ain't no mountain

sometimes i look at people and wonder how they see me. my view will not be the same as their view. my eyes will see a perspective on myself that is limited, unless i am looking in a full-view mirror. my judgements on what i can see physically, will stem from what i have experienced, my own personal desires and self-image, and what has been branded in my head since i was a kid. life is like that also. people hurt each other sometimes based on a perspective they have about a situation. they quickly jump to conclusions or allow their emotions to "fix" the problem before asking questions and responding until questions are answered. and when questions are answered quick enough-then our impatience kicks in and the perspective on the situation can be seen in a worse light. it's human nature to respond like we do. but it's spiritual to respond outside of that nature or what feels natural to do. God uses life circumstances, the bible, people, counselors, self-help books, movies, and a ton of other resources to help us to minimize problems we turn into bigger mountains to climb. when we have the mindset of there isn't a river or mountain big enough to stop me from responding to life or people in a positive light-then we learn to find all means to grow into that place to do that. life will test our sincerity and test the authenticity of our words. having a goal to strive to being the best you can be "no matter what" perspective you may have on yourself-it's worth having. the same with seeing the best in others despite your perspective on reasons why you should hate a person or judge them. such a goal will cause you to reevaluate your motives and judgements. and that just may cause you to "pause" enough to help make the situation better instead of ending in the worse case scenario. seldom will we look at ourselves and others correctly.

FINAL THOUGHT: everybody wants to think they're right in how they see things. sometimes we can only see things one way, because of the perspective we are given. our limitations makes us different from God's view of our hearts and knowing "everything". when we keep that in mind-there is a chance we will judge less, be patient more, and want to do all we can to fix the problem, instead of giving up on a great opportunity for growth and expanding our perspective

QUESTION: when do you need to try to learn to have a better perspective on a situation that's troubling?

hair

i started growing dreadlocks about 3 years ago. i had a few friends make fun of me when they looked like "small worms" dancing on my head. i liked them even shorter back then. now that they are down to my shoulders-i get quite a few compliments. even total strangers will approach me (not just younger people) and ask me how i grew them, if they could touch them, or just tell me how cool i look. they seem to like the gray that is scattered about in them. they are alot of work and i plan on having them a few more years then cut them all off (maybe). it's funny how we are somewhat fascinated with hair. it makes us "feel" something (good or bad) while hair is one of those things on our bodies that doesn't really do anything. it's not like it helps us see, hear, touch or taste better. but it definitely seems to help people "feel" better when they have it or cut it or totally remove it. it's the cause of joking when someone "loses it". what is the big deal with hair? whatever it is....i got it and i appreciate having the abilities to create styles with it. i would rather be more aware and appreciative of those things with my body that really serve a higher purpose than my looks. like" my eyes to see, my nose to smell, my fingers to touch, my ears to hear, my mind to think, my lungs to breath, my legs to walk, my mouth to talk, my mind to think, my.......etc. anyways, as vain as we all can be at times (some more than others), today i would like to focus on not what makes me look good or even feel good, but focus and be thankful for those things on my body that help me to function at all. so, that i can pay attention once in awhile on my looks (whatever looks i may have). smile.....thank you mouth:-)

FINAL THOUGHT: i have all my senses working thus far in my life. i was born with all the normal items i needed to function, play and work. i have been blessed with being called "cute, handsome, and date-able". does it really matter how i look? i'm afraid it does and that's too bad, but hopefully, i can take time out of my day and focus on what makes me "live good".

QUESTION: what are you thankful to God for re: your body?

let the sunshine in

it's raining right now and it's awesome. the smell and sound of rain is soothing to me. comforting and relaxing. that maybe experienced differently from some-like those who live in states were rain constantly falls. i live where the rain could fall and last for only 10 mins and you may not see it for another few weeks or months. so, when it rains, i enjoy the visitation. but there are those who see rain as something dark and negative. it brings sadness to some. hurtful memories. it's weird how something as natural as the rain falling can bring a romantic moment to lovers or thoughts of death to someone else. rain or shine-we have the ability to change our realities by how we want to see moments given to us. not by pretending whatever is happening isn't happening. but by rethinking how we want that difficult moment to make us feel. if rain fall brings sad memories-then it's time to create happy moments during the rainy season. if sunshine brings negative memories-then it's time to create happier activies into my life when the sun is out. the sun can come out while it's raining by letting the sun shine in your mind,heart and soul. call a friend and laugh. call a family member and talk about the good old days. draw. write a poem. dance in your room. dance with a friend. dance in the rain. celebrate what nature brings as a gift from God. you can feel the sun in heart-even while the rain is falling on your head.

FINAL THOUGHT: i like the rain and the sunshine. i have activities that are positive when both occur. i can be sad when both occur. i have smiled when both happens. they are tools that sometimes affect my mood, but the ultimate control is my decision to feel how i want to feel-despite my environment. it's ok to feel sad or any tough emotions that brings you "down". but you do have a choice in challenging those feelings when they control your moments longer than you would like them to.

QUESTION: what positive things can you be thankful for about the rain and the sun?

calling all angels

i am old enough to see that the world has always been in a bad place. in the sixties-crime appeared to be at its worse. 2010 people still kill senselessly. tradegies and castatrophies appear to be getting worse. crimes against women and children haven't gotten better (i don't think). people just get creative in their quest to harm others. people get creative in how they harm themselves-sometimes they call it "having fun". if we need help from God and angels....it is now. it amazes me how there are people that still won't acknowledge how the dark condition the world is in is more spiritual than natural. i guess at the same time-i shouldn't be surprised because at one time i had no clue of spiritual matters and my connection. but i am in a different place now. i seek God to help with the issues i see in this world. i seek God to help with my own issues of life. i seek God to use angels and whatever He chooses to sculpt this world in the a place that is better than the day before. what would happen if the world sought God to make changes in this world? what would happen if angels made themselves known by providing miracles unexplained? i believe in angels and feel i have experienced their presence. i believe this world experiences angels whether or not they believe in them. the world maybe bad-but how much worser would it be if God didn't provide angels to do what they do? i would shutter to think!

FINAL THOUGHT: the spiritual world presents itself in 2 areas: evil and good. you may call each whatever you may depending on what you believe, but it won't change the present state of this world. we should do what we can to make changes in this world. to make this place a better place to live. and it wouldn't hurt to call on the help of our "winged friends" for support. they got nothing better to do:-)

QUESTION: look to see if you notice angels around you?

let it be

i can sometimes explain my emotions and feelings into words. sometimes i cannot. i ask questions on "Soulpancake" and sometimes no answers satifies my curiousity or need "to know". sometimes i am with a close friend and they cannot always express their deepest thoughts (at least for me to understand). and silence at that point is needed. we don't always need to find the "right words" to express our yearnings to speak. sometimes i want to say more than "i love you" because as powerful as these 3 words are-i feel more than what those words can express. sometimes those words and a hug or just holding a person in a quiet place or a soothing massage or time in prayer says it all. sometimes you just need to let things be. not force what isn't coming easy to speak or do. time has its place to make things happen. people have their place to bring things to light. solitude has its place to clear the mind. people have their place to help connect the dots. God has His place to make bring all things to light.but sometimes-simply not knowing has its place it help us to let it be. there is a simple verse in the bible that says: be still and know that i am God. sometimes it's just too hard to simply be "still". it just could be the key to sometimes knowing it all.

FINAL THOUGHT: i am a man full of curiousity. i love learning. i love people and want to know everything about them. i love understanding human behavior. i want to know more and more about people (outside of textbooks and college studies). sometimes i just need to slow down and just enjoy "what is". enjoy the silence. embrace the company who will allow me to enjoy their presence and the silence. and hopefully rest in the "not knowing" all the answers.

QUESTIONS: who can you be a "silent partner" with just "let it be" with?

if you ruled the world

i don't find ruling the world possible for any human leader to be able to do without corruption being involved or destruction becoming the end result of mankind. i wouldn't want to rule the world. i wouldn't want to be ruled by anyone. control is tricky. leadership is challenging. following is choice. God has he ability to rule and control with perfection, but chooses to allow free-will to take its reign in the the hearts of men. that makes being followed more valuable than from force. ruling the world appears to have advantages, but it is only self-pleasing and presents with false humility. and i don't believe my best interest could possibly be on the mind of anyone who had the desire to rule the world. but we do have the ability to "rule and change own world". our world is effected by the worlds of others (which we cannot control). but we can allow our thoughts to adjust what we desire to make of circumstances in our world-to become what we desire for those circumstances to become. too often we buy into depression and anger in our world instead to creating inceptive thoughts to change what we think we see that makes us depressed or angry. the mind can do wonders to what rules or controls us. it can change that power into the world you choose to rule differntly.

FINAL THOUGHT: we are flawed beings with emotional and physical needs that we find hard to balance properly without selfishness. this is why i don't think anyone could "rule the world" without destruction becoming the final outcome. but to rule how we see our own world-is possible and its result is more about creating instead of deletion.

QUESTION: what do you want to change in your world?

HOW DO YOU SAY I LOVE YOU?

i am very loved. i am quite aware and know of the love my family and friends have for me. words are always good to hear. words don't always tell the whole story or express what is in the heart. ears cannot always hear what should or could be heard from those speaking to be heard. but trying to express such powerful 3 words that people have died for and long to feel and share make for a journey worth its travel. i like telling my family and friends that i love them. i will express it in actions, but sometimes fall short on how that is shown materially, emotionally, or in available time. my desire is for them to know the full extent of those feelings, but how can anyone really-truly know or even show that. but the efforts are needed.the trying is worth it. the creative ways of displaying whatever can be displayed-is necessary and valued (hopefully). God has been expressing and showing His love towards mankind since the beginning of time. some have come to understand and respond to that love. some have rejected that love. some never believed it existed. at one time:i was one of those that didn't believe. but that was then-and this is now. i have learned that when i didn't know of God's love-it didn't mean it didn't exist because of my own ignorance. when someone loves us and we feel their lack of showing us they do-doesn't mean it doesn't exist. since we are not God-our ability to show love isn't always at its best, but we do what we can do to let our love be known. love is an action word that has emotional ties. express love emotionally. express love verbally. express love literally. express love in silence. be thankful when love is expressed in any form. be creative in your own expressions of sharing love. believe and receive and give back without fear.

FINAL THOUGHT: getting love as a kid comes easy and is expected from the eyes of a child. they move into learning to give back, but sometimes it is still about "getting something" back. then that moves into the joy of just giving without receiving (sometimes). love is easy and complicated at the same time. love is alot of things, but always not quite the same for everybody (giving it or getting it). but the evolution of experiencing the giving and receiving is a blessing and joy in finding a way to say "i love you".

QUESTION: who can you tell i love you today?

YOU'VE GOT THE LOOK

i use to be a fashion designer in the early 70's in los angeles. the fashion industry was such a crazy and interesting arena. such a different kind of world than what you might expect (or maybe not). it was a big surprise to me. as much as i love the "creativity" and the "outrageous" behaviors of some people in that field-there was something sad about the business it was doing:getting people to believe that how you look was more important than who you were. it was more important to "look" like "somebody" than to be yourself. there were people like me that found fashion to be just a fun creative outlet. a bit of a costume show to look attractive, stand out, and feel good about how clothes made you look. but for some...it was more and it only help hide some major insecurities that existed. i left the field because i was just too young and passionate about the fun of fashion to be around a bunch of people who took it too serious. now that i'm older-i still love fashion and dressing up. but most of the time i'm in my jeans, shorts and t-shirt. i have my fun and have my comfortable place with clothes. i take life serious, but what i'm wearing has nothing to do with the life i'm living.

FINAL THOUGHT: i'm not knocking those who love dressing up and being fashionable. it is fun. but so many people are judged based on what they are wearing or "who they are wearing". that comment alone is crazy to even write. the best clothes to wear is who you were designed to be. you'll always wear an original.

QUESTION: what does what you're wearing right now say about you?

WHO ARE YOU?

this video is disturbing as it relates to the kind of work i do. i am a mental health professional and know clients who have personality issues. who they really are gets lost in the crowd of who they want to be or think who they believe they are. both are sad situations when a person can't enjoy the beauty they possess, so they have to create other people in themselves to cope with pain they may be trying to avoid or resist acknowledging. for those of us who like calling ourselves "normal"-i would venture to say we do the same things on a lesser scale. we actually become professional at disguising the "real us" for fear of rejection of others. sometimes, we support those we call friends to do the same-just to exist in their company and call it "having fun". there's no doubt the fun exist. but why would you not think that the fun would continue or even be better if everyone would just be who they really were? if you have been wearing a mask for so long that you may have forgotten what you are about or forgotten the real essence of who you are....then i would find a quiet place and ask God for His assistance to discover the real you. find someone you truly trust to help let you experience who you really are without judgement. and if you feel you don't have such people in your life because they only know the you with the mask...then find new friends without wearing the mask. you may find that you really do like the real you because you found people that do also. then you may get to the place where that doesn't even matter anymore. you like you for you and not for the approval of others. when that happens-you can experience the many sides of you that are real, natural,beautiful,worthy,special and gifted. if you going to be anything....be these things.

FINAL THOUGHT: i have many sides to me, but they all are naturally me because i love who i am. and i express the many sides of as they all connect to the others. each side are aware of the other and they are not seperate or are dramactically opposite. all the sides come together as one. start by loving you first and celebrating the sides that spring from that. let others feel safe to take off their mask and embrace who they really are.

QUESTION: how would you express the best part of yourself today?

IF I WERE YOU

if i were you-my life would be much better. why do we compare ourselves to others to the point where we think it's "greener on the other side of the fence" and become very critical of ourselves? we create an illusion out of what we "see" instead of desiring the essence of the situation from what we know. meaning: it's typical to think "if i were rich-life would be much easier with no bills to pay". but the rich have their own set of problems because of their wealth. they have their own sets of bills they have to maintain and must maintain to stay wealthy. though some of us may think "that's a problem i would rather have than the problems of being poor". problems are problems. anxiety is anxiety. depression is depression. depression doesn't feel better because you're wealthy. beyonce's song "if i were a boy" gives me the idea that boys or men are in a better position than women to do whatever they want in relationships-simply because they're male. that's silly. the behavior of some or most men doesn't make their behavior justified and it's not a qualification to being men. women are known to have the same behaviors. during the days of Jesus-disciples of john would compare what they were doing to the behaviors or actions that the disciples of Jesus were doing. Jesus had to explain the differences. 2 different people. 2 different situations. 2 different groups with 2 different purposes. while we are busy looking at someone else thinking their life is much better (depending on how you are living your life) someone is looking at us wishing they were like us (believe it or not). and if not....it doesn't change the fact that someone-where-someone is living a worse-case-scenario than us. appreciating who we are and where we are in life can be challenging (rich or poor). it's when you are thankful for what you have (regarding the small things and what is really important in life) is when you become rich and your yard is greener than it has ever been before.

FINAL THOUGHT: i would never want to be a girl. they don't have it easier than guys. it may appear that they are freer to share their emotions openly without being criticized, but i know women who would love to have better control over their emotions like men. it's all about having the right perspective. it's all about improving on who you are. comparing yourself to yourself. using others as a guide or visual support to reaching goals you set for yourself, but never to become "them" as the goal. be you. and be the best at that.

QUESTION: what do you love about being who you are?

THE 70'S

i loved the 60's, the 70's and the 80's. these 3 era's provided alot of fun times for me. the one thing they have in common was: i was still young and a bit more carefree regarding how i approached life. the 60's was all about my childhood experiences and just being playful. experiencing and discovering. the 70's was about thinking i knew everything, having fun, but slowly approaching being more serious about life. feeling philosophical about who i really was in this world. and who God was. I continued having great fun in the 80's-treating my "serious moments" from the 70's like it was just a phrase i was going through. but i truly loved the 70's. i loved college friends, the music of that time, the clothes, and watching soul train. now when i listen to the music: i still love it and dance to it. when i watch old youtube videos: i enjoy the memories it brings regarding the dancing that was so fun to do. but clothes? no way! what i thought looked really cool then-looks very silly and goofy now (lol). the 80's, 90's and the new millenium brought fun, but more serious times than the other generations i experienced. the best things about the 80's, 90's, and new millenium were the relationships got deeper and i had more awareness about what it meant to treasure them. now i am still having fun and still experiencing my youthfulness that dwells in me. God still plays a major role in my life because i found out who He was. and i am able to balance my
responsibilites with what life throws at me. but i love remembering the 70's because it walked me into my older years with a dance and song. i was able to welcome my new age with open arms and embrace my grey hair like a fashion statement that won't go away (and i don't want it too). i think it's great to look back at a time in your life where you "remember the good old days". it's even better to look back and "bring back" into the present the attitude you had about life when you were younger. it's geat to bring that "kid" in you out to play.

FINAL THOUGHT: the older you get, the more you are able to have more time to experience "looking back". that provides times for more fun, but also time for more pain or struggles. hopefully, you learn from "looking back" to create your present with more fun and then walk into your future with the same attitude.

QUESTION: when were the best years of your life?

IN THE DAYS OF SCHOOL YARDS

most likely most of us over 40 yrs of age can remember the days of the "ole school yard". especially, if you grew up in a rural area or small town. i was a very shy kid and loved art. i would have rather spent my time during "recess" drawing, but i wasn't allowed. i had to go "play" with the other kids. which ended up being me mostly watching other kids play (which i really enjoyed equally as drawing). even as a kid-i use to think there was something magical when kids laughed. it was such a safe place to be yourself. i understand some adults have hurtful memories about their childhood and that's sad. but when i think about my childhood-i was one of the fortunate ones who got to fully be a kid and enjoy that part of my journey. i had a great imagination and never fought. i regret being so shy, but it aided in my "good behavior", being liked by everyone, and being seen by the teachers as a "good kid". hide and go seek,jumping rope, playing cowboys and indians (though it wasn't politically correct), hopscotch, tag, climbing trees, picking apples and strawberries, having "play clothes and school clothes", being shy of the girls, exchanging lunch items, and finding a quarter on the ground and feeling rich. boy, those were the days. believe it or not....i bring that kid out of me everyday in one way or the other. i laugh at silly things and become silly. when i am doing art-i feel youthful and my imagination runs wild. i play music that makes me dance in my room....alone and feel great. i'm getting older by the minute-but younger in between the moments.

FINAL THOUGHT: we all have a kid stuck inside us ready to play. that doesn't mean go out and eat mud pies, play mommy and daddy, laugh for no reason, or throw rocks at cans. but at the same time.....who says you can't do those things if for whatever reason the kid in your wants to "play".

QUESTION: when was the last time you felt like a kid?

WHEN YOUR HEART SPEAKS

i love my nephew so much. i received an email from my nephew. a very heartfelt email. he's a very talented young man and has an extremely creative spirit. i can't say he got his creative nature from me, becasue he didn't. i believe it is God-given. i have been creative all my life and i have always "listened" to my heart re: my creativity. i have always gotten compliments and support from family, friends, and strangers about how talented i am. but doing what i do had nothing to do with compliments-as much as it had to do with doing what i love and felt called to do. growing up-there was no one i could explain that passion to. i use to think it meant making alot of money with it or being famous (which i could have done). but it took me awhile to learn to understand my creative nature and how it would make its purpose in my life. there is nothing wrong with making a good financial living with an art you are good at. but my priority when i was young was discovering more about who i was as a person and trying to understand my passions better. i am different from the rest of my family in my thinking, actions, spiritual life, and social decision-making. i love being me. every now and then i will run across another individual that "gets me" and it's a great feeling. God has always understood me and that has always been comforting, but when He brings another human being into my life that understands where i'm coming from.....it's an awesome experience. i have someone like that now. it took years to pass to know what it's like to have a conversation with someone who has the same passions as you do as think like you do. but even if my friend never came my way-i knew who i was and what i was all about-despite the struggles of trying to be heard and understood. luckily, my nephew is supported by me and the rest of the family (as i was), and he has a few people in his life that "somewhat" get him, but really can't relate to his creative passions. to have him open up to me and hear the same words i had once said to myself when i was his age created a bond i couldn't have made happen on my own. i learned to listen to my heart and to God to be at peace to enjoy my creative spirit. i'm hoping i can become another comfort, supporter, and ear to listen to my nephew's heart, and hope he understands how much i really do "get his passions" and struggles that comes with it. i will give him my opinions and tell him stories about my own journey to find myself in art. but he has to learn and experience his own journey. life will be the best teacher for him. hopefully he will pick up some wisdom and suggestions from family to avoid some pitfalls he may encounter. but when all is said and done: he has to learn to be wise by what he'll learn through hard times, failures, and disappointments. he will always have family there no matter what. he will always have God beyond what family can give him (no matter what). and he will always have his heart to listen to when ever he wants to listen "when his heart speaks".

FINAL THOUGHT: i find it easy to find people to believe in me. i find it harder to find people to "understand me". i can function and have functioned without the understanding (it's a great family trait i have). but it's nice to find those people that actually relate to how you feel-especially for us who think and live from our passions. listen to your heart and see if God is telling you something about yourself. about Him. find your passions or renew them and experience them in a whole new way. they are never far away.

QUESTION: what does your heart tell you about your passions?

WHEN LOVE IS CHOSEN

i love dogs! but i can't force a dog to love me back. i love art. but i can't force art to love me back. everyone knows you can't force anyone to love you. you really can't "trick" anyone to love you either. loving someone is voluntary, a choice, and a risk someone will personally choose to take. it is easy to fall in love with someone who wasn't authentic in being who they presented themselves to be. but it still became the choice of the person choosing to love what they thought was real. it isn't a fault to fall in love, but it is a risk we all take when doing so. when i fell in love with my ex and she "let me go". i never blamed her for the love i gave her. she had no control over that process. yes...she was involved in the motions and direction it went: but not responsible for the walk i made in that direction. and when she ended the relationship...my love didn't stop. it just had no place to continue in action re: her. i learned to love her from a distance. i still pray for the best for her. i still wish the best for her. i still have fond memories of her. this is what i can control. if i had the power to "make her love me" i wouldn't do it. it would feel good for the moment, but love is best expressed and experience from the power of choice. God doesn't make us love Him. despite all the confusion surrounding Him and all the controversy that gets in the way of understanding God-to experience God comes best when we choose to do so with what little we know about God. we can fight all day about if God is a he or a she. if God is real or just a poetic suggestion. the fight then becomes just another tool to help to divide people and then it doesn't become about loving God at all. but loving our own ego. i love my family and my family loves me. but it's so cool when someone who isn't a family member-equally loves me with the same intensity of being in my family. or they treat me like i am family to them. some people are happy with the one or two people they love by choice. some people stop loving anybody after a bad relationship re: love. some have issues with God and love being in the same sentence. but there are some who welcome love from anybody and from any place. there are some that are open to cultural walls being broken down to experience love in a different way. there are some who want to know God and experience that love (which has nothing to do with being a part of a religion or attending a certain kind of church). choosing love doesn't solve world problems. choosing love does make life an easier place to live. being loved is even better.

FINAL THOUGHT: there are people we come across all over the place that need to be loved. they wear the face of "i'm ok" and they're not. we wear the same mask at times. but choosing to remove the mask just may give someone else the courage to remove their mask and thus begins a great opportunity to experience a loving journey. and even if you feel you have a ton of people in your life to love and be love by: take that blessing and go even further than you have before. be creative in your choice to love. find new people to love or express new ways to love old loves or experience new loves in the things you do (or use to do).

QUESTION: any new loves in your life lately (be it a person, thing or action)?

"ONE" IN THE WORLD

"we are the world" was released on March 7, 1985. it was a worldwide commercial success and topped music charts throughout the world. it became the fastest-selling American pop single in history. The first ever single to be certified multi-platinum. there were critics from the music industry and the public that were mixed about its success. some enjoyed and loved the racially and musically diversity-knowing that why the singers came together was for a worthy cause: to help famine in africa. but there were others who felt the lyrics didn't challenge the listeners to question how famines occur, and thought the lyrics were abit self-promoting and maybe had selfish motives attached. the sales from t-shirts and all sorts of merchandise aided the success of "We Are the World", which made it eventually the biggest-selling single of all time. it had sold more than 20 million units and raised over $63 million for humanitarian aid in Africa and the US. the remake of "we are the world: 2010" didn't do as well and got very little attention. it's purpose was to provide aide for the earthquake devastation in haiti. in both cases-people came together to help others in need. but it really starts with "one" to make a difference in the world-whether or not it gets noticed by millions or just the person in need. it's great to see people unite to help with a worthy cause, but you don't need to wait for the worse-case-scenario to make a difference in the life or lives of others. youtube has become a great place to get a few minutes of fame. it appears that everybody wants to experience being noticed. God is the best audience to have and whether you know it or not.....you just maybe the "world" to someone you know right now. make a difference today.

FINAL THOUGHT: i have had the greatest blessings of having others make big differences in my life through the years. it's expected for your family to love you no matter what. but i have been blessed with great friendships that didn't have to love me like a family member.....but did....and still do. i am told alot about how i make others feel good about life, about who they are, and about God. but the ones who share their thoughts will never understand what an amazing honor it is for them to allow me to enter into their life and take part in their journey. making a difference in a life happens both ways: in the giving and the receiving.

QUESTION: how can you make a difference in a life today?

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN

there are some that may read the statement above and find it to be an arrogant comment. there are some that may read the comment above to suggest that other countries are not as great as the u.s. still, there are some of you that may read these five simple words as some kind of political "hammer" that's suppose to hurt those who feel differently about this country. it's the fourth of july. a reminder of america's journey that is celebrated every year. the comment is to simple mean this: i am proud of my birth place. it has nothing to do with the rights and wrongs of what this country has done or is in the process of doing. i can love my birth place and hate any injustice that has happened in the name of "AMERICA". no country is perfect because "impeople" run countries. it appears like some americans need a tragedy like the horrible murder of so many lives on 9/11/2001-to unite as one country. i don't know why some lose sight of the "big picture" that there are many haters of america that would love to burn america down to the ground and we can't afford to waist time complaining on issues that cause divisions. i don't want and don't need another 9/11 to feel proud of this country. i don't need a talented performer to remind me of who i am and where i am. i know God uses tragedies and the artistic gifts of men to move our souls to remind us who is really in control of this world. so, maybe instead of being "proud" i would like to say "i'm thankful to be an american". there are many many things that make this country great. and i'm well aware of the problems and corruption that exist in this country. neither am i blind to the how far we have strayed from what our forefathers had in minded in writing the declaration of independence. but we will always be a nation "in progress". a nation that is growing. a nation that needs to become a seed to our world neighbors. a nation that should never forget how america became america. God bless america (may she never forget who You are).

FINAL THOUGHT: it's easy to complain and see faults in our government and our country. i have live long enough to have experienced several presidents come into power.....and everyone was voted into the white house.....and later was found to be "not to be the perfect canidate" for the job. america is still a great nation. we can only do our best with what we got and from what we know. let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

QUESTION:what can you do to make living in this country (or your own country) a better place to live?

WHEN YOUTH ARE SPIRITUAL

i use to work with high school kids in ministry. these were great kids to be around, teach spiritual lessons from the bible, help develop a relationship with God, and see them change as they would grow spiritually. we took yearly trips to mexico to work at an orphanage during the summer. what an awesome time to see these american kids reach out to kids from another culture who was less fortunate than themselves. to hug and love on these kids. and more than that...to reach out to each other. the best times were at night when we sat around the camp fire. i would play guitar with some other leaders and lead them into worship songs. there would be sharing around the camp fire, personal thoughts spoken, testimonies of what God was doing in theirs lives, and there were always tears. not from wanting attention, but from a real sense of God being in our presence. sometimes adults can be so "stuffy" and fearful to open up and show a side of themselves that is truly real and revealing. we all know how youth goes through times of rebellion, they think they know everything and parents know nothing. their world is sometimes wrap up too much around fashion, friends, dating, technology, and just having fun. but when you are around teens who are in the mindset of worship.....it's an awesome place to be. a very humbling place that causes grown ups to reevaluate their own hearts and walk with God. we all have our youth still somewhere deep within us. don't be afraid to allow yourself to celebrate that "inner child" or whatever you want to call it (being a kid again) in a different way to connect to God. the bible mentions to "not look down on the youth". i say especially when they are looking "UP" to God.

FINAL THOUGHT: i don't know why or how we, as grown ups, allow ourselves to lose that freedom of being young and celebrating life in a more festive manner. i guess we get so caught up on allowing society and others put us into these boxes, and we get stuck in them. i'm not suggesting you go do something that a teenager would do-just to feel young again. but i am encouraging you to regain those memories of your youth (that energy you had....not the memories of bad behavior) and use it to celebrate life every now and then. to celebrate God with the eyes of a child.

QUESTION: do you have a favorite song that makes you feel young and puts you into a joyful mood?

THE UNEXPECTED DREAM

i have been a "dreamer" since i was a kid. just as i am always coming up with new ideas for art....i'm always dreaming up new business ideas (sometimes for other people too). i wrote in another blog about my "brokenheart journey" and experienced something new and different for the first time in my life: forgetting how to dream. it gave me such a hopeless and dark feeling that i had never known before. when i feel in love....all my new and future dreams had my fiancee in the picture. when she was out of the photograph: the picture of my life was left blank. i was never suicidal or anything like that, but it did make me wonder if that was the feeling that led people to want to kill themselves. maybe they can't dream of anything positive for themselves anymore. all they could see in the future (even see for the next hour) was darkness? that experience lasted less than a hour for me. i knew that wasn't me and that wasn't going to continue any longer. she may have owned my heart for a moment, but she wasn't going to own my ability to dream. i soon started to regain old thoughts of "what i wanted to be when i grew up" and a flood of ideas came rushing to my head. it felt really good. with those thoughts and ideas-my purpose and all the things i loved about myself also surfaced. the "broken feeling" i had for a short moment was gone. i know for some people-believing taht they have talent or that they are gifted to reach for dreams they want can be very difficult. i had a team of people that help cultivate my security in me from birth: parents, friends, myself, and God. everybody has the right to dream. dreams are free, but the pay off can be huge if you cultivate it, reach and work for it, and dream in many directions (not just one). you never know at what time or where your dream may happen. you never know if your encouragement to someone else about their dream just may cause them to live that dream-come-true. believing in dreams comes so easy for children. being childlike at times is a great reminder that dreams can come true and that the world is full of people experiencing them happening all the time. sometimes getting what you want from life starts with a dream. having the dream become reality ends with taking a risk to get it, work to cultivate it, and believing that all things are possible with God. dream your dreams. live your dreams. be your dreams. by the way.....youtube susan's audition to get on the show. you'll get a better perspective on her final performance.

FINAL THOUGHT: i still have dreams of new adventures of what i could be when i "grow up". i never wanted to live a life that said "i have been doing the same thing" for 20 yrs or more. there's nothing wrong with staying with what you have been doing "forever"-especially for those people that are doing what they love. but for those who have only been feeling like they are living a lifeless-life of routine: maybe it's time to reach for the stars...even if it's just a little one. the one star maybe be a far as it looks.

QUESTION: what did you dream to be when you were a kid and do you have any dreams now as an adult that you want to reach for?