The Moral Compass Chronicles
An audio time capsule centered around morality - encouraging people around the world on the importance of governing one’s life in a morally [and biblically] sound manner!
The Moral Compass Chronicles
The Balloon Release: When Life Takes a Turn
Praise and peace one and all. Welcome to another rendition of the Moral Compass Chronicles. I'm your man, I'm your guy, erj, and it's been a little while, man. It's been a little while. I'll just jump right into it. The truth is, life is something else, man. Life is something else, um, and you know what else life is? Life is short, life is short, man, and, um, you never know. You never know what is going to happen, you never know where you're going to, where you're going to be, what's, what's going to be going on with you or anybody else on any particular day, and that's why it behooves us, it behooves us to to live our lives in a morally sound way. That's the name of this podcast, the moral compass chronicles, and so, um, I try to do right by the people that are in your life and even the people that you come across that you don't know. I thank God for my sister-in-law who has recently passed away. I dedicate this episode, this chronicle, to my sister, keisha, and Fraser Keisha, and always in our hearts.
Speaker 1:My sister, who Accepted me, took me in when I started dating my now wife, natasha. I felt welcomed by Keisha immediately. There's some family members who I knew were a little on the fence about me. You know somebody new kind of coming into the picture, dating one of your family members, one of your siblings, and you know they some. You know they may not know what you're about, they don't know who you are for real, and so you know, sometimes you know you'll probably get some bad vibes from family members, and the truth is there's some, there's some members of the family I'm sure you know don't like the cut of my jib. You know I move a little different, I walk a little different, and so I already know not everybody is going to like me, but I thank God for Keisha, who accepted me, man, and not just accepted me but made me feel welcome, made me feel like a part of the family, made me feel welcome, made me feel like a part of the family, and Yolanda, of course, and Mo, my brother, mom, you know, even my father-in-law, me and him, me and him get along very well, you know. And so I thank God for this family that I'm a part of. And the truth is, man, these last few weeks have been difficult, have been difficult, very difficult, and this is public knowledge at this point, and so I can, I can talk about it now. Um, that's that's where I've been for the last two weeks or so.
Speaker 1:Uh, we lost Keisha earlier this month. It's just so crazy. I was ended June. Now already, um, we lost her. I believe it was um June 8th, I believe June 8th or June 9th, june 9th.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and the truth is, you know, I am, I'm one of the last people that that spoke to Keish man, um, god would have it that I was in New Jersey the the night she went into the hospital and so I was able, five minutes, I was, I was at a church five minutes away from the hospital, so I was able to go and see my sister and and pray for her. And, um, you know, just be there with her. And um, you know, just be there with her. And you know, you gotta, you gotta can't take that for granted. Even that I was. I was glad I was able to do that. And you know, um, unfortunately, you know, she didn't make it, unfortunately, she didn't make it. And uh, man, it's been tough, it's been tough, bro, it's been tough, it's been tough.
Speaker 1:And if you, if you're somebody who has lost someone, you already know, man, this is my pastor always says man, condolences are are only they're borrowed, they're loaned. And they're borrowed because today you're offering your condolences to me and tomorrow, unfortunately, I will be offering my condolences to someone else. We have a brother who you know, nice lady, older, older woman who goes to our church. She just lost her son and his funeral is on Sunday. His funeral is this Sunday, june 29th. And then my sister.
Speaker 1:Just talk to you guys, man, because I know a lot of people have been asking me, you know when's the next, the next episode coming out? And even me, man, I've, I've wanted to get on this microphone and talk to you guys, man, talk to us for the better part of a month now and I just haven't been able to. Man, you know it's, I know I don't owe anybody an explanation, but this, this is our baby, this is our podcast. You know what I'm saying. This is our space, um, and it's good to be able to have a space where you can talk to somebody. You know, if you're, if you, if you're dealing with a lost man, it it is imperative that you're not alone, because we literally cannot do it alone. I thank god for everybody.
Speaker 1:Oh, my god, the outpouring of love that we have felt, man, and let's not, let's, let's not, let's not get it twisted. Yes, I am grieving the loss of my sister in law, but my wife is grieving the loss of her sister. You know what I'm saying. My mother in law is grieving the loss of her daughter. You know what I'm saying and I feel the pain. But I can only imagine what it feels like for my sister-in-law Yolanda, my brother-in-law Yolanda, my brother-in-law Mo. I can only, I can only imagine you know and be there for them and seeing my wife struggle. Man has been tough for me. It has been tough man, and you know I'm just going to continue to try to be strong for for everyone and you know, just be there.
Speaker 1:But, man, the outpouring of love from you guys, man, has been amazing. Wherever you are, whatever you have done you, whether you cooked or you prayed or you brought food or you sent money or you, you know what. Yo, bro, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. On behalf of my family, we thank you for everything, all that you have done. The support has been. I mean out, literally out of this world. Every single day since our beloved keisha passed, every single day there have been people coming by the house, just stopping by hanging out supporting direct family, friends, church, fam, yo, I mean people will really show you that they love you, man. People will really show you that they care. And it's a testament to two things Keisha's life and the type of life she lived. Bro, I haven't seen this like outpouring of love in so long for an individual bro. Seen this like outpouring of love in so long for an individual bro.
Speaker 1:Last night we had the um. We had, uh, like a balloon releasing, candle lighting kind of joint. Our friends put it together. Shout out to all of you guys and, whether you ever hear this or not, shai and and and the rest I heard shai's name was involved in the planning and putting everything together for last night. Man, beautiful, beautiful little joint man. We just we're grateful. Man, we're grateful, we're grateful.
Speaker 1:I couldn't even begin to try to speak for the family man. I've been me and my wife. We got married in 2024. We started dating in 2022. I've been here like three years. You know what I'm saying. I've been me and my wife. We got married in 2024. We were started dating in 2022. I've been here like three years. You know what I'm saying. I've been here like three years. I've known Keisha like three, four years man, um, I couldn't even begin to speak for the family, but you know what. I'm family now, and so I could do a little bit of speaking. You know I could do a little bit of speaking. I've seen, I've seen from the inside out, um, and seen a lot very quickly in a short amount of time, um, within this family. And so thank you, man, thank you to everybody, to everybody. Thank you, man, thank you to everybody, to everybody, um, and you know what, even to the people who may people have been encouraging me lately. I swear God has been sending people to encourage me, not even on this you know about the passing of my sister but just on this path that I'm on now. You know what I'm saying, where I'm doing this, this podcast thing. I've started a mediation business and um been consulting with people and um taking on clients and, you know, going to be getting into public speaking soon. I already know that's on the way, because God has already shown me this whole thing and how things are going to work together for our good Right. But there's been so many people who have been encouraging me, you know, to keep pushing and to keep going, and you know if there's anything you need, and you know I've been having conversations about even like advertisements, and there's been so many moving parts but I just haven't been able to focus on any of it, and so thank you to you guys who have been looking for more from me. Thank you for your patience, thank you for understanding. A lot of you already knew what was going on and so for those who didn't know, who are going to find out from listening to this, thank you, thank you in advance for your patience. I'm going to be striving to kind of, I've been getting back on the horse, getting back to work. I've gotten it's funny because I have gotten back to doing the work, but it hasn't manifested itself in podcast episodes. You know I've actually been editing stuff and cause I've? I've had so much stuff just sitting in my computer that need to be edited, and so the time that I have gotten back to work, it's been boom, uh, speaking to, you know, some clients and my brothers and my sisters, and you know, getting back into the flow of that sort of thing and then back into the editing. And you know, take some time, bro, take some time. We have the week tonight and a guy in his wake is just another word for like a party and so, and there's going to be a big one, it's going to be a big one. Um, yeah, man, like a party and so, and it's gonna be a big one, it's gonna be a big one. Um, yeah, man, it's. And then we got the funeral monday and so, oh god, I tell you, man, keep on praying for us, please keep on praying. Um, I got so much to say and there's so much that I believe god has placed in me, man and this, this right here, bro, it's like if anybody needed an eye opener, it don't. It, don't it? Eyes can't get more open than this, bro, it don't. Eyes can't get more open than this bro, something like this bro, somebody like Keisha, 37, 38 years old young woman, man, two children, my niece and my nephew, bro, eyes. I don't know if it's possible for eyes to be open more than this. Yes, god gives and he takes, and yes, it's appointed unto. Man wants to die, but, man, we don't want to see nothing like this man with anybody, like this man with anybody, with anybody, bro, I don't, I don't wish this type of pain on my worst enemies. I just I don't even have no enemies, but, like bro, I don't. There's people out there who, like, wish ill on other people. Bro, I don't wish this on anybody, I don't. I, like, I pray that nobody has to go through this pain, bro, bro, oh my god, man, so, man, open your eyes. Open your eyes. The, the arguing, the bickering man, the constant, you know, hating and lack of love for one another man, the beef that's just been sitting for years and you and this person just can't get along, bro, let it go. Been sitting for years and you and this person just can't get along. Bro, let it go. Let it go, man, let it go, let it go. Man, you haven't talked to your family in how long? And you want nothing to do with that person and that person want nothing to do with you. Yo, let that person be a child, let let that person Do it. You, you, you, who, you, who knows better? Please do better, man, do better, do better, do better. Life is so short, life is so short and it's too short to be holding grudges against people. Man, man, I, I don't even got, I don't even have the, the energy to. If you couldn't hear it already, I don't have it, I don't have it in me to preach this message to you and to anybody else anymore, this specific one, and and I'll find it again for sure, I'll find it, and you know, I got a million other things that I'll be talking about, but, like right now, like anybody who needs that, talk, bro, like it's like at this point, it's between you and God, bro, cause I don't have no grudge in me to hold against nobody, bro. If I did before, I, bro, I have, I, yo, I forgive you, whoever you are. I forgive you and and I pray that you forgive me, that's it, bro. I don't have any grudge in me to hold against you anymore, have any grudge in me to hold against you anymore, because life is too short and I could be gone tomorrow. God forbid somebody else could be gone tomorrow, today, bro. So I pray. I pray that we, all us as brothers and sisters and it may sound cliche, but we'll literally make the decision to live in harmony, be the community that God has called us to be. And yes, we have our difference of opinions and you know, yes, we believe different things ultimately, but I mean, love is universal man. Love transcends everything, transcends religion, race, creed, bro Yo, love transcends it all, and if we could just love one another man, just love each other, we'd be in a much better place as a society. Man, but it starts with us. It starts with us. We can't change the world if we're not willing to change ourselves. Can't change the world if we're not willing to change ourselves. Can't change the world if we're not willing to change ourselves. So I love you guys, man, man, I really be getting to talking Like I really didn't plan on doing a 20 minute joint, but here we are. Man, I love you guys again. Thank you, thank you. Thank you to everybody who has done anything, if you even thought about it, if you even thought about doing something for the family man, if you even considered it. Thank you. Thank you to to my pastor and my leader. My father, bishop Smith may never hear this, but I thank God that he's still here and I'm still here and I literally was able to sit down with him yesterday and talk to him about life and everything, and I was able to thank him for everything he's done, to thank him for everything he's done, and I just pray that we continue to get the opportunity to love on each other, all of us, all of us. I'm talking now. I pray we all get the opportunity to continue to love on each other, man, until God is ready for us. Um, that's it, man. I love you. I appreciate you guys. I will be back soon. I will be back soon. And, bro, I'm coming back with fire. Bro, I'm coming back with fire in my heart and fire in my belly and purpose, purpose in every fiber of my being. I'm empowered, I'm remaining steadfast, unmovable. God is strengthening us man in a way that we didn't even know was possible, in a way that we didn't even know was possible. And so I'm looking forward to this next chapter, because we don't have a choice but to press on. We don't have a choice. We don't have a choice but to go on. And Keisha, my sister, your memory will live on. Your legacy Will never die. You'll be remembered forever. You'll be remembered forever. Your niece is almost here. My daughter, few more months. You'll be remembered forever. You'll be remembered forever. Your niece is almost here. My daughter, a few more months, and your memory will live forever. Love you, guys. God bless you Until next time.