Uncle Pi3

"The King" of Urban Birmingham Podcasts and the guy #BehindTheScenes @UrbanhamNews

[Urbanham.com NEWS ALERT! @UrbanhamNews]

🎙️ @NewsWithSidney PLAYING NOW @ https://t.co/fDe1hJq0bU‼️

[Kerry Goode @KerryGoode]

Humility Lifts You Higher Than Pride Ever Will

There was a time when my name was mentioned among Heisman Trophy candidates. I was the starting tailback at the University of Alabama, and carrying the football was what I had spent my whole life preparing to do. Then one day, everything changed.

I wasn't given the opportunity to compete for the position I had once starred in. Instead, I was moved to fullback.

For an athlete, that can feel like being demoted. The spotlight gets dimmer. The statistics disappear. The headlines become someone else's. I went from being the one expected to score touchdowns to the one expected to make sure someone else did.

I went from a Heisman candidate... to blocking for one.

I'll be honest—it hurt.

My pride wanted to ask, "Why me?" My pride wanted to prove people wrong. My pride wanted the ball back in my hands.

But humility whispered something different: "What's best for the team?"

That was one of the hardest lessons of my life.

Humility isn't thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself less. It's choosing the mission over your own recognition. It's understanding that your value isn't determined by your title, your position, or the number of times your name is called over the loudspeaker.

Jesus taught this same principle:

"For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted." — Luke 14:11

And James reminds us:

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." — James 4:10

I didn't realize it then, but God was preparing me for a much bigger purpose than carrying a football. He was teaching me how to lead without applause, how to sacrifice without recognition, and how to celebrate someone else's success as if it were my own.

Those lessons followed me long after football ended. They shaped me as a husband, a father, a coach, and now as a man living with ALS.

Today, I can't carry a football anymore. I can't even lift my own arms. But I can still lift people with encouragement. And I've discovered something remarkable: the platform God gives you is never as important as the posture you have while standing on it.

Pride asks, "How high can I climb?"

Humility asks, "Who can I help climb with me?"

Looking back, being moved to fullback didn't diminish my life—it developed it. The blocks no one celebrated built the man people know today. God wasn't taking something away from me. He was building something within me.

So if life has moved you from the spotlight to the supporting role, don't mistake that for defeat. Some of God's greatest work is done in people who are willing to block so someone else can run.

Because in God's Kingdom, humility always lifts you higher than pride ever will.

[Uncle Pi3 @uncleiva]

🎙️ @NewswithSidney PLAYING NOW @urbanham & @UrbanhamNews‼️

FULL UNEDITED (:18 minute) VERSION 🔗 https://t.co/qFD9vdfvPM ⬅️ #Birmingham #podcast

[AL.com @aldotcom]

The Jefferson County sheriff and his brother say Republican officials fabricated illegal gambling allegations to tarnish his reputation and remove him from office.

[Kerry Goode @KerryGoode]

The Joy We Give Away

Key Verse:

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” — Acts 20:35

Life has taught me that some of the greatest gifts cannot be wrapped, purchased, or placed in our hands. Sometimes the greatest gift is simply knowing that somebody sees you, somebody cares, and somebody believes your difficult season will not last forever.

I have discovered that joy becomes more powerful when we give it away.

We may not be able to remove every burden someone carries, but we can help make that burden feel lighter. We may not be able to change a person’s entire situation, but we can create one moment that reminds them life still holds something beautiful.

Never underestimate what a small act of kindness can accomplish.

A smile can interrupt sadness. An encouraging word can awaken courage. A thoughtful gift can restore dignity. A joyful experience can give someone the strength to keep going.

Some people are carrying battles we cannot see. Children, especially, can become experts at hiding their pain behind quiet faces and brave smiles. They deserve moments when they are not defined by sickness, disability, grief, hardship, or circumstances beyond their control. They deserve opportunities to laugh freely, dream boldly, and simply enjoy being young.

God often answers prayers through willing people. He places compassion in our hearts because He intends for us to do something with it. We do not need unlimited resources to make a difference. We only need a willing spirit and the courage to give what we can.

I want my life to be measured not only by what I endured, but by how much hope I helped create while enduring it.

Today, look for someone who needs a glimpse of light. Give your time, your encouragement, your resources, or your love. No act of kindness is too small when God is using it.

The joy you place in someone else’s heart may become the very hope that carries them through tomorrow.

Prayer: Lord, make me sensitive to those who need encouragement. Use what I have to bring hope, dignity, and joy into someone’s life. Amen.

Please Support Our Christmas in July Fundraiser : https://t.co/kW0OT9pXef

[Uncle Pi3 @uncleiva]

i really think the @UFLStallions aren't just leaving Progressive Stadium... they're leaving Alabama.

[Birmingham City Schools🎓 @BhamCitySchools]

🧵Then, mark your calendar for one of the back-to-school rallies happening this weekend, starting with the Southwest Birmingham Celebration...

#SuccessStartsHere 🎒

[Birmingham City Schools🎓 @BhamCitySchools]

🧵More flyers because they won't fit into one post!

#SuccessStartsHere 🎒

[Urbanham.com NEWS ALERT! @UrbanhamNews]

@Urbanham Q&A w/ @DrMarkSullivan:

#Birmingham

[Randall Woodfin @randallwoodfin]

Public safety is a team effort. It’s not just the job of police and elected officials to keep our streets safe, it’s a collective effort from community organizations, businesses and our residents. Big ups to all of you for your commitment to a safer city.

[Uncle Pi3 @uncleiva]

PODCAST PLAYING NOW @Urbanham & @UrbanhamNews‼️

[Uncle Pi3 @uncleiva]

@UrbanhamNews @urbanham @yhn @1819News Me: *pushing back*

[Uncle Pi3 @uncleiva]

@UrbanhamNews Me: *pushing back*

[Urbanham.com NEWS ALERT! @UrbanhamNews]

ONE BLACK MAN'S OPINION: An Open Letter from Pastor Michael Jordan to Jefferson County Courts Presiding Judge Elisabeth French PLAYING NOW @Urbanham‼️

🎙️ https://t.co/8vEUhTvaMv 🔗📰

#ALpolitics

[Urbanham.com NEWS ALERT! @UrbanhamNews]

An Open Letter to Judge Elisabeth French from Pastor Michael Jordan THIS SUNDAY @ https://t.co/euVcSKKskt‼️

Pastor Michael Jordan has a message for Jefferson County Court Presiding Judge Elisabeth French regarding suspended Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard.

#OneBlackMansOpinion

[Uncle Pi3 @uncleiva]

A SPECIAL MESSAGE to @1819News & @YHN from Pastor Michael Jordan @ New Era Baptist Church regarding why his marquee hasn't changed in a while.

NEW PODCAST WITH PASTOR JORDAN PLAYING NOW @urbanham & @UrbanhamNews!

https://t.co/zzKbTgNQAe

#ALpolitics

[Randall Woodfin @randallwoodfin]

The three biggest points from our new $615 million budget: Street paving, education, and our services to our unhoused population.

[Kerry Goode @KerryGoode]

When You Feel Overlooked

My daughter once came to me in tears because she felt like no one took her seriously. She believed people discounted what she said simply because she was the youngest person in the room.

She had started school ahead of her age group and continued to excel, so Tanja and I never felt the need to hold her back. But moving ahead came with a cost. She was often younger than everyone around her, and with that came moments of being overlooked—some real, some perceived, but all painful to her.

I reminded her that being overlooked does not mean being unqualified.

Sometimes people confuse age with wisdom, position with value, and experience with ability. They may fail to recognize what God has already placed inside you. But you must never allow someone else’s inability to see your worth to make you question it.

The Bible says:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.�� — 1 Peter 5:6

David was overlooked by his own family. When Samuel came looking for the next king, David was not even invited into the room. He was left outside tending sheep while everyone else was being considered.

But God knew where David was.

People may leave you out of the meeting, dismiss your opinion, or underestimate your ability. They may see your age, your background, your title, or your limitations before they see your gifts.

But God sees the whole person.

Being overlooked can make you bitter, or it can make you better. Let it teach you patience. Let it sharpen your preparation. Let it strengthen your character. Keep learning, keep growing, and keep speaking with wisdom and confidence.

You do not have to force people to recognize you. You do not have to make yourself smaller to make others comfortable. Continue doing the work. Continue showing up. Continue allowing your character and results to speak.

Your time will come.

And when God opens the right door, no one’s opinion, age requirement, or limited perception will be able to close it.

People may overlook you for a season, but God never loses sight of you.

[Kerry Goode @KerryGoode]

Rejoice, Don't Groan!

Hear ye, hear ye!

This is Lord Blow the Whistle stepping onto the balcony of truth with my quill lifted high like Lady Whistledown herself, ready to announce a matter of great importance to the kingdom.

The Bible declares:

“When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.” —Proverbs 29:2. Notice the difference. One produces rejoicing. The other produces groaning. One brings hope, peace, and direction. The other brings confusion, corruption, and distress.

A nation rises or falls on the character of its leadership. That is why believers cannot afford to be careless, uninformed, or indifferent when it comes to selecting leaders.

Leadership matters because decisions made in powerful places eventually reach ordinary people’s homes. They affect our schools, communities, churches, businesses, safety, freedoms, and future generations.

That is why selecting leaders should never be treated like cheering for our favorite football team. We should not be swayed by political parties, personalities, popularity, race, wealth, clever speeches, or campaign slogans. Instead, we must examine the fruit of a candidate's life and the principles they support. Our highest loyalty belongs to God.

When considering a leader, we must look beyond what the candidate promises and examine what the candidate practices.

Do they demonstrate integrity?

Do they tell the truth even when truth is inconvenient?

Do they respect people who cannot benefit them?

Do they seek justice, show compassion, accept accountability, and serve rather than demand to be served?

Proverbs 10:9 reminds us, “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.” Integrity matters. Character matters. Truth matters. Character may be hidden for a season, but sooner or later, the whistle blows.

Jesus taught that true leadership is not about being celebrated—it is about serving. Not tyrants. Not celebrities. Not self‑exalting rulers. A godly leader does not ask, “How much power can I gain?” but, “How many people can I help?”

We must study the candidates, examine their records, listen carefully, compare their principles with Scripture, and refuse to be manipulated by fear, anger, gossip, or misinformation. We must ask God for wisdom, because James 1:5 promises that He gives wisdom generously to those who ask.

But our responsibility does not end after we vote. Too many of us want to cast a ballot but refuse to bend a knee. So before you enter the voting booth, enter the prayer closet.

First Timothy 2 instructs us to pray for everyone in authority so that we may live peaceful, dignified, and godly lives.

We must pray for those who win, including those we did not support. Whether we agree with them or not, whether they are righteous or wicked, whether they bring rejoicing or groaning, we pray. Because prayer can soften hearts, expose corruption, strengthen righteousness, and align nations with God’s purposes.

Because when godly leadership rises, communities flourish, families thrive, justice advances, and people rejoice.

Now lift your head, steady your heart, and walk in the wisdom God freely gives.

[Uncle Pi3 @uncleiva]

An Open Letter to Judge Elisabeth French from Pastor Michael Jordan THIS SUNDAY @ https://t.co/2Q7LodUzT9‼️

Pastor Michael Jordan has a message for Jefferson County Court Presiding Judge Elisabeth French regarding suspended Probate Judge Yashiba Blanchard.

#OneBlackMansOpinion