Time, Patience, Reason, Reflective Listening

Why do people think you can turn a battleship around in a stream over night>?
HUH? What the heck is she talking about?

You can't solve these massive problems of economics, health care, a crumbling educational system quickly--at least not without full cooperation from a majority of a population and or their legislators.

If that population and the legislators are working against any and all attempts to fix or even discover the source of the problems--nothing can or will be done...but the problems will not go away.

Only the understanding that a Government of a country with 400million compatriots
needs TIME to repair any part of a system that is not functioning.

People who are not willing to share--anything--or who have become knee jerk in their opposition to any new ideas or who have narrowed their thinking to following whoever complains the loudest--are part of the problem.

Listening to each other--not the so-called pundits--really listening by repeating to ourself the words that create a knee jerk response--in a small sense they then become our own--giving a bit of credence to those words and offering our opposing view with rational, inside voices.

That's all for now...I'm not feeling well.

Loving God, Believing in Him, Praising Him is not a competition

Love for God and His Words is possible in many languages and every heart is capable of it. He answers to any name and cares for any and all non-beleivers. His creation of this universe and all that is therein- visible and invisible is simply a manifestion of His love for His creation. None would exist without His Creative Word.

This existence came into being when he commanded that existance to "B E".

We need all our cognitive, rational, and extra-sensory endowments to begin to fathom the how and why of it all.

These concepts are open and available to all who have eyes to see - read, understand and know that the love of God to His creation is universal throughout time and is not limited, nor is His Being limited, nor can His Being be contained in any form. Yet, He wishes to be known by His creation. The only place of knowing and the only place He can be known is in the human heart. But, He cannot take His place within it.

The door must be opened by the owner. He must be welcomed to His place by the possessor of the heart. The mystery of this relationship is that He gave us a heart with room for Him, but He CANNOT enter without our permission. He can choose to make Himself known to any of us as He Wills, but we must choose to accept or deny His
offer.

Those of us who deliberately search Him out and confidently believe with all our hearts and souls in His All-Loving embrace, realize that Love is available to all who seek it, need it, request it, and accept it. Many names are given to it--but it is not limited by any name or by any concept placed on it by man's limited understanding.

Spiritiual Starvation

Playing Russian Roulette with my soul is a game I have played all my life. Many times I have lost. Tests have come that I was not prepared for and they swept me away. Instead of becoming stronger as a result of these tests--it was more like--I was put back to square one and had to start all over again, relearning and regaining any progress I had made.

The game is played by being fully aware of spiritual duties that keep one connected and nourished on a daily basis, simply, say a brief obligatory prayer once a day. How hard is that? We rebellious ones or undisciplined ones, don't do it even when we actually rememeber we are supposed to!

Time goes on as the soul languishes, longing for its spiritual nutrients. The lower self withholds this source of love from the spiritual aspect for God knows why..but sooner or later the test comes that could have been beneficial from the start and the malnourished soul lands in St James Infirmary begging for hope and forgiveness.

It is a mystery to me why this ridiculous pattern continues. The solution is so simple, the purpose so clearly stated, the need so vital and yet--every day that the soul is not fed, gives the lower self that much more power over the higher self.

God help us...me
Please!

My Love Reaches Across the Country

We've mused about sitting on a porch
Decades from now
Laughing at all our crazy fun
And when it had all begun.

Funny things happen when we get together
And when one is sad--we both are
Our musing of future reflections
Brings us closer, takes us far

Far from whatever frustration
Is wearing on us
But we never imagined
It would happen just
Like this...

You get to come 'home'
Nearer to me
But, Oh what pain and sorrow
Brought it to be

Your source of aggravation
And joy
Over and over you called him
"My little boy..."

Left your arms, your life,... and his
We grieved and screamed...
Why did it have to happen like this?

Many a time I defended his view
Somehow his words just didn't get through
But I knew that you needed to hear him
And I knew that your place was still near him

A happy time was spent
Just hours before he went away
Im sure he didn't want to leave you
But his body said, "I can't stay"

Now we get to be together
Not as close or as often
As you and he
But for us -- you and me

Any time we can share is enough
We take turns
Being funny -- now its time
To be tough.

I spread my arms across this land
And offer my shoulder, and my hand
The distance to my mind is painful
But my heart finds it easy to span

Come...

Gifted Harbinger

The biography of Ludvig von Beethoven depicts him in many contradictory terms. Various historians, musicologists, musicians masters of an array of instruments, chimed in with their view of the man.

He was generous, kind, empathic, tempermental, controlling, a bully, self-centered...I began to think I was watching Roshosmon.

And yet, he believed in God, gave God credit for the beauty and mysteries of this world and perhaps for his own gift.

After he became totally deaf, God had his full and complete attention. The message Beethoven was to set forth, the fanfare for God's Messenger on this planet and inspired him to write the Ninth.

That peice has everything. It is dark, it has pathos, it has brightness, and of course it has joy. But, if you ever find the original lyrics--study them well. It's all about God's desire for mankind to recognize their oneness.

Fire! Fire! Everywhere...hardly time to think!

The season started early with plenty of fuel on hand.
The rains, the heavy, wet snows we had drenched
The rocks, trees, dirt and sand.

Our very short spring (a blessing in disguise)
Brought forth bouquets of wildflowers- a delight to our eyes

Now the fire-bugs abound
Poor, sick brothers
Born that way
I have found
Undetectable by others

First it was luscious fields, mountainsides of loam
Yesterday--it was an occupied home.

Neighbors came to comfort the residents of the abode
Gathering the friends in their arms to help them cope
All was lost inside that house and out
Lost too -- was hope.

All memories of happy times
All life -- the fish -- the dogs
Were in the house, the yard, where they piled the logs.

Fire out...holy water drained from ragged eaves
Carrying ashes to the soggy ground

The scene burned into the core of those looking on
Their hope completely broken
So they couldn't even remember what it used to be

Then something moved, within the smoke
A form emerged slowly!

More than one memory--he carried thousands with him-
A life! From the rubbley, smouldering ashes

Its Buddy! He's alive!- No burns! No gashes!

The old dog that grew up here
Hobbled out of the destruction
Licked his owners hand
And sat without instruction.

His demeanor at the hubbub
That greeted his appearance
Was true to his character
Of kindliness and patience.

Buddy walked through the amorphous wall of smoke
Bringing joy, relief, and yes...previously expired--
Hope.

The very sight of him lifted hearts and spirits
When the embodiment of hope appeared...
Everyone wanted to be near it.

Fires will continue.
There is no reason to doubt.
Vigilance will increase.
Now, we all who live here are scouts.

Buddy will enjoy his remaining days
Being the source of happy memories
That could have died in the haze
Of smoke and flame
Of guilt and blame

But he brought relief, healing
And praise --
After the painful, destructive
Blaze.

Thank you Buddy!
For just being alive!

Identity Crisis -Who Are We--Really?

Those of us with too much time on our hands, may be tempted to reflect on and inspect every aspect of our being. We can get caught up in the miasma of 'me' and mystified by the myth of self. If we are unbalanced to begin with--such a never-ending search does not help. I venture to add--most of us are less than perfectly balanced beings.

When we see this vortex taking over our thoughts and deeds, it is time to get out and mingle. People watch, bird watch, take a hike, a Sunday drive and find someone who needs company to visit with.

Knowing ourselves is only important when faced with critical decisions. The rest of the time we should let ourselves be. If we take ourselves into account each day for a few mintues before going to sleep, so we can improve our actions, reactions and interactions, that is the best way to know who we are. That way we are laying the foundations and building a structure of 'self' that we are in touch with and guiding the growth of.

Pardon the preaching...I am basically talking to my....self.