The Memphis 411.Info

Derrick Rose is the NBA's Rookie of the Year!

2009-04-23T02:57:00.000-07:00

Derrick Rose, who led his hometown Bulls to the playoffs and restored hope to a franchise in disarray, is the NBA's rookie of the year.

The Memphis Area is proud of Derrick Rose! We only had him for a year, but it was a great year that he spent here! We pray that he will turn into one of the NBA's All Time Greats!

Derrick Rose vs. Tyreke Evans!

2009-03-27T04:15:00.000-07:00

A loaded Mean Streets Express squad with NBA pro's Derrick Rose and Eric Gordon go against Tyreke's Team Final at Peach Jam in 2006. Rose finished with 20 points and was credited with 4 assists while Eric Gordon led all scorers with 29 points on 10-for-18 from the floor and 3-for-11 from downtown, some of them way downtown. Evans finished with 22 points and 4 assists.

Rose who is having a great rookie season in the NBA will soon be joined in the league by current National Freshman of the Year, Tyreke Evans! It was great to have had both of them in an University of Memphis uniform!

The Memphis Tigers Are in the Sweet 16 and are Making Believers Along the Way!

2009-03-22T07:43:00.001-07:00

The Memphis Tigers Are in the Sweet 16 and are Making Believers Along the Way!The Memphis Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners are through to the Sweet 16 after knocking out the Maryland Terrapins and Michigan Wolverines, respectively. Tim Brando and Mike Gminski recap all the action.

Derrick Rose Top 10 for 2009!

2009-03-11T03:09:00.000-07:00

Derrick Rose Top 10 for 2009! Check out the Top 10 plays from Bulls Rookie Derrick Rose for the 2009 Season.

Derrick Rose has done exceptionally well since leaving The University of Memphis!

Sometimes it Even Snows in Memphis!

2009-03-02T03:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it Even Snows in Memphis! A late-winter storm that's dumped snow on the Deep South is now barreling into the Mid-Atlantic region bringing the threat of much heavier snow as it heads north up the Interstate 95 corridor.

Yes sometimes even in Memphis,Tennessee it does snow!

winter storm rare snow hits south east braces

Has There Ever Been Anything Like Memphis Wrestling?

2009-02-02T04:13:00.001-08:00

Has There Ever Been Anything Like Memphis Wrestling?

Watch Rev. Al Green in Church!

2009-02-01T12:14:00.001-08:00

Watch Rev. Al Green in Church!

The Memphis Tigers Are Getting Their Act Together!

2009-01-25T07:14:00.000-08:00

The Memphis Tigers Are Getting Their Acts Together!

Get ready for another long tournament run by the Tigers!

Expecting Breakthroughs in the Age of the Breakdown!

2009-01-20T23:52:00.000-08:00

Expecting Breakthroughs in the Age of the Breakdown!

I think we are living in a time where it is incumbent for people of faith to draw on that faith in a greater manner than we ever have before. We are walking daily in one of the most challenging times that man has ever seen. The hearts of men have grown cold, and many of the tenets of old are fading so soon that it would make one’s head to spin. This is not a time for the fearful and the feeble. If there was ever an age for good men to stand up and be accounted for it is now. How many people have started out on this grand old Christian journey with us only to fall by the wayside and join the ranks of the hopeless? Why are so many choosing to breakdown in this day?

Why does the pain hurt so badly? Will I ever turn the corner? When will my day ever come? Many of these are questions that befuddle so many. People are throwing in the towel and waving the white flag in numbers that time itself has never seen before. That doesn’t make these people bad; they are just individuals who want the incredible pain that accompanies being a traveler in this world to stop. God why does it have to hurt so badly? God when will my day come? Lord do you see me here barely able to breathe? Where are you Lord while I am going through all of this mess? The punches that many of us having taken in this life are so excruciating that many of us didn’t know of any other way to get the pain to stop, but by our breaking down.

Isn’t it amazing that depression, and mental maladies afflict so many in this day? Some individuals have been treated so unfairly in this world that they literally want to put their shoes on their head, and their hat on their feet. Why does it seem like all of the 24 robbers from your days of playing hide and go seek; are now seeking to torment your soul? Many have released childhood dreams of greatness because of the pains that they have suffered. They are now popping pills to wake up, and to go to sleep. There are millions upon millions that don’t even know how it feels to have a good night’s sleep. The hearts of so many have fainted because of fear and apprehension. It is indeed a challenging day when many of our 401K’s now resemble a 101A! Many have seen their nest eggs which took an entire lifetime to save all go down the drain. The stability of the workplace is at an all-time low! There are millions that are jobless. Entire industries are feeling the pinch from the economic hard times that we are living in.

Child of God there is good news amongst all of the bad news. We serve a God that is literally the Lord and Master of every Breakthrough. The same God that delivered the sages of old in The Holy Writ is still on the throne to deliver you. So stop biting your fingernails, stop waving the white flag, and stop popping pills. God can break you through whatever lines of resistance that the enemy may have set in your path. We serve a God that relishes in talking out the forces of the enemy of our souls. Even though we are not fighting Philistines, Jebusites, Hittites, and Amorites in this day, we are still left to fight depression, despondency, and hopelessness. Are there any that are busy fighting the good fight of faith? Why are so many scared when our God can breakthrough the forces of the enemy? Are we comparing our big problems to a small God, when we should be comparing our small troubles to our great big God! We serve a God that is bigger than anything that you may be going through. God is ready to explode a wave of his favor on you!

God is ready and willing for his favor to become commonplace in your life. Are you bold enough to trust him? God is able to run his favor over your life, like waters that flow from a busted pipe. Can you grasp that God’s favor can make you flourish in such a manner? Can you believe that God can do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think? Can you believe that God can run though the ranks of resistance that the enemy has tormented you with for so many years? Can you believe that God can heal that part of your body that has bothered you for so long? God has an explosion of his goodness and his mercy that he is ready to shower your life with! God is ready to bust the bubble, and release you out of all the boxes that have kept you trapped for so long. Keep your ship running even when others are choosing to break down. You should never breakdown once you get a real revelation of how tremendous our God is. Don’t weary in well doing, don’t break down on the side of the road.

God is ready to break you through any and every form of opposition that you may face. God is ready to increase you on every side. Are you bold enough to grasp this truth in the age that we are now living in? Can you stretch your faith pass the level that most in this day have? Can you expect more than the norm? Can you believe that God is ready to stretch you? Can you believe that God has a quantum leap in store for you? Can you summer up the energy to walk by faith, and not by what your see, hear, and experience every day? Isn’t God bigger than your malady? Isn’t God bigger than your financial hardship? Don’t you believe that God is bigger than any stalemate that has kept you from greatness? Will you let the obstructions in your path hinder you from experiencing God’s best? Is there anything too hard for our God? Can you believe that God can rescue you from limiting restrictions that have left you living a second tier life? Can you believe God for a breakthrough in an age that others are breaking down?

Let me introduce you to my God who is the Master and the Lord of your every breakthrough. He is the God of no limits! Our God eats the impossible for breakfast, and our God dines on the improbable on a daily basis. The God whom we serve is still a miracle worker! God is ready to break you through the ranks of all of the enemy’s opposition. Never let the harsh pains of living in this world make you lose the gift of expectation. This is a gift from God. We all claim to have faith, but there is no faith where there is not expectation. You must see things getting better. You must see good coming your way. Once you lose expectations of things getting better then you are well on your way to the ranks of those who are breaking down. Expect a miracle each and everyday and you will soon find yourself breaking through in an age where others have chose to breakdown.

Respectfully Submitted,
Pastor Stephen F. Smith
www.stephenfsmith.org

Can You Pass The Strength Test?

2009-01-16T00:27:00.000-08:00

Can You Pass The Strength Test? One's strength is not determined by mountaintop experiences! It is determined by how one deals with the valleys of life! How can you possibly know how strong you are, if you haven't been through anything? The proof is in the pudding, don't call yourself a prayer warrior when the times are peaceful. Who attends motivational seminars by those who haven't gone through anything? Grace and Power usually follow those who are not afraid of being in the heat of the battle! Success usually follows blood, sweat, tears, and pain most times!

How can one know God as a healer if one has never been sick? How can one know God as a way -maker if one has never needed to have a way made! God's strength is made perfect(Mature,Whole, Complete) in weakness! Maybe we should thank God for the thorns, thistles, and sticker bushes we have to face in life! You are better because of it! Let that valley that you are going through right now prepare you for the sheer greatness that I am praying will come your way real soon! I see you in the future looking a whole lot better than you look right now!
Stay in the Chase,
Pastor Stephen F. Smith
www.stephenfsmith.org

Does My Wonderful Public Profile Cover Up My Private Pain?

2009-01-11T05:46:00.000-08:00

Does My Wonderful Public Profile Cover Up My Private Pain?

The social networking world is such a blessing to many. The opportunity to network with seemingly like minded people all over the globe affords many priceless opportunities. In the midst of the wonderful profiles that grace Facebook, Ning, MySpace, Twitter, WordPress, Blogger, Linkedin, BlackPlanet, and any of a myriad of other social networking sites are many people that are dealing with secret struggles, and private pain. I once mentioned in a sermon that many of us are hurting in places that others simply can’t see! Do our powerful public profiles cover some of our private pains! Does anyone else see my struggles?

We all go through, we all have struggles! Even that person who has that great looking profile on the social networking sites that has all those friends, yes they also have struggles. A good looking personal photo doesn’t exhibit all that another may have gone through, or may have gone through. The picture may show the glory, but believe me the picture doesn’t tell the story. In the midst of any social networking site, are the profiles of many who have been through hell and high water! Yes you are not the only person that is going through! When one writes his or her bio for any social networking sites, one tends to highlight the highpoints of one’s life! Very seldom would one list their bottom of the barrel experiences, their valley experiences on their profiles. Here’s my prayer that God would bless all of you folks who have all of these wonderful profiles in the social networking world. It is my prayer that God would heal any private pain that you may have! It is also my prayer that God would alleviate unbearable burdens that may be tormenting you!

Yes, I am sure that we all have some private struggles that only God can deliver us from! That pain that torments, that thing that keeps you from sleeping is limited from affecting you from this day forward. That thing that you have carried down the halls of work, school, or church will no longer torment you any more. There is a God that can heal even those whose struggle, and don’t even whimper about it. I don’t have to know what you are going through, but I do know that you are going through! Behind that wonderful looking profile is a person that is struggling with something that very few even know about! Those tears that have been shed, that no one else ever sees are almost over. The tide is getting ready to turn! Those insecurities that have limited you over the years will soon give way! I am telling you with Holy Boldness that you are ready to turn the corner!
I am seeing you a few days down the road in the future, and you are looking and feeling a whole lot better than you look right now!

After all of the flossing online, there are many people who are going through just like you. You are not born under a bad sign; you were not born in an awful sign, or an awful season. God has not frowned on you! God has not tuned his back on you! Your best days have not been seen yet! Your happiest days haven’t been seen yet! The sleepless nights will soon pass away! The biting of your fingernails will soon be yesterday’s news! I see you overcoming each and every private struggle and private pain! I see boundless joy in your future! I am earnestly praying for your complete and total deliverance from any private struggle, and private pain that may be in your life! God is ready to take you from the places of torment, and deliver you to a place of triumph!

Respectfully Submitted,
Pastor Stephen F. Smith
www.stephenfsmith.org
www.preachsteve.com
www.preachstephen.com

This Pass by Pau Gasol Was Sick!

2009-01-07T04:32:00.000-08:00

This Pass by Pau Gasol Was Sick! How do you describe this pass?

Seems Like Pau's Post-Memphis Grizzlies days are going just fine!

Why Am I Not in the Clique?

2008-12-28T00:23:00.000-08:00

Why Am I Not in the Clique? I remember a quote by the late Bishop G. E. Patterson where he alluded to the fact that after his deliverance from sin, his next greatest deliverance was his deliverance from people and their opinions! Isn't it amazing that the opinions of people have kept so many of us bound, or has left so many of us to perform at levels which are so far beneath the levels that God intended for us.One of the most debilitating scourges that the enemy has ever released from the pits of Hell has been the emergence of cliques of all kinds.

Cliques are by definition, a small exclusive group of people. How many of us have longed to no avail to gain the approval of one of these exclusive sets, or networks of the “right folks”? Why in God’s name are there so many cliques in the day in which we now live? Why in the name of everything that is Holy would there even be cliques amongst those that profess membership in the Kingdom of God? Isn’t it amazing that some of us can never seem to gain admittance to many of these exclusive sets of individuals, despite many of our best efforts to do so?

Does this make us less than, or does our non-admittance assure us of failure? I have found myself on many occasions to be on the outside looking in when it comes to admittance to this clique, or that clique of what appeared to be the right group of people. Yet in hindsight, I can truly admit that I am so glad that my key never seemed to quit fit the locks of admittance established by these different cliques. If one is to soar to heights that are beyond comprehension does one need the help of exclusive sets, or groups of people?

Have we taken the it’s not what you know, it’s who you know thing much too far? Can one achieve true success without belonging to the right group of folks? Doesn’t God know that these people can help me get ahead? When one puts too much stock into gaining admittance to one of these groups, one must take a long look at oneself. How many of these groups have put one dime into one’s pocket? Would these groups even help pick you up if they saw you knocked down? Greatness is rarely accomplished by those who run in cliques.

Throughout the Holy Writ, God called men and women to perform exploits, but he rarely called cliques of people. Can one truly stand out when one is determined to run with, or pal around with cliques? Is the destiny that God has predetermined for each of us dependent on those folks taking us in? Why does the talking stop when one walks by? Why does one hear whispers after one walks by this group of people? Why does one never get an invite to the events of these powerful folks? Why is one always on the outside looking in? Can’t they just let me in on their inside jokes for once? Can’t they invite me out to eat with them just this once?

I stand for all that have asked these many questions over the years! We must learn to follow the beat of a different drum, and never let the opinions and whims of others make us feel less than. You have to learn to love yourself, and learn to keep your head held high even when you can't seem to get the thumbs up of others. Most of those that join cliques that exclude others are not the type of people that we should long to associate with any way. When the doors of the clique are slammed in your face move on, that is not where God would have you to be. You should never push to be amongst those who would only tolerate, and never celebrate you! Could these groups of folks see greatness in you that you don't see yourself? God has invested so much into the individual that he made you to be. Never negate the greatness that God has called you to, by running after people!

Respectfully Submitted,

Pastor Stephen F. Smith

The F stands for Free From Cliques!

Are You Living the Life of Your Dreams?

2008-12-23T02:28:00.000-08:00

Are You Living the Life of Your Dreams? Would the child that you were be pleased with the person that you are now? At the end of any year, one will always seem to find the time for a little reflection, introspection,contemplation, and personal inspection.

There always seems to be a period at the end of any year were one will gauge the current status of one's efforts. Many of us remember the grand dreams that we all had in the days of our youth. If one were to enter nearly any elementary school and ask the students of that school what there dreams are, one would quickly hear some of the grandest dreams, aspirations, and hopes that one would ever care to hear. What happens to the dreams of men and women once they get older? Why do so many choose to live a life of settling for the average, settling for the mundane, and settling for the commonplace? Didn't God create us all in his image, and after his likeness?

Why are the dreams of our youth so foreign to us? Life is often hard, and the various paths that we have all traveled have not been loaded with flowery beds of ease. The pains of life have caused so many of us to give up on the dreams of our youth. Why so? We serve a God that can do so far beyond even our wildest dream. Is our vision of our God much too small when we only ask him for the ordinary, and the commonplace? Depression makes its greatest push when one loses the ability to dream big dreams. The pains of life and the bumps and bruises that come with it are tough, but one must never lose the ability to dream! Losing the ability to dream relegates one to the memories of days gone by. Why should our greatest days be those of days gone by?

I present to you a literal mirror to look at one that made in the image and after the likeness of God! In that mirror is the reflection of one that was fearfully and wondrously made! Looking in this literal mirror once again, and grasp the image of one that is the apple of God's Eye! Why are we settling when the God of the Heavens and the Earth has invested so much in each of us? Has life's bitter pills caused us to lose a hold on the sheer greatness that resides on the inside of each of us. My brother and my sister let's choose to recapture the sparkle in our eyes that the dreams of our youth used to produce. Very few of us can say that we are at the absolute zenith, the sheer apogee, and the highest nadir of accomplishment! Even if you name is a household name, there is still more that you should shoot for.

The enemy of our souls must be ecstatic that so many of the ranks of men and women on this planet have chose to just get by! Many of us have let a little pain, a little disappointment, and a lot of failure dash many of the dreams of our youth. Let's take a long hard look at the pains that we have suffered on our travels through life. Why should these pains be compounded by allowing these pains to negate the great dreams that God has given us all? The death of a dream often leads one into the Halls of Depression quicker than anything. What reason does one have to have pep in one's step, when one does not see anything to shoot for? Yes I know it hurts, but we must reach beyond the hurt and reach for all that God has intended for us to reach for! I stand with you in prayer that the dreams of your youth would be rekindled and the spark and vigor that you once possessed would be restored!

Can't we once again reach for the stars? Can't we once again imagine seeing our name in lights? God created you for greatness! God created you to make a difference in this world? God created you to be a Game Changer! God didn't create you to be ordinary, even if you are surrounded by ordinary circumstances! God has invested so much in you that you should never shy away from the game of life! Should we regret negating all of the great possibilities that we could have achieved because of fear? Should a bump or two on the road of life keep us from reaching for more? Why are we waving the white flag of surrender so soon? Shouldn't we enjoy life to the full until our last breath? Let's cut the cords of the commonplace, the average, and the ordinary and dream again. Let's once again pursue the life of our dreams! You deserve to have the very best that this life offers. Let's not ruin our acquisition of some of life's finer things by refusing to dream! I will see you at the top!

Respectfully Submitted,
Pastor Stephen F. Smith
www.stephenfsmith.org

Deangelo Williams is Becoming the Rage of the NFL!

2008-12-15T03:11:00.000-08:00

Deangelo Williams is Becoming the Rage of the NFL! The Former University of Memphis Player is now playing like a Pro-Bowler for the Carolina Panthers! The first clip is of a great 56-yard touchdown run in week 15 of this NFL season!

2009 Will Be the Year of Forward Progress!

2008-12-13T06:05:00.000-08:00

Pastor Stephen F. Smith gives this prophetic word that 2009 Will Be the Year of Forward Progress!

www.stephenfsmith.org
www.preachsteve.com
www.preachsteve.com

God is Calling You From Average Thinking!

2008-12-13T05:10:00.000-08:00

Pastor Stephen F. Smith preaches that God is Calling Every Believer Away From Average Thinking!

www.stephenfsmith.org
www.preachstephen.com
www.preachsteve.com

Watch Street View’s New Look on Google Maps!

2008-12-11T03:14:00.000-08:00

Watch Street View’s New Look on Google Maps! Go to Google Maps: http://maps.google.com. Check out the new experience of Street View on Google Maps. Learn the new ways to enter Street View, look at our full screen mode, navigate through driving directions, and more.

Street View is a feature of Google Maps that allows you to quickly and easily view and navigate high-resolution, 360 degree street level images of various cities around the world.

Memphis,Tennnessee is now available!,

Derrick Rose Will Break Your Ankles!

2008-12-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

Derrick Rose Will Break Your Ankles! Derrick Rose is one of the best players in the league already! This guy is the truth!

This guy is going to be an All-Star in his first season!

Have We Grown This Cold?

2008-12-01T02:14:00.000-08:00

Walmart Shoppers Stomp Employee to Death, and Keep Right on Shopping! A Wal-Mart worker died after being trampled when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island store Friday morning, police and witnesses said. The 34-year-old employee, a temporary maintenance worker, tried to hold back the unruly crowds just after the Valley Stream store opened at 5 a.m. Witnesses said the surging throngs of shoppers knocked the man down. He fell and was stepped on. As he gasped for air, shoppers ran over and around him. When the shoppers were told that someone was seriously injured and that Walmart had to close, the shoppers refused to leave and kept right on shopping! "

This is horrible! This illustrates how the hearts of men and women have grown cold!

Derrick Rose Will Be an All-Star as a Rookie!

2008-12-01T01:47:00.000-08:00

Derrick Rose Will Be an All-Star as a Rookie! Yes we decided to throw it out there, we are confident that he will be an All-Star as a Rookie!

How to Make the Enemy Run!

2008-11-29T02:33:00.000-08:00

The late Pastor E. V. Hill tells us How to Make the Enemy Run!

This is a good word!

You Can Still Win!

2008-11-16T23:37:00.000-08:00

I found this old clip of an Edwin Hawkins Gospel Hit called If at First You Don't Succeed. This song conveys that there is life after failure. Many of history's greatest became so because they all developed the ability to bounce back from failure. Many of these individuals can point to 1 failure or another in their lives that became their turning points to the road called success. How many of us have the resolve to dust ourselves off, and pick up the pieces? How many of us are willing to try one more time? How many times have we let a failure, or a disappointment keep us from the Halls of Success?

I heard Bishop Jakes say something today that set off a light bulb in my head. He said we are living in strange times where an formerly middle class family will drive their Audi to the Homeless Shelter because they have just lost their home. This is a post for encouragement sakes only. Please keep your melancholy rants to yourself, and let's use this post to encourage someone who might be going through some of the worst days of their lives. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Keep going fellow Warriors You Can Still Win!

Memphis COGIC Minister Shines at Mercedes Benz Dealership!

2008-11-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

Minister Desmond Hunt is an Armor Bearer for Superintendent Jerry Taylor who pastors the Holy City Church of God in Christ in Memphis, Tennessee. Minister Hunt is a top salesman for Mercedes Benz of Memphis. It is totally amazing that members of The Grand Ole Church of God in Christ now span nearly every occupational field that there is. Minister Hunt deals with the upper echelon of society on a daily basis, yet he has maintained the attitude of a humble servant. God has richly rewarded the service of this young man, and we feel that this young man’s intelligence, wit, and humble attitude will take him far not only in the business world, but also in the Church of God in Christ, Inc.!

Mercedes Benz of Memphis

Derrick Rose Posterizes Leandro Barbosa!

2008-11-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

Derrick Rose Posterizes Leandro Barbosa! Derrick Rose with a strong take on Friday night!

You Might Be From Memphis,Tennessee!

2008-10-26T17:03:00.001-07:00

1. You might be from Memphis if there were at least 1 person on your street with chickens, or a clothesline in the back yard! (How are you going to expose my underclothes to the whole neighborhood Grandma?)

2. You might be from Memphis if you thought that your cousins, or your family was rich because they moved to Westwood, Raleigh, or Whitehaven back in the day!

3. You might be from Memphis if you remember Michael Jackson, and the Jackson Five coming to the Southgate Shopping Center and having to stand on the roof for the crowd!

4. You might be from Memphis if everybody on your street got new clothes for The Fourth of July!

5. You might be from Memphis if you remember going to see the new Black Exploitation Film at The Malco Downtown, The Old Daisy, The New Daisy, The Bellevue Drive-In, or The Southwest Twin Drive In!

6. You might be from Memphis if you stayed next door to someone that had their grandparents living with them, and you heard the names Madear, Big Momma, Big Daddy, or Poppa called daily.

7.You might be from Memphis if you remember church never ending on Sundays, because after the welcome is over, and that welcome is accepted by the visiting church, and after the first offering, and the A&B Selection from Your Church’s Choir, and after your church’s choir gave up the choir stand to the visiting church’s choir for their A&B selections, and after the Gospel Message has gone forth, and after the invitation to Christ has been extended, and after one last offering is taken up you still had 2 more evening programs to go to and do the very same thing!

8. You might be from Memphis if you ever heard that The Greasy Man, The Boogie Man, The Black Man, or Bloody Mary, or Crazy Juanita came out at night at your neighborhood Park!

9. You might be from Memphis if your teacher asked you your place of birth at school, and you said John Gaston!

10. You might be from Memphis if you remember Officer Friendly coming to your school to talk about safety!

11.You might be from Memphis if your remember your parents sewing those ridiculous glow in the dark patches on your articles of clothing so people can see you at night when they knew that you had to be in by the time the first street light came on!

12. You might be from Memphis if you remember Sonny King, Rocky Johnson, and if Jerry Lawler, Jackie Fargo, Bill Dundee, Plowboy Frazier, and Lance Russell where your heroes!

13. You might be from Memphis if you remember eating at The Harlem Houses, or having eaten at The Mahalia Jackson Restaurant!

14. You might be from Memphis if you ever remembered riding the 4 Walker, or The 31 Crosstown.

15. You might be from Memphis if you remembered shopping at Sears Crosstown, Southland Mall, or The Southgate Shopping Center and being snooty because of it!

16. You might be from Memphis if you remember the Fireman’s Strike, The Blackouts, and the Curfew back in the day!

17. You might be from Memphis if your parents graduated from BTW, Douglas, Melrose, and Manassas back in the day!

18. You might be from Memphis if you remember shopping at Jones Big Star!

19. You might be from Memphis if you remember The Hot Tamale Man, and you stopped regularly to spend money with him!

20. You might be from Memphis if you thought that since you were straight that you couldn’t go in The Gay Hawk Restaurant!

21. You might be from Memphis if you ever remember getting mad after arriving at a local restaurant and discovering that the Saints of The Church of God in Christ made it there before you did!

22. You might be from Memphis if you remember your parents shopping downtown at Shainberg’s, Woolworth, Woolco, Goldsmith’s, Kent’s, and The Infamous Shainberg Basement!

23. You might be from Memphis if you remember visiting any of these back in the day clubs, J Max, Mr. B’s, Club 2001, Club Paradise, Club No Name, Club Expo, Mitch’s, Club Rosewood, Club Unique, Club Illusion, Raiford’s (When It Was Really Rough), or The Hawaiian Isle!

24. You might be from Memphis if you even remember Dave’s Skating Rink, or The Hippodrome Skating Rink!

25. You might be from Memphis if you really thought That Boss Ugly Bob was as ugly as a gorilla sucking on a lemon!

26. You might be from Memphis if you remember having to watch Hee Haw, The Lawrence Welk Show, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, The Carol Burnett Show, and (God Forbid) The Porter Waggoner Show because you had no other options!

27. You might be from Memphis if you remember bragging that Isaac Hayes, The Barkays, Con Funk Shun, Anita Ward, and Clair Ford were all from Memphis!

28. You might be from Memphis if you remember Isaac Hayes’ Cadillac being parked in front of Stax Recording Studios on McLemore back in the day!

30. You might be from Memphis if you were ever threatened with, or heard someone complain about Judge Turner at Juvenile Court!

31. You might be from Memphis if you remember The Still and Bill Show!

32. You might be from Memphis if you ever saw Rufus Thomas out in the public and you nudged your relatives to let them know there’s Rufus Thomas! Was he our greatest star back in the day?

33. You might be from Memphis if you ever tried to do any of the ridiculous dances The Gangster Walk, The Funky Chicken, or The Buck!

34. You might be from Memphis if you remember as a Memphis Sports Fan any of the following: John Gunn, Dexter Reed, Alvin Wright, James Bradley, Masterblaster, Blue Shoes Bates, Ron Huery, Doom Haynes, Steve Mitchell, Curtis Green, Don Rubin, Ben Henrix, Glyniss Turner, Peeky Hollowell, Dr. Bubba, The Hawking Fudge, The Twins Lloyd and Floyd, or Tree Washington!

35. You might be from Memphis if driving through Vodoo Village was big entertainment for your family!

36. You might be from Memphis if you were bold enough to tell tourists from around the world that are here for the Elvis Festivities the following, “Man I’ve lived here for 40+ years and I’ve never been to Graceland!” (Oops I had Better Stop Telling on Myself on This One)

37. You might be from Memphis if you heard the following words or phrases used on the regular: Even Not, Screet, Eeerbody, Scrawberry, Scrimps, Finto,Bousto, Y’all, Cunstandly-(Not Constantly), Mane-(Not Man), Flat Foot-(Never Understand This One: Such as Man That Man Flat Foot Shot Them Out: Note Why Did He Have To Be Flat Footed While Doing So?), and the memorable Memphis City School’s Lunchroom Question, “Do You Want Your Baghetti?”

38. You might be from Memphis if you ever remembered just how great those school day butter cookies were! How did they make those things so good?

39. You might be from Memphis if you ever remembered being ashamed to use those loud yellow free lunch cards that was designed for the kids in the free lunch program! Could they have made this any more humiliating?

40. You might be from Memphis if you remember those horrible black and white photos that you parents forced you to take at The Mid South Fair!

41. You might be from Memphis if you remember that the old student bus cards back in the day would let a brother, or a sister ride all day long for less than a dollar!

42. You might be from Memphis if you heard a brother that was proud to be called a mack in the hood say one of the following prhases, Say Say Can I Holla At You, Pssst, Pssst Miss Lady/Miss Lady You Got a Minute, Red Bone, Red Bone, or Red Red! Man those days had to be humiliating for the sisters!

43. You might be from Memphis if you remember how rightly seasoned the food was in The Four Way Grill was, yet the unfortunate thing was that the rightly seasoned food didn’t come in a rightly portion. Why was I still hungry when I left back in the day?

44. You might be from Memphis if your church picnic was at Fuller Park, Martin Luther King Park, Maywood, Edmund Orgill Park, or hopefully not Bellevue Park, or Glenview Park!

45. You might be from Memphis if you took part in The Memphis Park Commission’s Summertime Free Lunch Program, and you ran at least one time when someone yelled, “Lunch Truck!”

46. You might be from Memphis if you mother ever sent you to a Memphis City School with grease on your face because the family didn’t have any lotion!

47. You might be from Memphis if you remember your school took 2 hours out of your school day to show Brian’s Song! I can see Billy Dee crying over the death of Brian Piccalo now!

48. You might be from Memphis if you remember all of the hood names for our neighborhood’s such as The Garden for Lemoyne-Owen Gardens, Binghamp or The Hamp for The Binghampton Community, Werewood Where if It’s Not From the Wood It Must Not be No Good for The Westwood Community, Scutta for The Scutterfield Community, or The Mound for the Orange Mound Community. I will not even go into some of the names of the neighborhoods in The Third Street Corridor!

49. You might be from Memphis if you ever danced to Sonny D, Ray the J, or a Spanish Fly Mix Tape! You were also Black in Memphis if you ever encountered anyone wearing more than one beeper at a time! I once saw a guy with 5 beepers on was business just that good?

50. You are certainly from Memphis if you ever responded to the ridiculous almost advocating drug dealing Getting Away With the Medicine Rap Song with the name of your neighborhood such as

Lemoyne Gardens Getting Away With the Medicine
Orange Mound Getting Away With the Medicine
Hyde Park Getting Away With the Medicine
New Chicago Getting Away With the Medicine
Indian Hills Getting Away With the Medicine
Westwood Getting Away With the Medicine
Boxtown Getting Away With the Medicine
Bethel Grove Getting Away With the Medicine
Bunker Hill Getting Away With the Medicine
Klondike Getting Away With the Medicine
Dixie Homes Getting Away With the Medicine
Castalia Getting Away With the Medicine
The Foot Homes Getting Away With the Medicine
The Clayborn Homes Getting Away With the Medicine

I’m sorry that last one almost took me B. C.-Namely Before Christ!

God Blocked It!

2008-10-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Kurt Carr and The Kurt Carr Singers Sing God Blocked It in Memphis,Tennessee!

Think of how many things that God has blocked from prevailing over us! Yes God Blocked It, and he will block many of the fiery darts that are to come our way on down the road!

Are We Living in a Day of Pretty Men and Hard Working Women?

2008-10-26T02:01:00.000-07:00

Are We Living in a Day of Pretty Men and Hard Working Women? Has the script been reversed? Let's return to the discarded values of the past!

Derrick Rose is the Man!

2008-10-22T19:14:00.001-07:00

Derrick Rose is the Man! Derrick Rose pours in 30 as the Bulls come back to beat the Mavericks 109-105.

It's only the preseason, but Rose is NBA Ready!

I'm Praying that We Will Avert the Next Civil War!

2008-10-21T00:50:00.000-07:00

I'm Praying that We Will Avert the Next Civil War! This election has indeed been a groundbreaking event. There has been so much enthusiasm on both sides of the aisle as the reality that either the first Black, or the first Woman will soon grace the Executive Branch of our Government. This is a hard fought election, yet I feel like I am now hearing the sounds of discontent, the likes of which I have never heard before. The gap between the haves, and the havenots in this land is ever widening. Isn't it amazing that the average CEO of a major corporation now earns 262 times the average wages that his workers earn. The net worth of the richest 400 Americans in this land, is greater than the net worth of the next 150,000,000 Americans combined. Is there some form of universal injustice afoot here?

Well I am not trying to be a deep wonder on this one, but I feel like we are now sitting on a powder keg that is getting ready to blow. The winds of discontent in this land are so great. We have Black vs. White, Rich vs. Poor, and the winds of discontent are blowing ever so strongly as it relates to class in this land. I know so many that are so frustrated with the direction that our nation seems to be heading in. Are we entering an era that the level of discontent could launch us into a new Civil War? What can we do to avert it? If things don't go right on November 4 and this election somehow becomes a contested one, will we see revolt in our streets? We can not deny that there is extreme division in our land, and it doesn't take the firing of guns for us to enter into what some would call the New Civil War. Are we heading into a poor man's anarchy soon? Should we soon expect to embrace the next Civil War? Should the Church be on it's knees right now? Are we praying, or are we campaigning?

It is indeed amazing that The Body of Christ is so divided during this election. Nearly every prominent white televangelist has sent any black preacher that supports the Democratic Candidate to Hell. Why is the church so judgmental on this issue? How is my excitement over the Presidential Prospects of Senator Obama tantamount to me being an apostate of the Faith? Are the Mainstream White Churches of our land the only churches that possess the proper discernment as it relates to this election? Has the Black Church went to Hell in a Hand Basket? Well I beg to differ with either of those premises, because the Black Church has been vigilant on nearly every social issue in the last 50 years. We are not Hell Bound for supporting Senator Obama, and we will not fall for the Karl Rove tricks this time!

Many of the preachers on Trinity Broadcasting Network are becoming mini surrogates of the McCain Campaign. It is truly sickening for so many of them to have so much arrogance to pass judgment on Black America for being excited about Senator Obama! Well as ardently as they are trying to send the Black Church to Hell, they should sweep around their own front doors, and calm many of the loons we see at some of the McCain/Palin Rallies? The Church should be praying instead of judging! Let's pray that the church does its job in this land, and maybe we can avert another Civil War in our land!

Respectfully Submitted,

Pastor Stephen F. Smith

Can I Get a Ticket Out of the Land of Regret?

2008-10-17T00:54:00.000-07:00

Can I Get a Ticket Out of the Land of Regret? How many times have we found ourselves reflecting on how we would reverse a decision, or an action of ours from the past? How many times have we almost looked up to Heaven itself, and boldly exclaimed, “If I Had It All to Do Over Again?” Regret has so often painfully affected so many of us. It is so amazing that the mind will replay certain events of days gone by over and over again. Regret is a constant adversary for many individuals than span virtually every spectrum of life. One may appear to be a smashing outward success, while all the while that same individual is waging a daily warfare against Regret. How many of us want to go back into time and change some of the awful decisions that we may have made in life?

Regret is a major contributor to depression, and many other mental disorders. People of Faith have not been exempt from feeling the effects of Regret. While many of us serve a God that has forgiven us of our every sin, we often times still find ourselves languishing in the Land of Regret. Why don’t we readily embrace the clean slate that our loving Heavenly Father has given us, instead of us focusing on the many disasters of our past? Are we trying to be The Masters of Our Own Fate, or The Captains of Our Own Souls? Are we delving into a dangerous type of self worship by feeling that we are infallible beings who shouldn’t have made a bad decision?

How many times can one reflect how they may have treated another individual in the past, and then be left to wonder what if I had done better by this person? I remember one weekend that I had that little still small voice whisper in my ear to go visit my grandmother, and I thought to myself that I would visit her during the first part of the next week. My grandmother passed away that weekend, and I missed a wonderful opportunity to see my loving grandmother in the land of the living one more time. I also remember that my grandfather was in the hospital in the late 80’s and I missed coming to visit him one Sunday because I was so involved in some things at the college that I was attending. Well that was the last day that my grandfather shared any conversations with anyone before he passed away. While I greatly loved each of these individuals I missed tremendous opportunities to spend some vital time with each, and I was left with regret over each of these incidents.

How about the many bad decisions that many of us have made at that good job, or opportunity that we had because we either got angry, or things didn’t go our way? Missed opportunities, damaged interpersonal relationships, and shattered dreams are often the consequences of bad decisions. I submit that as much as many of us desire to be time travelers, one can’t just board a ship that is readily equipped for time travel to the past. Regretting one’s bad decisions can torment one’s life for years. Can we escape the Land of Regret? Is there any hope for the pains that we feel subsiding any time soon? Are some of our trips back down memory lane loaded with feelings of despair over our many missed or ruined opportunities?

How many marriages, and relationships have been ruined by the bad decisions of one of the participants of that union? Why is time so slippery when one wants to grasp time by its handles, and reverse the ill effects of one’s bad decisions? Since we are all fallible beings we all will make mistakes, and we all will sometimes lose things that were precious to us because of our bad decisions. Does it hurt any less when one has to suffer the effects of a bad decision? I humbly submit that it will not hurt any less sometimes. Time has away of healing many of these wounds sometimes, but even with time some are still battling an almost daily trip to The Land of Regret. Many of us spend time replaying, and almost daydreaming about how great things would have been if we had just made the right decision. Lord just let me have that moment back! Lord Why Didn’t I Do It Different? These are all war cries of many that languish in The Land of Regret.

The Apostle Paul writes in Phillipians 3:13 and 3:14-Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul admitted that the one thing that he had a grip on, was his ability to let go of the past, and move forward into the future. He didn’t let himself become a prisoner of the Land of Regret. He accepted that the Past Was Past, and no matter how much it hurt him he made the decision to embrace his present, and his future. Should we not follow the example of Paul? Would many of the great losses of our pasts coincide with what God intended for us from the beginning? Are we living in The Land of Regret over something that God never intended for us any way? Don’t stay in The Land of Regret, God has so much more in store for you. I humbly submit that God has more in store for you than you could have ever lost. Once and for all let’s turn our backs on, and let’s arrange a ticket out of the Land of Regret!

Regret is basically fear in overalls. How can we face a limitless God in the days to come, while we are still crying over spilled milk from days gone by? God has so much more for you, than you could have ever lost in the past!

Respectfully Submitted,
Pastor Stephen F. Smith

Lions and Tigers and Bears? Oh My!

2008-10-14T02:24:00.000-07:00

Lions and Tigers and Bears? Oh My! We are living in tumultuous times where every day seems to be laden with its own dose of drama, and disappointment. I have never seen a day in the 4+ decades that I have been on this earth where so many are gripped by fear. For those of us who are so driven by today’s 24/7 barrage of daily media, I will boldly state that we are now living in a day where fear is the order of the day! The economic ills of our land have so many panicking over the possibility that an entire lifetime’s worth of savings just might go down the drain in the days to come. The medical communities of our land are noting a rising spike in the amount of cases of depression, panic attacks, and other mental disorders. One would be remiss to not admit that we are now living in challenging times.

Isn’t it totally amazing that many of us are in the midst of feeling much like Dorothy did in The Wizard of Oz when she realized that the new land that she had come to know was not Kansas by a long shot? How did we get here? Did we miss this onslaught because we were so caught up with the hustle and bustle of today’s fast-paced lifestyles? Is there a way out of this mess that we are now in? Would the only solutions to the ills of this day, be those presented by the candidates of our political parties? Where does one go when one simply wants to scream? Does anyone know how deep-seated the pain is that many are dealing with? Where is God in all of this mess? Has God forgotten us? All of these are questions that many are asking!

My Brothers, and My Sisters, I am highly cognizant that we are living in a day that has many of the greatest challenges of our age. We face so many challenges from so many different corners that sometimes it would seem that it is just too much to keep up with it all. Well I want to let you know that God is yet on the Throne! God is called a very present help in times of trouble in Psalm 46:1. God is and should be our only true refuge in a day where the Tsunami-Scale Winds of Fear and Calamity are blowing so greatly. I want you to know that we as believers are not sailing on a sinking ship! You are not on a losing team! I would submit that we are now traveling into unchartered territory, but there is no reason at all to be swayed by fear.

The Holy Writ states in 2nd Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. It is indeed mind-boggling how many of the scriptures in the Holy Writ can so soothe a troubled mind. God has not gives us the spirit of fear that so permeates the day in which we now live. He has nothing to do with the spirit of this age that has some so messed up that they would put a shoe on their head, and a hat on their feet. It is God’s intent that those who are called by his name would prosper and be in health, not only as it relates to their material lives, but also as it would relate to their peace of mind. Peace of Mind is one of the rarest commodities in our age. People are seeking peace of mind through the bottle, illicit sex, and the use of prescription drugs, liquor, and the dope man. Where can one go for a little peace of mind? Does anyone know how much it costs? I know that I have heard that God can make a way, but why hasn’t God made a way for me yet?

I know that we can defeat the spirit of this age by trusting, and believing in The Word of God. None of today’s challenges has taken the Word of God by surprise. The disappointments, and trials of today were foretold in The Holy Writ so long ago. We are even admonished to realize as the Psalmist extolled in Psalm 30:5 that Weeping May Endure for a Night, but Joy Cometh in the Morning. Our trials and pains will not be here forever. Disappointment, Distress, and Fear are not the permanent cards that any of us have been dealt in life. We serve a God that relishes in the Prosperity of his servants. I am not talking about Bling, Jets, Yachts, or the trinkets that so many in this world have come to lust after. However; God is concerned about your general well being and the daily needs that you need met. God is even interested in giving you the very desire of your heart if you delight yourself in him. How does one delight oneself in God?

Delight oneself in the Lord would mean that one would not spend hour upon hour watching television, and then only spend five minutes a week outside of Church studying the Word of God. The Word of God is essential if one needs a guide to weathering the storms of this day. The Word of God has stood the test of time, and it is the only offensive weapon mentioned in Ephesians 6 where we are admonished to put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The Word of God is called the Sword of the Spirit in Ephesians 6. The Word of God is the only true offensive weapon that a believer has in this day of fear mongering. I wholeheartedly believe that if we are to defeat the spirit of fear in the day that we live in it will be with the Word of God. When we are told on a daily basis that recession, and depression are right around the corner for our land, would it not stand that more than ever we should hold on to the truths espoused in God’ Word? Can the God of the Bible bring us out of the mess that we are now in?

The Scriptures record that the God is no respecter of persons. God didn’t favor the sages of old more than he favors you, and I. The same way that God showed up in lion’s dens, fiery furnaces, prisons, horrible pits, in the midst of famine, in the miry clay, and in the midst of a stormy sea for those who took up his Holy causes in the Bible, he is ever ready and willing to do the same for us. God can deliver in this day because he is a present help. I would not be as excited about witnessing to others about the goodness of God if I believed that God’s deliverances were for days gone by. God is still a deliverer! In a day of escalating change, and distortion, The Word of God is the one constant that is not subject to change. Heaven and Earth may both pass away, but the Word of our God will stand forever. Should we not invest our attention to the one blessed constant in life?

While so many will be caught up with the lions, tigers, and bears of this age as Dorothy and Her Crew of Misfits were in their trek to locate The Wizard of Oz. Will we have to resolve to trust God during the most trying of times? These trying times are trying for each of us, but they are not trying for our God who has already declared the end from the beginning. While we are pondering so often to figure out viable solutions to the ills of our world, our God has already worked each and every concern that we may have out! Don’t let fear’s icy clutch grip you, and keep you from reaching for God’s Best. God has already prepared us a way of escape from the many lions, tigers, and bears that this age will present us with. Oh My!

Respectfully Submitted,

Pastor Stephen F. Smith

StephenFSmith.Org

Is the NBA Ready For Derrick Rose?

2008-10-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

Is the NBA Ready For Derrick Rose? Excuse some of the language in this clip, but the clips of Derrick Rose are incredible!

CDR Looks Great in First NBA Preseason Game!

2008-10-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

CDR Looks Great in First NBA Preseason Game!These highlights were of the rookie Chris Douglas-Roberts during the NBA Europe Live Tour, and the NBA Preseason Game between the Nets and the Heat in Paris. CDR had 18 points.

When the Outlook is Gloomy, the Uplook is Glorious!

2008-10-08T22:39:00.000-07:00

When the Outlook is Gloomy the Uplook is Glorious! In the midst of crazy economic times, we must be resolute to trust God more than ever. Isn't it truly amazing that those who have totally put their trust in things have really had their entire world rocked? When one puts his or her trust in things that are temporal one is doomed to suffer disappointment after disappointment. I submit to you that despite the gloomy financial forecasts that are being given out every day, that God is a Restorer, and he can give us back everything that the devil has stolen from us. Let's trust in Jesus and Take Everything Back that the devil has managed to get from us. Always remember that when the outlook is gloomy, the uplook is glorious!

I know that uplook is not a word, but this was an awesome quote from the late Bishop G. E. Patterson! God is going to richly bless all of those who seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness first! Despite a gloomy financial prognosis for our nation, we serve a God that can make a way when no other can!

Joey Dorsey Finally Signs!

2008-09-28T23:46:00.000-07:00

Joey Dorsey Finally Signs! I am so happy that Joey Dorsey has finally come to an agreement with the Houston Rockets! Since he was drafted in the second round there was no guaranteed contract for him, but Joey has made the team. I am including details, and some clips of Joey in action. So many announcers counted him out, so this is sweet!

The Rockets completed one last piece of offseason business Sunday, reaching agreement on a contract with rookie center/forward Joey Dorsey on the eve of players’ reporting for Tuesday’s start of training camp.

Dorsey is expected to sign a four-year, $3.5 million contract, with each of the last two seasons at the team’s option.

The deal, using a portion of the mid-level exception money left available after the signing of Carl Landry, will help the Rockets avoid a repeat of the protracted restricted free-agent negotiations they had with Landry.

Though Dorsey was chosen with the third pick of the second round, the contract was structured similar to that of a first-round draft choice.

Read the Entire Story from the Houston Chronicle!

Jesus is Still Angry! This is a Good Word!

2008-09-27T03:22:00.000-07:00

Pastor Patrick Wooden preaches Jesus is Still Angry in these clips! Pastor Patrick Wooden is a no nonsense preacher of the Gospel! He would defy any descriptions of Christian Preachers as weak. He pastor the Upper Room Church of God in Christ in Raleigh, North Carolina a church that is full of college students from North Carolina's Tobacco Road Consortium of Schools. The notable thing about his church is that it is full of men!

Pastor Wooden is a frequent speaker at many men's conventions, and is a noted Christian Apolegist that has recently gained the attention of CNN, ABC, CBS, The O'Reilly Factor, and NBC for his bold stances on the homosexual agenda, Aids, and he has taken on many corporate entities on morality issues! This is a strong word for the entire Black Community!

Watch the Amazing Human Beatbox!

2008-09-20T04:35:00.000-07:00

Watch the Amazing Human Beatbox! This brother has some crazy skills!

All I Do!

2008-09-13T18:06:00.000-07:00

Native Memphians Kirk Whalum, and Wendy Moten perform their remake of Stevie Wonder's Hit, "All I Do!"

America a House Divided Against Itself?

2008-09-10T03:48:00.000-07:00

America a House Divided Against Itself? The United States is a great land that many people all around the world long to come to. This country has many freedoms, and affords many luxuries that others in different lands can only dream of. We have led in the business world, the sports world, and without a doubt we have the world's strongest military. God has shown this country so much favor over the years. Yet, I have great concerns over the spirit of division in our land that seems to be spreading at a breakneck pace. This Presidential Election has brought many of the vapors of our country's racist past back to the forefront.

We are living in a day where we finally have a Black Presidential Nominee of a major political party. While many blacks are celebrating this day, there are those who are stating that blacks are voting for the black candidate just because he is black. Could we not say the same about those on the other side of the fence? Since we have only had a chance for the most part to vote for candidates who have been of a different hue, does that make blacks reprobates for being excited over the Presidential Prospects of a savvy black young man? We are so often told that if we were good Christians we would not vote based on race. Yet, I would humbly submit that many on the right vote based on race often.

The Political Conservatives of our land use their stances against gay marriage, and abortion to highlight how they are really the party of godly people. There are black churches all across America that also take bold stances against both of these practices, but why are Black Christians not voting along Conservatives Lines in this election? It is my belief that many Black Christians fell for the Karl Rove tactics of the last 2 Presidential Elections, and voted against, or sedately supported the Democratic Candidates for President in the last 2 Presidential Elections. Black Christians were told that if they really loved God, that they would vote Republican because Republicans champion those two issues, and after all don't you people know that God votes Republican also? Why aren't Black Christians listening to those issues this time around?

I would submit that many Black Christians aren't listening to that message this time around, because of all the economic hardships that blacks in America are bearing. There is hardly an urban inner city area that is not suffering blight, or some form of economic devastation due to the loss of jobs, or industries. There are some blacks that can state that they are better off than they were 8 years ago, but I will boldly state that they are not the norm. There are so many conservatives that turn there noses up at our inner cities. The conservatives reply to inner city blight is usually highlighted by some referencing of pluck, ingenuity, or hard work as the virtues to change one's community. While each of those virtues can be community changers, I am cognizant that those virtues alone can't change the plight of our inner cities.

I am a clean cut usually neatly dressed black male, and I am still amazed that even when I am dressed like a Philadelphia Lawyer that my entry into a sparsely populated elevator still makes some afraid. It never ceases to amaze me the sheer number of tightly clutched purses that I encounter on a daily basis on elevators. Is it because I resemble the guy that was on the nightly news that committed a crime? Do these women even stop to think that I might be a preacher? Would they clutch their purses as tight if they knew this well dressed man actually prays for people? Could this man that they are so scared of, be the man that God ordained on that day to speak a word of encouragement to them? Are we hiding many of our racist tendencies behind the cross on each Sunday? Are so many against the Democratic Party's Choice because of his policies, or because of his color? Will churches in both communities address the issues of race? There needs to be a meeting of mind in the Church Community on race! Will we ever see the God that we all preach about if we don't? Will we seek God enough to care for our brothers and sisters of another hue?

I have strong feelings on this subject, and I might come across as a militant advocate of my people. I just might be guilty of those charges. I would submit that Blacks in America have been haunted by a couple of centuries of chattel slavery, and several centuries of institutional racism. Blacks in America inhabit 1 Percent of the political offices in America, make up for 1/2 of 1% of the wealth of this land, and we makeup the brunt of this nation's prison populations. How can anyone in America not state that there is definitely something wrong with those statistics? How can any God fearing Church not speak out against such deplorable conditions. Blacks in America have been promised economic gains every four years, and we have usually been the ones that have least benefited from any economic largess that may come from an administration's savvy economic policies.

Jesus said in the Gospel According to St. Matthew the 12th chapter and the 25 verse he said,"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided aginst itself shall not stand." Are we divided people in this nation? Well, I guess I don't have to answer that one, but will we face up to the lingering spirit of racism that permeates our land. If Blacks in America are to forget slavery, institutional racism, systemic racism, and the fact that none of us has seen either the forty acres, nor that mule, then why would others begrudge us of the pride that comes from one of our own reaching the highest office in the land? Black Christians are told by the Conservatives that they shouldn't vote for a candidate because he is of the same color, while these same Conservatives do just that in every election.

America is now experiencing the so called Browning Effect, where people of color-(Blacks,Hispanics, Those of Asian and Arab Descent) will outnumber the mainstream ethnicities by 2040. While that mainstream controls nearly all of the political power and nearly all of the economic power, will we have havoc in the days to come? Let's pray that we can get past the divisions in our land. Division in our land will lead to desolation, and instability. Will we allow the scriptures to be a self-fulfilling prophecy for our country because of all the division in our land?

Respectfully Submitted,

Pastor Stephen F. Smith

The First 48's Star Detective Caroline Mason Has to File Suit!

2008-09-02T03:29:00.000-07:00

The First 48's Star Detective Caroline Mason Has to File Suit! Homicide Detective Caroline Mason, from the hit TV show "The First 48", has filed a multi-million dollar Federal EEOC sexual harassment lawsuit against the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department. Mason claims that for months a pair of size 55 1/2 pink panties have been passed around the homicide office to the detective handling easy cases. The panties represent cases that were as easy to solve as getting into a woman's panties. Mason I'm told also has pictures of the panties hanging in the office.

This is Plain Stupid! The Police Department of the City of Memphis Should Have Known Better!

Back in the Day!

2008-08-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

This video is of a new Kirk Whalum hit called Back in the Day! This song features Gerald Albright and Caleb tha Bridge. Caleb the Bridge is a Gospel Rapper that raps doing this song. Well Caleb the Bridge is my cousin Andre, who is the former Youth Pastor of World Overcomers before moving away. Listen to the words and reflect on how great some of those memories were back in the day!

HIV+ Man Rapes 17 Year Old in Memphis,Tennessee!

2008-08-20T04:02:00.000-07:00

HIV+ Man Rapes 17 Year Old in Memphis,Tennessee! Kenya Pipkins is outraged. "That baby's life is destroyed and it could have been avoided. That's just wrong." While she may be outraged, she's not at all surprised Timothy Payne is now charged with raping a 17-year-old girl, while knowing he was infected with HIV.

I am just bewildered by this one, it is good thing that God forgives, because I am by no means ready to forgive this guy if he did this!

My God is Still in Style!

2008-08-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

My God is Still in Style! Pastor Stephen F. Smith preaches on Psalm 37 verse 25 in this powerful audio clip!

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www.stephenfsmith.org

Haters Can't Kill Your Dream!

2008-08-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

Haters Can't Kill Your Dream! Pastor Stephen F. Smith gives his perspective on the trials of Joseph, and how he overcame each of them by trusting in God and doing what's right!

God Will Not Let Your Enemies Kill Your God Given Dream! The Haters and The Dream Killers Can't Stop The Plan of God in Your Life!

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www.preachstephen.com

Black In Memphis, Tennessee!

2008-08-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

In Response to CNN’s Supposed Black in America, I was inspired to write a Black In Memphis, Tennessee Post. I am very proud of my heritage in this city, but some of the things that one will encounter with being Black in Memphis,Tennessee are simply comical! I can be a very serious individual, but this post prayerfully just underlies why I have such a great love and respect for our people-(One Has to Be Able to Laugh at Experiences That One Holds Dear), and even in the Holy Writ it says that laughter doeth good like a medicine! Enjoy This One!

1. You were Black in Memphis if there were at least 1 person on your street with chickens, or a clothesline in the back yard! (How are you going to expose my underclothes to the whole neighborhood Grandma?)

2. You were Black in Memphis if you thought that your cousins, or your family was rich because they moved to Westwood, Raleigh, or Whitehaven back in the day!

3. You were Black in Memphis if you remember Michael Jackson, and the Jackson Five coming to the Southgate Shopping Center and having to stand on the roof for the crowd!

4. You were Black In Memphis if everybody on your street got new clothes for The Fourth of July!

5. You were Black in Memphis if you remember going to see the new Black Exploitation Film at The Malco Downtown, The Old Daisy, The New Daisy, The Bellevue Drive-In, or The Southwest Twin Drive In!

6. You were Black in Memphis if you stayed next door to someone that had their grandparents living with them, and you heard the names Madear, Big Momma, Big Daddy, or Poppa called daily.

7.You were Black in Memphis if you remember church never ending on Sundays, because after the welcome is over, and that welcome is accepted by the visiting church, and after the first offering, and the A&B Selection from Your Church’s Choir, and after your church’s choir gave up the choir stand to the visiting church’s choir for their A&B selections, and after the Gospel Message has gone forth, and after the invitation to Christ has been extended, and after one last offering is taken up you still had 2 more evening programs to go to and do the very same thing!

8. You were Black in Memphis if you ever heard that The Greasy Man, The Boogie Man, The Black Man, or Bloody Mary, or Crazy Juanita came out at night at your neighborhood Park!

9. You Were Black in Memphis if your teacher asked you your place of birth at school, and you said John Gaston!

10. You were Black in Memphis if you remember Officer Friendly coming to your school to talk about safety!

11.You were Black in Memphis if your remember your parents sewing those ridiculous glow in the dark patches on your articles of clothing so people can see you at night when they knew that you had to be in by the time the first street light came on!

12. You were Black in Memphis if you remember Sonny King, Rocky Johnson, and if Jerry Lawler, Jackie Fargo, Bill Dundee, Plowboy Frazier, and Lance Russell where your heroes!

13. You were Black in Memphis if you remember eating at The Harlem Houses, or having eaten at The Mahalia Jackson Restaurant!

14. You were Black in Memphis if you ever remembered riding the 4 Walker, or The 31 Crosstown.

15. You were Black in Memphis if you remembered shopping at Sears Crosstown, Southland Mall, or The Southgate Shopping Center and being snooty because of it!

16. You were Black in Memphis if you remember the Fireman’s Strike, The Blackouts, and the Curfew back in the day!

17. You were Black in Memphis if your parents graduated from BTW, Douglas, Melrose, and Manassas back in the day!

18. You were Black in Memphis if you remember shopping at Jones Big Star!

19. You were Black in Memphis if you remember The Hot Tamale Man, and you stopped regularly to spend money with him!

20. You were Black in Memphis if you thought that since you were straight that you couldn’t go in The Gay Hawk Restaurant!

21. You were Black in Memphis if you ever remember getting mad after arriving at a local restaurant and discovering that the Saints of The Church of God in Christ made it there before you did!

22. You were Black in Memphis if you remember your parents shopping downtown at Shainberg’s, Woolworth, Woolco, Goldsmith’s, Kent’s, and The Infamous Shainberg Basement!

23. You were Black in Memphis if you remember visiting any of these back in the day clubs, J Max, Mr. B’s, Club 2001, Club Paradise, Club No Name, Club Expo, Mitch’s, Club Rosewood, Club Unique, Club Illusion, Raiford’s (When It Was Really Rough), or The Hawaiian Isle!

24. You were Black in Memphis if you even remember Dave’s Skating Rink, or The Hippodrome Skating Rink!

25. You were Black in Memphis if you really thought That Boss Ugly Bob was as ugly as a gorilla sucking on a lemon!

26. You were Black In Memphis if you remember having to watch Hee Haw, The Lawrence Welk Show, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, The Carol Burnett Show, and (God Forbid) The Porter Waggoner Show because you had no other options!

27. You were Black in Memphis if you remember bragging that Isaac Hayes, The Barkays, Con Funk Shun, Anita Ward, and Clair Ford were all from Memphis!

28. You were Black in Memphis if you remember Isaac Hayes’ Cadillac being parked in front of Stax Recording Studios on McLemore back in the day!

30. You were Black in Memphis if you were ever threatened with, or heard someone complain about Judge Turner at Juvenile Court!

31. You were Black in Memphis if you remember The Still and Bill Show!

32. You were Black in Memphis if you ever saw Rufus Thomas out in the public and you nudged your relatives to let them know there’s Rufus Thomas! Was he our greatest star back in the day?

33. You were Black in Memphis if you ever tried to do any of the ridiculous dances The Gangster Walk, The Funky Chicken, or The Buck!

34. You were Black in Memphis if you remember as a Memphis Sports Fan any of the following: John Gunn, Dexter Reed, Alvin Wright, James Bradley, Masterblaster, Blue Shoes Bates, Ron Huery, Doom Haynes, Steve Mitchell, Curtis Green, Don Rubin, Ben Henrix, Glyniss Turner, Peeky Hollowell, Dr. Bubba, The Hawking Fudge, The Twins Lloyd and Floyd, or Tree Washington!

35. You were Black in Memphis if driving through Vodoo Village was big entertainment for your family!

36. You were Black in Memphis if you were bold enough to tell tourists from around the world that are here for the Elvis Festivities the following, “Man I’ve lived here for 40+ years and I’ve never been to Graceland!” (Oops I had Better Stop Telling on Myself on This One)

37. You were Black in Memphis if you heard the following words or phrases used on the regular: Even Not, Screet, Eeerbody, Scrawberry, Scrimps, Finto,Bousto, Y’all, Cunstandly-(Not Constantly), Mane-(Not Man), Flat Foot-(Never Understand This One: Such as Man That Man Flat Foot Shot Them Out: Note Why Did He Have To Be Flat Footed While Doing So?), and the memorable Memphis City School’s Lunchroom Question, “Do You Want Your Baghetti?”

38. You were Black in Memphis if you ever remembered just how great those school day butter cookies were! How did they make those things so good?

39. You were Black in Memphis if you ever remembered being ashamed to use those loud yellow free lunch cards that was designed for the kids in the free lunch program! Could they have made this any more humiliating?

40. You were Black In Memphis if you remember those horrible black and white photos that you parents forced you to take at The Mid South Fair!

41. You were Black in Memphis if you remember that the old student bus cards back in the day would let a brother, or a sister ride all day long for less than a dollar!

42. You were Black in Memphis if you heard a brother that was proud to be called a mack in the hood say one of the following prhases, Say Say Can I Holla At You, Pssst, Pssst Miss Lady/Miss Lady You Got a Minute, Red Bone, Red Bone, or Red Red! Man those days had to be humiliating for the sisters!

43. You were Black in Memphis if you remember how rightly seasoned the food was in The Four Way Grill was, yet the unfortunate thing was that the rightly seasoned food didn’t come in a rightly portion. Why was I still hungry when I left back in the day?

44. You were Black in Memphis if your church picnic was at Fuller Park, Martin Luther King Park, Maywood, Edmund Orgill Park, or hopefully not Bellevue Park, or Glenview Park!

45. You were Black in Memphis if you took part in The Memphis Park Commission’s Summertime Free Lunch Program, and you ran at least one time when someone yelled, “Lunch Truck!”

46. You were Black in Memphis if you mother ever sent you to a Memphis City School with grease on your face because the family didn’t have any lotion!

47. You were Black in Memphis if you remember your school took 2 hours out of your school day to show Brian’s Song! I can see Billy Dee crying over the death of Brian Piccalo now!

48. You were Black in Memphis if you remember all of the hood names for our neighborhood’s such as The Garden for Lemoyne-Owen Gardens, Binghamp or The Hamp for The Binghampton Community, Werewood Where if It’s Not From the Wood It Must Not be No Good for The Westwood Community, Scutta for The Scutterfield Community, or The Mound for the Orange Mound Community. I will not even go into some of the names of the neighborhoods in The Third Street Corridor!

49. You were Black in Memphis if you ever danced to o Sonny D, Ray the J, or a Spanish Fly Mix Tape! You were also Black in Memphis if you ever encountered anyone wearing more than one beeper at a time! I once saw a guy with 5 beepers on was business just that good?

50. You were certainly Black in Memphis if you ever responded to the ridiculous almost advocating drug dealing Getting Away With the Medicine Rap Song with the name of your neighborhood such as

Lemoyne Gardens Getting Away With the Medicine
Orange Mound Getting Away With the Medicine
Hyde Park Getting Away With the Medicine
New Chicago Getting Away With the Medicine
Indian Hills Getting Away With the Medicine
Westwood Getting Away With the Medicine
Boxtown Getting Away With the Medicine
Bethel Grove Getting Away With the Medicine
Bunker Hill Getting Away With the Medicine
Klondike Getting Away With the Medicine
Dixie Homes Getting Away With the Medicine
Castalia Getting Away With the Medicine
The Foot Homes Getting Away With the Medicine
The Clayborn Homes Getting Away With the Medicine

I’m sorry that last one almost took me B. C.-Namely Before Christ!

Tragic Memphis House Fire Kills 5 Children!

2008-08-17T02:16:00.000-07:00

Tragic Memphis House Fire Kills 5 Children! An early morning house fire in Memphis, Tennessee killed five children and two adults. But three youths were able to escape and were being treated for burns.

The survivors, and the rest of this family urgently needs the prayers of us all!

God is Looking For More Than Lip Service!

2008-08-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Preach Steve.Com: God is Looking For More Than Lip Service! Pastor Stephen F. Smith gives a word about living in an age of Pundit Faith, and Talk Show Religion! God is looking for more than those who choose to praise him with their lips, and not with their lifestyles!

www.preachsteve.com
www.preachstephen.com
www.stephenfsmith.org

Soul Music Great Isaac Hayes Has Passed Away!

2008-08-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

Soul Music Great Isaac Hayes Has Passed Away!Soul Music Legend Isaac Hayes died early Sunday afternoon, according to Shelby County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Steve Shular. Hayes was 65.

A Shelby County sheriff’s deputy responded to Hayes’ home after his wife found him on the floor near a treadmill inside his home.

Hayes was taken to Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, where he was pronounced dead at 2:08pm.

Deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department are continuing their investigation into Hayes’ death, but they believe no foul play was involved. Please enjoy the second clip of him performing Shaft!

Click Here to View WMCTV.Com’s Tribute to Isaac Hayes

Watch Prophet Todd Hall Preach Powerfully at Greater Community Temple in Memphis,Tennessee!

2008-08-07T01:18:00.000-07:00

Watch Prophet Todd Hall Preach Powerfully at Greater Community Temple in Memphis,Tennessee! He turned a one day visit into a four day revival. The house was packed every night, all through word of mouth! Pastor Brandon B. Porter of Greater Community Temple Church of God in Christ should be commended for blessing the Memphis Area with such a blessed meeting! Pastor Porter's Church is becoming one of the flagship churches in Memphis,Tennessee!

Greater Community Temple's Church Website

Master P Says He Has Changed His Life!

2008-07-21T02:37:00.000-07:00

Master P Says He Has Changed His Life! Master P speaks on changing his image, his music, and sending his son, Romeo, to college.

Former University of Memphis Star Joey Dorsey Earns His First NBA Ejection!

2008-07-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

Former University of Memphis Star Joey Dorsey Earns His First NBA Ejection!

This Guy Used to Scare Me Back in the Day!

2008-07-20T02:51:00.000-07:00

This Guy Used to Scare Me Back in the Day! Sivad takes us on a tour of WHBQ-TV programming from back in 1964!

The Memphis Grizzlies Have Something to be Excited About!

2008-07-18T01:35:00.000-07:00

The Memphis Grizzlies Have Something to be Excited About! O. J. Mayo, and Darrell Arthur show that they are rookies of note in some of their first NBA Summer League Games!

Senator Barack Obama Speaks Powerfully on Patriotism!

2008-07-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Senator Barack Obama Speaks Powerfully on Patriotism!

I'm So Excited That Tyreke Evans is a Memphis Tiger!

2008-06-30T01:59:00.000-07:00

I'm So Excited That Tyreke Evans is a Memphis Tiger! Reelblack TV met with Chester B-ball phenom TYREKE EVANS, star of the new movie, Gunnin' For That #1 Spot. Directed by Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, it follows eight top-ranked High School Basketball players who are invited to play at the first ever "Elite 24" b-ball Tournament at Harlem's legendary Rucker Park. In theaters June 27. Visit www.gunninmovie.com for details.

Yes We Can!

2008-06-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Yes We Can! Senator Barack Obama can win in November!

Ta Ta You Jesus!

2008-06-29T05:28:00.000-07:00

Native Memphians Kirk Whalum, and his brother Kevin Whalum powerfully perform this song Ta Ta You Jesus!

Joey Dorsey is Ray Lewis With a Basketball!

2008-06-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

Joey Dorsey is Ray Lewis With a Basketball! Former University of Memphis Player Joey Dorsey is a Houston Rocket!

Derrick Rose is the Man!

2008-06-27T00:50:00.000-07:00

Derrick Rose is the Man!

It's NBA Draft Day Will Derrick Rose Go Number One?

2008-06-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

It's NBA Draft Day Will Derrick Rose Go Number One? If so he will the first Memphis Tiger to go Number 1 in the NBA Draft!

Enjoy Future First Lady Michelle Obama on The View!

2008-06-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

Enjoy Future First Lady Michelle Obama on The View! Michelle Obama co-hosts the view with Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Sherri Shepherd.

Why are Black Preachers So Excited About Senator Barack Obama?

2008-06-17T04:40:00.000-07:00

Why are Black Preachers So Excited About Senator Barack Obama? There has been a quite a clamor raised over noted black preachers expressing excitement over the Presidential Prospects of Senator Barack Obama. Charisma Magazine has posted editorials expressing their concern and disdain that Bishop T. D. Jakes, Pastor Kirbyjon Calwell, Prophetess Juanita Bynum, and several other noted black preachers have mentioned to the media that they are excited about the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama. Each of these noted black preachers has done nothing to damage their 501 C-3 status by endorsing Senator Barack Obama. What is the big stink about?

Is it a sin for a black preacher to express noticeable excitement about the prospects of a black man being elected President of the United States? There are many black preachers who are nothing short of astonished that a black man is really this close to being The President of the United States. Should a black preacher be exempt from reveling in this moment as most Black Americans are? Haven't black preachers gone through many of the same trials that most blacks in America have? Are these black preachers practicing bigotry because someone that looks like them is this close to ascending to the highest office in this land?

I feel like it is quite hypocritical for many in the Christian Media to attack black preachers for being excited about Senator Barack Obama. It would be entirely foolhardy for a group of people that has suffered oppression in this land, to not become excited about noticeable benchmarks of progression. Many of these noted black preachers are still the descendants of slaves. How could anyone deny their right to be excited about this moment in history?

The Religious Right and The Conservative Media are primed to send every black preacher that even acknowledges being excited about Barack Obama to Hell. They will ask how could a black preacher support a man that doesn't oppose abortion? I will acknowledge that most black preachers oppose abortion, but we also oppose the systemic mistreatment of many in our pews. How can so many in the Religious Right rally around abortion to such a great degree, but turn a deaf ear against crime and poverty in our inner cities?

How can we ardently fight so hard for babies that we can't see, while we neglect speaking out against policies that so adversely affect the millions of children that live in our inner cities? How can we rally so vehemently about abortion and gay marriage, but say nothing about mean-spirited policies that adversely affect our urban areas? I have no doubt that God opposes abortion, but he also opposes the mistreatment of the poor. As a member of a race that owns 1/2 of 1% of this nation's wealth, I will boldly state that something is wrong in this nation. It is time for a change in this land!

Are black preachers expecting Senator Barack Obama to be a Saviour of Sorts to Black America? No,we are not as a matter of fact we are not even expecting him to be a scaled down version of Moses either. However; his candidacy is refreshing and an inspiration to so many in our inner city areas. How could we not be excited in this moment? How could we not be excited about seeing a black man marching further than any other black man has? Let us enjoy our moment. Many in The Religious Right will call Senator Obama everything short of the Anti-Christ in the coming General Election. Many black preachers followed The Religious Right's Rallying Against Gay Marriage and Abortion and supported George Bush in 2004 only to reap one of the worst Presidential tenures ever endured by many of their members.

Yes, it is fair for a black preacher to be excited about the possibilities of a Modern Day Joseph Story playing out before our very eyes. It is not racist to acknowledge the great accomplishment of one's own. Why is it that black preachers can't stand up for policies that greatly affect their own communities? Are black preachers shallow because we don't share the same viewpoint as The Religious Right that God is a Republican? Black Preachers are excited about this moment in time. Don't attack us for appreciating great strides made by one of our own!

Respectfully Submitted,

Pastor Stephen F. Smith

Senator Barack Obama Speaks to Black Fathers on Father's Day!

2008-06-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Senator Barack Obama Speaks to Black Fathers on Father's Day! Senator Barack Obama addressed the congregation at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, IL on Father's Day, June 15, 2008.

Would Penny Hardaway Have Been One of the NBA's Greatest Ever if he Didn't Have All of Those Injuries?

2008-06-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

Would Penny Hardaway Have Been One of the NBA's Greatest Ever if he Didn't Have All of Those Injuries?

Watch Senator Barack Obama’s Historic Victory Speech!

2008-06-04T00:56:00.000-07:00

Watch Senator Barack Obama’s Historic Victory Speech! On the evening he wins the Democratic Party’s nomination for president, Barack Obama speaks from St. Paul, Minnesota.

Is Senator Barack Obama Just an Inadequate Black Male? Can You Believe the Level of Anger This Hillary Clinton Supporter Has?

2008-06-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

Is Senator Barack Obama Just an Inadequate Black Male? Can You Believe the Level of Anger This Hillary Clinton Supporter Has? Clinton supporter, Harriet Christian, angry after Rules & Bylaws committee meeting on Florida and Michigan. She called Senator Barack Obama an inadequate black male! It really sounded like she might have wanted to call him something else didn’t it? Senator Barack Obama will still win the presidential race despite her seemingly racist ramblings! Ms. Christian, Senator McCain will not be the next President of The United States!

The Real Michelle Obama Questions?

2008-05-30T02:03:00.000-07:00

The media is making a big issue about the large amount of white female support that Senator Hillary Clinton has garnered. Could Senator Clinton's rock solid support among so many white females be bolstered by their fears of a black woman becoming the First Lady of this nation? Would these women want their husbands, and their children to look up to Michelle Obama as this nation's First Lady? Would they want their sons to long to marry someone that looks like Michelle Obama? Would the elevation of Michelle Obama affect the psyches of soccer moms across America?

Would the thought of Michelle Obama eating, cooking, and waking up in The White House be so repulsive that these women would vote for anyone, but Senator Obama? Would Michelle Obama's presence in the White House cause society to redefine it's standards of beauty, style and grace? Would the status of black women be elevated in the eyes of white men? Would black women be looked upon as more than video chicks? Would little white girls start to mirror the styles of Michelle Obama? Would there be a fear that their husbands would look upon a black woman with admiration and respect? Inquiring Minds want to know!

Here are the 25 Reasons We Think Barack Obama Should Not Pick Hillary Clinton as a Running Mate!

2008-05-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

Here are the 25 Reasons Barack Obama Should Not Pick Hillary Clinton as a Running Mate!

1. The late Ron Brown!

2. The late Ron Brown!

3. The late Ron Brown!

4. The late Ron Brown!

5. The late Ron Brown!

6. Hillary Clinton would find it difficult to be in the background of any administration!

7. Bill Clinton would find it difficult to be in the background of any administration!

8. Chelsea is already gearing up for her campaign 16 years from now!

9. Hillary would bring all of the baggage from her family’s previous political experiences! There would be U. S. Attorneys looking at the entire administration!

10. Could Senator Obama ever really trust her? Would Hillary stretch the truth in her dealings with the new President?:

11. Would she want to be the #1 Woman so bad that she would sabotage the new President? Well you know the answer to that one don’t you?

12. She has consistently offended African Americans during this campaign!

13. She defined the working class as only whites! Do blacks work?

14. Her arrogance leaves her to believe that she is the only person that sets the metrics that the entire party should adhere to!

15. She won’t get out of a race that she can’t win! She can’t stand the thought of going down in history as the first to lose to a person of color. She could always say she demanded the VP Spot and Got It!

16. She Has Alienated Millions of Black Voters! I’d vote for a Skunk With a Stomach Ache, before I would vote for her!

17. Bill would still be out making Presidential Statements even though he would only be the second man! Can’t you just see fireside chats from The Vice President’s Mansion?

18. Many of the southern votes that she obtained were not Pro-Clinton Votes, but they were Anti-Obama votes, or Anti-Anybody Black Votes!

19. Did I mention the late Ron Brown?

20. She would become the first Vice President ever to schedule as many press conferences as the President did! She would feel free to say anything!

21. She would bring negativity to a campaign of Hope!

22. Senator Obama would look weak if he picks her! Remember she offered Senator Obama the #2 spot in her administration while she was losing the race! Was that not condescending?

23. Senator Obama’s wife would be the first First Lady to take a back seat to the Vice President!

24. There would be more stories on Chelsea Clinton’s doings than on Senator Obama’s lovely kids!

25. Could we trust any Democrat that would quote Karl Rove? What assistance could she bring to the ticket? She would get the credit for any victory that there may be, and Senator Obama would be blamed for any loss! We would have to hear Harold Ford consistently paying the VP compliments,while he shuns the President! Would she use the entire time she serves in an Obama Administration gearing up for her next Presidential Bid? Why did I mention the late Ron Brown? HMMMM……………….!

I am Sick of Senator Hillary Clinton's Campaign! Is Hillary a Racist?

2008-05-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am Sick of Senator Hillary Clinton's Campaign! Is Hillary a Racist? Why did she mention assassination in her comments?

Tyreke Evans is Bringing These Skills to The University of Memphis!

2008-05-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

Tyreke Evans is Bringing These Skills to The University of Memphis!

Travis Childers Defeats Divisive Republican Campaign in Mississippi!

2008-05-14T02:56:00.000-07:00

Travis Childers Defeats Divisive Republican Campaign in Mississippi! Travis Childers wins Mississippi 1st District House Seat in Congress. Mr. Childers defeated Greg Davis, who is the Mayor of Southaven, Mississippi who ran a shameless campaign based on negativity. Mayor Davis' campaign ads consisted of clips attacking Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Senator Barack Obama, instead of ads targeting the bread and butter issues that turbulent economic times should command!

This one may be bad news for the Republicans this year. Mayor Davis pulled out all of the shots in bringing in Vice President Cheyney in only hours before the election. Mayor Davis one has to run on issues, and not on divisive tactics these days! The Karl Rove Moves don't work as well in troubled times do they?

Link to Commercial Appeal Article on Mayor Davis' Defeat

Devin Ebanks Please Sign With The University of Memphis! Devin Ebanks Please Sign With The University of Memphis!

2008-05-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

Devin Ebanks Please Sign With The University of Memphis! Devin Ebanks Please Sign With The University of Memphis! That's enough said!

Ricky Smiley is a Nut!

2008-05-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

Ricky Smiley is a Nut! These prank calls are hilarious! Some of the language in these video are a tad bit racy! We apologize for that, but they are so funny!

The Muzzling of Black Preachers is Bound to Fail!

2008-05-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

This is Pastor Stephen F. Smith's Letter to the Editor of The Commercial Appeal! He grew so tired of reading so many hate-filled comments by some of the readers of this paper about Senator Barack Obama, and Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Many of these people who commented also wanted to give African-Americans Churches a virtual instruction manual on how and what black preachers can preach about. In response to some of these seething comments, he submitted this letter to the daily newspaper in Memphis,Tennessee!

Muzzling of preachers bound to fail

There are so many self-righteous people who are commenting in nearly every media outlet available about Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and other black preachers who speak out against injustice in our land. The assault on this type of black preacher since then has been incredible.

This whole thing started as a way to lessen what was perceived as the unstoppable presidential campaign of Barack Obama, but has gotten ridiculous since then. A black preacher better not speak out against the systems that be, or he or she will be portrayed as being divisive and un-American.

I have the following questions to pose to those who have attacked the right of black preachers to speak out against injustice. Where were your good mainstream Christian churches when slavery was an institution? Some of your churches are old enough to have been in existence then. How were your churches silent then?

Should an oppressed people have the same mindset as the majority culture? Were the original black preachers in this land wrong for praying for the emancipation of all slaves, while the majority culture’s preachers were praying earnestly for a healthy new crop of slaves?

While American pulpits and choir stands have proclaimed that God is love for hundreds of years, systemic and institutional racism has prevailed in our nation and our churches.

While the slave owners studied the Holy Writ, they brutally assaulted many of the initial African-American slaves. Were there prayer meetings before lynchings? Were there revivals before slave auctions?

Why was the mainstream church silent for so long on such a horrible practice as slavery? The black church was basically all that people of color possessed.

Should Moses have repented for having asked Pharaoh to let his people go? Let’s see, black preachers should just preach about love, and not speak out against oppression and racism?

Many in the mainstream culture are straining at the gnat of Wright’s speeches while swallowing the whole camel of condescension and racism.

Pastor Stephen F. Smith

Reflections on The Black Church!

2008-05-02T22:29:00.000-07:00

Pastor Stephen F. Smith gives this powerful summary on the importance, the relevance, and the history of The Black Church!
www.stephenfsmith.org
www.preachsteve.com
www.preachstephen.com

Leslie McDonald is the Next Star Coming Out of the Memphis High School Basketball Ranks!

2008-04-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

Leslie McDonald is the Next Star Coming Out of the Memphis High School Basketball Ranks!

Todd Day and Larry Johnson!

2008-04-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Todd Day and Larry Johnson! Todd being a true Memphian took a swing at former NBA All-Star Larry Johnson before Johnson could prepare for it. This clip is from the early nineties! I love my man Todd, but I don't think he wanted any of Larry Grandmama Johnson!

Black Folks and Funerals!

2008-04-27T05:12:00.000-07:00

Pastor E. Dewey Smith one of America's rising evangelistic voices gives his insight on Black Folks and Funerals! Nobody has funerals like us!

5 Year Old Says Obama is Change!

2008-04-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

5 Year Old Says Obama is Change!

Breaking News! This is How Senator Hillary Clinton Can Still Win the Democratic Nomination!

2008-04-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

Breaking News! This is How Senator Hillary Clinton Can Still Win the Democratic Nomination!

It's Impossible for Senator Barack Obama to Lose His Lead in Pledged Delegates!

2008-04-23T03:49:00.000-07:00

It's Impossible for Senator Barack Obama to Lose His Lead in Pledged Delegates!

Derrick Rose is Turning Pro!

2008-04-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

Derrick Rose is Turning Pro! After his awesome freshman season, and after his efforts in taking The University of Memphis to the brink of a NCAA Title he is now off to earn his NBA Fortune! He is projected to be picked within the first 2 picks in the upcoming NBA Draft!

His pending endorsement contracts will probably blow our minds! There has been somewhat of a backlash from readers of the local Memphis Newspaper who felt like Derrick Rose was not wise to leave college at this time, which led me to express the following thoughts below!

Aren’t we sometimes a tad bit racist? Why are college basketball players (Mostly African American) that turn professional so stupid? If one is a lock to be in the first 2 picks of the NBA Draft, why are we talking about his getting a degree? Derrick Rose is only 19, he has time to go back to school and get his degree!

Let’s see Derrick Rose will earn from 3.6 to 5 Million a season guaranteed for the next 4 years( Not Counting the Massive Endorsements that he Will Receive) and he’s stupid to take this opportunity?

Why are golfers, baseball players,tennis players (Who are Mostly White) all allowed to be pros as (young) teenagers and no one says a thing?

This kid is likely to make $10 to 15 Million a Year for the next few years, tell me where he can get a college degree that pays this well, and I will personally find and tell Derrick Rose to stay! Some of the responses about the stupidity of his turning pro are selfish and are definitely not in Derrick Rose’s best interests!

Tyreke Evans is Coming to Play Basketball for The University of Memphis!

2008-04-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

Tyreke Evans is Coming to Play Basketball for The University of Memphis! Can I hear another national championship game on the way?

Chris Douglas-Roberts Declares Himself Eligible for the 2008 NBA Draft!

2008-04-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

Chris Douglas-Roberts Declares Himself Eligible for the 2008 NBA Draft! This young man was a class act at The University of Memphis. He led The Memphis Tigers within seconds of a NCAA Title! We wish you the best CDR!

Senator Barack Obama Has Many Americans Excited!

2008-04-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

Senator Barack Obama Has Many Americans Excited! He has attracted those of all races, ages, faiths, and ethnicities!

Nikki Ross Can Sing!

2008-04-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

Nikki Ross Can Sing!

Rev. Al Sharpton at The Pan-African Summit in Memphis,Tennessee!

2008-04-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

This is from the Pan-African Summit conducted by Bishop Charles E. Blake, presiding Bishop of the Church of God In Christ. This was during the celebratory week of Martin Luther Kings 40th Anniversary of his "Mountain Top" speech delivered at Mason Temple in Memphis TN. And the right Reverend PREACHED!

The Memphis Tigers Have 1 More Game to Win!

2008-04-07T04:11:00.000-07:00

The Memphis Tigers Have 1 More Game to Win!

You Know You are From Memphis,Tennessee When!

2008-04-07T00:54:00.000-07:00

You Know You are From Memphis,Tennessee When! There is just something about that Memphis Flavor!

Senator John McCain Doesn't Receive Great Memphis Welcome!

2008-04-07T00:32:00.000-07:00

Senator John McCain Doesn't Receive a Great Memphis Welcome! Senator McCain was in town for the 40th Anniversary of the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Senator McCain was jeered when he stated that he once against the establishment of the King Holiday!

Chris Douglas Roberts Posterizes Kevin Love!

2008-04-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

Chris Douglas Roberts Posterizes Kevin Love!

Derrick Rose is the Truth!

2008-04-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

Derrick Rose is the Truth!

I’ve Been to the Mountain Top!

2008-04-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

The late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered one of history’s most prophetic messages in his last message, “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top”! Even hearing this message 40 years later sends chills to the hearers of these great words!

The Memphis Tigers are Going to the Final Four!

2008-03-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

The Memphis Tigers are Going to the Final Four! It's been a long time coming! We proved all of the doubters wrong!

White Preference is Affirmative Action!

2008-03-26T06:24:00.000-07:00

Tim Wise boldly states that White Preference is Affirmative Action!

The Black Church

2008-03-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

I couldn't have predicted the response that I received after I posted a comment on the Black Church. The term Black Church has been used to describe the African American Church, which is the most revered institution in the black community. It is indeed quite sad that anyone would have to call his or her church a black church, or a white church. I will proudly submit to you that the God of the Bible transcends color, and either God is Lord of All Born-Again Believers that follow his precepts, ways and his word, or he is not Lord at all. The scriptures state that God is not a respecter of persons, so that would mean that God would not be enamored by the race or ethnicity of any believer. Yet, it is still surprising to me that to just mention the term black church causes such an uproar.

I am the descendant of a people that were brought to this nation in the hulls of slave ships. I am not asking for an apology from anyone, but I am asking many of you that come to this blog and others to consider the following point of view. We shouldn't have to call a church a Black church. However; one would be remiss to not note that there has not been widespread reconciliation in our houses of worship. The African American People are less than 7 generations up from being banned from reading, writing, and even worshipping God.

While American pulpits and choirstands have proclaimed that God is love for hundreds of years, systemic and institutional racism has prevailed in our nation and even in our churches. While the slaveowners studied the Holy Writ, they brutally assaulted many of the initial African American slaves. Where there prayer meetings before lynchings? Why was the mainstream church silent for so long on such a horrible practice as slavery? The Black Church was basically all that people of color possessed.

Blacks had been lingering at the bottom of the American social caste chart for years. One of the commandments of Jesus was to love one's neighbor as one would love himself. Is it a sin for an African American to savor the fragrance of an African American Worship Service? I submit to you that it is not a sin for one to enjoy his or her church's flavor of worship. Our church has had a proud legacy, and I am not ashamed about loving the ambiance of The Black Church. There have been many efforts to integrate churches throughout our land, yet 11 AM on Sunday Mornings is still the most segregated hour on the clock.

If one would pay attention to our television ministries and our megachurches, there are many preachers of other races that pastor or oversee thousands of members of color. Yet, this is not true in the inverse. If one would follow all of the major African American ministries in our land that have black pastors, one would not find an overwhelming "percentage" of other races in the congregation. This is why there has been a so called black church.

Our modes of worship are different and that is not a discredit to any race. Are we really committed to reconciliation in our houses of worship? There was a previous pastor of a large mainstream church in Memphis,Tennessee that once stated-I can't wait to get to heaven, so I can go on the Negro side of heaven and sing one of those great Negro spirituals. Will there be subdivisions in heaven? Was he reciting what others secretly believe?

Prayerfully, the houses of worship in our land will learn to work together on common ground. We are all aspiring to make it to a place called heaven where there will be no segregation, busing, or separations by ethnicities. One could surmise that racism has sometimes even crept into the House of Grace. The enemy must love to see the church separated by lines of color. Let's eradicate this problem. If we ever plan on seeing the Christ that we all preach about, we had better get started!

Respectfully Submitted,

Pastor Stephen F. Smith

Sure House Church, Inc.

Senator Barack Obama Answers Questions about Rev. Jeremiah Wright!

2008-03-15T04:58:00.000-07:00

Senator Barack Obama Answers Questions about Rev. Jeremiah Wright! Senator Barack Obama denounces controversial remarks by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, retiring pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ!

African American Women

2008-03-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

African American Women are an essential, precious, and pivotal piece in the advancement of Black America! Thank God for all of our wonderful sisters!

We Are the Ones!

2008-03-03T03:26:00.000-08:00

We are the Ones that can bring about change in America by electing Senator Barack Obama as the next President of the United States!