Music Monday // Barna Howard

Born & raised in the Americana town of Eureka, Missouri, Barna Howard is hands-down the Bob Dylan of our generation. With his nasally voice & his poetic, folksy, stream-of-consciousness lyrics it is safe to that he may have been born in the wrong decade but is a direct parallel to Mr. Dylan.

I was introduced to his music by my friend Alex while celebrating my birthday in South Carolina & immediately fell in love with his style.

Here's are some songs I recommend:

• Promise I Won't Laugh
• Pat's House
• Timber, Nails & Tears
• Song for Joe
• Turns Around the Bottle

#enoughisenough.

although i didn't get as many photos as i wanted to, i want to give a huge shoutout to my friends who made this project possible.

two years ago, i had the cops
called on me for having a
suspicious-looking car
in my friend's neighborhood.

seven weeks ago, i went to a
restaurant with group of
friends for a wedding
rehearsal dinner.
they all got their food
within ten minutes of
ordering (including a guy
in the wedding party
who came thirty minutes
late); i got my food  
thrown at me after everyone
had finished, five minutes
before we left. i was the
only person of
african-american descent.

four weeks ago, i was

driving home from a
church service &
driving through a
sort of dilapidated
neighborhood
when a police-officer
pulled me over.
i was going under
the speed limit and
was wearing my seatbelt.
the officer asked me
to get out of my car
& shone a light in my car.
he furthered to ask
where i was coming
from and i
explained that i was
leaving church and
asked was there
something wrong,
he answered no,
that they were just
trying to prevent
further crime
in the community.

three saturdays ago, i was
returning home from my
shift at work when i was
greeted by the cops
in front of my apartment;
i was informed that one
of my neighbors had filed
a report against me for
being a suspicious looking
male walking around the
neighborhood & was
suspected of a break-in
(i've lived there well over
a year now.) he proceeded to
ask why i was taking
photographs. i told him i was
a photographer and then
he jotted down some profile
information about me, in
case there were "further
troubles in the neighborhood."

this post isn't to
shame police-officers
or to incite some race war.

but to raise awareness that
intolerance is prevalent. so
before we're so so quick to
say that #AllLivesMatter or
#AllAreEqual

maybe we should take a walk
in our brothers' &sisters' shoes.

Today is the day you stop giving up on dream. the last day you say I can't or maybe later or it's not possible anymore. Today is the day you kick it in high-gear and start making things happen. Pick up an extra shift. Study an extra hour. Do what is need to achieve your goals. 

#motivationmonday

M A N N A.

It's 9:31 on a Tuesday night & I'm eating my dinner on my living room floor, preparing to change the lives of fifteen complete strangers.

I've noticed how prevalent homelessness was in my neighborhood & I've struggled with ideas to help and raise awareness. But God spoke to me. Instead of speaking of the problem, it was time to roll up my sleeves & take action. So tonight I prepared a basket full of blessing bags to give those in need. But my favorite part of these packages are not the food or toiletries but the message inside. Inside each bag contains a note that says, "God loves you & so do I." Christ has given us the message to love & to carry the burdens of others. This doesn't necessarily mean go out and buy a boatload of soup and bottled water but go out & do something for others. Because if everyone did one small act of kindness, together we could change the world.

#motivationmonday

Roll up your sleeves.

drink some coffee.

turn on some rap music.

& get things done.

#phillipians413