Mellow

Sweetness... 

Mellow music by which one can write stunningly intelligent replies to fellow classmates' Discussion posts in my Master's of Psychology program... lol...

Ray Lamontagne

James Morisson

Chris Stapleton

Olly Mars

Amos Lee

Mmmmmm... music soothes the savage student, and lubricates my mind when it is rusty with corrosive thoughts.  Writer's block - arghhhhh!

Thank you, God, for music by which to write.

It will find you...

The love and truth you give will come back to you.
The smiles, the selfless gestures will be returned in abundance.
You’ve got to give good, to get good.
Sow the truth, and you will reap peace.

Plant a garden of lies, deceit, and betrayal, and you will gather a harvest of hurt and pain.
Can you escape the consequences of dark deeds?
Can you hide away from the destruction you think is left in your wake?
No.
What is done in the dark WILL be brought out into the light.
It will find you.

Can you run from yourself?
Can you run from the truth?
Can you fight the inevitable?
No.
Why do you kick against the pricks?
It will find you.

Where can you run from the love of God?
Where can you hide from His Spirit?
If you fly to the heavens He is there.
If you make your bed in hell, He is there.
Even if the Shadow covers you, He will light the darkness about you.
The Shadow cannot hide anything from Him, as the dark and light are alike to Him.
The truth.
His love.
It will find you.
He will find you.

It’s just a matter of time.
When will you stop running?

And when good pure warm and real Love finds you, you’ll wonder why on earth you ever ran… :-)

*******

There is a rather recent movie available to rent called “It Follows.”  It is a campy, creepy, 80’s style horror flick, yet it has a fascinating premise.  Instead of a Sexually Transmitted Disease, it is Sexually Transmitted Death, whereby Death is a stalker transmitted from one person to another.  Once it is received, Death stalks that person slowly and steadily, in the form of one they know, or in the form of stranger, until Death catches up and kills them.  It can only be avoided by running away faster, and to keep moving, as “It Follows” and “it will find you.”  You cannot run forever from it, as you will grow weary and it will catch up.  Just like one’s sins, one’s lifestyle, one’s actions… they will catch up with you eventually.  You will have to pay the piper eventually.  And the only way to (temporarily) get rid of Death is to pass it only to someone else by having sex with them.  Then Death will follow that person until he/she either dies (then it returns to follow you), or until that person passes it on sexually to another.  A very interesting premise, eh?  And a very good visual of how we try to avoid the consequences of our negative behavior, even “passing it on” to others (as blame, maybe?).  But it always comes back to us.  It always finds us.

By what do you want to be found?

Love?

Or Death?

Choose...

Fall

Her final season began.

Brutal arctic winds buffeted her, until she bent and was bruised under heavy snow.

Bewildering thaws breathed a lie of Spring’s arrival and gave her false hope.

Her weary arms lifted, then extended in anticipation towards the warmth of the sun’s rays, longing to touch... to be felt.

But Winter’s blast returned in earnest and bit at her cheeks and fingers once more.

Arms fell. Eyes downcast. Head bowed low.

Knives of ice pierced through to the tender heart beneath.

There, under that cruel hand, she relinquished her weak hold.

And let go.

*****

It is said that unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it will be just one, alone. And it will end alone.

However, if that seed had fallen to the ground and died, it would have produced a bountiful harvest.

Why, then, cling with such tenacity to what will leave you alone?

Why?

This...

I don’t have to guess...
Or doubt.

I just know.

Integrity

"Each human being has an integrity that can be hurt only by the act of that same human being and not by the act of another human being."

- Friends' Proverb

A flag of surrender?
Yes.
To give up placing blame on others for one's own actions, choices, and one's own character... and to take responsibility for one's self.

Another person may injure us physically, yes.
But another person cannot injure one's integrity.

What exactly is meant by a person's integrity?

It can be defined as "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness."  Integrity also has many synonyms, such as honor, good character, principle, ethics, morals, virtue.  However, Merriam-Webster offers the best of definitions, in my opinion: "a firm adherence to a code of especially moral values: incorruptibility," and "of an unimpaired condition: soundness," or the quality or state of being completed or undivided.

Many people appear to have never given any thought to their personal code of values.  They have generally been schooled for twelve years, trained for a certain type of work, and learned by the examples of their parents, the media, and their peers.  They may train their bodies with physical exercise, and groom themselves well to present their best appearance. Yet, how many have given thought to the development of their character, or to the soundness of their being.

How many people do not even understand that they possess personal integrity and, in a self-determined fashion, they have control over it?  Having personal control means being accountable for what they choose to do, as well as how they respond.

Without such an understanding, the Friends' Proverb above appears to make little sense.  "Surely, if a guy just hits you over the head with a bat it is going to hurt!"  Obviously.  It would hurt terribly in the physical sense.  However, the personal integrity of the one doing the act of violence would be damaged.  That person has chosen to corrupt their own character, while the physically injured party's integrity remains intact.

A person is not just a body; a person possesses more than a mind that thinks and a heart that feels. A person has a conscience, a soul, a spirit.  Doctors tend to treat the body, psychiatrists tend to treat the mind; and various counselors tend to instruct the heart.  Which specialist deals with one's integrity?

I would like to challenge myself, as well as anyone who stumbles upon this obscure blog.  The challenge is to take more than a few moments to write a description of your own integrity, its characteristics, its strengths. Then, write a description of what you see as the integrity you wish to aspire to.   Compare the two descriptions.  In what areas are you happy with your level of integrity. In what areas do you need to improve, or want to improve.  Define the areas of weakness and develop a plan to grow and mature. 

No one is a static being.  We all change.  Much of that change is self-determined.  It's been said that "failing to plan is planning to fail."  Focus on one virtue at a time, if that is how you best reach your goals.  Meditate on the Book of Proverbs, one chapter per day, if you find it helpful.  (I do!) 

Ask yourself:  what kind of person do you wish to be?  Define the integrity you wish to possess... then change.

You can do it.

If you want to.

Do you?

Better Man

Love the raw and honest quality of this man's music... this song.  Had to share.

Is there a companion song "Better Woman?"

It seems I hear so many many poignant songs from men, for the one they love, while not hearing any female songwriters wanting to be better for their man, or how their man makes them feel protected, secure, and cherished, and they want to give him their all... Where are these raw, honest, and vulnerable songs of devotion and fidelity from ladies?

One day I shall write one...