Contagion of Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving! This may be a little cliche' but I want to express my gratitude today for many of the blessings in my life. I have a wonderful wife of whom I usually feel undeserving. I have unbelievably great children, a beautiful home and an all around good life.

I live in a country whose freedom surpasses any experienced since civilization began. I live in the most beautiful state in this country. With this beauty comes challenges that keep me strong and full of life.

I am grateful that I have been able to own my own business, which has provided well for me and my family. The work is hard but rewarding. I enjoy the people I work with and the numerous clients we have served over the years, most of whom have been a pleasure to serve.

I am grateful for the learning opportunities I have been afforded in my life. School and college seem an age ago, both of which were great, but since then I have really learned how to learn. Living in the Information age, knowledge of all kinds is available to virtually anyone who wants it.

I am thankful for those who have fought and do fight for freedom each day. Thank you to any who have given their "lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor" in defense of my freedom. Also, thank you to those who live in defense of freedom, whether I agree with some of their politics or beliefs, just knowing that there are those who care enough to get out from in front of the television and fight for their beliefs gives me encouragement. If I care enough to do something, then perhaps I can convince someone of my beliefs and help in my little way to make the world a better place.

I am thankful for my belief in Providence. This sustains me through the hard times and gives me hope that some day, after this trial we call life, I may be able to return to that God who gave me life and He will say to me, "well done thou good and faithful servant".

Lastly, I am grateful for the attitude of gratitude. I have learned that when one is grateful, what one has is more than enough. May we think on this throughout this day and throughout the whole year. Then may we share this attitude with everyone we meet.

How we honor those who serve...

I had the privilege of spending a few hours with a veteran of World War 2 yesterday and he said something that stuck with me which I have been thinking about ever since. He lamented that his children had never served in the military, not that he wanted them to go to war, but that they would never really understand what it is like to be a soldier. I too do not fully understand this because I have not had the experience. I have read many accounts of their experiences but that does not bring real understanding.

He then told me of coming home, his first stop upon returning home, to ask the girl he left behind to marry him. He related to me some of his life experiences and what they meant to him. He went to work, raised a good family and served his fellow man. He is an ordinary man who did extraordinary things, a true hero who saved a generation, then went on with the important, but ordinary things in life. I'm sure that many he knew didn't come home with him, he didn't talk about that. It is to him and millions like him that we give our honor this day.

May we honor them by remembering their sacrifice, but also by living the principles that will keep us a free people, thereby respecting their sacrifice and service not trampling these under our feet. God bless these wonderful men and women. From one who can never fully understand...

Winners never quit, are you a winner?

There was once a boy who really wanted to be a winner. So he set his goal and went to work. He worked and trained really hard. When the day of the race came he looked at his competition and thought I just might win. As the race began it became apparent that he had some stiff competition. As the race progressed some fell off pace while he and another took the lead. At the final turn, it was anyone's race and the boy thought that he might just win, but his hopes were dashed as his competitor inched ahead at the last moment and won the race. The boy thought to himself, I may have lost this time, but I am not going to give up. Starting today I will work harder than ever before. I won't let this get me down or make me angry, I am a winner and winners never quit. How about you?

Couch Potato or Guru, Which One Are You?

I was preparing for a class the other day and I came across some old notes that I wrote down from a class that I took. They were interesting to read because they brought me back to some of the things that have motivated me to further my education. We were talking about what level of learning we were at and what our motivations are at these different levels, take a look and see where you fit and perhaps where you ought to be. Level 1- Couch Potato- you hate learning. Level 2- Money Tree- learn for money, trade manuals, pursuit of property. Level 3- Self- Interest- What interests me or makes me happy. Level 4- Believer - Feel a duty and responsibility to learn, you're disciplined. Level 5- Breadth- Love to learn, changing becoming, you pursue your passion. Level 6- Depth- Dedicated, unending quest for knowledge. Level 7- Ultimate Synergy- You learn to be a statesman, a creator, learn and work for a higher cause. We all fit somewhere in these levels and it doesn't matter where we might be at this moment, what matters is, are we looking to move to a higher one? Wherever we might be there is so much more out there that we could learn, we just need to keep working at it. The journey of education is just that, a journey. There is no end to what we can learn and the joy we find in educating ourselves is the reward for our efforts.

Quick thoughts...

I just finished re-reading "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens and it brought to light a few thoughts I want to share. First, a society entranced with money and power has a short lifespan. Second, violence and revolution by an ignorant people only begets more violence and misery. Lastly, the only way to make a real difference is to look inside yourself, make the changes necessary and then focus outward.

Who is the Enemy?

I generally don't get too religious here, but I was re-reading the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew this week and I ran across a principle that should be a bedrock in our society. Jesus said that we should love our enemies. At first glance that is a very tall order. Love our enemy? Really? I have always had a struggle understanding this counsel. Society today teaches that we should hate and punish our enemies. Daily accounts in the news show how we are punishing our enemies and how much they hate us in return. We not only punish the offender, we also dole out punishment to he who might do us wrong in the future. How long can the rhetoric of hate go on? I talked this over with my wife and she said something which brought this into perspective for me. She said that the only way we can love our enemies is to see them as someone who feels justified in their actions and who has their own hopes and dreams. In other words, we need to see them as we see ourselves. Until we do that we can't love them. A great example of this is shown in a book I have been reading called "Blood Brothers" by Elias Chacour. It is a story of Christian Palestinians who lived through the time when Israel moved into their country after World War 2. Elias as a young boy saw his home taken from him and his family displaced. His people were then treated as pariahs by the world, because some of his fellow Palestinians protested their treatment. Elias learned to love his enemies despite his persecutions and has brought much good into his world. He could only do this because he learned to see his enemies as people who were really the same as he was. The media only shows our enemies as an angry mob, we never see the individual. We see generalizations that may not be a true accounting of what is really going on. Why does the Arab World hate us so much? Why do we hate them back? Because that is what we have been taught to do. If we keep nurturing this hate then we must continue to send our sons and daughters out to fight and die. At some point we need to take the higher ground and try to know these people we are fighting. I think we will find that they are people just like us who are being fed their own brand of propaganda. If you truly desire to love everyone, including your enemy, they must be seen as real people who have their own hopes and dreams. Until we can do that there won't be true peace in the world. Jesus could love everyone because He didn't see them as Jew or Gentile, He saw them as individuals. I think we better follow His lead.

My Dream Candidate

As I have been watching the candidates for the upcoming local and national elections I have had a consistent thought run through my mind. Why don't I feel inspired when I listen to the candidates? I hear ramblings about jobs, the economy, healthcare, bloated government, and which candidate will give me more stuff, none of which inspires me. I need a candidate who can tell me how wonderful it is to live in a free country. Someone who can inspire greatness in a people and move them to better themselves. I need a candidate who can show me why I want to be an American, that can bring pride of citizenship to the forefront. Someone who can help me to deny my selfish motivations and reach out and help others so the government wouldn't have to. Where can I find such a person? Where have they all gone? Dare I say that a candidate of this caliber won't be found until these traits and values are brought back into our homes. We have a drought of leadership in America and I daresay that we deserve it. If a parent can become an inspiration to his children, then the children can be inspired to something greater than they have been. We can only lift if we are on higher ground. Let's take the high road and do what it takes get ourselves into a position to help others, then perhaps there will come a candidate who is inspirational in word and deed.