Useless

   There is a word and one of the unforgivable sins, calling someone useless. Yep, thats in the Bible. There is a whole other world in there and some great advice, though we seldom hear it. Seems most these days focus on the damning side of it. I came across this useless thing and thought of a few people I'd said that to and even came to mind. As I mused on it a bit, researched it a bit, I figured out why.

  God don't make mistakes, everything and everybody has a purpose. There is not one single thing or person created that does not have a purpose. That don't mean we like the all, but we do have to accept the fact that everything and everybody has a purpose, God don't make junk. Their purpose may not be pleasant to us, we may not like their purpose... but they have a purpose.

  So that drunk walking down the street. That hateful person in line or traffic. The druggie.That loud person in the restaurant or that rude cashier. The hateful company owned, slave driver boss. Feel free to add, maybe even this blog or me. So what if their purpose is to test you, to test your nerves, patience, kindness. What if they are in your life, even if for a minute, to make you aware just how blessed you are. To reevaluate yourself and your very essence of being. What if that were their use?    

Picking Battles

   Most of us go through life and jump from one thing to the other. Some go from one party to another while some from one fight to another. Neither is healthy. To muse is to think and by adding an "a" in front of the word muse, "amuse" it means not to think, and that ain't good to stay in that mode. Like musing, being amused can be good or bad... the too much of a good thing ain't good no more scenario. On the other hand, musing battles is a totally different thing, it is good but when done in moderation.

  For most of us life has battles we don't get to choose, and then some we do. Choose them well. Choose them educated. I get emails and sometimes phone calls from people all the time with battles. On Facebook now the going thing is signing up for a cause, and some are good. Some I will sign up on, but most I don't. If you sign up on anything, know the playing field. Nothing looks worse for a group than people who sign up for something with no background knowledge of it, and nothing can do more harm than that. Care2 site is loaded with battles, but you mostly see the ones that have the power or money to back them up. That does not mean they are correct or right by any standards and sometimes they are worded so that one signs a battle on the wrong side. I've seen that happen when Monsanto has Think Tanks mislead the public, and they are one of several.

  Add to that the personal battles each day, and the plate to full, the cup over flows. Sad it is like that but it is what it is. The world can only change as long as people change, and it starts in the mirror. Sometimes the worst villain and the biggest challenge faces us in the mirror each day. You can no more change me than I you, but we can change ourselves. Life will have, for most of us, plenty enough battles on a personal level. Battles for liberty, freedom... those are worth fighting for, yet they will escape us if we do not start in the mirror. How many people battle for these, then go out and participate in Black Friday, or Cyber Monday? Corporations are only affected by sales and market, so we cannot oppose them while putting money in their pockets. We want free enterprise yet support multinational corporations that stop free markets into the ground by buying the label. There are horse equipment lines, clothing lines, vehicles, you name it... that we pay higher for the name, when they are all made from the same manufacturer. The specs are the same, the only difference is the label, and we fall for it.

   But now I go off topic again, so back to the topic. In your short life span there will be battles you cannot pick. Hard battles that will bring you to your knees. There are battles you will fight for both you and your children and future generations' hopes. We fight battles every second to chose from good or evil. We see those around who fight the same battle. Learn what you fight for because I guarantee the force you will fight against has. The most thing though is to live life and enjoy those peaceful times between battles. Fight with the heart of a lion yet be as calm as a lamb.    

When the World Drains, Recharge

  The world gets crazier and crazier each day and if one watches, a more dangerous place to live. Always something going on somewhere that ain't good. Be it the fictional TV show, movie, or the news, it comes sometimes be overwhelming. For most of my life I digested off TV, movies, and music. In the 70s and 80s as unemployment hit double digits, employers got harder and harder to work for... just like now. Money got tighter and tighter and food got scarce. For some the world is there toy and they seem to be indestructible, yet for most it is slowly becoming a nightmare. A real Hell on Earth.

  While it is important to stay aware, equally important is to stay separate and calm the soul. For me, that is one of the most quoted, taken out of context things in the Bible. Stay separate. We have to have a few things and they usually, like most things aren't what TV can give or teach us we need. For me it is the garden and it use to be making things. I can't make things like I once did now, physically it is just hard, and sometimes we don't have the money to do that. Inner peace though costs nothing but a little time, something we always have that is free. We have the same amount of time each day, so it isn't accurate to say we don't have time. It is how we allocate those 24 hours. It then becomes how we distribute the time we have and how we choose to spend it. Taking time.

  For me its the garden usually, though that is seasonal. Sometimes I can't physically stand and work and getting back up after being down isn't easy either. I go and pull weeds, sometimes slowly, sometimes quicker, depending on the day. Most of the time I'm the only one out in it, physically speaking, but sometimes I have the company of my wife or one daughter. I talk with my God, the plants, bees, insects... sometimes verbally and sometimes, when verbal just isn't possible, through my heart. Call it prayer or meditation, me time- words are just a matter of preferred terminology. I use to love to walk through the fields, still do sometimes, though it ain't pretty or easy with neuropathy. For me, this is where I get my solitude and recharging. I've researched some bad things since my heart attack and this is how I don't let this world bring me down. No radio, no TV, IPOD, IPAD, Cell Phone... just me and the peace and natural sounds. No drugs (including alcohol), except the ones you actually need for health reasons. 

  Sometimes I think we all could use a garden, but we're all different, and what I find solstice in another might not. Some might find that sewing or crafts, painting or working on cars or walks, biking, driving, boxing, running. Turn off the radio, TV, phone and all else that are usually there. Stop and Breathe. It sometimes might take longer at first but as one gets regular doses of this solstice, this separation from the world, it may eventually take less length sometimes. There is a zone that you will find, one you never hear about these days, and maybe that is what is missing. For me the garden or motorcycle but someone else might prefer something else, and thats ok too. This life isn't suppose to be how much you can conform but how much inner peace and love you can create. It isn't about change or physical material, its about stability and a collection of memories, ones that will see you through when times get tough.

   Keep away from worldly distractions on these mini vacations. There was once a song that was called "Speak To The Sky", try that. Either verbally or with your heart silently, but only if your comfortable with doing it. No confessions or wants or desires, just like we're speaking now. Pour it out, there is nothing that can be said that isn't known already. If you need to practice that on the plants, animal, bees... and when your comfortable go a little higher. I speak to them all and thank them for what they've done and are doing. I've flipped some people out when they see the peace and connections I have with the bees, wasps, spiders. I have some that pollinate the same place where I pick and we work together. It would probably really flip them out to see my connection with the Maker. Thing is, out there you have to prove nothing, impress nobody, and can practice seeing all the good things in this world. It doesn't make me a good man, but a better man. Some Indian (American) use to say we are all born human, but we work to achieve becoming a Human Being. That means taking a stand against wrong and staying aware, while all the time taking time to recharge and appreciating all you have been given. Take that is baby steps if you need to, but take the steps, the more you take the easier they are to take and the more you will want to take. Oh yea, and don't allocate a certain time to this. It isn't about production and it isn't a task. It just is.