gentle pressure

It starts off as a gentle pressure, but quickly increases to an urgency that I cannot ignore. I have to create something soon or I am going to slip away into a learned helplessness. What are the recovery rates from there? I think many operate from this mind set every day, but I do not want to be one of them. I have spent too much of my life doing what I thought I should do and very little time doing the things that I am really good at. I just have no patience for this anymore. What will it take to motivate me to take that step? Change is there, waiting in the wings. I just have to invite it in.

this day i will rest

This is the day I rest. It began at sundown and will carry on until the same is reached again. This is where my sanity lies every week. Without it, I would surely die. Thanks to the One for the this day He made for us. Adoni Elohim, I bless your name.

glance, judge, carry on.

They were on my left as I turned the corner in my warm car, he on his unicycle and she on her electric scooter. Her poodle paced impatiently underneath her feet. As they glanced at one another, the same thought crossed over their faces...' wierdo'. I continued to navigate the rush-hour traffic, but they left an impression on me.

sad goodbye

It was a tough week for our family. We had to put our big dog down on Tuesday. Unfortunately, she had been getting more aggressive with the weeks following a head injury. About a month ago, she broke loose from her line that we tied her on and wandered the neighbourhood for some 5+ hours. When she came home she was suffering from a concussion. Her head was swollen and her nose appeared to be broken. She was nauseated and weak. We brought her in for the night, not knowing what the next day would bring. In the morning she was much improved and continued to improve each day. However, she became more and more aggressive. On Sunday our neighbor brought bones for the dogs. Maggie decided to protect hers with the utmost aggression towards my son, Alec. So, I went out to correct her, and she attacked me, full force, bit me in two places. Luckily I was wearing a coat and gloves, but she bruised me and scraped the skin. I managed to get her to submit to me, but she was ready to go again at a moments notice. The next morning, I went up to her to greet her as I always do, and she launched into another attack. Luckily she was in her dog run and only got the wire this time. She left us no choice. Once a dog has habituated to attacking people, especially her owner, who has raised her from a pup, she is no good to anyone. It was a very sad day. She was a beautiful, big dog. And before she was injured she was sweet and shy. I am still looking for her every morning. I guess it will take some time.

Republished from Sirdar Inc.

I would like to republish a comment I made to Sirdar Inc. under the heading of "Seven Great Lies of Organized Religion." You can go to the blog to read the entire post and comments. when I am thinking on paper , sometimes I am able to make connectionw where I previously could not. Its funny, I do a lot of reading, (NOT the Harlequin romance kind), and I store a lot of information, but none is so satifying as to see the different sources of information fitting together to make a more complete understanding of things. Here is my post:

The article you quoted Lorne (*note to blog readers, Lorne is the owner of Sirdar Inc.) states that there can only be one Truth. Perhaps there is only one Truth, but could it be expressed in different ways? For example, how many ways can the number 12 be expressed? My kids have to do this in school. The teacher calls them "names" how many names does the number 12 have? one ten and 2 ones, 1x12, 2x6, 3x4, etc. They are all the truth and they all equal 12.

There is a separation of secular (concrete) thinking from spiritual (abstract) thinking in our world, but really one just exists above or underneath the other, the same way microscopes and telescopes bring into view other levels of life that exist above or underneath our bodies. I find it curious that *brilliant* scientific minds will deny or explain away the spiritual side of what they are researching. Not all though, Einstein said, "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind" The two are inseparable. It would be interesting to find out how much medical research considers the spiritual when looking for things like the cure for cancer. One this happens, I believe we will really see progress. But as long as people keep separating their spiritual from the secular sides of their nature, they will only see one or the other, but not both. Even Christian believers will separate the two. I work 6 days, I worship on one day. I guess with this in mind, I see world religions as *works in progress*; each may possess *truth* but none has it in its entirety. The same goes for individuals.

But I guess I am compelled to ask, why so much fuss? Why not just live your life like a bug, here today, squished tomorrow? I think that there will always be a search for *God*. And for those who are even a tiny way towards understanding *God* the search for Him can bring a level of joy previously unexperienced in ones life. People *want* to believe. Even C.S. Lewis who was quoted in your article wanted to believe and it is evident in the passion of his writing. Deepak Chopra (not a Christian), who is a medical doctor states in his book, "How to Know God" that the human brain is "hardwired to seek God" and then goes on to describe how much of the human brain is set aside to deal with emotion and questions about who we are and where we come from. Dr. Candace Pert, Neurologist says, "Intelligence is distributed throughout the cells of one's body, not just the brain." She goes on to say that therefore the traditional separation of knowledge including emotion is no longer valid. There has been some interesting research around this in regards to heart disease. The theory is that those (men) who are suffering from depression and loneliness are more at risk to heart disease. Dr. Pert believes that is because some of that emotion is actually stored in the tissue of the heart. I hope I am not off on a tangent and you can see where I am going with this...

The secret desire of all human beings is to be unconditionally loved; and this is what propels us toward God. He is unconditional love so large that when you are living in its shadow it encompassed you, flows through you and spills out on to every one else standing near. Unconditional love is the answer to death, disease, joy, fulfillment and happiness. If Dr. Pert is right, then it (the love) can lodge itself in the very tissues of our heart. Now here is where I relate all this back to my beliefs, so bare with me.

The Bible says, I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (Hebrews 8:10), the total sum of the 10 commandments equals *LOVE* Jesus told us this in the new testament in two ways, John 13:34, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also love one another." and Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law (Torah, or the first 5 books of the bible), or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." He came in love, to love, and to be loved and to write that unconditional love on the very tissues of our hearts.

Think of it! The love of God can be stored in the tissues of our hearts!!!

The Bible also says, "by their fruits, ye shall know them." If an individual or group is not teaching unconditional love, they are headed on a path away from "Truth". That goes for secular and religious groups. So you might be an atheist or an agnostic, what are the fruits of your existence? Are they love or hate, greed and selfishness? For what its worth, that's what I think.

One more thing. Don't confuse "organized religion" with faith in God. I am currently unaffiliated with organized religion for a very good reason.

think about it

"You can have neither a greater or lesser dominion than over yourself." Leonardo da Vinci