Monthly Archives: November 2017

Today I Will Make A Difference

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Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stop lights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.

I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom.

I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.

I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them. I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s okay to stumble…I will get up. It’s okay to fail…I will rise again. Today I will make a difference.

I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children and friends.

Today I will make a difference.

Max Lucado

What Goes Up…

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“What goes up must come down.”

This is the opening stanza to the song Spinning Wheel by the American rock group named Blood, Sweat & Tears which was written and performed in 1969. As this song came to mind I casually looked for images to reflect some of the lyrics. I saw this squirrel climb to the top of our Bradbury Pear tree, eat a bit and then scamper down.  Rather amusing since the lyrics really don’t have anything to do with the images, except they represent going up and coming down.

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“Spinning wheel got to go ’round.”

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The next day I passed by this windmill and recalled the second stanza of the song so I stopped, took aim and shot it just as the sun was getting ready to peak above the horizon.

Oh well, I guess it’s okay to do word association, even with photographs and music!

 

 

D A W N

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In less than ten minutes this weather beaten barn went from being in the shadows to being illuminated by the warm rays of the morning sun.

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And, ten minutes before this photo, the barn was in the dark. The lighting doesn’t change the condition of the structure, but it does help us to see it clearly.

That’s what Dawn does-it helps us to see life from a brighter perspective.

And what causes the light? The sun, of course…always on time, always illuminating and exposing what can’t be seen in the darkness.

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The sun creeps up on us like a car at dusk getting ready to top a hill. One can see a glow above the crest of the road, but it is not until the head lights come into view do we see what created that glow. It is at this moment we are illuminated.

In addition to illuminating and exposing, Dawn brightens and enlightens. Has it been awhile since you’ve witnessed a sunrise? If it has, may I suggest that you do so soon. And, if you have seen many Dawns, but don’t give them a second thought, perhaps pause for a moment and simply watch in awe how amazing this daily occurrence really is. Quite possibly you may become enlightened and illuminate someone else’s life. That’s well worth a few minutes of our time, and the benefits can’t be overstated.

Caught in the Light

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Took a walk in the woods yesterday afternoon. Stopped dead in my tracks by this tree.

Always on the lookout for one of nature’s surprises. Almost missed this one.

Split bark cedar tree with shafts of light illuminating her unusual essence of colors, curves and twists, and peeling bark. Even the brush which touched her was beautiful.

Soon the leaves turn from green to brown and will drop away.

Ah, winter causes her to hibernate, but not to die. She is too wild.

Spring will come again, as will new growth and a summer full of foliage.

This cedar lives on for whatever purpose the Creator has ordained.

I count myself fortunate to have seen her in this captivating light.

 

 

 

F I R E !

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Fire is a mesmerizing thing to watch; whether it is controlled or uncontrolled. It can be immensely useful to our survival, yet deadly and highly destructive. The outcome depends equally on man and nature. These photographs are of a controlled brush fire which appears out of control. Knowing who set the wood ablaze, it easily could have become out of control ! Very glad that it didn’t.

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Intense heat. Unbridled fury. Forceful energy. Destructive power. Thoughts of Hell.  However, if I were to include photographs of controlled fire, I would reveal images of super hot furnaces purifying and forging steel; electrical power plants powering the engines to create electricity; Bunsen burners heating chemicals to develop the next cure for a disease or a chemical breakthrough; gas-fired ovens to cook meals; camp fires to survive by during the frigid and deadly cold, and candles to warm the soul.

Rather amazing, isn’t it, that out of one essential element of the earth we can find polar opposites for good and bad. Unfortunately, the bad is where we seem to be headed as a country, and as a world populated by hundreds of countries. Fascinating, yet scary. Realistic and not some fictional story. We all live in a crazy time in the era of mankind. I rather think at moments that the aboriginal in some far-off land, not knowing anything about commerce or industry, etc., may be better off than their sophisticated cousins (the so-called industrialized nations).

I love America. I love Europe and Asia, and South America, Central America, the islands of the Oceans, The Balkans and the Baltic’s, the Middle East and the Far East. All that God created I love, but His creation was originally meant to be peaceful, and it is not. Is it my desire to put out the flame which creates destruction as well as blessings? No. I desire to fan the flame of love and peace and tolerance and freedom. However, I will not fan the flames of intolerance or bigotry, nor the flames of hatred and division. I do believe that those who cherish freedom must protect this sacred right. It’s a complicated world.

I am grateful for fire, as long as it is controlled righteously, as was originally intended.

 

Cacophony

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My internet dictionary describes Cacophony as “a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds”. This term is often applied to an orchestra tuning their respective instruments before a concert. Each participant wants to achieve the best sound from the instrument as he or she plays it. From an audience’s point of view, it may sound a bit unorganized and odd. However, I like the warm-up and find it intriguing to listen to and watch.

For those of you who have children, grand children, nieces and nephews, you understand the definition of Cacophony! Crazy, fun, annoying, intolerable at times, but also a joyous sound during most moments. “Bless the little children”, said Jesus.

I could quite literally produce hundreds of photographs which would describe this word without using words. Life is just like that; a cacophony of experiences loud and soft, coherent and disconnected. This so-called chaos may come in the form of sound, as mentioned; visual, as represented in these two images; inner voices and / or confusing feelings, as so many of us have experienced; disturbing dreams; or experiences too baffling to explain.

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These photographs created a cacophony of sorts for me which included visual, audible and conflicting feelings. The photos were taken with my cell phone’s camera at a multi-band concert a few years ago. What seemed like chaos to me was simultaneously a joyful consensus of understanding and interpretation by many who attended this event.

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It seems to me that diversity is a key element to living a conflict free and satisfactory life…one without judgment or anger or fear. Also, a life with the freedom to chose what moves you. The cacophony of life can result in positive or negative experiences. As a favorite local artist of mine states on his business bookmark card, “Art is simple. You either like it or you don’t”. For me, Mike Savage summed up how we should live using this statement which presents itself as a philosophy for living. However, be gentle and kind when living-out this simple process. There should be no sense of judgement or condemnation.

 

East to West

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Tuesday morning, 0730, western Kansas City, cold and overcast.

Stepped outside to leave for business.  The eastern sky startled me. The western sky reassured me.

To see the sun begin to rise in the east and the moon begin to set in the west at the same time is fairly common, but rather special, too. One is so vibrant and the other so soft as it fades away due to the morning’s brilliance.

The cloud dynamic adds a dramatic element to the one, and a firm point of reference to the other…rather like some people do when we encounter them.

Had lunch with a friend of mine today. He is such an encouragement and always looks at each day as simply that…another day. If we screw up, we have another opportunity to do better (assuming we are given the chance). We both have struggled through serious depression about the same number of years and period in time, but he seems to have a firmer grip on what makes one tick and how to respond to the negative thoughts we all succumb to which affects our moods, doubts and self-images. I appreciate him so much.

Just look at the recent tragedies in Vegas and Texas. Talk about warped self-images. How sad for all concerned. In some way, all affected become victims. However, this post isn’t about those terrible incidents. It is more about beauty and awareness and life. It is about overcoming, too. It is meant to encourage instead of discourage. I see flags flying half-mast everywhere and know why, hence, the monologue about recent tragedies. Yet, the flags will fly at full-mast again. So should we after we falter from life’s harsh realities.

I know this statement may seem harsh and even naive to some, but such is not my intent. One never gets over tragedy…one must simply overcome it’s consequences which can be extremely difficult. I have personal experience with this reality. May these photos lift your souls as they did mine when I first witnessed these scenes early this morning.

 

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East to West…emerging to fading…repeating cycle everyday…redemption waiting.

 

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