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

 

Emotions

 Most times I feel I don’t need anyone.  Guess that’s because I’ve been alone so much in my life.  I struggle like anybody to cope with my emotions.  But it is hard when you’re alone.  The past couple years have been good for me, and I have no reason to feel depressed.  In the past, stresses over finances & my own situation usually brought me down.  But this time is different.

Those who know me well know I have had a few major personality swings in my life.  There is not one thing to point to or blame.  It is an accumulation of my life experiences & the memories I have of them.  None of us are the same and we act and react differently in given situations.  So, as I sit here, I am trying to react to my negative feelings and bring them into a positive light.  

Throughout my life I have had a deep empathy for the less fortunate.  Perhaps it’s because I have been in their shoes.  The homeless, the troubled, the lonely, the poor & the sick.  It runs so deep in me it has cost me dearly, not so much financially but emotionally.  When you see & feel so much sadness & division around you…it starts to affect you.   

I feel at times most positive…but then there are the days & sometimes weeks where life is different.  I told someone yesterday that when you feel tired & rundown…it’s your body telling you that you need a break.  Well, I need to take some of my own advice, regroup & stay focused.

Here’s an example of my current emotional swings.  Even though I’ve not been feeling well I went to the grocery store yesterday morning.  On the side of the store there’s a small parking area & some trees.  I often park there and the last couple times there was a homeless man sitting in a wheelchair under one of the trees.  He was there today…but today was different, it was raining pretty good.  As I rode by, I circled back and asked him if he was hungry…he looked up and said yes…so I told him I’d get him a sandwich at the store.  I did my shopping, loaded the car in the rain (hey, I was out of milk, bread & eggs, but had plenty of bacon) and drove over to where he was sitting. 

I gave him the sandwich and had a short discussion with him, asked him his name…Donnie…& I told him I would pray for him that his situation would get better.  The whole time I felt and portrayed a positive demeanor.  But as I drove off…my emotions boiled over.  I started to pray, not just for Donnie, but for all the homeless & hungry in this country and around the world and the tears just flooded my eyes.  It’s a desperate feeling to have when you know all you can really do is pray about it and have faith God will make things better.

I wiped my tears and finished my prayer and realized my situation is nothing like Donnie’s and I have the whole world in front of me.  But where to start in making my own self better, as well as whatever piece of the world around me I can make better.  How do I stay positive in such a negative world?  There is only one way and that is to trust my faith in God and keep a handle on my emotions.

 If you surround yourself in negativity, you will stay stuck in that hole.  As an example…if you’re sad and you continue to watch sad movies or listen to sad music…how are you ever going to feel positive.  So, you must either find something uplifting or do something yourself that has positive actions &  reactions.  A change in direction that leads to a healthier outlook on yourself & the world around you.

The emotions I’ve had over the past week can be attributed to several things; three cracked ribs, the holidays alone, a sprained back, but I think it has been an accumulation of things, chief of which is the pain & division I see in this world.

I may not be able to do much about things overseas…but I can do some things right here in my hometown to give me direction and help others along the way.  Whether our emotions run high, low, or mid-stream, the peace we seek can only be found in the expressions of love…even if it’s just a sandwich, a kind word, and a prayer from a stranger.  

Seek, find, create, and share love…it is why we were created; it is the most positive feeling we can give or receive, and what will see us through in our most emotional of times.

Luke Chapter 11:33-36   AMEN.   

The American Spirit

 

Patriotism…defined is “vigorous support of one’s country.”  This definition is at the core of the American spirit & has sustained this country for generations.

 Lately many have forgotten the past or want to erase it.  They have lost touch with what got us here, what sustained us in the rough times and what we were thankful to have in the good times.  Everywhere you look there is someone shouting from their hilltop…I question them, and they have no answer…for our mountain casts its shadow on their divisive hillside.  Our message is of faith, family, freedom and flag…theirs is hard to define except at the core is their own selfish, destructive, divisive, and perverse ideologies.

 Today everyone wants paradise, but some can’t get out of their own hell.  So, they try to drag you down with them.  This country was born by some of the greatest leaders and thinkers who ever walked this planet, and it was built by men and women of all colors.  So don’t tell me the American spirit is dead, on the contrary it is embattled & fighting for survival, but still very much alive.  

The divisive groups and individuals that seek to destroy the American spirit are weak in multiple layers of faith.  They are weak in their faith in God and in their faith in this country.  They are weak in their spirituality and in their American spirit. They are weak in their belief in God and in their belief of their fellow man.  They are so distracted by hate & greed; they don’t see the real storm that is approaching.

 From the Introduction section of “The Patriots Handbook” this was written by Alexis de Tocqueville who was a French diplomat observing America in 1835, he is quoted, “I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there; in her fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there.  Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power.  America is great because she is good and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”  That was observed by an outsider in 1835 and still holds true today. The good of this country far outweighs the bad, but we must not continue to be fooled by those pretending to be good while harboring bad & selfish intent.  Read between the lines & observe them closely, they are promising paradise & delivering hell. 

 If we continue to dwell on the past in a negative way…we will never have a positive future.  We have a strong foundation, that although cracked in many ways, still maintains the cornerstone of faith & the building blocks of truth, justice & the American spirit.  As a country we must remain good and that good starts with having faith in God as a country…this is where a strong & good foundation resides & always will.  

In God we trust…so in God we must.    

Psalm 125   AMEN.

The Cliff

When I was a child there was a public service announcement that would come on TV every night at 9PM.  It simply said, “it’s 9 PM, do you know where your children are?”  I also remember the standing rule, “when the streetlights come on, it’s time to come home.”

We could use more of that today.  Where are our children and are they blind to the light & left in darkness?  As adults we can substitute these words and sum up our societal situation very easily.

The hour is getting late, do you know where your spirit is?  The Light is on, but many choose to stay in the darkness.  It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, the question & the rules are the same.  But many have been deceived and walk a path that has no shadows, because there is no light.  Lost in the desires of this world, in darkness, they don’t see the cliff that is just ahead.

In darkness they will eventually fall off that cliff, it swallows all who pass by.  The earth around it is loose so even if you get close, you’ll slide into its mouth.  The ground is loose because it has a weak foundation surrounding it, sand instead of stone, so you sink into the trap it sets.

Base your life & the lives of your children on a strong foundation of truth & honor, rather than a loose foundation of lies & hate.  Do not fall off the cliff from living in darkness.  Search & find your inner self for that is where your soul resides & the Light that is the Love of God, will guide you home. 

1^st Peter Chapter 5: 1-11 AMEN   

The Final Page

 

As the world tries to diminish itself into a Godless existence, where resides your Faith?

Does it reside in the worldly possessions around you?  Does it reside in the leaders who may or may not have a care for you?  Does it reside in the inner thoughts of your soul?  Does it reside in a false & temporary existence?  Does it reside in science?  Or… have you lost all Faith?

I will confess to you that the last two years of my life have been a gift.  A gift that I will have a hard time repaying, but I will endeavor to do so.  I have had the rare opportunity in life to explore the world around me, to observe our leaders, to walk with nature, to mingle with the masses, to listen to my inner thoughts…and strengthen my faith.  I have been unencumbered with the stresses of finance & the distractions of damsels in distress.  But the temptations are always present and easy to succumb to…to those with little or no faith.

This book is a sample of writings I have been blessed to receive.  I have tried to pick the top thirty of the three hundred and seventy plus messages I have posted in the past, to strengthen your faith.  To do that I was tasked with identifying a target audience & dominant theme.  This was not easy…but many of you helped in the process. 

You see…I can see too, and these writings are also some of the most read in the past by those who have visited “Recent Thoughts of Distant Memories.”  I thank you all for that, as it has been most encouraging to know that in the last 15 years since inception, almost 50,000 have heard a message that speaks of Faith, that I have also heard & felt in the most humblest of ways.

As I looked at all these writings, there was a consistent theme…& to me the audience is whoever wants to take the time to read something I have been gifted to create and share.  But to narrow that down, it is obvious who it targets.  I hope these writings speak to those of you who have some measure of Faith…to bring you to that special place where our physical being, our intellectual self & our inner soul drives our spirit, faithfully and outwardly.

I have a simple phrase for it…Spiritual Faithfulness…and I have faith you will find it…if you seek it.  And once found, your spirit sense will tell you to share it & bring others to the faith you have found.  This is the primary focus of these writings.

I cannot take any credit for these messages other than the fact I did live them, dream them & write them…but to be honest the best writings are those that just flowed as if I was a pencil held by another’s hand.  That’s how spiritual faithfulness works, and I have faith that these messages explain it in ways no one has ever expressed before…but the messages of faithful men and women live in our past, speak to us in the present and hold a bright future for His Faithful.

No matter how this world tries to diminish His Spirit, our God, our Savior, our Protector, our Provider, the King of kings & Lord of lords…Jesus Christ Lives now & forever more.  AMEN  

Remember: You cannot eliminate God from this earth…because He created it.  

Go In Peace & Love Will Follow.  In God We Trust…So In God We Must. 

Book of Acts Chapter 8    Gospel of Mark Chapter 4     

Rock of Faith

It is Sunday morning December 10^th, 2023…& I have a bit of an apology to make.  I am not sorry for anything I said or did, except for one statement & two misspoken words, which I will clarify.

This past Friday I went to the Outlaws concert in Clearwater.  The Artimus Pyle Band was the opening set; the concert was over four hours and was an awesome evening. I will share more on the concert in a different message.  But this episode took place before the concert, there were many witnesses & videos…thus the reason for this message & clarification.

I purchased my ticket online and had to pick it up by 6PM at will call…doors opening at 6:30 for a 7:30 show.  I was there at around 5:15 and the box office was closed until 6, so I had a bit of time to enjoy the downtown area of Clearwater which has gone through some wonderful upgrades.  The major addition is the Sound outdoor amphitheater which opened this year and has had some great concerts. But this annual Yule Tide Jam with Tampa’s own Guitar Army…the Outlaws…was at the Capital Theater, a small theater for a homecoming of Classic Southern Rock, that has been with us for 50 years.

I have written about how you naturally seek & feel better when you are with those that see & feel similar to you in life.  For me, the classic rock enthusiast I am, concerts of bands I grew up with are a natural.  But this night, there was an interruption…a disturbance…an unwanted entity…that no one appreciated.

This is where my clarification starts…at 6 PM I went to the box office and got my ticket.  While talking with the agent I hear a guy yelling at the top of his lungs how we all must repent or go to hell.  Now although that is true, it is what he kept saying that was most untrue, distracting, disruptive & unwanted.  He was screaming how rock & roll was the devil’s music, how we were all sinners for listening to it, he was chastising men with longer hair, he was calling Catholics heathens for worshipping Mother Mary, he was going on & on & on screaming & yelling, fifty feet from the only door into the theater, with one of his minions holding a repent or die sign.

The street in front of the theater is permanently blocked off for a couple of blocks for pedestrian traffic and there are numerous shops, restaurants, clubs & condo/apartments in the area.  There was a club a half a block away with a solo singer guitarist outside.  The repent or die guy was so loud, he was drowning out this guy’s acoustic set.  People were annoyed & some said things to this nut job.  I had to use the bathroom so I just walked in and went to the third-floor balcony, where you could still hear him.

I had several conversations with folks on the balconies…including Artimus Pyle and the head sound tech for the Outlaws.  Artimus was yelling at the guy to “brush his teeth” …classic.  Well after 10 minutes, at around 7PM I had had enough.  I politely dismissed myself from Artimus and his sister and went downstairs for a smoke, which put me at the front door, forty feet from repent or die guy.

Well, he starts in on me about being a sinner…and I asked him what he was…I said you know we are all sinners…I told him if he had real guts, he’d go to New York City and have his little tirade with the those supporting Hamas…I said repeatedly to this guy…HAVE YOU EVER LISTENED TO THE OUTLAWS LYRICS!!!  He obviously hadn’t…just another misinformed delusional misfit, like those protesting in our cities.   You cannot listen to “Green Grass & High Tides Forever” a classic rock & roll southern rock anthem and not hear the spiritually faithful message it contains…if you don’t hear it, you are not listening.

At this point, in this two days ago story, I must tell you there was a police officer between me and this guy, as well as two big guys at the doors to the theater.  There were numerous folks videoing this guy before I got involved and the officer came up to me and said…” you can say anything you want, just don’t threaten him.”  Cool I thought…so I did…I yelled “JUDGE NOT & YE SHALL NOT BE JUDGED!!!!”  I yelled this numerous times, and his only response was….” what’s after that” to which at one point I said in jest…” go forth and enjoy a good concert”!!!   Which is where one of my apologies resides as we all know it says in Matthew 7:1-6…. Jesus own words as recorded by Matthew… (verse 2)”” For you will be treated as you treat others.”” Those are Jesus’s words right after, (verse 1) “” Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.”” (New Living Translation.) But here is what really jumps out at me…read verses three thru six and you will find one of Jesus’s simplest, yet greatest lessons for us to learn & live by. AMEN.

My apologies for being ill prepared at that moment, but I was not expecting my Faith to be challenged by a delusional demon possessed individual who thought he stood on higher ground than I did.  He is wrong in the worst kind of way.  Here’s why, to borrow a line form Paul Harvey…& here’s the rest of the story.

After the Artimus Pyle Band had their set there was about a ½ hour break.  I went out the front doors to have a smoke and noticed repent or die guy was gone…but the police officer was still there.  There were many folks milling around & the atmosphere was much less stressful without us all being berated for our choices in music.  I struck up a conversation with the officer at the door…you must understand this.

I asked the officer when the repent or die guy left and he said that when the show started, he left, no one left to yell at.  He continued and said…” you know they had body cameras on”.  I said what???  Yep, he said, “that is their hustle, they want someone to attack them in some physical way so they can sue them.”  I was flabbergasted.  He said, “that’s why we just stand there and don’t say or do nothing because they’d love to sue a city or county agency…which they’ve done before”.  If this is true, which I have no reason to think it isn’t, I ask you…. Who needs to repent or die now?  Yeah, we all know that answer.

I have so many thoughts on what I could’ve and should have said to this guy knowing this information now.  You see not only do I take issue with fire and brimstone speech that does more harm than good and actually drives people away from the real teachings of Christ, but to know now that he was running a money-grubbing scam the whole time just infuriates me even more. 

We all live in a country where if you are an American citizen, you have rights to free speech.  But that speech has been twisted and abused to a point where it is being used to inspire hate and evil and diminish compromise & understanding.  Not only has the devil wormed into the minds of those weak in faith, but he has also found ways to use our faith against us…trotting out clowns like repent or die guy to make money for some unholy and greed infested entity.

If you are on the fence with your faith…do not let some heathen on a street corner trying to instigate a fight influence your decisions.  Read the true words of God, they are the ones in red in the New Testament.  A Testament of how to live our lives today and I learned long ago you win friends in conversation, and you lose friends in shouting matches. 

I said I misspoke twice during the evening. During my conversations with good folks on the balconies of the theater, twice I said Pakistanis when I meant to say Palestinians, those that heard it understood the context, but I wanted to clarify that…as God only knows who else might have had a body camera on. 

I regret having to spend my early Sunday morning defending my words & actions, but as I said I know several folks recorded these events and there were certainly 100’s of witnesses.  I would much rather write about the concert, my conversation with Artimus and the other fine folks I met at the venue…which I promise I will do…but I had to clear my head of the events before the concert. 🐝

Go in Peace & Love will Follow.   🪶😎🇺🇸✝️

Matthew 7: 1-6    AMEN 

Chasing Demons

I chased a demon away yesterday.  Do you find that hard to believe?

Well, I do it all the time.  Sometimes there’s even witnesses to see.

We have drifted so far from Godliness; fiction has replaced reality.

Truth stares so many in the face, yet they worship stupidity.

A mission of Faith sees through the noise & listens in silence.

Time is endless with no meaning…when Faith waits in patience.

Our world is so caught up in itself, it can’t see the storm on the horizon.

Throughout history mankind has left a trail of poison.

Like a hidden snake that bites, death & destruction in its wake.

Once a Paradise, now a festering den of vipers awaits.

The demons I chase sneak out of their lairs.

They catch the weak in their unholy snares.

She was screaming at the top of her lungs for minutes on end.

I tried to soothe her with music, but she continued off the deep end.

Finally, I had had enough and shouted back…SHUT THE HELL UP!!!

 

I never saw this woman, from my 3^rd floor balcony all I could hear was her ranting and screaming, not in pain, but in some argument or whatever.  She was disrupting the peace, there’s seven buildings around the courtyard & we all could hear this unhinged woman carry on for well over 10 minutes, which she does regularly & her kids are the loudest on the playground…go figure.  When your emotions cause you to act like an unhinged & rabid animal…you got demons in your head.  

Well, once I shouted from my balcony I went in and did my dishes…oblivious to her rant, because I already knew she was silent.  I finished the dishes and went back to the balcony…Silence, just as nature intended so we can all enjoy the sounds of the birds & trees bending in the breeze.  

Demons come & go…but Faith in the Holy Spirit is Eternal.  The best weapon against any demon, be it physical, emotional or spiritual is prayer…& I pray for peace of mind, peace & quiet & the peace only found in a world void of hate & evil.

We live in a country where momentary rants get attention…for all the wrong reasons.  As far as I’m concerned, free speech does not include speech that is immoral & anti-American.  Protesters that are not even American citizens do not have the same rights to protest as Americans!!!

This country & world is full of Faithful people…it is also filled with misguided people who have let demons take over their intellect.  A country divided falls, time we get rid of the poison that slithers around & separates us & live in the Paradise God intended for us. 🐝

 Go in Peace & Love will Follow. 🪶😎🇺🇸✝️

Zechariah Chapter 5…Revelations 17…AMEN