Yolanda M Tucker
Nov 12, 2015 | 1st pages, Spiritual
Is Blood Thicker? All my life I’ve been beaten down, talked about, abused, and treated like shit. Now that I am grown, everyone wonders why I don’t know how to act civilized. People wonder why I mistreat and abuse my children, why I hop from one man’s bed to another and why I just don’t give a damn bout nothing but where I am gonna get my next high from or my next piece of dick. Child boo since they want to know so damn bad I’m gonna tell them. And I sure hope they can handle the truth.
My name is Candice Sullivan and I am twenty-six years old. My biological mother and father had five children. I am the third child and first girl to be born. According to my welfare files my parents were drunks, drug, & sex addicts. All of us children (I won’t say chilin because Ms. Jessie Mae always told me to speak proper English cause I was already ugly and had buck teeth and if I thought I was ever gonna get a man that I should at least talk like I had some damn sense. I’ll tell ya’ll bout that heifer later).
Anyway, us children were removed by The Department of Children and Families (DCF) from my biological mom and dad when I was three years old. My youngest sister was three months old. I was a ward of the state until I was eight, that’s when Kimberly, my mom, and James, my dad, adopted my siblings and I. I was so happy to finally have a real mom and dad that loved, supported and protected us.
We had all been split up since DCF took custody. My last placement was at a girls’ home and the rest of my brothers and sister lived with several different foster families. When Kim and James adopted us, we all got to live together in a huge house. There were seven bedrooms and a spiral staircase. It reminded me of a beautiful castle that I once read about. I remember playing in my room and imagining I was a princess. I would tie a towel around my head and pretend it was long flowing hair.
I would stick my head out of the window and talk to my imaginary prince. I loved living with my mom and dad so much I thought I was living in a fairytale. That fairytale idea was shot to hell Thanksgiving Day 1985. I was about ten years old when I realized my life was going to be hell all of my days. Momma and I stayed up all night cooking and cleaning the house. The family was coming to our house for Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Mom finished cooking about 10 a.m. She told me to clean the downstairs bathroom while she took a quick nap. I got the Pine-Sol, 409, and Windex and stepped into the bathroom. Shortly after I went into the bathroom, the doorbell rang. I went to the door and looked out the peephole to see who it was. Uncle Jimmy said “Girl, open this door”. Grandma Suzie was standing right behind him. Suzie was my dad’s mom and Uncle Jimmy was his oldest brother. I opened the door and let them in.
We hugged and kissed and I said “Dad’s in the den watching the football game”. I headed back to the bathroom. About five minutes later, I heard Uncle Jimmy say “That’s a damn lie” real loud. Next thing I know Dad had Uncle Jimmy in the hallway with a gun to his head. My grandmother was yelling for them to stop acting like damn fools. All the commotion woke mom and she came to see what was going on. Mom immediately started to plead with Dad to let Uncle Jimmy go.
By this time, the entire family was standing in the living room trying to see what was going on down the hallway. Grandma Suzie went into the den and grabbed Dad’s shotgun out of the closet. She walked back into the hall and said “James put the gun down or I am going to shoot you.” Dad turned around with this crazed look in his eyes and said “Mom, you have always favored Jimmy and upheld his bullshit. My brother has betrayed me and you want me to understand?” T
hen my daddy did something that made me think my own eyes were lying to me. He hauled off and slapped Grandma Suzie. BAM was the next sound I heard. Grandma Suzie shot my daddy. I ran over to Dad and held his head in my arms. His breathing was scattered. Then he moaned “God forgive me for the wrong that I have done.” Those were his last words. He died right there in my arms. The last thing I remember about that day was the paramedics taking my daddy out of my arms and putting his body in a big black bag.
The next day I learned that Grandma Suzie was dead before she hit the floor. I was still in shock from the ordeal. I didn’t even know anything happened to Grandma Suzie. She had a heart attack. The doctor said she died instantly. We had a double funeral for both mother and son…….it was a very sad day in the Sullivan Family. Jimmy was so broken up by this tragedy that he got into his blue Ford F250 pickup truck and left town without so much as a good bye to anyone. No one knew he was gone for at least a month. We would stop by his house to check on him but there was no answer at the door.
The mail had started to stack up on the porch because there was no more room in the mailbox. When we called the machine picked up. Jimmy didn’t return our calls and no one had seen him around town in weeks. Finally, we called the police to get into the house to check to see if he was in the house. While we were waiting for the officer to respond to the scene, Jimmy’s neighbor Russ told us that Jimmy had threw some things in the truck the night after the funeral and left. When the sheriff’s deputy arrived at the house he opened the door.
Everything was in place except Jimmy’s clothes, they were gone. Jimmy disappeared and was never heard from him again. A few months after the funeral, my cousin Cynthia and I had a sleep over and I tipped toed down the stairs to ease drop on my aunties gossiping and I overheard Aunt Louise, my mom’s oldest sister and Aunt Krystal, her baby sister talking about the shooting. Aunt Louise told Aunt Krystal that Uncle Jimmy and Mom had been sleeping together for years and that Dad found out. Aunt Louise said Grandma Suzie knew what was going on because she walked in on Uncle Jimmy and Mom kissing one day.
Grandma Suzie told Uncle Jimmy to stop the madness before James found out about the affair. Mom and Uncle Jimmy did stop seeing each other but a little too late. Dad knew something wasn’t right between him and Mom several months before all this drama took place, so he hired a professional investigator to follow her. The investigator provided Dad with pictures of Mom with her lover the day before Thanksgiving. When dad opened the brown envelope on Thanksgiving morning and learned that his wife was fucking his brother, he wanted blood. Jimmy’s blood.
Gregory Rubin
Nov 11, 2015 | 1st pages, Self Help, Spiritual
After sitting with people in their darkest moments and their happiest moments for the past 15 years, I have seen remarkable resiliency in the face of devastation and amazing examples of life changing moments. It remains a humbling honor for me to be invited into people’s worlds, to be trusted with such sensitive/intense information, and to aide in guiding people to making changes that allow them the joy and peace that they deserve. Much of my limited expertise has come from personal trial and error, as well as gaining experience from learning about what works and does not work in other people’s lives.
I have noticed that there are patterns that affect all of us, no one is immune to pain and suffering or trials and tribulations. There seem to be waves of negativity and extreme stress, sometimes attributed to holidays, seasonal/climate changes, the moon and stars, or even political/societal movements. When things come together, it is as if I see how the universe works with all of my senses.
I believe that if we tap into this correctly, if we follow the signs and signals in front of us, we can navigate through the rapids, getting across safely to our destination. Sometimes this can be done with a strong mindfulness and intention, and other times, it can be done through other people or other forces looking out for us-protecting us and creating pathways for us to follow.
To further investigate how energy theory explores the interdependence that exists between each of us as individuals and the positive and negative spirit that surrounds us each day, we can start to look at some practical dilemmas that we may find ourselves in. The following is the beginning baseline for how to be mindful about energy theory and how to apply it for every day use.
In a scenario in which a person is looking for a job based on financial necessity or based on a career change, let us map out things that people would typically consider. The first would be the basic job description, asking yourself if this job is within your area of expertise or training. Is this a job that you could see yourself doing? What is the salary/pay, the healthcare benefits, the commute, etc.? These are all valid things to be mindful of during this job search. Yet, there are risks and pitfalls that can block the “energy flow” and can ultimately lead you to accept a job that may not be a good fit, or to decline a job that could enhance and nurture you in unexpected ways.
Matt D. Talford
Sep 30, 2015 | 1st pages, Non Fiction, Spiritual
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000043_00058]](https://booksgosocial.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/feartofaithecover-FINAL-201x300.jpg "From Fear to Faith: A Survivor's Story 3")
I AM NOT A PHYSICIAN. I am not a counselor. I am not a member of the clergy. Once upon a time, I served as a member of the United States Army Medical Corps whose primary role was to act as a first responder for sick or injured service members, but I make no claims of being someone who is licensed or trained to offer advice, guidance or direct medical, psychological, emotional or religious assistance or care.
You must consult with a doctor, licensed clinical practitioner, ordained minister, etc. for help in those areas. So you may be wondering, who am I and why did I write this book?
I am a son. I am a husband. I am brother and a cousin; a nephew and an uncle. I am a neighbor, a teammate, a fellow citizen. I am the guy you see jogging down the street; the guy you see browsing the produce section of your local supermarket; the guy you see taking out the trash or checking his mailbox; the guy who enjoys friendly afternoon chats with his next door neighbor.
In 2010, at the age of 37, I began experiencing symptoms that would later lead to a dreadful diagnosis that would change my life. All told, I spent some 11 months on the front lines of the “War on C****r,” and months longer recovering.
Because God blessed me to survive, I feel it my duty to inform anyone who is or will be the age that I was or younger, that your youth does not automatically grant you immunity to disease; and should you find yourself where I was (Heaven forbid), that you can, not only survive it, but emerge stronger, if you will to do so.
A.V. Srinivasan
Sep 17, 2015 | 1st pages, Spiritual
Introduction
The entire scripture, popularly known as the Bhagavad Gita, Gita for short, begins with a simple declaration: “I will NOT fight!” and ends with a confession: “I shall abide by your word!”
Both statements were made over 6000 years ago by the Pandava Prince Arjuna to his charioteer Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra located some 100 miles north of present day New Delhi. In between these terse declarations is the conversation between the likely quitter and the Lord. And that conversation is the Gita which most Hindus acknowledge to be at the core of Hindu philosophy.
The irony is that the time and place for this dialogue are most inappropriate. The location is the gap on the battlefield that separated the armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas in formation facing each other, and the timing couldn’t have been worse – right before the battle was set to begin.
While most Hindus claim the Gita proudly as their spiritual treasure, they will not readily acknowledge that the scripture is complex. But it IS undoubtedly a complex treatise and extremely difficult to grasp. It is highly philosophical and crystallizes the Vedic thoughts pertaining to moksha or salvation. Some chapters are beyond simple read and in fact not understandable without guidance from swamis/monks/teachers who may have devoted entire lives to study, assimilate and live the life guided by the Gita.
The Gita is the Hindu scripture of scriptures, and it raises and answers life’s persistent questions. Perhaps, the single most important reason that the Gita is revered by Hindus is its implied promise that salvation can be earned, here and now. The Gita shows us that right conduct of the individual does matter — and that right action by societies taken at the moment of need keeps the world in balance.
Dr. Amrutur V. Srinivasan
Sep 14, 2015 | 1st pages, Spiritual
Hinduism, the oldest and perhaps the most complex religion in the world, has its origin in India. It has survived as a faith for thousands of years despite many outside influences, including invasions and occupations of the land.
Hinduism has always been interested in — and welcomed — ideas from anywhere. One of its earliest sacred scriptures, known as the Rig Veda, declares “Let noble thoughts come to us from all directions.”
While absorbing into its bosom almost all good ideas from outside, Hinduism has been successful at keeping its own good ideas intact. Its focus has always been (and continues to be) inward; it has little interest in convincing others to embrace its values.
Therefore, Hindu religious leaders rarely try to convert others. Hinduism firmly believes in both a supreme being and the idea that other belief systems are as valid as its own. This flexibility may be one factor that has led to the religion’s survival over the millennia.
This chapter provides a very general overview of Hinduism, introducing you to the basic beliefs, ways to worship, and more.
The Hindu Worldview
Unlike Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism, Hinduism has no founder. It has no single religious book, such as the Bible or Koran, as its basis. Nor is it an organized religion. Hinduism has no founding date. It has no hierarchy of priests and no organizational structure that relies on a powerful leader (such as a pope) at its head. There are no standard sacraments or rites of initiation accepted and practiced by all those who profess to be Hindus.
Nikki Lee Brannon
Sep 2, 2015 | 1st pages, Non Fiction, Religious, Spiritual
I WAS RAISED IN A RURAL, FARM TOWN IN SOUTH ALABAMA by Marie, a strong, faithful, Christian woman, and a muscular, hard-working man named Colby. Mama was so gentle and kind, and Daddy was so extremely violent and mean due to his constant intake of alcohol on a daily basis.
I was number seven out of eight children born to my parents. They were in order: Colby Jr., Dan, Ray, (who only lived 12 hours), Ron, Vern, Stephen, Nikki (me), and baby sister, Carol.
Daddy had been married for two years before he married Mama and had a daughter named Dana. I use to sit and daydream about Dana, hoping to meet her someday. I yearned to know her and have her be a part of my life. As a small child, I already understood why it would not be a good idea if Dana were around us.
We didn’t even want any of our very few friends at school to come home with us because we were too poor, and we were much too scared to leave to spend the night away from home. I remember thinking that, if I left home, I would be constantly worried what would happen to my brothers, sister, and Mama. The days and nights were filled with terror, but the nights were always worse.
Sometimes, Daddy would stay gone all day long and we would get a little reprieve. By nightfall, just when we thought he wasn’t coming home, up the driveway he came, car motor racing and revving up like a hotrod about to begin a race, “drunk as a skunk.” (southern slang for extremely drunk). I remember my little heart about to pound out of my chest each time I heard that sound…
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000043_00058]](https://booksgosocial.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/feartofaithecover-FINAL.jpg "From Fear to Faith: A Survivor's Story 3")
