Go Out With A Smile

I come from a line where we laid pennies on the eyelids and tied the jaw.
I come from a line where we create oils to anoint in preparation for the afterlife.
I come from a line where we made the garments of eternal rest.
I come from a line where death is the beginning of life.
I come from a line of witnesses of the process of grief.
I come from a line of spiritual preparers

The quiet is about to set in; the reality of it all.

What the hell really happened in Charleston?

The pain of it all.

You see once the auto-pilot mode is over,
we have to go back to utilizing our personal thoughts and emotions
not feeding off mass hysteria

We will find ways of normalizing our belief system

Yet in still no way accepting that it is NORMAL for 9 people to be killed in a church by a gunman in the Holy City in 2015.

This reality is phuqing surreal. This version of reality is blighted yet unfortunately, rash acts of brutal death have become the norm.

There are those who will never forget these moments and they'll move on with their empathy for the next cause.

I live in Charleston SC. Ive met many whose lives have been forever changed. The fabric of my life is forever changed.

They are Elders with long memories, so I know I will come to learn even more each day about the many lives touched.

I understand death, it's just the manner at times... Ain't no one write life scripts better than G-d .... Shonda aint got nothing on Her!!!!

In the coming weeks... the weight of the travesty to the future of all mankind will manifest itself.

You will come to realize just what the world lost.

That nucleus of 9... such a powerful think tank of visionaries.

You will scream, We will scream, it will come from the depths of our souls - this wrenching of the heart with earthy cries....

The pain of the loss which can drop you to your knees,

ain't nothing can shrivel up the human body like grief...

it will have you locked in a fetal position tighter than before your Mama spit you out

Funeral preparations

People from out of town

New found peoples

Nosey People

ok back on the job

sitting in traffic one day .. it hits you

you catch a whiff of their scent in the air .. it hits you

you go to call their phone .. it hits you

Damn what we gone eat... the one who is gone is the one who bought the food and cooked it too

Oh Snap... Laundry ..

Slowly but surely, sometimes in the most brutal way

We learn to fill the gap that has been made

Not without screaming though

Death is the one action in life that has no freaking consideration of a person's emotions

That script ... aint a damn soul know before hand...

in the meantime.. RELEASE THEIR SOUL by releasing your anger that they are gone.... do not let it consume you

Just LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST until it happens...

Make a beautiful mark on this earth

Go out with a smile...

Y'all have a blessed day

There are times when we really have to take stock of who we have been aligning ourselves with.

The superficial flow of some smiles in the heat of recent events has proven to take a toll on some "friendships".

Knowing Agape Love allows one to even have concern for those who have truly caused harm to our spirit, no matter what manner.

it is difficult in these times to have one's ears perked and eyes at a squint... everything and damn near everyone is suspect.

We've been blindsided by global events that seek to destroy the local fabric of life.

As we continue to pray for the Mother Emanuel Church members, the City of Charleston, we must include ourselves.

We must ask for guidance for our tongue and peace in our hearts.

As CC always says .. I come in Peace ...

I have to go a step further... my peace may not be your peace, simply understand.. we are in the middle of a revolution... what is pleasing to my eyes, ears and heart just might not be acceptable in thy sight.

My family makes a Benetton ad pale in comparison.. we are international and unless you know our lines ... you just dont know.

I dont always have to put honey on my tongue, not when it comes to the human race. Loving and embracing the forces of nature allows me the privilege of also embracing the forces within a human being .. I engage with the spirit of a person.

I no longer "carry weights on my shoulders" which would suck the life out of me. I have to walk MY Walk in order to persevere and be of use in the future.

My heart is with many, yet my body is in control. There are those of us who have to "Be Still"

I truly wish I had a home, I'd like to break bread with some who truly need to get some things off their chests and want to expand their heart reach.

Y'all have a blessed day ... make a friend. 1 heart emoticon

Charleston Coping - #Emanuel9 #IamAME #CharlestonStrong

The following is a list of prayer and memorial services planned to honor the victims and families of Wednesday's shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. Also listed is information about fundraising initiatives for the church and victims' families.

We will update this list as new information becomes available.

Services Planned

Saturday:

— The chapel at Church of Our Saviour on Johns Island is open for prayer, 6 a.m.-9 p.m. through Saturday. Services are open to people of all faiths and denominations. There will be a special book of condolences that will be bound and sent to Mother Emanuel AME Church next week to offer a written prayers and messages.

— Unity Church of Charleston, 2535 Leeds Ave., Charleston, will hold and interfaith prayer service Saturday at 10 a.m. Hindu, Muslim, Interfaith, Buddhist and Christian ministers will speak.

— An interdenominational intercessory prayer vigil will be held at noon Saturday at Saint John's Reformed Episcopal Church, 91 Anson St., Charleston.

— A group known as Global Peace is planning a prayer rally in front of Mother Emanuel AME at noon Saturday. Another rally is planned for the same time at the Courtyard Marriott on Calhoun Street.

— A Prayer Vigil for the Emanuel AME victims will be held at New Beginnings Worship Center at 12 noon. NBWC is located at 2816 Live Oak Dr. (17A) Moncks Corner.

— A previously planned event, the Unity Music and Arts Festival, is still planned for Saturday, noon-6 p.m., at the Family Circle Tennis Center Grand Lawn on Daniel Island. Donations will be taken up, and contributed to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund. Read more about that fund below.

— A mile-long Memorial March is planned for 6 p.m. Participants are asked to wear black and bring a flower to leave at Mother Emanuel AME. The march begins at Wraggs Mall. Speakers and artists will speak to the crowd at the beginning and the end of the march.

— An 'Evening of Prayer for the City of Charleston' is planned for 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Riverview (301 Savannah Hwy) where local churches and leaders will come together to pray over our city and nation. The free event includes dinner. Scheduled guests are the Godcatchers, Divine Dance, and Polly Hunter with guest speaker Dr. Kenneth Hill.

Sunday:

— Advent Lutheran Church and Zion Olivet Presbyterian Church, 3347 Rivers Ave., North Charleston, will gather on Zion Olivet's front steps at 9:50 a.m. Sunday for prayer and ringing bells for Emanuel AME's victims.

— Charleston's churches will join together to ring their bells in unison starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 21. Residents and visitors are encouraged to participate in the show of solidarity by standing respectfully outside participating churches and ringing personal hand bells if so desired. The social media tag for the event is ‪#‎CharlestonUnited‬.

— Businesses owners on upper King St. and their employees are planning to meet in Marion Square Sunday morning at 10 a.m. to observe a moment of silence for the shooting victims while the city's church bells ring.

— Greater Goodwill AME Church, 2818 Hwy. 17 N., Mt. Pleasant, is hosting a prayer vigil, Sunday at 5 p.m.— Lowcountry residents have launched a grassroots effort to organize a "unity chain," in which people will form a chain holding hands across the Ravenel Bridge, in memory of those who lost their lives in Wednesday night's shooting. That's planned for Sunday at dusk. You are asked to spread the word via social media. Organizers are hoping for at least 3,000 people to participate in order to completely spread across the bridge.

Donations

— During a press conference Thursday, Mayor Joe Riley announced the creation of the "Mother Emanuel Hope Fund," proceeds of which will be donated to the families of Wednesday's shooting victims. Donations can be made at any Wells Fargo branch or city office; by mailing a check made out to "Mother Emanuel Hope Fund" to P.O. Box 304, Charleston, SC 29402; by texting 'prayforcharleston' to 843-606-5995; or online atwww.bidr.co/prayforcharleston.

Boeing, which manufactures its 787 Dreamliner in North Charleston, announced Thursday it is donating $100,000 to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund to help provide for the needs of the families of victims.

Thursday, Edmund's Oast restaurant and the Charleston RiverDogs each announced they would donate their proceeds from the night to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund.

— Another fundraising account, called the "Lowcountry Ministries - Reverend Pinckney Fund," has been established by The Palmetto Project. Those groups say 100 percent of the funds donated will be used to support local initiatives. Decisions on the use of the funds will be made by members of the Rev. Pinckney's family, colleagues, Emanuel AME's congregation and other members of our community selected for their specific expertise. These donations will be tax deductible.

Donations can be made by sending a check to "Lowcountry Ministries – Reverend Pinckney Fund," c/o The Palmetto Project, 6296 Rivers Ave., Bldg. #100, North Charleston, SC 29406; or by donating online atwww.palmettoproject.org On Friday, Jesus People for Animals, PETA's Christian outreach division, delivered a letter to Emanuel AME offering condolences, along with a $720 donation from its staff members, who took up a collection to show their support for the community.

at TD ARENA LIVE #CHARLESTON SC

at MothervEmanuel AME LIVE #CHARLESTON SC

Community Prayer Service -Morris Brown AME LIVE #CHARLESTON SC

Community Prayer Service -Morris Brown AME LIVE #CHARLESTON SC