Still there and here

Still alive and well. Just busy with other "stuff".

"Once a philosopher, always a philosopher"

Write on....

Christian Comfort ?

(Not to be confused with Southern Comfort!)

Last December, as Woman “A” lay in the hospital and it was apparent to all that she could no longer live alone in her condominium; her children looked for a retirement home for her. Woman A, being a devout Catholic, said that her wish was to stay at the local, and only, Catholic retirement center in the area….

As she spoke to the director of the Catholic Retirement Center, she explained her situation….

She was a devout Catholic who attended church every Sunday for the past 70 years. She had also volunteered, every Sunday, for 30 years at the local church and after that, for the last 10 years or so, she volunteered at the chapel in the local Catholic Hospital. Here, she would show up almost everyday to assist the priest in his duties for the day and then she would also assist those of the Catholic faith and others in the hospital by offering them comfort and/or helping them in prayer to Jesus and God. She was so good at this and so in tune with the fragile souls in the hospital that she developed the ability to know when “it was time” for the priest to offer the final, comforting prayers. Many in the hospital were aware of and in awe of her mysterious ability. Even the priest stated that she was ahead of the doctors with her diagnoses! Anyway, the point is that she had long ago devoted her life to Jesus, God and the Catholic Church. This was her life and in the later years, this was her calling. It meant the world to her. It was her world.

The director, a woman in her 50’s, smartly dressed in the latest fashionable and expensive business outfit, peered down, over her designer prescription glasses, at woman A and said, “I am sure God is very proud of you; however, we have absolutely no room at the “inn” for anyone. I am very sorry. May God be with you.”

Woman A, with a broken heart, was shocked to hear this but nevertheless, silently and meekly left the office accepting the decision and her fate.

Later in the day, came another woman, Woman “B”, into the director’s office and sat down on one side of the very large, hand made, cherry wood desk. She, too, was looking for a retirement place and since she was also Catholic and had attended church on a semi-regular basis, when she had the time since she was always so busy, had also decided that this retirement home was the best one for her. Again, the director told her that there was absolutely no room at the center for anyone.

Then the women stated that she could pay $10K cash, a month, for a room.

Upon hearing this, the director quickly took off her Christian Dior (get it- Christian! Dior) designer glasses, straitened her fancy cashmere jacket and while fumbling around, typed hastily onto the keyboard of her Apple Laptop to “surprisingly” find that, lo and behold, there was indeed a room available in the center for “a women with such outstanding Christian values!” “God is with you”, she said proudly as Woman B smugly left the office, with her assistant by her side.


Meanwhile, Woman A ... still stubbornly living at home for the past year (it was the Catholic Center or none at all!) ... after an emergency operation in the hospital …. Died last week - one week before Christmas ….


And God said, ” the meek shall inherent the earth….”

jbm :(

GROWTH

… and he said, “I am seeking personal growth”

“All the answers you seek are within”, replied the wise man.

Is it really “growth” if it’s been inside you all along?

jbm
:)

Inspiration

I am inspired by EVERYTHING!

jbm
:)

Good Bye Sophia

It is with sadness that I must say that Sophia will be stopping her blogs. For those of you who do not know Sophia, I reccommend that you visit her sites and read through her posts. See the links to her sites on the left side of my blog...
Sophia's Visions and Sophia's University

Sophia is one of a kind and her posts and insights will be greatly missed.....

Even though it fills my heart with sadness to say "goodbye" to her, I am filled with joy when recollecting my thoughts about her sites, posts, comments and her contributions to my journey. Sophia was a major factor in my decision to start my blog and share my thoughts with you all. She became family to me although I never told her that and this is an example of why we must tell those closest to us that we luv them for we never know where our journey will take us and who will be with us as we search for the "answers".

For that, I am most gratefull to Sophia. With that said, I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes, when thinking of Sophia:

SUCCESS is...

“To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of ones self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation. To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived --- this, is to have succeeded;"
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sophia, YOU have Succeeded!

jbm

:(

Givers and Takers

“There are two kinds of people in the world: the givers and the takers. The takers sometimes eat better, but the givers always sleep better.”
Danny Thomas

:)

Crowded Thoughts

Some days, I don’t have any thoughts because
it’s already too crowded in there ….

How about you? Have you ever tried to enter your brain room and be told at the door that due to overcrowding, from those pesky, annoying little thoughts, you are not allowed entrance at this time? Do you ever get that crowded feeling within your own mind?
:)

copy paste not working

Due to the copy/paste feature not working I am not able to add new posts.....
If this keeps up, I may have to move my blog!!
:(

Early Bird Matinee

I love to wake up early and listen to the birds chirping before the sunrise. This is nature at its finest, purest moment as far as I am concerned. As a matter of fact, it’s now 4am and I already hear some birds chirping…. a full two hours before the sun rises!

Somehow, though, I don’t think this is what the movie theaters had in mind when they came up with the slogan, “Early Bird Matinee”!

:)

the Present Gift

A friend told me.....

Today is a GIFT
Because it's the PRESENT!

Something to ponder.....
:)

The ThunderStorm

You are such a wonderful person....

Life with you is like a day at the beach … perfect weather, family and friends are there; playing in the water, grilling and joking around… at the beach with a light breeze on a warm sunny summer day.

Life doesn’t get any better….

THEN, suddenly, out of nowhere, a thunderstorm rolls in and within a minute, all hell breaks out and everything changes…. the rain pours down, thunder and lightning all around, family and friends running for cover… the party is over. Mood ruined.

That DARK CLOUD is always on the horizon… always in the corner of my eye, ready to rear its ugly head…the change in mood, ready to roll in at a moments notice, without warning … to ruin everything…

So is life, WITH YOU…..My Luv…...the thunderstorm
:)

The Black Crowe

The Black Crowe
Sitting on the edge of the chimney
On the rooftop
Above the 5th floor
Watches the setting sun

Stoic and proud
He sits alone
Daylight turning into darkness
He redies for the night…

Groups of black crows fly by
Young and old
This black crowe ignores them all
Sitting on the edge of the old chimney
All alone

Is he young or is he old?
Is he you or is he me?
I wonder…
Readying for bed or readying for the end?

Watching his sun setting
This lone Black Crowe
Like great Indian Chiefs of the past
Wise, stoic and proud
Dies alone

jbm
:)

The more I am

The more I see
The less I know
The less I know
The more I see

The more I see
The less I am
The less I am
The more I see
ME...

...thus, the more I am

And u?
:)

Improving your own self

"There's only one corner of the universe

you can be certain of improving,

and that's your own self,"

-novelist Aldous Huxley

:)

Follow the Middle Path

Trust yourself ... and follow the MIDDLE PATH ... for along this path ... you will find salvation, you will enjoy freedom, you will see your true self but most importantly, you will become happiness.....
:)

Philosophy is Wonder

"Philosophy begins with wonder, and even now it is wonder that causes philosophers to philosophize. At first they wondered about the obvious difficulties and then they gradually progressed to puzzle about the greater coming to be of the universe. Whoever is puzzled and in a state of wonder believes he is ignorant .... (and begins to Philosophize) ....."

Aristotle, Metaphysics, 1.2 982b.

:)

Christian Torture

A recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life reveals that the more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists. (it also found out that people unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it!)

According to the survey, white Evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified -- more than six in 10 supported it.
(And a higher percentage probably supported the Iraq war!)

Doesn’t seem very “Christian-like” to me now does it?

This makes me think about the Christian’s favorite bumper sticker, “What would Jesus say?”

Yes indeed, what would Jesus say?

As I recall, according to the bible, Jesus said something about “…throwing the first stone…” and then took it a step further with “Love thy enemy….”!

Funny, but that’s what I always thought Christianity was supposed to be about (Love) and not about supporting war and torture!

Oh well, what would I know about Christian (hypocrisy) … since I only grew up in the Christian Church….!
:)

Poem for Heidi

Poem for Heidi…

When I crawl
I crawl
When I walk
I walk
When I run
I run
But
When I dance
I dance with you

When I jog
I jog
When I skate
I skate
When I drive my car
I drive my car
But
When I ride my bike
I ride my bike to you

When I lay down
I lay down
When I close my eyes
I close my eyes
When I fall asleep
I fall asleep
But
When I dream
I dream about you

When I read
I read
When I think
I think
When I write
I write
But
When I write a poem
I write this poem for you

When I watch the sun rise
I watch the sun rise
When I feel the sun set
I feel the sun set
When I gaze at the stars
I gaze at the stars
But
When I soar to the heavens
I sour to the heavens with you

When I’m sad
I’m sad
When I’m happy
I’m happy
When I smile
I smile
But ....
When I love
I love only you!

:)

RIP Dad

Rising from the depths of the deep blue sea
Souring majestically beyond the red, white and blue sky
As it’s earthly journey has reached the end
This soul flies on

Once, not long ago
Or so it seems
This soul entered earth’s plane
A soul so vibrant so eager

Eager to learn
Eager to play
Eager for joy and
Eager for life’s game…..

The printed word became his playing field
Baseball to basketball to football
He knew them all
For the game was his game

And now the time has come
Time to begin anew

It's goals accomplished
It's earthly light diminished
Friends touched
Touched by friends

The tears are dry and gone but the smiles remain
Remembering…the good times had
The abundance for life
Never slowed…just kept on growing
For this soul I called Dad

Serenity and peace achieved
Stormy weather past
A light breeze is now behind him
And smooth seas surround him

As night turns into day unto night
This blinding sun, which years ago rose
Has set into the deep blue sea

For the sea is his friend
As it has always been….

RestInPeace, Dad
RIP…….

jbm :(

Have it, not have it

For it's better to have "it" and not need it
then
to need it and not have it!

jbm
:)