Christocentric

This was my first year taking my blog seriously and it has reaped great rewards for me in so many different ways.  I’ve been blessed spiritually, emotionally, intellectually plus more that I can’t think of right now.  I am also so happy to have made many new friends in the family of Christ!

But here’s some stats for this past year that I’d like to share with many of you who helped make Christocentric a blog to visit.  What do these stats tell me?  Some pretty interesting facts such as:

• The topic of Gay Marriage was the most popular topic of the year
• People were very interested in Pastor Miles McPherson’s (Rock Church San Diego) appearance at the Republican National Convention
• People were pretty interested in the VesselVibe.com’s article on the Christian musician Tonex and my consequent post commenting on that article – and one on one discussion with him as he visited my site
• Interested also in Pastor Miles seminars/sermons on Proposition 8
• The debate on “speaking in tongues” is never ending
• And curiosity about Kwanzaa draws many to my site (my e-book is in final editing stages in will be posted for sale soon!)

I’m even surprised that people actually searched for my blog!  That’s encouraging.  So do take a peek at the stats below if you can stand it and visit some of the links to see what made them so popular on my blog.

Can’t wait to see what 2009 will bring for Christocentric – or what Christocentric will bring to 2009! 

Top Posts of 2008

Title	Views
The Negative Effects of Same-sex Marriag	2,093
FOXNews.com – Pastor Miles McPherson at	1,698
Tonéx Has 4Gotten God	990
The Fine Line – “Yes for Proposition 8″	659
“Speaking In Tongues” – Why We Shouldn’t	534
Civil Rights has MLK Day, Gay Rights wit	444
Gay Unions don’t affect religious freedo	443
Protecting Marriage Between One Man and	440
The Truth About Kwanzaa	438
What Same Sex Marriage Does to Kindergar	412
Watch “Yes On Proposition 8″ Ads	410

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Top Referrers from other sites to this blog

Referrer	Views
wordpress.com/tag/ab-2567	162
vesselvibe.com/emagazine/2008/08/intr…	139
wordpress.com/tag/pastor-miles-mcpher…	139
imspeakingtruth.wordpress.com	98
talkwisdom.blogspot.com	94
wordpress.com/tag/pastor-miles-mcpher…	88
gcmwatch.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/ex-…	85
wordpress.com/tag/the-rock-church-san…	78
chadabshier.wordpress.com	60
gcmwatch.wordpress.com	60

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Top Searches that found this blog

Search	Views
tonex	126
christocentric blog	113
coffey anderson	97
miles mcpherson	71
miles mcpherson rnc	68
christocentric	59
yes on prop 8 commercials	57
negative effects of gay marriage	50
obama school vouchers	49
miles mcpherson at rnc	46

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Top Clicks to links from this blog

URL	Clicks
vesselvibe.com/emagazine/2008/08/intr…	123
gcmwatch.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/ex-…	111
wordpress.com	109
gcmwatch.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/ton…	90
iprotectmarriage.com/the-fine-line	76
childtrends.org/Files/CT_HealthyMarri…	68
realchristianity.wordpress.com/2008/0…	62
klmartin.wordpress.com/2007/09/24/her…	59
protectmarriage.com	52
gcmwatch.wordpress.com	48

People usually make new year’s resolutions of a list of things they plan to do and don’t do for the new year and that is something I usually do myself.  But this time I want to do something different and make my list strictly of things I DON’T want to do anymore.  Things that have been usually bad for me or just drag me down.  Let’s see… I’ll start off my top ten – in no order of importance:

1. No more procrastinating
2. No more screaming at my kids like a mad woman
3. No more eating foods that I know are absolutely unhealthy for me with the exception of my weekly pizza and yearly chitterlings.
4. No more caving in to the still-at-home adult children’s desire that I don’t cook the stinky yet very delicious chitterlings on New Year’s eve.
5. No more saying that I’m getting rid of our two cats.  I’ve had them for 12 years now so no one believes me anymore when I say that I will.
6. No more praying to win the lottery.
7. No more high-tech toys.  I have enough.
8. No more asking God to get someone else to witness to someone whom He clearly convicted me to witness to.
9. No more scowling in church at couples who are constantly rubbing each others backs or some other show of affection during the sermons.
10. No more  waking in the morning without thanking God for giving me another day of life!

For most people, Kwanzaa isn’t even a consideration.  Even most of us Blacks, many are still scratching our heads trying to figure out exactly what it is.

But as I sat through a free screening of  “The Black Candle” which is a new movie about Kwanzaa, it already confirmed what I have already been writing about all alone, it’s just a man’s attempt in creating another spiritual celebration like Christmas and Hanukkah.

How so? There’s food, prayer (libations), gift giving,  and the spiritual side of Kwanzaa which urges everyone to practice its principles everyday.  And instead of God being the center of worship and adulation, it’s the ancestors whose names are called and worshipped as if somehow by calling upon their names will make us all better people.

So although Karenga said it is not a religious celebration, he’s imitated much of Kwanzaa from the religious holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah.  Hanukkah has the lighting of eight candles using a menorah while Kwanzaa lights seven candles using a kinara.  In both Christianity  and Judaism, the principles of the New Testament and 10 commandments are urged to keep while Kwanzaa uses the seven principles or the Swahili name of Nguzo Saba to urge its participants to follow.  Kwanzaa ceremonies make use of “elders” while Christmas and Hanukkah ceremonies are sometimes held by pastors and rabbi.  Prayers are said in Kwanzaa by use of libations.

And although Kwanzaa is tailored after the African harvest celebrations, no one can recall harvest celebrations being held in December.  Is it by accident Karenga selected the time right after Christmas and during Hanukkah?

And yet, it’s not religious.  Although God’s name is never invoked during a true Kwanzaa celebration, there is much spirituality, much adulation and worship and much teaching of moral principles for the betterment of human kind.

Even like Christmas and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa has been completely commercialized.  There’s greeting cards, Kwanzaa kinaras (the candle holder), Kwanzaa stamps, and books about Kwanzaa, and the list goes on.  Quite ironic because one of the reasons the creator of Kwanzaa, Karenga, created it was to get folks away from the commercialism of Christmas.  Perhaps now Karenga can understand how something so special as Christmas has lost much of its true meaning to people because of the vast commercialism of it.

Secular humanism is the religion and the object of worship is man himself.  That’s why this author has warned fellow Christians not to involve themselves in joining in this celebration because one can not serve two masters.  Either it’s God one worships or it’s man – it can’t be both!

Kwanzaa will continue to be celebrated as most will consider it just another harmless holiday.  Some will even accuse Christmas as being the evil celebration and not Kwanzaa.

But let’s just set this straight so the next time someone says that Christmas can’t be said or celebrated in their place (such as a school or business) due to the ill-used statement of “separation of church and state,” just tell them Kwanzaa is a religion too!

Addendum: An article on Slate.com gives an example of one using Kwanzaa as a religion when the article ends with the author saying:

“My simple defense of Kwanzaa is that in the short time that we celebrated the holiday, it brought my family together. We weren’t hitting the after-Christmas sales or trying out our new bicycles. We were kneeling around an altar and watching as the water ran from the jug in my brother’s hands.”

The author doesn’t say whom they are worshipping at the Kwanzaa altar, but it is clear that Kwanzaa is definitely practicing religious rituals, contrary to the moniker always used to describe Kwanzaa – “a non-religious holiday.”

(see that complete article on Slate here: Bring out the Kwanzaa Kinara)

I’m taking the time off for a little R&R, so no new activity until after Christmas or perhaps even until after New Years.

Until then, do have a very merry Christmas or whatever other holiday you’ll be celebrating during this holiday season!

But do remember the REAL reason for this season!

(Comments will still be published)

This author appears to think so and I am in complete agreement with her!  Marcia Segelstein, a professional writer, wrote an article that appeared in OneNewsNow.com titled The politically incorrect truth about Kwanzaa. She lists her reasons why she believes so in this article, reasons such as:

1. This was not an African celebration as no African heard of Kwanzaa before the 1960′s.
2. Harvest celebrations aren’t celebrated in December in Africa
3. The seven principles of Kwanzaa were the exact same principles used by the SLA, Symbionese Liberation Army, a radical group from the early 70′s.  Supposedly these were borrowed from Kwanzaa by its only black member.  Not exactly prinicples used for peace as this group was notorious for its bank robberies, murders, and its infamous kidnapping and brainwashing of media heiress Patty Hearst.
4. It’s a celebration based upon skin color – blacks only – by an ex-convict and radical black nationalist.
5. A holiday celebrated by millions around the world. Where is the evidence of that?

What she wrote was very truthful and sadly, too many people believe otherwise.  Our children will still be taught Kwanzaa songs in school while the world is coaxed into believing that it’s the “African-American” culture that must be taught.  I am black and am not proud of this faux culture story being sold around the world.

Check out her article linked above and if you don’t agree with it, I’d like to now why!

Fellow blogger Christine has some excellent information regarding the creation of a website for the Defense of Marriage Act – DOMA, by a group called The Alliance for Marriage Foundation.  They created this website for the purpose of providing support to the DOMA.

What is the purpose of DOMA? It gives each state the right not to recognize same-sex marriages made legal in other states.  It federally defines marriage being between a man and a woman, the definition recognized for over 200 years.  DOMA was signed into law by President Clinton in 1996 and supported by President Bush as well. President-elect Obama has promised to repeal it once in office.

What will happen if this is repealed? States will be forced to recognize the gay marriages from states where its legal.  So the 37 states that have the DOMA active now, and the 47 states that have voted against gay marriage, will then be forced to recognize the marriages of gays from the 2 states where gay marriages are legal, Connecticut and Massachussetts.

Those of us that support marriage between a man and a woman need to let our elected officials know that we wish to keep DOMA active.  The ProtectDOMA.org website has links that will locate our officials.  It’s pretty handy for those of us who are clueless to whom those people may be.

So stop by the ProtectDoma website (click on image above) and write your elected officials to keep this act in place and also check out Christine’s blog!

Fox News accused of being ignorant about Kwanzaa without any explanation of why Fox News’ name was even brought up!  The following is an interview between a Duluth, Minnesota newspaper reporter and the Kwanzaa coordinator at University of Minnesota, Duluth (UMD), Jebeh Edmunds.

“How do you counter individuals who feel Kwanzaa is a racist tradition, like the right-wing commentaries presented on Fox News Channel? Do you think it is in fact racism that is the basis for those charges — or maybe just a misunderstanding of what it’s all about?

I think ignorance always has a way of rearing its ugly head through the media. If the Fox News Channel knew any better, they would take the time to know more about this holiday. It is not a religious based holiday, so [anyone from] any faith and cultural background is allowed to celebrate Kwanzaa. The seven principles of Kwanzaa don’t show any inclusion as a people; all of our communities are multicultural and we are striving toward integration equity.”

While calling the Fox News network ignorant for not knowing enough about Kwanzaa, it appears that the opposite is actually holding true.  She says that it is not a religious based holiday, yet Karenga listed it among religions in his book on Kawaida Theory.  The seven principles of Kwanzaa not showing any inclusion? All of the principles are geared towards the black community only.  Striving toward integration equity? And Kwanzaa is supposed to help with that?

I can’t even speak about Fox News here because they never gave any examples in the entire article about what Fox News said about Kwanzaa.  But the sad story here is that black people, such as Ms. Edmunds, will follow after teachings simply because they are dressed in culture and history without really researching the true facts.

Kwanzaa is racist, anti-religion, and secular humanistic in its theory and practice.  Anyone who truly knows the real history of Kwanzaa would quickly turn away from it!

See: The Truth About Kwanzaa Website link on the right

(Repost from 2006)

Thanksgiving is done, Black Friday is over and now the CHRISTMAS season is officially upon us! Kwanzaa observers are now about to suffer the same problem that Christian Christmas observers have suffered since its inception: gross commercialism and the forgetfulness of the true meaning of the season.

Maulana Karenga, the creator of Kwanzaa, said one of the reasons he created Kwanzaa was to get folks away from the commercialism of the “oppressor’s” celebration. On page 15 of his 1977 book on Kwanzaa titled: “Kwanzaa: origin, concepts, practice” he says the following:

“…one of its (Kwanzaa) main functions is to escape the economic entrapment and alienated gift-giving which the Christmas season has come to include and demand.”

Karenga could have urged Christians to remember the reason for celebrating their season and to pull away from the crazy spending that goes on during this celebration, but because of his belief that Christianity is a “white man’s religion” he created a holiday that blacks could celebrate without Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately for Karenga, the same commercialized problems are now plaguing Kwanzaa as Christmas. Try to find one store (other than Christian) that doesn’t sell something having to do with Kwanzaa (and there are some Christian stores that do sell Kwanzaa items). It’s a fact of life: where there are human beings, there will be greed and over-zealous spending.

So this message is for all: This is the CHRISTMAS season! (Say it again – CHRISTMAS! You are free to speak it, write it and think it around this site.) Yes, December 25 may not be His exact birth date, but let’s choose this time of remembering the true meaning of Christmas — the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! (More on this during the week of Christmas.)

Those of you who don’t believe in Christ, do celebrate your holidays. And Christians? Let’s not give folks such as Karenga more reasons for inventing holidays to take the place of ours!

Carlotta M.

Tonight former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee had as one of his guests, Ashley Smith Robinson on his show of the Fox News network.

Ashley Smith Robinson

Who is Ashley Smith Robinson? Remember the Atlanta, Georgia hostage hero?  Here is a description of Ashley Smith as she was known then, from her own blog:

“By her own account, Ashley Smith Robinson is far from an angel or a hero. Yet today, her face is known around the world as the single mother who persuaded Brian Nichols, Atlanta’s courtroom killer, to surrender to police. Nichols called Ashley “an angel sent from God”, but, ironically, it was Ashley’s less-than-angelic past that allowed her to convince him to face justice.”

Huckabee had drawn from her interview something that I hadn’t heard before.  The fact that during the hostage crisis, Ashley was battling her drug demons and the killer had asked her for drugs which she gave to him.  (According to her bio on her blog, she had given the killer her own stash of methamphetamines.)

It was this  young woman’s many interviews with the media that struck a fevered interest in Rick Warren’s already best selling book, The Purpose Driven Life.  Ashley was in day 33 of the 40 day spiritual journey in this book, at the time of the courtroom killing/hostage crisis.  It was from this chapter that she read to the killer.  It was titled: “How Real Servants Act” based on Mark 10:43 and Matthew 7:16:

Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  Mark 10:43

You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:16

Although a Christian since a young child, Ashley had gotten into trouble as a teenager which continued through her adult years.  It was her addiction to methamphetamines which made her temporarily give up custody of her daughter to her aunt.

What struck me with this interview was Ashley sharing her complete brokenness to God.  She was battling an addiction she wanted no part of and it was her revelation of the following that led her to just give her all to our Lord:

“For a long time I believed I had to be perfect before I came to God and He would make me right but that wasn’t what it was.  God wanted to make me right on His own. He didn’t need my help, He just needed my garbage!”

Ashley had prayed to stop the drug use and her Aunt who had her daughter had actually even prayed that either her niece make some serious changes or the Lord take her home! So during the hostage drama with the killer, Ashley began to think her Aunt’s prayer was about to happen – that she would die at the hands of this killer because she hadn’t changed!  But during the crisis Ashley said she prayed for God’s direction in everything dealing with this killer.  The rest of the story is shared on her bio here.

No matter one’s personal views of Rick Warren, or Ashley giving the killer drugs, her own personal battles – the one thing that stands out for sure is that Ashley recognized that she needed help and couldn’t do it alone.  She recognized the power of our Lord in helping her overcome her addiction.  She recognized that she didn’t have to be perfect – to be upright before coming to God.  That simple message is what could help so many others come to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Come as you are and trust Him to change you!  But the first step is always the desire to change.  To come to God while yet desiring the same old lifestyles is not “change” at all.  Just dressing the old to look like new! Ashley had a very real desire to change.  She poured herself into God’s word and it was His words that took hold of her life and changed her.

The whole hostage crisis was a part of God’s plan to bring about a radical change in Ashley – and how she changed! (see her bio above)

Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life – John 4:14

Listening to this interview was very inspirational, a very powerful reminder that if we allow God, He can tackle any of our own personal demons.  Sharing this with those who want a relationship with God but think that they have to be “good” first, will bring them peace to know that they just come as they are, “garbage” and all – and allow God to change them!

God welcomes the request!

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 3:18

Order Ashley’s book: The Unlikely Angel – a New York Time’s bestseller!