An Accident and Homicide

This is not a feel good article. You have been warned.

This morning was on the westside of Irvington, about 7:30am, when I caught this scene at Springfield Ave. and Sanford Ave.:

Can't say what transpired to cause this accident, but it did not look like there were any serious injuries, so at least there is that. Car appears to have struck the traffic light though, and I can only imagine the traffic jams this was about to create being that it was rush hour and there was no red, green or yellow.

What I am about to write about now is a bit more sad, having to do with a teenager who lost his life Sunday evening on 16th Street here in Newark. I happened to be listening to the police scanner when this happened so this is a bit personal. Happened to have business on that street today too so ran across these sights:

In this first one we see the appeal by authorities for help, a sign that can not be missed and sadly is not very unfamiliar here in Newark. Secondly we have the memorial:

I warned you this was not a feel good piece. The name is Ibn Abdul Walker and he was only 18 years old. Why?

Thou shalt not murder! It's one of  the ten commandments. Prayers for the family and that justice prevails, in Jesus name.

Check out this NJ.com article for more on this incident: 18-year-old killed in Newark shooting.

A Newark Sunset

Just wanted to share something beautiful that came out of Newark this evening:

Just Another Sunday Evening

Where the Lord leads, I shall follow! March marked 15 years here in Newark. Ups and downs! Didn't think I was going to be here this long, though not really sure what I expected at first. Took a little road trip tonight, first up to the Wawa off Route 280 about exit 1 and then to the Target on Route 46 a couple miles east of the Wawa.

Skinny, white girl named Alison was my cashier at Wawa and she was delighted to see there was still garlic bread offered for sale with their sub-sandwiches. (Yes I was picking up a roast beef.) She was really happy about the bread but I didn't really know how to respond. Haha.

From Wawa skipped north up to 46 and was on my way to Target unsure they would still be open. To my pleasure they were open to 11pm which gave me at least a good two hours to entertain myself there. Haha.

Oh what fun it was to check out the video game section. Smh. Still no Switch available. Demand too high and supply too low still for it to be found on a causal Sunday night glance. What I did find interesting were the video games that were out of stock, which led me to believe these are the games that might be worth playing/checking out.

Picked up no entertainment material but just some dish soap, sponges and post-it-notes. I took the plunge with the post-it-notes at $6.29 for the pack, but I have been craving them for awhile and have not wanted to settle on the cheaper ones, thinking the quality of adhesive might be lacking.

Not to my surprise or anything but I have already used the first post-it-note of the batch and written the name Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on it, having just watched two of her TED Talks which I also blogged here The danger of a single story TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and here We should all be feminists TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

I wasn't sure I'd be able to watch the feminists TED Talk one, which is the first one I watched, since I can be very picky about politics, but there was nothing she said that made me want to turn it off. Having survived that video just fine I noticed another TED Talk of hers, the Single Story one, which showed her wearing a head scarf that I rather liked. She is a good looking woman so the scarf just complimented her. I might have enjoyed Single Story more for several reasons, though I am finding it hard to articulate them. Perhaps the greatest reason being that through the first video I understood who she is, at least was given a glimpse, and could thus watch the second video with that understanding.

Anyway, before I watched Chimamanda, I watch a TED Talk by Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll called How I learned to read — and trade stocks — in prison.

That Ted Talk I found to be quite a pleasure too, in that I am quite familiar with the African American community here in Newark and enjoy the positive faith Curtis shares.

Alight I'm done, is nearly 1am. Good night and God bless!

Repeal Obamacare!

This morning read a headline about Nancy Pelosi asking if Republicans want to make America sick again. What joke! Nancy is just some kind of joke, to put it nicely. I don't understand sometimes why certain things find attention. Like Obama saying he could beat Trump if Obama could run again. This is not news, not even worth reporting because it is irrelevant. Even if Obama could beat Trump if he could have run again, which is not to say I agree Obama could beat Trump, it doesn't matter because Obama can't legally run again. So who cares?! Why keep it in the headlines or make it a headline at all. And thus Pelosi quote, to me it sounds like she just wants to create drama, the same woman who said we have to pass the Obamacare bill to know what is in it. Foolishness! You can't even fully read and understand a bill before it becomes law?! That is a crime against the American people!

Anyway I'm done. Peace out.

From Darkness to Light

It's been awhile since I read 50 pages of a book in one sitting, but last night was caught up reading Frank and Joan Testa's From Darkness to Light about a priest and nun who both became Born Again and left the Catholic Church and eventually married. I met them last year or so and ran up on their book several months ago and have been curious ever since.

When I was in Kenya last year I was finally able to visit their outreach thee, Harbingers, which I have heard about for years here at the House of Mercy Mission. It's quite a long and complicated story which I am sure I don't even know all the details, but some how the people who founded the Mission here in Newark also are affiliated in some way to Harbingers in Kenya.

Of all the ministries that I have visited in Kenya, I suppose Harbingers I found to be the most beautiful. The country, the land, just beautiful!

Anyway, was caught up last night reading Frank's testimony. I found it very interesting his perspective and experience with Catholicism but also his work here in New Jersey as a priest. I came here to Newark in 2002 so everything I know about this area and New Jersey prior 2002 obviously has to be second hand knowledge.

I scanned the rest of the book looking for information about Kenya and found a lot less than I thought I might, but for the time being my curiosity has been satisfied.

Do I want to leave this as just a book review? I don't know for sure if that's all I wanted to do when I started this post, but that is what this looks like it has become.

It's 1:45pm Wednesday, January 4, 2017, as I write these words, and the day is more than half over. Had made a few plans to workout at Retro Fitness and visit the post office and the such; so many little things to do. We are installing a new soundboard for our sound system on Friday and I have to run a ethernet wire from the front office to the soundroom. I need to also make a thank you Christmas video from our Christmas outreach.

Anyway I'm out. Peace.

Warning, Warning

Is America in for troubling times? For service today we watched this youtube video. I don't know about earthquakes, though I do believe it's possible. However what concerns me most is civil unrest. Unrest that might cause problems. I have hope for America though.

What amuses me but also concerns me is that the media can't handle Trump. He drives the media mad for some reason. And to be honest, I kind of like that because I don't see the media as a friend of God at times. Always promoting and pushing an agenda that pleases them, an agenda that has no concern what God wants. So when I see the media implode over Trump, it kind of delights me.

Strangely though, I saw one of the subtitles of a book given to Pastor Sam for his birthday today, that said something about the coming war of Christian against Christian. How can this be, but it seems that's how it already has been these days, Christians being divided by politics.

Israel, American must support Israel. I think this may be the number one issue. If we mess with Israel, God will allow satan to mess with America. Recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital would be a great start. And then don't interfere with their actions. How about trusting Israel for once, that they know best how to govern their own country. If we try to split their land, God will let our land be split, by earthquakes or hurricanes or civil unrest or terrorist attacks, or mass shootings or anything else.

God will not be mocked, whatsoever a man (or country for that matter) sows, that shall they also reap. Sow good and reap good, so bad and reap bad. That simple. I could go on but let me end this here.

Kaf, the 11th Hebrew Letter

Monday afternoon and the Mission is closed, but I can tell you most likely tomorrow for noonday service we will be going to Kaf, the 11th letter of the Hebrew alephbet: