Thought for The Day - Blended

In the best of us, there's a "dark side." And in the most evil people, kindness can be found...

We are a mix of good and bad, strength and weakness. You ever notice some of the most outgoing, well adjusted folks can be found in private moments looking sad? We both give and need encouragement and strength. We need one another and the force of God's love to alter our lives for the better.

Thought for The Day - As it is in Heaven

...so it is on earth.

We are concerned with the measurable, the obtainable, the glitter and the satisfying. And yet there is far more to our world and the world that cannot be seen. About a month ago, I bought a male, blue betta fish, also known as Siamese fighting fish. Alone in a gallon or more tank, his blue fins are tranquil and calming as he swims around. But my son has a male betta as well and it only takes putting them 'near' one another to see how violent they can be. There is a flaring of an area below their gills as the first acknowledgement of the other male. Then the tails get to waving around like giant flags and they beat against the glass as a threat to the other male in the other tank. We would never put them together because with these males, it is always a fight to the finish! But a typical day, they are beautiful creatures, swimming around in their own world. From the videos I've seen, they are excellent fathers as well, taking care of the eggs of their offspring and then caring for the hatchlings.

We come into this world and leave with the same desire: sustenance and connection. And somewhere along the way, we find ways to fill our lives with dull substitutes for the same. We are beings of such beauty and when soft words, movements and acts of passion and love are displayed, it is pure poetry in motion. And yet, behind that nature lies a part of us that "bristles up" when someone like us - perhaps we believe another like us is a rival - comes around. Oh, we have learned to calm ourselves, but let us spend too much time together, and we look for ways to outshine one another. This is true of both the "male" and "female" of our kind. And yet we are capable of an unlimited creative expressions and acts of love! If our news media ever gets a clue, there are as many stories of kindness occurring each day, perhaps we could balance out our fears, if we heard those stories as well! Have you ever watched a family with a new baby? Have you seen how the mother brings them into a room full of relatives? Even men soften at the presence of a baby and love to hold and coo with them!

There is so much going on in the world, seen and unseen. There are energies and forces happening in the visible, tangible world as well the world we don't see. While there is conflict and destruction, there is a birth, life and constant rebuilding. Search your heart and inventory your life: haven't you seen the evidence that you are capable of both beauty and destruction? Have you not seen that you are capable of tender care as well as rage? Final thought: with so much at stake and so much life-affirming possibility, what is the wisest expression you can make? Consider...

Thought for The Day - Concept

Where to begin?
Where does it start?
Tracing a line back to the beginning, that tiny spark or big bang,
Is it a thread
Or the cord of a fuse?

Where does it ALL begin?
When did it start?
When you looked at a drawing in process
Or a painting hanging in your parent's home?
Did you understand what you felt
Or was it a "zing" from the base of your spine
To the crown of your head?

Thought for The Day - Expansion

You know, nearly every thought is an opportunity for growth. Merely allow that energy connecting heart and head to flow and you are well on your way. we have notions and intentions, dreams and plans and any given moment is the doorway to become what we desire. It's long been my thought, since we are made in the image of God, at the core of our thoughts and desire, we long to be like him, producing good, light, love and growth. But it is the "weeds" of life and our reaction to them that allow evil to make more sense.

A heart that chooses purity and love is a heart that continues to grow. One chooses to respond to difficulties, hardship and heartbreak in a way that fosters these essentials of life. It's a continuous process and one that circumstances can dwarf, but keep at it. Each day we are choosing to live more and more like God and less and less like some warped 'demigod.'

As a child, my father was the shining example. My father's hip was displaced when he was a teenager, still growing, so one leg was just a bit shorter than the other. He walked with a limp all my life, but it never prevented him from doing what he chose to do. I don't know if he felt pain from this injury, or how bad he felt when asthma developed from years of working in a chemical plant and smoking, but he wouldn't tell anyway. He always moved fast and thoughtful, always working to ensure his family had what it needed. He worked hard on his job, taking on more and more responsibility. And though he wanted "something" of his own, he continued working at what he knew. Physically, my father was worn down, having many injuries on his job, but not only did he continue working, he continued smiling. One thing I've learned from my father is to listen. Certainly I have a great deal to say, I could probably talk for hours if allowed, but its better to listen. Others need to talk; people need someone to hear their concerns and pains, their desires and needs. And if I offer a listening ear, gentle reassurance and an open door to allow the person to come back and talk again, I've lived my life, growing and expanding.

Thought for The Day - Further

Sailing under Penny Sunset 12 x 18 pastel

You are HERE. But you want to be THERE. Over there, not that 'here' is bad, but you've wanted to be 'there' for a long time and the longer you wait, the more aggravated you become.

Don't stay here; don't live your life - if you can call it 'living' - wondering what life would have been like "over there." Practice bravery, get up, gather your things and go.