It is July 2012…half way through the year and it has definitely been a roller coaster of a year.  Roller coaster meaning up and downs.  I was granted custody of two of my children.  Thank you Jesus.  The third is a bit more difficult. It’s been a struggle not having my son at home.  I miss him dearly.  Have mercy Lord. Shortly after that, my grandmother passed.  Grandma Lewis (my Dad’s mother)  was  in her 90’s.  She was very wise, strong and focused.  She really laid my Christian foundation.  Her transition was tough to deal with.  My uncle, Money Mike, passed shortly after that.  He had a stroke and never recovered from it.  He gave me a lot of game and street knowledge….helped to keep me on my toes.  Not to long after that, I proposed to my girlfriend of almost 5 years.  She gladly said yes.  It was awesome.  I caught her totally off guard at my brother in law’s wedding.  I love her dearly. We got married.  It was beautiful ceremony held on a Sunday morning immediately following the morning service.  This was an extremely happy and proud and moment for me.  It was also sad because I really wanted my son to be there…but…that situation is still difficult.   Not even a week after the wedding, my other grandmother, my mother’s side,  transitioned.  She was very loving and a disciplinarian.  She called me, “Chaalie”.  She would give everything she had if she could.  This one is also tough to deal with.

Ok…so why did I tell all of that.  I did it for me to release and drive home my next point.  I’m a writer and one of the ways I release is to write it down…or go into the studio and spazz out.  I chose to write it down this time.  What I didn’t mention above is that I’ve learned to give God praise throughout all of it.  We should praise God for everything…good or bad, happy or sad.  I’ve learned that God has a plan for me and how I follow the plan affects my direct situation and those around me.  My Pastor says, we should praise in the midst of problems.  I made the decision that I will continue to praise God no matter what happens.  God knows what I want and he also knows what is best for me and my family.  However things happen and whatever happens in my life, was supposed to happen according to God’s will.  My message to you is give God praise whenever, wherever and however you want to.  Praise him when everything seems perfect.  Praise him when it seems like nothing is going right.  Understand, God is in control and that itself is enough reason to praise him.

In closing…I bring you another track off of the #HaveMercy mixtape.  It’s called Praise.  Listen and comment below..

Lyrics…

Verse 1.
lift your hands to the sun rays when you giving the Lord praise
he blesses me anyways inspite of my bad ways
thankful for happy days
like frankie beverly and maze
I needed more than one and I ain’t talking about lays
thats why I praise whenever,
thats why I praise wherever,
however,
don’t you know praise and worship go together
praise him forever I will never ever stop,
man I praise on purpose you can call it pop
I’m a minister of praise, mop
Christ hands on program, chop
you not praising you need a change of plan, cop
still talkin on praise, stop
I’m sharing with a purpose, swap
we get it Chuck, hold on player, hop
now give him some…

Verse 2.
Put your hands up
Give God praise
Having bad days you should praise anyways
Praise your way through any situation
Got educated praise call it praisucation
It ain’t hard all you have to do is give him glory
Share the story how he blessed you and you wasn’t worthy
Now that’s easy
Please believe me
Old school praise…I need thee
yeah,
got faith in what I can’t see,
praise like I’m crazy you don’t understand you ain’t me,
where I been where I’m going and what I’m going through,
what he doing, what he did and what he gone do
so I give him some…

Verse 3.
good praise, great praise
help them people in the church with fake praise
fast praise, slow praise
praying for you, if you got no praise
don’t stop praise, go praise
i praise on the mic, I got flow praise
put my praise with yo praise
we praise together give God mo praise
now, give him some…