Sitting on the lawn at Oakland's Jazz Festival on Saturday was hot, fun, relaxing and comforting. We arrived early and stood in line. We talked to each other and about other folk, we danced, we laughed and we hugged friends. It was a good time. There was a sea of umbrella's all popped open and covering mostly black and brown bodies from the heat of the summer's 100 degrees heat. I read and listened to not only the music and his voice also the sounds of others near and far enjoying themselves and having a funky good time. True there were some who found the heat unbearable and spent a lot of time talking about how hot it was; which appeared to make it even hotter for those people and making them less able to enjoy the beauty of the day, the people and the musicians. There were also many who acknowledged the heat and drank gallons of water, ate shaved ice, walked around to hang out in the shade, visited the vendors and danced. He and I fell in the category. We had a funky good time. We enjoyed the music and each other for most of this weekend and discovered that we could actually just sit and be still and enjoy moments.

As I glanced out over the some 6,000 people there that day I had to comment on how beautiful my black sisters are. We come in so many different shades of black, brown, mocha, caramel and beige and we are all so different. Some wear there natural, some in an up-do, some in braids, some is sister locks, some weaved on and weaved in, some with short hair and some with long hair naturally, some with perms, some without - all beautiful. I saw some women overly endowed in breasts and some overly endowed in butt, some with long nails and some with short nails, some with piercings in nose and some with pink and blue hair. The differences are amazing, the differences in expression are just as varied as the differences in vision. Without a vision the people perish.

As I sit and enjoy the music I say thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have come before me. I give Him all honor. I allow him to strengthen me and teach me the grace that is born when you allow Him to strengthen you.