Living Proof

The word simplicity is such a beautiful description regarding anything if you really think about it. Simplicity doesn't mean "easy" or implies that everything is just free-flowing goodness. Simplicity is when you don't need much in order to gain happiness and understanding. It's being grateful or what you have, not always grumbling for what you don't have. Simplicity means "just right" -- to be satisfied with all things that are good in your life. People seem to think you need to own a mansion and a yacht in order to obtain happiness. Take a peek into their lives and walk right into those closed doors and tell me what you see. In many cases, happiness is only short-lived, until they need something new...something better...to fill the void...to fill the pain. Life is so much more than living in society's standards. I've always been simplistic. My wardrobe is pretty much classic, and usually, I'm not very dressed up because I work fr...

What may feel important to you may be on the back burner for me. I don't waste my time trying to store my nuts for the future when "now" is all I have. I may not be here tomorrow. I have other thing to worry about, like "now". I can only do my best. I have just enough for each day that comes. There's a story in the Bible talking about manna. Manna is basically, just having enough, or spiritual nourishment for some. But it originally came from the story of when the Israelites had just come out of Egypt. They were in the desert when the Lord said to them, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days." So Moses said, "You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to ...

As Jesus once said -- the real Christian view. Months, even weeks ago I stated many times that I was so sick and tired of politics that I would actually vote for Trump just for the entertainment itself. He's a showman, an attention grabber, as well as a sideshow circus. Why not? Every other president before him seemed to have taken on the "class clown" status in their own quirky and corrupt way. But this is a bit different. Again, I will state that I am not a liberal or a conservative. I have views that land both in the left and right field of politics. I also usually never dabble in politics, especially on Facebook. I guess blogging is different. So my opinions will flow freely on this forum. Why is Trump taking this to a whole new level? Is it because people wouldn't vote for him unless he has pushed the envelope? He seems to cater to the older generation. Most senior citizens love him because he has an old fashioned "Archie Bunker" approach on pol...

Miserable people. What makes them so discontent with life and everyone around them? There's a lot of truth when they say that misery loves company. Some feel jaded that their lives are so miserable, that they want to make yours miserable as well. I find that more people come together when they hate something more than they do when they like something. Maybe it's addicting to be a miserable bastard. I learned that most miserable people don't like themselves at all. Their love tank is on "E" and there is nothing left for them to give to anybody else. It's also true that whatever you hate in somebody else, is what you hate about yourself. There has to be some connection you relate to in order for those intense feelings to surface. Why are Christians so incredibly angry at gays and lesbians? Fear and intimidation has a lot to do with avoidance or just being aloof, in order to to lash out at those who are perhaps a bit different than you -- maybe a deep seated is...

Not a care in the world as we walked barefoot over to the area underneath the Japanese maple tree. My sister would lay out a big flannel blanket so we could all sit and read a book as we flicked off ants from our ankles. My other sisters would eventually join in and occasionally, my mother would come out and park her little lawn chair down to read the paper or to clip out coupons for her next shopping spree. I remember looking out into the view where the mountains meshed into one another while the lake below glistened from the sun. Sometimes my oldest sister and I would have deep conversations about God and religion, and more so, about the new age book she was reading about spirituality. It dawned on me right then that "religion" was the scare tactic, and that having a relationship with God was much more important. It wasn't about rules and regulations or the counting of how many sins were under my belt. It was about love, forgiveness, acceptance and understanding. It...

For those of you who read me, you know I rarely write about the latest news or current events, unless it's for reasons of human rights and such. But today, for whatever reason, a story in the news hit me where I just can't shake off that feeling of "what if". A local reporter named, Blaise Gomez wrote, "Yesterday's Rt 94 fatal car crash victim has been identified as 32 year old Raymond Heine, from the Village of Florida. Police say he was headed home to his wife and baby girl Monday when his car skid on black ice. Officials say the icy conditions also contributed to a second fatal crash in Wallkill that killed a 22 year old from Middletown." I couldn't help stare at the photo -- people just like ourselves who have families, loved ones and a seemingly good life. What gets me is, something so tragic like this can happen to any us at any given moment. This morning my wife was getting ready to leave for work. She was tired and groggy with little to ze...

There are many heterosexual parents who feel that telling their kids about gay, lesbian and transgender people is just not their job. In most cases, they're really not knowledgeable on the topic, unless of course if they know someone who is gay. And still, that doesn't make them an expert on the community itself -- it just makes them more aware. The ramifications of not teaching your children about people of different lifestyles can be deadly, if not suicidal if they are gay, lesbian or transgender. If our youth doesn't learn that this is the norm -- that this is also part of society, then they will have no choice other than to think that it's a "freakish" thing. And how to kids react to "freakish" things? They bully and harass them in school with a pack of friends, or they get so depressed about being the victim that they go as far to commit suicide. Sadly, there have been many cases where the bullying escalated to even beating young gays and lesb...