Kenneth Davis

WELCOME TO 
SMOOTH
 CONTEMPORARY JAZZ 

     Jazz musicians have always tended to have cult followings, which is pretty wonderful. When I first heard Nina Simone, her naked truth shocked me. Whenever she sang, it felt like lightning bolts in my soul. Every song was like a movie, a unique and very different vignette. Your voice is not your instrument. Your voice is the character that you build, your innermost feelings, the things that you want to say, and your instrument is the vehicle that you use to carry the message.

 ~Dianne Reeves~

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Happy Valentine's Day

We’ll all face hard times—sometimes when we least expect it. But a friend’s genuine care can mean the world, a sibling’s unconditional love can’t be replaced, and a neighbor’s practical help is priceless. 

We need each other more than we realize: emotionally, practically, and spiritually.

If you’ve found yourself in a busy season where you’ve unintentionally neglected your true friends or been too busy for your real family, now is the time to reprioritize.

If there’s unresolved conflict with a friend or family member, and it’s slowly deteriorating the relationship, now is the time to set aside your pride and choose to make things right.

If you’re silently struggling on your own, now is the moment to let someone in. Give them a call, send them a text, or show up on their doorstep. If you can’t be honest and vulnerable, it will be difficult to get help.

Not only do you need people, but those same people need you. Sometimes we need to ask for help and sometimes we need to be the help.

You have strengths, gifts, talents, and a personality that’s unique to you and beneficial to others—and vice versa.  On this day of love, share your love.

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     February 15, 2025: When you look to the future, you are likely to be afraid of what could happen, or might happen. Be aware that what you think is ahead for you is pure speculation that is not anchored in reality. Stay in the moment and take one day at a time to deal with real issues. Never forget that I am your place of safety, says the Lord. Matthew 7:24-25 Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
 

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAY'S WORDS - PLACE OF SAFETY

      Without darkness, nothing comes to birth, as without light, nothing flowers. We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be. One does not "find oneself" by pursuing oneself, but on the contrary by pursuing something else and learning through discipline or routine. . . who one is and wants to be. It is only when we can believe that we are creating the soul that life has any meaning, but when we can believe it - and I do and always have - then there is nothing we do that is without meaning and nothing that we suffer that does not hold the seed of creation in it. The most valuable thing we can do for the psyche, occasionally, is to let it rest, wander, live in the changing light of room, not try to be or do anything whatever.
     One thing is certain, and I have always known it - the joys of my life have nothing to do with age. They do not change. Flowers, the morning and evening light, music, poetry, silence, the goldfinches darting about. When I am alone the flowers are really seen; I can pay attention to them. They are felt as presences. Without them I would die...they change before my eyes.  Flowers and plants are silent presences. They nourish every sense except the ear. They live and die in a few days; they keep me closely in touch with the process, with growth, and also with dying. I am floated on their moments. I think of the trees and how simply they let go, let fall the riches of a season, how without grief (it seems) they can let go and go deep into their roots for renewal and sleep.... Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long, not even pain, psychic pain. Sit it out. Let it all pass. Let it go. It is, I assume, quite easy to wither into old age, and hard to grow into it.
     The trouble is, old age is not interesting until one gets there. It's a foreign country with an unknown language to the young and even to the middle-aged. One of the good elements of old age is that we no longer have to prove anything, to ourselves or to anyone else. We are what we are. Whatever peace I know rests in the natural world, in feeling myself a part of it, even in a small way. It is the place of renewal and of safety, where for a little while there will be no harm or attack and, while every sense is nourished, the soul rests. I would like to believe when I die that I have given myself away like a tree that sows seed every spring and never counts the loss, because it is not loss, it is adding to future life. It is the tree's way of being. Strongly rooted perhaps, but spilling out its treasure on the wind. Keep busy with survival. Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember nothing stays the same for long, not even pain. Sit it out. Let it all pass. Let it go.

~May Sarton~

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     February 16, 2025: You have embarked on a new era. You have come full circle and have opportunities to begin again. But you will have to take every opportunity to make more righteous choices this time around. Keep your focus clearly on doing what will produce the best outcome morally and spiritually, says the Lord. Refuse to allow selfish ambition to drive you. Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAYS WORDS - RIGHTEOUS CHOICES

     Never forget that you are a [child] of God. He loves you. Live by your standards. Stand up for what you believe in. Sometimes it is not easy, and you may be standing alone for a while. Look for friends with integrity and character, then go to them and express appreciation for their examples. You might even find someone who has been feeling as lonely as you. Pray for guidance and protection from the Lord. He will sustain you. He will become a trusted friend, and you will discover that your example will attract many friends who will take courage from your strength of character. 
     The time has come when we must take an unyielding stand. We must shore up our spiritual underpinnings, listen to the prophets of God, and follow their counsel. Said Paul to Timothy: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.” (2 Timothy 1:7-8.) It requires courage to make good choices, even when others around us choose differently. As we make righteous choices day by day in little things, the Lord will strengthen us and help us choose the right during more difficult times.

~W. Craig Zwick~

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     February 17, 2025: Never forget that you are an overcomer. I have given you the power to face and overcome every obstacle. Only believe! With My help you can conquer every challenge you face, says the Lord. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAY'S WORDS - ONLY BELIEVE

     I just find myself happy with the simple things. Appreciating the blessings God gave me. My birth was a blessing. Sent to live and die on Earth; it's a blessing. We each have a star; all you have to do is find it. Once you do, everyone sees it, you won't be blinded. No matter how hard it rains, withstand the pain. Never become so involved with something that it blinds you. Never forget where you from; someone will remind you. I am highly favored by God, I experience great victories, supernatural turnarounds, and miraculous breakthroughs in the midst of great impossibilities.
     In my heart I mean well. But if you help me to grow, then what I have in my heart will begin to show. You don't come to terms with something before you do it. It's only after you've done it that you realize, you know, maybe that wasn't the best thing to do. Sometimes you gotta fall down to know the feeling to get up. My relationship with God has gotten so much stronger. He's always had his hand on me. He always guided me. I didn't always go where he wanted me to go. But He always had me. Now that I'm actually listening and being obedient, life is so much better. The curse turned to grace when the hurt turned to faith.
     Right, wrong, good, bad, heaven, hell. I think that is the theme of my life. I think you have to know both in order to honestly choose one. So, I'm familiar with both sides of the fence. Don't believe everything you hear, don't believe everything you read and only believe half of what you see. I know I may have done some bad things, but I'm not a bad person. I'll repent one day, just not right now. The truth is undeniable. You tell somebody the truth, it's undeniable. Do the right thing cause after the tears come the cheers.

~DMX~

Kenneth Davis

     OUR REUNION, WILL ONLY BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS YOU HELP TO MAKE IT.  PLEASE JOIN US AT THE 55TH CLASS REUNION POW-WOW, TO CELEBRATE AN HISTORIC OCCASSION. THE COST IS TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS ($200) PER CLASSMATE. TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($265), SHOULD YOU BRING A GUEST. FOR MARRIED CLASSMATES, THE COST FOR ATTENDING IS THREE-HUNDRED DOLLARS ($300). 

     TO FINALIZE ARRANGEMENTS, PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL REUNION FEES, OR OUTSTANDING BALANCES ARE PAID IN FULL BY JULY 31, 2025. PERSONAL CHECKS, CASHIER CHECKS OR MONEY ORDERS, SHOULD BE MADE PAYABLE TO THE BTW CLASS OF 1970. ALL MONIES SHOULD BE SENT TO MS. BONNIE PIPPIN MILLS, 1784 TAHITI LANE, MEMPHIS, TN 38117. THE REUNION COMMITTEE THANKS YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. 

Kenneth Davis

IT'S TIME FOR 
JUST JOKING MONDAYS

Joke Book - Our Latest Jokes
The best jokes we have chosen for you!

Dictionary

     A man was searching the dictionary for the word (dictionary). He found this meaning: Dictionary is the thing which you are holding, stupid. So, he searched for the word (stupid). He found: Is that you again?

Triple Riding

     Two priests were riding very fast on a motorcycle. They were promptly stopped by a policeman who said, “What do you think you are doing? What if you have an accident?” The priests said, “Don’t worry, my son. Jesus is with us.”

Curtis by Ray Billingsley

Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)

John Thomas

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

   February 18, 2025: Set your heart to become one with Me, says the Lord. Allow Me to permeate every fiber of your being so that your thoughts mirror My will for you. There can be no separation, but only unity. Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

    T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N    
TODAY'S WORDS - ONLY UNITY

     Life itself is a strange mixture. We have to take it as it is, try to understand it, and then to better it. Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it. If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars. The most important lesson that man can learn from life, is not that there is pain in this world, but that it is possible for him to transmute it into joy. I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy. The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life. Unless you have found God in your own soul, the whole world will seem meaningless to you.
     Man's freedom is never in being saved from troubles, but it is the freedom to take trouble for his own good, to make the trouble an element in his joy. I am able to love my God because He gives me freedom to deny Him. Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain but for the heart to conquer it. Let me not look for allies in life's battlefield but to my own strength. Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved but hope for the patience to win my freedom. Grant me that I may not be a coward, feeling your mercy in my success alone; but let me find the grasp of your hand in my failure.
     Whatever we treasure for ourselves separates us from others; our possessions are our limitations. "Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it." "Life is perpetually creative because it contains in itself that surplus which ever overflows the boundaries of the immediate time and space, restlessly pursuing its adventure of expression in the varied forms of self-realization." The cure for all the illness of life is stored in the inner depth of life itself, the access to which becomes possible when we are alone. This solitude is a world in itself, full of wonders and resources unthought of. It is absurdly near; yet so unapproachably distant. It sometimes strikes me how immensely fortunate I am that each day should take its place in my life, either reddened with the rising and setting sun, or refreshingly cool with deep, dark clouds, or blooming like a white flower in the moonlight. What untold wealth!
     Life finds its wealth by the claims of the world, and it's worth by the claims of love. Love adorns itself; it seeks to prove inward joy by outward beauty. Great calm, generous detachment, selfless love, disinterested effort: these are what make for success in life. If you can find peace in yourself and can spread comfort around you, you will be happier than an empress. Only in love are unity and duality not in conflict. Love gives beauty to everything it touches. I believe in a spiritual world - not as anything separate from this world - but as its innermost truth. With the breath we draw we must always feel this truth, that we are living in God.

~Rabindranath Tagore~

Kenneth Davis

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS
 TO 
JACQUELINE SAWYER 
CASEY

     Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf. Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance. The human soul is on its journey from the law to love, from discipline to liberation, from the moral plane to the spiritual.

~Rabindranath Tagore~

Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)

Kenneth Davis

     THANKS TO A DILIGENT READER OF OUR WEBSITE, THIS POST IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE AN ERROR. THE ADDRESS FOR BONNIE PIPPIN MILLS, HAS BEEN CORRECTED. BE ADVISED THE CORRECT ADDRESS IS 1784 TAHITI LANE, MEMPHIS TN, 38117. 

Kenneth Davis

    T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N    
TODAY'S WORDS - MAKE A PLAN 

     Life is a painting, and you are the artist. You have on your palette all the colors in the spectrum - the same ones available to Michaelangelo and DaVinci. When you view your world with an attitude of gratitude, you are training yourself to focus on the good in life. Success is the progressive realization of predetermined, worthwhile, personal goals. Your self-image is the result of all you have given your subconscious mind as a database, so regardless of your background, what you are willing to become is the only reality that counts. Enthusiasm is the yeast that raises the dough.
     A burning desire is the greatest motivator of every human action. The desire for success implants 'success consciousness' which, in turn, creates a vigorous and ever-increasing 'habit of success'. The natural principle of sowing and reaping is always at work. Whatever you plant, whether physical, spiritual, mental, financial, relational, or emotional, will grow and someday return to you in a multiplied fashion. It can be incredibly good or terribly bad, depending on your seed. You achieve what you believe in, look for, and work for. Determine what specific goal you want to achieve. Then dedicate yourself to its attainment with unswerving singleness of purpose, the trenchant zeal of a crusader.
     An affirmation is simply a positive declaration of something you believe to be true or something you expect to become true and desire to live by. Affirmations transform your thinking, your attitudes, and finally, your behavior. Their impact on attitudes and behavior help to produce the results you desire. If you are not making the progress that you would like to make and are capable of making, it is simply because your goals are not clearly defined. Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat. Your mind believes what you tell it. Ninety percent of all those who fail are not actually defeated. They simply quit. Most time is wasted, not in hours, but in minutes. A bucket with a small hole in the bottom gets just as empty as a bucket that is deliberately kicked over.
     Concentrate on your strengths, instead of your weaknesses... on your powers, instead of your problems. Construct your determination with sustained effort, controlled attention, and concentrated energy. Opportunities never come to those who wait ... they are captured by those who dare to attack. Crystallize your goals. Make a plan for achieving them and set yourself a deadline. Then, with supreme confidence, determination and disregard for obstacles and other people's criticisms, carry out your plan. Plan your progress carefully; hour-by hour, day-by-day, month-by-month. Organized activity and maintained enthusiasm are the wellsprings of your power.

~Paul J. Meyer~

Kenneth Davis

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY

3 Herbal Teas You Shouldn't Be Drinking When You Have Diabetes, According to Dietitians

Story by Elizabeth Shaw, M.S., RDN, CPT

https://www.eatingwell.com/

     Herbal tea may seem like a diabetes-friendly drink. But you’re living with diabetes, think twice before you sip. Herbal tea has become increasingly popular, thanks in large part to its functional benefits. From lowering inflammation to improving gut health to easing nausea, there seems to be a tea that claims to heal every ailment, including diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic condition where blood sugar is too high. How does it happen? Usually, after we eat carbohydrates, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin to move the glucose out of the blood into cells for energy. With diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough insulin, or our cells cannot use insulin efficiently, resulting in elevated blood sugar levels. Over time, this can lead to other chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, vision problems, kidney disease and neuropathy. 

     Can drinking herbal tea help you if you have diabetes? And is it safe? Not necessarily, says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDECS, author of 2 Day Diabetes Diet. “When you have a chronic health condition like diabetes and are taking additional medications, it is even more essential to ensure there is no danger of adding a supplement to your daily routine, including herbal teas,” she says. "Some herbal teas can interact with medications or have a dangerous impact on blood sugar levels, so it is always important to vet any new regimen with your physician and/or pharmacist first.”

     There’s another reason to be cautious about herbal teas. Because herbal teas are technically supplements, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate them the same way as foods and beverages. This has led to concerns over the quality of what’s in the actual tea bag. “It’s important to ensure that any supplements, like herbal teas, you take are not causing harm,” says Lorena Drago, M.S., RDN, CDN, CDCES, a nutritionist specializing in diabetes and multi-cultural nutrition. “For instance, an herbal tea could interact with one or more of your medications, affect your blood glucose levels, cause hypoglycemia, and lead to other health problems.” So, which herbal teas should you avoid if you’re living with diabetes? Here’s what diabetes experts have to say. 

The 3 Teas You Shouldn’t Be Drinking

 When You Have Diabetes 

Aloe Vera Herbal Tea 

     This popular plant has gained promise as a gel for sunburn pain relief. But it can also be found in tea form. However, Palinski-Wade recommends caution before sipping a cup of aloe vera tea. “Research has shown that consuming aloe vera may have a drastic effect on blood sugars, raising concern of a hypoglycemic episode pending the individual patient’s medication regimen,” she says. 

     While research is scant, one older study explored the impact of aloe vera gel powder on blood sugar response and blood lipids in people living with type 2 diabetes. Their findings: Consuming aloe vera gel powder led to a significant reduction in blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol. That might sound encouraging. However, these powerful effects have a potential downside as they could cause dangerously low blood glucose for people taking blood sugar-lowering medication, says Palinski-Wade. 

Chamomile Herbal Tea 

     This caffeine-free herbal tea has been used for centuries to help with sleep, digestion, mental health and more. We aren’t knocking the science. But if you’re living with diabetes and are also taking certain medications, like blood thinners such as warfarin, chamomile may dangerously interact with your medication. In fact, the potential interactions are so concerning that one study specifically advised against recommending chamomile to patients on warfarin due to the potential for increased risk of bleeding. On the upside, chamomile isn’t a problem for everyone living with diabetes, just those on certain medications. So, if you love chamomile tea, speak with your healthcare provider to see if it’s safe for you.

Fenugreek Herbal Tea 

     Fenugreek has a long history as a herbal remedy for diabetes management. And science agrees. Research suggests fenugreek may improve blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides.  At the same time, it may not be safe for everyone. “Fenugreek supplements may have hypoglycemic effects, causing a decrease in blood sugar,” says Drago. “Plus, they may also interact with blood-thinning medications, causing concern for those with diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.” Before using fenugreek as an herbal tea or supplement, speak with your physician to ensure it won’t interact with your medications. 

Tips for Healthy Eating if You Have Diabetes

     While teas and supplements may be tempting, the real key to managing diabetes is a blood-sugar-lowering diet plus exercise. That’s why Palinski-Wade and Drago recommend saving your money and focusing on what’s in your kitchen. These tips can get you started:

⦁ Fill up with fiber. Fiber keeps you full and balances blood sugar. Try to add one fiber-rich food to every meal and snack. Need dinner ideas? Try this 30-Day High-Fiber, Diabetes-Friendly Dinner Plan.

⦁ Opt for powerful pairings. Fruit is great for you. But for even better blood sugar management, pair it with healthy fat and protein, which can slow down carbohydrate digestion. It’s as simple as a sliced banana over Greek yogurt with some slivered almonds on top! 

⦁ Volumize with veggies. Vegetables are the ultimate diabetes-friendly food. They’re low in carbohydrates and rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Plus, their fiber aids with satiety. No time to cook? Stock up on frozen riced cauliflower and pre-washed spinach for a quick veggie fix.

⦁ Supplement as a safety net. In some cases, certain supplements, like vitamin B12, may be helpful, especially if you’re taking the diabetes drug Metformin, says Drago. “Metformin blocks the absorption of vitamin B12 in higher doses after long treatment, and with other high-risk factors, such as older age and use of antacids,” she says.

⦁ Monitor your blood sugar. When it comes to your blood sugar numbers, don’t wing it. “I advise my patients to monitor their blood glucose and carry blood glucose tablets or fast acting sources of carbohydrate like regular soda, juice or milk,” says Drago.

The Bottom Line

     Certain herbal teas may interact with diabetes medications and other drugs. Diabetes dietitians advise anyone living with diabetes to exert caution with herbal teas, especially aloe vera, chamomile and fenugreek. Instead of spending your money on herbal teas, speak with your healthcare team to find a treatment regimen that works for you. At the same time, focus on diet and lifestyle changes, like staying physically active and eating more blood-sugar-friendly fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. They're the best over-the-counter remedy for diabetes management!

     This is for information purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. These are opinions from an external panel of individual doctors. Please seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns.

Kenneth Davis

      T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N      
TODAY'S WORDS - MAKE ADJUSTMENTS

     As you get older and as you experience and go through different things you realize you have to set boundaries. You have to for your life. You have to say this is OK and this is not OK. This is what I do for a living, and this is my life. It's the only one I get and so I have to set boundaries. Sometimes you have to explore the darkness to get to the light and get back to who you are. Lifes too short to live the same day twice. Doubt is a killer. You just have to know who you are and what you stand for. Don't push your weaknesses, play with your strengths
     You can’t let the fear of what people might say or think stop you from doing what you want to do or else we would never do anything. Things don't always turn out exactly the way you want them to be, and you feel disappointed. You are not always going to be the winner. That's when you have to stop and figure out why things happened the way they did and what you can do to change them. When I am wrong, I will learn the lesson and move on to face other challenges. For me, that's what creating your own life is. Doing your best work while being your best self.
     When it's easy, it's great. When something bad happens is when you really learn. It causes self-examination, it causes you to take a look at yourself. You naturally start analyzing. It's not that you're wrong; it's that sometimes you just need to make adjustments. Change your way of thinking, change your way of doing, change your way of choosing. The truth is everything that's happened was supposed to happen. That doesn't mean I don't look back and think, God, I wish I hadn't had to go through some of those things. Always remember, you will live, you will love, you will dance again.

 
~Jennifer Lopez~

Kenneth Davis

TIME FOR ANOTHER 

Kenneth Davis

    T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N    
TODAY'S WORDS - INSTEAD OF MOANING 

     Make it, not make it? What's the difference? Music is a language, it's a dance of life, and it can be a part of your life without being something that earns. You learn just as much from your failures. Sometimes you love your failures even more. If you have this passion for music, you don't stop doing it - it chooses you and doesn't release you. It's hard to be perfect, it really is. I keep learning things after I've already bungled it. Sometimes, you have to go through a phase whether you like it or not.
     Even the Beatles found it hard to escape their image; they were trapped by it. We always thought the Tom Tom Club could change to anything, but it acquired this image, which was cartoon animation and this real light-hearted dance music. We don't always know what we're doing. We often just get excited, put something down, and say, 'Oh, neat'. I wasn't originally a bass player. I just found out I was needed, because everyone wants to play guitar. I don't want to wreck my voice. I love to concentrate on playing the bass and keeping it very rock-solid. If I were singing, I would have blown out my voice.
     Being able to allow people to be who they are without trying to change them is important. It's a cruel, heartless world out there in commercial rock 'n' roll, and when you take as much time off as we did, eight years, booking agents don't know if you'll draw. I'm not going to hold my breath, because life goes on. Life is too short to sit around moaning about what could have been or what was. I have respect for those who make money at art and do it well and smartly, because that commercial aspect keeps the world going and running, in a sense.

~Tina Weymouth~

Kenneth Davis

WELCOME TO 
SMOOTH
 CONTEMPORARY JAZZ 

     If you're an artist, you want to draw from real life; you want to draw from experiences, emotion, and it's something that a lot of musicians juggle with. I've always found it so fascinating. One interesting thing about jazz, or art in general, but jazz especially is such an individual art form in the sense that improvisation is such a big part of it, so it feels like it should be less soldiers in an army and more like free spirits melding. And yet, big band jazz has a real military side to it.

~Damien Chazelle~

Kenneth Davis

    T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N    
TODAY'S WORDS - BE FLEXIBLE 

     My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Let's talk to one another instead of about one another. The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all. Things do not happen. Things are made to happen. The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened. There can be no progress if people have no faith in tomorrow. Ask not that the journey be easy; ask instead that it be worth it. The Republican Party can lead any person to believe that their promises will be fulfilled in the future. They follow the Hitler line – no matter how big the lie; repeat it often enough and the masses will regard it as truth.
     A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future. One person can make a difference, and everyone should try. This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor. No responsibility of government is more fundamental than the responsibility of maintaining the highest standard of ethical behavior for those who conduct the public business.
     The problem of power is how to achieve its responsible use rather than its irresponsible and indulgent use; of how to get men of power to live for the public rather than off the public. Immigration policy should be generous; it should be fair; it should be flexible. With such a policy we can turn to the world, and to our own past, with clean hands and a clear conscience. The high office of the President has been used to foment a plot to destroy the American's freedom and before I leave office, I must inform the citizens of this plight. A revolution is coming – a revolution which will be peaceful if we are wise enough; compassionate if we care enough; successful if we are fortunate enough – but a revolution which is coming whether we will it or not. We can affect its character; we cannot alter its inevitability.
 

~John F. Kennedy~

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     February 23, 2025: In a vision I saw bottles of rancid anointing oil, and I heard the Lord say: Many of you, my people, need a fresh anointing of My Spirit. You have tried to survive spiritually on the memory of a time when you were aware of My presence. But the past does not provide life in the Spirit now. You must ask again for a new infilling so that you can live and walk in the Spirit presently, says the Lord. John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

    T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N    
TODAYS WORDS - A FRESH ANOINTING

     God doesn't expect the impossible from us. He wants us to expect the impossible from Him! I have never met a man who has given me as much trouble as myself. Moses spent forty years thinking he was somebody; forty years learning he was nobody; and forty years discovering what God can do with a nobody. If our circumstances find us in God, we shall find God in all our circumstances. I'd rather be able to pray than to be a great preacher; Jesus Christ never taught his disciples how to preach, but only how to pray. Before we pray that God would fill us, I believe we ought to pray Him to empty us. Use me then, my Saviour for whatever purpose and whatever way thou mayest require. Here is my poor heart, and empty vessel; fill it with Thy Grace. In our prayers, we talk to God, in our Bible study, God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking. Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all.
     No matter how low down you are; no matter what your disposition has been; you may be low in your thoughts, words, and actions; you may be selfish; your heart may be overflowing with corruption and wickedness; yet Jesus will have compassion upon you. He will speak comforting words to you; not treat you coldly or spurn you, as perhaps those of earth would, but will speak tender words, and words of love and affection and kindness. Just come at once. He is a faithful friend - a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. I have noticed this, that when a man is full of the Holy Ghost, he is the very last man to be complaining of other people.
     We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining- they just shine. I believe this is a mistake a great many of us are making; we are trying to do God's work with the grace God gave us ten years ago. We say, if it is necessary, we will go on with the same grace. Now, what we want is a fresh supply, a fresh anointing and fresh power, and if we seek it, and seek it with all our hearts, we will obtain it. Everybody wants to enjoy heaven after they die, but they don't want to be heavenly-minded while they live. 
     I prayed for Faith and thought that someday Faith would come down and strike me like lightning. But Faith did not seem to come. One day I read in the tenth chapter of Romans, 'Now Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God'. I had closed my Bible and prayed for Faith. I now opened my Bible, and began to study, and Faith has been growing ever since. Real true faith is man's weakness leaning on God's strength. The Lord gives his people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to him. Fervency in prayer by the power of the Holy Spirit is a good preservative against thoughts rushing in. Flies never settle on the boiling pot.

 
~Dwight L. Moody~