Reassuring Faith

Over the years I have talked with lots of folks that need reassurance, from time to time, of their faith.  Some need some kinda sign to even start their faith journey.  And some see signs all the time…little glimmers of magic in the realistic world.  

If you have some measure of faith in you, He’s touched your heart & soul to bring your mind & spirit forth & shine as His Love only can & for you & me that’s all the sign we need.  You may not see or hear it, but you feel it.

I had a moment of reassuring faith this morning.  With a hundred things to do & even more on my mind…I have to set priorities.  Often times when my mind is torn in a 1000 directions I have to take a moment & reflect on what is important, what is my purpose & how to stay focused.

Your faith is what’s most important, for it consoles your inner self which drives your outward self.  I have strived my whole life for this balance & I have found only one way to maintain focus & remain confident & logical in your words & actions.  Only one way, there is no other, at least for me.

I find thru prayer & reading the Word of God, I can stay grounded in the foundations of truth which allow my spirit to be free & my soul to heal from the stab wounds of humanity.  The moment of assured faith I had this morning unfolded like this:

As I often do when I need to focus & set my day straight, I listen to some music then find a quiet moment to pray & enrich myself in the Bible.  

Those who know me know I often just thumb thru at random & read where the Spirit guides me.  This morning I found myself reading the Book of Luke Chapter 4 where satan tempts Jesus for 40 days to no avail in verses 1-13.  Then Jesus returns to Nazareth in verses 14-28 where He starts His ministry by reading a scroll handed to Him in the synagogue.  It was the writings of the prophet Isaiah & He read this passage: 

“The  Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners & recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lords’s favor.” (Luke 4: 18-19).  Jesus is quoting Isaiah here who the Jews obviously hold in high & esteemed regards.  Jesus goes on with His teachings related to this Old Testament passage & proclaims that this prophecy is fulfilled thru Him that day. Luke 4:21.

You can read the rest of Luke  4 as it takes you to the very moments in history where Jesus started His ministry by doing the very things Isaiah prophesied long before.

After I finished reading Luke 4, I thumbed to Revelations 3:14-21, John’s letter to the church in Laodicea…you can read it for yourself, no explanation needed.  And then one of God’s magic moments hit me & it was too real to ignore.  A sense of obligation compels me to share.

As I finished Revelations 3, I closed my Bible and set it back on my nightstand.  It is a Zondervan Student Bible, the New International Version.  It has 1440 pages.  As I lay back & collected my thoughts, a thought came to me that there was one more passage to read. Did I mention there are 1440 pages in my Bible?  So, I picked up the Bible and thumbed to a spot without looking as I most often do…& what passage do you think I found myself reading?  The very passage Jesus quoted in Luke 4…it’s Isaiah 61: verse 1.  Now I ask you my friend, what are the odds of that?  They are even greater if you consider all the individual verses I could have randomly turned to, of which there are over 31,000 in todays modern Bible.

Signs?  You want a sign?  We don’t need a sign, we have all the signs we will ever need in His Holy Word, in the bounties of nature & the words & actions of His faithful;  but it sure is nice when He throws one our way…just to reassure & keep strong our faith.

Seek & you will find, if your desires are based on Faith.

Be safe, be happy & be well. 🐝 

Go in Peace & Love will Follow.

⚖️✝️⛲️🕊️🦅✨ 

Note: Pictures are from St. Anthony School & St. Leo University….San Antonio, Florida 5/11/2025.

Overwhelmed

I’m overwhelmed.  Have you ever felt that?  Like there’s just too much to do & not enough time to do it.  That’s how I feel tonight.  My day today was mainly dominated by trying to get ahold of a live person at the IRS to find out where my 2023 refund is…not 2024’s…2023’s.  

Yes, it’s been a year and a half & I could really use that refund right now.  Finances overwhelm a lot of us, but in addition to that I’m trying to unpack, organize & reacquaint myself to an area I haven’t been in a long while. But that’s not what is mainly overwhelming me.

What is, is what I see, hear & feel in the world around me.  So many folks confused over trivial nonsense, distracted by the devils domain.  I’m overwhelmed with thoughts that I can do this or that about it, or nothing at all.  

So, like you, I have to prioritize & organize these thoughts, separate truth from deceit & pray for guidance & wisdom to make a good decision.  When you do this & have faith in your prayers…clarity will shine & your focus will narrow on what’s really important to accomplish on that long list that’s overwhelming you.

So, what is really important to me you may ask.  Well, I had a discussion with someone today who is in a position to help me accomplish some of my goals, which I have two dominant ones.

One is to find a way to reach those with wavering or no faith & to enrich the spiritual life of the faithful.  The second is to help those that are trapped in human exploitation, especially the children, some mere infants being abused by demented sexual perverts.  A horrid life none of us can truly grasp driven by the horrors & evil that some people have aspired to…it’s sickening.  There’s no place for them but hell, & hell is where these human traffickers, pedophiles & perverts will soon be.  There’s no way you can have a raptured spirit & enable or do unspeakable horror to others. 

I have an opportunity to expand the reach of this blog & plant seeds of faith on the airwaves.  God is good & provides ways & means for His faithful to flourish.  I am overwhelmed with emotion that a dream & desire I’ve always had will come true very soon.

My second priority of living in a world where human suffering at the whim of others is nonexistent…will require your prayers & the dedication of others like the Tim Tebow Foundation to come true.  But know this…evil has had its day in court & the verdict was guilty…now we’re just waiting on the Judge to hand out sentencing…last I heard it was a 1000 year sentence.  

I can’t wait for the Judge to bang his golden gavel on satans head & end the madness of evil in this world.  But wait I will & in the meantime I’ll live my life for our Creator, & seek to understand the teachings of Jesus, & let the Holy Sprit ease my tensions & clear a path for me to see these dreams & desires, which overwhelm me at times, come to fruition.  

With Gods help we can do all things if in faith we live.  Remember this when you feel overwhelmed.  Set your priorities, categorize the other things pulling you from those priorities & pray for clarity & confidence.  

A morning prayer: Dear Lord give all those that call on your name the clarity to see through the devils confusion & have confidence in their decisions.  We ask that you eliminate the distractions from our life & bind them so they do not deceive us any longer.  Thank you Father God for all the blessings you’ve poured out to Your faithful & continue to use Your Holy Angels & guardians to protect us & persecute those who defile You.  Set our path forward as we set a straight path for Your triumphant return to a world that is on a backward path to destruction.  Ease our minds & ease our pains & be with those suffering in the agony of satans domain.  In Jesus Name we pray.  AMEN.   Acts Chapter 2. 

Go in Peace & Love will follow. 🙏🇺🇸🌻🐝

Be safe, be happy & be well.⚖️✝️⛲️ 🙏🕊️✨  

A Better Day

Good Sonday Morning to you:  How good are you with details?  How observant are you?  Do you take time to smell the roses…or do you wrestle with the thorns of a dying stem?  Did you notice what some would call a spelling error in the very 1st sentence? 

It’s not a spelling error…it’s the Lords Resurrection Day…Son Day.  Every other 7th day of the week may very well be Sunday, but today, today is the Son’s Day.

When you woke this morning, what were your 1st thoughts?  What were the 1st words that crossed your lips? Who did your 1st thought think of?  And…where did your dreams take you in your slumber?

Ok, I’ll start…my 1st thought was…Thankfulness.  My 1st words were Thank You.  I thought of Jesus Christ First & Foremost.  And my dreams…well I don’t always remember them, but I regularly dream of Heaven on Earth & the peaceful pastures of the Promised Lands.

I woke up around 5AM & started my day.  After tidying up the new house & garage a bit I headed back to the apartment bout 40 minutes south.  The timing was great because one of my favorite radio programs was coming on at 6:30 AM EST.  I am not any particular religion but I ran across the Lutheran Hour show on 95.7 FM (The Ride) out of Hickory, North Carolina over 10 years ago.  The Ride is an independently owned FM Classic Rock station.  It is by far one of the best stations ever to listen to on your radio if you’re within range of their broadcast, or live stream them thru your Bluetooth as I do now.  After the Lutheran Hour on Sunday mornings, they do the Acoustic Storm.  This morning they’re highlighting the Eagles…one of my top 4 all time bands.  Thank you for such Spirit filled music…it warms my heart & rattles, in a good way,  my soul.  Seven Bridges never sounded so good…cept in concert, which I’ve been half a dozen times or so.

As I drove & listened to a message about “cleaning your room” I traveled a familiar road that led me to the Hillsborough County Veterans Memorial Park…just after 7AM EST, where these pictures were taken, this very morning…Resurrection Son Day, April 20, 2025.

Over the years I have asked God many questions.  I have never seen Him in this physical world…but I have heard & felt Him in ways I try to explain…but mortal words hold no weight to His  Majesty.  So in my prayers I ask…” Dear Lord, how can I better see You?  I ask this not for me…but that thru Your Grace…I can better explain the Faith that drives my soul & spirit.” 

Answers often take years & some may never even be questioned.  But since the question was asked, I guess at some point maybe a hint of an answer would form.  

Years ago I dabbled in photography.  I had & still have a dear friend who taught me a lot about the technology side of photography.  In kind, for his time in teaching me a bit about modern photography, I shared a bit with him about Gods perfect timing, which as any photographer ultimately knows…it’s not the equipment…it’s the moment…often a mere second.

As the Lutheran Hour wrapped up and the Acoustic Storm started I found myself in a moment.  A moment directed by Gods mystical timing…but in realty it’s not too, too surprising…for Father Time,  magic is easy.

I’ve asked God to see His Eyes…& although those visions are reserved for dreams & spiritual moments, I’d like to think He’s showing us His Eyes all the Time.

Have a Spectacular Son Day.  Go in Peace & Love will Follow…Always & Forever More.  And for all you Eagles music fans out there…Take Care & All So Easy. 🦅.

  

⛲️✝️⛲️ 🎂🕊️.🐊🏆🐆😎📡🦬🐝

Reflections: The Book of Micah.  Revelations 20.

This mornings message from Spark Church was on Romans Chapter 3 verses 19-31.  These 12 verses by the Apostle Paul contain the Words of the ancients for the people of the present.  Read these 12 verses carefully & multiple times if needs be; they sum up what today, this day, The Sons Day is & always will be.

AMEN  

A Shallow Society

How shallow has mankind got that many can’t fathom a world outside of what they can only see and hear?  Our American society has become a viper pit of lustful desires with lavish luxuries and leisurely laziness.  The American dream is turning into a hellish nightmare of a Godless society, driven by machines.

 

The promised lands of America we know today were settled by foundations of God loving people many generations ago.  Gentiles we are referred to in the Bible, as our ancestral branch is not of Jewish roots…but we all come from the same soil, are nourished by the same waters and breathe the same air.

What has happened in America over the last 60 years can be summed up in one sentence…We have turned off God and turned on the television.  The greatest invention to shape a society, the TV, started a video onslaught that has permeated the brains of all of us.  TV opened our eyes & ears to worlds untraveled & unknown.  Its benefits include expanding our knowledge and understanding of the physical world; but at the same time clouding and confusing our spiritual world.  

Knowledge is only part of wisdom.

One can only gain true wisdom by exploring all dimensions of life.  Televisions, computers & smart phones are two dimensional devices, all machines are.  We live in a physical three-dimensional world. It is the influence machines have on our society that impact the most important but misunderstood aspect of our lives.  That fourth dimension we don’t always see or hear, but it’s there, because we feel it…

Our spiritual world.

It’s Holy Week.  If you haven’t ever tried it or if it’s been a long time since you got in touch with your inner self, why not this week?  You don’t need a machine; you just need yourself & God’s Holy Word.  

We all have some measure of Faith within us, we are born with it.  Find yours again or strengthen the Faith you’ve found and expand the true wisdom found in the New Testament of the Bible.  It will make the history, law & prophesies of the Old Testament much clearer.  

My Faith resides in the fact that our spirit & soul, that fourth & even beyond dimension, is more valuable than any amount of lustful, lavish leisurely laziness could ever provide.  For this world is merely physical, like a machine…whereas you my friend have feelings of joy & sadness, delivered by your heart & mind & driven by your soul & spirit.  

Let God drive your spirit.  Your soul will reap in rewards you can’t begin to imagine.  No pastor, priest, minister or rabbi can bring you there.  No church or synagogue can bring you there…they can help, but you must search yourself first & find that seed planted deep inside you.  Find it, nourish & cherish it and it will blossom & grow into a life of fulfillment instead of falseness.  

The seed has been planted for a very, very long time.  My Faith tells me that if as a society we spend more time in God’s Word, understanding the ways & means of the saints & apostles we’ll better understand the life & times of Jesus Christ our Risen Savior. 

My Faith is assured that by strengthening our belief in God our American spirit will be uplifted, and we will become the nation we are promised…instead of a forgotten society that solely lived in a physical world... at the sake of lost souls. 

This is Holy Week, make it your best week, for the Faithful…it already is, because it was & always will be.  Go in Peace & Love will Follow. 🙏🇺🇸.  ⚖️✝️⛲️

Reflections of Hell

It is easy to think of the grandeurs of heaven, not so to perceive the depths of hell.  Many of us are afraid to even consider it; that’s someone else’s story to tell.  It is much easier to learn things when you can relate them to real life experiences.  So, let’s take a cautionary stroll along the gates of the demon residences; many of us have visited this neighborhood before, most without knowing. When I think of hell, I don’t think of fire & brimstone, I think of tears showing.

I have prayed and asked what is hell really like?  None of us know for sure & our concepts of it are a bit more physical in nature, rather than spiritual.  That’s because we as mortal men & women relate better to what we can see, hear, feel & touch.  This physical realm all around us drives and influences how we perceive things…even things we know little or nothing about.

You see hell is not physical, it is spiritual.  In a world where so many have lost touch with any sort of spiritual consciousness, it’s no wonder there’s chaos in our societies.  With everyone trying to create a perfect world, we’ve forgotten whose charge it is to bring Heaven to this earth. 

Today we have protests nationwide for an ideology that would do away with most of these protesters.  Protesting for the civil rights of a government that doesn’t believe in them…yeah that makes good sense.  Just like their lack of common sense will doom them to hell’s reflection.

I have seen & felt this reflection, but I have never been condemned to it.  What is it like you may ask…well let me tell you a bit about what hell is really like, as it is spiritual…not physical.

Think of your worst regrets in life, just for a second…I’m sure you have a few…we all do. So…do you have a couple regrets, things you wish you had done different, opportunities lost, loved ones gone forever, investments misguided, treasures misplaced, harsh words & actions that hurt others…these are just a few of the more common ones.

Now, hold those aside for a second & think about what worries you most about your current situation in life…your job, your relationships, your next meal, gas for your car next week, where did I leave my dang phone…& on & on our work a day busy days just come & go, all the while consuming us with details, discourse, distraction & depression.  We are often so worried about accomplishing the task at hand, we miss the body of the whole picture.  For most in our society chasing the all mighty dollar for substance & success is a devilish distraction that eats at us from the inside out…rotting our souls due to spiritual starvation.   

The third reflection of hell is anxiety & nervousness.  Fear of the future.  Scared of knowing what will happen in our lives five, ten, twenty years from now.  What shape will the country be in, what shape will I be in?  And, what happens when we die?  So, so many are afraid, when they shouldn’t be.  So many fear death, they live a cautious life.  They are afraid of losing a temporary shell, when what is really at stake is their eternal soul.  Death has its pains, but they are emotional & physical, so we should not be afraid of death, for we live a spiritually led life where death was conquered long ago.

So now let’s put it together, these reflections of hell.  For lost & wicked souls lying in your grave for eternity,  this is your hell.  Constantly in your spiritual mind you have regrets, worries, doubts, distractions, anxiety & nervousness.  You never have a second of relief from these tormenting thoughts.  Your body wastes away, nothing more than a physical shell…but your spiritual consciousness will live forever gnawing at itself and gnashing its teeth in grief & despair. Weeping in depression over what might’ve, could’ve & should’ve been & happened. Your worst thoughts…forever!

Fire & brimstone, yeah, I know what you’ve read & been told…but that’s the physical dimension we as mortals can relate to.  Take a step back and realize Heaven & hell are spiritual dimensions.  One a Holy haven for the righteous…the other a demonic desert of the damned.  Be wise in your choice.  One has pearly open gates, the other poisonous snake pits of sandy serpent snares.

That’s a quick reflection of hell.  We’ve all been there at some point in our lives.  If you’re like me, I thank God every day for delivering me from its ravages.  I have my regrets and my concerns & one of my regrets happened around forty years ago.

We all have heroes and role models in this life.  Stevie Ray Vaughn is one of mine.  I lived in Austin, Texas in the early 80’s and was fortunate to see him three times in concert.  On the first occasion I pretty much spent my last cash to get a ticket.  It was a general admission front area seat, in those days, you could smoke in the corridors of the enclosed venue.  I found the general area I would be and decided to go out in the corridor to bum a smoke before the concert.  This was the front of the venue and there was a large set of double doors at the end of the corridor leading to the backstage area.  There were two guys standing there, at least one was smoking, so I walked over…and asked very politely if I could bum a smoke.  I was given one and asked if I needed a light, from what I remember.  No, I said, I have one of those…and I walked on.

About twenty minutes later the concert started.  Now I was a very novice Stevie Ray fan back then.  I knew Stevie’s look and sound back then, but not his band mates.  Keep in mind this is forty years ago, I just knew SRV was in town, and I wanted to see him.  I knew he had a drummer and bass player but to be honest at that time I did not know what they looked like or what their names were…yeah novice may be too generous of a description.  Anyway, the show starts and who do I see on stage but Tommy Shannon on bass & Chris Layton on drums…the very two guys I just bummed a cigarette in the corridor from & I had no clue who they were.

In the grand scheme of life regrets it may not seem much to you, but to this day I regret not trying to strike up a conversation with the two guys closest to my musical hero.  Who knows, maybe they would’ve held the door open & I could have met Stevie backstage.  It certainly is in the realm of possibility & I think about it at times, but I have soothed the ripples of the reflections I have of this memory.  The other memories I have of Stevie & the ability to share in his music anytime I choose, ease that regret.    

It doesn’t haunt & torment me and neither should any of your regrets.  You cannot change the past, all you can do is live in the present and be positive about a bright future for you, those you love, your country & this world as a complete and peaceful whole. 

Heaven on earth has no room for regrets, worries, anxieties & depression.  These evils will torment the wicked & denying souls for eternity…these are the reflections I saw of hell.  

Go in Peace & Love will Follow.  Gospel of Matthew Chapter 13…Revelations 20:11-15 AMEN

A Sliver of Light

This early morning, I look and see a fading sliver of light, shrouded by clouds from nowhere near.

Then the night light becomes clearer, as the wind shifts, the light takes shape, a quarter-moon does appear.

Now it’s gone again and although it’s so dark I can’t see the clouds; I know they are there.

Just as I know the light still shines, proving that even in darkness we should have no fear.

Now the clouds have parted, and a bright quarter moon shows, the sky is once again clear.

Watching the clouds roll by the light just above the horizon, is like our life’s shifting moods.

If you are fortunate to have experienced a long life, you know not all our days are good.

At times our lives are shrouded in a cloudy darkness, where we grope to find the simple necessities.

Hoping the majority of our lives we can see the light in the dark sky, even if it is just a sliver of light, a quarter moon.

 

I wrote something early Monday, then watched the day unfold.  What did I see but a continued divide in our country.  Where on one hand we celebrate the Holiest of days, Resurrection Day.  A day in history long past that we can’t see or touch in the present.  Belief in death being conquered, is where Faith resides.

On another hand we celebrate painted pagan eggs, and a funky looking bunny.  A tangible physical observance we can touch & see, something we can search to find, dropped from the bunny hero’s woven basket.

And now today more in our face than ever, we are being deceived to believe and forced to celebrate those who just can’t seem to decide.  When 2 million voices are louder than 200 million, you know there’s a problem.  I don’t have to accept undecided deception, no more than I expect for you to accept my beliefs on this worlds history, the life of Jesus Christ and the powers of a living God.    

Look at yesterday’s news.  On one stream, the majority would continue to glorify the Words of God in our modern-day Bible, which is a very good thing.

In other news, the efforts to show and live in Faith continue to be distracted, like clouds covering the nights sky.  To live in darkness is a choice,  to live by Faith is also a choice that will brighten the night.

But now we have the changelings and undecided.  If you were created in God’s image, why are you trying to change it?  We used to help those with mental instabilities, now we are supposed to encourage it.  Paying for a lifelong trail of medications and a sex change operation is a choice some make.  A personal choice to run from your reality and  pollute our children with clouds of confusion. Life is hard enough, why confuse it & drag society into your delusions.

Here’s a simple truth.  You can be Spiritual or secular, believe or not believe…but you can’t be something else or in between.  Just as in this physical life you can be a man or a woman, not something else.  Transgender folks suffer from an undecided and confused mind.  It is like half suicide.  Manipulating your body & mind to alter it into what you think may make you feel better.  Tell me mutilating your body and mind is not a cry and reach for help.  Please explain to me why a woman’s rights are diminished so yours can be held higher.  It’s just one more half-truth clouding the night’s half-moon.

Celebrate Resurrection Day or Easter in the manner you choose.  Just make a choice, knowing we can have Faith, Fellowship, Fun & Friendship…without the need for a new festivity based on fake & false realities.

For the record, I don’t hate confused & unstable people.  I sympathize with their struggles & pray everyday that they find purpose, meaning & normalcy in their lives.

A little word play, with some serious consequences. We’ve all heard in the term R.I.P.  or rest in peace.  That is certainly one end result, to simply rest in the cold dark earth, where hopefully you find some level of peace.  Or, you could meddle in a middle ground, relax in purgatory as so many do…or ultimately you can rejoice in paradise…something for us all to aspire.

 May the moon shine bright and the winds blow in a fair direction for you & yours now & forever.

    

An April Prank

It’s April 1^st and one of the biggest pranks played on all of us is how the right to worship the religion of our choice, has been used to eliminate God from our daily lives. The freedom of religion has been twisted to include any and all kinds of beliefs.  We are a muti-cultural society, even more so in the last twenty-five years.  But this freedom has warped into a way to influence a Godless society. 

Our inclusivity has resulted in exclusivity.  Gentile Christian beliefs have been eliminated at the sake of including any pagan, satanic or secular non-belief.  Appears all you have to do or say is…Yep, I worship that, so it’s a religion with all the rights of any other.  I differ with that in the sense that doesn’t our society as a whole have a say in things…or do we bend to the whims of a few? 

In any country there are fundamental beliefs that set the stage & the direction of its culture.  We live in a country founded on the principles set forth in our Constitution.  Under the first amendment freedom of religious worship was established to protect our spiritual rights and just as importantly safeguard our country from a dominant religious force.  Such was the case in Europe when our modern country began to be established.  The settlers and founders wanted to flee this tyranny and allow religious freedoms.  Over the years this “freedom” has been used as a divisive wedge, shaping our country into a separatist and spiritless segregated society.   

In so many ways we’ve developed more into a me for me culture, no matter the consequences… rather than what’s best for all.  Where’s the line between good & evil, or is our country a free for all?

Even if you struggle with the Christian beliefs of Jesus and the contents of the Bible, you cannot ignore the lessons of life in the New Testament.  It is hard for many to grasp, because like all formed beliefs there are struggles along the way.  Many point to the violent history of the long ago past, mostly in the Old Testament.  I would say, no religion or belief of any kind can claim total innocence.  So, if that is the standard then all are guilty, and none are any better than the other.

But we must look at the overall message & separate factual faith from fictitious fables.  It is no different than the simple fact that 99.99% of us, are born either man or woman.  No other words are needed and if you struggle to define either one of those words (man or woman) you are living in a fictious fable. You’re not living in reality; you’re living in a fairy-tale (pun intended).  On a serious note altering your body & mind is a scream for help.  It is an outreach for something better, like alcohol abuse & drug addictions. It is a desperate act of change, like slashing your wrist.  Misguided souls at the mercy of for profit science & medicine, driven by delusional ideology & mass media.

That is just one example of how far we have strayed from God in this country.  We’ve strayed so far, we think we can play God and alter our reality.  Through our Constitutional rights we can do, say and be anything we want and it’s somehow protected and okay.  I’m sorry I don’t aspire to that logic.

For if we do, if we eliminate all forms of logical & factual thought for the sake of the delusional rights of a few, the ultimate peril is an uncontrollable society without any sense of normalcy.  It starts with a lack of respect for authority, develops into defund the police, and ends in a lack of civil discourse, disconnecting us from each other, destroying our foundations & resulting in societal discord that we see and hear all around us.  

Our First Amendment Rights are being used against us whether you want to admit it or not.  The separation of church & state was to prevent a dominant religion in our country…not to remove the God our country was founded on from all aspects of our lives.  You have the right to believe as you choose, that freedom is God given & in our Constitution. That is a fundamental majority belief in this country, a cornerstone to our foundation, celebrated in many ways.  Freedom of religious worship is the freedom to not be mandated to by an established national church that could infringe on our other freedoms.  But we still need some discipline & direction, or we risk drifting like a fatherless son.  It’s time we got back to the Father God & Son we have faith in, that’s what this country was founded upon.

Pray for Others, Pray for Peace…AMEN.

Easter Sunday

Today is Easter Sunday…what does it mean to you?  Is it just another day, or a day celebrated as the best of any Holiday?  In a world going crazy with misguided science & artificial intelligence it’s hard to find truth.  So many distractions around us, a mob mentality pulling us from what matters most.

If you start from the beginning of the three days of Easter, life is a bit easier to grasp.

Good Friday is good for most, but not good for the many that sacrificed over time to allow us to even have such a day.  A day where the ultimate sacrifice was made, spurred by mob mentality.  A night where a man was put to death, when all He wanted was a better life… for you.

But, put it in your own perspective.  Friday was also Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day.  A day recognized for the sacrifices of many, spurred on by a war that no one wanted.  On a personal level it was my mother’s birthday.  So, to me this past Friday saw a celebration and recognition of both life & death.  Some may say, what is good about death?  All I can say to that is, that war is over and although many more are being fought, I like to think of the good in life that will ultimately prevail.

In these three days of Easter, Saturday is a reflective day.  If Friday is about sacrifice & death, I guess Saturday is a day of atonement & reflection.  Which brings us to today, Easter Sunday.  What does it mean to you?  Does it have any significance at all besides hidden & painted eggs?

Easter to me is the best Holiday because it brings new life.  It is in the springtime when flowers bloom and birds sing to take flight to familiar destinations as once again life begins anew.

I hope that in some way you can pause and reflect on not just your own life, but on the life around you.  While many in this world struggle to survive on a day-to-day basis, for just the essentials of food, shelter & water, know that we are blessed in this country.  But it’s a country being driven further and further from the truth.  A country whose leaders seem to care less about your life and more about their own.  A country becoming more secular & Godless, a country driven by a mob mentality which if left to continue is destined in only one outcome…death.  History doesn’t lie, but it does repeat.

Today is Easter Sunday and many do not believe in its true meaning.  A day when new life is born, in the springtime, not the cold of winter or the heat of summer.  It is the best of Holidays, even when we think of the pain, hardships & sacrifice made to celebrate it. 

Whether you are secular or spiritual, this day exists so we can all take a step back, pause & reflect, and try and put into focus that no matter what you want to believe, search yourself…do you really think we are nothing more than flesh & blood where our bones eventually turn to ash? 

Tell me, have you never had even one thought in your head of something better than what this world provides?  To chase dreams of lust & luxury that only end in a cold grave.  No…you are more than that, we are all more than that.  So today, this Easter Sunday, celebrate in knowing that there is something better out there and if you haven’t found it, I pray one day soon you will…why not let it be today?  It’s the best day to start your life anew.  Don’t let mob mentality and media driven madness steal your life, your spirit, your soul.  In a country founded on trusting in God, it’s time we trusted. 

No matter your beliefs, no matter your religion, no matter if you’ve never cared or are scared to think of it, have faith that there is something more to your life…something more that through out history many have died for, but in the end new life begins.  I invite you to enjoy what this new life has to offer this Easter Sunday.  Have a blessed day knowing that no matter what, life can & will begin anew.

Confidence & Teamwork

Individual confidence is defined as a feeling of self-assurance with one’s own abilities.  Teamwork is defined as the combined actions of a group working to achieve a common goal.

So, on any team the challenge is to identify individual abilities and apply them in the best ways to achieve those goals; and the ultimate goal of any endeavor should be to increase our individual abilities through the cooperation, communication & comradery of working as a team.

This past Friday I learned, or should say relearned, a valuable lesson on confidence & teamwork.  We all have different levels of skill, and those skills can vary day to day, especially at our age.  I have played this game since I was eight years old.  I am not and never have been a top-notch player.  But as I got older, my health, instincts & running abilities stayed with me, something I am most grateful for.  It has led at times to over confidence in my abilities, which can hurt the efforts of those around you and diminish your team goals.

You undoubtedly have experienced some level of this in your life.  Even if not personally you’ve certainly seen the effects overconfident people can have.  Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t…but in the end the odds will always favor the team with the most collaborative effort.

In the first inning of that game, the third batter was up and there were two outs.  Carlos is a deep ball hitter, so I had him played deep.  He hit a towering fly ball that was less than midway out to left field.  I charged hard and made a sliding catch just before the ball hit the ground.  It was the 1^st inning…and it raised my individual confidence.  In the last inning, with us up only 2 runs we had to hold to win.  We got two quick outs and then another high pop up, this time more center left…again I charged and as I was concentrating on that ball, I heard someone yelling my name & the ball seemed to hang & drift towards me, which was the way the wind was blowing.  I didn’t have time to look where my teammates were, I was confident I could make that catch, so I called it…and then the ball drifted away from me and in a last-ditch effort I reached and as I slid my knee dug in…I stopped cold dead.  There were two other players that may have had a shot at that ball and as teamwork goes, I should not have even been trying to catch it…but my individual confidence in my abilities ending up hurting team goals, as we lost the game.

It certainly wasn’t the only play that cost us that game.  As a team we had numerous errors and struggled at the plate.  But I use this simple one play example to show how in any team sport we must consider not just our abilities, but those around us as well.  Baseball, football, and basketball are team sports.  Golf, bowling, & tennis are individual sports.  There is a major difference here.  In individual sports you are subject to your own abilities and over all confidence…but in team sports it is the abilities of the individuals working together that make the team confident as a whole.

The beauty of sport is that it can teach us valuable life lessons, while competing & having fun.  In life you can be overconfident, arrogant, self-centered, boastful & dictorial…but you will get nowhere far if you over play your abilities …especially when you come up against a confident & collaborative team.  Nothing wrong with confidence, it is the backbone of heroism, just remember you have a team around to help in your goals and aspirations.  A lesson often forgotten in the heat of battle, that leaves us more humble in our individual abilities & confidence. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 AMEN.   

Today's Dream

It is Saturday February 10^th, 2024…4 AM EST.   What are you dreaming about?

For many, they don’t remember.  Their dreams are a shattered and polluted destiny, for this it’s best they don’t remember, but the soul never forgets.

For others, their dreams set a course for their reality, if in Faith they are envisioned. 

We all have dreams, some selfish and others giving…where do yours reside?

Since you cannot answer me, I’ll tell you some of my dreams, which are a faith-based reality.

Dreams of a cool mountain stream, flowing over rocks that in the sun light gleam.

Visions of a country not divided, but in God’s Harmonies they’re sided.

Thoughts of a marriage between a man & a woman, spirits who once met in Heaven.

In that stream, in nature’s harmony with the one I love, together once again.

But that dream was long ago, a reality once, now forever gone.

So, I must seek a new dream...one without cares or cause it would seem.

Where do I find this magical place where all is silent except the breeze?

In my dream today I am by myself, but not ever alone.

Surrounded by the gifts of nature and the lives of creatures so misunderstood.

I walk among herds of horses, float with the butterflies & fly with the eagles.

I sit with the lion and swim with the dolphin & talk to the trees.

This is my dream today, for mankind has cluttered the forest & damaged the sky.

The waters are darker and slimier than ever before, but nature holds on.

You see, nature has her dreams too.  And one day soon we’ll see its’ reality.

Placed here before us, she is God’s gift to this world.  We just muck it up.

My dream is shared with nature because we are one in the same.

With dreams of faith each of us can hear nature’s call & see her dreams fulfilled.

Then, and only then, will your dreams, visions & thoughts become as one.

For if born of faith your spirit will gain & once again be free of all this worlds pain.

Gospel of John 1:23…Revelations 22

The Candle

The candle only burns on one end.  It all depends on which way the wind bends.

The story never ends.  You must listen carefully for whispers they’ll send.

In the dark, they’re a long-lost friend.  Earthly treasures you hoard, others will spend.

Do not on plastic & machine depend.  You only have one spirit, you cannot resend.

Today it seems so many want to unfriend.  They can’t, for the sake of love, comprehend.

It’s not the voice of separation to send, but rather for our hearts together to blend.

So, if we burn the candle at both ends, its life-giving light will be hard to defend.

Its life cut too short my friend, use the candle sparingly & it will shine until darkness’s end.

Gospel of Luke 7: 39-49.  Proverbs 20:27 AMEN

I Refuse

I refuse to believe that you cannot make a difference.
I refuse to believe one person cannot change their world.
I refuse to believe you must be “normal” to be accepted.

I refuse to believe history is made by the masses, rather than the few.

I refuse to believe that one person cannot change that history.
I refuse to believe that you are destined to be only what others tell you to be.
I refuse to believe everything I see, hear, feel, taste and smell.
I refuse to believe that your “sixth sense” does not outweigh the other five.
I refuse to believe that one person cannot do what it dreams as impossible.

You believe what you want to believe. We all share in our own lies. Mine is not the path most traveled. It has always been the trace of another’s footsteps that caught my eye. That made me think there might be, just might be, a better way, a more fruitful path, than one the masses herd to. Nothing wrong with that, but we all have our own streets to pave. For us to think that the great history makers and world shapers we have had since the beginning of time did not at some point feel grief and despair… is shallow in thought.

How would history be if Washington decided it was too cold to cross, if Custer would have retreated, had Patton taken a couple days off, had Lincoln not gone to the play, had Kennedy not gone to Dallas, had Martin not gone to Memphis, had John Lennon not gone for a walk, had Neil Armstrong never stepped, had Lance Armstrong never thought he’d live, had it not been foggy over Martha’s Vineyard for John John, had the Apostle Paul ever truly questioned his faith, or had Christ been tempted by the devil…course we know that was a losing battle on satans part, as always. 

And the list goes on and on. You have your memories and I have mine. If you are like me, no matter how many you list, you always think of more to add.

I refuse to believe that world changers & world changing events are not pre-destined by lots cast by God.  The greatest history gifted & shared with this, and all worlds, being our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.  But, with His Son’s exception, who was beyond mortal…all the other events & people in our world history could have gone different than they, or it did.  God has endless reserves & backup plans.  

 

Think of it this way…. If 10 cooks are all given the same ingredients & told to make their best chicken cacciatore…all the dishes will mostly likely look, smell & taste a bit different…but the outcome is the same…chicken cacciatore.  All the difference makers listed above thought they could make a difference in their world(s). For if they didn’t, it would never have been. So…I refuse to believe that I too, cannot make a difference in the world around me, no matter how small or large that world may be. 

God created Paradise in the beginning & in the end we are promised a return to this Paradise.  The ingredients are the same, the outcome was foretold long, long ago.

Give yourself the best gift you could ever give yourself or someone else. For once in your life believe in yourself and your abilities and feel good about it. And in turn let that feeling rub off on someone and help make them believe that they can make a positive difference in their world as well. 

For many the first step is saying, “I refuse.”  Say, I refuse to let the influences of evil, no matter how petty or large they may be in your life, control me any longer.  I refuse to let satan have his way with me and condemn my soul.  Once you see evil for what it is and what it is trying to do to you…it’s not hard to refuse it.  And once you do, in the same breath, accept love…His Love for you…once you feel that sensation in your heart…it will influence your mind, which will enhance your soul & guide your spirit on a journey of Faith…rather than a destiny of death.

We are all teachers & learners, craftsmen & apprentices, finders & seekers.  But do not ever lose grasp of the fact we are watchers & defenders first, of a sacred Promise made to each of us.  It is up to you to accept & cherish the Covenant God made with mankind.  Your belief & faith in this Truth will decide your souls end realities.

If we all thought more positive and less negative, the result is destined to be positive.  Just remember to count & share your blessings & love…. Someone else is.

Go in Peace & Love will Follow.

Hebrews 10 & Psalm 72   AMEN