Just thinking out loud

In this life, there are a myriad array of poor choices that have more to due with a false sense of equality and less to due with headship and responsibility Charlotte, but what good is equality in a loving relationship, when the male never leads, and the female is left without a Man? "The quality of a man and woman is how well they take care of each other and inspire one another to be great and loving."

Just thinking out loud(again)...

Alternating currents

Wednesday finds me changing the conversation (again) after a lengthy panel discussion earlier about Deism and the formation of a unifying government system based on our ability to freely believe and assemble according to those beliefs.

Never the pessimist, I am though humbled by these ongoing misunderstandings! Not that something sown in blood can't redeem, but it sure seems difficult..

Bernie Sanders

Yes dear Charlotte, I have perceived through the fog of Ferguson MO., that there are those who think this struggle is about Race and Policing, and yet, not to injure their ignorance, but the real reason why citizens vent their rage in the streets(all over the world) is because in all honesty, all other avenues of discussion are already bought and paid for!

Hush

The reality is contained within accepting the challenge to be(come) the dream, not in placating the dreamer..

Explaining the Obvious

Reality: is the conjectured state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined.[1] In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible. A still more broad definition includes everything that has existed, exists, or will exist.

Three Generations of Love

Attraction

Sunday after it all finds me reflecting on Joy and Wonder: And you know Dear Charlotte, life was never going to be about who can win the most verbal skirmishes as the night closes in! 

As I am reading the manual, it would seem that life is an ever abundance of opportunities to learn to listen and then inspire the most from within another. Which is what I am about!

Days

Friday has entered the frame, and as such a one contained within, recognize that to be "Vast and Brilliant" it's really just surrendering to what you believe in! Living a Life that isn't broadly consumed by the culture,
but is rooted through the truth of you with Eyes Raised, and Arms Open.

Prodigious Strength and Luminous Love!
Standing in the Reality that is unbowed..

Wonder and Awe

Ever wonder why you breathe at all?
Not on those days, but through all things: You breath to Serve, to Love, to Provide Words of Comfort and Affirmation to others, to be Creative, to Cast Vision, and you Breath to Passionately Love others, so that they may have the Strength and Depth to Love Another as well.

"then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature." Genesis 2:7

August

Life, like Love takes a willingness to Live.
In Living, we embrace the need to Love, and in that reality, I am free to care beyond my own fears and misconceptions..

Ahoy and more

In the new week ahead, seek to Live a Life that refuses to surrender to the ready weaknesses of others, but Lifts and Loves another in a way that reveals Their Truth.

Breakfast

Morning is busting out of its slumber, so best be getting my Saturday a popping as well! Joy and pancakes for sure..

1st. Two Sons:

Jonathan Charles, and Alexander Thomas. Different and yet, connected nonetheless..

Saturday then,

From across the distance still: "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with Joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:8-9

Across Worlds

Off in the distance, the sun also rises.
The rest then, is really up to You!
Me, well, I think you know my heart..

Wide and Wonder

"Just as a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water and rises out of the water to stand above it unsoiled, so I too, born into this world, raised alongside this world, having overcome this world, seek to live unsoiled by this world that exist around me still!"

Cows and Humans

I know what you're thinking, but hear me: Life has that way of revealing the nature of a person, as I have a way of connecting to that nature. 

Calling me then, calling home even, is less absurd than a Flemish cow, which, strangely enough, isn't as uncommon as you may think...

Parks and Benches

Sweet Breezes and Laughter:

Surely there's more to life than someone else feeding us another dead opinion about life, liberty and the pursuit of 1959! For me though, past the chitter chat and all that's never going to be again, I embrace change. Embrace Diversity and all that it brings.

Homogeneous isn't Biblical, and I like that. Fear isn't Biblical either, but, that's why I like Park Benches, and Sweet Breezes most..

PS of Sorts;

As the morning works to open itself more fully, I'm reminded that there's always more to anything, if we just look a little longer, and as such a one who seeks greater clarity, I just felt the desire to say thank you again. Thinking of me, praying for me, these are the unseen blessings that keep me grounded, grounded in those times, when I'd much rather be un-tethered, and in that, there is peace! Peace for the purposes of Him who knows, even when my heart and eyes are still unsure.

In the day break then, is contained the promise of a new day to live, and living requires Joy in all circumstances, which I like as well dear Charlotte. So off now, off to unwind some things, to wind up some others, to focus on the sun setting and the peace contained in another day lived, with you, in my life.

Monday(s)

To give Love, to be Love, to refresh Love, to be able to receive and accept Love, this requires a strength that have to call upon, and in that, I suffer a weakening to my nature.

Of course, enveloped in Love, my recovery time is lessened, but for right now, releasing all as is needed, well, resting into the morning is my reward..

Calvary Chapel of the RedWoods

Days run long when the light hangs across the horizon, and I like that! In the same way I like the Oceans roar, and the course burn of wind whipped sand across my face.

And yet, isn't that why we put it in? Why we work past close. Why we choose the friends we call family? Days run long, and as they end, tired feels good again.

Fear and Trepidation

Reality is often not what we'd want it to be, and yet, we have to accept what is, and move along into what's about to be. At work then, down on the farm, or even up in the tower(s), the facts seem to never warble much, what is, is!

In view of that, and other realities that I may still learn to experience properly, I rest(you'll rest) best, when I can walk away with my integrity intact, and the truth spoken freely.

Pacifiers and blankets Charlotte, are not the signs of Redeemed Adults...

June Fades

Already July's on the horizon, and yet with June fading so quickly Charlotte, I thought all the more about the right now, and how so easily, the clock, and our own thoughts can change without me noticing....

Serve GP 2014

Serving, and being in Service are often examples of Worship. But in revealing Love through service, well, there is no confusion in that.

Love in the world:

A feeling of strong or constant affection for a person. An attraction that includes sexual desire : the strong affection felt by people who have a romantic relationship.

Real Definition of LOVE:

An affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests, an assurance of affection or warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion to another. Granted, I use the word as a way to claim, and/or inspire another to see themselves as special, but as is often the case Dear Charlotte, the world calls consistently, we though, we have to always refuse its voice, and better still, encourage those around us, to tune it out as well..

Happy Belated Fathers Day

Earlier, as the tears flowed, I thought of how you would see me now. Wondered actually about whether or not you'd approve? And oddly enough, in that space between where you taught, and what you forced me to learn, I was at peace with it.

For what is a father? Does anyone really know? Sure, there's the Heavenly Father, and all that, but down here, where men cheat and kill for a chance at two dimes, being a father is no easy task, and you chose it 1st.

Giving up all those chances to do something else with your life, you tried to parent me, and even now, I still say the words you said, do those things you've done to move it along, and I'm no less proud to have been your son. Sure though, I am sometimes sorrowful. Sorry for all those years you wondered if I'd ever come home again. But you know what, in the end, I did. And I hope you see that still.

Happy Fathers Day Dad.

Of course, I hope you're waiting for me in that great by and by, but like you always spoke into me, in the end, it begins all over again, so yesterday will just have to have been enough...

Dear(est) Charlotte

As oddly as this may appear to you right now, today is your last day as a Father. And yes, though always do I seek to give you greater license in what we do together, in this, I truly believe, perhaps, it should be my role to grow into, and yours to step away from.

What, with all that we're altering in the universe, from this day, the purely Feminine should be yours to embrace alone(and there's plenty there), leaving for me, the truly Masculine....

Com·part·men·tal·ize: Ver

Divide into sections or categories.

"He had the ability to compartmentalize his life"

For me then Charlotte, what, with my life changing again, things seem different somehow. Not just with my Brother leaving again, or maybe even me, loving again. It's just that the journey is stepping up again, and in that, something’s will have to change(again)...

T.E. Lawrence

"All men dream: but not equally.

Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did."

Gun Control

There is a one(two actually), that has a Love of Weapons, and the Men and Woman who have to use them. And yet, there is another(okay, maybe more than that) who like myself, has heard the senseless excused, enough!

Where does it end?

Do you feel better with a Weapon. Does it increase your sense of individual Power and Force? Coward! Learn to disarm your foes, before you arm yourself. And if you still think it's about freedom, then in all honesty, you've yet to have pulled the trigger on another...

As an aside Charlotte

Growing up, my Padre used to say that in knowing another, we risk loosing sight of what we're looking at. Of course, as a boy, I never really got it!

Years later, decades actually, I now know that within the depth of another, is where my real joy with them lives.

There are choices in life.

Some, well, they're more like ultimatums! But then we're old enough to think for ourselves (and be believed by others), and strange enough, at that moment, we realize, we're somewhat afraid of our own voice(s). Weird.

This Week-End though, let’s just Be Happy.

Maybe not flip the world on its axis Happy, but Happier than our circumstances warrant. And then, in hearing ourselves smiling, tip your heads back and laugh. You'll thank(s) me later!

Safety & Moderation though:
There is an excuse to lose ourselves afoot. But that is not your song their playing.

In order to Love someone,

Truly, it's necessary to see and be with them, as they are, so as to appreciate what makes them unique, and thus, lovable(to me):

hy·poc·ri·sy [hi-pok-ruh-see] noun
1. A pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess. 2. A pretense of having some desirable or publicly approved attitude. And me Charlotte, I'd prefer an unfiltered enemy, than a fraudulent relationship with someone in whom, I think I've found a Friend.

Life, isn't really that complicated;

Sure, I understand longing and loneliness, but the wrong choice(s), is still wrong: "As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly." Proverbs 26:11 

For even if you fail to know who you are, at least know to whom you're connected! 1. Be rightly placed in a specified position. 2. Fit in a specified place or environment. Which makes being punched in the face, a wrong idea, again! Change please, if not for yourself, then for them.

Fear, and well earned trepidation;

Are really not your friends Charlotte!

And yet, on this Sunday, underneath all the distractions that a Week-End can bring us both, I was nonetheless reminded that the future can indeed be brighter when the Truth is spoken freely by a one who really believes it!

Sometimes, knowing where I am,

Only reveals the reason and not the true intent of my being there. Just as in wanting to be there again, the reason is more rooted in who we could have been, and not so much, in who we're becoming.

Friday then Charlotte, and the reality of truth is about how you feel when you hear your own heart beating! Remembering when we spoke last, how was that rhythm for you then?

Sunday is coming!

Thursday reminds me that things that are in darkness, are often obscured by words more than with actual obstacles! Think it through. Challenge their conclusions.

There are often very compelling reason(s) for deception, and yet, you live in a logical awakening, so why discount logic just so you can believe what others do? Sunday for them is coming quicker than I imagined, but the fear is not mine to share.

Heat enveloped the valley earlier

And oddly enough, I painted myself green earlier today(long story). The good news is, I was wearing that blue shirt no one is ever very fond of me wearing during the daylight hours!

Wednesday night though, it's about to concludes w/out a Home Group Gathering, not sure how that changes my rhythm(s), but it does leave me with thoughts of something new.

Word to your Mother(s)

The Mothers Day Week-End is in full swing here @ the NW Chambre des Noirs. And though the laughter has been intense, and the Love amazing, there will always be that space between what was, and what we'll all miss in the years ahead.

Weird thought(s) then, wrapped in a poem, just in case you neglected to send flowers again: "Collectively, our responsibility as parents was not as great as we've imagined, for we did not supply the next great heart surgeon, nor a World Champion Formula 1 Pilot, and yet, because of who we've Loved as (our real or surrogate) Mothers, we do have a story to tell, a legacy to maintain, and the greatest gift of all to give, our Testimony of the Love of Jesus Christ in our lives."

Thanks be to all the Mother(s) who raised us,
and keep us focused still.

Conclusion(s);

Here I was working through the week, and when I looked up, it was over!

Weird too, for I started out thinking that with Michael & Mark off campus, folks would be on full chill and all would sail silently along. Not!

Nonetheless, Friday has broken free, and in the distance I can see the new RVCC dawning. Sweetness indeed...

Life, isn't really that complicated.

Tuesday, and yet, keep in mind that Jesus was constantly tested and scorned by the people in the temples. But the poor, the lame, the sick and the sinners He spent time caring for and Loving.

And always remember how He warned His people about those praising false gods and doctrines, or worse, those that invoke His Name, and don't even really know Him!

So please, vote your Faith, and not your race. The only lost tribes are those that have fallen away from the narrow path...

Saturdays Quote(edited);

Before you talk, listen.

Before you act, think.

Before you criticize, wait.

Before you pray, forgive.

Before you quit, try.

And yet, before this day is over,

give yourself the permission to dream big!

Before is always better than never...

Evil, never wants to let you go(on);

Often, as is in, this is not something I'm proud of; always, when it's over, it's over!

And yet, I get it.

Some people just can't move past the past, for maybe that's where they did their best work? But for me (and my family), we live in the now, always hoping for a (better, or otherwise) tomorrow, but rarely do we bring up your past.

Obviously, for you and yours,

if that's all you have to lean on, my apologies.

Let me ask you a question?

When is it enough conversation, and not enough production? Is there ever enough disobedience and disrespect?

Not that I’m feeling overwhelmed by the underperformance, more, I’m just frustrated with having to listen to the prattling of those who do less than should ever have been tolerated, as they’re constantly wondering if I and my team can do anymore than we’ve already accomplished!

And thanks to the one who revealed recently that being nice, is to behave in a friendly, ingratiating, or conciliatory manner, and truth be told, that wasn’t in the job description, nor in the notes that I placed in the addendum(s).

So here we are, once again having to calm ourselves from the needless friction of another series of failed opportunities to achieve and exceed, and yet, there’s just this lingering dread of wondering if there is an excellent ending to all the unrelenting mediocrity?

Remembering that it’s unnecessary to hold my hand and rub my forehead, doesn’t mean that it’s going to be an acceptable practice to force my team to stand by while others derail our progress with their ability to keep you looking down..

Check the currency(please);

"The seal, the pyramid, it's unfinished.

With the eye looking over it. And the words Annuit Coeptis.

'He Favors our Undertaking.'

The seal is meant to be unfinished, because this country's meant to be unfinished. We're meant to keep doing better. We're meant to keep discussing and debating."

Growth, requires change.

Not holding onto yesterdays gains,

but righteously seeking new mercies every day!

That to me is freedom...

Closing in on the question(s)

Monday rolled up on me earlier than I would have liked, and yet, there's change on the wind again. And I like change(passion, compassion, conversation and hugs too!)...

Yesterday(7/21/1990) I wept openly;

Have you ever lost your mind, and then had another reveal it to you from a distance? Well, it sure looked that way to me: It was on stage in front of 500,000 people, with a worldwide audience of millions more, Live @ the Potsdam Platz in Berlin Germany, there was Rodger Waters, singing about my life.

Odd for sure..

"What shall we use to fill the empty spaces where waves of hunger roar? Shall we set out across this sea of faces in search of more & more applause?

Shall we buy a new guitar?
Shall we drive a more powerful car?
Shall we work straight through the night?
Shall we get into fights?
Leave the lights on?
Drop bombs?

Do tours of the East?
Contract disease?
Bury bones?
Break up homes?
Send flowers by phone?

Take to drink?
Get a new shrink?
Give up meat?
Rarely sleep?
Keep people as pets?
Train dogs?
Raise rats?

Fill the attic with cash?
Bury treasure?
Store up leisure?
But never relax at all,
With our backs to the Wall!"

Some Thursday truths:

Life isn't fair, but your friends should be.
Lazy people are not productive leaders.
Managers, who cannot communicate,
do not delegate.

The longer the conversation continues,
the less your point resonates.

And, just for the record,
if you'll spend real money for fake food,
often you only alienate those who can actually prepare a real meal,
just as your hunger sets in!

The often quoted:

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life." Only applies to men who eat fish...

Moroni (Book of Mormon prophet)

‎"If you can make people believe in absurdity,

you can make them commit atrocities."

Voltaire

Just another reminder to vote your faith, vote your passions, vote for what's real! People representing a false god, will only reveal themselves as false leaders...

Pledging;

Today, I pledge to be with the wind,
near and far, up close, or if you wish,
only seen off in the distance..

Wednesday;

As the weekend rolls closer, the topic of fear was on this mornings agenda, and yet, one should never be so afraid that they'll lose what your uniquley after, simply because some other person arrives @ 1st. or even while your about to posses it.

Not only can this not really happen, but you're not even seeking something that can be possessed by anyone else anyway; for it is your own dreaming, your own longing that is causing what you want to be created from the energy and the supply that is without limits! Without limits!

Can a bird fly?

Do fish swim?

Are you aware why?

Keep that thought real in your heart,

and the rest will unfold as you move it forward.

In the between, remember to move in peace..

Philadelphia nights;

Midnight, and like all creative types, the moon, the stars, they only remind us that the day lives on as we bring the idea(s) within us, to fruition..

Independence;

Fear and loathing, or drunk and stupid?

Independence(day) is not about the Joy of doing whatever seems right to you alone, Independence is the Joy of making a series of decisions that serves to not enslave others to your overreach!

Enjoy the day(for what it is),

but remember to not spoil it for the rest of us...

More than that;

The new week moves into day two soon enough, and yet the reality of your next series of indulgences shouldn't be based on your perceived inabilities as defined by others, but, upon your latent ambitions, screaming to be released and realized...

Differences;

Beauty is the reality of being yourself.

Frustration comes when your reality is living someone else's life!

Ear helps;

Listening is a magnetic and powerful embrace, a creative force from deep within ourselves. Thus the friends who listen to us are the ones we move closer toward.

Just as when we are listened to, it creates and enhances our center, allowing us to unfold and then, expand toward others.

Tuesday morning and though, I'm missing the laughter of my sons, the warmth of the sun, and the calm that comes from swimming @ the W. Dennis Beach in July, on this day, I do have the Joy of a job yet be completed by the many hands in the Worship Center to refresh me.

What if;

The reality is I can't be there, if you never tell me where it is!

Nor can I calm the hurt, if you never speak about it openly with me, and yet, the reality also is that if you stop walking into walls,
you might find the door that much sooner!

Just saying..

An Island on the sea;

Wednesday reminds me that no matter the circumstance(s), life is often more about what we're willing to reach(beyond ourselves) for, and less about what we say(to others) we're searching for!

Like Joy, life is choosing and making the right choices.

Life is me choosing to not be down;

because I remember how hard it'll be be to motivate back up.

Wednesday(Thursday), let it be different this time...

My 3 Sons;

Distance isn't the answer, but neither is it the excuse;

Father's day may be the greatest reminder, but one day,

when the children grow old enough, then, and more often then not,

it will be a Happy Father's day!

In the between, be happy in your heart..

How can you win;

Introduce yourself to your obstacles today:

"Hello, my name is Victory, and you must be; Defeated.

Choice equals opportunity;

Wednesday, and the reality of it all isn't lost underneath the misunderstanding.

For honestly, the best part about fear, is it reveals who you really are, when whatever you're standing(upon) behind, falls down in front of you!

Me, I like the idea of fear, enjoy the fight, or flight emotions, and yet, I don't filter my understanding through them, for it's not what we're feeling that matters, it what we know, and where that knowledge is actually rooted.

Wednesday, and though people come and go, choosing still helps nonetheless..

There's more to come;

Friday coming up(or, you're in Guam), and though it's the end of the week, it's not the end of it all. So shake it off and step into the positive. Life is what's it's going to be, you though, you can be who(ever) you want.

And yes, even with my eyes off you, You are Amazing nonetheless...

Without fear;

I live, love, and work around some human beings that often cause me to question my own smile, and yet, seeing them, knowing what they say and do aren't always the same thing, I'm still happily in love with them...

Quit your bitching;

And in this way, it doesn't matter if you remember what you've said, 
for what you've said, is something you'll want repeated about you!

Plus, I like the Post Office...

Okay, I do love you still!

Our memories are built like this

Some are clear and real

Others travel in and out

With no specific rhythmic or rhyme

Life's phases too are tapestries

With textures of their own

Some we love and some we hate

From all of them, we've grown anew

So we gather wisdom from our pains

From torment we grow strong

From the sorrow, we grow Joy

Our spirit nurtured by mistakes;

Still fated travels on..

Memorial Day;

‎"True enough; nobody can go back and start a new beginning,

but anyone can start again today, and make a new ending!"

Holidays give way to Joy and Relaxation,
but still, I find myself thinking of more..

Thomas Jefferson

Quotation: "If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered...I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies... The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."

This;

Thursday reminds me that it isn't power that people fear, it's the loss of being part of a whole that keeps people focused on that which is obvious only when they're not looking around them!

Did you Vote?

Here in my(NW) corner of the Universe, the acrimony and false dealing(s) has open the door to run away criminality(or so they say) due to the now under-funded criminal justice apparatus. And, perhaps where you move about under it all, similar dysfunction is on the offer? Makes me sad!

Nonetheless, before we throw in the towel and jump back to 1952(again), let's all take a deep(er) breath and ask for the truth instead.

What can it hurt to know the facts before we act(up)?

Words I liked;

"Begin while others are procrastinating

listen while others are talking

Smile while others are frowning

Study while others are sleeping

Believe while others are doubting

Plan while others are playing

Save while others are wasting

Decide while others are criticizing

Persist while others are quitting

Prepare while others are dreaming

And with determination,

success will smile at you."

Mothers(reloaded);

Yesterday, I remembered a heart I'd broken, it was, my mothers.

Not because of just one thing, or one incident, or even another’s thoughtless action that I ignored, but, because of my own need to be busy, to be about something other than my Fathers business, my mother, she went unnoticed, unrecognized, unrealized!

So this Sunday, I'll put aside the cards.

Put aside the flowers.

And just offer my Love,

which oddly enough, is all a mother ever wants...

Ask your Mother(s);

what is was it like to be a Woman during that "sweet, by & by" when all a man needed to do was say his wife wasn't what he needed her to be, and(who needs a divorce), he could have her committed on word(s) alone.

And then, Vote for your future(and not their past)!

The week, ends;

and I'm thinking about You.

Wondering what your week was like(?), and how your Spring is unfolding(?) around You. Me, I'm living that NW Dream still, enjoying the fresh air, while keeping my eyes open to it all! Ideally, You're doing the same...

Okay, I'm done with this

but I just wanted to leave this thought with you; what if there was no need to misquote, mistreat, misdirect, no need to mistake outer Wimer for the Willamette Valley, what then?

Would you be a better person?

Would your child have better friends?

Would you still be married to the 1st person you said I do with?

Reality, honestly, it is your friend!

Bring it home next time..

Somedays;

You have to burn a few bridges,

just to keep the crazies from following you!

Race(and the upcoming), Re-Mix;

Friday, and I was thinking that I've arrived @ that place in America, where I am not so much a threat, as an annoyance. Odd too, for I can still taste the sweet smell of my own blood, still sense that dread and unease, and yet, here it is, an age where I’m not so much a Young, Handsome Black Man, and the fears caught up in that phrase, but I’m a Man, who’s Black, which today, seems to not excite as many anxieties.

Not that having the grey says that I’m any less threatening, for I think that now my with my brain quicker than my fist, I’m a more formidable opponent, but, in this place, appearances have always counted more than substance, so in a way, I guess it’s a good thing that I’m more uncle ben, than Mandingo Buck!

Friday, and as I was watching the world out of the corner of my eye, I was reminded that with it so soon to be “game over” for the man, and then what; Are we the next Canada, or the next Britannia?

Friday, and I normally have another thought in this, but today, I’m up against that milepost, where most of us never get to stand, so me, I’m taking it all in, more than when I’m thinking it further out.

Sweet Friday. Not sweet like after the blow, but close enough for now…

Preamble;

Friday, and the living isn't easy, and I've not been in the cotton fields lately, so, that might not be too high either! But on another note, I was just in the most productive meeting, with a real good group of Brothers, and in that, I am @ Peace!

So in the between, of what I know is brewing up to be(coming) an inspiring poem, and the next time you smile, keep this in mind: When you think past yourself, think past your own circumstances, often, life has a tremendous amount of potential left.

Living in it, taking hold of it even, might just be a matter of choice. What are you choosing?

He knows, and that's enough..

If you know the story, keep it to yourself, but, earlier, I was over in Medford visiting with my Brother Don, and I was asked what I was doing. You know, you are where(or what) you work(at), and in speaking my answer, I realized two things:

The least important is that, I was a much better team leader and rain maker, so much so that, the boss who respected me the least, uses what I accomplished in spite of his efforts, to set example(s) of what can be done, when you reach high.

Sadly though, the most impacting was when I was confronted with the reality that serving the Lord, for some, isn't as important as having the last word. And in that, I'm proud to say that if even under the worst conditions, a true servant can and should make a positive impression 1st., 


For honestly, the tape does play on without you...

Saturday;

Caffeinated.

Leftovers consumed.

Lawn mowed.

Laundry folded.

Website(s) updated.

Off to the Growers Market for Pizza and then; Worship Rehearsal!

Be blessed as You move about the Universe today...

They killed Kennedy too!

What if you could really believe in the future.

Not the future where you sacrifice your faith, for your race, or even, that future where we're all back in that time, that was uglier than those fake movie depictions?

Not that I think about any of that, but tonight, riding in from Eagle Point, I saw a giant rebel flag flying off a truck, and a fresh rebel bumper sticker on another. And before you even jump off that cliff, let me ask you this; would you rather live in a better tomorrow, or have one more chance to relive the last 10 years?

Just saying...

Rain

Many things matter, and even a few things have an even deeper meaning, but so much is subjective, and thus, personal in that it's hard to express across friendships, families, and even those within whom, we have connection.

Rain(s): and the grass grows, and the earth knows, and often, that's enough.

Pain(s): and the body shows, and the insurance flows, and we're healed!

Often though, outside of rhyme and reason, many struggle in silence, and in that, I'm always left to wonder why we need class, caste, division, religion, and hate.

But, that's for another day.

Thursday!

Make the most of it...

Serving

What people require(deserve) to Serve confidently is, a leader who can: 

Anticipate - Think - Critically - Interpret - Decide - Align - Learn.

In this, we can hold people (the leader included) accountable, and within those principals, there is less opportunity for there to be stagnant volunteers.

Not that the words, stagnant and volunteers should ever fit together, but, sometimes, they do!

Easter week; somewhere, there's a service that needs your help..

Thursday en route;

Underneath the realities, I learned from my dad, who didn’t have a formal education but had doctorates from both the school of hard knocks and the Korean War (conflict).

He always modeled, that if you gave 110 percent, all the time, a lot of the hurt filled things that'll happen in this life, will be tempered by the knowledge that you were all in, ever present and accounted for!

And from those lessons learned along the way, and the continuing Joy of breathing still, for me, it's not consistent with a good life, whether or not I'm right, or validated by others, for the real answers are to be found in the way I live, in spite of those things!

And I like that.

Thursday then, and it feels good to heading off to: www.rivervalleycc.org

It's not work, so much as a joy to be welcome (d) and present at the same time...

Finalities

Endings and the way things begin, are often influenced by sound. Bird song, or ocean roar, the comforting voice of another even.

And days, days are influenced in that same way.

Be kind, walk softer, speak into that person.

In this way, outcomes are influenced and your smiling more...

Just wondering

To care, to share, to live and love, these universal things, these essential human aspirations, and all that's required to embrace them, is a strong enough desire for more than the less, you're presently trying hard not to be swallowed by!

Fear though, fear and the memory of loss hold so many still in place.

For if a tree can grow in Brooklyn,
and a rose was seen rising through the concrete of Oakland, what then can deny you the life your heart aches for?

Weak Ends;

Friday, and that can only mean the weekend is about to jump off again!

As we move about it, lets treat our Brothers and Sister with a greater degree of respect and compassion, for let me be the 1st. to say it;
some of us are having to fight the world, within our Christian relationships as well...

My Name;

Monday slides into night fall, and yes, the Brothers have lifted off into their own lives again.

Me, I enjoyed the Joy of being surrounded by the Power of a home full of Family, and yet, it's the after the visit that will radiate the furthest!

Nothing like the moment of course, but its those lives that we'll speak into now, that not so gentle nudge we'll give another that'll show this was just another example of why being Edward Jr. matters.

Thanks Dad..

They say it's your B/Day

Often, when the world's spinning just a little slower, off just to the left of that I'm supposed to be doing, there, I can see your smile.

Somehow in this refreshed state, there, your laughter reminds me that though not everyone understands how to live within themselves, you're doing quite a good job nonetheless!

Birthdays then, I suppose bring people together, but, the reality of our written knowledge of the other, keeps our bond intact....

Today though, is Moms.

Friday finds the family wrapped in the Joy of moms 80th. Birth Day hilarity!

Charles of course has a video that is not for wider distribution, and our man; Jonathan Gitsy Durham called with the BirthDay greetings from off the Island, so, to say that its a been a good time, more than likely, I'm leaving something out!

So find Joy in all that you're doing today, and remember your own mom. Ideally, she's a major part of how you move, but even if she's not, there's still time...

You know what beauty is(?)

Surrender.

Surrendering to the Most High moves me!

Surrendering to the reality that is your space in the relationship, now that('ll produce) pure adoration.

And I came to this while chopping broccoli.

Not that Love and food are connected, but with me, my sense of place and position isn't defined in some rigid, ethnocentric paradigm of manhood, for I am human 1st., then I slip into my personalty, which, finds me peeling the garlic now.

Black Man(Humor?)

http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/archive/2012/03/11 

Universe; let's look back(wards)

and then ahead to the future for a second;

"How many rivers do we have to cross,

Before we can talk to the boss?

Eh!

All that we got, it seems we have lost;

We must have really paid the cost."

Just saying, though the old wars are renewed again, and yet, isn't it obvious that's change done come for the people? I mean, I get the whole "we used to!", but that isn't what's happening anymore..

I liked this;

"When I say 'I am a Christian' 
I'm not aiming to be perfect;
My flaws are far too visible,
but God believes I am worth it."

Which isn't to say that what you believe(d) doesn't impact me,
but at the end of it all, you might not be where, I'm already going....

Defined;

hos·pi·tal·i·ty[hos-pi-tal-i-tee] noun, plural -ties.

1. the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.

2. the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.

Weird, and yet, knowing the culture, not unexpected!

This weekend, make your enemies your friends, for making your friends into your enemies, well, we know where that gets you..

Phillipians 4:6

How do we really know what to say?

Why do we even think words, from our lips, can help? Empathy; like Love are subjective(s),
and though we know it when we experience it,
often, we can translate in a way that wounds, and/or offends.

Today, like so many(in my valley), my heart isn't right, and yet words fail me, so, in my failure to understand, there He is, my faithful Friend, and Counselor, reminding me through the struggle(s) that all is well nonetheless..

Saturday dawns and Manna concludes.

With almost 24,000 sack lunches and 50,000 wieners served, and countless smiles enjoyed, it has been a very enjoyable six years in this ministry, and the co-laborers and I, we have been blessed by it all!

Meditating over all that has been, I am comforted by Psalm 127 which reminds us all: "1 Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. 2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat, for He grants sleep to those His beloved."

And in this new season of service, let's let those that labor for the approval of men have their reward, me, I'll keep the Lord in focus, and the world will fall away..

People say

Sometimes, people ask me why I do what I do, or better still, why am I so exacting in how I prefer others to be around me, and though this isn't the answer, often, how we phrase questions, determines the appropriate response.

Thursday, and the weekend is going to be here soon enough...

Mardi Gras;

"Fat Tuesday is the traditional name for the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of behavior as a form of penitence. Fat Tuesday gets its name from a custom in many Catholic deceived countries, of marking the day with feasting, before the fasting season of Lent begins."

Me, this year, I'm giving up fear. Fear and maybe even reluctance. And yet, even w/out a reason, I will be embracing change!

Change and more Joy actually!

Aside from the usual fear mongering;

"There is no division, don’t you understand

The future looks as though it has come around

And maybe we have finally found our common ground

We’re the children of one Father

If you’re looking back don’t bother

We’re black and white America!"

NAACP Awards for sure, but that's not what started me thinking...

Wonders;

Wednesday, and though I can feel the tension in the air is huger still, oddly enough, I'm on the Worship Schedule, but then again, I am the servant that I always was, and in that, I can find comfort, even while others are still uncomfortable with the reality of it all.

And maybe it'll make no more sense now, than it did all the months I poured myself in so freely, while others made off with the cream, but, even in that, my spirit is free, and my God isn't wondering about my motive(s), so, I'm liking this new season more than I thought I would.

Which doesn't surprise anyone,
except for those, it does!