Black or White

      I recall back in the 60s when I was a teenager.  Life was certainly different than what it is today.  Most of the time the only thoughts I had going through my head were those of how am I going to graduate from high school, what was I going to do after I did, and was I ever going to find a girl who would like me as much as I did her?

     Understandably, those are the types of questions that would probably go through the heads of many teenagers at any point in history.  But, the cares and concerns of a complicated world scene never crossed my mind.  It always seemed that the problems of the world, as they may develop during that time, would in some way eventually work themselves out for the better.  No one WANTED war, or crime, of domestic violence, or hatred, or sexual harassment, or prejudice, or any of the other problems that are so prevalent today.

 

     Don’t misunderstand me!  I’m not saying that those things didn’t exist back in the 60s when I was growing up.  But they were the minority of events in the world that I lived in then.  They were things that happened, but not on a major level that you were consumed on a day-to-day basis with these problems.  When they occurred, they were dealt with at that moment.  They were not highlighted as an everyday event.

 

     And while being unaware of actual events in the world during that period of my teen years, I have been amazed as to what was really happening.  “Americans who lived through the 1960s and 1970s remember the fear associated with a real surge in violent crime. In fact, the violent crime rate increased by 126 percent between 1960 and 1970, and by 64 percent between 1970 and 1980” ( https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/americas-faulty-perception-crime-rates#:~:text=Americans%20who%20lived%20through%20the,percent%20between%201970%20and%201980. )

 

     I was more concerned about those things that I mentioned above that were directly going to affect my personal life.  I never gave thought to reality!  There was turmoil within cities and within the country.  There were protests about what the government was involved in and because of the thing that were not being done for the “average” citizens.  It seemed to be a period of times that was completely different from that of the 50s!

 

     “Ordinary families had little spare money for treats like cinema trips and holidays. Before most homes had televisions, people spent their spare time listening to the radio or reading the newspaper; they played board games rather than computer games; and in place of the selection of fast food outlets we have to choose from, they had a takeaway from the local fish and chip shop.”( https://www.mylearning.org/stories/family-life-in-the-1950s/204 )

 

     As now, many wanted things to be simpler.  We longed for a time when you could once again know the “good” guys from the “bad.”  Even without them having to wear white hats.  Most things were just plain, black or white!  THIS was something acceptable, THAT was not!  You knew when you were told something, that’s the way it was going to be.  When I ponder that by-gone era, my thoughts return to a song that was performed by the Monkees, a singing group from the 60s.  The song was called “Black or White.”  The lyrics very plainly expressed a desire for a simpler time in life.  I think that today the words are even more apropos than they were then.  You might enjoy listening to their rendition of this song at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SubpzqswJRE

 

      We find today that most things are no longer “black or white”, but they are only shades of gray as the song mentions.  Many no longer want a compromise.  They want things THEIR way or no way at all.  And there are many who will go to great extremes to see that it happens!  Most problems are enlarged by the fact that we are greedy and prideful.  We most often refuse to admit that we might be wrong in a given situation or that another person could possibly come up with a better solution than we did.  Some will stubbornly defend an idiotic course to the very end rather than admit defeat or offer a willing spirit of compromise.  The simple truth is that as imperfect lumps of molded clay, we’re only human!   

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Nothing is as simple

as black and white!"

Those Days

 

     When we think back to our youth, we may try to remember what THOSE DAYS were all about and have that feeling that things would be much better (or perhaps simpler) if we could journey back and have things return to the way they were then.  But the honest truth is that we are only remembering a specific moment or event that provided us with great pleasure at the time and that’s the way we want things to always be.  We know that time never stands still for anyone and it would be impossible for things to be as they were in the past.  Of course, that is with the exclusion of the fact that we can continue to recall these things within our minds.

      In all fairness to our memories and as faulty as they are many times, we need to understand that those great and beloved moments were probably not as great and wonderful as our minds tell us they were.  With the invention of photographs, videos, and voice recording devices we are able to impress the past onto recordings and photographic paper for those times in the future, times that are greatly removed by the present moment when those events took place, we can view or listen to these things and get a better understanding of how THOSE DAYS really were!

 

     Now within our present time we are wrought with the idea that on various occasions we have ONE OF THOSE DAYS!  We’re not thinking about some memory from the past.  No, we are having a day in which many bad or unpleasant things happen to us.  You may consider: I missed the bus for work and as it was leaving the stop it splashed mud all over me; it’s just ONE OF THOSE DAYS!  This is about the place in your thoughts where you begin to think of Murphy’s Law!  It tells us “if anything can go wrong, it will.”  You might find a closer examination of Murphy’s Law interesting by looking at the information found at http://www.murphys-laws.com/

 

     The American sitcom television series All in the Family was broadcast for nine seasons, from 1971 to 1979.  It had an opening theme song, “Those were the Days”, that was performed by the leading role actors Carroll O’Conner (who played the part of Archie Bunker) and Jean Stapleton (who played his wife, Edith).  The lyrics of the song were basically that of reminiscing of the past and how they felt things would have been better to return to THOSE DAYS!  If you’d like to see the lyrics and hear the opening song performed by the actors themselves go to https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/archie-and-edith-bunker/those-were-the-days-theme-to-all-in-the-family

 

     There’s also one other thing we don’t want to forget.  A few years from now, and it may not be as long as we might think, we’ll be sitting in our favorite chair, reminiscing about TODAY and thinking that it was ONE OF THOSE DAYS!  And that’s because we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"The only thing GOOD about the

GOOD OLE DAYS,

is that they're GONE!"

Promises

 

     Have you ever had someone make you a promise and then they failed to keep it?  I’m sure this has happened to all of us.  However, has that statement worked in reverse for you?  Have YOU made a promise to someone else and then failed to keep it?  I’m sure that has happened also.

      It may not have been our intention to break your promise, but there are so many things that we cannot control.  Let me give you an example.  This is a pretty simple one and I’m almost certain that something along these lines has happened to many of us.  You promise a friend that you will pick them up at 5:30 after work.  Maybe you’re going shopping, or out to a movie, or perhaps to a special place for a meal.  Regardless, your intentions have been honorable.  You well intend to pick up this friend at 5:30.  But you didn’t count on the extra traffic and showed up at 5:45!  Maybe the traffic wasn’t the problem, but on the way to pick up your friend you had a flat tire or maybe worse!  You were in an accident and didn’t show up at all to get your friend and they were left stranded, not knowing what had happened to you!  Or perhaps you simply forgot that you had promised to get your friend to begin with and just made your trip home.

 

     There are so many reasons that you could have been late and thus broken your original promise to your friend.  You could apply the above reasoning to whatever circumstances you choose, but the simple truth is that you failed to keep your word.  And most of the time there is no major catastrophic consequences that result from your failure to keep your promise other than a delay in plans and perhaps a strain on your relationship with your friend.

 

     But what if the circumstances called for your promptness or response to a certain matter in a specific way and your promise failed?  What if lives depended upon your fulfillment to the promise you made?  Consider this potential situation.  You are a medical doctor and your patient needs critical surgery to survive.  Your office has had them make an appointment for 1:00 in the afternoon and they have shown up and have now been prepped for the surgery, while you have decided to have an extended lunch with an old college friend that you haven’t seen for years, thereby not showing up for the surgery!

 

     You could see how this could very easily create a life-threatening situation for your patient.  Your word should have meaning behind it.  The fulfillment of your promises should tell people what kind of person you are.  They should be able to trust what you tell them and they can know that “your word is your bond!”

 

     It is interesting that Merriam-Webster defines the word promises as the following: “a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified or a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.”

 

    What if you had a friend whose word was always reliable?  This friend had made many promises and had not failed to keep them any of them!  Now imagine that this friend tells you a promise of something in the future that is simply too amazing to believe.  What would you think about the promise your friend had made?  Would you be willing to trust in your friend to fulfill this incredible thing that he had promised?

 

     It is possible to have such a friend.  The Scriptures tell us at Joshua 23:14 when Joshua was nearing his death: “Now look! I am about to die, and you well know with all your heart and with all your soul that not one word out of all the good promises that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed. They have all come true for you. Not one word of them has failed.”  King Solomon also confirmed this powerfully bold statement: “Not one word of all his good promise that he made through Moses his servant has failed.” (1 Kings 8:56)   

 

     Jesus came to the Earth and gave his life as a ransom for many.  By doing so we are told that he has become a guarantee.  Hebrews 7:22 states: “Jesus has accordingly become the guarantee of a better covenant.”  Why is this so important for us?  “For no matter how many the promises of God are, they have become “yes” by means of him.” (2 Co. 1:20) 

 

     This is the friend that we can completely trust when promises are made.  Even when those promises may seem unbelievable or unattainable to us at the present.  It also helps us to appreciate that of all the things that God CAN do, there is one thing that God CANNOT do!  We have a bases of “the accurate knowledge of the truth” and it “is based on a hope of the everlasting life that God, who CANNOT LIE, promised long ago.”  (Titus 1:1, 2)

 

     We want to be the kind of friend that others are able to trust.  We want our promises, our word, to mean “yes” when we say “yes.”  But sadly, in this world and under the present conditions what we want to do is not always what we do!  The unfortunate truth is that we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"What a wonderful man I would be,

if I could only keep all the promises I have made."

Persuasion

      Have you ever seen a woman sawn in half?  Or perhaps you have watched as a man walks through the Great Wall of China?  I could probably mention many other situations that you have seen, of things that you know to be impossible, but you watch them being done.  How is it that you, perhaps for only a moment, think that the impossible is actually being done?

      It is primarily because of the deception of the mind.  The persuasiveness of the performer.  Or maybe it is in part because you WANT to believe it is being done!  Whatever the reason in your case, you may not realize just how manipulated the mind can be done.

 

     The action or fact of persuading someone or of being persuaded to do or believe something is what is involved in the powerful force of persuasion that some have developed over others.  It has been written about (Persuasion by Jane Austen, available on https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/6399/persuasion-by-jane-austen/ ), it has been produced as a movie.  A 1995 period drama film directed by Roger Michell and based on Jane Austen’s 1817 novel of the same name.  You may find a copy at https://www.amazon.com/Persuasion-Susan-Fleetwood/dp/B00003JRCQ .  It was also remade as a 2007 TV movie.  You may find that at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844330/ .

 

     However, in more personal relationships, it is almost unthinkable that someone could be persuaded to say or do something that they might otherwise not even consider.  There are individuals who have fashioned a career out of the art of persuasion.  If you want a little advice on being more persuasive consider the following:

 

     You may want a raise at work.  Or maybe you want to go out with that “special” friend who has always refused you in the past.  The one I love the most stated: “Maybe you want that extra barbeque sauce with your chicken and NOT have to pay the extra fifty cents!”  You have to do something about it!  No one is just going to give it to you!

 

     An article posted several years ago (https://www.businessinsider.com/6-ways-to-persuade-anyone-of-anything-2016-7 ) listed some things that may help you in any of the above situations (or many others for that matter) to persuade someone toward your opinion.

 

1.       Be confident.  Their main objective here tells you the more confident you are, the more convincing your arguments are going to sound, and the more powerful you’re going to appear.  Don’t be afraid if you don’t feel confident --- just act confident!

2.      Introduce a logical argument.  When someone is persuaded to do something, they do it because they have come to believe it is the right or best thing to do.

3.      Make it seem beneficial to the other party.  This may not always be easy to do, but in making your request seem valuable for the other party you will be able to convenience them of your side of the issue.

4.      Choose your words carefully.  Some words have a greater perceived value than others.  Use them judiciously.  It would perhaps be better to tell someone a certain action would be more “lucrative” than merely saying “good” or “better.”

5.      Use flattery.  Be careful and cautious in how you approach this topic, but everyone likes to have their egos stroked!  Just make sure you do in a subtle manner.

6.      Be patient, but persistent.  Your attempts at being persuasive may not be successful on the first attempt.  However, do not give up.  Be persistent!  You may have to let the situation sit for the moment, recollect yourself, and try again at a later more convenient time. Remember, persuasion is a skill, and with any skill it will take time and practice to perfect.

 

     I think we could better understand this developed skill if we sat in a court room and watched the attorneys for the defense and prosecution as they banter back and forth, arguing their cases before the judge and jury.  It is an art style that is almost impossible to imagine.

 

     To fully understand the nature of our human makeup when considering how WE are influenced or persuaded in various areas of our life you may enjoy watching a 30-minute video which explores this subject.  It is an interview of Robert Cialdini, the author of the book Pre-Suasion by Inc. president Eric Schurenberg at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gP_rv8VB-U    What you will find in its conclusion is that we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"The needs of the many,

outweigh the needs of the few."

Spock

Expectations

 

     Regardless of who you are, where you live, your upbringing, your political beliefs, or any other criteria you may wish to use as a guide, we all have expectations!  Of course, these expectations will depend upon who you are, where you live, your upbringing, your political beliefs, or any other criteria you may wish to use as a guide!  Does that make sense?

      Of course, it does!  Our expectations will be based on a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.  We could believe that someone will or should achieve something.  We may have high expectations in some cases and in others we may have low expectations. 

 

     It doesn’t matter what area of life we may be discussing, there will always be expectations, not only the ones we have of others, but also the expectations they may have of us.  This is true in business, in school, in the work place, even within the family arrangement.  There will always be expectations placed upon us, they may be place by ourselves or they may be placed by others.

 

     “We all carry a load of expectations with us. Expectations are firmly tied to our needs, desires, values, and beliefs. They paint a mental picture of how we think things “should” be. Expectations become problematic when they take us out of the present to solely focus on the future, or fill our heads with how things “should” be and feel and of how the people around us “should” act and feel. Our “shoulds” of ourselves reflect expectations that we feel we are not meeting.”, so states a toolkit outline form from Compassion Resilience in a seminar program [Expectations from Self and Others] placed on the internet. (https://compassionresiliencetoolkit.org/media/Schools_Section5_Intro.pdf )

 

       This outline continues with explanations of how we may, in fact, belittle our personal (self) expectations by telling ourselves that we are not doing our best because we have set our personal expectations at an unreachable level.  We thereby live DOWN to our lower expectations than making ourselves strive to obtain a loftier goal.  We can also project these self-expectations upon others. 

 

     The post includes study cases and points of self-examination designed to help identify hurtful self-expectations and transform them into positive affirmations.  You may enjoy reviewing these points for your personal benefit.

 

     We live our lives every day with various levels of expectations.  Perhaps we could strive to make all our expectations (those of ourself and those of others) be more realistic.  Don’t get me wrong.  I think that setting high goals (or expectations) of ourselves is a good thing.  But don’t aim for the moon as the first (and perhaps only) goal.  Create our achievements (and goals) in tiers, with each one being a realistic view of our current abilities and circumstances.  And once reached, place our second tier into operation and continue to move forward until our ultimate goal is reached.  You may be amazed what you and others may be able to accomplish.  Just don’t forget: We’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"The truth does not usually match our expectations."

Dreamer

 

     I dream of better times.  Of times when love dominates over all human activities and completely permeates the thoughts, speech, desires, and actions of all humans.  A time when people will not love for their own selfish desires, but will have the prime objective of seeking the betterment of others over their own needs.

 

     Could such a time be possible?  Could there come to be such a world wherein all mankind only thinks about doing good things?  Things that will only make everyone and everything around them better?

 

     Is it even conceivable that such a time could come about?  I look at the world today, and although there are times when humans consider the improvement of their own existence and that of others around them, the major of humans are only concerned about “what’s in it for me!” and “why should I be concerned about that?” 

 

     The sad thing is that the world itself has become like a memorial tomb for a dead person!  It may appear beautiful on the outside, but inside there is a rotten corpse.  Perhaps you have seen photos that were taken from outer space of the globe upon which we live.  Although many areas today have been defiled by our own polluting habits, in general, the world looks like a beautiful blue marble suspended upon nothing in space!

 

     But if some adventurer would continue to advance toward the Earth and actually land upon its surface, they would find that the greed, arrogance, self-satisfying attitudes of its inhabitants have made it an ugly place to visit!  They would probably immediately return to their space vessels and depart as quickly as possible.

 

     Mankind once again considers to venture into space and conquer the possibilities that may exist there; however, they are completely unable to conquer their own limitations to bring peace to their own planet.  They cannot control the raging spirit of rebellion within themselves.

 

     But I can dream of these better times and I can do what I can to change the person that I am so the situations around me will be for the improvement of everyone.  Your thoughts about me may fall under the lyrics of the song “Imagine” by John Lennon when he wrote: “You may say I’m a dreamer.  But I’m not the only one.  I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.”

 

     But sadly, we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"There are no boundaries or limits 

to your dreams."

Music

      I think most of us would admit that we like music.  At least some forms of music.  You may have your favorites or you may be like me and have found out that depending on your mood or temperament your choice of music can vary widely.  Primarily my preferences lean in the direction of Rock n’ Roll and Country (I was a child of the 60s), but I have been known to actually enjoy an Opera from time to time.

      Why is it that music can affect us in some many different ways?  There have been many research projects done on why we as humans are so affected by music.  An interesting article published online in the summer of 2014 lists an abundance of ways that music can be beneficial to adults. (https://www.nammfoundation.org/articles/2014-06-01/benefits-learning-and-playing-music-adults?gclid=CjwKCAiAouD_BRBIEiwALhJH6GP5lU7aOtVFTclwP4qzTmi9eTIK80tzLT4fjqST746mRJiDtw1hmhoC3iIQAvD_BwE )

     One item on their list that I found surprising is: “Much like expert technical skills, mastery in arts and humanities is closely correlated to a greater understanding of language components (Trei, Lisa. "Musical training helps language processing, studies show." Stanford News. Accessed February 24, 2015).”

    “Musical Communication”, an article by Dorothy Miell, Raymond MacDonald, and David J. Hargreaves made the following observation; “Music is a powerful means of communication. It provides a means by which people can share emotions, intentions, and meanings even though their spoken languages may be mutually incomprehensible.” (https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198529361.001.0001/acprof-9780198529361#:~:text=More-,Music%20is%20a%20powerful%20means%20of%20communication.,languages%20may%20be%20mutually%20incomprehensible. )

     I think we have all seen how music is able to rouse our spirit to heights that we would probably not imagine possible.  Have you ever been to a high school football game?  There you are sitting in the stands and the home team scores a touchdown!  What usually happens?  The school band begins to play triumphant music and the crowd goes wild!

     You see the Macy’s parade on various holidays and there are the bands playing.  The people are inspired to cheerful heights of well being and peaceful moments.  The same happens at other such parades.  Over and over the music moves the mortal soul to inspire feelings of happiness.

     If you don’t think can affect you and even your enjoyment of events, try watching a Star Wars movie, or Star Trek, or even a murder mystery WITHOUT the music.  It changes your perception of what is happening in the movie!

     There is also martial music (or military music) which is a specific genre of music intended for use in military settings performed by professional soldiers called field musicians.  Varying with the location and time in history, such music has been produced by drums, trumpets, bagpipes, and other instruments.  Some individuals have become famous for their participation in martial music.  John Philip Sousa was an American entertainer and composer.  He is best remembered for his marches, his band, and his patriotism.  Known as the “American March King,” he wrote 136 marches, including The Stars and Stripes Forever, the national march of the United States.

     Music has been used for many reasons over the centuries and by many peoples.  You may have your favorite type.  Often just to listen to music, while you relax your inner being, is a favorite pastime of many.  In his play “The Mourning Bride,” William Congreve, an English author of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries expressed a proverb showing how music has the power to enchant even the roughest of people.  You may remember hearing it at some point: “Music has charms to soothe a savage breast.”  Perhaps you have heard it stated “Music has charms to soothe a savage beast” but that quote is wrong, although it has become very popular in its own right.

     What can we learn about how music affects us?  “Research suggests music can influence us a lot. It can impact illness, depression, spending, productivity and our perception of the world.  Some research has suggested it can increase aggressive thoughts, or encourage crime.”  (https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/08/health/music-brain-behavior-intl/index.html#:~:text=Research%20suggests%20music%20can%20influence,aggressive%20thoughts%2C%20or%20encourage%20crime. )

     After this brief consideration of music, we can conclude that we should be very selective about the type of music we allow to enter our minds.  Whatever we choose, it is bound to affect us in some form or fashion.  It may do such in a way that we don’t want to happen.  The need then is to select our music with cautions.  Our tenacious efforts may well be worth it in the long run.  However, our basic problem is that we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Words are used to touch the mind.

Music is used to touch the heart."

Thinking

      It’s something we do all the time and yet most of us would probably consider that others should do it more often.  What is it?  THINKING!  This is the process of using one’s mind to consider or reason about something.  For most of us it doesn’t seem to be a problem.  However, on many occasions you will hear someone comment: “WHAT were they thinking?”

 

     An article posted on Psychology Today over 10 years ago by Charles Fernyhough PH.D. made an interesting observation (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-voices-within/201008/what-do-we-mean-thinking )

 

     “It seems to me that there are two common usages of the term (thinking). One holds that thinking is everything that the conscious mind does. That would include perception, mental arithmetic, remembering a phone number, or conjuring up an image of a pink unicorn.

     On this definition, thinking simply equates to conscious cognitive processes. I think this definition is too broad, and we make more scientific and philosophical progress if we tighten it up a bit. 

     People of a psychodynamic persuasion might even want to talk about "unconscious thinking," but I think that makes the term so broad as to be quite useless. Of course, there are tremendously important unconscious cognitive processes shaping the way we make sense of the world, but "thinking" seems to me to be quintessentially conscious.

     Let's take Rodin's The Thinker as an example.  Here's someone who is more than just conscious.  He is struggling with a problem, cognitively trying to get from A to B.  One important point about thinking is that it is active; it is something that we do.

    That's why I, following Vygotsky, prefer the active term "thinking" to the passive term "thought." If you like, we can call "thought" the product of the active process of "thinking." But I think that sticking to the active term keeps the special qualities of thinking at the forefront, and that's important for what we have to do.” 

     Our thinking process whether we view conscious or unconscious thinking as our perspective, must also be weighed in the light of our “reactive impulsive thinking.”  Impulsive thinking is the tendency to act without thinking, for example if you blurt something out, buy something you had not planned to, or run across the street without looking.  To a degree, this kind of behavior is common, especially in children or teenagers, and isn’t necessarily a sign of trouble.

     What if we lived our lives primarily according to impulsive thinking and not conscious or unconscious thinking?  I think we can reason what a catastrophe that may cause, not only in our own lives, but in the lives of everyone around us.  How would they know what we might do next?  How could they respond to current conditions if they could not rely upon our responses being in agreement with the preferred process of logical thinking?

     Perhaps you know an individual who seems to always “act before thinking”.  Or maybe they appear to never think things though at all!  It is very difficult to work with or even associate with such an individual.  They may make you of think of the expression “loose cannon.”  We never know when they might go off!

     It is therefore understandable that developing our thinking process takes time and effort.  I’m not saying that we will always agree in our thinking with that of another person.  But there are ways that our logical thinking process must be developed.  As always, however, the key obstacle that gets in our way is that we’re only human!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"If you think more about what to do before you do it,

you will have quicker and better results."

Beginning

 

     Today is the first day of the new year.  Everyone is pondering all the things that have happened over the past twelve months and trying to figure out how things may change during the upcoming twelve months.  Many are hopeful and some are a bit apprehensive about what the future will hold for them and their family.

      Some will look back on the past year and have a humorous perspective, trying to put a “better light” on things that have happened by using a joke to lighten the circumstances, while not making light of the actual events.  I saw a post recently showing this personal regard.  The individual said (by the end of December): “I had set myself a goal to lose 10 pounds during the year.  Now it is the end of December and I only have 14 pounds to go!”

 

     Others will only look at the past year and have anxiety about the things that have happened.  They will consider all the unfortunate loses of lives, both from the COVID and because of other reasons.  There is also the unemployment situations and the economic changes that have happened over the past year than many will take a long time correcting in their lives.  Many will have been touched personally by these things and will, no doubt, have feelings that nothing will be able to alleviate the emptiness within their hearts.

 

     There may yet be others who will simply attempt to deny within themselves that any of these actually happened and they will attempt to move on with their lives the best they can, trying to make sense of things within their own minds so they will be able to cope.

 

     With all these things and many others people are looking forward to a new beginning and hoping that this new year will help them reach some sort of normalcy to their lives that they have lost during the months of the pandemic and all that it brought upon them and their families

 

     Many will attempt to put their hopes within the scientific community because they have developed several vaccines that are promising to bring relief from the current heath crisis.  There will, no doubt, be many who will benefit greatly from the advancement within this medical situation and we certainly hope that will be the case for the vast majority. 

 

     There will be those who feel that their new beginning will come only by their own hard work and personal efforts and from the things that they are able to personally control.  And there will be many who will rise up and proclaim that they have the solutions to the problems currently faced by mankind, whatever those problems may turn out to be!

 

     The truth lies in the counsel at Jeremiah 10:23 where it states “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”  If a man cannot direct his OWN steps, how can a man or a group of men direct the steps of billions of other people?  No, the real beginning for any one of us is when we accept the counsel at Philippians 4:6,7. “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.”

 

     When our new beginning brings our lives into harmony with the will of God, we will then find true peace and security and not some facade that is presented by the current affairs of the world.  As I have always said: “Our biggest problem lies in the fact that WE’RE ONLY HUMAN!”

    

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"With each new beginning comes the chance 

to change the things you have done wrong in the past."