Just 800 Miles

It is just 800 miles. That is just about the distance from the Sabine River on the Texas-Louisiana state line to the West Texas town of El Paso. You can travel the marsh flat Texas Gulf Coast along Interstate 10 and watch the scenery change from lush green rice fields to rugged mesquite scrubs in just about a day’s drive. All along the way you see a land that is blessed and prosperous.
It is roughly 800 miles south-east of Miami. The Island of Hispaniola is divided between two nations. The eastern two thirds of the island is the Spanish speaking Dominican Republic. The western third is the French speaking nation of Haiti. Haiti is slightly smaller than the state of Maryland and is home to nearly nine million people. It is also the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. The average annual per capita income is $1300. Nearly 65% of her citizens live in absolute poverty. Eroding natural resources, HIV AIDS, and political turmoil affects the lives of millions of Haitians. There is now ay to accurately describe what life is like in Haiti. From people I know personally, they have told me that one would have to experience it to fully understand the magnitude of it all.
Tuesday January 12, 2010 an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale centered smack dab in the middle of Haiti. The earthquake unleashed massive devastation. Though the people of Haiti are accustomed to hardship and turmoil, there was nothing to prepare them for this cataclysmic event. Shanty homes that were barely livable collapsed into rubble. Hospitals, schools, government buildings crumbled as the earth heaved and shook trapping hundreds beneath them. Basic necessities that we Americans take for granted such as water and lights were off line. And when the shaking stopped and the dust settled tens of thousands were dead and hundreds more unaccounted for. This was a horrific event, but it isn’t over.
Two controversial people have made comments that should not have been made. Rush Limbaugh believes the current US Presidential Administration is using this disaster for political gain. Pat Robertson claims that Haiti is cursed by the devil and this is earthquake is proof of that. The statements are ridiculous and bring no resolution to the immediate problem. This is not the time to get caught up in any debate that takes the focus off of the needy and the hurting.
Haiti needs help. Volunteers are needed to help in the search and rescue of survivors. Medical professionals are needed to provide treatment to the injured. And, contributions need to be given. This is the time when we, the blessed, share with those who need to be blessed. This is the time to focus on the need and seek to fulfill it.
Haitians look different and speak differently than most Americans. They have customs and beliefs that we do not share. Their way of life is completely foreign to us. But, they are not a world away. They are just 800 miles south of us. The same distance between The Sabine River in East Texas to El Paso. Find a charitable organization and donate. Help make a difference in the lives of those who are closer than you think.
“ I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
Matthew 25:35-40 New king James Version

Five Touches To A Better Me

Five Touches To a Better Me

New Year provides us with an opportunity to make a start fresh start and to set our lives in order. It is estimated that 48% of Americans will make some Sort of New Year resolution. Of those resolutions made, 92% will not be kept. In fact, 45% will fail before the end of January. Only 8% will reach their goal. That is a sad commentary. Many see the need for improvement in their lives, yet when it comes to actually doing something about it they fail miserably. Why?
The key to achieving any goal or fulfilling any New Year resolutions is having an effective strategy (action plan) in accomplishing them. Most people are overwhelmed by the effort that is involved to their goals and give up. Some will set un-realistic goals, like trying to lose 50lbs in 30 days. While others set their goals too low and thus become bored and quit. And, most just ain’t got a plan on how to make it happen.
People need something simple, something easy to remember. They need something that helps them to prioritize their goals and life accordingly.
I have come up with something I want to share with you. I call it five touches to a Better Me: These are five things I can do every day that will impact my future in a positive and life changing way.
1. Touch God—Psalm 63.1 “O God, you are my God; Early will I seek you…” Make touching God your number 1 priority every day. Praying/devotion is not something you have to do, it is something that you get to do. Every day you can touch the creator of the universe and seek His counsel and direction for your life. James 1.5—“if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him.” That is a powerful promise. If I lack wisdom—understanding-direction, I can ask God and He WILL give it to me! Touching God everyday is an opportunity to invite the divine supernatural presence of God into my life. To guide and order my steps. Make it the first thing you do every day. Pray and spend time in God’s word.
2. Touch my family—Outside of my relationship with God there is no other relationship more important that my family. First to my wife, then to my children. Ephesians 5. 25—“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.” The love that a husband has for his wife is to mirror the love Christ has for the Church. That is a selfless sacrificial love. A love completely devoted to serving the other. Colossians 3.18—“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as is fit in the Lord.” Some like to use this verse as a means to subjugate women. But, that isn’t what it is talking about. Just as the man is to love his wife as Christ loves the Church, the wife is to love-honor-respect her husband as unto the Lord. This is an act of worship.
The way we treat our children is even spelled out for us in Ephesians 6.4—“And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Be an example to your kids. Do not live a life that provokes (motivates) them to evil. Set a good example.
3. Touch My Future—Proverbs 13.22: “a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…” I will touch things that will live beyond me. God has lain on my heart to start projects that will touch the lives of people and make them better. You may want to start a business, write a book, and start a ministry for the needy. Whatever it is that you want to touch that lives beyond you invest in it every day.

2 Timothy 2.15—“study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” –READ-LEARN-STUDY! The world and technology is changing at neck breaking speed. You must keep up with it and embrace it. Fill your head with knowledge. Life is about learning. Learn as much as you can. Enroll in classes; attend seminars and read, read, read. It will keep you sharp and will keep you young. Proverbs 19.2—“Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge.”

Touching your future also involves your health and fitness. There is only one of you. Take care of yourself by eating right and exercise—1 Corinthians 6.19, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. Take care of it.

4. Touch My Finances—Set aside money each week for God, business, savings and household. Proverbs 22.7—tells us that the borrower is servant to the lender. So try to pay cash as much as possible. Manage your money or your debt will enslave you! Money is not good or evil. It is simply a tool. A hammer in the hands of a carpenter can construct a fine home. The same hammer in the hand of a psychopath can kill someone. Use the money you are blessed with wisely.

5. Touch My Friends—Ecclesiastes 4.12: “…a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” The friends you hang out with speak volumes about you. Good solid relationship will keep you safe. Surround yourself with good friends. People who celebrate you. People will build you up instead of tearing you down. Touch a friend every day. Proverbs 27.17: “As Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”

Make this year the best year of your life. Take time to prioritize what is important to you. Write those goals and dreams down. Ask yourself how these goals will help you and those you love most. And, just make five touches every day. It will help to keep you on track.

You Can Cook It: Sunday Gravy and Meatballs

Sunday Gravy and Meatballs
Sugo literally means “juice” in Italian. It is a home-made long simmering meat sauce. Sugo is made with fresh ingredients and can be labor and time intensive. This ain’t something that comes in a jar. But, the fact is, it is worth the effort that goes into its preparation.
Among Italian Americans Sugo is more widely known as “Sunday Gravy”. It is a large pot filled with various cuts of meat, meat balls, and a homemade tomato sauce. It would be generally served at large family gatherings on Sunday with pasta, hence, the name Sunday Gravy.
I made my first Sugo about four years ago. Since then, whenever we have a large gathering I usually prepare it. I find it therapeutic as there is nothing else I can focus on until the meal is complete. There just isn’t time to think of anything else while you make a Sunday Gravy. And, the reward of seeing family and friends eat and really enjoy a home cooked meal is worth all of the effort. You will feel pleased with yourself that you have completed such arduous task and making your guests feel good as well. If I can cook this, you can cook it.
Let’s start with the Sugo:
1-can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
1-cans whole tomatoes (28 oz)
2 -cans tomato paste (5oz)
1-large onion (finely chopped)
1-bell pepper (finely chopped)
3-stalks of celery –optional (chopped)
3 -cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
12- Large basil leaves (chopped fine)
5-basil leaves (whole)
3-green onions (finely chopped)
½ -cup olive oil
1-2lb chuck roast (bone is better)
1-2lb pork roast (butt or picnic, you can also use pork chops if you wish bone in is better)
Cooking:
In an 8 quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add chopped onions, garlic, bell pepper, celery, and basil. Then, season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until onions become soft and clear.
Add tomato paste and cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring constantly to prevent burning. Then add crushed and whole tomatoes to the mix. Fill one of the cans with water. What I like to do at this point is use the water to rinse the extra contents of the cans and then dump that water in the pot. Then add an extra can of water to the mix.
Kick the heat up to high and let contents of the pot come to a boil. Reduce heat once it boils.
Preparing the Meat:
In a large skillet about 3-4 tables spoons of olive oil over medium high heat. When oil is hot add meats one at a time and brown on both sides. Once meat is browned add to sauce pot.
Add the chopped green onions to pot. Allow the lid to be partially opened to allow steam to escape. And reduce heat to low. Allow pot to simmer for three hours stirring occasionally.
The Meatballs
Meat balls don’t come frozen in a bag, at least good ones don’t. You make them. Real meat balls are not golf ball size, they are baseball size! Yeah, that is what I am talking about!!
What you will need:
1-lb ground chuck.
1-lb ground Italian sausage or ground pork.
2 -Cloves garlic
1-yellow onion chopped coarsely
½-cup Italian parsley (chopped)
12-basil leaves chopped
2-eggs
1-cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
¼-cup grated Romano cheese
¼-cup olive oil
In food processor add onion, garlic, parsley and basil leaves. PROCESS IT! Add olive oil, salt, pepper and eggs—PROCESS IT AGAIN. Once mixture is green through and through and mixed well, remove.
Place ground chuck and sausage in a large mixing bowl. Add contents from food processor and breadcrumbs. Mix well. If the mixture is too wet, add more bread crumbs.
Once the ingredients are mixed, make them into baseball size meat balls-or smaller if you want. At this point you can do one of two things: you can fry the meatballs or bake them. Baking is easier and less mess. But frying does give the meatballs a better flavor. The meat balls should be added to the Sugo in about the last hour of its cooking. When sauce is done-add the remaining basil leaves and let sauce sit for a few minutes.
Time to Eat!
Now it’s done! Remove the meatballs and meat from the sauce and serve separately. Cook your favorite pasta. I like to add olive oil to water before I place the pasta in the pot. Drain pasta when it is done and place on a platter. Coat the pasta with sauce and put extra sauce in sauce boats on table. Then dig in!
You can cook it!

You Can Cook it: Jamaican Curry Chicken

A few years back, I began to experiment with cooking. I had became a fan of the Food Network, watching notable people like Emirl Lagasse prepare great food. It caused me to wonder just how hard it would be for me to cook? I mean I was known for a great grilled cheese sandwich and warming a bowl of tomato soup, but prime rib? So, I went on-line and began to pull down recipes and the rest is history.

What I learned was that something is only as hard as you make it. I had misconceptions of the complexity of cooking and making great tasting food. And, because of my perception, I was too afraid to try. But once I did, I discovered I could do a pretty good job. And, this has turned into a hobby.

Now, let's have an understanding; I am not a professional chef. So, the recipe I am about share with you, is very simple. If I can do it, anybody can do it. So, today I am going to share with you my recipe for Jamaican Curry Chicken.

Things you will need:
1. Jamaican Curry. This is not the same type of curry used in Indian cuisine. You will want to make sure you have "Jamaican Curry". There are two brands I am acquainted with: Grace's Curry and Walkerswood. Depending on who you talk to depends on which one they recommend. I prefer Grace's.
NOTE: If you are not accustomed to Jamaican seasoning, the heat can be an little over whelming. You may want to start off using the "mild" curry.

2. Whole chicken cut up-seasoned with salt and pepper

3. Four medium to large potatoes cut into small cubes.

4. One large onion-diced

5. two cloves of garlic-minced

6. three sprigs of fresh time

7. 2 tbs of olive oil

8. 2 cups water

Cooking:

Heat olive oil in a large pot ( I use a large cast iron"seasoned" pot) over high heat. Once oil is hot, add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is clear.

Add diced potatoes--stir

Add your whole cut up chicken--then use a generous portion of Jamaican curry and stir potatoes, onions and chicken.

Add water so the contents of the pot are barely covered. You may want to add more curry as well once you add the water. Throw into the springs of thyme. Let contents come to a boil. reduce heat and let cook for about an hour and stir frequently.

Once chicken is cooked serve with rice and black beans.

It is that simple and you can cook it.

KILL THE SUCKER....Killing the financial giants the hinder your life

It was quiet. Tooooo quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of banners flapping in the breeze and sandals on hard stony ground. A show down was coming. Some one would walk of the field of battle victorious amid a sea of applause and unrestrained cheering. The other would have his lifeless body cared off to be buried.



The silence was short lived as the undisputed champion bellowed out laughs of blatant ridicule followed by a stream of profanity and taunts. He was large and in charge and he knew it. He was waging psychological warfare on his skinny opponent. Attempting to break his resolve and send him cowering back into the ranks of the army from where he came. But the boy kept coming.



The Champion was named Goliath. He was a monster of a man standing nearly ten feet tall. he was the Champion of the Philistine Army. Goliath had challenged the Army of Israel to a contest. the two armies had been embroiled in a long conflict. So, Goliath called to the Israelis to send a champion from among them. The two would square off in a battle to the death. The winner would take the other as slaves. Under normal circumstances, that may have sounded like a reasonable proposition. But Goliath was a normal adversary. So, his challenge went unanswered for days.



Then a teen-aged Shepherd came to bring a care package from home to his brothers who were facing the Philistines. He arrived to find the moral of Israel's army very low. The men were beat down. Not literally, but in their minds and emotions. They were stuck and could not figure a way out. Even their King, Saul, instead of accepting Goliath's challenge, stayed hidden in his tent. He was cowering just like the rest of them. The boy, named David, was filled with anger. But what could a shepherd boy do about it?



David inquired as to what was going on. He was informed that the King offered a reward to any man who would accept the challenge and defeat Goliath. He would be made wealthy by the King, given the Kings daughter in marriage, and his father's household would be given exemption from all taxes. A sweet deal indeed. But no one took the offer. Until that day. And, David did.



He was ridiculed by his family. He was called everything but good looking by Goliath. Yet, the shepherd boy stepped out on the field of battle with a shepherds stick, a sling and bag of rocks! Instead of running away, David ran right at the giant. He reaches into his bag pulls out a stone, places it in the sling, swings it around and let's the rock fly. The rock hit Goliath right between the eyes. Down the giant went.



The taunting voices of the Philistines were gone. Instead, all that could be heard from them was the clamoring of their feet making a bee line out of there. The voices of unbelief from those in the Israeli camp now turned to cheering and jubilation. Even David's own brothers doubted him, but I can't help but think they were all bragging on their little brother after that.



David did not stop there. He ran over to Goliath. Drew the giants own sword and beheaded the Philistine Champion. He wanted to make sure that his enemy wasn't just down, but that he would not be getting back up...ever!



There are millions of people on this planet who find themselves threatened with slavery. They want more out of life. They can't help but feel that they were created for something bigger and better. But, there are giants who terrorize, taunt, and torment them. Even family and friends tell them to conform to the way things are. They find themselves living hopeless lives. Slaves to a time clock, slaves to an economic system that does not move them forward, slaves to a unwanted life. This is not how things have to be.



What was it that made the difference with David? The difference was that he actually got up and did something. He would not allow all of the negativity get him down. He would accept the challenge. That resolve to action is what defeat the giant, brought wealth and freedom to his life. It can do the same for you.



Are you tired of the rat race? Are you tried of the 9-5? Tired of making someone else wealthy? What if I could provide you with something that could propel you to the life you were destined to live? Would you be willing to at least take a look? Would you be willing to act if you accept the challenge? Don't you think it's time to stop hiding in your tent?



Stay tuned for more.....

A blog by any other name is still a blog!

Here I am on the world wide web ready to leave my mark on humanity! I have always wanted to have my own blog and now that I do, I find myself a bit perplexed on what to say. I mean, there is every topic imaginable on the web. There are blogs that talk about anything.

I believe that if you are going to say something make it count. There are too many empty heads out there filling the web with empty words. The endless verbiage of nothing seems to never stop. And, to be honest, I talking heads annoy the devil out of me. Their dribble should be used as an interrogation tool at Gitmo! I can here the imprisoned terrorist say;"I'll tell you what our evil plan to undermine your way of life is. Just shut up!!" Yep. I am a believer that your words should count.

I was at a seminar this past week-end hosted by two multi-millionaires, Jeff Combs and Myron Golden. Jeffrey Combs allowed any of us in the session to ask him questions. Any question. Now, if you were allowed to do this, what would you ask? One after another asked questions that amounted to nothing. Most of their questioned centered around themselves and what he thought they should be doing. It was like asking Bill Gates if he preferred a 17" or 21' flat screen monitor. I believe they were asking the right guy the wrong questions. They should have been asking questions on what he did to get to where he is. What systems or regiments did he employ to turn his life around? What was it that served as a catalyst to propel his life from the gutter to being an international speaker who is a life coach to hundreds? I wanted to know ; how could I get from where I was to where he is? So, I asked my question based upon that. It was enlightening. I gleaned insight that I to could achieve the success I desire to have. It takes determination and commitment.

So, I will be posting things here on my blog. Things that I hope, you the reader will find illuminating and inspiring. There is far too much negativity in the word. I want to help generate passion for life, hope for a brighter future, and faith in something bigger than ourselves. Give me some feed back, because I truly wish to make an investment into your life.

God Bless
Dan