Imitation

     It has been said for many years prior to now but was solidified by Charles Caleb Colton toward the end of 1820 when he published Lacon (or Many Things in Few Words): “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

     What Colton was in effect saying was: If one imitates something another person does, it means one admires that person and wants to be like him or her.  A person would imitate another because he or she admired that person or they valued what that person was doing.

     This might imply impersonating their actions, their voice, their way of life, or some other quality that has drawn you to desire to be like that person in some way.

     There have been individuals who impersonate celebrities and earn a lot of money doing so.  You may have seen some of these people perform on television or perhaps you’ve been to a live show.

     Several years ago, my wife and I went to an Elvis impersonator show in Honolulu.  We were very impressed with this young man and the performance he was able to do.  This acclaimed Elvis impersonator Jonathan Von Brana and his cast of dancers and musicians really brought the house down with their performance.

     This was a dinner show performance so we got to sit at a table (stage side) with a couple of ladies from Michigan (I think).  It was a daughter and her elderly mother.  We learned that the daughter lived six months in the states and six months on the island.  She had brought her mother with her on this trip for a little vacation.

     During our discussion while having our meal we learned that the mother had seen Elvis himself in a live performance in Las Vegas back in the late 50s.  She was very excited to see this performance by Mr. Von Brana.

     There was part of his act while he was singing, he would walk through the audience and give out scarfs as Elvis had actually done during some of his performances.  While he would do this, he would give each lady a kiss on the cheek and thank them for attending his show.

     When he came by our table, he leaned over gave the mother a quick kiss on the cheek and put one of the scarfs around her neck.  When he did this, the mother whispered in his ear: “Time has certainly been kinder to you than me.”  My wife and I felt she believed this was the REAL Elvis she had seen those many years before!”

     These types of entertainment may be very flattering to those whom are being impersonated.  However, many are only doing these impersonations because they are able to make a living from such actions. 

     Many other “ordinary” people imitate sports figures, celebrities, or pollical persons because they want to emulate that person’s life style or way of living.  Let’ think about that for a moment.

     Let’s look inside.  What if people in the world imitated YOUR way of living, speaking, and acting?  What would the world be like?  We don’t often think about that, but for a moment consider how you live your life.

     Are YOU worthy of imitation?  Would there be more love in the world, or more peace, if others imitated YOU?  It doesn’t matter who we are or where we are living, we are setting an example for others around us to copy.  It may be a good example or it may be a bad example.  But it is an example none the less.

     It may be a bit scary to think that our life may be an example for others, but it’s true!  So, consider what you are doing, what you are saying, and how you face various situations in your life.  Someone may be watching YOU wanting to be exactly like you.  And remember:  We’re Only Human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If your life is not worthy to be copied,

perhaps it should be changed!"

Confidence

     Confidence is the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something’s firm trust.  You need to have confidence in yourself to get many things accomplished.  That’s what I want to talk about today.  Let’s take an exercise in confidence.

     Did you know that confidence is a learnable skill? If you look at your life right now you will find you have had confidence in many areas. If you are honest with yourself you will also notice areas of your life where you lack confidence.

     For example, I work out about 3 times a week and it is a huge part of my life.  I love it. However, this wasn’t always the case. When I first learned how to lift weights, I was awkward, weak and clumsy. I was always looking around the gym at the experienced people worried that they might be judging me. Had my desire to lose weight and improve my health not been so strong at the time, I very likely would have let the discomfort of the situation force me to quit and give up.

     But I didn’t. I found several experienced individuals and started to learn from them. I slowly but deliberately became stronger and more comfortable in the gym setting. After a few short weeks, it was almost second nature to me. All of the feelings of embarrassment and inferiority had disappeared. I had developed confidence. The same way I had developed confidence when I learned to walk as a baby, when I learned to ride a bike as a young boy and when I learned how to drive at age 16.

     There is no trick to the development of confidence. It is a predictable process that any of us can implement for virtually any action or habit in our lives.

     Have you recognized this and applied this in your life?

     OR have you mistakenly accused yourself of not having to ability to do something due to a lack of confidence?

     I want you to take a moment right now and mentally review your dominant thought patterns.

     Most people have at least one area in their life where they lack confidence. For some, it could be speaking in public, for others it could be meeting new people and developing relationships. Identify what that specific area in your life is right now

     How can you do this?  Simply follow the suggestions outlined here:

1. You have to identify a major goal that you would like to achieve
   
   
2. You have to identify where you lack confidence in terms of the obtainment of this goal. I assume you lack confidence in this area because if you did not lack confidence then you would have achieved this goal by now. So, identify what that blockage is:
   
   
1. If you’re an entrepreneur, maybe you lack confidence in presenting funding proposals to other business owners or financial institutions.
2. If you are in sales perhaps you are limiting your success by not pursuing the large accounts.
3. Maybe you are in a relationship and you‘re not happy with the behavior of your partner, do you lack the confidence to ask for what you want?
   
   
3. Write at least one paragraph that describes your confidence block and your current state of mind. When you imagine yourself in this situation of low confidence, what comes up for you. Are you anxious, nervous, upset, etc… Describe your state as accurately as possible
   
   
4. Now that you are aware of your confidence blockages, you can begin to redevelop them. Define one major activity that you can implement ASAP that moves you towards your goal
   
   
1. If you have a fear of speaking, your activity could be to rehearse a 10-minute power speech in front of the mirror
2. If you struggle in sales, you could plan to practice and refine your sales presentation with a manager or senior colleague
   
   
5. Write a commitment to yourself to practice this new activity every single day for the next 30 days. If you really want to commit to this, find an accountability partner and perform the activity with them so that you have a witness.
   
   
6. At the end of 30 days, repeat step 3 again and analyse where you are at in terms of confidence. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10

     You can continue this until you reach a level that you are satisfied with when it comes to your confidence in this area of your life!

     Once you develop confidence in yourself begin to manifest confidence in others.  Often there are many things in life that we can’t accomplish on our own but will need the assistance of others.

     By developing this confidence, you will find many enjoyable new activities in your life and others will be able to see the confidence you exude!

     One caution:  Do Not confuse confidence with arrogance and pride.  Please be careful because we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If you think you can, you can!

If you think you can't, you can't!"

Choices

    Sometimes people have a difficult time when it comes to making choices.  They get confused because they often fail to see what the actual choice is.  They look at situations and circumstances and then they think they know what choice they have to make when in reality they have failed to fully understand what their choices are. 

     A choice is the act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities within a given circumstance.  People often get the “two or more possibilities” confused so they don’t understand exactly what their choice is.  Let me give you a current situation as an example.

     Recently a gentleman was escorted off an airline flight from California to Colorado because he refused to wear a face mask due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  He was highly upset because of this decision made by the airline.  He evidently confused his choice!  He thought his choice was (1) to wear a face mask on the flight or (2) not to wear a face mask.  So, with these options he was choosing NOT to wear the mask. 

     However, the airline had informed all passengers that wearing a face mask was mandatory.  This man’s choice was (1) wear a face mask and get on the flight or (2) NOT!  In evaluating his situation, he did know that he was going to have to make a choice.  However, he chose to view the options of the wrong event in which to make his decision.  Wearing the mask should not have been his issue, but rather whether he was going to fly on the plane or not.

     We see that as humans we are often required to make decisions or choices on matters within our lives every day.  At times these choices or very insignificant, but at other times they have a major effect upon our life.  Just consider the example above of the man who now was unable to get to Colorado because of his poor choice in not wearing the required face mask. 

     It also seems that there are many who continue to make poor choices and never really learn how to improve their lives by making correct choices.  It doesn’t matter about the situations that this may involve:  a bad choice is always a bad choice!

     This reminds me of a man I met when I was in the military.  We had a “moral meeting” where we were going to be encouraged to make good choices in our lives.  This man (at the time of this occurrence) was in his mid to late 40s.  He had been in and out of the penal system most of his adult life.  Now he was making these speeches at various military bases so that perhaps others would learn from the poor choices he had made and not make those same mistakes themselves.

     Listening to some of the stories of his activities during his life it became obvious that he was a person, who despite his good intentions, always made the wrong choices within his life.  However, he summed up his life philosophy with this statement and example: “You can choose to do whatever you want to in your life as long as you’re willing to accept the consequences.  If you want to tell your boss what you really think about him, go ahead, if you’re willing to accept the consequences.  He may fire you.  He may do worse.  But if you’re willing to accept the consequences go ahead and tell him.”

     I’m glad you have gotten to this point in this blog post.  I had a choice on what I was going to write within this post and I chose to include the information you read above.  You had the choice to read this blog or not.  I’m glad you chose to read it.  But if you chose NOT to read it - - - well, I guess that is a mute issue!  It was your choice.

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If you're going to make a choice 

that you can't live with,

make a different one, but choose wisely!"

Life

    I feel that one of the most precious and most valuable gifts that your parents ever gave to you was your LIFE!  Since you have received that gift you have been able to do all things that have made you the person you are today.  You have been able to have one experience after the other.  It’s true we may look back on some of the experiences in our lives and think we might have been better off if we had never had to go through that situation.  But the truth is, without life we would have NO experiences at all!

     We need to appreciate that this wonderful gift that was given to us without our asking is also the same gift given by other parents to their children.  We need to not only have a high regard and appreciation for our life but also for the lives of others. 

     As a Sanatani Hindu, Gandhi found the message of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount to be very interesting.  Gandhi drew the attention of the world to the noble message of the Sermon.  He stated its relevance for the peaceful living of humanity.  Moreover, he has practically shown its application, especially its teaching on non-violence to the public affairs of life.

     Among the many valuable lessons, we may learn from this sermon I have chosen to highlight but a few that will help us consider the view of the life of ourselves and that the lives of others:

1.       Love your enemies.  Within the life course of Jesus, he demonstrated that it was easy for someone to have and display love for those you also loved them in return.  But to be able to show love to those who disagreed with your view or plainly despise you!  This was the sign of true love that imitated the love God has for mankind.

2.      Do good to those who hate you.  Jesus showed that not all people would agree with your viewpoint.  However, if your life actions are in agreement with God’s requirements then you will find yourself under obligation to do good to ALL people.

3.      Pray for those who mistreat you.  This may seem contradictory to the nature of our human makeup.  But this too shows that our love for human life goes beyond our own thinking and displays the thoughts of our heavenly father.

4.      If anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  This at first may seem extremely counterproductive.  However, Jesus was not only speaking about those things that we may have in a material sense.  Our attitude should be, if necessary, even to letting ourselves be defrauded in the hopes of gaining someone to God’s side of the great issue.  Jesus also would be including those things of a non-tangible nature.  We may feel that someone has brought injury upon our name or our reputation.  These too are things of little importance in the larger scheme of things.

5.      Do to others as you would have them do to you.  This is in summation the ultimate quality that mankind should be striving to achieve.  In viewing the life of others, in showing honor to others, and wanting others to treat us in a respectful and dignified manner, we should be taking the lead and showing them the same.

     There are many other aspects of this one sermon that we could discuss however, it can be shown that Jesus, when here upon the earth, had a deep respect for the lives of others.  Since his ascension into heaven his viewpoint has not changed.

     Those desirous of referring to themselves as Christians should always be making necessary adjustments in their imperfect lives to better reflect the qualities that have been set out by our exemplar, Jesus.  Then, and only then, can we truly say that we have reached beyond the confines of our imperfect lives and display the true manner of living that was intended from the beginning of creation.

     The sad problem of the entire situation is: we’re only human!  

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"The demise of ONE life

lessens the value of ALL lives!"

Memories

    I am old enough to have created many memories within my lifetime.  But I’m not so old that I can’t recall the vast majority of them.  Some times I do need help to get the details correct and there may be times when I have a vivid recollection of a wonderful memory to only learn later that it wasn’t mine at all!

     My point being is that there will be times in our lives when we may choose to not want to experience the current events that we are having to live through.  These are times when we want to fall back on our memories to a more simpler time in our lives.

     I think of one of those times now.  When I was growing up during my early teen years, we lived in a house that sat right on the edge of town.  I’m talking about RIGHT on the edge!  When you crossed the street toward the front of our house there was the grocery store.  At one time it was a Colonial store, I don’t recall exactly, but I think it changed names at another time.

     If you went just behind our house on the next block there was a small convenience store with a laundry attached to the side.  Toward the side of the house that faced town was an auto parts store.  It was behind this store in part of a vacant lot that for a long time sat an abandoned school bus.

     I say the bus was abandoned but I think that the auto parts store owner probably became possessor of the bus for some unknown reason to me and this is where he wanted to leave it setting.  For whatever reason the bus sat there for several years and it become an amazing place of adventure to me.

     Who would be able to resist sitting at the wheel of this wonderous machine and pretending to be the driver who had the responsibility of transporting all types of different kids to their classes during the summer period of school?  I’m not sure how many “miles” I must have put on that bus during these various journeys.

     That bus also became the cockpit for many space adventures.  I commanded great expeditions into the vastness of space and had many encounters with beings that you would never be able to imagine.  On one occasion I actually had developed a bus route into space where I would collect various species of alien children so they could attend a space academy.  At this training location they would learn to present themselves as earth children and have to understand what “normal” kids did on days they didn’t have to attend school.

     During a couple of summers, I spent many hours within my fantasy “job” of caring for the needs for all the individuals who were dependent upon that bus.  I would even spend some of my time going through the bus cleaning the seats and windows and floor so that all would be in a presentable order for all my “kids.”  I mean, who would want to have such a great vehicle and not have it in presentable order?

     However, time passes, things change.  People change.  You grow and your life moves on.  But there are times when I pause and ponder back to that simpler life and wonder if there might be some way to, even if for only a moment, recreate that moment in time once again?

     We all have within us those memories we would like to relive.  Those times when life wasn’t going by at such a fast pace.  Those moments that have perhaps defined our lives for all times.  Can’t you hear it?  Stop - - - listen!  Is that the past calling out to you?  If you would slow down and listen, I’m sure you would hear it too.  Never forget - - - we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If you can't enjoy your life now

at least enjoy the memory later."

Love

    Regardless of where a person is located or when in history you may look, mankind has always had an inner need to worship.  The form of worship may be very elaborate or it may be simple.  Nevertheless, the inner spirit of mankind has this need to look beyond himself for guidance and direction.  It is interesting to see that within the major components of formalized religion today there are many differences.  However, there seems to be some basic similarities also.

     Hinduism makes up 14 percent of the world’s population today.  Within its teachings is the following: “The one who loves all intensely begins perceiving in all living beings a part of himself.  He becomes a lover of all, a part and parcel of the universal Joy.  He flows with the stream of happiness, and is enriched by each soul.”

     According to Radhanath Swami: ”When there is love in our heart, only love will come out.”  It is impossible to be a selfish person and truly display a heart full of love.  We are unable to love others when we are only concerned about our own interests.

    Let’s also consider that 24 percent of the world’s population is of the Islam faith.   Most of our knowledge today concerning Islam is presented to us through the reporting of acts of horror that are committed by Muslim terrorists. 

     However, at the heart of Muslim belief is the principal of tawhid or oneness.  This oneness, or unity, has been described as that which dominates the mind in Islam, while the heart is intrinsically linked to the concept of compassion.  “My Mercy encompasses all things” (Qur’an7:156) (www.wccm.org/content/love-and-compassion-islam ) “The Qur’an frequently speaks of God’s plan for diversity, and the goodness of difference as part of this plan.  “O mankind, We have indeed created you as male and female, and made you as nations and tribes that you may come to know one another.” (49:13)

     Within the worlds’ population today some 29 percent claim to be Christians.  By acceptance of the nomenclature a person claiming to be Christian is stating to the world that he or she follows the life pattern set by the Christ, the Son of the living God.

     In the Scriptures themselves we are told at 1 John 4:8 that “God is love.”  Although there are several different words used in the original languages that the bible was written in the one of greatest importance for Christians is agape’.  This word relates to “principal love.”  At times it has been described as “loving the unlovable.”

     This quality of love is such a remarkable aspect of the individual who has chosen to change his life and follow the pattern that was set by Jesus that on one occasion Jesus himself said: “By this all will know you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35)

     However, was Jesus saying that you should only have love for those who like yourself have changed their life to a Christian way of living?  No!  According to Luke 6:32 (New King James Version) Jesus said: “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.”   Jesus went even further with this need for compassion and love stating: “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matt 5:44)

     If some two-thirds of the world’s population promotes the teachings of love, why is there so much hatred in the world today?  Why do humans not get along with one another and live in peace?  The answer is plainly explained to us within the Scriptures: “- - - the whole world lies in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19)

     With Satan controlling the world scene and using his demons to instigate the hatred and confusion among mankind and with the very inclination of mankind itself being one that easily leans toward hatred and harm it is easy to see why it is so difficult for individuals to stay on a course that is proper and correct in the eyes of God.

     The apostle Paul himself acknowledged this by saying: “I find, then, this law in my case: When I wish to do what is right, what is bad is present with me.” (Romans7:21 NWT). It is only with the strength and “power beyond what is normal” that is provided by God that we may be able to overcome this sinful tendency that is within us.

     Although we are only human, it is possible to be victorious.  Jesus himself said: “- - - In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33 NWT)

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"The solution to all problems is love."

Brotherhood

    Today with all the riots that are going on around the world it would be hard for a person to say that humankind is united within a global brotherhood. Just the opposite would be very easy to confirm with the “evidence” we see around us.  Mankind in one group or another is always finding some “measure” to insinuate that one group is “better” or “superior” to the other. 

     Throughout history however individuals have tried to show that we are the same.  No one is superior to another or better when we look below the surface.  We should not look at our differences as reasons to hate and despise.  We should see these variations of diversity as a means of enriching our lives.

     Mahnaz Afkhami (Founder and President of Women’s Learning Partnership [WLP], the Executive Director of the Foundation for Iranian Studies, and the former Minister of Women’s Affairs in Iran’s pre-revolution government stated:  “We have the ability to achieve, if we master the necessary goodwill, a common global society blessed with a shared culture of peace that is nourished by the ethnic, national and local diversities that enrich our lives.”

     This idea was simply stated by Kofi Annan: “We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.”  Mr. Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006.  He was the co-recipient of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.  He was the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organization founded by Nelson Mandela.  

     It seems that too often individuals will make bold and inspirational statements that in actuality have very little effect upon those who may hear them.  This truth was expressed by the statement made by Faith Baldwin (American author of romance and fiction, often concentrating on women characters juggling career and family.)  “You cannot contribute anything to the ideal condition of mind and heart known as Brotherhood, however much you preach, posture, or agree, unless you live it.” 

     There are those who have had the advantage of viewing this world of humankind from a different perspective than most of us will ever have.  Frank Borman is a retired United States Air Force colonel, aeronautical engineer, test pilot, businessman, rancher, and NASA astronaut.  He was the commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the Moon, and together with crewmates Jim Lovell and Bill Anders, became the first of 24 humans to do so.

    From his unique viewpoint he made this comment: “When you’re finally up on the moon, looking back at the earth, all these differences and nationalistic traits are pretty well going to blend and you’re going to get a concept that maybe this is really one world and why the hell can’t we learn to live together like decent people?”

     The same conclusion was reached by Pablo Casals (Spanish cellist, composer, and conductor): “We ought to think that we are one of the leaves of a tree, and the tree is all humanity.  We cannot live without the others, without the tree.”

     This concept is widely held by many and shows that our mental resolve should be to develop it more fully.  The Dalai Lama put it in these terms: “Internal peace is an essential first step to achieving peace in the world.  How do you cultivate it?  It’s very simple.  In the first place by realizing clearly that all mankind is one, that human beings in every country are members of one and the same family.”

     We cannot try to isolate ourselves from others thinking that we are somehow exempt from our actions and thoughts regarding their effects upon others around us.  We must appreciate that all of us face the same difficulties of life on a day-to-day basis.

     Dorothy Height, an American civil rights and women’s rights activist, put it plainly with these words: “We cannot afford to be separate - - - We have to see that all of us are in the same boat.”

     The American Christian minister and activist Martin Luther King, Jr stated: “I look forward confidently to the day when all who work for a living will be one with no thought to their separateness as Negroes, Jews, Italians or any other distinctions.  This will be the day when we bring into full realization the American dream - - - a dream yet unfulfilled.  A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men will not argue that the color of a man’s skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a nation where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone, but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of the human personality.”  He added on another occasion: “We must learn to live together as brothers, or we are going to perish together as fools.”

    We must learn these things from an early age.  The true beauty of our existence is our diversity.  The hand is different from the foot.  The eye is different from the ear.  The nose is different from the mouth.  Yet which of us would even want to consider that any of these body parts are not needed, yes they are essential, for us to have a compete and enjoyable life?  Diversity is what makes us unique as humans.  It should be the fabric that draws us ever closer together, not the fuel that burns hatred and spite and pushes us farther apart.  The sadness lies in the fact that what should be uniting us within our global brotherhood is the very thing that pulls us apart, because we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"- - - and all of you are brothers."

[Matt. 23:8]

Imagine

    Some forty-nine years ago in his humble Tittenhurst Park estate in England singer song writer, John Lennon composed the song “Imagine” in one sitting.  He was later joined by several other musicians to release the song in October, 1971.  Although at the time John took soul responsibility for the production of the song, he later admitted that much credit should go to his wife, Yoko Ono, who had written a poem several years earlier upon which the song was based.

     According to biography (https://www.biography.com/news/john-lennon-imagine-song-facts ) “The impact of the song is unquestionable.  But disguised within its message of peace and love and its flowing piano melody is a collection of edgy, “dangerous” ideas that challenge society as we know it.  The song that has become an anthem all over the world is actually full of controversial lyrics and radical ideas.”

     Paul McCartney, former Beatle companion of the late John Lennon and who was known for being less than generous about Lennon’s early solo career, admitted that from the first time he heard the song he knew it was “a killer.”

     Former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, said:  “. . . in many countries around the world --- my wife and I have visited about 125 countries --- you hear John Lennon’s song “Imagine” used almost equally with national anthems.”

     This would almost seem ironic since within the lyrics of the song are found the words: “Imagine there’s no countries/ It isn’t hard to do / Nothing to kill or die for . . . “Continuing it’s almost rebellious insinuations: “Imagine there’s no heaven . . . Imagine there’s no countries . . . Imagine no possessions . . . And no religion, too.”  It is almost humorous that at one time the World Church approached Lennon asking if they could use his song but change the lyrics to say “one religion” instead of “no religion.”  Lennon said no.

     The feelings of peace, hope, and acceptance seem to permeate throughout the song.  Yet the suggestive idea that all things that have been currently connected with the prosperous means of life should be abandoned.  That all organized functions of human society are things that should be abolished and accepted as unnecessary by humankind.

     If you pause for a moment and think seriously, are not the things that differentiate individuals from each other the very things that have been artificially put into place by human society from the beginning?

     When God first created the human race (Adam and Eve) there was only one religion.  There was no distinction between humans.  They shared all that God had provided for them.  There was no one greater or lesser than the other.  Eve was not created as a slave to Adam, but as a compliment to him.  An assistant wherein the two of them could work together to further the purpose of God’s creation.

     As mankind grew in numbers on the face of the earth, it was shown that due to their imperfections, they now wanted prominence over other humans.  Cities were formed.  Kingdoms were established.  All these things in opposition to God’s purpose for humankind.

     Humanity grew more violent until it reached a point where God determined to wipe them out by means of a global flood.  This He did.  Preserving only Noah and his family. 

     Today’s world has become “as it was in the days of Noah.”  Our Creator looks upon the human race and sees the hatred, violence, and corruption as it existed in that distant past.  He once again sees a need to remove the majority of mankind from the beautiful planet that he created as our home.  And according to his time table it will be done.

     I once again think of the simplistic words of that song written by John Lennon decades ago: a song that continues to inspire people of all races and creeds, offering the one listening to it a momentary glimmer of hope in a troubled world, especially in the beautiful lines:

     “You may say I’m a dreamer

     But I’m not the only one

     I hope some day you’ll join us

     And the world will be as one.”

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Disorder is the lack of unity

and the absence of God."

After the Move

     Over the weekend my wife and I got moved into our new house.  The location is marvelous and the quiet is unbelievable.  It only took our helpers about three hours and they had everything moved.

     Now comes the hard part.  Getting all the boxes emptied and trying to find out where we have put all our “little items.”  These are the things that are going to take us weeks to get sorted out and adjusted to get our lives back into some type of “working” order.

     How were we ever able to function in our lives without all the little notes, tables, files, and other documents that we use on a day-to-day basis?  I sit in my office chair and now I’m trying to imagine how to put things into place so I can function around my computer.

     I look at things that are not now within arms-reach.  How am I going to operate with those files now on my left when they used to be on my right?  There are actually some items that I am going to have to get up out of my chair and get off the bookshelf instead of having them there in my desk file drawer!

     In only three days I’ve noticed that my computer is now 8.5 inches further away from my reach than it was before.  I don’t think I’m gong to be able to get the copies out of the tray without straining my back in the reach.

    I’ve also realized that there is a “slight” slope in the floor where my desk chair is located.  If I don’t get it positioned exactly right, I slowly begin to drift toward the center of the room.  How am I going to get my processing done during a day’s work?  I’ll been spending most of my time repositioning my chair so I can function!

     Within all this confusion I have also had to “down-size” again!  It is almost unthinkable trying to sit in your seat and make a decision: “Do I keep this or throw it away?”  I just know that what I throw today is the ONE item I will need tomorrow.  My wife says I’m beginning to display a tendency of being a hoarder!  I don’t think of myself that way, but I can see some of the anxiety building when I have to make that final decision on each specific item.

     I know in the end I will get it all figured out and my office routine will be back in “ship-shape” order and I will be once again churning out the blogs, reports, and other necessary items as I was in the past.  However, until that time I feel, in some cases, like I have had to cut off part of my arm as I attempt to find and return to “normalcy” my office routine.  That’s when my wife tells me she is having many of the same problems as she deals with other household items that have been moved.  It just goes to show regardless of who we are: we’re only human!    

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

       

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"My life is presently 

organized chaos."