJ Graham (R.I.D.E.) on successfully completing the Spring 2016 session of the "Red Smoove Percussion Leadership Training." These two students have worked extremely hard for this honor, and have accomplished a tremendous feat that only a few are graced to do! (at T Wingate Andrews High)

Young Camari getting some air on this visual #redsmoovepercussion #redsmoove

#redsmoovepercussion #redsmoove

"Isle of You" by Christon Gray This song is absolutely beautiful. Written and performed by Christon Gray of Collision Records. He has a focus of producing good music and letting God be his main source and inspiration. This love song pricked my heart the first time I heard it and immediately it put me in the mind of my lover, Raven Sade Dawkins, who is now my fiance and soon to be wife. Proverbs 18:22 says, "The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD." Undoubtedly the greatest blessing, besides my salvation, that I've been given by God is my soulmate, best friend, sister-in-Christ, partner-in-crime, helpmate, exhorter, inspiration, counselor, teammate, and 'cherie amour' Raven. God literally brought us together by a spoken word from Him through our Apostle. It happened just weeks after I gave my life to Christ and we've been rolling ever since. I'm not quite sure I'd be anywhere near the man I am today without her being with me, I don't have enough time or character spaces on this post to reference even half of what she does for me. I knew I was favored by God when He brought her my way, without a shadow of a doubt! SN:This is the song that she'll be coming down the aisle to!!!

"The Atlanta Compromise Speech" by Booker T. Washington This speech is undoubtedly considered one of the most important speeches given by an African American leader, but it is also controversial. I will focus on the portion where he instructs folks from all walks of life to "cast your bucket down where you are." He is urging them to use the resources that they have at their disposal to help them in their situation. In 2nd Peter 1:3, the Apostle Peter says, "God’s power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through our knowing the One who called us to his own glory and goodness." In this passage we learn that we have the resources to obtain all things that pertain to life and godliness. However, access to these resources comes through having knowledge of God. Having knowledge leads to us having faith in God and knowing everything that we can have. My life is dictated by my faith, and my faith holds strong because I know who God is and I know who I am to Him. So whenever I am in need of something, I've found that the bible has the instructions to help me get what I need. If I'm feeling sick in my body, I declare that "by His stripes we are healed." If I'm faced with a difficult task, I say "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me." When I'm in a tight situation with my finances I proclaim that "My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches and glory." For every circumstance, God has provided an anecdote in the bible, you just have to be diligent enough to find it, bold enough to speak it, and patient enough to wait on it.

"Say Yes" by Floetry Now even though this song is one about sex, my inspiration to use it came from the title. If you remove the explicit parts about sex and rephrase it a little, you can make this an invitation song that urges people to come to Christ. The Message bible version of James 4:8 says, "Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time." For so long I battled with the truth that God was calling me to salvation, I refused to accept what He was offering me based on my idea that I was already where I needed to be. Then when I came to the end of myself, I realized that I had a void that needed to be filled. Instead of having to work or plea vigorously for His presence in my life, all I had to do was "say yes" to Him and He did the rest!

"Nothing Even Matters" by Lauryn Hill and D'Angelo These two artists make a love song that expresses a love between two people that trumps any and everything. They make it known that regardless of the fantastic things that could capture their attention or the detrimental things that could capture their concern, they're content so long as they have each other. In Psalms 73:25-26, David says, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.…" David makes it plain in this passage that for him, nothing has importance on this earth besides God. I've been scrutinized sometimes for my belief on this matter but I've stood firmly on my opinion. Since I'm persuaded that everything on earth will eventually have an end but the things of God are eternal, then I'm going to pursue those things at all cost and give little to no attention towards the things of the world. Now please understand that this does not mean I don't value some of the things of this world, it just means that I recognize them for what they are: temporary resources and items that at some point will hold no existence and for that reason no importance. Everything on earth is a means to an end(when I look at the big picture). Therefore, if God doesn't have it in His will for me to do it then I'm not going to weigh it as heavily as the specific things He has purposed for me.

"He Turned It" by Tye Tribbett This song voices the testimony of someone who has gone through some hard times, feeling entirely consumed by stresses and pains of life, and without much hope for their future situation. However, when God "stepped into (the) situation," they found joy, relief, and consolation. In Psalms 30:11, David says, "You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy." With God my life made a complete 180-degree turn. Not just for how I conduct myself but also for the situations around me. God's hand over my life has granted me favor, the kind of favor that cannot go unnoticed or unappreciated. I believe that I would not have had all my successes and good moments without Him bringing me to them.

"Closer to my Dreams" by Drake This song takes me back to the original Drake music days..I'm talkin' 2008-09. I remember bumpin' this as a junior in high school. This song captures his state of mind while on his rise to stardom, and each day getting closer to his dreams. The Christian faith is meant to always keep in mind our hope of seeing God's glory. In 2nd Timothy 4:8, the Apostle Paul tells Timothy, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." If our lives of discipline and obedience to Christ did not come with the promise of a great eternity, then it's doubtful that so many folks would be Christians. The hope of heaven anchors my heart and keeps me from drifting back into my old life. My belief that there is a place where I can find complete and total rest is enough to hold me until He comes.

"Confessions:part II" by Usher The context that this song fits into has to deal with the affair Usher Raymond had outside of his relationship; he actually makes an entire album inspired by the remorse he feels after committing this affair. He makes it known that the dirt he did is shameful to him and that he hates the fact that it will hurt their relationship. Without confession, the believer cannot be justified before God. In 1 John 1:9, the Apostle John says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." The preference for light over darkness stands firm as a part of the Christian doctrine, therefore it is important that we walk in the light. This means that we are truthful about who we are and what we are doing. Once we can confess that we have done wrong and that we are probably not living up to a very righteous standard, then that's when God will step in to forgive our sins and substitute His righteousness for our own. I've learned to make confession a daily routine. I admit my faults and shortcomings to Him everyday in hopes of being found to Him a person who is righteous in HIS sight. I've also found it helpful to confess to some of my friends and fellow saints. By this we are able to grow together in our trust for one another, and we don't come across as being haughty and arrogant in God's sight.

"Hey Mama" by Kanye West The old Kanye days when the music genius of Mr. West was its purest and most reflective. Needless to explain, this song is in gratitude and appreciation for his mother. *moment of silence for Miss Donda West* At some point during my high school, teenage, rebellious years, I lost the old adoration and undying appreciation I once had for my mother. When I gave my life to Christ it was like those old feelings revived in me instantly. Exodus 20:12 says, "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." It is true that God writes His word on our hearts as believers and without much striving to do so, we began to reflect the values and ordinances found in His word when we come into the faith. My mother is beautiful, ambitious, proactive, obliging, multi-faceted, tenacious, and very inquisitive. I thank God that I was able to regain my relationship with her, and since we have been almost like best friends.

"Mike Tilley Drumline Competition Show" by TWA Red Smoove Drumline I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE KIDS..... Along with the volunteer work for CIS, teaching this drumline was one of the first things I did when I came back home from Howard. In the 2 years that I've been with them I have seen the drumline improve immensely talentwise, but most importantly I have seen them grow as individuals concerning their character. Though we've faced numerous hardships, we've had a pretty much successful time together. I always make sure to inform them that our success comes by God's grace. In Corinthians 12:9, the Apostle Paul says, "Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." Arrogance and a haughty attitude are two qualities that can lead you to destruction. But if you can humble yourself, you'll be exalted. Although we can do some things on our own strength, we learn about the true wonder of His grace and majesty when our weakness leads to His working it out for us in a miraculous way. The more we see His work in our lives, the greater we grow in our faith. SN: At this particular competition, we took an 8 person ensemble and competed against 7 other drumlines that featured, on average, 15 people per group. This was our first competition under my direction, and the hardest competition TWA drumline had ever gone to. We took home the 2nd place trophy overall, and won first place honors for our snareline. Too many things had gone wrong for us during our preparation for the show but by God's grace we were able to pull it together and come out victorious!

"Forgiveness" by Da T.R.U.T.H. This song describes the process of forgiveness. It talks about dealing with pain and finding a way to realize that forgiving someone actually allows you to be healed from your pain. One thing about Christianity that can be hard to cope with is the principle of forgiveness. In Mark 11:25-26, Jesus says to His disciples, "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions." Perhaps for me the biggest moment of forgiveness that I dealt with was when I learned to forgive the guy who mugged me one late night in Washington D.C. Many people thought I was ludicrous for not holding animosity and resentment towards that guy, but this became one of my greatest tests early on in my faith walk and thanks be to God I was able to pass it.

"All of Me" by John Legend This love song is beautifully written and touches my heart and soul every time. John Legend sings this song with an unreserved and entire expression of love and adoration for his lover. He makes it plain that he doesn't just love her for her good qualities and good days but instead he is completely enthralled with her entire existence. The first time I heard this song, I felt God singing to me and I sung right back. He loves my 'perfect imperfections' and I declare that He is my end and my beginning. Even when it appears that I'm losing, in Him I'm winning. He lets me know that even when I've done my worst and missed the ball completely, I'm still precious in His sight. In Romans 5:8, the Apostle Paul says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This passage epitomes the undeserved love God has for us: to have been lost as a sinner without any regard for Him and yet He still sends His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON to die for me so that I may obtain access to His salvation....that's love yo

"Bag Lady" by Erykah Badu In this song miss Erykah employs a metaphor that relates women who won't let go of their old issues and old problems to that of a woman carrying around a bunch of bags. She mentions that this bag lady will miss her bus for lack of expediency, metaphorically meaning that in order to get where you gotta go you cannot let stuff drag you down. It is common for people to carry around their old misfortunes, experiences, and habits with them, thus making them unattractive and keeping their minds boggled down with so much stress that they cannot enjoy the moment they're in. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Christ never intended for Christian fellowship to mean you have to live a horrible and stressful life; it's actually quite the opposite. With all the stuff I have going on in my life, it is very easy for me to get stressed out about meeting deadlines and fulfilling obligations. I'm at peace and joyful most of the time because I decided a long time ago that I was going to give all my cares to Jesus so that He can work them out for me. Since I live in Him and He lives in me, I gain access to a world of privileges and rights that I'd be crazy not to take advantage of.

"No One" by Alicia Keys This song by Miss Alicia Keys is her personal declaration that no one can or will get in the way of what she feels for her lover. I especially love when she says, You and me together Through the days and nights I don't worry 'cause Everything's going to be alright People keep talking they can say what they like But all I know is everything's going to be alright

The message conveyed in this song really connects with me in my spiritual life because I feel this exact way about Jesus Christ. Through good times, bad times, long days, lonely nights, when people talk about me, and when I'm treated unfairly I can find consolation in knowing that He is right there with me. In Romans 8:38-39, the Apostle Paul says, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." It should be noted that this passage takes my previous words a little further and says that we'll never be separated from His love. It's a beautiful thing to know that regardless of who tries it or what we do wrong, Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus!

"Hakuna Matata" by Elton John (ft. Jason Weaver) I chose the song "Hakuna Matata" for its obvious meaning: "no worries." Although this song was made by Elton John, the portion that is sung by young Simba during the movie is performed by actor and artist Jason Weaver (1:31-1:44). Probably the greatest joy about being a Christian is the hope I've gained since becoming a believer. Of course this partly refers to the hope of heaven which I look forward to, but it also refers to a hope for this life as well. In Romans 8:28, the Apostle Paul says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." This passage gives hope to believers to know that while we are in His will, we can be sure that all things (good and bad) are working out for our good!

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