The Latest
I am still very angry about this pure act of evil by a white supremacist coward. Only a wicked hearted person would film himself ambushing and killing innocent and elderly unarmed people. I’m praying fervently for the Most High to comfort the families of these beautiful people and that His divine judgement will be swift. #BuffaloShooting
It’s truly been a blessing to watch Darrius grow from a boy to a young man (1 Cor 13:11)! He came to The Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy when he was in the sixth grade, now he’s going to prom and then the University of Michigan! Congrats Darrius, we are so proud you!
I’m truly honored to be a panelist at Boris L Henson Foundation’s “Can We Talk Joy Awards & Symposium.” The panel will be hosted by Taraji P. Henson. Registration is now open—for more information visit https://hopin.com/events/canwetalk-symposium-joyawards/registration #BLHCanWeTalk #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
Men, it’s no secret that the majority of us do not like going to doctors. In my book Battle Cry, I share that a recent study by the world renowned Cleveland Clinic revealed that 65% of us said they avoid going to the doctor as long as possible, and 37 percent said they’ve withheld information from their doctors so they wouldn’t have to deal with the potential diagnosis. Ironically, it’s the fear of dying that leads us to early graves, and our unwillingness to express it or be vulnerable will continue to take us out. Please my brothers, make sure you have an annual physical and if you don’t have a doctor, ask around until you do! ✊🏾❤️ #MensHealth #BattleCry #WagingWarWithin
Unbeknownst to many, I’ve been sidelined from training for over a year with a torn meniscus, proximal tibiofibular joint instability, and an impinged nerve in my neck. Although many days I felt hopeless regarding getting back into the gym and on the mats with consistency, I never gave up. This morning at 5:30am, one of my spiritual sons Rico Tyus encouraged me to meet him at the gym. I fought through toxic pessimistic thoughts and went—I’m so glad I did! I will be 52 in a few months and my desire is to take advantage of the “muscle memory” Yah has given me and get back in shape! Please keep me in prayer and drop some encouragement below… iron sharpens iron (Prov 27:17)!
Thank you mama for leaving me this gift that will last my lifetime—your words of affirmation. Hearing your loving and nurturing voice this morning, made it easier for me to cry and release the hurt my heart feels every Mother’s Day. #HappyMothersDay mama, I miss you so much! 💔 #MissMom
Six years ago today, the first love of my life, transitioned from this life—my mother. Last week my heart was heavy but today it hurts… still longing for her unwavering love and nurturing that could never be replaced. Although this gluttonous world waits for no one to grieve—I made it wait for me. I rescheduled my first meeting and visited my mother’s grave, cleaned her memorial stone, planted flowers and cried. Now I will start my day. #MissMom
This by far is my favorite picture from the set of the documentary! I’ve always wanted to meet the iconic Laurence Fishburne, especially after the original Matrix. However, I never fathomed developing a friendship with him and filming a powerful full-length documentary on my work in The Cave of Adullam! I’m super excited that the documentary will world premiere at Tribeca Festival this June! #Tribeca2022
This #throwback special moment was when one of our eight year old recruits in The Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy needed his father to execute the “father-son-up” so that he would pass his initiation test. Due to his father being 70 years old at the time, men in our academy were willing to do the father-son-up for him… but Mr. Phelps chose to trust the Most High and try… and Yah (God) sent him help!
I’m super excited to share that Tribeca selected the full-length documentary film on my work in The Cave of Adullam to world premiere at their festival this year! Executive produced by the iconic Laurence Fishburne and directed by Academy Award® and Emmy® nominated filmmaker Laura Checkoway, this film delves deep into the lives of four of my students as I help them heal emotional wounds and overcome intergenerational trauma. Although the filming process was emotionally draining at times—I am thankful to be apart of something so powerful! Details and Ticket Information: https://tribecafilm.com/films/cave-of-adullam-2022 #Tribeca2022
I needed to be at the office early this morning but when I pulled up, I noticed an abundance of litter blown on our property grounds and across from it. I gladly spent over an hour purging all the litter and debris. Thankfully, I was recording another video on servant leadership because as I was finishing up, I came upon a discarded devotion entitled, “Follow The Leader: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ [1 Corinthians 11:1].” I praise the Most High for still giving me signs like this—confirmation that He is not only pleased with my actions and I’m walking in my calling. “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (James 2:18).
![I needed to be at the office early this morning but when I pulled up, I noticed an abundance of litter blown on our property grounds and across from it. I gladly spent over an hour purging all the litter and debris. Thankfully, I was recording another video on servant leadership because as I was finishing up, I came upon a discarded devotion entitled, “Follow The Leader: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ [1 Corinthians 11:1].”
I praise the Most High for still giving me signs like this—confirmation that He is not only pleased with my actions and I’m walking in my calling.
“Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (James 2:18).](https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t15.5256-10/277997137_663988291346705_4998619673113153967_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s720x720&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=ad6a45&_nc_ohc=qQ1uHrSH0qUAX_Kig9j&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&edm=AKIiGfEEAAAA&oh=00_AT-VgpwnSQlGawrUH0EHhCSoxa6ewDicg6P7WLn7B-D6Ug&oe=62901F9D)
We all will get “hit” sometime in life, so it’s crucial that we teach our boys how to respond and not react after getting hit. Instead of emotionally imploding or outbursts of rage, we teach The Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy recruits how to wage war within and win their internal battles before they become external wars! #WagingWarWithin
I’m honored and excited for my book #BattleCry to be featured in the new $9.99 collection of audiobooks on Apple Books! Take a listen to the excerpt and click the link below to get yours. Act fast because it’s discounted only from April 11 - April 30. https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/battle-cry/id1578428573 #WagingWarWithin
And with the 15 percent that did happen, 79 percent of people discovered either they could handle the difficulty better than expected, or the difficulty taught them a lesson worth learning (Matt 6:34). Worrying triggers a release of "stress hormones" that speed up your heart rate, breathing, and raise your blood sugar. Over time, this negatively affects our hearts, blood vessels, muscles, nervous and digestive systems. Let go and live! #WagingWarWithin
In this episode of The Cave Podcast, I sat down with two of The Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy students Elisha Nunn and Josiah Humphrey to discuss what happened at the Oscars, and how we should respond instead of react to disrespect. Here's the link to watch the full video https://youtu.be/LGkR4XpnehA or if you’d prefer to listen, go to Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio!
Listen up, men. Emotional INSTABILITY can get you killed. If it doesn’t kill you, it will destroy your relationships, your health, and your future. It will hurt your family, your friends, and can make your harm yourself. On the other hand, as I share in my book Battle Cry, emotional STABILITY can save your life, helping you live and love without limitations, and without fear of detrimental consequences. #BattleCry #WagingWarWithin 🎙 Justin Baldoni
The more unresolved anger, anxiety, and distress we harbor in our hearts, the less capable we are of responding advantageously when problems arise. Unreleased toxic thoughts eventually turn into destructive actions—a man can only “suck it up” for so long. It’s like inhaling the fumes from a car’s exhaust pipe—you only have so much time before the poisonous gas creates toxicity in your body before you die. #WagingWarWithin
The most miserable men I’ve met, are the ones who try to please everyone—an impossible thing to do. Passivity not only prohibits us from living boldly from the good in our hearts but also keeps us from being the leaders we are meant to be—responding with the right action at the right moment. #WagingWarWithin
It was a blessing to wake up this morning and see Battle Cry is now ranked #761 out of over 33 million books on Amazon! Thank you to everyone who bought, referred or gave Battle Cry as a gift—it’s encouraging to see so many being equipped with the weapons to win their wars within! #BattleCry #WagingWarWithin
4 years ago today, I met the iconic Laurence Fishburne and one year later, we finished filming a full length documentary on my work with boys in The Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy. In the very near future you all will be able to experience what the viral videos could only give you a glimpse of!
Growing up, I would always manipulate my mother to avoid my step father’s discipline, and today countless boys do the same. On this episode of The Cave Podcast, I talk with my son and three of The Cave of Adullam students about the danger of deflecting discipline and manipulating their mothers. Full Video: https://youtu.be/XNeg3-eXH7M
