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MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
Hello, I am the Rev. Dr. Claud A. Sinclair. Please take this time, to read this quarterly newsletter and also regularly review my website(s) as often as you can. They are filled with useful information to lay a foundation for your business life because your life, is a business venture. This is not investment advice, or how to pick and track the latest stock tips. This is a continuing educational program in financial literacy, which will help YOU to compete in life, overcoming past obstacles and enabling YOU to live a more productive and prosperous lifestyle, while teaching your children the same, enabling them to confidently leave home, able to compete in life.
As a Black man raised in this country. I've had too and continue to overcome tremendous challenges. However, as a young man, I've had the fortunate blessing of being exposed to the American landscape of how you should manage your life and how a business entity should function. I was raised in a household with 2 brothers (now deceased) and a sister. My mother taught us about being honest and having integrity. She also taught us that no matter what you do life, be the best. Life is tough, especially while raising a family, so developing a life plan or strategy while growing up and before leaving home, is extremely important. This is the same concept that I want to normalize in our families and communities, through this ministry in Personal Growth and Professional Development, in order to help our children to lay a proper FOUNDATION in their lives, thereby producing a constant flow of capable men and women adequately prepared to compete in life, who are spiritually grounded, and capable of achieving the ever so elusive, American Dream, whatever, that means to them.
A short story: This is about the last advice my mother gave me, after I left home, at the age of 18, when I joined the U.S. Air Force, less than one month out of high school. The recruiter picked me up from my house that day, and I failed to realize how sad my mother was when I left, but a man had to do, what a man had to do, right. The first couple of days after leaving, and until all 50 new recruits where together, to complete our flight unit, they treated us with respect, until, we arrived at Lackland, AFB, in Texas. And as the bus drove onto the base, in the pitch of night, a strange feeling came over all of us, but it was too late, and I suddenly knew that something wasn't right, and this wasn't for me. When the bus stopped, and the air brakes, released, after making that loud sound, which added to the agony, after which, two crazy individuals with big smokey the bear hats, ran onto the bus, yelling and screaming, calling us all types of names, demeaning our young man hood, in attempt to terrify us. The drama had begun, I said to myself and out loud, that these people had lost their minds, running around screaming like mad men. It may seem silly now, but one of the factors that I considered before "volunteering" for the military, was whether I had to cut my fro. I didn't want a bald head! The recruiter actually said to me, no they don't cut off all your hair anymore. "Just have shaped up and trim it down a little, and you will be fine". I actually believed him! He made up a few other stories as well, which later turned out, not to be true. Stories for another time! Okay, so, they eventually gave us uniforms, and took away our civilian clothes. The fatigues didn't fit properly and then they marched us to the barber. We had already been tortured for about three days now, learning how to march, eat and report. They actually got us up at 4:30 a.m. everyday during the week. On weekends, I believe we were allowed to sleep a little later. So, we are standing in line, at the barber, waiting for our turn. We had to wait for awhile because the barber's had not arrived. When it was my turn, the barber, who was a black man, asked me how would you like your hair cut. He saw how nice my fresh cut was. I told him, just take a little off, I just got it trimmed. He said, okay, and proceeded the take the razor down the middle of my head, turned me towards the mirror, and asked me, how to do like that. I was in shock! He proceeded to cut off my remaining hair in less than 30 seconds, and literally told me, to get out of his "freaking" chair. Next, he yelled, I felt "violated". We finally, got to use the phones after these 3 days of mental and physical TORTURE. By the way, this was the first time, I was away from my mother this long, besides a few trips here and their with the boy scouts and sleep overs at my cousins. Our house, was where everyone came to stay. After three days, we were allowed to use the phones. Well, I called my mother, and after she asked how I was, and how were things going? I said, MA! you got to come get me! because these people are crazy. In a sad, calm voice, which was unusual, she said, I CAN'T COME GET YOU, NO BODY TOLD YOU TO JOIN THAT MAN'S ARMY, I responded, no MA! seriously, "you have to come get me". She responded, WELL! SON,you're going to have to grow up, NOW, and be a MAN, and finish want you started. I was in shock, and in tears, so, after I staggered away from the phone in a daze. I went to the dorm, and amazingly no one was their, not even the guard was on duty and the door was unlocked. This was the first miracle. I went to my side of the dorm, 25 beds on my side, and 25 on the other, and at my bunk, I fell down on my knees, and I prayed, LORD! LORD! We had a pretty good relationship, so I said, LORD, if you get me through this, I'm yours FOREVER! I heard a voice say, inside of course, "You got a deal". This was the second miracle. The blessings since that time, were bountiful, and three decades later. That same voice, that said to me, "You got a deal", I heard it one afternoon, about ten years ago, and it, said, "DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR PROMISE"? I looked around, and said reluctantly, yes, I remember, with a SIGHHH! The quiet voice, said, I want you to write a book on managing money which would emphasize passing an inheritance to the next generation and preparing the next generation to receive it, in order to alleviate their poverty and oppression, the quiet voice said to me. I said, LORD, but the people only care about money, and it will only make things worst. The quiet voice, a little more stern, responded to me by saying, that is not your concern, I will handle that part. The voice continued to say, "You know that church you have been walking by all these years." "Yes, I said, I want you to become a member their" and put some work in.
I started going back to church and 10 years later after Laborer, Usher, Choir, Male Chorus, Deacon and now Minister. Of course, I tried to avoid the issue, but it didn't work out too well. I finally, relented, and said, you don't have to put me in the belly of a whale to listen. God, arranged it and had me anointed as an ordained minister, and he admonished me to teach the people how to be loving, and work together for the good of humanity. So, in His wisdom, God combined the two concepts in this ministry.
So, I prayed to God for wisdom and one day, guess what, he gave me wisdom, that is when the book was written, ministry created and later the website idea, which is being presented to you right now. The idea was to take that same education and experience, I received, package it, and present it to the people through the churches and communities who are strategically located to be a blessing to the people right away.
End of Story!
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