... ARCHIVES ... ====================== 22 January 2008 - I walked away, but now I'm back. He hasn't let me off the hook, yet. Currently, ATLGospel is being redesigned to offer better functionality and interaction. Once the new site has been published (it's in test mode right now), it will also include updated content (ie - new music). Ya'll please pray my strength in da Lawd, cause I'm doing this alone. I'm hoping to have it completed by Feb. 1. 25 August 2007 - What could I offer that would help the body of Christ? The church continues to receive fresh black-eyes from individuals that have been placed on pedestals only to be knocked down. ...more reminders that we should worship Christ and him alone. Ascending to the ranks of Bishop does not make you less human, yet I understand it's hard to listen to someone who does not practice what they preach. It's so ironic that preaching couples can have ministries that emphasize the sanctity of marriage and yet have their own problems. Does it make their ministry less credible? NO!!! ...it just makes them human. It would be easy for us to chastise public figures (as we often do). It's easy for us to write people off that make mistakes. ...see, I knew he wasn't no man of God!!! ...all these preachers are fake! ...child, you know they just want your money, while they living like rockstars I can't say that I've never said or thought these very words, but walk in their shoes for a mile before you write them off. LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN, CAST THE FIRST STONE Nobody's perfect. Let's all try to spend more time praying and less time criticizing and gossiping. Are their false teachers, ministers, prophets and evil ushers? Are churches full of homosexuals, dykes, adulterers, fornicators, liars, backbiters, jealous and just downright evil people? YEP, plenty.<br><br>Stop joining churches based on the exterior. Take a look inside, first. I'm not referring to the building. A church is like a hospital. Sick people go to hospitals. Likewise, less than perfect people go to church. Stop expecting anyone in church to be perfect. What could I offer that would help the body of Christ? Strive to live a life that's pleasing to God. When you fall, get back up and likewise, help your brothers and sisters that need a hand and a shoulder. Don't talk behind my back. Lovingly, correct me in my face. Do not carry yourself with the posture of self-righteousness. If you're too heavenly minded, you're no earthly good.<br><br>When God blesses you, bless others. The reason why God withholds money and favor is because he knows we'll squander it. Search your heart and ask God for correction if it's out of line. A good passage to read would be 2 Timothy 2 http://bibleresources.bible.com/passagesearchresults.php?passage1=2+timothy+2&version1=31 ============== 26 June 2007 - And yet, I'm still saved.<br><br>I'm saved, not by my own power. I'm saved, not by my strength. I'm saved, not by my works. I'm saved, not by the way I dress. I'm saved, not by the way I carry the flesh I'm wrapped in. You can't earn your way into heaven. Holiness is an assignment, not a prerequisite for salvation. You can't buy your way into heaven. Tithing is great, but it doesn't get you a first class ticket. Salvation isn't determined by any of this. Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths when it comes to salvation, some of which we were taught in church and more of which we pass on to others. We have set the bar high for those who need help, discouraging many, instead of encouraging any. We speak ill of and negativity towards our brothers and sisters instead of reinforcing what's good and speaking life, love and properity. We've turned our churches into social clubs, reinforcing elitist attitudes, excluding and shunning those who don't fit into our clique. Raising money and starting TV Ministries has taken priority over leading souls to Christ. No wonder, many can't stomach going to church. While there are many beautiful and genuine children of God, they often unknowingly sit among pretenders who are on assignment to tear down the integrity of the church and its true mission. These pretenders hold down positions ranging from the pulpit to the usher board. Ironically, some pretenders don't even realize they're pretending. They assume, just by going to church and holding down positions, they're doing enough. Here's one way to know if you're a pretender... If destruction comes out of your mouth instead of Christ's love, you're a pretender. There's a difference between correction and destruction. Write me, if you need more details. People are hurting. Are we helping or are we the cause of that hurt? ============== 05 April 2007 - Sometimes, we may fall, but that doesn't have to be the end of the story. The devil and his helpers would like nothing more than to see you fail, but know that in Christ you are a winner. You just need to believe that and walk in it. You are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You are God's child, and since he is the King of kings, that means you are royalty. You don't have to accept the devil's crumbs, when God has prepared a feast in your honour. Down here, while we are yet wrapped in flesh, you will have struggles with your flesh. We are not perfect. We are a work in progress, but we are still his.<br><br>God wants you to be blessed, but you have to want it to. Make a plan of action. Don't wait for something to just fall out of the sky, when you haven't prepared yourself for it. Why would I give you the keys to my Mercedes, knowing you've wrecked every other car you've had with your no driving self ...and the cars you didn't wreck, you drove into the ground, not bothering to get it serviced or even an oil change. Be faithful over a few things so God can make you ruler over many. If he blesses you, will you bless others or will you be selfish with it? Will you be faithful? Can he trust you? ...something to think about. ============== 01 April 2007 - Despite the obstacles I've had updating the website, ranging from the application crashing (taking a page full of work with it), the site being down for a whole day and me just plain finger fumbling, I was able to finish two pages of music (Listen I and Listen II). I have more music for the remaining pages and will try to have them done by the end of the week. It's been a long week. It's late, so I'm about to get out of this Starbucks and head home. More entries to follow, soon. ============== 30 March 2007 - The site was down for most of the day. This prevented any music code you may have on your page from loading. The site was down due to lack of payment to the webhosting company. The matter has since been cleared up and any code on your site should resume playing. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. In other news, I will finally be changing the music on the site. I'll be the first to admit, it's long overdue. New music is coming very soon. I'm also working behind the scenes with a new partner to develop a new way for you to listen to music. More on that, later... ============== 13 March 2007 - Though I've managed to post something in the journal every now and then, I have mostly stayed away from the site. I've had a bit of a war going on within. I kind of figured this site would die off and maybe I could just forget about it. After all, it's a lot of work for one person. It's costly, requires a lot of time. I rarely, if ever, receive any donations to help with the costs and lately, I've just wondered if it's worth it, considering you can hear Gospel music on other sites now (namely, MySpace). I guess you can say I've been in search mode, as of late. ...searching for direction, wondering about the direction of this site, the direction of my new group, my living situation, my finances, my job, my church home.... It all kind of reminds me of this song Tramaine used to sing (penned by Quincy Fielding Jr.), "What shall I do? What step should I take? What move should I make? Oh Lord, what shall I do?" Sometimes, we may find ourselves in this type of situation. I know I've had plenty of times when I didn't know which path to take. With me, it would get so bad to the point I wouldn't even be able to decide which shirt to put on (well, I still have that issue). I guess this journal entry is really about "Direction." I need God's direction. We need God's direction. I can say, when I've followed God's direction, it has been a wonderful thing. The opposite can be said, when we don't. I checked the stats of the site, and despite the fact I haven't been updating it, people have continued to frequent the site. Also, I've received some encouraging email. I just needed to remember that as long as one person is helped, then the time, cost and energy put into this is well worth it. To me, this is a ministry. It's never really been about having the latest music listed. I do try to keep up at times, but can you really put a timestamp on good music? Still the business model for ATLGospel may be tweaked as time goes on. I really want to start an online radio station, but I have to study it more. The royalty rates are scheduled to go up and it just may be too expensive, relying solely on my income. Ultimately, running this site has been a blessing. ATLGospel has gone to parts of the world, I've never been and never imagined it would go. What started as a little side venture to a forgotten site (ATLReview) has suddenly placed me on a pedestal I never aspired to be on. I mean, it's great and then it's not so great. There's a perception of perfection that I've deliberately tried to shoot down these past few months. I'm not perfect. I have many struggles. Though, I'm not your typical church brother, I'd venture to say, none of us are perfect. I can recall a situation, where I was out at the club, getting my drink on, and a member from my church walked up to me and asked me what I was doing there. I told him, "The same reason you're here." He went on to say, "But, you sing with the Worship Chorale. I simply sit in the audience." It's this type of logic that has us looking down on our brothers and sisters who may sit in higher positions, as if they're less human than we are. God wants us to worship him in spirit and in truth. Now, your flesh is a different matter. Along with the spiritual side is our flesh. All of us living beings have it and it tends to show up every now and then. It really tears me up when we throw stones, living in our shallow, non reinforced glass homes. Where is the love in all of that? We're not perfect. We're a work in progress. Does it mean I don't have a word from God? Not at all. God used Moses. He used Jonah. He used David. If you do your research, you'll find none of them were perfect. We've got to get over ourselves. Until we fess up and start being real with ourselves and each other, we won't be able to grow. A nice suit or dress, does not make you holy. There are bums walking the streets that have more Jesus than we do. And we wonder why the church isn't as effective as it used to be. We need to open our eyes. ...think I've said enough for now. I'll pick this up sometime, later. ============== 25 Feb 2007 - Sometimes up, sometimes down, but never out as long as God has a hand in it. At times we may face a crisis in our lives, when we don't know what direction to take. I know what it's like to deal with setbacks, rejection, jealousy and hate. Such is life. Being able to successfully navigate thru trying times is character defining. Even now, at times I want to throw in the towel, but I will admit, all I've gone thru in the past has helped me to grow thicker skin. I am proof, whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. If you're dealing with setbacks, rejection, etc., don't give up. Bishop Noel Jones once said, "Rejection is direction." Don't give up. It may just mean you need to take a different path. Success may not come overnight, but you're only truly a failure, if you never try. ============== 20 Jan 2007 - This is my first entry for 2007. My mind has been in a perpetual state of vacation. I haven't been able to focus on much. I guess it was bound to happen. I've spent so long focussing on the wrong things til my brain finally began breaking down some things and dealing with me. Now I realize, most of the things I thought were important, aren't. My emotions are no longer in charge. In the midst of this brain revival and realignment, I did manage to make it to a recording session recently for Algernon Johnson. I'm an admitted recluse when it comes to attending anything church related, particularly as it relates to the music crowd. But Al is like family. I have known him for nearly two decades, growing up in Los Angeles. In the couple of years that Al has been here, he has built quite a following, lending his talent to different events, meeting and making friends with the right contacts (He's like the opposite of me ..lol). Nikki Potts (LA Mass / Kurt Carr Singers) also flew in and sung for the occassion. I'm glad I attended, even though word on the street has been critical of the recording. Truth is, some folks weren't there to worship God. Looking for flaws and tearing each other down has become a sport for many. There's nothing wrong with constructive criticism, but there's a thin line between constructive and destructive. I'm still looking for the day when we all begin taking a builder's mentality. All in all, it was a great event. Al's strength lies in his praise and worship, which he's got down to a science. While we were out eating later that night, I told him I was taking notes. I meant it...lol. ~ Syon ============== 20 Dec 2006 - A lot can happen in a month. If you want different results, you have to do different things. Back when I lived in California, I used to work with a lot of singing groups. I have a healthy resume, when it comes to teaching/directing choirs, but I've often frowned on the idea of starting one from scratch. Nevertheless, I always seem to find myself directing somewhere. I've been dealing with this vision for a long time and I've finally given into it. With that, the first rehearsal for my choir is January 2nd and our first engagement is the 20th. Starting a ministry is quite an undertaking. Please pray for us. It's clear to me that 2007 will not look like 2006. I've even shaved my locs off for the occasion. There has been so much turmoil going on in my life. I believe God is just shaking things up. Some things had to cease in terms of the company I used to keep, the places I used to go, the things I used to do. Some of the things Gods want to bless us with, require that we are in the right place and space to receive it. It's a process. Not everything in my life is perfect. ...far from it, but with God's help and direction, things have to turn around. ~ Syon ============== 25 Nov 2006 - Even ministers of the Gospel need to be ministered to. I've received a lot of response to my recent posts. Thank you for your prayers. I know there are still Godly people around, and I truly thank you for the encouragement. I have definitely been knocked off center, lately. I haven't even begun to mention all the issues I've been faced with. It would probably depress you...lol. Sometimes, we get weak. We have to hold each other up. You never know what your brothers and sisters are dealing with. Though their response may say otherwise, not everyone you greet is feeling blessed and highly favored. Hezekiah Walker has a song called "I Need You To Survive." There is no harmony throughout the entire song but it is one of the most beautiful songs in recent memory. I haven't thrown in the towel. I'm not closing the site. That would make Satan and his peeps happy, and we give him too much to crow about already with our wicked tendencies. Besides, I have a vision for the site which hasn't been fulfilled yet. Though the chips are down, I'm not giving up. I refuse to. If only one person is blessed by the site, that's enough reason to keep going. Having said that, I'm pressing on. More music is coming. I am pouring thru a lot of it, in an effort to come up with a new playlist, going into December. I can't commit to an exact date for completion. There's still the matter of a play I'm in, which is running for two weeks at The Atlanta Civic Center. I guess, in a sense, that's a bright spot for me. It has temporarily kept my mind off other things. If you're in or near the Atlanta area, consider attending "The King of Glory" at The Atlanta Civic Center, Dec. 1-10. Tickets are available thru Ticketmaster. It's not expensive. It's moreso for ministry, but I think you'll like the presentation. It's got great singing, a great set, a cast of more than 300, and I'm in it (playing the part of Joseph). ============== 17 Nov 2006 - Today we laid my godson, Anthony Lamont Washington to rest. ...no more pain, no more suffering, no need to pay taxes, no bills to worry about, no more heartaches or heartbreaks... He was quite a performer, most notably, a gifted dancer. I believe he's still dancing ...just for a different audience. He is now in the safety of the Lord. I kept the very last text he sent me. It said, "How much are the grits (Nov. 5th @ 8:24am)." I was down in the cafeteria of Grady's, grabbing breakfast and he preferred that over the food they would bring to his bedside. That stuff had absolutely no seasonings. I know that text may not seem significant to most people, but it was to me. Forgive me for mourning on my own site. I have been heavily discouraged this week, and I am not talking about the loss of my son. We claim to be Christians but rarely do we show and prove. I think in some ways we're losing more souls then we gain. Lately, I've entertained shutting the site down. I still love God. I'm just not crazy about his followers. We've got to do better. A lot of us are missing the component of LOVE. ...How can you call yourself a Christian without it? Another thing that sickens me is some Christians have gotten deep into politics. ...even placing it above Christ. It's time to reevaluate your priorities. Your party affiliation is your business, but I think it's a bit irresponsible to tell your congregation to vote a certain way or support a certain president. ...truly all that money has gone to your head. The corruption in the church is mind boggling. Now it's LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION, JESUS!!! ...and the crazy thing is, he's not there. He's just watching from a distance. I've taken a hiatus from church, not because I don't want to go, but because I don't know where to go. Keep me in your prayers. ============== 11 Nov 2006 - Back on the 13th of October, I mentioned I had a couple of friends in the hospital. Last night at 7:23PM EST, the younger of the two, Anthony Washington aka Phoenix, took his last breath. He was 24. The pain he's been suffering is now over. That's something to rejoice about, and I'm a do that as soon as I stop crying. Though I'm not much older than him, he referred to me as "Pops." In a lot of ways, I felt like I was. This whole ordeal has broken my heart, but I know he's in a much better place. Admittedley, I haven't beeen focussed on updating the site over the last couple of weeks, due in part to me spending time at the hospital and lots of rehearsals spent preparing for two plays I'm in, both opening in December. I am going to get back on track though. I've been quietly compiling music for the next music update. Additionally, Christmas music is on the way. In the midst of all of this, I have been going thru some financial hardships, but I received some hope for the future from an unlikely source. A couple days ago, I made a stop at Georgia Power to make a payment with my faith check ...you know the type that you write before the money is in the bank. ...well, anyway, as I was getting out the car, an older lady who appeared to be homeless and a little sickly, approached me. I was thinking to myself, she definitely got the wrong one today, if she wanted any money. However, I decided to at least listen to her request, before saying I don't have it. Funny thing is, she didn't ask for any money. Instead, she gave me two dollars and stated, "The Lord was going to bless me..." I want you to know, that completely messed my head up. I just knew there had to be a catch, but there wasn't. She gave me two dollars, said what she had to say and walked away. I thought, jokingly, I must be in really bad shape, if homeless folks are giving me money. As I'm writing this, God please bless that woman, your servant, for she has reopened my eyes to the blessing in giving. I was hungry that day, and that money went towards the food I bought at the hospital. Thanks to all the staff at Grady Hospital who were nice and responsive, though at times, seemingly a little understaffed. If you ever happen to spend an extended amount of time there visiting someone, in the cafeteria, I recommend the loaded hashbrowns for breakfast and they do a good job on the Tilapia fish during lunch. There's so much more I could write, but there's only one other thought I'd like to leave on today's entry... LOVE ONE ANOTHER. You never know when a loved one will take their last breath. Say you love them and show them you love them, while they're yet here. If they wind up in the hospital, visit them. The little things can really mean a lot. ~ Syon 06 Nov 2006 - One of the components of being a Christian is learning how to forgive. No man is perfect ...not even your pastor. This should be a sign, that if you're worshipping your pastor, you're worshipping the wrong person. If your pastor's wrong deeds drive you from God, you weren't worshipping God. Think about it. Acknowledge, Celebrate, Honour, Admire, WORSHIP ....these are all different words with different meanings. God has given us pastors to lead us, but keep in mind, your pastor's teachings and life must line up with the word of God. This is why the Bible says, "Study to show thyself approved unto God...(2 Tim. 2:15 KJV)." If your pastor is not teaching the word of God (..and rightly dividing it), then, yes, it might be time switch pastors. If your pastor is teaching the word of God, but broke a commandment or two, then that's an area that needs to be judged on a case by case basis. In Pastor Ted Haggard's case, I believe it was appropriate for him to bow out as he did. However, the only thing that's come to light over this last week, is that Ted Haggard is a man. The only reason Jesus died on the cross, was because God couldn't find a perfect man for the job. Before you go about chastising Ted, I say, "Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone." The only thing that bother's me about this whole ordeal, and this is for my Pastors, Apostles, Ministers, Bishop's, Elders, Evangelists and any others teaching/preaching the word of God. Don't teach/preach on topics you're still struggling with. It's hypocritical to do so and God has a way of pulling the covers back. What's done in the dark... ====================== 13 Oct 2006 - It's Friday the 13th, but so what. The devil's ghouls and gobblins are no match for God's army. Is there a particular song or artist you'd like ATLGospel to feature? Let me know by writing to atlmasai@yahoo.com In Other News... I have not one, but two friends in the hospital. Earlier this year, I lost one of my best friends. I've lost a few close friends over the years. ...don't think I have anymore best friends left to lose, honestly. When I think about it too much, I am truly grieved. To every man is appointed a time to live and a time to die. On the other side of that, I'm convinced that your time is not up 'til God says it's up. Still, I never can seem to get used to the swift transition of time. Everytime, I want to complain about what's not going right in my life, I consider where I could be. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We take so much for granted. One of my friends, currently in the hospital, has cancer. After an operation on his lungs (yesterday), he's no longer breathing on his own. He's currently in intensive care. He's 24 years old. The other friend is a coworker. We've worked together for seven years. She recently had a major stroke. Right now, she can't speak. I am saddened by these developments, but I am mentioning them with a thought in mind. Have you told God, "Thank you?" Be thankful for God's grace and mercy. No day is promised, so when you consider complaining about the things God has allowed you to go thru, consider the things God has kept you from. ============= 1 Oct 2006 - I know I might get some flack for listing the Whitney Houston Gospel Medley below, but honestly, I don't care. I didn't create ATLGospel to preach to the choir (although they can certainly use it). Frankly, none of us are perfect, and there's not one person more worthy to sing God's praises than another. I wish, instead of us throwing stones at one another, we'd use the love of Christ to draw one another. It is our critical and self righteous tone towards others which turns our churches into social clubs, rather than a fortress of love and healing. Instead of harming others with words from our mouth, speaking down on things we can't relate to and have no clear understanding of, we should practice praying for one another. After suffering hatred from wordly minded individuals, why on earth would I suffer hatred from those who allegedly represent God? I am particularly sickened by certain comments I've received from followers of exministries.com. ...I say to all of you, "Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone." Banning Hip-Hop and criticizing R&B Artists is not the way to bring souls into the kingdom. Here's another bit of information: Not All Non-Gospel Music is Sinful. I dare you to show me in the Bible that it is. There was a time, when most churches wouldn't allow drums to be played because they considered it a sin. God created music. Stop putting him in a box. Just because a song doesn't incorporate a Hammond B-3 Organ does not make it less Gospel. Can you really expect the new generation to stick to the music of your grandmother? Don't hold your breath. Time is filled with swift transition. The lyrics may be the same, but the beat is going to change. To suppress this, will only alienate you from those who need to be ministered to. ~ Syon ==================== 21 Sept 2006 - If you take a look around the site, you can tell I've been busy. I haven't had much of a social life lately, except online. I think the most eventful thing I did this week was take myself to Felini's Pizza in Buckhead. They sell pizza by the slice and that's about all I could afford. lol ...I was able to sit outside and take in the early fall weather. My feet were actually cold. I may have to start wearing socks. ...well, enough of that. I hope you enjoy the music, I've got prepared for you. I've got a few more requests to fill, and I left out a couple of songs I really wanted to feature this month. I'll post them soon. For now, I will be directing my attention to other areas of the site. This is a one man shop, so it takes a lot of effort to keep it going. I do have a new area of the site, I plan to release soon. Stay tuned. ============== 14 September 2006 - New musical selections will be available by tomorrow morning on the first music page. All three music pages will be completed by the end of the week. I've been blessed by many of the new/old songs, already. One track I can't wait for you to hear comes from The New Orleans Gospel Soul Children ...yeah, that's right. I'm sure a lot of the newer heads have never heard of them. I went back in time, to pull music from my favorite choir director, the late great, Albert S. Hadley. Their music has NEVER been available online. Their not the only ones, either. Over the next several months, ATLGospel will offer many exclusives, you can't find anywhere else. Making their debut tomorrow on ATLGospel's Music Page, Freda Battle & The Temple Worshippers. Thank you Jason, for making it possible. I've been truly touched by their ministry. I'm blown away by the new project. My girls, the beautiful and talented, Virtue, have got a great project out too. ...I would say more, but I'll let the music speak for itself. Stay tuned. ============== 13 September 2006 - I have finished compiling music, which will be available soon. You'd think, now that I've been doing this for awhile, this would be easy. It actually gets no easier. Striking a balance between old music, new music and requests, can be interesting. Perhaps, I should apply to be a Program Director at a Gospel Radio Station, then I could do this full time ..lol. Some of the popular tunes available now, will stick around, but most will go bye bye for awhile, staying consistent with rotation. I spent most of yesterday, preparing music for the site. Today, I will put down the final formatting touches. ================= 09 Aug 2006 - SOME THOUGHTS, OF MINE After watching Cynthia McKinney's concession speech, in her bid for re-election to Congress' 4th Congressional District, I must admit, I have more respect for her than ever. She is truly a strong black woman, not at all a follower, but a true leader. Unfortunately, the thought of a strong black woman with her own voice, scares a lot of people. Strong black women are powerful figures and we just can't have that. The message we are sending, in electing Hank Johnson is, don't rock the boat. Just go with the flow. As it stands, Hank (like Denise), was simply a pawn. Time will tell whether Hank evolves into a different piece on the chessboard. How and why do some of us shout up a storm in church, then resume a hell-ish life before we get good and out of church? It sickens me. Imagine how God feels. Don't we care how God feels? I submit, if you had a relationship with him, you would care. Okay, none of us are perfect (me included), but at the very least, our lifestyle should move towards holiness, as time goes by. Do you treat others like you want to be treated? Do you gossip about things you know or know nothing about? Love is what love does. If you're not walking in love, you're walking in sin. =========== 02 Aug 06 - Music updates for the month of August, have begun. Page 1 is complete. I will resume updates to page two on Thursday. I haven't made a decision about page 3 yet. Page 2 will likely have more of a Hip Hop lean to it. Updates to the Events Page, will likely take place, early next week (get your events in, if you want them included). In other news, the devil is still busy. I don't think he ever rests, so we must run and not get weary, knowing the race is not given to the swift, but to the one who endures. We are striving for perfection, but none of us are perfect. A just man or woman is one who gets back up, after falling. ...and because we are not perfect, we must stop throwing stones. Jesus said, "Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone." Let us yield to the righteousness of God, drawing our brothers and sisters with loving kindness. I said all this to say, STOP TEARING YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS DOWN!!! Some of us need to keep our mouths shut, because half the time, when we open it, we're wounding our brothers and sisters. If you have a problem with them, go directly to them (in love). I am really concerned about the state of the church (that being us). Until we learn to love one another and build each other up, instead of tearing each other down, we are going to continue to have problems drawing the lost. The health of a lot of our churches is decaying from the inside out, and the main reason, has to do with the people of God, subconsciously (and consciously) breaking just about every commandment. If you're not sure whether this applies to you, give yourself a thorough examination. We will be held accountable, later. One more thing... people in the music ministries, you are not exempt from this word. Those of us in music, generally, have the most mess to deal with. It's time to start striving and stop diving. Syon ================== 31 July 06 - Guess what? ...I've got new music for ya. I've been working behind the scenes to prepare it. Some of the artists scheduled for upload include The Voices of Citadel, Men of Standard, The Tri-City Singers, Kierra Sheard, Nicole C. Mullen, Marvin Sapp, Friendship Baptist Church (with special guest, Tonex), Hip Hop crew Holy South, Mary Mary, Youth for Christ and of course, that's not it. Please be patient with me. It'll take a minute to get it all in place, but I'll definitely be done before Friday, because I'm headed to Los Angeles for the weekend. I'm a guest director for Janice Parker Ministries in Long Beach. Can you believe they want me to teach Matthew 28 from Tri-City's CD? That's gonna be bananas. You probably didn't know I could direct, but let me say Ricky don't have nothin' on me. lol - Stay Tuned - Masai ========== 29 Jun 06 - A third music page was just added, this morning. You can find the link at the bottom of the second music page. ...I hope someone is out there praying for me. I could use it. On a brighter note, my mom is getting married on July 1st and I'm giving her away. This time, I think she may have got it right. God, I hope so. I spruced up the MySpace Page. I'm still not using it to its full potential. Trust me, if I could afford to stay home and really work on my sites, you would notice a difference. For now, I'm moonlighting. As I'm writing this, it's about 1:35 in the morning ...and I have to be up by 6:15, if I have any hope of being to work on time. I'm learning that if you want to be successful, sleep is a luxury ...yo, I'm tired / til next time ~Masai 26 Jun 06 - I was getting so tired of that other picture. This one was taken a few days ago. The locs are still in tact ...just twisted down 25 June 06 ...down, but not out. It aint over 'til God says it's over. 17 June 06 - It's definitely been a period of transition for me. I acknowledge that I've been slippinng when it comes to the music codes, as of late. Unfortunately, my ups and downs do affect my work, but what's coming is better than what's been. I have to keep reminding myself of that, especially considering I totaled my car last Saturday. Fortunately, me and the guy that hit me, were able to walk away from it (and he was insured). I know that God is still looking out. Ironically, the day before, I was looking thru AutoTrader.com and AJCCars.com for CARS. Subconciously, I must've known. I may have to take MARTA for awhile and that's okay. The only thing that concerns me is the uncertainty of it all, yet I know, what's coming is better than what's been. It's a blessing to be alive. I have to remind myself, no matter what I'm going thru, there's always someone going thru something much worse. This is why we have to thank God for the good times and for the bad. When God allows you to go thru trials, he's already got a plan of escape for you. There are lessons to be learned in many things. The sooner we learn, the quicker we can move to the next lesson. Failure to learn a lesson means we will have to repeat the subject. Sometimes, a setback is nothing more than a setup for a blessing. About The Music: I will resume updating the page with music, shortly. Also, in the coming months, ATLGospel will make available music which is not currently availble on CD. I realize that anyone can make the top 40 songs available but not many have access to out of print music, which was only available on record and tape. For all my Hip Hop headz, I've seen the requests for Gospel Hip Hop. I'm going to study that, and likely come back with a page, just for you. Stay Tuned. ======================== MY TESTIMONY OF MOVING TO ATLANTA 01 June 2006 - Welcome to ATLGospel! I've sat and wondered what direction to take the page in. Thru those times when I would've given up, I have been encouraged by the positive feedback. To be sure, this page was created and is maintained by an amateur. I don't have a clue as to how to use Dreamweaver or FrontPage. I've just been using raw HTML Code all along. I do have Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Flash, version 8 on my laptop. I'm only now trying to understand how each of them work. lol I think it may be needed now. The page is getting more hits now than I ever thought it would. The sooner I learn, the quicker I can make much needed improvements to the page ...and I do have a lot of grand ideas I'd like to implement one day. For now, I'll work on updating the codes, events and news items regular visitors currently expect to see. I can't help but reminiscent. I wasn't raised in Atlanta. I arrived here, May 31st of 1999, which means it's now been seven years. I've never shared my testimony as to how I got here. I believe it was truly the work of the Lord. I was sitting in church, at an evening service my pastor had been invited to speak at. I was supposed to sing with our choir who was also in attendance in the choir stand. I was a little late in arriving, so I sat out in the audience. While I was sitting in the back of that church, I heard a voice say, "It's time to move." I replied, "Where." Then the voice said, "Atlanta." With this, I knew it couldn't be my voice because I had never been to Atlanta, ever. If I was moving anywhere, I imagined it might be Philly or DC. I had been to those places and loved it ...especially Philly. I knew nothing about Atlanta, except for the child murders that took place some years back and The Olympics which came and went in 1996. I did know a few folks who had moved here, but interestingly enough, they all moved back. I heard various reasons, which all seemed to suggest or say, it was too slow. In fact, I couldn't recall one good thing ever being said about the city. I should note, I'm from Los Angeles. I had my doubts about that voice. I said to myself, if this was the voice of God, then he'd make a way. Besides, I had just enrolled in school to become a LAN Administrator (computers intrigued me). I had a weekly singing gig in a coffee shop (I really enjoyed that). I'd ride my brand new bike from Venice Beach to Santa Monica Beach and back, nearly every weekend. Finally, after a long depression (that's a whole other subject), I was starting to enjoy life again. I started a new job at a bank in a really nice area, working for really nice people. They loved me and I loved them. I scored a couple of singing gigs, singing background for Andrea Bocelli and Bijou on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Why on earth would I leave LA? Yet, there were signs following that voice. That same week, I and my two roommates learned that the three bedroom duplex we were staying in was being sold and we had to move. That same week, something made me call one of my buddies, Travis, who I hadn't talked to in, perhaps a year. It seemed awkward at first, then he broke the news that he'd been planning to move to Atlanta, but kept getting delayed. That was all the confirmation I needed. We talked a little longer then he asked if I wanted to move to the ATL too. I said, "Yes!" That night, when I got home, my roommates were, coincidentally, looking thru the papers for another three bedroom. I told them, "Instead of looking for a three bedroom, look for a two." Admittedly, they were shocked, as was I. This was a leap of faith for me. I believe it was the next day, I checked out of the school I had just checked into. They didn't have a site in Atlanta and even if they did, 10g's seemed like a lot to stomach. My hopes of becoming a LAN Admin had to be put on hold. When Travis and I started working together on the goal of moving, things fell in place. For instance, I learned it was a thousand dollars cheaper to rent a Uhaul truck going one way from Las Vegas (only 300 miles from LA) than to rent the same truck in LA. Also, I had a Las Vegas Driver's License (that's a whole other story) so this worked in our favor. We simply rented the truck in Vegas and drove it back to LA to pack up and go to Atlanta. Right off the back, Travis told me, he'd be staying with his sister when he got to Atlanta. Basically, I took it as I have my gig and you need to find your own. That was cool with me. I was way too independent and knew God had my back. I needed a job and a place to stay. I wasted no time, getting online and churning out a few leads but nothing really panned out. Later, he had a change of heart about staying with his sister. He said he was doing it to help me out (lol). I suspect it had something to do with her living in Gwinnett (no public transportation in sight at the time). On the other hand, we were towing my 1989, Nissan Maxima behind that huge Uhaul we used to carry all of our stuff (mostly his - I didn't have much else, outside of my CD Collection, a pair of sandals and few decent garments). When we arrived in Atlanta, the evening of May 31, 1999, we stayed with one of his friends. We didn't have a clue where we were going to stay or the obstacles we'd face in getting a place. Additionally, neither of us had a job lined up (Obstacle 1). Credit or lack thereof was a factor too (Obstacle 2). We sound like bumbs, don't we...lol Nevertheless, I knew it was God's will for me to be here and when God sends you somewhere, he'll make provisions. We found a place, just as I was about to start a job. I wasted no time, pounding the pavement, looking for a job. I needed something right away (I was just about out of money), so I began signing up at a bunch of temp agencies. Alas, I go no callbacks. I decided to sign up for a couple more. My last stop was to this agency called Initial Staffing. It was there, I met this lady by the name of Belinda. She had an assignment, but it was paying a lot less than I was used to working for. I took it, though I continued to seek work elsewhere. This was one week after arriving here. I was one of maybe a dozen people sent to this company. I'm the only one who lasted out of the bunch. I needed the money, so reluctantly, I stuck with the company. After three months, I was going to become permanent with a modest increase. During this period, I had to go back to the temp agency to get my weekly checks. One week, I met this young man handing out the checks. His name was Malcolm. During this brief time of me being in the city, I still had not found a church home. Malcolm liked to run his mouth about a small church called Total Grace Christian Center (they probably had around 700 or 800 members at the time). I had never heard someone give a church such glowing reviews. I had to try it out. As it turned out, Belinda was also a member there. Honestly, the church was a little charismatic for me. After all, I grew up Baptist (and I always will be in my heart ..lol). But there was something that kept me coming back. I joined, eventually. I'm still a member. As for the job, Belinda sent me to. I'm still there. After the first three months, they hired me permanently. Three months after that, I got a promotion to the 'IT' Department. They created a position for me (Assistant LAN Admin at the time), then sent me to school, all expenses paid. Aint God good. The story doesn't stop there, but I think I've said enough for now.... 27 May 2006 - I've made some updates to the first music page. Updates to the second music page will be made soon (not today though). I just wanted to send some love out to Sha' Simpson. I attended her appreciation service, last night at Total Grace Christian Center. If you haven't heard of Sha' Simpson, you better ask somebody. Total Grace has just released her from her fulltime duties so that she can minister in song, throughout the country and abroad. She is highly anointed for praise and worship, so if you ever invite her to your church, that's what you should expect. ================= 22 May 2006 - Please be patient with me. God is not thru with me yet. ...updates coming soon. 16 May 2006 - A review for Keshia McFarland's new CD entitled "Cover Girl" along with a sample of a couple of her songs is available on the "Artist Corner" Page (see link above or below). Please be patient with me. I have to find the time to make updates to ATLGospel since I'm still working another job to pay the bills. Lately, I've just been plain tired and not feeling up to the task which has grown to something larger and more costly than I imagined when I first started this. Sometimes, I have to look back and wonder how this site has lasted this long. ATLGospel has not only been a blessing to some, but it has blessed me too. I'm excited about ATLGospel's future and also a little scared and overwhelmed. Pray for me. I'm going to stop providing dates as to when updates will be made, since I've failed to meet them the last couple of times. I will say, I am putting work into the page this week. Keep in mind, most established Gospel Sites have a staff. ATLGospel has two staff members. ...me and The Lord. ================= 02 May 2006 - Well, if you missed Keshia McFarland's 24 Hour Online Listening Party on May 1, you truly missed something. She is truly going to be a force to be reckoned within the Gospel industry. I would say more but I'm saving it for a full review, which I plan to make available, ahead of her CD's release date, scheduled for May 21, 2006. For more info on Keshia, visit her website. www.keshiamcfarland.com ======== 01 May 06 - New Event Postings will be placed some time this week. Also, new music is also coming, hopefully by the end of the coming weekend. I'm burning on a few cylinders here. An individual wrote me a note with a question. I could not respond because the email address they left does not seem to work. ...so I thought I'd post my answer here. From: Stephanie City/State = London, England Question: What do you think inspires you to do gospel music? Have you always been a fan of gospel or have you been saved from sin during recent time and you felt you owed God for his goodness? Answer: I love music in general. Honestly, Gospel is not the only thing I listen to. Yet, the impact of the ministering qualities of God's music is something I could not ignore. When I get messages from people that tell me how much they needed to hear the words in a song that ATLGospel featured, it empowers me to persevere. In a world that seems to feature music that degrades and demoralizes, it's important to find as many venues as possible to feature music that uplifts and empowers. ====== 12 April 06 - For those of you in the Atlanta area, if you're not doing anything this evening, join me at New Birth in Lithonia. It's a celebration of popular Gospel DJ, Larry Tinsley's 27 Years in the business. Helping him celebrate tonight is Hezekiah Walker & LFCC, J. Moss, Byron Cage & New Birth's Total Praise Choir to name a few. Admission is 10 dollars. The Events Page is still not updated. I apologize for that. I have been dealing with quite a bit of distraction, lately, and it has been a challenge keeping all areas of the site updated. One day, perhaps, I can do this full time and still keep my bills paid. In the interim, I have to go to work. I just wanted to give a shoutout to Keshia McFarland, Darlene McCoy, Remnant, Kevin Lemmons & Higher Calling and others who performed for 'The Love Offering' effort which took place at Vinyl aka Earthlink Live, this past Sunday evening. Man, that was great!!! I truly enjoyed it. I didn't get everyone's name who was involved. I didn't take notes and I didn't bring any business cards. I just sat there and received ministry. It was awesome. I believe it will be on TV sometime soon, as it was taped for that purpose. When I learn more, I'll share it with you. ~ SJM ======== 04 April 06 - Music updates are being made this evening to Page 1. Hopefully, I should be done before American Idol comes on. I don't like to miss that. 01 April 06 - Music 1 has been updated. Music 2 will be ready by Tuesday. Artist codes, scheduled for release on Music 2 includes new material from Israel & New Breed, Karen Clark Sheard and Donald Lawrence. 01 April 06 - New Music Code Will Be Available, April 1. 28 March 06 - It always seems hard at first, when I consider what music to feature on ATLGospel. I know it is virtually impossible to please everyone and as knowledge of the site grows (the month of March has already gained 4,000 more hits than last month's record breaking month), it doesn't get any easier. Still, the Lord has graced me to pick songs that minister. The demand is growing for ATLGospel to do more and be more. Sometimes, I run away from this monster I've created, wanting to give up ...wondering what have I got myself into. I used to get happy when I would get 100 hits a day. Honestly, I never imagined it would grow to more than 1,000 a day...and at the rate it's growing it may be nearing 2,000 hits a day in a few months. I do receive words of encouragement and I appreciate it. I try to return messages, but I get a lot, so please be patient with me. Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed. What I want to do with this page is bigger than me, but with prayer and some extra hours spent, I think I can make a dent in some of the work. Some people have expressed a desire and some may be interested in writing for the page. If that's you, please send me a message, even if you've sent one before. I should warn you, the job pays nothing. ATLGospel operates at a loss, every month. If you do submit something (other than event info) and it's added to the page, you will get full credit. For my music lovers out there, I do have some new music planned for next month. Hint: I've been reviewing new music from Karen Clark Sheard, Israel & New Breed and others. There's a new artist named Edward Buckley & Unity in Spirit that I'm a little late in mentioning. I'm playing catch up, and I really don't want him to beat me up if he sees me in person. I really want you to hear and buy his music. I'm planning something for him on the site. In the interim, you can learn more by visiting his site http://www.unityinspirit.net/ ========== 17 March 06 - If you can't manage that which God has given you, why should God bless you with more? ========== 28 Feb - I've made new music codes available on the 2nd music page, however, none of them seemed to work, when tested. I'm not sure why, but I should have it resolved by the morning. The shortest month of the year has now come to a close. It has been the most successful month for ATLGospel, in terms of traffic, blowing the next best month away by more than 1,000 hits. I don't know how or why or where or when, but it looks like the word is getting out. The hits have doubled and in some cases, tripled from a year ago. On another note, I'm grappling with some things right now. God has put me in a place to help others. However, sometimes, I feel the weight of the burden. I've ministered with many people over the years in song. You would think, after singing about the word of God for so many years, we would apply some of it. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. It's one thing to sing and preach the word of God. It's another thing entirely to live it. I'm just crazy enough to believe the word of God. I won't pretend to understand God's way, but I'm more than convinced, God is real and he's taken care of me all these years. There's so much hurt out there, and some of the ones hurting are saved. If you fall in that category, I challenge you to consider the scriptures. Total Grace Christian Center, Co-Pastor, Toni Alvarado preached a powerful message this past Sunday. In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus states "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." The summary: God will allow you to be tested. Instead of Jesus praying that Simon Peter, not be tested, he prayed that his faith would hold up instead. Who can pray better than Jesus? He went further and said, (paraphrasing) "WHEN you make it thru this, encourage your brother." Storms are destined to happen. God allows us to be tested, not so he can see what's in our hearts (he already knows). He allows the storms so we can see what's in our hearts. I'll continue this soon.... =============== 24 Feb / 6:17pm EST - Over the last couple of weeks, I and a few friends have been receiving email which takes aim at one of our brothers in Christ. I wasn't going to mention it. I never list a news item unless I've received it from an accredited news source. However, it seems to have become quite a popular email, which people seem to be more than willing to send to everyone in their address book. STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!! Even if there were any truth to the story, why would we as Christians who are supposed to be building each other up, engage in character assassination? To add insult to injury, it's gossip. There's no evidence or credible source as of this writing. Please let's do better, moving forward. Stop spreading rumors. Stop gossiping. It's not Christ-like. If someone were spreading stories about your friend or close family member, wouldn't it disturb you? Let us strive to treat others like we want to be treated. Hezekiah, we love you. ~ Syon =========== 24 Feb / 9:38am EST - As I stepped into work today, I just couldn't seem to get this particular song out of my head. To me, that was a sign that somebody needed to hear it. With that, I am making "I Need You To Survive" available to listen and upload to your page. It's available on the first music page. You never know what someone is going thru. Throughout the day, yesterday, I spent time marinating over my issues. Then I went home. Usually, when I'm going thru things, I kind of drift into my own little corner, preferring not to speak to anyone. I'm trying not to be so bad about that though, so I spoke to a friend and simply asked, "How was your day." The next couple of minutes were filled with more information than I could've anticipated. The point I want to make is, check on your folks. Call that family member or friend and see how they're doing. Sometimes a word of encouragement can do so much for somebody. This time served as a reminder to me that we have to encourage each other, whether in word or deed. We have to be an ear for each other. We have to be a shoulder for each other. We have to show love for one another, even when we're not feeling the love. We have to treat each other like we want to be treated. God has a plan for our lives. Some of us will be here longer than others. You don't want a friend or loved one to pass away that you haven't made amends with. =============== 17 Feb - After a little hiatus, I've returned to make some much needed updates. The Event section is now useful and there are some interesting events taking place. If you have event nformation you'd like to submit, please send that info to imasai@gmail.com 02 Feb - Ready to resume the work which is before me, I will be reviewing the music requests today and seeking to add event info thru the week. I've been hearing some rumblings for Karen Clark Sheard's new music. ...now you know I can't overlook her. Stay Tuned The last couple of days I've spent time reflecting on the life of Coretta Scott King. I love her so much, not because she bears a striking resemblance to my grandma, but because of the strength and courage that she has maintained in the face of adversary. This woman had such a presence about her, you could sense it just looking at her pictures. It's a beautiful thing to be in the presence of someone who is innately beautiful. What a tremendous loss... During President Bush's State of The Union Speech, he said "Today our nation lost a beloved, graceful, courageous woman who called America to its founding ideals and carried on a noble dream. Tonight we are comforted by the hope of a glad reunion with the husband who was taken so long ago, and we are grateful for the good life of Coretta Scott King. ============= 24 January - I will be in Los Angeles, January 26-30 for a home going celebration. I have received a lot of messages with requests. I haven't had the time to respond to all of them, but I have taken notice to some of the requests and will keep that in mind, while I'm changing out the music. Back in the day, I could handle the volume, but now it takes a little time. I will strive to have the music updated by February 6th (my birthday). If you have any event listings, please send them in as soon as possible. I will probably be making updates to the Event's Page, once I return. ATTENTION: Independent Artists' who are interested in promoting your music. ATLGospel is creating an Artist's Corner Page just for you. Details about the submission process and other logistics have not been finalized. The launch date is tentatively scheduled for March 1. ~ Masai ============== 31 Dec - ATLGospel is wrapping up this year's music offerings with a look back at some of the hits of 2005. We also threw in a couple of older classics as well. You can find those songs by clicking on the Music Link above or below. A writer once wrote... "Time is filled with swift transition Naught of earth unmoved can stand Build your hopes on things eternal Hold to God's unchanging hand" It's been a trying year for many. God never said it would be easy, but some of my brothers and sisters have struggled more than others. I think back to the writer's words. Naught = Nothing Time is filled with swift transition. Nothing of earth unmoved can stand. Unless you're a well placed rock or mountain, chances are you're going to go thru changes as long as you're here. Ups and downs are a part of life. God allows this because he knows we can appreciate the sunshine when we've had to deal with rain. What's the ultimate goal? Build your hopes on things eternal. Hold to God's unchanging hand. It's alright to have goals. One of my goals is to try to get my hands on one of those video iPods. I'd love to own an Xbox 360 too. These things fade, however. They'll eventually be replaced with newer versions &/or something else. God, on the other hand is perfect. Perfection cannot be improved upon. Unfortunately, not everyone shares the same view. That's why so many new religions are popping up. They even tried to replace God back in Moses day. While he was receiving the ten commandments, God's very own people were creating a god made of gold. I guess some things don't change. In the midst of it all, God was still faithful. Sure, he got angry. He got so angry he wiped out an entire civilization back in Noah's day. He's wiped out cities: Sodom, Gomorrah and New Orleans. God can get very jealous, and yet he's patient, kind and loving. When you pick a team, Jesus Christ should be the number one draft pick. Heaven should be our goal. We all will go one of two places when we die. Alas, most will end up in hell. Me, I'd rather go to heaven. Accepting God's son, Jesus Christ, who became the perfect sacrifice for our sins, is the only way to reach that goal. ~ Romans 10:9-11 ...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. ~ John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ~ Matthew 7:14 - Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. ================= 14 Dec - I bet you thought I was done putting out Christmas Music. If you thought that you were wrong. Look for a dozen more songs, tomorrow by the close of the morning. 14 Dec - Pardon the mess. The page is undergoing a little reconstruction. All of the content is still available. It's just been reorganized under a couple of extra links. The page will be undergoing changes for the rest of the month. 12 Dec - Christmas songs have been added to the Christ.Music page. Click the Christmas Music Link above or below to view the song selections. Separately, I have received requests for the regular Gospel Music. I have yet to determine the exact date when I will make updates, but I imagine it'll be prior to Christmas Day. A brotha is mentally on vacation for real ya'll. The hits to the page keep breaking records though. If you have a song in the form of a 'wma' or 'mp3' that you would like to submit to the page, please email to imasai@gmail.com 08 Dec - Please be patient with me. God is not thru with me yet. ..and on a side note, I'm not thru looking at all of these emails. I'm trying to honour or at least respond to a backlog of emails, dating back to November 13. There are a mountain of requests and various other event updates I need to make. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me... 05 Dec - "The King of Glory" play is now over and I'm so happy, sort of. It was quite an experience and I hate it for anyone who did not attend. The visuals (set design, 3-D Laserlight Show) were exceptional. There were standout performances. I played the part of Joseph. I think I did a good job too. I met a lot of great people that I think will remain friends even though the play is over. I'd also like to mention Apostle Collette L. Gunby, the pastor of Green Pastures Ministries and the president & CEO of Rohi Productions which is behind The King of Glory. Through the many challenges backstage, dealing with some individuals who did not show the love of Christ, listening to your words of encouragement and just witnessing how a woman of God should carry themselves truly inspired me and encouraged me to stay the course. I am a better person after meeting you. God must be smiling on you. ============== 21 Nov - THE BIG PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THIS SEASON... ...is the fact, Christ is slowly but surely being phased out of the season. I hate to see the word "XMas." That is not an acceptable abbreviation. I'm not too thrilled with the phrase "Seasons Greetings" either. What happened to Merry Christmas? Thanksgiving and New Year's have always been within close proximity, but once upon a time, it wasn't a problem for corporate america to use "Merry Christmas". The Non-Christian's growing influence on America is sickening if I can be honest. Now there's a problem saying "One Nation Under God..." What's worse is that Christians are not unified. The enemy has done a great job in dividing us. You've got the conservative Christians, liberal Christians, Catholic Christians, Baptists (Southern, National, American, General and Full Gospel), COGICs, Apostolics, Pentecostals, Lutherans, AME, CME, UME, Methodists, Seventh Day Adventists and I'm sure I left some out. Additionally, you've got Jehovah Witnesses, some of whom claim to be Christians (now that's laughable). Their origin can be traced back to 1872, when a man by the name of Charles Taze Russell started a bible study. Their very own highly customized bible, "The New World Translation" was released in 1950 and has since undergone revisions as they change their minds about certain elements. This is one more reason the real Bible says, "Study to show thyself approved..." The Church of Scientologists aren't even a real church. They have no real beliefs, outside of preaching the science of the mind. Members have frequently told me you can believe anything you want as long as you use Scientology as a base. Now isn't that just a lie from the pit of hell. A certain man by the name of L. Ron Hubbard, the creator of Dianetics (well, sort of..seems he borrowed some concepts and the actual names Dianetics and Scientology from others) is the springboard for Scientology. This took place around 1950. The preaching of the science of the mind, which has claimed a lot of Christians with self esteem issues, is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to push you towards studying your mind rather than Christ. Scientologists practice isolation, much like your typical cults do. They're not stupid either. They go after people with money and believe in the power of litigation. Heck, I might get sued for writing this...lol. You've got the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who trace there origins back to 1820, when prophet Joseph Smith allegedly got this vision from God telling him not to join anyone's church but rather, start his own with a new supplemental Bible, hot off the press. I guess what Jesus told the disciples to preach, more than 1800 years earlier was inadequate. ..sounds fishy if you ask me. ...but back to Christmas. A great deal of Non-Christians celebrate Christmas. Even atheists celebrate Christmas, in part because it seems a jolly old man in the North Pole, named Santa Claus has replaced Jesus Christ. Ask any non churchgoer, when they think of Christmas, what comes to mind. I'm betting only a minority may mention Christ. Santa Claus, Christmas Trees, Frosty, even Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer may elicit more response. All of this is saddening to me, but no matter. One day, every knee shall bow and every tongue must confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. You can either give him his props now or later, but one day you gon' have to give him his props. ~ Syon ========== 17 Nov - I admit it. The page is getting a little lengthy. Some blogs I've looked at aren't this long. I have partnered with a web developer, which is helping me create a new design (which looks oddly similar). I'm not totally sold on the initial work we've done so far, so it might be a little while before you see any change. I'm thinking by the end of the year. The redesign is forcing me to rethink the entire layout of the page. It will likely require the content to be redistributed among many pages. I'm also considering totally new content. All of this started when all I asked for was a Christmas page. Speaking of which, look for the Christmas music by Sunday. It will be on a totally seperate page, with a link pointing to it from this page, of course. It will be of my design, so don't expect any frills. All of this work is a lot for one person, so keep me in your prayers. =========== 04 Nov - Thanks to all who have submitted music requests for this month. New codes will be available tomorrow morning. Separately, Christmas music will be available in a couple of weeks. A few days ago, I asked for help finding "Professor Wilbur Belton & The LADWEC Music Mass Choir's Project entitled "Come Bless His Name."....well, I'd just like to let you know that people seem to read what I write. I had an answer the same night and the next day I received a response from the group's business manager. Long story short, a copy of the project is in the mail. You'll hear more from this outstanding group a little later. Finally, if you've noticed a couple of changes on the page, just know it's a work in progress. I hope you'll like some of the changes coming. The only thing constant is change. More enhancements will be coming, soon. ============= 01 Nov - Music requests are being accepted at this time. New music codes will be available by the end of the week. HELP - I'm looking to get my hands on Professor Wilbur Belton & The LADWEC Music Mass Choir's Project entitled "Come Bless His Name." If you know where I can obtain a copy, please write to imasai@gmail.com ========= 22 Oct - There have been a few developments during my time away from the journal. A few days ago, I was a little worried I might have to remove most of the music codes. The page has received a lot of hits and I've been getting hammered on the bandwidth. Last month, let's just say I shelled out some extra money to keep the site from going down. This month looked like it was set for a repeat. A strange thing happened though. My webhosting service increased my bandwidth by more than five times, just a couple of days ago. As a result, not only will the music keep playing, there will be more of it coming soon. I'm also studying a new way to provide music, which may also incorporate a long awaited redesign of the site. ...more on that later. It seems that this time of year for me is always the busiest... For the last three years, during the month of December, I have been in a play called "The Promised One." The play has been a great experience and I have learned a lot. I had the opportunity to write the theme song and serve as The musical director for the last two years. This year, I'm in yet another play. It's kind of laughable to me and it's sort of ironic too. This year, I landed a part in a much larger, yet similar production called "The King of Glory." I will add info in the events section soon, but I should warn you, tickets are already on sale thru Ticketmaster. It will be at The Atlanta Civic Center, December 2-4. ================ 02 Oct - Music codes for the month of October are now available below and on the "Music Inspires" Page. Events / Calendar and other items will be updated thru the week. =========== 01 Oct - I know I've been silent for a lot longer than normal. I've been going thru a transition period. I've dealt with and I'm dealing with some setbacks. But even in the midst of the trials I'm facing, some positive things have happened. I don't really like to dwell on my problems, when I know others' eclipse my own. We all have ups and downs, though there are different tiers. For instance, I wish I could have some of the problems rich people have, but that just isn't the case...at least right now. The things we go thru may weigh us down, but carrying that weight for a period time is bound to help us develop muscles. The bigger the problems we face and overcome, the bigger the muscles. If God was cool with weak Christians, we'd never go thru anything. You can't have growth without rain and you can't develop muscles without resistance. Conditioning and training is required for combat. To be a soldier, you have to go thru boot camp. I admit, I don't like trials. I'm like that witch in The Wiz, when she says, "Don't nobody bring me no bad news." I have been mentally and physically put thru some thangs. Often times, I wanted to give up. I always used to ask, "Why am I here." I've never quite known the answer, but I know that God has used me to bless others. God has a purpose for our lives but our purpose is not always clear. It's not like we all find out on our 16th birthdays or on the 7th day of the 7th month of the 7th year of our life. Sadly, some of us may never know or acknowledge our purpose. I'm no saint. I have many imperfections. Me and the devil ride out all the time. I even flip to some of his favorite radio stations (V-103, Hot 107.9) when I'm cruising. In fact, I hardly ever listen to Praise 97.5. There are people far more qualified than me, some more spiritual than me, many more on fire for God than me, and yet, God chose me for a specific work such as this. I'm certainly not doing this for the money. I'd have more money if I walked away from this site. ATLGospel has never turned a profit. Plus, it's a chore to run. It takes hours to obtain, prepare and place the music, events and news you see on here. Most successful websites have a staff of people working on content. ATLGospel has just one...me. I say all this not for pity. This is the road I chose. This is a labour of love. Whether it makes money or not, if it saves souls, it's already paid for itself. If this site touches just one, if it ministers to just two, if just three folks are touched by the music utilized, my time spent working on this has not been in vain. Trials plant seeds for preparation. Preparation clears the way for you to fulfill God's purpose for you. Purpose takes you to God's promise. Hebrews 13:5 - ...I will never leave you nor forsake you. 08 Sep - Everything the devil stole he's got to give back. 01 Sep - I don't want to minimize our daily struggles, but things could always be worse. Consider your brothers and sisters who reside in and around New Orleans. Many are hurting. Many have lost all they own. Many have lost their jobs. Many have lost loved ones. Many have died.... so while your complaining about higher gas prices, yet going about your daily routine, consider those who wish they could be in your shoes. I weep for them. Keep them in your prayers. Help with the relief effort. Visit www.redcross.org ================ 29 Aug - I didn't anticipate having computer problems this weekend, but things happen for a reason. After I finish reformatting my PC, I am going to be a blessing to someone by giving it away. She'll probably get the PC today or tomorrow. ..in the meantime, I have been moving all of my files to my corporate laptop. Updates are on the way, however. I certainly don't feel like doing anything during Labor Day Weekend, so that means I will definitely be finished making updates before then. ====== 26 Aug - I've been reading the numerous emails and requests over the last couple of weeks and I want you to know, I will be taking all of them into consideration, while updating ATLGospel over the next couple of days. Honestly, there are periods when the page is regularly updated, but then there are other times when it's obvious I've fallen off the wagon. It's difficult, doing this alone, yet I am encouraged by the many emails that I receive. Look for new music, event listings and news updates, this weekend. ~ Masai ============= 18 Aug - ATLGospel is creating a link page which should launch by the middle of next month. If you have any links you'd like to submit, please send them to the email address below or use the form at the end of the page. God Bless ============ 05 Aug - If God were to come today, will you be ready when he cracks the sky?... The thought came to me during a thunderstorm last night in the form of a song, I recall hearing at the GMWA, years ago (in Miami or Detroit 1986/87). I was very young, but the Lord has blessed me with the ability to photographically remember melodies, not to mention all the choir parts, in their original key, from the time I learned to hum. The GMWA National Mass Choir was rehearsing this song (I'm not sure if they actually recorded it). The choir was so large (literally thousands), I recall a few individuals walking around with the music score, assisting the director. Daryl Coley was one of those assistants. The music and the choral parts were beautiful. It had to be. The melody has stuck with me for almost 20 years, though I had only heard about a minute and a half worth of it. When I think back on it, the message in the music made it all the more beautiful. It's very clear. Have you got your boarding pass, when the Lord asks for your ticket? Honestly, a lot of us don't like to think about this. We're content to live on day to day, in our regular routine, giving no thought to what happens when our time expires here. It's okay to invest in a house down here, as long as you also invest in a house in God's Kingdom. What are you scared of? Maybe, you've been dancing with the devil for a long time. It doesn't mean you have to belong to his dance crew. A lot of us don't seek to join God's Team because we don't like rejection. We don't think we're good enough to belong. But, if you go to God, he won't turn you away. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Something you may not have known. None of us are good enough to get into God's kingdom. Pastors, Bishops, Priests, Monks, Deacons, regular folk who call themselves Christians.... it doesn't matter. We were born into sin. Our nature has been sin and even as Christians, we are still imperfect and subject to sin. This is why Jesus Christ had to become the perfect sacrifice. God knew our own lives would never cut it. Because we are born into sin and with a sin nature, no amount of good deeds or thoughts would secure us a ticket to heaven. The word of God is clear on this matter... ~ John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ~ Romans 10:9-11 ...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. ~ John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ~ Matthew 7:14 - Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. In this day and age, trying on a religion is like trying on a suit. There are many to choose from. They are tailored in many different ways to suit your taste. Quite a few even use the Bible as a reference. The best lies, after all, are derived from the truth. Consider this: Anything that preaches hate or encourages mass suicide is not of God. Anything that places one race over another is not of God. Anything that preaches total isolation is not of God. Remember, Jesus and his disciples hung around other folks. Any religion that does not preach living righteous is not of God. There are many more signs, too many to mention here. Life in Christ has benefits and rewards, nothing else could begin to give you. We invest in many things (ie - houses, cars, clothes, etc.). Take some time to invest in Christ before the market crashes. If God were to come today, will you be ready when he cracks the sky?... ============= 04 Aug - We've got a fair amount of new songs available at this time. I have a wishlist for a few more new songs that I'm still working on. The "Events" and "Music Release Date" Columns are certainly areas that need attention. If you have any to submit, please use the form below or my email address (also below). Look for more updates throughtout the week. ============ 03 Aug - New music from Mary Mary, Deitrick Haddon, Marvin Sapp & Joann Rosario set to debut tomorrow by 12 Noon EST. 03 Aug - In preparation for new music code set to debut on ATLGospel this week, I had to trim back the music offerings today to allow some breathing room with the bandwidth. More info a little later... =========== 25 July - The month of July looks set to break all of my previous records for activity / bandwidth, hits per day, weekend hits, hits per month, etc. I'm glad the site is being received and folks are enjoying the ministry, not to mention, utilizing the music codes. It's all free of charge. On the other side of the coin, it's costly for me to maintain the site. With that, I ask you to consider making a donation. If the Lord lays it on your heart to contribute in any way, please find the donation button below. I hope you're enjoying the classic music, ATLGospel is featuring this month. I usually always include a couple, here and there, but not as many I have offered this month. I think it might have a little to do with the spike in hits for the month too. In any case, I will be moving on to some newer music, starting in August. Get your requests in now. ATLGospel's library is pretty large, but I don't have everything. I'll try to meet as many requests as possible. MegaFest is coming to Atlanta, August 3-6, so I will be featuring music from some of the artists slated to appear, particularly, Bishop T.D. Jakes' Potter's House Mass Choir. =========== 20 July - I've been on this classic music kick as of late, reaching for Gospel dating back to the 90's, 80's & 70's. I make no apologies for it. The old stuff is still the best in my book. Apparently, a lot of folks seem to agree because the bandwidth for this month is forecast to far exceed my monthly limit. With that in mind, I will be going back to the new stuff in August. I've been getting a lot of requests for Mary Mary's Heaven. I'm a big Mary Mary fan too, but admittedly, I am a little late on acquiring the new CD. In any case, let's all go out and get the new Mary Mary CD. They have yet to put out a bad CD, so I doubt they'll disappoint this time around. For all my California peeps, you may have heard of The Voices of Fulfillment, hailing from the fine city of San Diego. I once had the priviledge of directing them in a mass choir combination along with San Diego State University's Choir. This choir and the director, Edward Baltrip, have been among my favorites for years. I once considered them to be the best choir on the West Coast without a record deal. Well, I'm happy to report, they've got a record deal. In fact, they've got a CD which quietly dropped last week. Daryl Coley has used his considerable clout to give this wonderful choir a national platform. They have always brought a level of excellance in their live concerts that few ministries could match. It's been a long wait (like 17 years) but I'm glad to see them getting the recognition they deserve. Masai ============ 11 July - It's a rainy day in Georgia, thanks in part to Hurricane Dennis. Nevertheless, I'm puttin in work today. In an effort to honour a few requests, I have made some revisions in the music lineup below. Kurt Carr's "For Every Mountain," James Fortune's "You Survived," and Karen Clark Sheard's "You Love Me" are now available. I have to do a little more digging thru the email to find more requests. I have a serious back log but I'm working on it. I may not be able to honour every request, but I'll do my best. ATLGospel quietly surpassed 100,000 hits last week. It almost seems like yesterday when the page crossed 20,000 hits. I was excited then. To have survived this long is a blessing indeed. There is still so much work to do. In an effort to add more content, I'm looking into redesigning the page. Right now, it's still in study mode. ============ 01 July - The Music for July has been selected. I'm still reviewing music requests and may still add some music in the coming week or weeks, depending on bandwidth usage. I hope you enjoy the music I've selected for the month. I really felt like going back in time, so I guess you can call this an impromptu, old school month. I tried to cram in as much old Gospel as possible without offending the new school folk. It's always good to go back every now and then. Depending on the feedback, I may do it more often. Have a Happy 4th of July Weekend. I know a lot of folks celebrate their family reunions around this time, including my family. I'll be right here in the ATL though, celebrating from a distance. It's a blessing just to see another day. ========= 28 Jun - It's a blessing to still be able to maintain this page. The monthly traffic is more than I ever expected. Perhaps, sometime next week, ATLGospel will have accumulated 100,000 unique hits, which isn't bad for an amateur website with no advertising. I was checking up on a few pages, I'm aware of that offer Gospel code and every last one of them seem to be out of business for one reason or another. It is my hope that ATLGospel will stick around even after I'm gone. I am beginning to review the many music requests I've received over the past few weeks. I will try to honour as many as possible. The new music codes should be up before the 4th of July. All the music currently available will likely be replaced unless I receive requests to retain any. Lastly, I'd like to say, I appreciate all of your prayers and well wishes even as I stayed away from this page. It has encouraged me to fight on. If we never had any rain, then we would never grow, but God has given me a song in the midst of a storm. ...does anyone remember that song? I would love to have the digital file for that. All advertising and event posting requests should be sent to imasai@gmail.com Love Live Life, Syon www.atlgospel.com =========== 17 Jun - I'd like to send a shout out to Ashley, who's graduating from High School this Saturday. Congrats. Get that education mami...and no you're not requesting too many songs. I do plan to get Mary Mary's new joint up soon. =========== 13 Jun - The music operations of ATLGospel have been affected, due to the hard drive of my PC dying over the weekend. The Good News: The music, currently posted on the page is not affected and I still plan to change the music like I always do on a monthly basis. After all, I have a backup copy of my library. The Bad News: The backup copy of my library does not include 2005's music. I'm a little sick over this. I've also lost a lot more data which will take time to recover, not to mention I have to buy a new hard drive. Still, ATLGospel is far from being out of business. I will admit, it's been an interesting period of time for me. I have a lot to overcome right now and I am weakened, financially and in other areas. There are a lot of messages I still have yet to return. The Masai of 7 years ago would've thrown in the towel by now. Even now, I'm a little on the sidelines, trying to figure a way out. I solicit your prayers. Some plans I have for the page have been delayed as a result, though I still plan to accomplish everything I've set out to do. One of the downsides to running a page all by yourself is that you're all by yourself. You have no one to look to for picking up the slack when you're unable. Some have expressed interest in helping, but they generally expect some sort of payment. ATLGospel currently generates no cashflow. For most of my life, people have looked to me to be the strong one, the person they lean on. I've been placed on a pedestal of sorts. I've never asked to be placed there. It just seemed to come with my territory. Recently, I've stayed away from church and the saints. Honestly, I've only attended four church services in the last three months and only three were at my church. In this time, no one has called or wrote to question my absence. They all just assume I'm directing a choir or playing the piano at some other church. Some may even assume, I'm no longer a member. I guess, one should expect that when you attend a church that has more than 4,000 members. It kind of makes me miss a certain Bishop by the name of Wayne S. Davis. He pastored a church called First Apostolic Church in Inglewood, California. For the record, Inglewood is where I grew up, before moving to Atlanta. I was not a member of First Apostolic which made this Bishop's gesture all the more startling. I was actually a member of DoubleRock Baptist Church in Compton, California. I just liked to attend First Apostolic's Sunday Night Services. I guess you can call me a regular nighttime member. When I didn't attend the Sunday Night Service for a month, I received a letter in the mail from Bishop Davis, asking where I had been and that they missed my presence in the nightly service. This impressed me so much because I considered myself insignificant. It's not like I gave big offerings. I was still in school and only had a parttime job working for a clothing store in the mall. I'm still not sure how he even got my address. First Apostolic was no small church either. It was one of the largest in Inglewood, with at least 3,000 active members. The nightly services were typically packed. Bishop Davis passed away more than a decade ago, but I still haven't come across men of God who have impressed me more. He wasn't perfect. No one is. But, I believe he was truly called, annointed and appointed. First Apostolic wasn't your typical Apostolic Church either. They didn't belong to the P.A.W. Bishop Davis formed his own organization, "World Won for Christ Ministries." Though Acts 2:38 still applied, First Apostolic would actually fellowship with non Apostolic Churches and they didn't buy into the thought that they were the only ones going to heaven either. (Acts 2:21 - And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.) Yes, I'm reminiscing right now and perhaps, doing a little rambling too. We all need to hold each other up at times. When you don't see or hear from your brother, sister, mother, etc. for a certain length of time, it's only natural to call and check up on them. Even the seemingly strongest members of a fold need to be held up at times. It only takes the devil a moment to tear down an individual that's been years in the making. And we can unwittingly become the devil's helper in the process by our own activity or inactivity. If you say you love me, remember that love is what love does. ============== 02 May 2005 - God takes care of his own. Case in point: I was about 600 dollars short on paying my rent as of today. This is unusual since I'm pretty good at balancing my checkbook. I just happened to get slammed with bills I didn't anticipate being so high. I also overspent in other areas, admittedly. I was like, God, what am I going to do? If that wasn't enough, I have been unable to renew the tag on my car because of this pesky check engine light which just refuses to go away. The police, unforgiving, gave me a ticket over the weekend. I couldn't be mad. After all, I have no business driving the car with expired tags. Looks like I'll be driving the car to court now. At least, my insurance is current or I might've been writing this from a cell, assuming they have computers in jail. As much as I'd like to complain, I realize others are going thru as much if not more. I received a call from a close relative, who informed me that they were short on their rent and needed to borrow some money by Friday to cover a check they were gon' write on faith. The money they asked me for is just enough to cover the rent and doesn't include food or money to make it to the next check. This troubled me. Also, just a couple of days ago, another friend received word from their roommate that they were moving out towards the middle of the month. Alas, my friend doesn't make enough to afford the place on their own and can't even cover the bills this month ...of course, they're learning a lesson from this. These situations troubled me more than my own situation. There is not a day in the year where somebody somewhere isn't experiencing a trial or tribulation. We have to go thru them every now and then to appreciate the good days. Not only is it a test for them. At times, it can be a test for those around them. It's not the trial you should worry about. It's your response to the trial that God is looking for. Our character is being proved and at times, built. Certainly, God wants to bless us, but he's a shrewd investor. He's not going to dump a lot of money on someone who will squander it. You've got to learn how to balance your checkbook, stop living beyond your means and learn how to bless others. It is better to give than to receive. I checked the mail this evening and in it was a check for 698 dollars and some change. It caught me totally off guard and was absolutely unexpected. Not only will I be able to pay my rent, a portion of the additional money I expect to get on Friday, will be used to be a blessing in the situations I mentioned above. God does not bless you so that you can be stingy. The key to being blessed is to give. This does not always mean financially. There are many ways in which you can be a blessing to your brothers and sisters. Luke 6:38 says, "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back." Further, when you do something for your brother or sister, don't raise banners and make public speeches, letting the world know what you did. If you do, you're not helping them, you're just trying to make yourself look good to others. God doesn't like this. Matthew 6:3-4 says, "But when thou doest charity, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That your charity may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward you openly." God takes care of his own. The blueprint to your blessing is above and in the scripture below (Matthew 6:30-34). Will you take heed? ~ Masai ====== 25 Apr 05 - I don't know what tomorrow holds but I know who holds tomorrow. ====== 14 Apr 05 - Well, after some internet access challenges last night, I finally got the music up, just before I dozed off. Between my day job and this job, a brother can get really tired. It's worth it though. It's a blessing to give, and I hope to be able to continue giving into the forseeable future. ====== 13 Apr 05 - New music from BeBe Winans, Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams, Twinkie Clark, Kurt Carr and a few others as well as event updates should be up on the page by Friday. I'm still looking for your event information. If you have any, send me a note with the details. In other news, I am in the beginning stages of testing and developing a new design for ATLGospel. It's nothing like the current layout. It's a step up in complexity, but easier to navigate. It also carries with it a requirement for a lot more content than ATLGospel currently offers. I hope to have it up by the Summer or early Fall. Currently, ATLGospel, consistently operates at a deficit. Visitors to the site have grown considerably since August, hovering around 8,000 hits for the prior 30 days, which is a gain of 3,000 from the December timeframe. If growth continues at this pace, ATLGospel will need to spend more to handle the bandwidth. We solicit your prayers and your donations (donation link located at the bottom). ATLGospel has a lot of potential and I have some exciting plans for it, moving forward. But, I don't believe the burden of financing it is mine alone. If you or someone you know would like to write music reviews or articles for ATLGospel, please send me a note. ================== 01 Apr 2005 - As I look back on things, I realize I am blessed. With so many people dying and so many that are sick, it's a blessing just to be well. Sure we have financial &/or job issues, health issues, family issues, car problems, men problems, WOMAN problems...man we just have problems. But thru it all, you survived, because God has kept you and that in and of itself is something to be thankful for. Complaining is counterproductive. Don't talk about it. Be about it. Go out and get all God has for you. If you're sitting down waiting for things to happen, you gon' be sittin' for awhile. Everyday aint gon' be sunny. Some days we have to have rain, otherwise, we will never grow or bear fruit. It's okay to struggle. I personally don't like to, but I realize I am stronger for what I've been thru. I used to have a hard time finding something to be thankful for. So much was going wrong. But now, I look back and realize there were others who had it worse than me and some of my good friends are not here today. If you learn to be thankful, even in the midst of what you consider a rainy season, the rain won't last too long. -------------- 28 Mar 05 - Incremental updates and some musical additions coming this week. 23 Mar - More new songs are coming, including music from Kurt Carr and Sha' Simpson. They should be on the page later today. ...News updates, including my take on Donnie McClurkin's announced retirement, as well. >> Easter << Things that ARE NOT important during this time: 1) New Clothes 2) Boiling & Painting Eggs 3) Paying homage to a Bunny I'm sure the devil gets a good laugh at us year after year. He's done such a great job of distracting us from the importance of this time. I choose not to take up the argument of when Christ was actually born or when he actually died. The important thing is that we remember and celebrate the sacrifice he made. We give Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny way too much credit. Who are they anyway? Neither one of them died for your sins. Santa never gave me anything and the only thing the Easter Bunny is good for is raising my cholesterol level with all of them eggs. Give credit where credit is due. Why not give The Lord a gift instead? Your Life, would make a great gift. A certain man by the name of Rev. James Cleveland used to always say, "Things go better with Christ." ------- Romans 10:9-11; If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. ------- There's no rocket science or a bunch of rituals you have to go thru to accept Christ. The instructions laid out in the scripture above are all you have to do. Does accepting Christ mean you won't commit future sins? ...hey, Rome wasn't built in a day. It's a daily walk to maturity. No one is perfect, Christians included. We all have sinned. More than 2/3 of Christians still sin, and chances are will sin on any day that ends with the letter 'Y'. We just don't like to admit it, in part, because the temptation to throw stones while residing in a glass house is just too great for some of us to overcome. Our very native nature is to sin. We were all born into sin. There are plenty of examples in the Bible where Godly men and women committed sins (i.e. - David, Jonah, Moses, Paul, Peter). I stress this because, I recall witnessing to a man, inviting him to come to my church. His reply was, "I need to get myself together first. I'm too messed up." The house of God was never intended to be a social club for perfect people. It's quite the opposite. With that in mind, I encourage you to follow the instructions in the scripture above. Given the choice between life and death, I say, "Choose life." =========== 09 Mar - Welcome to ATLGospel. I like to open my thoughts with that at least once a quarter. There are times when I have a lot to say and then there are times when I have absolutely nothing to say at all. I'm taking some time off to go home as you can probably see by the dates above. I think my brain is already out of town, waiting on a beach for me to join him. Nothing has been easy but I will spare you the details. I'm really looking forward to getting away. I will check the site while I'm away and make updates when possible. =========== 01 Mar - I was glancing over ATLGospel's numbers for the month of February. Although February is the shortest month of the year, every record established in prior months for visitors (daily, weekly & monthly) has been broken....Amazing. I left Atlanta this past Saturday to spend the weekend in Houston. While taking MARTA to the airport, there was a guy walking the aisles, selling (bootleg) DVD's of Diary of A Mad Black Woman, a movie just released in theatres this past Friday. The movie, which I went to see at a movie theatre is great, by the way. While watching this guy sell copies of the movie, thoughts ran through my mind ranging from outrage to sadness. You see, if there were no demand, then there would be no supply. Folks are buying bootleg CD's & DVD's and I'm not just talking about non church going folks. Church folks are snapping up bootleg CD's & DVD's like it's the Christian thing to do. It's not. When you purchase a bootleg, you're stealing and the last time I checked the Holy Bible, stealing was a sin. Stay with me. As African Americans (Black Folk), our struggles of yesterday and today are greater than our white and Asian counterparts. Jews have struggled too but their unity and support of each other has placed them in a better position today. In general, we struggle with a lack of education, resources and cross generational self esteem issues. Our families are divided and we are divided as a people. Add to that, perhaps not as overt but ever present, we still deal with racism. We are required to be better than our counterparts just to get an equivalent job, which in most cases still pays less money. It is for these reasons and more that it is so important for us to support each other. Support is more than financial. Merriam Webster defines it like this... Support: To keep from fainting, yielding, or losing courage. To endure bravely or quietly. To pay the costs of. To provide a basis for the existence or subsistence of. To hold up or serve as a foundation or prop for. To maintain. I could go on and on with this but let me just say, if we just learn and put into practice supporting and building each other up, rather than tearing each other down (consciously & unconsciously), there is no limit to what we could achieve. Black History Month is over. Let's make more history moving forward. Note: Did you know most Gospel artists don't sell enough CD's to turn a profit? Most Gospel artists make their living by singing in concert. Bootlegging Gospel Music is big business as it turns out. ========== 25 Feb - This year's BET Celebration of Gospel, was the best I have seen, with outstanding performances which would seem a crime to have missed. Everyone did a great job. Email me if you want to know my personal favorites, but I'm gon try to stay as neutral as possible on here. I am not going to tell you how J. Moss ripped it or what a site it was to see The Clark Sisters back together. Don't bother asking me how Yolanda Adams made me nearly fall off my couch and later jump up with the anointing she sang with. And I'm certainly not going to mention Miss Shirley Caesar in training, Fantasia. ...that girl know she needs ta be singin Gospel. ======== 21 Feb - News links covering World News, Music News & Business News have been moved to a new section of ATLGospel, http://news.atlgospel.com. You will notice a new link posted just below the "Diary of A Mad Black Woman" ad. This change is just one of many small changes that are being made in an effort to improve the page navigation and reduce the amount of time it takes the page to load. ======== 20 Feb - I spent a little time away but now I'm back and I'll be making updates throughout the week. I've noticed a large spike in bandwidth usage for the page. I think it's the largest I've ever seen. That probably means a lot of folks are visiting the site and listening to the music. Unfortunately, the cost exeeds ATLGospel's provision. The page is already run at a loss so in order to limit the financial strain I must endure to keep it up and running, I have to discontinue a few songs...er, make that 75% of the songs currently playing. Don't worry, I'll place some other songs in their place. For now, get ready for a lineup change in the music. ~ Syon ====== 02 Feb 05 / 21:28 - Well, I just made an entry earlier in the day (just below) about not taking life for granted. Shortly after, I received a frantic call from my mom, letting me know my auntie passed. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. 02 Feb 05 - Only four days remain 'til February 6, a very special day indeed, and I'm not talking about the superbowl, although I will be watching it. That day just happens to be my birthday. It always amazes me, when I reach another year, because I recognize I could've taken my last breath a long time ago. I've lost so many friends over the years, some of which never lived to see 25 let alone 30. At one time I thought I might be headed for the same fate, having lived recklessly and coming from a home that was hardly supportive and sometimes abusive, growing up in the mean streets of Inglewood and South Central LA, sometimes I wondered, why am I here. I weaved in and out of suicidal thoughts and intentions. I dodged more than a couple bullets. I've been homeless. I've been mugged. I've been molested. And somehow, I've lived to tell it. That's why I almost lose it when people complain about small stuff. People look at me and somehow get this idea that I've always been prosperous. The truth is, God is just faithful. Everything I have or ever hope to be is in God's hand. If you're going thru, it's not the time to give up. I know what it's like to be stripped of everything and get it all back with interest. Be strong and don't run from God. Run to God. Going thru trials and tribulations is never pleasant, but when I look back over all I've been thru, I realize I am a stronger individual today than I ever was. There is an interesting balance in this world. A balance, I can't explain. For instance: 1) Jesus died so that we might live 2) For every person that dies, someone is born 3) For every mountain, there is a valley 4) For every cold region there's one that's warm 5) Mild weathered California, earthquakes and forest fires, little to no humidity 6) Mild weathered Florida, hurricanes and humidity to spare 7) Midwestern states, tornadoes and four seasons 8) North America, flush with wealth and medical care, albeit costly 9) Africa, flush with famine and poor medical care, and still costly 10) The Rich and the Poor 11) The Short and the Tall 12) The Weak and the Strong 13) The Skinny and Pleasantly Plump 14) The Sick and the Well 15) Some Blind and some with sight 16) Some can Walk and some cannot 17) Good and Evil 18) People Black, White & colors in between What could it all mean? I could go on and on, but it's obvious to me, the design of the world and the stars and planets cannot be justified with a simple or even complex explosion. Someone of high intelligence crafted what we call Earth. That's why we have blue skies, white clouds, green grass & flowers in every color that grow out of brown dirt, invisible air, brown cows that produce white milk and almost everything is maintained by colorless, oderless, zero calorie H2O (water) which surrounds eveything and is distributed by those white clouds hanging freely in the air, a world of many elements from Zinc to Copper with thousands of living species of varying color, size and function, all serving a purpose. Certainly, a simple explosion couldn't have produced all of that. I said all that to say, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Life is comprised of ups and downs, but things have got to get easier. Dark nights are always replaced with sunlight eventually. It's all in accordance with God's design, a balance that is defining and refining. ~ Syon ==== 27 Jan 05 - I've said it before, but now I will say it again. ATLGospel will be undergoing a little reconstruction pretty soon. I won't elaborate on the changes coming but I will say the goal is to improve the navigation of the page. They say the only thing constant is change. I'm inclined to agree with that. ==== 24 Jan 05 - Well the Falcons didn't win, but that's okay. After trying four times, I guess it was The Eagles' time to shine....at least until The Patriots send em home on my birthday, Feb. 6. ==== 21 Jan 05 - The ups and downs of Atlanta's weather finally caught up to me, taking me down in the process. Logging onto a computer was the furthest thing from my mind as recently as yesterday, as I lay helpless on the couch flipping stations in search of something decent to watch. Being sick is no fun. It was interesting to see how certain friends responded to me being sick though. I was disappointed by how one alleged, good friend handled me being sick, showing no concern at all. On the other hand, an old friend who I hardly ever talk to or hang out with, brought me some Robitussin and made me some soup. I bring this up because we all need to take inventory of our friends from time to time. It's easy to acquire fairweather friends. As long as being around you is a benefit to them, they'll be around. It's those individuals that stick with you thru thick and thin who are your true friends. The sooner you learn to discern who your true friends are, even within the ranks of your family, the better off you'll be. ==== 8 Jan 05 - Welcome to ATLGospel. This site is always under some type of construction. Some changes will be noticeable and some won't. It's a work in progress, operated by one person. I need help ya'll. It's a blessing to have grown so much in so little time. It's also a blessing to still be here, when you consider so many did not make it. We could easily complain about what we don't have but when you take a stroll down the street, it won't be hard to spot someone who has less than you. I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread. Even at my lowest point, I still had a place to lay my head and something to eat. It wasn't filet mignon but it filled my belly, nevertheless. We have so much to be thankful for. Welcome to 2005 you blessed and highly favored saints of God. ==== 31 Dec 04 - Who are you kidding? It's one thing to go thru trials and tribulations. It's another thing to go through them with the wrong attitude. Too often we fail the tests that God allows us to go thru. Until we begin to pass those tests, we have to take them over and over. It irritates me to see saints at church singing the praises of God with songs like "Jesus Can Work It Out" hollering amen at the preacher when he tells you your Latter Will Be Greater or spinning scriptures like cliches but not really digesting it or accepting it. If God is God, like we say he is, then why do we limit his ability to move on our behalf by our unbelief. Moving into the next year, this is a good time to take a self inventory to see what our beliefs really are. The things we say out of our mouth are challenged on a daily basis. When you were in church and you said, "Lord you're worthy. God I thank ya. Lord, I love you." ...did you not know, God was going to see if you meant it? These trials and tribulations don't just come to make us stronger. They come to reveal our true character. We have to get to that Shadrock, Meshack and Abednego faith, when they said, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up (Daniel 3:17-18)." Our faith has got to grow to the point where we believe God, no matter what. Trials, sickness may come. But the Lord is able to deliver us out of it all. But even if he doesn't, he's still worthy to be praised. ============ ~ Syon


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