Our blog last week painted a rather bleak picture of what may lie ahead in the new year. While we firmly believe that we must be prepared for such catastrophes, we also believe we must take stock of where we are as individuals, take a deep breath, and realize that all is not lost, that the tide is shifting, that there are reasons to express GRATITUDE, that HOPE remains alive, and that through all of the chaos and strife, PEACE can be possessed. You may wonder how we can seem so negative one week, but flip and be so positive the next? It is not being schizophrenic, it is part of being well balanced so that one does not plunge into a never-ending state of despair, being frustrated with the state of affairs, being so angry that it spills over into every aspect of one’s life. To be so controlled by those kinds of emotions rarely, if ever, lead to positive, healthful results. This is why we choose to be balanced in our approach to what may lie ahead. Fear will never overcome us. Conscience and morality will always be our guides, and the search for and the publishing of truth will always be our hallmark.
GRATITUDE: We would like to begin this short survey of why we should be grateful by asking two simple questions. The first, where would you be today if your mother had aborted you? The second would ask what your life would be like if you were born somewhere other than the United States of America? Now, we realize there may be those reading our blogs who were not born, or even live, in the U.S.A., but even for you, we would suggest considering what your life would be like if you were among the starving children in South Sudan, Ethiopia, or Nigeria? You would not have access to web or phone services to even know of this website, and even if you survived birth, you might not survive your first year. The answer to the first question, more of a rhetorical one, is that you would not exist. Even if your life has been one of ups and downs, and if you have been fortunate to have known wonderful people, been a part of a great family, and even had children you may have borne, none of that would exist if you had been aborted. So, before you start railing against your parents, or society, or the state of world affairs, show GRATITUDE that you are alive to have been able to be a part of the wonderful experience of life, and all the challenges that made you stronger, and the blessings along the way that gave you joy. As to the second question, if you have had at least one good meal today, been able to have and wear a shirt or blouse, and have shoes or sandals on your feet, then you need to take a moment and reflect upon how blessed you are to have access to all three of those things. We dare say that all who read this blog have multiple meals per day, and have multiple shirts or blouses, and shoes or sandals you can choose from to wear, different combinations on every day of the year. Do you reflect GRATITUDE in your life for being alive, and being blessed with food and clothes to wear? We believe that many in our Nation worry more about the peak of “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need” where self-actualization (things like creativity and spontaneity) is your focus, or maybe the second level from the top where self-esteem is your focus, rather than the base of his pyramid where basic physiological needs (like breathing and sleep) consume your daily struggle (Abraham Maslow’s 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation”). How fortunate you are to not have to worry about the base needs of existence. Are you reflecting GRATITUTE in your life for existing and having your basic needs supplied?
HOPE: “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.) We have often heard the phrase “Hope springs eternal.” This was first penned by the poet Alexander Pope in “An Essay on Man” (1732). The phrase, or proverb, basically says it is human nature always to find fresh cause for optimism. When one loses HOPE, there is little incentive to press forward, to achieve, to develop and grow, to seek improvement, even to search for truth or justice. HOPE is that innate quality that dwells in the recesses of our mind, in the core of our heart, that calls to each one of us to never give up, but to seek and wait for betterment or improvement. During the covid pandemic, many, far too many, have succumbed to lack of HOPE and prematurely ended their lives. It is easier to believe in HOPE when you are surrounded by others who share the same belief. Isolation breeds doubt and despair, and we must all be sensitive to each other to always speak of HOPE, and to live it in our daily lives. It is similar to thinking or acting yourself into a better way of feeling, like that iconic quote “It is easier to act yourself into a better way of feeling than to feel yourself into a better way of action.” There are many reasons to have HOPE in the coming months. There is renewed emphasis on the rights of the conceived but yet un-born. The curtain of deception and fraud upon our Nation’s voting processes continue to be pulled back. More and more of the illegalities thrust upon one of our Nation’s most treasured rights, the right to vote, are being exposed. New media and social platforms are growing helping to reverse the trend of the cancel culture. More are becoming aware that COVID- 19 is a virus and cannot be eradicated and realizing that we must learn to live with it. There is an awakening to the understanding that those institutions we once trusted and depended upon to ensure the integrity our Nation (like the FBI, CIA, NIH, NIAID, CDC, and NIH, just to name a few), are no longer the untarnished, pristine institutions we once thought. We are being made aware of “Mass Formation Psychosis” infecting many in big, elite corporations and those in the realms of media and social networks. There is a renewed emphasis on the need for those who believe in a higher power to come out of the shadows, to be moved to actions, to defend the foundational principals of our Nation. Yes, there is great HOPE before all of us. HOPE is what compelled Christopher Columbus to seek a new trade route to the Far East. HOPE is what propelled the pilgrims to seek religious FREEDOM and LIBERTY to sail west into an unknown destiny. HOPE is what motivated many of our forebearers to push further westward to seek a new life in an untamed frontier. HOPE is what motivates the exploration of space. None of the proceeding, and a host of other ventures, had any assurances of success, but it was HOPE that moved all of them forward. HOPE breeds action, strengthens resolve, and fortifies purpose. “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” (Robert Kennedy)
PEACE: Is it possible to be at PEACE in a world and Nation in crisis? The answer is “YES”, but it does not come with resolving every thorny issue or countering the attack of every opposing force. Peace for many may only come when you as an individual understand that you have done all that you can, that every ounce of your energy and pound of your fiber has been expended, that every avenue and every action has been explored and fully applied and utilized. But exhausting your human effort to achieve PEACE may not be all that is required. We are mortal, and with that comes the reality that none of us will escape this world alive. There may be those who believe that one day they may live extended lives through the use of bionic-human interface (transhumanism), but would that ever bring PEACE, we think not. PEACE does not come through the extension of one’s life, but through the exercise of one’s life. It is not how long you live, but how well you live. When surrounded by tragedy or catastrophe, look to higher aspirations. Dwelling on the past and wallowing in failures, regrets or frustrations, will only entrap you in a constant sense of foreboding, a continuing cycle of despair and depression. You cannot drive safely forward by staring in the rear-view mirror. Getting out of your bed and up off the floor, raising your eyes to more lofty goals, while remembering from whence you came, you can now proceed forward and upward to re-purpose and to achieve. When we approach the end of our life, and in fact apply that at the end of each day, be at PEACE with where you now stand. PEACE is a calming influence that is more infectious than any pandemic virus. It is something of great value that can be seen by others and desired by them as well. For many, PEACE can be inculcated by having an on-going relationship with a higher power, the Creator of life and all that exists. Most of our Founding Fathers shared this belief, and that is why so many references to Him are found in our Founding Documents, printed on our money, and chiseled into many facades of buildings and monuments in our Nation’s Capital. Even in the midst of a Revolutionary War, they found a PEACE that passes all understanding. It is not a feeling. “The peace that passes understanding is a strong, resolute faith and confidence, that no matter what circumstances you encounter, God is faithful, God is good, God will keep you, God will provide for you, and God will bless you. It’s a faith that looks past circumstances to the God who works all things for your good and his glory.” (theblazingcenter.com/2018/08.) Philippians 4:7 would be a good place in the Bible to start learning about this PEACE that transcends our comprehension and allows one to function in our world and Nation today, regardless of turmoil, chaos, or injustice.
In this New Year of 2022, may you find GRATITUDE in your daily lives, live with HOPE always, and find true PEACE that will carry you through.