Thursday, July 21, 2016

Just Pray

Sorry it's been a minute since I have written my blog.
It has been a very busy summer and a lot of moving, when I get a minute
I make sure I pray and read my books.  I'm home now enjoying a much needed
break with my family. Of course thats when I have time to look back and think about
the world around me.
I know things seem a little crazy right now, a lot crazy.
I am always saddened by the killing in our streets. I understand the frustration of people
who have been abused and treated like second class citizens. I can't imagine the strength
it takes to patrol our neighborhoods and cities.
The political world is set afire with so much propaganda and misleading information on
24 hour news channels, it is difficult to make sense of it all.
I am not writing a blog to tell you who to vote for, to side with Black Lives Matter or Law Enforcement, to tell you to give up your guns or my take on immigration.
I am writing to share my feelings in these crazy times.
Things do seem "crazy" right now, but they are not nearly as crazy as they have been in the past.
Nothing changes, if nothing changes, and change is painful and it's a process.
History is one of my favorite subjects and it shows us that the greatest changes that took place
were painful.
The media would have us believe that it is the end of the world, but it is not, not even close.
The media helps to divide us, separate us from each other, thats how they appeal to us.
They sell us based on very broad strokes. Smokers over here, non-smokers over there.
If anyone is at fault today, it is the 24 hour media empire. It is misleading and shameful.
When I watch the news in the morning, it looks dim outside, dreary and scary and awful.
But when I leave the house and go out into the world, it looks beautiful.
I see people at the grocery store and the gas station and they smile and they're happy.
I see black people and white people enjoying music together, enjoying themselves.
People are people and we are all exactly the same.
We want to live in peace and be safe. We want our families to have food and shelter and we
don't want any trouble. Anyone who does not want these things, that want madness, war, killing....
they are mentally ill. They might sight religion as they're reason to kill, but they are suffering gross
mental illness. "No one in their right mind" would do such things unless provoked to do so.
I am not naive to the world. I understand that people want power and they want to take other people over and they want to rule, I understand, but most people do not.
Just keep that in mind every time you see a news story about Muslims killing people,
or Police killing people.......whatever the label that the news puts on a group of people, that does not include EVERYONE in that group.  In fact, it is very FEW of those people.
Again, they want to divide us into groups, but we are just people, Human Beings.
It does not matter what religion we belong to, what profession we are, what color we are, or where
we come from....we are all exactly the same.

Just pray. I pray everyday and more than once. I mostly pray to be safe and to get along with those around me.  I try and see that people are not so different from me, but mostly the same.
I cannot change things in far off places so much, I have very little influence in the big world.
But I do have influence in the world around me.
I try not to argue my beliefs to those who believe differently, that usually does not help.
I try and understand why they believe this way, they must have a reason.
Again, when I consider that someone is just like me and wants to be safe and happy, I must consider
why they believe differently if they want to achieve the same result.
If we would all take time to try and understand one another and communicate with those around us, the world around will become a better place.  It sure sounds campy and corny, but what else can we do?  If you are my friend and you believe so deeply about an issue that is exactly opposite of what I believe yet we continue to be friends, then we have more IN common that we do not.
So I try and understand your side, your belief is of interest to me. I may not want to argue with you, but I would like to know why you feel that way, because I am not always right.
My opinion is not 100% correct and I try and be open minded and understanding.
It's not easy, but it can be done if we are practicing spiritual principles.

Life is good and the world is changing and it is not all bad, not at all.
It is amazing this world we live in and I am excited to be alive.
When people say what kind of world are we leaving our children, I can only believe that is
a much better world than the one we were born in, by far.
Anyone that wants everything to be the same forever is unrealistic.
Mathematics shows us in the Chaos Theory that things will always change and only stay the
same for short periods of time.  When things are great for one group of people, they are not always great for other groups of people, and over time that changes hands and thats the way it needs to be.
Life is perspective.  Let's stop bitching and try and be thankful and grateful.
I don't know everything, but I know we can be good to those around us.
It does not take much energy to be happy and share a smile or a kind word.
I try and see life with child's eyes, in wonderment and amazement.
I don't have time to fight for everything I believe in, so instead I will try and compromise.
Compromise will allow me more time to be happy and enjoy my blessings.

Just pray. It is that simple. When things are getting tough, when the I am not feeling 100%,
just pray. Turn off the news, turn off Facebook and social media, give it a break.
Don't believe every meme you read, every headline you read or news story you see...not at face value.
Do some research. If it sounds too cray to believe, it is probably not all true.
Let's be good to each other and whenever we need help, just pray.
You don't have to be religious or even believe in God to pray.
Just be calm for a minute and consider love and hope and peace.

It's a beautiful day.