Thankful Month

Thankful Month

As the country prepares for Thanksgiving Day, most settle around a dinner table, eat too much, watch a football game, and fall asleep. I think there is more to it than this, or it should be.

I get the whole idea of having a meal because it gathers family and friends together. But do we really need the meal to do this?

Why does it have to be one day out of the year to be thankful?

Expressing gratitude should be a daily practice, not just a one-day event. It's easy to say we're thankful every day, but do our actions reflect this? After the Thanksgiving weekend, we often slip back into our work routine, errands, and other daily activities. Are we truly living a life of gratitude each day?

There are a lot of questions we should ask ourselves every day. We are only here for a short time, and the significant people in our lives should not be acknowledged as a one-day-out-of-the-year event centered around a turkey. It should be every day. 

Tell all those who are part of your life how much you love them and value their friendship. Be especially thankful that they are in your life. 

Photo: pixabay - Alexas_Fotos

It's not going to be the same

The recent elections have demonstrated what the American people want.  For the last four years, we have been told that the change was good and, undoubtedly, a different America from years past. But we soon discovered it was the worst, both economically and morally. 

The progressives went too far, even for those within the party. I have had discussions with some of those who considered themselves 'old Democrats' and they agree. There was a time when the differences between Republicans and Democrats were just a few minor issues, and the two agreed on most major topics. In this last election, some of the old Democrats found common ground with Republicans, voting for the Republican candidate because the far left had gone off the deep end.

As we approach the upcoming year, I foresee a new America, unlike any time in recent history. This change will be seen not only from the federal government level but all the way down to counties across the nation. But it will be met with resistance. The far left will not go away quietly.  Yet, we can hold onto hope and pray for a peaceful America entering the approaching new year. 

 

Turn it Off

At one time, about forty or more years ago, we had a few sources of news: the newspaper, television, and radio. Other than word of mouth, if you didn't have those sources, you had no connection to anything that was going on. I sometimes wonder how much we were missing in the news back then.

In some ways, it was a good thing because you didn't have the worries of the world coming at you every minute of every day. Nowadays, you have to turn off the news, for it is constant around us almost to the point of being unavoidable. Occasionally, I will be in a conversation and mention a major news event, and the person I'm conversing with doesn't know what I'm talking about. How does this happen? But if you think about you just have to turn it off and tune out, something we should do every now and then.  

Opposite

We are four weeks away from the election. 

This election will be a major decision for Americans. The political parties have opposing views on how this country should be governed. The polls vary from week to week, with only an occasional jump in points +/- 5%. Overall, it's 50/50. 

Adding to the intrigue, the candidates themselves are polar opposites, reflecting the deep divide that exists within our nation.

Once the results are in on November 5th, the losing party will be focal and loud. This doesn't consider the outcome of the Congressional and Senate races, which will determine the number of decisions made into law. The President will either be in full power or unable to pass anything on their agenda. 

Now is the Time

 Prayer

This practice is done every minute of every day: Someone is praying. Sometimes, it's a short prayer before a job interview or just before taking a test. We practice this thought in times of need, thanksgiving, intercession for someone other than yourself, and praise to the Creator.

Prayer covers many areas. We can all find something to pray about, but do we actually do it? Prayer does not have to be done at a particular time or place, although it is helpful as it can become a habit. We pray because God, the creator of the universe, is the only one who can answer our request. 

Take the time in the course of your day to pray to God because the world is in great need right now, with wars and disasters. 

One More Time

My last post was in June, and nothing followed after that. As with most people, life gets a little busy, and more important things happen.

But life never seems to settle down. There is always something, and prioritizing what is important and accomplishing tasks will give you more time to enjoy those other things that were deemed unimportant. 

Blogging is one of the other things I like doing because my opinions seem to build up without those times of blogging.

Take the time to do things like! 

I'm Back

Wow, the last post was in March. 

The blog entries have been absent, but the opinions are still here. The political winds are blowing as the November election approaches. The summer heat and topics are here, and events bring hot issues. More to come.

Anniversaries

Anniversaries mark a time in history of events and moments of significance. Sometimes, these moments only mean something to one person, while others are marked nationwide. These moments will also fade, and no one will ever remember them. They are sometimes sorrowful and glorious. 

Do you have any Anniversaries in your life?

If you do, it's essential to acknowledge them, whether good or bad. They help us process events in our lives, such as where we have been and where we are going.

Photo - pixabay - Alexey_Hulsov

Opinion - Speech Rallies

As we approach the spring and summer months, more and more people will need to express their right to free speech, either from the progressive or conservative view. Which is the right of every U.S. citizen to do. And we equally have the right to disagree with the opinions of speech made in public. My issue is when speeches turn into rallies, rallies turn into marches, and marches turn into blocking the roads. The initial speech has infringed on my right to legally travel where I want to go.  But when law enforcement gets involved in breaking up the roadblocks, it turns into the suppression of free speech. No one has the right to block roads unless a parade permit is issued. This is not free speech. It is harassment to the general public. 

Just my opinion, and mark this as a notice it's coming.

Photo - pixabay - OpenClipart-Vectors  

Filtered Truth

Truth is truth. Right?

I have written several blogs about truth. Follow the tagline truth to see all the ways truth is manipulated. 

This post is about filtered truth. And just as a filter works on anything, it is meant to remove the unwanted and release the final wanted results. 

What makes this different from other forms of filters about truth?

Most filters are not 100% effective. Truth is always the truth 100% of the time.  With that defined, let's apply the two together. 

We seek truth every day.  It applies to all aspects of life, work, home, personal relationships, and most importantly, our faith. We have those truths in our lives that are known without a doubt. But we must seek and know other truths to make decisions and function in the world. This is where the filtered truth happens. 

Some examples:

Work: A procedure is explained to you by a supervisor, but it is filtered by only giving you part of the information needed to perform the task.  Why? Because there is power in knowing all the truth about information and procedures of a task.

Personal Relationships: We meet and interact with people all the time. We typically expect the truth in conversation, but the reality is that conversations are filtered. This could be for various reasons, both good and bad.

Faith in God: This one is very different from the other two. The truth in faith can be manipulated to work for an agenda that is wrong, as God tells us (Proverbs 14:25).  We must accept the truth of God. The Word as we know it comes from the Bible and the tradition of the spoken Word of the Apostles, which was passed down from generation to generation. This truth can be trusted to be unfiltered and good. God will not deceive us. He gives us all we need to know. It is up to us to discover and hear His absolute truth for us and to beware of filtered truth.

Photo - pixabay - R-steray      

1 Peter 3:18-22

Beloved:

Christ suffered for sins once,

the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,

that he might lead you to God.

Put to death in the flesh,

he was brought to life in the Spirit.

In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,

who had once been disobedient

while God patiently waited in the days of Noah

during the building of the ark,

in which a few persons, eight in all,

were saved through water.

This prefigured baptism, which saves you now.

It is not a removal of dirt from the body

but an appeal to God for a clear conscience,

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

who has gone into heaven

and is at the right hand of God,

with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

Lent = Love

This year, Lent was on Valentine's Day.  It is an appropriate day because we often think of Lent as a time of suffering and sacrifice, and we do not generally think of that as a type of love. But Lent is all about love. God wants us to be with Him for all eternity because we can sometimes be stubborn and want to do things our way, not God's. And like a parent, He looks after us and always wants the best. So, this Lent let us become the best child of God and return to Him with all the love we can.          

The Door of Faith

Faith is an absolute trust in a belief.  Faith in something is knowing that it is accurate and correct; it is unseen and not a tangible object that can be held. 

Faith lives and dwells in your soul. And occasionally, our souls question and doubt the presence of faith. Faith struggles at times to even exist.

Why do we struggle with something that we can't see or touch? 

The struggle is when evil sets up camp in our souls, building walls to keep the good out.  Faith co-exists with hope, and these two together form a powerful motivation for anyone who deals with everyday life. If faith and hope are absent from our hearts, despair, and sadness consume our souls, and evil fights to keep out what is good. 

To all, keep faith and hope alive.  Recognize that God's presence is always there at the door to your soul. You just have to open the door and welcome this great gift He gives us.

Photo - pixabay - 4651889     

Is Politics Interwoven into Every Aspect of Our Life?

For the most part, it is for the obviously elected officials who are supposed to represent us as the first initial influence in daily life. They make decisions like raising or lowering taxes, which affect your income, and many decisions are voted on without our direct input of yes or no. Note: we should all practice voicing our opinions to elected officials whether they are heard or not. 

So, how does politics play a part in the rest of our lives? At one time, many years ago, the above statement was the standard view of politics.  But it has become apparent when selecting something as simple as watching the evening news. Specific channels are politically biased, and all their content is focused on an agenda. Let's take it even lower.  What about going to the grocery store?  Do we buy certain products based on the company that produced them and their political views?  I would say the majority of people don't. On the other hand, I believe many people buy products based on social media influencers.

And lastly, is politics involved in sports? If you are unsure, take a moment to watch the Super Bowl half-time show.  And specifically look for political statements and other connotations of social justice. 

Politics are everywhere. And with this being an election year, expect as the closer it gets to November to get prepared to be overwhelmed with opinions, progressive and conservative actors and musicians endorsing candidates, and businesses influencing customers to vote for a particular candidate. And sad but true, religious endorsements for their candidate of choice.

The bottom line is that this election year, depending on who is elected President of the United States, will significantly influence your life, whether you like it or not.

photo- pixabay - chayka1270   

Snow Cardinals

 The Cardinals waiting for warmer weather.

The Business Divide

There was a day when you went to the grocery store or somewhere to buy a product and did not think about who made it.  You might have had some favorite brands but didn't know about the company outside of what they made.  And what I mean by that is what the principles of that company were.  Where was their product made? Where did they donate their money for a particular cause? What were their political views?

Today, our country is so divided that we can't agree on products, services, or even sports teams because of their views outside of what they produce.  This is important, but why can't businesses stay out of politics? I realize owners will have their views, but the point is to connect to all customers regardless of opinions on a particular cause. 

When companies draw the line and publicly announce where they stand. They have decided they only want to support and market to a particular group.  And that is fine with me.  I will not go into an establishment that does not want my dollars based on my political views.  I will support the businesses that share my views. 

Buy American!

Photo - pixabay - stevepb 

Texas

The Southern border of the United States has become one of the most talked about news stories in the past couple of weeks. The main reason is because Texas has proclaimed it shall defend its border as a State. They have not only assumed the responsibility but also have become the frontline against the invasion of illegals into the United States.  Over 25 State governors have announced they will support Texas, but the Federal Government has not and probably will not support this effort. 

The border should be completely closed entirely. If someone wants to become a citizen of the United States, they should come here legally.  We must have our priorities in order and take care of U.S. citizens first.  And Texas is doing just that as it is making the people of Texas their first concern. 

All 50 States should back Texas because if not, the frontline will move to the next State and the next.  

Hold Strong Texas!! We support you!

 Photo - pixabay - Kjrstie 

The Holy One of God

 

 Mk 1:21-28

Then they came to Capernaum,

and on the Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.

The people were astonished at his teaching,

for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.

In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;

he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are—the Holy One of God!"

Jesus rebuked him and said,

"Quiet! Come out of him!"

The unclean spirit convulsed him and, with a loud cry, came out of him.

All were amazed and asked one another,

"What is this?

A new teaching with authority.

He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."

His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

In today's Gospel reading at Mass, the unclean spirit acknowledges Jesus as the Holy One of God.  One would think during this time, the people would hear this and realize Jesus is truly the Son of God, but as we know, this is not enough, and they would need more proof. 

How often do we act as those did during that time by seeing and not believing?

And for as much as evil sometimes seems to rule, we should always know who the Son of God is, and no one is above Him. 

The Primaries

I saw this yesterday and thought how similar it looked. The signs are identical in color. The Sunday morning news shows are always political. It seems the Democrats are pushing the Republicans to vote for Haley. Why? Could it be because she is the weaker candidate? And if they can sway the conservative vote towards her, then Trump would not be the nominee for the Republican Party.  Once that happened, the Democrats would then focus their attack on Haley.  All of this to position Biden to be re-elected.  Trump is clearly the better candidate, and the liberals know how weak Biden is in policies and his capacity to articulate his thoughts. They know Biden cannot win a political debate with Trump. The primaries in the upcoming month are critical.  The Republicans running for President are dropping out of the race because they clearly cannot win against Trump. The majority of conservative voters in the United States want Trump to be the next President.

   

Act of Contrition

O My God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and amend my life. 

Amen.