Have you ever seen the movie “Pay It Forward”? What a great movie. Although it was a little dark the concept was awesome. What if we just did good things to people not because they did 1st but because it was a kind thing to do. It doesn’t have to be giving someone a car like in the show (unless you have that kind of extra money), it can just be a smile. A smile is pretty powerful! You can change someone’s mood with a smile.
People have busy lives. We are always going somewhere. We rarely get a chance to just sit and be. We race around in traffic, try to get the best parking spot , get to the shortest line at the tellers and off we go again. We rush to take the kids to activities, quickly throw together dinner (or buy take out) and off we go again. No wonder we don’t smile. We are always on edge… just 1 little thing seems to set us off. Driving we have zero patience. Waiting for a meal in a restaurant or a drive through….
We gotta slow down!
What could we do to make the stresses of life seem a little less stressful?
Smile.
Put some music on that you like. That can make you smile.
Get a little treat when you are out and share it with a friend… smile.
Pick yourself up some flowers or pick them up for your lover.. . smile.
Take a minute and see what other people are going through. It’s an interesting experiment to people watch. Try it at the mall. Or the grocery store or in the parking lot.
There are lots of little things you can do to help. Open a door for someone, take their cart back when they are finished unloading their groceries. These opportunities come up all the time. The great thing about them is that they have a double effect. You will ease the burden for someone. But it will also give you a boost too. You get a feeling that you have done a “good deed”. Make eye contact with the person you just helped. I bet you will both smile!
Give it some thought. You don’t have to go out there and create situations to help people all day. They will present themselves when you least expect it. When they happen, jump up and help out. It will warm both your hearts and set off a chain reaction that could go from person to person all day long.
You could make a lot of people smile…
Animals are great. They are a beautiful example of a creature that lives it’s life according to instinct. They were created to live in harmony with other creatures
on this Earth. It doesn’t matter what era we are in or what latest invention has helped man kind, they carry on the same way they have always done. They don’t need iPhones or Blu Ray players to pass the time or alcohol and drugs to escape from the stresses of life. They don’t try to build fancier homes than other animals and I don’t think they gossip or cut down each other (I’m pretty sure…). They don’t take more food than they need and take care of their young.
Boy could we learn from them.
We have domesticated several animals over our history. Cows, pigs, sheep and goats were herded and kept in villages for food and milk. This kept a steady food supply for people. Oxen and horses were used for work. Then there were dogs and cats that were domesticated to live indoors. Yes there are many more including the mule, honey bee, silk moth, hamster, ostrich and various birds, but… the history lesson is over.
I wanted to talk about cats and dogs.
Are you a dog person? Or are you a cat person. I guess you can be both but most people have a preference.
Cats and dogs are very different. Cats seem to be more regal and make their own decisions about if and when they want to show affection. Dogs have a loving heart and want to love everyone. There are exceptions to these traits but from my limited experience, this seems to be the case. I grew up with dogs and I love them. I always had outside dogs. We played and ran and wrestled and rested together. Dogs are incredible animals. They have soo much joy and love.
I also had cats. They came and sat with you on the couch. They walked around the room deciding exactly where they wanted to go next. They seemed to put more thought into their actions than dogs. They were also more moody than dogs.
I have 1 cat now and hope to have a dog again 1 day. I don’t think it’s fair to have a dog unless you have a big yard or property for them to run around in. I guess if you have a park nearby you can take them there everyday. Plus I am not interested in picking up poo. When I was a kid the dog must have went somewhere to do that. I grew up on 480 acres so there was no need to search with a plastic bag for droppings.
So what are you? Are you a cat lover? Do dogs drive you crazy jumping up and sticking their noses in foreign places? Or are you a dog person. You can walk for miles with your “best friend” and he always follows while those pompous cats make you plead and beg for their attention.
Either way it’s nice to have a pet. They are amazing creatures that we can spend time with. They are a glimpse into the wild. They are part of our lives and part of our families. So take your pick, cat or dog……. or why not both?
There are those that believe in God. They trust that an all-powerful creator is responsible for everything that is in existence today. They hold to a 7 day creation of the Universe and a free gift of salvation to eternal life for those who believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
There are also those who believe all that is an adult fairy tale for the weak minded. They claim that there is evidence of billions of years of evolving organisms that lead to modern day man. They measure sediment layers in the rocks and distances in the cosmos to gauge their beliefs. They dig up fossils of past creatures and missing links to piece together their theory of change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms through successive generations.
Which 1 is true? We ALL take a side on this 1. There is no riding the fence.
In 1859, Charles Darwin wrote the famous book “On the Origin of Species” although scientific inquiry into the origin of species can be dated to at least the 6th century BCE, with the Greek philosopher Anaximander. I am not going to type out the history of the Evolution theory… you can look that up yourself.
Some people have a hard time accepting that there is a God that created everything. They don’t want to believe in a creator and try to explain it away through science. The educated write books and theories, building on the past evolution theories, accepting them as fact.
So… what are the facts?
Observed Natural Selection (Survival of the fittest):
Darwin’s proposed mechanism for evolutionary change is observed in nature. Natural selection serves as a means of conservation, not one of creation. It explains survival of a species, not arrival of a species. Changes within a species happens over time for their survival. Natural selection may have a stabilizing effect, but it does not promote speciation [the arrival of a new species]. Besides, while survival of the fittest is observed in nature, it is not absolute. We also observe survival of the weakest and survival of the luckiest. Every infant is the weakest of a species, and yet obviously, some of them survive or there would be no species at all. Similarly, when a whale swims through a school of fish swallowing 80%, the 20% that survived were not the fittest – they were the luckiest. Somehow “survival of the fittest” has become tautology. Only the fittest survive. How do we determine they were the fittest? Because they survived!
Homology:
In nature we can observe animals with similar bone structures. Simply put, “Similarity does not imply a genetic relationship.”
Evidence for Evolution – The Fossil Record:
Supposed “missing links” between distinct kinds of animals which can be explained as transitions between kinds.
Ramapithecus was widely recognized as a direct ancestor of humans. It is now established that he was merely an extinct type of orangutan.
Piltdown man was hyped as the missing link in publications for over 40 years. He was a fraud based on a human skull cap and an orangutan’s jaw.
Nebraska man was a fraud based on a single tooth of a rare type of pig.
Java man was based on sketchy evidence of a femur, skull cap and three teeth found within a wide area over a one year period. It turns out the bones were found in an area of human remains, and now the femur is considered human and the skull cap from a large ape.
Neandertal man was traditionally depicted as a stooped ape-man. It is now accepted that the alleged posture was due to disease and that Neandertal is just a variation of the human kind.
Human Evolution: The Current Tree
Human evolution has its currently fashionable specimens that lead from small ape-like creatures to Homo sapiens. These are examples of the most recent alleged links:
Australopithecus afarensis, or “Lucy,” has been considered a missing link for years. However, studies of the inner ear, skulls and bones have shown that she was merely a pygmy chimpanzee that walked a bit more upright than some other apes. She was not on her way to becoming human.
Homo erectus has been found throughout the world. He is smaller than the average human of today, with a proportionately smaller head and brain cavity. However, the brain size is within the range of people today and studies of the middle ear have shown that he was just like current Homo sapiens. Remains are found throughout the world in the same proximity to remains of ordinary humans, suggesting coexistence. Australopithecus africanus and Peking man were presented as ape-men missing links for years, but are now both considered Homo erectus.
Homo habilis is now generally considered to be comprised of pieces of various other types of creatures, such as Australopithecus and Homo erectus, and is not generally viewed as a valid classification.
Human Evolution: The Most Recent Find
In July 2002, anthropologists announced the discovery of a skull in Chad with “an unusual mixture of primitive and humanlike features.” The find was dubbed “Toumai” (the name give to children in Chad born close to the dry season) and was immediately hailed as “the earliest member of the human family found so far.” By October 2002, a number of scientists went on record to criticize the premature claim — declaring that the discovery is merely the fossil of an ape.
Human Evolution: The Theory Has No Support in the Fossil Record
Human evolution is a theory in denial. With all of this fossil evidence (or lack thereof) it becomes increasingly clear to an earnest seeker that human evolution did not happen at all.
To assume that hominids (apes) and humans are closely related because both can walk upright is tantamount to saying hummingbirds and helicopters are closely related because both can fly. Indeed, the distance between an ape, who cannot read or write, and a man, who can compose a musical masterpiece or send a man to the moon, is the distance of infinity.
Vestigial Organs:
Body parts thought to be useless remnants of past evolutionary development. This list included: tonsils, coccyx (tail bone), thymus, little toe, male nipples, ear nodes, pineal gland, adenoids, appendix, wisdom teeth, parathyroid, ear muscles, body hair, and the nictitating membrane of the eye. Since this compilation of Wiedersheim’s list at the end of the 19th century, we have discovered important biological functions for every one of these so-called vestigial organs. “The existence of human organs whose function is unknown does not imply they are vestiges of organs inherited from our evolutionary ancestors. As medical knowledge has increased, at least some functions of all organs have been discovered.” (Walt Brown, “In the Beginning,” 2001, p. 9.)
Dinosaur Fossils: Sedimentary Rock
Dinosaur fossils, as with other fossils, are found throughout earth’s sedimentary layers. To date, approximately 95.0% of all earth’s fossil remains are marine invertebrates, 4.74% are plants, 0.25% are land invertebrates (including insects), and 0.0125% are vertebrates. Of the vertebrates, the majority are fish. Moreover, 95% of all land vertebrates found consist of less than one bone. However, billions of fossils have been found. Up to as many as 1,200 dinosaur skeletons have been discovered thus far. Sedimentary rock (sandstone, siltstone, shale, limestone, etc) is primarily laid down by moving water, layer upon layer, in a process known as hydrologic sorting. Animals whose fossil remains are found must have been caught in this running water to have been buried and preserved. The remains would be sorted by density just as the rocks were. If not buried, the carcass would rot or be scavenged. Dramatic evidence is everywhere except in the popular press. For instance, who is aware that fossil remains of clams (found in the closed position, indicating they were buried alive) have been found atop Mt. Everest? What about whale fossils and petrified trees that stand upright through multiple sedimentary layers supposedly separated by millions of years?
Dinosaur Extinction: The Evidence
Evidence for Evolution – Where is it?
So where is the so-called evidence for evolution? Not in the biology textbooks used in the public schools! Aren’t there any legitimate evidences for the theory? Why do we have to imagine macro-evolution happening “long ago and far away…”? Could undirected natural processes alone assemble the intricate structures found within living cells? Can chemistry alone account for the origin of life on earth? What is the origin of the genetic information encoded in living organisms? Until evolutionists come up with real answers to these fundamental questions, Darwinian evolution should be kept in philosophy textbooks where it belongs and taken out of biology textbooks where, tragically, it has become entrenched.
I obviously got this information from researching on the internet. You can to. Most of us are not biochemists or scientists. But… we all have common sense. We can read the facts from both sides and come to a logical conclusion all by ourselves. If we take away all our preconceived beliefs and studied the facts, I believe we would come up with 1 solution. This universe was designed with purpose by a loving creator. We all have gifts to be shared with one another. We are on this mortal journey and we should study and learn the world around us.
It’s just human nature!
SLUT WALK
What images come to mind?
A walk bringing attention to “sluts” or to the word “slut”.
What is a slut?
Slut is a pejorative term applied to an individual who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous. ~ Wikipedia.
The movement started in Toronto last year.
A young student at York University was sexually assaulted. A police officer told the female university students there to “avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized”. A “Slut Walk” was organized at the university campus in Toronto in April to protest and fight ‘slut shaming’ – a common response to sexual assault and rape. It is based on the false conception that if a girl or young woman is considered ‘slutty’ then sexual violence against her is not taken seriously.
I understand what the police officer was trying to get across but the wording was all wrong.
Sexual assault is wrong… period.
The problem with this walk is that it isn’t addressing the real problem. Women are walking, some in provocative clothing or nude, and uniting with sex trade workers to protest rape and sexual assault. Rape and sexual assault is a cause worthy of a walk… and worthy of new laws to punish offenders.
But walking to embrace sexual freedom and inappropriate dress is going in the wrong direction.
On the internet men have access to unlimited porn where women are open to any sexual fantasy and are in control. Watch any action film and the women are portrayed as confident, sexual aggressors. They dress in skin tight clothes with boobs and butts hanging out, looking seductively at the leading men. Movies show women as sexual accessories and in abundant supply. TV shows do the same. Commercials are sold with sex and we are brainwashed into this sexual fueled lifestyle where women who dress sexy are loose and women who dress modestly are conservative.
Our kids in school act out this struggle everyday.
Mix in:
pubescent teens
sexually driven advertising and tv and movies
no dress code
little supervision and BLAM!
Kids are acting out what they see in the media. Girls think they have to dress sexy to attract a guy and the guys see it as an invitation for sex. Jump forward 5-10 years and young adults go through the same thing only with more money, less guidance and total freedom.
There is nothing wrong with a healthy sex life. There is no better way to express love with your partner than to connect sexually in a committed relationship. Not everyone agrees with the committed relationship part but you get the idea.
When women dress slutty – it sends a message to men that they are open to being sexual. There is nothing wrong with looking attractive and beautiful. To try to appear overly sexy is going too far. It sends the wrong message. The way you dress makes a statement about yourself.
Now once again there is never a justification for sexual assault. There are sexual predators out there. Women need to do their best not to attract them with their behavior and dress.
Prostitution is also a big part of the problem. Men can get sex from a woman without any strings attached. Prostitutes dress slutty to attract the men. There is no affection or passion… it’s just a fast sexual act. It makes sex an unemotional act that you can get whenever you want with whomever you choose.
Sexual predators are out there. Women have a responsibility to protect themselves. They need to surround themselves with men and women that care for them. They need to stay out of situations that leave them vulnerable. They need to value themselves as beautiful, sexual women without dressing inappropriately. They need to be cherished. They need to be loved.
Don’t be shy. Tell a female friend that you love them and let them know they are beautiful. Show them the same respect that you deserve and protect them like you would protect yourself. Build up confidence in all your friends and let them know that their true beauty is not just in their body, but much deeper inside…
I have been alive for almost 45 years (not counting in Utero) an I have experienced a lot. I was raised with little money but managed to travel half way around the world at a young age. I have had many friends and the love of family. I have been married 19 years and raised 2 children – ongoing. I have experienced tragedy and triumph, pleasure and pain, feast and famine. I have been a business owner and an employee, a musician and a songwriter, a husband and a father.
My life is half over and yet finally it is just beginning.
I have learned through experience how to better myself. Mistakes are a great teacher. While my lifestyle doesn’t fit with most… I love where I’m going both on earth and eternally. My path has been bumpy and I hope it continues to be. It’s an adventure with an uncertain outcome. As I have gotten older, I have lost the desire to keep up with the Jones. I want to pursue my dreams and goals with my wife and if there is money in it then great! If not… at least I’m doing what makes me happy.
Are you doing what you love? Maybe not for a job but how about in your spare time? Life is hard enough without mixing in some passion. I know when I was getting out of high school all I wanted was to get a job and move out on my own. I didn’t have a career goal or a passion for anything. I just wanted to make some money.
Lot’s of road yet to travel and many mistakes yet to make. I am trying to be a better person. I am trying to slow down and look around. That enjoy the journey not the destination thing.
Do what make you happy. I have talked to several old people that told me they wished they had done this and that… Why do we not get it until we are old? We only get 1 spin around the carousel of life, shouldn’t we make the most of it? Shouldn’t we try and fail and try again? Shouldn’t we be doing what brings joy into our lives?
Travel, learn the piano, restore a car, collect rare coins, eat out for dinner more…
Go do what warms your heart. I know this will get some people irked and I will get comments about how we have to work to pay the bills and there is no time or money for anything else. That’s really up to you. If you want to do what you love and desire then there are always sacrifices. Ask Michael Jordan if he sacrificed anything. I’m not saying you should go out there and play in the NBA. I’m saying if you have a desire strong enough, put it into action. It’s easy to say it can’t be done or I can’t afford it or I have no time.
Change your thinking. Make it happen, don’t give up.
If I pissed you off then sorry. Sorry that you didn’t get my point.
And my point is… Don’t take life soo seriously. Have some fun. Find something you love to do and do it… then do it again. Make it fit into your life and budget.
If you can get rich doing it then Bravo. If not then who cares?
Life is more than work!!!!
Restart your life…
