The Truth Behind a Lie: The Road to Commitment

By Jesse D. W. Reynolds

Avel Knight follows the philosophy of business philosopher Jim Rohn: Unless you change how you are, you will always have what youve got. .

He wants to enjoy the finer things in life because he never had them growing up. So he works harder than his peers to graduate near the top of his class. He enrolls at King University, and hes flooded with job offers when he graduates as a marketing specialist..

When Avel buys a luxurious home overlooking the citys skyline, he thinks he has everything he could ever want. As a black man, hes had to work harder than most to achieve his goals. But something still seems to be missing..

As Avel becomes a man, he learns what is truly important in lifehis soul and his family. He must figure out how to march to success, practice what you preach, grow through conflict, and how to truly enjoy the fruits of hard work..

The Truth behind a Lie: The Road to Commitment presents an inspirational self-help guide in story formone that will help you to focus on the important things in life: your soul and your family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Apr 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462006380

Jesse D. W. Reynolds

Jesse D.W. Reynolds was born in Anderson, Indiana on December 13, 1988 to his mother, Elaine Williams-Peel, and father, Jesse W. Reynolds Jr. Reynolds is the oldest of five siblings. Often called Jack, L J, Little Jesse, or JR by his family members, he loved being distinguished. To add to that point, Reynolds began writing poetry in the second grade. He often makes mention of a crush who inspired many of his poems. Yes, only at the tender age of 7, Reynolds was already writing poetry about love. This particular story is what helped Reynolds evolve his writing from love stories to life stories. He gained much of his knowledge from the elders of his family and community. Reynolds loved cutting grass, helping at his grandfathers garage, and listening to his grandmothers famous southern words. These, among many other experiences helped shape Jesse D.W. Reynolds. Reynolds used sports (baseball, basketball, and track), music, and other activities to enjoy life. He used his parents, grandparents, and community leaders lessons and advice to learn as much about life as possible. Beyond this, Reynolds uses his relationship with God to speak and empower other people. Jesse is a Hebrew name which means Gods gift. He wants to be a gift to other people; through love, service, and inspiration. In fact, one of his favorite Bible verses is: 1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

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The Truth

Behind a Lie

SKU-000200133_TEXT.pdf

The Road to Commitment

Jesse D.W. Reynolds

iUniverse, Inc.

Bloomington

The Truth Behind a Lie

The Road to Commitment

Copyright © 2011 by Jesse D.W. Reynolds

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ISBN: 978-1-4620-0637-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4620-0639-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4620-0638-0 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

iUniverse rev. date: 04/05/2011

Dedication

I am dedicating my first book to my grandmother, Annie J. Williams. My grandmother was a very spirited woman and words alone cannot describe her importance in my life. I will however, tell you some valuable lessons that she taught me. She, a woman who conceived twelve children, taught me to live my life so that it would be pleasing to Christ. No one has the power or the ability to control your life like he does. This includes your mother, father, sisters and brothers. My grandmother instilled qualities of hard work, dignity, self worth, and immense family principles in my life. No matter the situation, she was always there to comfort me. For her service in the lord and in my family, I am thankful. She taught me how to love and be loved. For that I offer this poem to her;

Love’s Footprint

Love’s Footprint a connection that no words can fill

Love’s Footprint almost makes time stand still

Carries the sweetest scent, & the

Most comforting touch

Everlasting beauty it’s like magic and all you have to do

Is TRUST

In the powers of LOVE

Here on Earth or from Heaven let it shower us

From above

A footprint that gives us direction

Learning from life’s lessons

As we

Follow the Footprint & let it imprint

LOVE into our system

Step by Step tune in & listen

Even if, it’s not by sight only by Faith

Love’s Footprint won’t lead you astray

Love’s Footprint was placed here for you and me

To follow our leaders & then leave our own legacy

Don’t let your walk be filled with hate

It’s LOVE’S Footprint who got us here today…

Contents

Chapter 1: Marching to Success

Chapter 2: Family is Forever?

Chapter 3: Practice What You Preach

Chapter 4: Commitment to Failure

Chapter 5: Strength in Numbers

Chapter 6: Growing Through Conflict

Chapter 7: Addicted to Conflict

Chapter 8: The Sweetest Melody

Chapter 9: Brighten the Road

Chapter 10: The Weight of Success

I almost didn’t take the offer when Jesse approached me with the opportunity to write the foreword to his book. Jesse’s my homie and I wanted to help the brother out, but I was unsure about the idea of committing to a project when I had other projects on my plate. The thought of having to do something because I said I would , bothered me for a slight moment. Me knowing how bi-polar my feelings can be about obligations and commitments made me realize how selfish one can be about time and especially gifts.

Nobody wants to be tied down nowadays. They have developed schools where you can get your degree in a matter of months. Mobile carriers offer prepaid phones that don’t require you to sign a contract. The recession has made many jobseekers treat employers like temporary pit stops because company loyalty to hard work isn’t what it used to be.

People get fired

New faces get hired

Living in a time and place

Where they have made it impossible

To retire

Nobody wants to say I do. They barely want to claim you as their boyfriend or girlfriend anymore. People know that with titles come responsibility and with responsibility comes pressure to perform accordingly. Many daters might date but choose to live single-minded in approach. The I don’t think this is working out conversation, which happens before summer, now happens way before January 1st. People have made personal resolutions to be committed to themselves. Is it because of the country we live in? A nation that thrives off personal glory and self-gratification. Or is it because we have lost faith in faith? Countless individuals will tell you nowadays I’m more religious than spiritual to illustrate their personal walk with God rather than the outward expression which is religion. Droves of people have become and are becoming skeptical of the church. The misconstrued idea that church was a place built only for the goody two shoes has turned a lot of spiritually bruised people away. Good-hearted people that need the Lord’s weekly word have been taught the wrong thing about religion. This concept worsens the more people see recognized men of God being convicted of sick crimes like rape and money laundering. Leaving these souls with an I told you church is bad mindset. The nurturing aspect of faith wasn’t passed on to these people properly and now we have people who have said, I’m doing me. No faith in faith. No commitment to the boundless love of faith.

I chose to write this foreword because I’m the product of commitment. My mother was committed to seeing me raised properly. My mentors were committed to instilling the right values and ideas in my brain, so that I may grow into someone who would do the same for others. My friends were committed to being there for me when I needed them the most . And lastly, God was committed to putting all these things in place. The faith that I have put in all the aforementioned people is the same type of altruism that we as individuals have to put in our daily commitments. Commitment is normally a term denoted for romantic relationships , but the word speaks to a greater concept. Commitment is much deeper than I do. Jesse’s lessons about commitment are designed to get you thinking about how you can practically apply the concept to enhance your daily life. Using spiritual concepts from the Bible and real-world examples from his own personal tribulations, Jesse takes us on a journey to discover what it means to be truly committed. I hope that you will share this book with your loved ones, so that they too may share in your revelation. I commend Brother Jesse on his journey and look forward to seeing the many fruits of his labor.

God Bless.

Daunte Henderson

Author, Things I Learned While Walking

Preface

The Truth Behind a Lie: The Road to Commitment is an interpretation of the struggles we face while trying to uphold our values, beliefs, and morals. The idea of the book was developed through personal experience and connections to family and friends. The purpose of the book is to offer insight on the more valuable aspects of our lives and create a balance between wants and needs. As the title relates to the story, the truth is something that we all want to attain but sometimes we hide behind lies in order to get access to the things we want. The book is a culmination of ideas to help develop a person’s outlook on life and stay committed to the principles that they embody. All of the ideas of the book were carefully designed to help people develop a deeper meaning and understanding for the important factors in life.

I would like to first thank and give honor to God for giving me the ability to transcribe my ideas. From the conception of the book writing process to everyday life, it is he who enables me to live in service to him. I would like to thank my mother, father, and my step-father for supporting me during this journey and keeping me focused through the years. I would like to thank my brothers and sisters, as well as the Goins family for believing in me. I want to give acknowledgement to the members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. for their steadfast faith in the principles of brotherhood. I also want to thank all of my friends, administrators, and professors at Bradley University. It has definitely been a great experience. As the saying goes, Once a brave, always a Brave. I would like to recognize Dr. Louis Wright for his advisement during the publishing process and my development in manhood. Formidably, I would like to thank Pastors Willie McGhee and Deveraux R. Hubbard for your advisement over the years and commitment to Christ. I would like to give a special thanks to my grandmothers for being true role models and women of great character. I would also like to thank my grandfathers for carrying the legacy of their fathers and passing it onto me. I want to thank my family (Williams and Reynolds) for being great family members. Lastly, I would like to thank all of you, everyone who has ever had an impact on my life. Although words alone cannot explain my gratitude towards any of the persons or groups I have mentioned, the thankfulness is sincere.

Chapter 1: Marching to Success

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to have everything you ever asked for? Better yet, what would it be like to have access to exclusive items before anyone else could even fathom their existence? If you haven’t imagined what this state of affairs would be like, I am sure you will envy someone who could. I introduce to you Mr. Avel Knight. Mr. Knight was a true breath of fresh air. He brightened any room he entered, and much of his ability to brighten the world was due to his belief system. Avel believed that his destiny lay in the palms of his own hands, as many of us do. His life’s motto was Jim A. Rohn’s: Unless you change how you are, you will always have what you’ve got. This quote was something that Avel lived by and embodied wholeheartedly. He was passionate about being able to have access to the finer things in life because he never had them growing up. He was always intrigued by high priced items. Of course gaining this exclusive access comes from hard work, dedication, commitment, and sacrifice. Avel had this understanding encoded in his brain, and he made sure to apply it in his life. I was always under the impression that once you have reached your goals, you should be satisfied. Correct?

Well, welcome to the world of Avel Knight.

Early on, Avel did nearly everything he could to have a successful career in corporate America. He understood that his ticket to success was through education. Many of the kids Avel grew up around didn’t understand this fact the way he did. He didn’t allow his friends’ ignorance to distract him or throw him off his course to greatness. Because of his dedication, hard work, and commitment, Avel graduated at the top of his class, nearly valedictorian. He graduated with honors and received several scholarship offers to attend prestigious colleges all