Sunday Schooled - White Folks

White Folks

(Photo Dr. Sam Varner (left) and Baseball Legend Jackie Robinson (right)

Drew Morris, a (White, and I say that to provide a visual) minister who is around 65 (Pops is 70) shared with me in a meeting information about my Dad that I didn't know. He stated "Your Dad is a phenomenal man, he has done things that others are still scared to do. He deserves a lot of recognition. He then says "We were in a meeting and he shared with us that Dr. King (The Honorable Dr. Martin Luther King) told my father in a meeting "You'll have to get rid of your hate for White people to do your job." Dad then reportedly shared in this meeting with Drew other things he did during the Civil Rights era involving racial reconciliation. Drew shared how he admired how my Dad, and other Blacks, rose above the problems of that time to act in a manner exemplified by Yeshua (Jesus). As a child I used to wonder how my parent's and ancestors lived under the suffocating veil of evil White supremacy without wanting to kill every White person in sight. As mad as I would become after hearing their stories I still couldn't hate Whites because my parents wouldn't allow that. They taught me to love Black and love White and everything in between. A lady once set Pops' hair on fire when he rooted for the other team at a football game. The Blancos around him wouldn't let him put out the fire nor retaliate against the witch. How could he be so loving after facing so much hate... He attributed it to "a relationship with Christ"... I thought that he and Christ were both crazy.

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Sunday Schooled is a collection of former blog post by Seko Varner. This post was originally

posted on Janruary 24, 2008 while Dr. Varner was still alive .

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Dad is pictured above with his friend..........Baseball legend Jackie Robinson (the second photo displays Dad with my brother and I). I remember coming home from school after learning about Jackie Robinson in school and telling Dad and Mom I want to play Baseball like Jackie Robinson. Dad said something to the effect of "Jackie used to throw balls at you when you were a baby." Dad then pulled Jackie Robinson's book off of his bookshelf and showed me a signature from Jackie with comments that could only be made from people who are close. Dad used to minister to Jackie Robinson's family and was even referenced in the book's "Thank You's". This picture still makes me shiver. Two men who both shaped and changed the world I live in. Two men who faced the cruelty of Amerika squarely in the face and 'showed love' in response to hate.

Dad raised us in a rather Afro-Centric environment, yet never showed a disdain for anyone. We were taught to love Africa and America. I still get looks of surprise when I often end prayers with my kids by saying "GOD bless Africa, GOD bless America, GOD bless everybody." GOD bless everybody.... Even those I want to hate. When Dad spoke of people he hated he spoke of Blacks who were racial betrayers. Dad is chock full of stories where White-folks did incredibly devilish acts of hatred to him, yet he only hated when 'we' didn't achieve, when 'we' hurt each-other, when 'we' failed to improve our station in life, when 'we' didn't appreciate ourselves...........Achieve, heal us, improve yourself, appreciate us.

02/03/2013 Addendum. Yesterday I sat on the edge of my seat enjoying a learning from Rich Thawley, a giant in my business of World Financial Group. In the midst of his session where he taught us about doing business in the realm of the Lower Law and moving towards doing business in the Higher Law, he shared a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln that I had recently heard from my mentor John Epting. "Pray like it's up to God, work like it's up to you." Rich talked about working in Love for our clients noting that we have products and services that can change lives forever. Rich shared how we should talk the three languages of Higher Law to help our clients, and to help ourselves, combat the natural tendency to avoid actions that seem hard while obviously leading to improvement. Rich shared how many in America have been DCP'd (Discouraged, Criticizied, and Put-Down) and it may up to us to guide them towards the Promised Land. Rich began his talk by sharing that too many in our country have accepted eight personally destructive values. Rich taught that too many (1) Want winning to be easy, (2) Want life to be fair and fairly distributed, (3) Get their feelings hurt and stop their progress, (4) Worry too much or too little about the opinions of others, (5) Are afraid to compete, (6) Want someone else to do things for them, (7) Are easily distracted, and (8) Think like employees rather than the masters of their fate. As Rich ended his talk I was standing on my feet waiting on his next word. He ended with "Life will only give you what you will fight for...."
Ashee.
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Seko Varner is from Positive Vibes Financial, a World Financial Group team of financial services agents. They specialize in debt reduction, investments, and insurances. Seko is also in high demand as a special events DJ and owns an event marketing service. Seko has diverse background in business, real estate, counseling and education. Seko is active with numerous Youth Mentorship programs and has a background in radio and television. Visit www.HappilyEverAfter.Be or call 757-248-3820 for more details.

Sunday Schooled - I smile, you smile

I smile, you smile.

(Photo - Sam Varner graduates from Princeton University)
Dad's family wished him well as he discussed going to college. His mother and father both had third grade educations. His grandparents had less formal education. He used to tell me "I was never the smart child, I was only the one that was able to self motivate himself." In truth my father's siblings all did well. My grandfather, My father's Father had three families with three wives, He buried the first two wives and my grandmother buried my grandfather. My Grandfather had over 28 children and took care of all of them. My Father grew up calling many of his brothers and sisters aunt and uncle. These brothers and sisters were from my Grandfather's previous marriages. When my Grandfather married my Grandfather was in his late 60's and early 70s and my grandmother, formerly my grandfather's housekeeper, was in her 20s....... Back to the story..... 

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'Sunday Schooled' is a collection of blog posts from Seko Varner's former blogs. This post was dated 12/05/2007 while Seko's father, Rev. Dr. Samuel Varner was alive.
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(Photo Will Varner & Sam Varner Circa 1950ish)
The family went from plush to poor as the Whites in his neighborhood tricked his father out of land that he acquired. At one time my grandfather owned the first T-Model Ford vehicle in Opelika, Alabama and had acres of land. After the devils finished with him, he was extremely poor. Dad grew up with no running water, eating every two days at times, and in a home/shack that may seem third-world'ish in today's American standards. I remember the day he received his Doctorate degree from Princeton. He smiled widely for hours. His teeth became dry, he was so proud.

He ensured that my siblings and I had an easier life. He ensured that he was a better husband than his father was. He ensured that he would be able to provide us with an education after formal school since his father wasn't able to provide him with that opportunity. Dad made sure that he was the man that his father trained him to be and the man that his father wanted to be. Dad often told me that a dwarf standing on the arms of a giant can see farther and go farther than the giant. As I talk to Dad about the necessity of having more than an educational opportunity for my kids he simply smiles. I realized today that the smile he gives during those talk is the same as when he graduated. His graduation graduated our family, my new insight provides our family's new insight. I shine you shine. I pray now that I can experience that smile for many more years. After his last surgery his appetite has decreased. Dad now can go days without feeling hungry. I now enjoy every meal with him in a different light. Just watching him eat makes me smile.

It's funny......When I smile my son looks at me and smiles without knowing why. I guess I have a dwarf on my shoulders now. I smile, he smiles.
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Seko Varner is from Positive Vibes Financial, a World Financial Group team of financial services agents. They specialize in debt reduction, investments, and insurances. Seko is also in high demand as a special events DJ and owns an event marketing service. Seko has diverse background in business, real estate, counseling and education. Seko is active with numerous Youth Mentorship programs and has a background in radio and television. Visit www.HappilyEverAfter.Be or call 757-248-3820 for more details.

Sunday Schooled - When I get married...

When I get married...

      Lately the Lil' Diva has had to deal with a lot of loss. In July 2009 her beloved maternal grandmother became an ancestor. In September 2009 her beloved paternal grandfather became an ancestor and her paternal grandmother was placed into the intensive care unit almost becoming an ancestor. She, the Lil' Diva, dealt with celebrating both of their birthdays without them yet full of tears by our family. She smiled and laughed through a difficult 2009 Thanksgiving-Christmas-Kwanzaa-New Years Holy-day/holiday season hiding her loss with comedy and artistic engagement.
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 'Sunday Schooled' is a collection of blog posts from Seko Varner's former blogs. This post was dated 01/26/2010. The original post is:
http://daddyvarner.blogspot.com/2010/01/when-i-get-married.html 
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     Then in January 2010 I, her Dad, was placed in the hospital for an emergency life-saving surgery on the same night that her paternal grandmother was placed into the hospital again. During all of this time she has become more apt to shed tears or crack a joke than previously. Yesterday while folding clothes she huffed up the stairs opened the door to my bedroom and stated to my wife and I "Mens underwear are gross ! When I get married my husband is going to have to do his own laundry !" Then she looked directly at me still recovering from my surgery and added "Unless he's sick of course." and semi-slammed the door as she returned to her unfortunate chore (she knew better than to really slam the door).......................................... Children say the darnedest things.

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Seko Varner is from Positive Vibes Financial, a World Financial Group team of financial services agents. They specialize in debt reduction, investments, and insurances. Seko is in high demand as a special events DJ and owns an event marketing service. Seko has diverse background in business, counseling and education. Seko is active with numerous Youth Mentorship programs and has a background in radio and television. Visit www.HappilyEverAfter.Be or call 757-248-3820.

Sunday Schooled - Daddy doesn't take points.

Daddy doesn't take points. 

The wifey' has developed a point system to address the sun-son's third grade transition. Whenever he makes a 'bad choice' he looses points. At the beginning of the week he begins with 100 points. I've smiled and been very supportive of the process and have reminded him to make sure his behavior doesn't result in a loss of points from his mother.

I didn't realize that he had noticed that I hadn't used the point system in my guiding interactions with lil' man. He shared with my wifey' "Daddy doesn't take points. Maybe you should teach him how..." One morning I reminded him of his morning duties prior to taking my shower. As I finished getting dressed I checked-in on the lil' ones to ensure progress. I didn't hear the lil' ones upstairs so I traveled downstairs meeting my son at the bottom of the stairs with a surprised look on his face. "Did you clean your floor and make your bed son ?" He said "Uh....No Dad." I asked "Didn't I ask you to do your morning duties ?". He took one step up the stairs and turned around looking at me and returned "You really need to learn how to take away points Dad." I looked up responding "I don't take points, I give spankings." He ran up the stairs, did his duties, did his sister's duties, and turned off the lights in my room........Amen......Ashee.....

Seko Varner
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'Sunday Schooled' is a collection of blog posts from Seko Varner's former blogs. This post was dated 10/26/2008 while Seko's father, Rev. Dr. Samuel Varner was alive. 

Original post:http://daddyvarner.blogspot.com/2008/10/daddy-doesnt-take-points.html

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Seko Varner is from Positive Vibes Financial, a World Financial Group team of financial services agents. They specialize in debt reduction, investments, and insurances. Seko is also in high demand as a special events DJ and owns an event marketing service. Seko has diverse background in business, counseling and education. He has been real estate agent, a school counselor, a teacher, and an Intensive In-Home Counselor. Seko is active with numerous Youth Mentorship programs and has a background in radio and television. Visit www.HappilyEverAfter.Be or call 757-248-3820 for more details.