Phew

Over the last few days or weeks I have spoken openly about my religion, about my life, and those I care about. I have discussed Cults and how we are not a cult. I've spoken about who we are and what we believe in. I've spoken about what our future holds. I've spoken about evolution. I've spoken about creation. Really there hasn't been much that I haven't spoken about. I've mentioned to those to show me your faith by your works meaning your actions because as the saying goes actions speak louder than words.

I remember asking a Christian who was confused about why the world is the way it was and how he wasn't finding answers. His friend had said to him that he should return to his catholic religion. His friend was a catholic. Then he replied " I can't do that because they don't follow the bible " I didn't bring up witnesses and what they believe in until a later date. That date came and I don't know how it got brought up again but it did and then I started to tell him what I believed in and I showed him scriptures. He grabbed his bible and I started to show him in his bible. He was amazed.

Then he asked the question. What is your religion? I said I am a Jehovah's Witness. I tell you, his face when from being happy to find his answers to being off meaning his facial expression was that of shock. At that moment he didn't want to discuss anymore. I had asked him what's wrong. He said he could not become a witness because he would be made fun of and his family would turn against him. This is even though his family is mixed with catholic and christian. He did not want to made fun of or upset his family even though just a few moments ago he was excited about what he was hearing.

When I became a Jehovah's witness I mentioned that I was nervous about being made fun of so I knew what he was going through. I also knew that my family may not approve because we were raised catholic. I love my mom very much but she had to understand that I needed to follow my heart. As for Thomas I saw him not to long ago. I was walking down the street and there he was. I haven't seen him for several years. He came up to me and we started talking. His appearance was bad and after talking to him he asked me for money. Because I knew his mom I had asked about what happened to him. Well, he got into drugs. He started to hang around the wrong crowd and he is infected with Aids so he doesn't care anymore. His mom told me that for along time she hated me because of what I stood for and how I was. Then she said that she wished he would have listen to what I was saying.

Thomas died not to long ago. He didn't die of Aids, he died in gun fire by another gang here in San Francisco. I didn't make the funeral because I was out of town but my thoughts and prayers are with the family. He left behind two kids. He had his mom, father died along time ago, three sisters, and one brother. I spoke to his sister and we started talking. She believes in the message I was bringing but her reason for not wanting to study was and I quote " I'm not ready to change ". She enjoys her smoking, she uses drugs as well, and she wants to have as much fun as she can because after all you are only young once.

I remember I made that same comment. Matter of fact I still say it till this very day but I don't use drugs anymore. I have done tons of drugs in my life and had two trips to the hospital because of it. Because of who I know, I never really purchased drugs. It was always there. There was a scene in the movie scarface where tony is sitting down with a mountain full of cocaine. This is right before he died. Well I knew or should I say know people who have that same kind of mountain if not more. That day landed me in the hospital or should I say days because it was about 3 days of being awake. I was going down a path that my father took. As mentioned he died of drugs. I am so thankful that I received that knock at the door. It changed my life.

My life improved so much but at the same time I lost much. It was to be expected. I lost my so-called friends. I lost respect. I lost some family. Years later I gained family back. My uncle who lives in New York is also a Witness. We don't speak as often as I would like but I felt an instant connection with him when he came down from New York after my Grandmother died. I also gained a brother/sisterhood meaning I had the support of over 7million witnesses in over 200+ lands who are united in faith. It truly is amazing. I can go anywhere in the world and what is being taught is the same exact things. We are united. Doesn't matter which race you are from or where you were born. Mat 24:14 says that this good news will be preached in all the earth and sure enough it is.

My life wasn't just transformed. Out of all the people in the world, when I found out this person became a witness I was shocked and of course happy. Mr. Purple Rain himself Prince. In 1997, Prince approached funk bassist Larry Graham, one of his childhood idols, with questions about his Jehovah's Witness faith. In a later interview, Graham stated that Prince was in need of Biblical answers and advice and that Graham was glad to answer. Prince apparently became very interested in the religion: around this time he began censoring some of his more provocative song lyrics in concerts, as well as editing various religious references in his songs that he had come to believe were Biblically inaccurate.He was baptized by Jehovah's Witnesses in 2001, marking his formal conversion to the faith. It was at this time that he released the album The Rainbow Children, which relied heavily upon Jehovah's Witness religious themes.

Prince himself said in an interview " Sometimes fans freak out. It might be a shock to see me, but that's no reason for people to act crazy, and it doesn't give them license to chase me down the street," says rock star Prince, who converted to the religion in 2001 and says he makes personal visits to strangers' homes."

They are shocked because he shows up knocking on doors. And fans are sometimes so stunned to find the rock legend on their doorstep that they don't want to let him go. Interesting isn't it. Even at the Rock and Roll hall of fame Prince thanked Jehovah. Then the hall paid tribute to Prince. "Back in the day, entertainers were singers, they were dancers, they had great style, they had great personality," Outkast's Andre 3000 said in his introduction. "We've lost a lot of that today, and so when it comes for me to do music, Prince is most definitely one of my greatest inspirations."

Prince's acceptance speech was brief and sentimental. He even thanked Warner Bros., with which he battled for years and once protested by writing "Slave" across his face to illustrate the label's ownership over him. "When I first started out in this music industry I was most concerned with freedom," he began. "Freedom to produce, freedom to play all the instruments on my records, freedom to say anything I wanted to. And after much negotiation, Warner Bros. Records granted me that freedom, and I thank them."

Instead of thanking his mentors and peers, Prince talked about how he discovered the importance of spirituality and friendship. "All praise and thanks to Jehovah," he said. "Without any real spiritual mentors other than artists whose records I admired, I embarked on a journey more fascinating than I could have ever imagined. But a word to the wise: Without real spiritual mentoring, too much freedom can lead to the soul's decay."

Anywayz, have a great day folks.