Have you ever heard anyone say, ‘Don’t let me let the hood come out,” “I went straight to the ‘hood’ on ________,” or “Don’t let me get ghetto on you”?

It usually refers to ‘going off. ‘Cussing out, or even kicking someone’s a**.

How many times have you heard the term “Hood Rad”? How many times have you heard someone say, “I’ve got to get out of ‘The Hood”?

Why?

Why do so many of us associate THE HOOD or THE GHETTO with the worst in us?

There are good people in the hood.

There are people with self-control in the hood.

There are people with integrity in the hood.

Some of our richest cultural and spiritual influences have come from the hood.

There are plenty of good mothers, fathers, grandparents and guardian doing their best to raise their children right in the hood.

There are plenty of kids doing their best to stay on the right track in the hood.

There are plenty of good churches doing real kingdom work in the hood.

Jesus was from ‘the hood’ in a sense. When the disciples heard about Him remember what Nathanael said…

John 1:46 (NKJV)

And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.

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It’s time we change the negative narrative about the hood. Its time we stop feeding it.

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I’m not from the hood. I’m from the ‘country’ which has its own negative stereotypes. But, I proclaim to be unapologetically country.

If you’re from the hood proclaim, “I’m unapologetically from the hood!”

So, whether you used to live in the hood, live there now or never been…

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Please don’t let the negative speak louder than the positive.

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Don’t let the negatives define everyone from any area, of any race, of any culture.

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When you say “I’m about to let THE HOOD come out “, or “Don’t make me get ghetto…embrace all that’s good about a unique and influential culture. Let it be the about…

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Determination…

Hard Work…

Loyalty…

Devotion to Family…

Perseverance…

Faith…

Or, one of the many other positive aspects of ‘HOOD LIFE’.

Let the world know there are plenty of GOOD TIMES in the hood.

BE BLESSTIFIED!