MCDERMOTT MINISTRIES, INC.

The Magnificent Uniformity of Beautiful Diversity

5/31/2020

The first thing Jesus did with His new “authority” after being risen from the grave is bring the nations (ethnos in Greek, ethnic groups) together (Matthew 28:18-19). Those who have positions of authority must recognize one of the divine purposes for that authority is to bring racial unity.

Anyone who has been given a position of authority and causes racial division or racism and not racial unity should have that authority stripped from them. Whether that be a POTUS, police, pastor, politician, board member, teacher, coach, boss, supervisor, etc... They should be stripped of their authority because one of the primary reasons for authority is racial unity. Let Christ be the example for this.

The first thing the Holy Spirit did when it was poured out on Pentecost (today is Pentecost Sunday) was bring the nations (ethnos, ethnic groups) together (Acts 2:1-4). The magnificent uniformity of Heaven is beautiful diversity. Let’s keep praying and working hard to see “Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

It is going to take much more than a social media post, march, protest, or riot to win the war on racism. I am not suggesting not to organize, protest, or march but making the statement it will take something much more. It takes a deeper and long-term or life-term commitment. It takes a generational commitment. It takes teaching that love endures & love endears to our children & our children’s children.

Growing up as an older brother who had a handful of street fights to defend my black younger brother against older racist bullies and has suffered racism from his childhood into his adult years to the point of having guns drawn on him and forced to the ground by police because he fit the profile, another brother who is white and now a legit hero of a police officer (both amazing men & fathers), the nickname “White Mike” as a kid, having a white father that taught us brothers that if anyone calls my brother the "N" word that we have the right to stand up physically against it, learning about my great grandparents that came over from Sicily who had blackened fingers because they worked in the cotton fields and also lived with the black community of Louisiana, having a Hispanic wife & in-laws, and having some of my best friends for decades who are black, I have never felt some type of way or had slanted feelings towards those of a different ethnicity. I always embraced those of a different ethnicity, it has always been easy and natural. It has been this way because the way I was raised and what I was exposed to as a kid.

It is going to take teaching our children and our children's children to win the war on racism. The bible says to train a child the way they should go and when they are older they will not depart from it. It is going to take making & keeping genuine relationships with those of different ethnic backgrounds to win this war. Whether that be in friendships, partnerships, family members, staff members, team members, church members, and more we need to be intentional with our relationships. We need to pray “God give me the position of the authority so I can bring racial unity. God give me the position of authority so we can see thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

Rumble With The Bumble

10/2/2019

I got to pick Malachi up from his Mother's Day Out pre-school at John Wesely Methodist Church. I took these pictures of him & the theme of his classroom. He is pumped that he is now a big boy in the bumblebee 🐝 class & no longer in the frogs 🐸 class. No more naps!

Most bumblebees are social insects that form colonies with a single queen. Royalty is traditionally responsible for creating colonies such as the British Colonies, Portuguese Colonies & the alike. One could even say that the Bride Bee 🐝 of the Church or the Congregational Queen creates social colonies with every new church plant or new church campus she opens of a larger church. Colonies are formed when groups of people charter new territories in the effort to settle in their promise land.

The church is the Bride (woman) or Queen of Christ, not the Groom (man) or King. This is why a thriving woman’s ministry & culture in the church is so crucial. Most men will follow the woman to church & most women make the care taking decisions for their children. It is not the other way around, especially in today’s time & era. It is not the 1950s anyone. This is why our churches should be attractive to women as much & even argumentatively more than it is to men.

We also see a very strong support system from women in the ministry of Jesus. If a church is overly masculine some mistakes are being made because after all, the church is referred to in scripture as a “woman” not a man. John Wesley had tremendous success in targeting the men to win the household in the 1700s. It was part of his method as the Method Man to building the Methodist Church. We are approaching the year 2020. It is a totally different era that needs a totally different strategy with a heavy focus on women. If this were a poker game, Queens would be wild & carry the decisional weight of the deck.

One significance of Israel moving from manna in the wilderness to a land of flowing with honey is that manna was rotten at the end of the day & honey is a super food that never rots as long as no water is ever added & it stays sealed with a lid. It is God’s desire to move us into an era of honey 🍯 or a sustainable blessing that lasts FOREVER such as long as we steward it properly.

Here are a few fun video clips of the McD Family at Disney World on the Winnie The Pooh ride last Christmas. I have always liked Winnie because of his name. You don’t get a name like Winnie if you are not a “winner” & you don’t become a winner if you are not willing to rumble with the bumble to get the honey for you & your family. Are you willing to take the sting to get the honey 🍯 of your promise land? The more we win in life & become a Winnie & bumble type person, the more humble bumble we must become.

- sent from my iPhone

McD Foster Care: 5,6 Grab Your Crucifix

9/22/2019

As you read this we challenge you to ask God right now, "What can I do to help those who are in need?" What has God put in your hands to help others?

My wife & I recently visited our new 10-year-old foster child. She will join our family on Tuesday. We had to visit two separate times because we had two other foster siblings in our home for the weekend & one of us had to be present with the children in our home.

When we began our foster care journey, it was not intended to only be a ministry for Natalie & I but for the McDermott Family as a whole. This means that it is a ministry for our own children as well. It is a ministry where our children can learn to be the influencers with our guidance, learn to share their things & space, & develop their own social & ministry skills. We believe in doing so their lives will be blessed. We see the child in scripture that shared his lunch of 5 loaves & 2 fish was empowered to feed 5,000 people & is a history maker to this day.

John 6:9-11
9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

Aaliyah was not able to visit our new foster child with Natalie or I but by her “own admission” created these picture collages for the child to have so she could feel welcome & wanted. When we presented them, the little girl said she wanted to cry.

I am so proud of my kids & especially proud of Aaliyah for being the HCIC :) LOL, that is short for Head Child In Charge. Due to our family having three young children of our own, we have been very selective in who and how we bring children into our family through foster care. The agency we are working with has been excellent in honoring our wishes.

We have a family & child leadership structure & strategy in place to ensure what we are doing is beneficial for all the children in the household. At the end of a foster care season our goal is for everyone (our children & foster children) to have elevated in their own lives in some form or fashion.

We do not cultivate our family or provide foster care out of a mindset of fear but of influence. The little girl we will be getting on Tuesday told me her favorite movie was Freddy Kruger & started to sing the song with the melody..

"1,2 Freddy’s Coming For You
3,4 Better Lock Your Door
5,6 Better Stay Up Late"

I stopped her and said “Hold on, hold on, hold on. Your saying it wrong (with a smile :) LOL). It is

5, 6 Grab Your Crucifix
7,8 Better Stay Up Late
9,10 Never Sleep Again”

She looked at me stunned as well as her therapist, care taker, & her case worker. I told her I watched all the Freddy movies growing up but in my house today, we don’t watch scary movies because we don’t let fear come into our home. She said that was okay & she also liked to watch Barbie (LOL). I told her "We will be watching Barbie not Freddy & that Barbie would probably win in a fight against Freddy anyways, I know some pretty strong women. :) LOL."

After we all left the room, her therapist and case worker told me that they were BLOWN AWAY by me & asked, “WHAT DO YOU DO???” I asked them why they were asking. They told me “WE ARE JUST BLOWN AWAY AT HOW YOU HANDLED THIS LITTLE GIRL. WE ARE FLOORED. WE WERE BOTH LIKE, LETS JUST SHUT UP, SIT BACK, AND WATCH HIM.” I told them that I have master’s degree in counseling, I am also a Doctor of Ministry, & worked with young people for almost 20-years.

I am not saying this to brag or cause attention to me but to highlight the point that it does feel good when you use skills you have invested years of time and lots of money into & it works. I would like to give a shout out to Regent University Graduate School of Psychology and Counseling and Oral Roberts University Doctoral Program of Ministry. I subconsciously went into my training & experience. Apparently it could be seen & was a huge win in that room for this little girl & a win for the case worker & therapist to witness. It is times like this that make all the grind, studying, & money paid out worth it.

Our community, circle of friends, & family have jumped at the opportunity to help this little girl. Within hours of hearing about our new foster child, people are dropping off clothes, cash, love, and support. It takes a village and we thank everyone.

Today we had a table of 10 for lunch, which 5 were children who either lost both their parents due to death or their parents cannot be involved in their lives for one reason or another. Their vote was to eat McDonalds. You will find in foster care that McDonalds seems to be the #1 Restaurant of choice simply because it is consistent, it is made to be a happy place, and they can have a Happy Meal. What all of these kids are really looking & hoping for is some level consistency & happiness in their lives. A Happy Meal at McDonalds gives them this consistency & happiness for a moment. Money can buy a Happy Meal or a happening that makes one happy for a moment but what these children really need is the Joy of the Lord.

I am not fan of McDonalds’ food, but I am a fan of McDonalds. I saw a news highlight on Fox News or CNN & it talked about the pliability of McDonalds & how McDonalds is for everyone. That news clip totally changed my perspective of the restaurant because it was true.

There are very few restaurants where a homeless person, children, working professional, college student, & a CEO can sit right next to each other, eat the same food, get a coffee refill on a cup someone gave them, surf the internet, & play on a playground all at the sometime & it feels right. Like today, a homeless lady who was sitting in McDonalds saw me drop $10. She picked it up & gave it to me, so I just let her keep it. She was super thankful & appreciative.

Thank you for taking time to read this. We pray God's favor & blessing upon you & your loved ones. If you read this please pause for a moment to pray for my family, my children, & the children we foster. THANK YOU.

When I Taste......

2/12/2019

When I was watching the Grammys a few nights ago and Dan + Shay preformed the song Tequila I was moved emotionally and spiritually. Not because I like Tequila or like to drink alcohol, I don’t. I have tasted and not often taken a taste but the strong drink or even wine is not for me & never has been. Even though my wife’s and my family’s culture enjoys wine and actually makes wine. My mother’s maiden name is Torchia which means “grape crusher” & she makes beautiful & great tasting wine.

The Lord told me a long time ago, it was not for me referencing the Master of the Wedding Banquet who tasted the wine Jesus made and could differentiate between the good wine and the cheap wine.

The question the Lord posed to me, is “Why?” “Why could the master tell the difference?” He could tell the difference because all he did was "taste" during the wedding and was sober minded. “Why was he only tasting during the wedding and not drinking like everyone else?” It’s simple, it is because he was the one in charge and the one in charge cannot afford the liberties granted to those who are not in charge. The Lord told me that I need to be in charge at all times because someone has to be in charge at all times & ready every second. The world is a vehicle with people who need help in so many ways and I am the designated driver or the ready responsible responder on call 24:7.

Proverbs 31:4
It is not for kings, Lemuel-- it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer,

John 2:9-10
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

1 Timothy 3:2-3
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

I did taste Tequila in Tijuana & was the first customer in this guy's new taco restaurant however I am more of a coffee drinker with Italian food but the tacos were "amazing". They opened the kitchen just for me at the taco restaurant the night before their grand opening to the public when they heard I came for a short stay during my time in San Diego, cooked just for me, and gave me all the free tacos I wanted. The owners told me they had family that lived in San Diego but their families were too afraid to cross the border because of the crime in the city. I Ubered to the border, walked over, and Ubered in Mexico. I have traveled the world and can say this “people are the same people every where you go”.

It was not to long ago that Chicago and the surrounding cities (where I grew up & still spend time today) was more dangerous than Tijuana. My brother is a police officer. I was home for holidays and went to the local mall. He said “you went to the mall, surprised you didn’t get shot, we’re having shootings there a lot.” People are often afraid of anything that is foreign to them or what they don’t understand. Life is to short to live afraid. I would rather live a short life fearless than a long life fearful. You will accomplish more that way & love better.

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Christ died at 33 & wasn’t even old enough to be the POTUS but accomplished more & left a greater legacy than anyone in the history of the world.

https://www.sandiegored.com/en/news/59990/Tijuana-is-much-safer-than-Chicago

I had heard the song Tequila before but it never moved me like it did that night when I was watching the Grammys. At the time, I didn’t fully understand or recognize what I was sensing but as the song was preformed, I had a deep sense of someone calling out to God, seeking a remembrance of him, and a desire for a Taste of God.

Last night I downloaded the song on my iTunes and listened to it several times and the deeper meaning of the song for me hit me. The song Tequila was expressing what I believe was then and still is today, the heart and desire Christ has for His disciples and everyone who would ever partake in Holy Communion. This heart and desire is to “remember”. There is a strong Ministry of Remembrance for the Church to partake in, especially in regards to Christ and the loss of our loved ones.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26
23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes

Proverbs 34:8
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Luke 24:30-31
30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight

Growing up as a Catholic, there are a lot of things in the church and Catholic homes that trigger remembrance of Church leaders. As someone who earned a Master’s of Church History, I have learned to have a deep appreciation for the Ministry of Remembrance. Also being a minister in Protestant churches for nearly 20 years, I can say that we don’t do enough Remembrance. I like taking communion every week & I have family that take it everyday. A reason we often say in the Protestant Church as to why we don’t take communion every week is because the scripture says:

“For as OFTEN as you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”

It doesn’t say to take communion weekly but AS OFTEN, implying it should be done OFTEN not a few times a year. We shouldn’t use that verse anymore as to why we don’t do it often because it implies it should be done often..

Like the song Tequila “...your memory only hits me this hard when I taste .....I still see yeah....I remember how bad I need yeah...”

Proverbs 34:8
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

We were in Tijuana on the day of the dead & took this picture. I do not believe we should seek communication with the dead & the Bible forbids the use of mediums such as Saul used to call Samuel’s spirit from the dead. There are a select few times such as Moses and Elijah (taken up in whirlwind not necessarily died) being permitted to be with Jesus and the disciples during the Transfiguration in Matthew 17. However, I can appreciate a day of Remembrance dedicated to the loved ones we have lost & I don't think the Lord opposes a day of remembrance but promotes it. We remember great leaders like Martin Luther King Jr and Presidents on their own days.

A statue, communion, or religious practice is not an idol if it’s purpose is to serve as a tool for the Ministry of Remembrance. We need to let go of our ideals when they become our idols (statue or no statue because not having a statue or communion weekly or daily can be an idol just as much as having one). Every ideal we have about God, Church, or ministry can become an idol when the idea in the ideal is not a God idea but a self serving idea. Every idol is just an idle idea and not God’s ideal and will never be God’s ideal until the idea in the ideal becomes His idea and not our own. When our ideal becomes our idol we become idle and not progressive with the new God idea.

The idea of finding things that help us remember Christ and our loved ones who have passed is a good idea. Finding something to help you in the Ministry of Remembrance is good, for Christ it was "A TASTE"

This week alone my family and I lost a loved one and we are helping a sibling group who lost their father this week & has lost their mother not to long ago. These three boys don’t have any parents, are overwhelmed, and are confused. My heart to so heavy and moved with compassion.

I leave you with this “Walk through the valley, even though the shadow follows you & always take time to REMEMBER.”

- sent from my iPhone

The Greatest Fetus & Feat-Us

1/24/2019

In light of NY State’s abortion laws. A fetus was the first to respond on earth to the good news of Jesus. They may try to de-fetus and de-feet-us but they will never defeat-us or put their feet on our necks (Joshua 10:24, Genesis 3:15) because we already won. The greatest feat ever was that us, the CouSins aka (John the Baptist & Jesus) or the cousins who worked together to take the sins of the world “away”.

Luke 1:41-44
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

-Sent from my iPhone

A Homeless Woman Orders Hell At McDonald's

12/6/2018

On our drive home after Thanksgiving from Albuquerque, NM to Houston, TX my family and I stopped off in Tucumcari, NM at a McDonald's to grab a quick breakfast and hop back on the road. As I was standing in line, my wife Natalie signaled to me and pointed out a woman in order for me to ask her if she wanted something to eat.

This woman had a pair crutches but wasn’t using them. She was extremely skinny, very dirty & grimy as if she hadn’t showered in weeks, wearing a t-shirt (it was cold out) and had a few trash bags with her belongings. It was evident that this woman was homeless. Before I could walk over to her, she went up to the counter with an empty McDonald's coffee cup to ask for a refill. It is likely this cup was given to her by someone so she could get a cup of coffee or she pulled it out of the trash or picked it up off the ground. They refilled it for her. :)

When the lady sat down again, I approached her. My children and wife watching and listening. I asked the woman if she would like something to eat. She asked me if I was talking about getting something to eat here. I told her

“Yes, off the menu, would you like something to eat?”

She just looked at me. I then asked her

“What do you like?”

She said with a small yell

“What do I like!?”

I said

“Yes, on the menu, what do you like to eat here?”

In a small yell she said

“How about Hell! do you think they have that on the menu!?”

I laughed and said LOL

“I don’t think they serve Hell at McDonald's, but we are in New Mexico, I am sure we can get you some hot green or red chili to make your mouth feel hot as Hell! Lol” (they really do serve that at McDonald's in NM)

She then told me she was not hungry and didn’t want anything.

I told her

“Okay.”

I ordered her a hot breakfast meal anyways. I got the food and brought it over to her and told her

“They made a mistake and gave me an extra meal, I know you not hungry right now but maybe you can save it for later. Do you want it?”

Her eyes lit up and said with a small yell

“Well, I don’t know, I’m not sure I’m going to like it. What is it!?”

I told her

“I don’t know what it is, they just gave it to me on accident. Just look at it later when you are hungry and if you like it, then eat it, if not give it to someone else.”

She said with a small yell

“Well, I guess I can eat it now! I have been known to be a glutton at times!”

As my family and I got up, cleaned our area, and walked away we could see her from the window open the bag of McDonald’s and eat her breakfast pretty quickly. It is likely she hadn’t eaten anything in days, especially a hot meal.

I knew my 10-year old daughter Aaliyah was going to have questions in the car. She had questions about what the lady was saying about ordering Hell, why she might be homeless, why the lady told me she wasn’t hungry, and then why the lady asked what kind of food it was and was a picky eater.

The short version of what I told Aaliyah was that a large majority of homeless people are mentally ill. I explained that a mental illness is like any other illness that an organ in your body can get. Brain disease is just like heart disease, lung disease, liver disease, kidney disease, and all other diseases. The mind can get sick from a brain disease just like any other organ.

I told her that a lot of Christians and even ministers might label this woman as being demon possessed because she was yelling, was talking about spiritual things, hell, sin, and gluttony all while being homeless. Some people are demon possessed, homeless and non-homeless. I have performed deliverance/exorcisms on both homeless and non-homeless both in the USA and abroad. All people are just people. My gift of discernment can usually pick up on it if there is a demon involved.

I did not senses that this woman’s issue was that she was demon possessed just because she spoke about hell, yelled a little, and spoke about the sin of gluttony while being homeless. However, I do realize that a vast majority of homeless get their help from religious organizations and Christian homeless shelters that preach the gospel and teach biblical truths. If someone is mentally ill and the vast majority of people that this person talks with are from ministry based or Christian places that preach and teach the bible, then these are the ideas and principles that are freshest in mind and newest on the lips of those getting help at those places. She wasn’t homeless, speaking about hell and gluttony, and yelling because she had a demon but because she was mentally ill and been around a lot of preaching. It was very sad that a woman in this situation even had hell and gluttony on her conscious or mind regardless if she was mentally ill or not. The woman needed love & I told that to my daughter.

I told my daughter that the lady said she was not hungry and acted like a picky eater because she still had dignity as a person. Mentally ill or not, demon possessed or not, the woman was trying to act like she was not in need and was holding on to the last bit of dignity she had. At some point in her life, she could eat when, where, and what she wanted. This is not the case right now. Even for people in the hardest of times, it is difficult to face the reality of their situation, especially if they are trapped.

I told my daughter I didn’t preach to her or pray for her there because she simply was hungry and I realized I had to tell her that McDonald’s gave me an extra meal on accident for her to accept the help. She has been preached to a lot and has been prayed for, she needed something to eat. I then prayed for the next few hours on the road under my breath for this woman. She was heavy on my heart. She was someone's daughter.

A few days later my wife and I received a package in the mail from some new friends of ours that are battling cancer. We opened our home to them months ago as strangers during an out of state hospital visit in Houston’s world-class Medical District. They sent these gifts to us because we opened our home to them as strangers, however the timing was divine. The gift arrived just days after meeting the homeless lady at McDonald's right after Thanksgiving in Tucumcari, NM.

Matthew 25:36-40
36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,you did it to me.’

"I HAVE MY RESERVATIONS": A TRIBE CALLED BENJAMIN

7/27/2018

Be careful before you say you have reservations about someone. Do not be the Chief of your own Reservation. Instead, make reservations and take the person out to a nice dinner to get to know them & ask them the important questions. If you have reservations but never make dinner reservations with them, then all you have is an assumption.

Very few people can dance with wolves and those that can, usually are different than the rest of the pack & not afraid to take the risk. You might assume you're missing link right out of your business or ministry. I am sure the Indians & Kevin Costner had concerns but they made dinner reservations and got to know each other.

Genesis 49:27
"Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder."

We gave our son Michaiah the middle name of Benjamin (love that name) after his grandfather's middle name. The Tribe of Benjamin was a war-like tribe and warrior priest who gave Israel their first king and the Church Paul the Apostle.

Philippians 3:4-6
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

Often we view the words of Christ when He told the disciples he would send them out as sheep among wolves that he was talking about the world or the world-system. It is very likely he was speaking about the Pharisees, such as Paul's tribe who was breathing murderous threats against the church in Acts. Christ told the disciples to be wise, because the Pharisees were wise & NT wiseguys.

The Tribe of Benjamin had its strengths and weakness, like any tool or Tribe of God but they were priests & warriors, they were Warrior Priests or Priests of War. I have another thought about business, The Wolf of Wall Street, the Tribe of Benjamin's wolf like tactics from a business stance, and a guy called Franklin I might put on mcdermottindustries.com one day.

At the end of the day, there are those from the Tribe of Benj and those from the Tribe of Benji. Then there are those who know the importance to be all things to all men so that we might win some to Christ. Those are the ones who know how to be "both" Benjs when it is necessary.

I walked in door of my house about 10 minutes after I posted this at the cafe. My wife was in the middle of a lesson with my sons spelling the words MAD DOG, nothing else, only MAD DOG. She didn’t see this blog, run to the lesson, and time it for me when I walked in the door either :). I think the McD Family is “all about the Benjamins” at least for our “babies”. Benjamin is Michaiah’s middle name. Michaiah Benjamin McDermott. Maybe I will just call him MAD DOG MICHAIAH MCDERMOTT.

”All about the Benjamin babies.”

The Growth Of Many Colors

7/23/2018

I am at Michaiah’s Teakwon-Do practice. There are many things & decisions that cannot be judged or decided as black or white. Often, there is “a lot” to be considered in between. Only the maturest leaders, who have grown through the degrees of the colors, understand the true difference between a black & white decision or action. You will never become a black belt in life, business, ministry, education, or anything if you don’t first respect the growth of colors & those who have achieved rank. Don’t be stuck in the degree of your color forever because you do not respect those who out rank you and paid the price to be black. Instead grow into the black. I think black is my newest favorite color. I am black...at least in some areas of life & areas I am not black, I want to be...black.

-Sent from my iPhone

Bullying: Machiavelli to Mary, Cannibalism to Communion

6/25/2018

Below is a copy of my Dissertation/ARP. It is centered on bullying. It is specific to young people but covers a wide range of figures from Machiavelli to Mary, ideas from Cannibalism to Communion, actions from decapitation to rehabilitation, school massacres to identity crisis behind the mascara, the saddest-sick-kid acting sadistic, and institutions or places from the White House, the school house, the Church house, the playground, and one’s home.

For those who think the description is a little too violent, my daughter is 10 and we just had to deal with the school and principal about another student who threatened to cut her head off, hang it on a wall, throw her body in a dark corner, and watch her bleed. Not far from my home was the recent Santa Fe, Texas school massacre.

I am seriously considering doing a PhD in Theology and Religion with the dissertation on the Theology of War. In the past, present, and into the future so much war has been, is, and will continue be cast on the globe by religious leaders. Considering......either way, war based on theology is prevalent in the earth today. This is true because war's strategies, stories, and tactics are in the religious books, the books that no-one can or ever will change. So we need to untwist theology, learn, and lead rightly.

UPDATED A FEW HOURS LATER

A few hours after I posted this blog, I went to my daily bible reading. I had no idea the Book of Wars would be mentioned in my daily reading schedule. I have also never considered a PhD in Theology and Religion with a dissertation on the Theology of War “ever”. To my understanding, this is the only place in the entire bible where the Book of Wars is mentioned. Of the nearly 800,000 words in the Bible, the Book of Wars shows up today? After a blog post and statement about considering a dissertation on the Theology of War, which is the first time I “ever” considered it? Ecclesiastes 9:11 says that time and chance happen to everyone. What are the chances now the address of this verse is 911? I didn’t know that was the address of the verse until I looked it up. Perhaps this is time and chance but when you write a blog about it, then write it on a goals to consider list an hour later, and then it shows up on your daily bible reading a few hours later, and the scripture you have in mind to share has the address of 911 & you didn’t know, the chances are the Lord is persuading me to a new assignment. I’ll take my chances this is the right path.

You can increase or decrease time and chance. Your chances of getting into an accident while drinking and driving are increased while your chances of not getting in an accident if you don’t drink and drive decrease. Either way it can still happen or not happen but you can increase or decrease your chances. The chances of what happened to me today about writing a theological book on war or a dissertation on the Theology of War and having the Book of Wars show up with 911 seems outside of human time and chance manipulation and more like a Divine direction.

If I was at the casino I would have hit the jackpot and be set for a very long time however what I may have just received from the Lord is priceless.

- Sent from my iPhone

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MADE TO MULTIPLY: THE LEGWORK OF LEGACY

5/20/2018

We had the privilege and honor to doing a Next Generations Ministry (children, youth, young adult) staff training for a church that in recent years was ranked by Outreach Magazine in the top 5 fastest growing and in the top 50 largest churches in America. When having lunch with one of their executives about the size and speed of their church, it was encouraging to see their humility and that they did not put too much weight into those statistics. I was an honor to share, train, and serve in a significant and world leading church that is leaving an everlasting mark on the earth.

Below are a few of the slide from the training.