tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41508124693075438482024-03-14T01:15:39.302-05:00Jeff Baker TalksMusings from a man who is just trying to sort things out by talking.Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-73367934505787036332012-04-16T14:34:00.000-05:002012-04-16T14:34:47.434-05:00Today I Get a Mulligan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JJBgm4NNUgTftY3N6bmfmDMHDEXt5aF1LI7wAfYqM_Z-5e1vQLgU1AXAWZqWwu-Pu1Mt6ecrWx9AxekYA0eMdBA-Bnb46tUSINIOMK4MsdMul_EkArQaI-N_paWq9QgrspakIp5k_yc/s1600/do-over-button.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JJBgm4NNUgTftY3N6bmfmDMHDEXt5aF1LI7wAfYqM_Z-5e1vQLgU1AXAWZqWwu-Pu1Mt6ecrWx9AxekYA0eMdBA-Bnb46tUSINIOMK4MsdMul_EkArQaI-N_paWq9QgrspakIp5k_yc/s320/do-over-button.png" width="320" /></a></div><style>
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</style> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Well actually everyday is a mulligan, and we all get them</strong>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been reticent in not posting for so long. Recently I was encouraged to write again and I thought I would just test the waters today and see how it goes. So... here goes:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been thinking a lot lately about why things are the way they are. You know, just why is it like it is? Even though no one is actually "causing" things to be like they are, it would be helpful to blame it all on someone when it isn't according to my idea. At the same time, I am certain that most of the difficulty we face starts with us.</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me explain that: We get what we look for.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a four-year-old step daughter. She is my princess and she has a way of helping me see things as they really are. Imagine that. A child's wisdom teaches an old guy like me. I love it... and she knows it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many times in recent months I have been blinded by the "unfairness" of things. I get all pitiful and self absorbed in things I cannot control. At times like this, I don't really feel like listening to advice but when this angel of God looks at me and smiles, I melt. I simply melt. And when I least expect it she changes the way I "see" the things that previously had my attention. Her latest effort to keep me focused on what is real is to climb up into my lap, kiss me, wrap her arms around me, and simply and very gently pat me on my back.</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who is the child in this visual I just gave you?</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly this is an oversimplified lesson in keeping the real thing the real thing. At the same time, it is one of the ways I am reminded to stay focused on what matters to God. He sees all my struggles. He knows that I can become desperate. He wants to help me. He rejoices when I relax and let go of my need to control. Yet I bind his hands when I worry instead of leaning on him.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today my wife said those very words. Today I am more grateful for her, for her faith, her example, her belief. Today I am content to let those things that are not mine to control -- be it people or circumstances -- be what they are. Today I take my mulligan.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beloved, we are granted unmerited favor by Christ's finished work on the cross and it is ours to take. It is a free gift... and much better than a mulligan in the fact that whether we take it or not, it is still ours. I want to claim mine Today and let the things of this world fall away.... far away.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LUVWRX. Thank God!</span><br />
<div class="bn_widget"><div class="bn_header" style="height: 2px;"></div><div class="bn_body"></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-41086518823688665502010-11-01T17:18:00.000-05:002010-11-01T17:18:02.385-05:00Making Sense of the Election<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwz9MZw_HJs0pX2yiJHilHnfKDFiMSiWMDFnuVgZhw68Fe-IjEKG9FyAR2FBZbnyZUar-v4E36Db11eDac9BlydKxUxaLAr4nb_7Uk3bjyjGN8ALaih5DQ6HSuf-BSHZ2q-7fFEckh9AU/s1600/mudsling4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwz9MZw_HJs0pX2yiJHilHnfKDFiMSiWMDFnuVgZhw68Fe-IjEKG9FyAR2FBZbnyZUar-v4E36Db11eDac9BlydKxUxaLAr4nb_7Uk3bjyjGN8ALaih5DQ6HSuf-BSHZ2q-7fFEckh9AU/s200/mudsling4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Hey, has this been the nastiest season for election commercials ever? I mean, if half of what one candidate says about the other is true we are doomed to elect a host of worthless office occupiers instead of individuals who give a crap about this great country. <br />
<br />
<strong>Goodness.</strong><br />
<br />
I have to say that it sickens me that we have devolved to this type of wretched politics; but who's kidding who? It's been going on for years and we as the voting public are in a position of responsibility in speaking out about it, or it's just gonna get worse. I for one think the commercials should be banned in favor of debates... or UFC-type elimination. Just kidding. That stuff scares me.<br />
<br />
At the same time it is very difficult to make sense of all the mudslinging. And if you're an honest citizen simply trying to vote your conscience and hopefully elect the right person for the job, it can be depressing as well. In navigating through the maze of innuendo and deceit, it's important to consider how we can get some clarity in the midst of the historical darkness that looms over our country's future.<br />
<br />
For one thing, we can stop watching television. I know, that's sounds extreme but I did it a few years back and I feel like the effect has been a subtle lift in the energy of my day to day. It's okay to be informed, we just don't have to inundated. Second, and of considerably more importance, we can pray about it. I don't mean, "Dear Lord help me to know who is the least evil among the candidates." I am talking about praying for our country specifically, as well as the men and women who are vying for your vote. It's important that we have a spiritual approach to elections since the attitude of ugliness we have been witnessing seems to have a certain dark force behind it. I'm not a doom-and-gloom type but I can see evil when it presents itself.<br />
<br />
<strong>Let's call it what it is.</strong><br />
<br />
We want honesty in office. We want integrity. And we want results. I do not take sides and this post is definitely not of partisan flavor, but I am an American who is sick and tired of being sick and tired of the way we get blindsided by the very ones who promise to lift our country out of the mess we've made. I love this place and I want to see it lifted up, not torn down. I am praying that God will have mercy on all of us.<br />
<br />
To make sense of this election requires a bit more in the brains department than I have to work with. However I don't have to be Einstein to recognize that we need Divine intervention, and we need it soon. Maybe the answer lies in remembering the history of other great nations who have gone before. I for one do not look forward to being another statistic, and I would be thankful to see us get our proverbial act together and begin working together instead of attacking our brothers and sisters. Some days it seems like it may be too late.<br />
<br />
<strong>Is it too late?</strong><br />
<br />
I don't know, but God knows we need an answer, and we need it soon. Love works in all sorts of situations in helping to bring about reconciliation and healing. Can't we pray for Love to infiltrate the hearts and minds of our already-elected officials as well as those who are about to take office? Maybe it's just me, but today it feels like we don't have any remaining options except to make Love the foundation of our thoughts and actions. <br />
<br />
There was a great man named Jesus, Emmanuel, the Christ who visited us and taught that loving God and loving each other were the most important things to consider. Is there a candidate out there who has said that he loves his opponent?<br />
<br />
<strong>LUVWRX. <em>I </em>Believe it!</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>--</strong> jb<div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-490321827641385622010-10-29T17:05:00.001-05:002010-10-29T18:54:19.800-05:00Happy Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYfpv0NNW7NZP8l4ReBh-HRqcbCxoPhWPX8L_wiftIkG9RNtz5ihKTMQQUs_-9PmQ-llFYYdE5l6Qa4xX_18eY1kTtEYoiuQn4aNPVMWynLZ4CFmgBDNOnBjnPoNdbwSyjdDA1ndOdFM/s1600/Happy_Halloween_by_GuardianSpirit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYfpv0NNW7NZP8l4ReBh-HRqcbCxoPhWPX8L_wiftIkG9RNtz5ihKTMQQUs_-9PmQ-llFYYdE5l6Qa4xX_18eY1kTtEYoiuQn4aNPVMWynLZ4CFmgBDNOnBjnPoNdbwSyjdDA1ndOdFM/s320/Happy_Halloween_by_GuardianSpirit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I guess you could say I'm not that into it, but for the kids' sake most of us go out and buy tons of deadly, obesity-promoting products disguised as "candy" so we can load down each lil guy's bag with as much as they can drag home. How long does it take to eat all that junk anyway?<br />
<br />
I remember that when I was a kid there was no alternative to Trick or Treating like we have today. Lately it seems all the religious outfits wanting to redeem the holiday offer the option of a Fall Celebration. I rather like that since the folks in my neighborhood seem bent on the creepiest decorations I have ever seen: hanging corpses, zombie-like figures, and cobwebs with spiders the size of Volkswagens... <br />
<br />
<strong>Give me a break.</strong><br />
<br />
All I'm saying is, you can take things too far and they lose their entertainment value. I guess that's why the local churches have seized the idea and are advertising for their share of the popular consciousness. I don't mind that so much, but I wish we could just leave church work to helping the poor and outcast, and let the "entertaining" of fun-seeking horror buffs be a midnight party someplace a long way from my house. That way I don't have to be reminded of my fear of Freddy and Jason. Those movies scared the crap out of me, and I have never forgotten it. I can't even stand to watch the trailers for the movies these days. We have definitely graduated to the next level of sick when it comes to the minds behind some of this junk<br />
<br />
<strong>I digress.</strong><br />
<br />
You know what I wish? I wish there was as much talent and imagination when it comes to ways of making people feel safe and loved, as seems to exist in attempting to make them feel demon possessed and potential victims of some psychopath. In my mind's eye I can see a world of people that don't even experience death. I dream of love and the empty graveyard. I dream of unlocked homes and drive by kisses. I am a very strange man you might be thinking, but in the world I am speaking of, there is One Lord, One Christ, One Love for All to be in the midst of. No more reason to poison children with copious amounts of sugar; no promotion of evil acts and death; no excuse for being anything less than a good neighbor and friend to those who have no one... ever.<br />
<br />
<strong>There is no them.</strong><br />
<br />
Look around and see those who are lonely and hungry. The elderly women and the fatherless children of our communities need more than Tricks and Treats, they need food, love, protection and ATTENTION.<br />
<br />
<strong>Pay attention Beloved!</strong><br />
<br />
We can't ignore them and we mustn't forget them. There is no them as long as we receive them into our world of big bank accounts, luxury cars, and nice spacious homes. Look around. See them. Love them. Treat them to a Fall celebration that could potentially save them from their despair. Trick them into thinking they are loved and accepted and then convince them it's true. And may God bless your doing and your being what Jesus asks each of us to do and be. <br />
<br />
<strong>(James 1:27) Read it!</strong><br />
<br />
jb<div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-51415169263226494642010-10-26T14:59:00.001-05:002010-11-09T10:41:07.926-06:00Move Your Mountain<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2a3QRZZjVk4O9JUaFwG1wKRf4X2W3TCYjHigkWgk6_rF-nrf_5oJ_0NdaHpfdL1oA7-xIhqINN9_D2y7wzCxWiRMzAdNI8KI3dOIpayPDmKjmmmekSpcshjWDWReoUmKfE-pfjOqgi4I/s1600/Child+with+eyes+closed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2a3QRZZjVk4O9JUaFwG1wKRf4X2W3TCYjHigkWgk6_rF-nrf_5oJ_0NdaHpfdL1oA7-xIhqINN9_D2y7wzCxWiRMzAdNI8KI3dOIpayPDmKjmmmekSpcshjWDWReoUmKfE-pfjOqgi4I/s200/Child+with+eyes+closed.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">It's too close to mine:)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Jesus Christ taught that we have the power to move mountains through prayer. By mountains, I like to think he was including life's many obstacles. We seem to have more than our share these days but the question is: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>What are we going to do about our circumstances if things are not like we want them?</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">When I was a child I thought that if I closed my eyes I would become invisible. Well I have tried that as an adult, and it doesn't work all that well. I have tried praying, and it seems that even praying doesn't eliminate my mountains.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">For the last few days I have really tried to come to grips with the instability of things... you know, here today gone tomorrow, or piles of bills, or the illnesses of our loved ones. I am certain that we all can relate to some of these things. I am almost equally as certain that many of us are not able to move our mountains in such a way as to feel relief.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>Why is that?</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">For me it begins with my own ability to see beyond my circumstances. It is a faith issue to a large degree, and no matter how much we may be on our knees, if we don't believe that things will improve, chances are they are not going to.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I have challenged myself to be more content with the instability of others. I only control me, and I can be steady on my own if that is how it needs to be. I can only pay what I can pay so if my bills are in the way of my peace, I can spend less and save more. Things are never as bad as they seem. While my family is pretty healthy, I have a dear one who is not doing so well. I can't heal her or I would. I can't even maker her feel better with my words. I can however just sit and be with her. Sometimes words aren't a necessary element in the art of loving another.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Beloved, you <em>can</em> move your mountain. And you can begin by changing the way you see your situation. By changing the way you see things, things begin to change.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I love you... and LUVWRX. Believe it!</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-44516364915553297612010-09-03T17:10:00.000-05:002010-09-03T17:10:04.832-05:00I'm Alive<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bynMis1h_8U?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bynMis1h_8U?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">it matters not what season </div>of life i'm in right now,<br />
there's more than one good reason<br />
to let silence show me how<br />
<br />
to hear what i've needed so to hear<br />
and with much more clarity,<br />
that life is really, really good<br />
it's not meant to be a rarity.<br />
<br />
being alone, for me,<br />
was hard for many years.<br />
but in silence now i see<br />
that i was blinded by my fears<br />
<br />
of being left, rejected or<br />
abandoned by someone.<br />
not being needed anymore<br />
is not my style of fun.<br />
<br />
fun for me was hard<br />
on the one who gave so much,<br />
that she's the one who's scarred<br />
mine just don't mean that much.<br />
<br />
and in the silence now<br />
i'm hearing truth in love.<br />
spirit showing exactly how<br />
my freedom's like the dove,<br />
<br />
able to soar above the din<br />
of chaos, noise, and pain.<br />
the things i did i don't defend,<br />
but i won't do them again.<br />
<br />
if i had another chance to show<br />
my heart's been healed at last,<br />
my love, i think, would finally know...<br />
but that's living in the past.<br />
<br />
there is no going back for me.<br />
had to learn the karmic way.<br />
though it's not meant to be that easy,<br />
i've paid my dues you could say.<br />
<br />
in silence now i'm reassured<br />
that i'm honorable, good, and true.<br />
spirit my soul has kindly cured<br />
at last i feel brand new.<br />
<br />
LUVWRX. Believe it!<div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-75997128932545967652010-04-20T17:47:00.000-05:002010-04-20T17:47:08.317-05:00My Next Move<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMKbS6WXmxX49agefga7eNUqmbSfpspNEX0xIcya0ihscM3r6SSnnMs3w6D0vaPoDC3GIW2bxPFY7LoDbH-LPqTR6wf1x14eOn9nkuJ35JMWKtkjTlMSYMvfjB99ByRnAibXAOUH9VyNc/s1600/forgive+forget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMKbS6WXmxX49agefga7eNUqmbSfpspNEX0xIcya0ihscM3r6SSnnMs3w6D0vaPoDC3GIW2bxPFY7LoDbH-LPqTR6wf1x14eOn9nkuJ35JMWKtkjTlMSYMvfjB99ByRnAibXAOUH9VyNc/s200/forgive+forget.jpg" width="200" wt="true" /></a></div><br />
sting of tears <br />
relinquishing fears<br />
all these years<br />
love in arrears<br />
<br />
i'm learning<br />
with eyes burning<br />
pages turning<br />
as love's returning<br />
<br />
it's my next move<br />
and i choose love<br />
<br />
not a curse<br />
could be worse<br />
in a hearse<br />
my final traverse<br />
<br />
back in the groove<br />
with scars to prove<br />
my next move<br />
is one of love<br />
<br />
it's my next move<br />
and i choose love<br />
<br />
shedding my skin<br />
exposing to sin<br />
no lose, no win<br />
beginning again<br />
<br />
no danger of fear<br />
love oh so dear<br />
feeling it near<br />
truth to appear<br />
<br />
it's my next move<br />
and i choose love<br />
<br />
peace my quest<br />
no form of test<br />
just find my rest<br />
love, you're the best<br />
<br />
nothing to prove<br />
just my next move<br />
heart does behoove<br />
it comes from above<br />
<br />
and it's <em>my</em> next move<br />
so i choose love<br />
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on Facebook</a></div><div class="bn_footer"><a href="http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/">Blog Networks</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-52830512018548689972010-04-15T15:25:00.003-05:002010-04-15T15:35:58.479-05:00So Long Gone -- Love is Free?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-AnXZIYhTl-AzW_z2JpsLyOJcYUa_HoOJIx2KJ0QTy0zAxGC_ZY1STbcF4plEvbDbv2Y3lnzs_KzZNefby2BJ-v37HW1MrQvbu74z2A3a-2S0GJ2-KAUDWxtJdcx5abTBVbySDB5NYo/s1600/broken_heart-18231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-AnXZIYhTl-AzW_z2JpsLyOJcYUa_HoOJIx2KJ0QTy0zAxGC_ZY1STbcF4plEvbDbv2Y3lnzs_KzZNefby2BJ-v37HW1MrQvbu74z2A3a-2S0GJ2-KAUDWxtJdcx5abTBVbySDB5NYo/s200/broken_heart-18231.jpg" width="200" wt="true" /></a></div>six feet tall and bullet proof<br />
or at least that's what I thought.<br />
believed it all,<br />
down came the roof.<br />
your word I completely bought.<br />
<br />
shame on you, <br />
shame on me<br />
cause you're so long gone.<br />
i won't blame you, <br />
so don't blame me.<br />
damn. <br />
<br />
<em>once more on my own</em><br />
<br />
i gave my heart away,<br />
no cost to you did i impart.<br />
<br />
<em>my love was free</em><br />
<br />
but as of today<br />
there's a hole in my heart.<br />
<br />
<em>yet love is free?</em><br />
<br />
well from shit grows the rose.<br />
so it is with love i suppose.<br />
<br />
if love is free,<br />
i'd rather pay God for some guarantee<br />
<br />
no time for tears,<br />
my heart's on the run.<br />
oh, burn away the clouds of fear,<br />
and break through sweet sun.<br />
<br />
stop this constant pain;<br />
too hard to take.<br />
i want to grow in love again.<br />
people can be so fake!<br />
<br />
yes, mistakes were made<br />
with loads of regret.<br />
if love is free, as has been portrayed<br />
why are these eyes so wet?<br />
<br />
<em>cause love isn't free</em><br />
<br />
if it was, it is no more.<br />
no, there's a price that's paid.<br />
it's keeping score;<br />
my heart left in shreds<br />
<br />
<em>what now?</em><br />
<br />
well...<br />
<br />
i tore off the rearview,<br />
and i won't look back.<br />
i'll keep moving forward<br />
and stay on track.<br />
<br />
must protect my heart<br />
but... <br />
<br />
how?<br />
<br />
by remembering True Love <em>flows</em> free<br />
right here; right now<br />
<br />
<em>true</em> <strong>LUVWRX</strong>. Believe it!<br />
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on Facebook</a></div><div class="bn_footer"><a href="http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/">Blog Networks</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-16684393863102904172010-04-03T13:37:00.005-05:002010-04-03T14:24:53.398-05:00There is no them -- A recent post. <a href="http://thereisnothem.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-end-battle-now.html">How to End the Battle Now</a> <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a 6mbzuqycqs8="" _pevyrcs-rmi="" aaaaaaaaat4="" arm-wrestling1.jpg?="" href="http://thereisnothem.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-end-battle-now.html" imageanchor="1" s1600="" s7eufj4p6ai="" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MDKx-VF93qkJ6K8_WSNwV5eadt8gL4zhF18OhC1v4sueVJAByDldVEzJKe_wHi0OeOmUHM_JcLW66v_uw7d8-uPgSFaXci75U9I2bWQpmXm6_mhpu2dMjN-iUzcY2gxwZ1zI1W08NPI/s320/arm-wrestling1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-88592154389521780992010-03-04T10:32:00.000-06:002010-03-04T10:32:32.759-06:00When All Is Said And DoneHere is a song by Matt Redman. <br />
<br />
Listen friend, and when you're done, listen to it again.<br />
<br />
Tune your life to Heaven's song today.<br />
<br />
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" height="28" id="divplaylist" width="335"><param name="movie" value="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10659642-e59" /><embed src="http://www.divshare.com/flash/playlist?myId=10659642-e59" width="335" height="28" name="divplaylist" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object><br />
<div class="bn_widget"><div class="bn_body"><br />
<strong>LUVWRX!</strong> Believe it.</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-21604431470474293832010-02-08T16:31:00.002-06:002010-02-08T16:31:47.293-06:00How to Improve Your Decision-Making Skills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgktw77ZSDLbYWNfhCwTk9mj0mEgesGdGNtM8tulLBbF8kpDYbryyDs8KZRuFOhSkUsV-cVOX6OmUTGjcG9mh9YJJMfpW5pHrEwXZHXNaKfkn2TjQa9sGDy8LryUt14omUbcy27EBlX8/s1600-h/krispy-kreme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgktw77ZSDLbYWNfhCwTk9mj0mEgesGdGNtM8tulLBbF8kpDYbryyDs8KZRuFOhSkUsV-cVOX6OmUTGjcG9mh9YJJMfpW5pHrEwXZHXNaKfkn2TjQa9sGDy8LryUt14omUbcy27EBlX8/s200/krispy-kreme.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><strong>Decisions. Decisions.</strong><br />
<br />
Do you ever find yourself unable to settle on a choice? Is the comfort of knowing you're making the right decision eluding you right now? Why can't you just decide for goodness' sake?<br />
<br />
<strong>This Ain't No Menu, Baby. This Is Real Life!</strong><br />
<br />
Sometimes trying to make a decision is like trying to open a child-proof medicine bottle with oil on my hands. I get so caught up in pros and cons that even the original issue can become cloudy. I'd like to possess the ability to see my choices clearly, pick the one best for me in that moment, and never, ever second guess myself. Sometimes I get it right. But there are times when I seem frozen in indecision.<br />
<br />
Ironically, I talk alot about choice. Choosing can be automatic it seems, and we do it constantly on a daily basis. Yet there are moments when a particular decision can have far-reaching implications, involving the well-being of others.<br />
<br />
I also speak about how meditation has helped me to find clarity and peace while I ponder an issue. It can be a great source of comfort to listen for God-breathed answers while waiting on a God-sized response to my need. Then, if I'm not paying attention, I catch myself just staring at a menu. Just staring... like I'm in some state of menu meditation, when I come to the realization that it has been more than a few minutes. The party I am with are all looking at me with their silly grins while my eyes are glazed over like Krispy-Kreme doughnuts. You know what I'm saying? I'm in a real dilemna. The kind that, to take too long in deciding, can get me run over in traffic. No kidding.<br />
<br />
<strong>Faith. Hope. Love.</strong><br />
<br />
Beloved, decision making need not be a struggle, no matter the gravity of my situation. To have certainty in my choices can be a reality, free of pain and sleep loss. The very same One who guides me to the point of decision, is the same One who guides me to the correct choice. The same One who guides me out of on-coming traffice, is the same One who in the blink of a sugar-coated eye, provides peace in all circumstances.<br />
<br />
It takes faith to believe that I am led to the tipping point as surely as I am provided a way to escape a tumble. I have a hope that all my steps are accounted for, and that hope rests in the knowledge that God has never abandoned me. When I leave my struggle in his capable hands, the Peace of the Spirit of Christ settles over my issue. When this is accomplished, his Love compels me to forget my struggle, and to remember that others face greater challenges than I.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">The Love of Christ sustains me...</span></strong><br />
<br />
No matter how serious my decision may be, the Love of Christ sustains me. Whether I am choosing between the sushi or the hamburger; trying again or quitting; leaving or staying; I can know that my decision is best when I let Christ in on the process, and choose to partner with him. Remember these words the next time a decision becomes a challenge (even if it's only a menu choice.) They were spoken by Jesus, the Christ to those who needed to hear it. I know I did. God bless your decisions.<br />
<br />
<em>"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."</em> Matthew 11:28-30 NIV<br />
<br />
<strong>LUVWRX!</strong> Believe it. <br />
<a aid="1132567752" href="http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blogpage.php?blogid=20926" target="_blank">Join my blog network<br />
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<div class="bn_widget"><div class="bn_footer"><a href="http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/">Blog Networks</a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-12762179197181656892010-02-01T13:39:00.002-06:002010-02-01T13:41:05.891-06:00Think. About. It.<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4NtgjNLNpao&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4NtgjNLNpao&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="410" height="364"></embed></object><br />
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<div class="bn_widget"><div class="bn_header" style="height: 2px;"></div><div class="bn_body"><a aid="1132567752" href="http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blogpage.php?blogid=20926" target="_blank">Join my blog network<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>I am not afraid.</strong><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am also not afraid to say to the darkness that, "I know who I am in the process of becoming. The dream of my Father will come to pass!"<br />
</div><br />
We are created by and through Christ, who is the very nature of God. We are created with the same nature, and we can realize more of our purpose when we listen to (and live out) Christ through his Word in <strong>Micah 6:8</strong>, which states, <em>"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."</em><br />
<br />
Whoever you are, wherever you're from, your God says that when you show kindness and justice, when you offer grace and acceptance, and when you set aside judgement and present genuine forgiveness through Love, all is well. Do this child, and you will see the "grip" loosen, the chains weaken, and the darkness (ego) drop its head in shame as it finds itself in the Presence of real Love.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;">Love is all we need.</span></strong><br />
<br />
Never believe the lies you hear, especially the ones you hear yourself saying. You are Loved. You are forgiven. You are accepted as you are. And you are so special that all you need to do right now is let go, and fall back into his Loving arms.<br />
<br />
<strong>You are good!</strong><br />
<br />
There... don't you feel better now?<br />
<br />
<strong>LUVXRX!</strong> Believe it.<div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-59497238604052718762010-01-09T10:53:00.004-06:002010-01-09T10:55:24.457-06:00It All Starts With MeDon't look outward<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMhJpjityj1tniP10p27AtPfPMLqdELo34RaP7NjK8e8FO4VscERHtlCOfrO14MB07C2luqeHIlEyG3gaK1PMuh48v-O2houi3YG40ETIGOx63ER3WetEiIUT-Sq58iHRipjGZVJgW-c/s1600-h/baby+looking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMhJpjityj1tniP10p27AtPfPMLqdELo34RaP7NjK8e8FO4VscERHtlCOfrO14MB07C2luqeHIlEyG3gaK1PMuh48v-O2houi3YG40ETIGOx63ER3WetEiIUT-Sq58iHRipjGZVJgW-c/s200/baby+looking.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
for the answer<br />
<br />
to the dilemna.<br />
<br />
The answer lies inside.<br />
<br />
Don't look at others<br />
<br />
for a place to point the blame.<br />
<br />
There is no one to blame.<br />
<br />
Looking outside<br />
<br />
instead of going within<br />
<br />
is an ego thing anyway.<br />
<br />
It all starts with me.<br />
<br />
I am the interpreter<br />
<br />
of my experience.<br />
<br />
I am the creator<br />
<br />
of my reality.<br />
<br />
It all starts with me.<br />
<br />
It's not <em>all about</em> me.<br />
<br />
It just all starts with me.<br />
<br />
Truth.<br />
<br />
Lies.<br />
<br />
Illusions.<br />
<br />
What do I see?<br />
<br />
What am I looking for?<br />
<br />
How will this day<br />
<br />
be described<br />
<br />
when it's done?<br />
<br />
Whether good<br />
<br />
or bad,<br />
<br />
it's up to me.<br />
<br />
My focus<br />
<br />
is on improving me.<br />
<br />
I look inside<br />
<br />
to see the real me.<br />
<br />
Because...<br />
<br />
it all starts with me.<br />
<br />
I look inside<br />
<br />
where no mask<br />
<br />
can disguise<br />
<br />
the real me.<br />
<br />
No pretending.<br />
<br />
No defending.<br />
<br />
No mind game.<br />
<br />
Inside.<br />
<br />
In the midst of me.<br />
<br />
In the deep place.<br />
<br />
That's where the truth,<br />
<br />
<em>my</em> truth resides.<br />
<br />
Deep inside<br />
<br />
I know that...<br />
<br />
it all starts with me.<br />
<br />
So...<br />
<br />
Who am I?<div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-83417584083991344312010-01-03T16:07:00.003-06:002010-01-03T16:16:06.358-06:00Where's the Love?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNPZK4WUDSRh2er9ZXAcmAFuZ60ypQFes9t62MqbUC2C9rFiCwfiyEVP5GPYDPcytr32LFWuwjKwR5RnNGp8BFjyEHNasXnCdoa8F5mZniu8UVRYVr_l1IicRdMdtpgM07fxh7CNnxnw/s1600-h/Love_Sign_Language.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVNPZK4WUDSRh2er9ZXAcmAFuZ60ypQFes9t62MqbUC2C9rFiCwfiyEVP5GPYDPcytr32LFWuwjKwR5RnNGp8BFjyEHNasXnCdoa8F5mZniu8UVRYVr_l1IicRdMdtpgM07fxh7CNnxnw/s200/Love_Sign_Language.jpg" /></a>A new decade in infancy.<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">An old idea resurfacing.<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A new way needed.<br />
</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">An old prayer the answer.<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><em>Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We [are]. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.</em><br />
<br />
<em>But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. </em><br />
<br />
<em>As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; <strong>that they all may be one, as You, Father, [are] in Me, and I in You;</strong> that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. </em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.</strong></em><br />
<br />
<em>Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. <strong>And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare [it], that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.</strong></em><br />
-- John 17:9-26 NKJV)<br />
<br />
We are One.<br />
<br />
There is no them.<br />
<br />
Christ was referring to all of us.<br />
<br />
Therefore, let us be active participants within the prayer of Jesus.<br />
<br />
<strong>LUVWRX</strong>. Believe it! <br />
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</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-14928296314164605342009-12-29T17:11:00.002-06:002010-02-07T14:35:22.589-06:00It is You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Vd4E7afiij0CLEo6mUZ0z1h5nWHnOjamCtastuFGqnUQNvZppCK-J5lm8hyphenhyphen1VWsKITzpezxrPR9xegd67v7Vg5Ib3x4GBXHy7_WOppk6MDymW4xu7dxiJbf7RYFUahqOyoNw3KtegN4/s1600-h/Dad+Baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Vd4E7afiij0CLEo6mUZ0z1h5nWHnOjamCtastuFGqnUQNvZppCK-J5lm8hyphenhyphen1VWsKITzpezxrPR9xegd67v7Vg5Ib3x4GBXHy7_WOppk6MDymW4xu7dxiJbf7RYFUahqOyoNw3KtegN4/s200/Dad+Baby.jpg" /></a></div><br />
It is You. <br />
<br />
It is only You.<br />
<br />
It has ever only been You.<br />
<br />
And because of You, I am a better man. You have never let me fall. It is I who always chose to stumble. You always pick me back up, brush me off, and offer Your acceptance so that I might be made whole again. Though I will surely choose again in error as I make my way along this path we share, I know that I am never ever alone. I know that I will always have You.<br />
<br />
It is You.<br />
<br />
It is only You.<br />
<br />
It has never been that it was not only and forever You.<br />
<br />
Thank you for Your Love. Thank you for creating me with the certainty that Love is all we have ever needed. When I make the conscious choice to make Love and only Love my method, I am completely in You. For I have also been created with the certainty that You have always been in me. I am forever grateful to You, and I love You.<br />
<br />
It is You.<br />
<br />
It is only You.<br />
<br />
When the earth crumbles, and all the galaxies fade, it will always and forever only be You.<br />
<br />
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: x-large;">For in his eyes, it has always been <em>you</em> beloved.</span></strong><br />
<br />
It is you.<br />
<br />
It is <em>only</em> you.<br />
<br />
It has never ever been that it could possibly be about anything <em>other</em> than you.<br />
<br />
<strong>LUVWRX.</strong> Believe it.<br />
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</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-61550327123671924722009-12-25T11:43:00.001-06:002009-12-25T11:43:58.816-06:00First Love<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FbhC1VwvVZnXG1wq20fdOk_h2MbKcCslZOCKEfmBawHzMIdgacFnBHNoHmd6uhyO3P7NUEgNaMg15o4Hsb3PCuJNbGHO-b5IRT-vbpPkC44zbCPDkJhMYj_BwxRLH1YNO1HASe55yi8/s1600-h/love11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FbhC1VwvVZnXG1wq20fdOk_h2MbKcCslZOCKEfmBawHzMIdgacFnBHNoHmd6uhyO3P7NUEgNaMg15o4Hsb3PCuJNbGHO-b5IRT-vbpPkC44zbCPDkJhMYj_BwxRLH1YNO1HASe55yi8/s200/love11.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>It is a very quiet Christmas morning as I write. No people. No laughter. Nothing. Or so it seemed as I woke up today.<br />
<br />
This has been a year to remember; death, divorce, division, defeat. And in spite of the way those things hang on me like smoke from stale cigarettes, I find that I am anything but alone. The God of the Universe never leaves, never abandons, never ever divides, and can only lift up. <br />
<br />
The King of heaven who gave more to me than I have ever been able to comprehend came to my room and gently reminded me that my first Love is the only love I need.... now or ever.<br />
<br />
"Return to me," he said. -- Insert an awkward pause here. -- "It has been so long Father, I don't know how to approach you anymore." It was all I could of think to say. Without hesitation, he simply replied, "My child, you just did. And not only do I receive you, I bless you now in my name with joy, peace, and completion." I am reeling from the event, and I just wanted to say to you beloved,<br />
<br />
<strong>"Return to your first Love."</strong><br />
<br />
You are not alone. Don't ever fall for the lie. If you have no people around you at the moment, it may only be so that you can become reacquainted with true Love. The kind of love that is consistent and unconditional. The kind of Love you and I are searching for. The Love that knows us completely, and doesn't find any fault with us.<br />
<br />
<strong>Merry Christmas.</strong> <br />
<br />
And take heart, your life is an unfinished script. So help write by filling it with memories throughout this next year. Make memories that will carry you through till the next Christmas where things are sure to be better for us. God's promises are dependable. Talk with him about your hopes and dreams right now. Your First Love is waiting for you.<br />
<br />
God Bless You in the name of Christ who we celebrate this day. <br />
<br />
LUVWRX -- Believe it!<br />
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</div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-48019131446828892492009-11-29T12:30:00.003-06:002009-11-29T18:47:58.984-06:00Does Love Hurt?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSshJ5z9o5uMYAT3JCW6NZ9UPNGg8KwsR8JNhAnZMrYE_JfNqIbtEK725gpPSkD1twLqwF5SNuSxHov7c3V4Dd4bLLVB-X3Uqp5BI-y7udbrcmJGyEU8QlSQA1M0InLMJziTrR2sBoYg/s1600/love+tacs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSshJ5z9o5uMYAT3JCW6NZ9UPNGg8KwsR8JNhAnZMrYE_JfNqIbtEK725gpPSkD1twLqwF5SNuSxHov7c3V4Dd4bLLVB-X3Uqp5BI-y7udbrcmJGyEU8QlSQA1M0InLMJziTrR2sBoYg/s200/love+tacs.jpg" yr="true" /></a>Why do we feel hurt by Love?<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Is Love the source of our pain?<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">OR --<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Are our past experiences the real bully?<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">All our lives we've heard the phrase, "Love hurts..." And all of our lives we have believed it. While it may feel like Love is the bully, that kind of thinking denies that God is Love, and that is in conflict with scripture. (1 John 4:1-21) <br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Please read all of the above-referenced scripture before proceeding.</strong><br />
</div><br />
John is specific: When we choose to believe that Jesus, the Christ, is all he claimed to be; when we choose to live in Love, forsaking everything; Love chooses to live in us. Yet all our lives we've accumulated our fair share of negative experiences that have helped to form our perspectives, our opinions, and our tolerance thresholds. All our lives we have allowed those illusions to blind us to how we come to believe what we come to believe. So instead of taking responsibility for our choices, then and <em>now</em>, all of our lives we have chosen to blame God for our circumstances. <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">That is a further denial of the truth of scripture.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Please read Galations 6:7-10, Job 4:17, and Psalm 36:5-9.</strong> <br />
<br />
If we choose to believe we are loved by God, we lose the option of blaming him when we have a bad experience in love. That's a good thing. We are now in the ideal position to let Love off the hook and learn from the experience. God allows us to taste hurt to be sure. The truth is, however, he doesn't desire for us to swallow it.<br />
<br />
Learning from heartache (it might be something worse than a breakup) gives us eyes to see others the way God sees them. We are then able to understand that we live in a hurting world. Those of us who call ourselves Christian have been provided the perfect template for avoiding further pain through the simple act of forgiveness, and we are expected to emulate it. <br />
<br />
<strong>It is also not an option.</strong><br />
<br />
When we forgive, we deny darkness the opportunity to deceive us into thinking we've been wronged. Thus we avoid unnecessary pain. When we accomplish this, we see the perceived offense by another, not as hurting us, but as a cry for help.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: x-large;">Love cannot hurt us, and God is not against us.</span></strong><br />
<br />
Love is not designed to participate in pain except to serve as the cure. God would never allow himself to be called Love if there existed the remote possibility that He/It/Love could actually do anything to hurt us. However, he does understand that we blame him.<br />
<br />
And to be sure, we do hurt. We hurt for various reasons, and pain in many forms and fashions is sometimes aimed at us by others. And even though we do sometimes hurt, remember this truth:<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Love does NOT hurt :)</span></strong><br />
<br />
Beloved, we all want to be loved. It is only natural. So if you ever find yourself at the end of a relationship (or mean people are forcing themselves into your world), don't let Love go just because another person let you go, or another crashed into you. Instead, allow the God of Love to enfold you in his authentic embrace. Then (and this is the hard part) -- extend as best you can the same Love towards that person. Try it. Love works.<br />
<br />
<em>Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. . . and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.</em> -- Paul<br />
<br />
LUVWRX (believe it)<div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-89675104115416071992009-11-05T23:05:00.014-06:002009-11-25T22:22:50.475-06:00The Gods Aren't Angry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xV2Vqr9n2KLkYMh_YnXf7MY9xRZn_Nbon1_bKj6PT2cEnGY8fW-SIv4Q3hkkIOxI21nz7yG3ku1tVfkU7VL6hTGECLvcL-tvaU8D_LJrYocYpqVoiv4b1DQQRFJUyquR3ZG3KmpS4tY/s1600-h/wrath-of-god.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400876710779211170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9xV2Vqr9n2KLkYMh_YnXf7MY9xRZn_Nbon1_bKj6PT2cEnGY8fW-SIv4Q3hkkIOxI21nz7yG3ku1tVfkU7VL6hTGECLvcL-tvaU8D_LJrYocYpqVoiv4b1DQQRFJUyquR3ZG3KmpS4tY/s200/wrath-of-god.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 215px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 138px;" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><strong>God is not angry.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;">God is not capable of disliking you. </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;">Your God loves you, even if you don't believe it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;">Even if you don't believe there is One.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><strong>That's the good news of the day.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;">It is reasonable to assume that there are individuals today whose minds are free to ponder things outside the box of religion, going straight to the heart of the matter. Our questions are valid. Rob Bell is a mind free in Christ. Below is a trailer for a talk he gave that is outside of the mainstream of religious propaganda. It is compelling:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;"><em>The Gods Aren't Angry</em> -- Rob Bell<br />
</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;">I included an additional clip that only hints at the insightful way he gives us pause to dare question all we've been taught. I have viewed both of these films. They are not new. His church is Mars Hill Bible Church, located in Grand Rapids, MI. In response to critics of his teachings, Bell is quoted, </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;"><em>"When people say that the authority of Scripture or the centrality of Jesus is in question, actually it's their social, economic and political system that has been built in the name of Jesus that's being threatened. Generally lurking below some of the more venomous, vitriolic criticism is somebody who's created a facade that's not working...But I love everybody and you're next!"</em> he says, giggling.<em> "That's how I respond to criticism."</em></span> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;">I like him a lot. I hope you do:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"><em>Everything is Spiritual</em> -- Rob Bell</span><br />
<br />
<embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" flashvars="file=http%3A%2F%2Fflannel.vo.llnwd.net%2Fo16%2Ftrailers%2FF-TF-RB-EIS.flv&image=http%3A%2F%2Fflannel.vo.llnwd.net%2Fo16%2Fposter%2FF-TF-RB-EIS-poster.jpg&controlbar=true&plugins=viral-1d" height="232" src="http://flannel.vo.llnwd.net/o16/trailers/fplayer.swf" style="height: 232px; width: 444px;" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="444"></embed><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 180%;"><span style="color: #ff9900;"><strong>Oh yeah, the bad news of the day is that some who see these clips will be upset</strong>.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;">It truly is a sad day when an open mind is somehow meant to imply an empty one. The truth is, only an open mind is offered the potential to become like Christ's mind. It is his deepest desire that our minds be identical to his. Jesus Christ is a peace-loving non-conformist. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><strong>Don't be afraid to ask questions.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;">If you like the trailers,the films can be purchased here -- </span><a href="http://store.flannel.org/eis.html"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;">http://store.flannel.org/eis.html</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;">There is no God of Wrath. The proof is in the bloodshot eyes of the one who, like Bort, can see God's Mystery, and has still found it possible to <em>not </em>ask questions. I asked my earthly daddy to teach me what he knew. He taught me love. I have asked God to teach me what he knows. He has taught me that Love can change everything. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;"><strong><span style="font-size: 100%;">God is love.</span></strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;">It is not a new thing. God never changes so that we can have the joy of experiencing Love that can never fail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;"><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">LUVWRX</span></span></strong> -- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">jb</span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-85406736699936439552009-11-05T00:28:00.005-06:002009-11-05T01:38:07.908-06:00When All Is Said And DoneI know that I am misunderstood by some readers. I also know that it is hopeless to attempt to explain myself through words -- written or spoken. I get grief for purposefully being open to others. The truth is, I am willing to accept <em>any</em>one and <em>every</em>one just as they are. I live my life as close as I possibly can to the example of Christ for the simple reason that he told us it is a good way to live. It is The Way. There are others who have gone before me that exude his goodness and his genuine love for All, and<em> </em>I try to follow their example too.<br /><br />I am not into apologetics, yet I find myself actually bothered that some so-called Christians find fault with me because of my openness. Let's be frank: I am who I am. You are free to think of me as you wish. Just be honest: If you are saying ugly things about me, you don't know me.<br /><br />I make mistakes every day. I am so far from perfect that I don't seek after it. I seek to be a peacemaker, and by my witness I hope to share with you what Christ means to me. If you are Buddhist, Muslim, Jew, or Pagan; I love you. I accept your beliefs. I accept your wisdom. I accept you. I want you to know the Christ that lifted me from my blind state of judgement, found me faultless, and dusted me off, patted me on the back and said, "Keep doing just what you're doing. I like the fact that you think enough of me to <em>try</em> and emulate My Way."<br /><br />I sleep just fine at night with this way of thinking. I converse with him daily to ensure I am still on my path. Some of you Christians who read these words and assume I am something strange, or even worse, someone who is beneath you; I love you too.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">I love you.</span></strong><br /><br />I have prayed that those of you with the most awful ideas about me, who spread lies and innuendo to any who will listen, will bump into me somewhere in public. I pray that we will lock eyes. I pray that you will not hate me -- even though you profess to be a follower of Christ, you know you hate me :) Yet, I sincerely want peace for you. You can't rob me of mine because my peace is beyond your ability to understand. Most days it is beyond my understanding too. I would give a body part to have a discussion about how we differ, if in fact we do.<br /><br />When all is said and done and I stand before my Maker, I will know without doubt that I did the best I could to love, accept, embrace, and relate to All. It is not my place to judge anyone <em>ever</em>. I adhere to that just like Jesus said I should. I want to be understood, but I accept the fact that some people are intimidated by a person that can't condemn another to hellfire and eternal damnation just because they see things differently than I do.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#ff9900;">Here's a visual for those of you that are cringing as you read this:</span></strong><br /><br />Imagine every living being alive today joined together, hand in hand, encircling God. Clearly we are only able to see God from where we are, yet we still see God. If my perspective is different as a result of where I am as I look, yet I love what I see and recognize through my understanding that it is God, how can I judge you and say you don't know God? Why would I take it further and believe that since you don't see him/her (God has no genitalia) the way I do, you're wrong? Did God tell you that?<br /><br /><strong>Think. About. It.</strong><br /><br />Every time we unfairly decide for another person that our way is better than theirs without first considering their perspective, we spit on God's plan for the world he created. He never wanted us to hate another for any reason, yet we do it anyway. Remember:<br /><br /><strong>There is no them.</strong><br /><br />There is no them except in your mind. That is not the Mind of Christ my friend, and you know it! If you've ever been one of them-- as I am to some of you -- you would never want to inflict such unfair judgement again. If Jesus is God, and even if you believe that God killed everyone that he didn't like (including pregnant women and children) in his wrath, did he just change his mind when he appeared on earth as the savior of the Jews? Why and how did Christ forgive his murderers while they were in the act of killing him? Is God unchanging yet he won't forgive anyone for their sins except when they are killing the kindest, most accepting person on earth? <em>You</em> tell me. You have all the answers; right? Your God of wrath is also just in your mind. God is Love. PERIOD! I like to think that I am a willing participant in what God is doing in his world. And loving All is part of it.<br /><br /><strong>LUVWRX.</strong><br /><br />Try it out on those you <strong>H8</strong> today, and see if you don't feel better about yourself.<br /><br />Peace. -- jb<div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-85238560539893814692009-10-13T19:03:00.009-05:002009-10-13T21:56:15.190-05:00What I've Learned<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMFVeXhTqo6tLIu5E9yBebZsxXzf59xTITFxWWzg4QkW-le2c-t0GUX-jg8JaKfQ8kdUGn1bZRKdAbvKC588q0WCCsOSwG9sVFBjuY-27js9f6XArcBrF0_eTidiecQDIpJEESg8u6l8/s1600-h/poof.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 179px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392257355062151794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimMFVeXhTqo6tLIu5E9yBebZsxXzf59xTITFxWWzg4QkW-le2c-t0GUX-jg8JaKfQ8kdUGn1bZRKdAbvKC588q0WCCsOSwG9sVFBjuY-27js9f6XArcBrF0_eTidiecQDIpJEESg8u6l8/s200/poof.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">I fly a lot but I had a chance to actually <em>drive</em> to my job today. It was a day like any other day except for the fact that, as I was driving, a post popped into my head. I guess being a frequent flyer frequently induces writer's block.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">It occurred to me that my being a newly-created 47 year old provides me with nearly a half century of experience from which to glean wisdom... or the repetition of all-too-familiar "oops events." And while you and I have seen the dreaded e-mail forwards with all types of quips about how after such and such time you know this or that, I have no desire to plagiarize. I may be unconventional, but I am absolutely original. So...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;">Here's what I have learned; <em>in my own words:</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>1. <em>LOVE</em> is the only thing that is real.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>2. Life is not measured by the number of breaths I take. Just breathe.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>3. Some people will only love me with conditions attached. Just love. </strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>4. Once I decide that I have it all figured out, I have quit searching. Ouch!</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>5. I don't know a thing, and I'm good with that.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>6. Music is a gift from the heart of an artist. I want to make some. </strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>7. Love is the <em>ONLY</em> thing that is real.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>8. Memories are not the past. They're happening now. Pay attention :)</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>9. Resentment can kill me. Love can heal me.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>10. Mean people seem to be everywhere. I don't want to be one.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>11. I am myself only to the extent that I know myself. I want to be real. </strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>12. If I look for it, I will have the opportunity to help someone.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>13. Love is the only thing that is <em>REAL.</em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"><strong>14. Laughter is as powerful as music. Make some.</strong></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">15. The act of forgiveness should never be an act.</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>16. If I believe me, I will be as healthy as I say I am.</strong></span></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">17. I am loved, and I am worth the effort it may take.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">18. I am thankful for all my experiences. They make me who I am.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">19. Christ forgave his murderers while they were in the act.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">20. LOVE is the ONLY thing that is REAL.</span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;">Peace -- jb</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-37315102962673583202009-09-09T16:24:00.017-05:002009-10-12T11:15:49.082-05:00An Open Letter to My Son<div class="bn_widget"><em>I wrote this to Brandon as he was preparing to leave for college a few years ago. He is a senior this year. I had completely forgotten about it and as I was working today, I stumbled upon it. It is remarkable to me that this occurred because I had been having one of those days that we sometimes have when we are not completely centered. I offer it, as always, as a reminder for me and me alone. If you glean anything from it, I am blessed by that. Peace. -- jb<br /></em>________________</div><div class="bn_widget"><br />Dear Brandon,</div><div class="bn_widget"><br />Somewhere it is written that the father is to give some final words of advice before sending the son off to college. I originally wrote this letter to you one day last week. It just poured out onto the paper. I have since read it about 10 times and I must confess that it looks like I wrote it to myself as much as I wrote it to you.<br /><br /></div><div class="bn_widget">I wish I had known when I was your age what you will read below. I did not and that is ok.</div><div class="bn_widget"> </div><div class="bn_widget"></div><div class="bn_widget">At any rate, I want you to not read this until you are in a place physically and mentally where you have time to sit and think about the words. It’s ok to put this down and read it later. If you decide to go ahead though, just know that this is from my heart... here goes.<br /><br /></div><div class="bn_widget">As I have told you many times, you somehow broke out of the generational trends that have existed for as long as there have been Bakers. I know I have said this to you a lot more in recent months and that is because you have also shown signs of being farther along in a spiritual sense than I had noticed before. I’m not talking about religion or church attendance. You have started a new thing that will serve you and all mankind, and will carry our name into the future.<br /><br />It is important that you recognize this. </div><div class="bn_widget"><br />All your life I have had the honor of watching you -- I have blessed you, prayed for you and cried for you. I have memories that hurt because for whatever reason, I was unable to protect you from something that hurt you. All the while, I was being taught the role of "father." Those old memories have begun to fade as I now have the opportunity to watch you make your newest memories. I am comforted knowing that you make good choices and I like what I see in you very much.</div><div class="bn_widget"><br />Brandon, you were born with a "knowing" that is very special. You have a certain wisdom that transcends you and is far above the earthly kind of wisdom. What I am talking about is much deeper than what I had come to understand wisdom to be. It seems to come from a place I am only now beginning to understand -- a place of collective knowing that has always existed through all the ages. I can’t explain it, and, yes, it is included in the "talk" I’m going to have with you very soon.</div><div class="bn_widget"><br />I now know that true wisdom cannot be taught like I may teach a class or something... no, it comes from experience. We all have experiences and we sometimes learn from them and sometimes we do not. I am talking about something that seems to come from deep within us – from a place that was created by God and put there for a purpose. Think about this... it is worth considering how you will use this wisdom to help mankind as you discover why you are here.<br /><br />You may not yet know what your purpose is. You may be in the early stages of discovering it or you may not really care right now. Either way, I’d like to offer some insights that I have learned from my own experiences. These insights have come from painful places many times and I’d like to see you avoid such delays in finding your complete self. Reading these may help you define your purpose.</div><div class="bn_widget"><br />Remember that Love outshines and will outlast everything else in all of creation. Whatever you think about, ask yourself is this from Love? For you see, thought is the creation of word and deed. It preexists all action and has the power to either hurt or to heal. Think about Love... pray, shout, sing and dream about Love. It is really that important. Do this and you will see your purpose for this lifetime as clearly as you can see on a crystal-clear blue morning.<br /></div><div class="bn_widget"><br />Second, listen to your heart. Trust what you hear and test it against the standards you have been taught. Don’t go with the crowd unless the crowd has convinced you that its purpose matches or enhances your own. Never, ever compromise unless in so doing, you further the cause of Love. Remember the words of Jesus -- "Love God, love your neighbor, and love yourself." Treat everyone and everything -- family, friends, strangers, animals, plants, all of creation with respect and honor. If you do this, the Universe will reward you with the abundant life that is already yours... even if you cannot yet see it.</div><div class="bn_widget"><br />Be slow to speak and don’t speak at all unless it lifts up the person you are talking to or about.<br /><br /></div><div class="bn_widget"></div><div class="bn_widget">Listen to what people are saying. Really listen on purpose, and you will gain a better understanding of where they are coming from. Remember that everyone has experiences, and those experiences helped to shape them into the person that they are. You may not agree with them and that is ok -- just don’t judge them. Everyone is equal in God’s eyes and they should also be equal in our eyes -- no one is any better than anyone else.<br /><br />Even if you are in a disagreement with someone or even if they have hurt you, put yourself in their shoes and try to forgive them. Show patience and give grace. I assure you that all of heaven will stop and take notice that you actually put Christ’s teachings into practice.</div><div class="bn_widget"><br />Help an old person; smile at a stranger; bless the children you meet; be vulnerable -- now I didn’t say be weak. There is a difference. If you open your heart, you may get hurt, Jesus did, but you will grow and expand in ways that will make you a better person. Be humble. Thank God always and at all times with a truly grateful heart. You have much to be thankful for.</div><div class="bn_widget"><br />Be yourself. Don’t be something that is false and never be arrogant or mean. You know how to treat people, so remember that as your world begins to open up before you. You are going to meet lots of different kinds of people, and although you are a natural leader, college life will present you with a new set of challenges.</div><div class="bn_widget"><br />Son, you are the apple of my eye and such a powerful source of joy for me that even as I fumble to write these words my heart feels like it will burst. It is not easy to express these types of feelings because they are so very real and so deep.</div><div class="bn_widget"><br />I have never tried to influence you to be anyone other than Brandon. I believe it is an error for a father to put such pressure on their son. What you are today is certainly the answer to millions of prayers, but I especially want you to know that you are the fulfillment of all my hopes and dreams, and I am always here for you. You will never be so far away that I would not move heaven and earth to come to your aid. </div><div class="bn_widget"><br />Receive, once more, the blessing of your earthly father with complete assurance that I merely reflect the love of your eternal and perfect Father. It is because he loves me so much that he has allowed me to serve you in this way at this time. I am forever grateful.<br /></div><div class="bn_widget"><br />May the sun be always on your beautiful face, with the wind of Love at your back. As you follow your dreams, may the road rise up to meet you and carry you to the greatest heights of completion. You deserve nothing less. </div><div class="bn_widget"><br />I love you.</div><div class="bn_widget"><br />Dad</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-62459238774101748132009-08-31T13:49:00.006-05:002009-08-31T14:23:43.719-05:00Dark Night of the Soul<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDvRFR3UTCYrF5a1j_kMpV_XjJY1ZbxauVeEK16nuAy-SUdb_NF21EgZINjrnj3g7kgzSka58i-MYFpksm_Dv1dQuo3JvYHjqQG9V0RhTxastQjP-BhjVrgDkVtU5rWOU6MmAVVQJxsA/s1600-h/dark+night.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 286px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 202px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376203109025005826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDvRFR3UTCYrF5a1j_kMpV_XjJY1ZbxauVeEK16nuAy-SUdb_NF21EgZINjrnj3g7kgzSka58i-MYFpksm_Dv1dQuo3JvYHjqQG9V0RhTxastQjP-BhjVrgDkVtU5rWOU6MmAVVQJxsA/s320/dark+night.jpg" /></a> The phrase brings haunting imagery to mind, but it doesn't have to. It is so very descriptive of how many of my friends are experiencing life right now, but it has Hope as its intended result.<br /><br />I have been noticing the intensity of the dark times for several years now and it would seem that they are not only inevitable, they are an indication of something Good and True emerging.<br /><br /><strong>Hope.</strong><br /><br />Hope is the last thing some of us know about lately, but it remains nonetheless. We are all, each of us, hoping for something better for ourselves, and the Dark Night syndrome, although excruciating, is a clear sign that Light is in our immediate future. It is this absence from the Light that allows us time to refocus our eyes; to reevaluate our priorities; and to ultimately <em>re</em>-present ourselves to the world.<br /><br />I have also noticed that these times are less frequent, but more powerful in their effects. This is encouraging for me as it tells me that I am learning to maneuver through the darkness more efficiently. I am more familiar with the Hope that springs forth in the aftermath, and that provides energy to endure.<br /><br />My friends, these are strange and difficult days to be sure. At the same time, it is an unfolding of possibilities if we are aware of it. We are never alone in the darkness even though we sometimes forget under the weight of our circumstances and pain. And when we come out on the other side into the Light, we realize that we were never, ever left alone.<br /><br /><strong>I am never alone.</strong><br /><br />Choose for yourself this day to see your situation as hopeful. It may not truly be at this moment, but it will be. You and I can rest in the peace of that certainty. Inner peace will be our experience sooner than later when we see our path for what it is:<br /><br /><strong>A journey of reacquainting ourselves with the Source of Life.</strong><br /><br />God is real. Love is the proof. And Dark Nights are lovingly designed to propel us out of fear and into Peace.<br /><br />I love you. -- jb<div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-19190713239871500422009-07-16T22:37:00.007-05:002009-11-25T22:39:43.910-06:00Family Ties and Fine Porcelain<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5_d7lebNAoAhDSOMLlS5pnqE9BIou38-7k6r-oUC9wFBtRFZPQ0TnkwkOxbbPs-YcpCgZ4PAux1xYWuMJRuHaS6OgGnA66IkE6Bkr1nonoBHP3hj76ol4YD4IdLCBn8zT2QOJ_zyqgE/s1600-h/fine+porcelain.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359271653383639554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5_d7lebNAoAhDSOMLlS5pnqE9BIou38-7k6r-oUC9wFBtRFZPQ0TnkwkOxbbPs-YcpCgZ4PAux1xYWuMJRuHaS6OgGnA66IkE6Bkr1nonoBHP3hj76ol4YD4IdLCBn8zT2QOJ_zyqgE/s320/fine+porcelain.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 228px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 171px;" /></a>For many of us there comes a time when our friends scatter, and there is that inescapable feeling of abandonment. We sometimes use the term fair-weather friend in reference to people like that, but whatever we chooses to call them, I don't believe most individuals intentionally mean to cause pain in doing this. So let's be honest; it just happens. And when it does, it is very comforting that our family is there to help replace the hurt with uplifting support and acceptance. When circumstances seems to turn against us, family ties undergird us with all we need to get back to joy:<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">Love.</span></strong><br />
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It is true that not all of us have this kind of support <em>when we need it most</em> because we just don't have any family. While this situation does exist I believe that God provides alternatives. I have had the honor of being a surrogate family member, and it was one of the highest honors of my life. If you ever find yourself in any situation that provides you that privilege, take it. You being offered to that person, as a form of family, in love, <em>by</em> Love ItSelf is a beautiful thing.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">Mr. Glynn</span></strong><br />
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I have written about my dear friend Mr. Glynn Luckie Mosley who recently died. His wife Opal collected porcelain figurines, and he went to the ends of the earth in search of the ones she would ask him to find for her. One or two were exquisite and some weren't even very expensive. They just couldn't be shipped from where they originated.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">He Went Anyway.</span></strong><br />
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I observed many similar acts of devotion, and when she died he gracefully allowed me into his then very private and isolated world, and he stole my heart. I weep as I write remembering I got to say, see-ya-later to one of my best friends. When I was told he would not respond as the result of a coma he suddenly fell into from a simple stint procedure, I walked in the room and he began to try and talk to me. He reached for me... I got to hug him, and it was the last time I got to do that. He died the next morning.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: 130%;">What's Next?</span></strong><br />
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My friends, it is a different time we live in. People are moving in and out of each other's lives at record speeds. Some say it's another sign of change. What I know is that for every friend that leaves you, there is another waiting to enter your life and take you to the next level. If you're really lucky this new friend may turn out to be the one you've been looking for your whole life.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: #33ccff; font-size: 180%;">Ponder It. Things Change.</span></strong><br />
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So when change enters your life, make the effort to greet it like an old friend. Don't resist; that just creates repetition of circumstances. Instead receive it like a gift, maybe a fine porcelain figurine. Exquisite in craftsmanship, breathtaking to behold as the hands that created it must have surely known that it was to be this way :)<br />
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God bless those without family ties, as well as those friends who stand and remain no matter what may come. And God bless us all as we continue on in our journey of discovery. Don't fight the things you can't control. Just roll with it Baby. Rest in the being<em>ness</em> of it all, and quit trying to do so much. Do what you can, but let the rest go. There is freedom in that. I love you!<br />
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Peace for your weekend, spend it with your family and friends. And may you always have Love in your life. Love is real.<br />
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jb<div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4150812469307543848.post-91609431436769107672009-07-13T22:59:00.012-05:002009-11-25T22:18:56.586-06:00Contrast is Calling<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsR3Tt0jP8o96xBl2x53wv8N-XVpimZylFvvSjO7y4NuT3L1KEhNN1ZG9kmP_6lNAugy2-bhvTbJyllTd0S1phi8D5yScXsKiz6c1OwF6BTtH5-ONnZ1iR68Sw0xRLuRHg2YVvY6m-h94/s1600-h/contrast.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358169455912093442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsR3Tt0jP8o96xBl2x53wv8N-XVpimZylFvvSjO7y4NuT3L1KEhNN1ZG9kmP_6lNAugy2-bhvTbJyllTd0S1phi8D5yScXsKiz6c1OwF6BTtH5-ONnZ1iR68Sw0xRLuRHg2YVvY6m-h94/s320/contrast.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 193px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 206px;" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">If it were not for contrast in our experiences, would we have the capability of recognizing just how good Life really is? This may seem a strange question at first glance. However, being confronted with change, which is simply contrast -- or opposites as others put it -- we are offered opportunities to consider things from a different perspective, and this equates to growth potential.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 130%;">But Please Pay Attention!</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Bloggers come from all walks of life, and I have been given a larger world view completely free of charge just by being open to what they write about. In the same way, being open to change lessens resistance to growth, and we find that we flow more naturally with the current of Life. I have found that it is much more enjoyable than swimming upstream! And the key is the awareness that change is not intended to hurt me.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 130%;">Stop Fighting Change.</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Allow. I did not say tolerate. Tolerance screams, "I still disapprove!" Allowing simply <em>allows</em>. No fighting. No judgement. In much the same way we are guided through this life by a benevolent Love, we can more easily maneuver the maze-like "obstacles" we sometimes face by just letting go of the desire to control.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><strong><span style="color: #ff9900; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 180%;">Desire is good. Control is dangerous.</span></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Would you rather win, or would you rather offer love? Do you prefer being right over being open? Do you even think about it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 130%;"><strong>Think. About. It.</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Do something ridiculously kind for someone in need today. And do it for no other reason except to experience the contrast of otherwise pretending to be too busy to see them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">There is no them, and I love you! -- jb</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">LUVWRX (believe it)</div>Love Workshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09700827338027021176noreply@blogger.com3