You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. A man is not rightly conditioned until he is a happy, healthy, and prosperous being; and happiness, health, and prosperity are the result of a harmonious adjustment of the inner with the outer of the man with his surroundings. ~ James Allen ~
Enjoy your birthday celebrations today my friend. As we prepare for the dawn of 2021, may you continue to remain happy, healthy, and prosperous, today and during the days to follow. Stay safe my friend and I'll toast you with a sip of Gentleman Jack, around midnight. I'm staying in. May you have a Jeff Bradshaw type of day today, filled with Happy Feelings....be blessed!!! BONEAPPETIT.....
Life itself is offensive and certainly does not apologize - in fact, it hurts considerably and, as we all know, is often very rude and troublesome, just as nature or art can be. (Michael Leunig) Such words are descriptive of the year 2020. Surviving the politics, the pandemic, deaths of family and friends, financial difficulties, evictions, health inequities and other uncertainties, certainly has affected each of us, or could, in some form or fashion during 2021. The phrase "no man is an island" expresses the idea that human beings do badly when isolated from others and need to be part of a community in order to thrive. John Donne, who wrote the work that the phrase comes from, was a Christian but this concept is shared by other religions.
Over the past year, I've attempted to use the words of others like Michael and John, as well as images from others, to cheer, inform, challenge, uplift and encourage the members of our class, who choose to read from this website. We're a community, bound by the borders of our dedication to the "Class of 1970". Whether we choose to record a post to the Message Forum or not, we still need each other to thrive. If I've offended anyone by the posting of my comments to the website, I sincerely apologize. I choose to be an exception to the words of Michael. If apologizing gives me the appearance of being weak in the eyes of others, then so be it. In the famous words of Janice Fullilove, "Charge it to my head and not my heart".
Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. April is a promise that May is bound to keep. Summer is a promissory note signed in June, its long days spent and gone before you know it, and due to be repaid next January. Summer ends, and Autumn comes, and he who would have it otherwise would have high tide always and a full moon every night. October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations above them once again. The ultimate wisdom which deals with beginnings, remains locked in a seed. There it lies, the simplest fact of the universe and at the same time the one which calls faith rather than reason. (Hal Borland) "To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible".(Thomas Aquinas)
Hal stated that the long days of summer are gone before we know it, but will be due to be repaid next January. We're on the precipice edge of January once again. By faith, we understand that seasons change and we prepare for its results. Hal indicates this ultimate wisdom, remains locked in a seed. Hebrews 11 New King James Version states; 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
We've now aged and become a symbol of the elders that the Apostle Paul referenced, to our families, our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, our friends and especially to each other. Irregardless of the inequities which occurred in 2020, we must maintain our faith amongst each other. Someone's mental health or physical livelihood might depend upon it.
Thomas, like Hal, states; to one who has faith, no explanation is necessary, but to one without faith, no explanation is possible. Let us not become like the disciples in Matthew 17:20 (NKJV) who became troubled when they could not heal a posessed young boy. (20) So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. I don't know anyone among us capable of performing exorcisms, but there are a troubled few within our community who might be strengthened by the examples of our faith.
Our faith will allow us to become spiritually healed, but we must seek authoritative guidance for physical healing. Our faith should allow us to reach out to other classmates for mental and emotional support, as deemed necessary. Our faith in each other as members of the Class of 1970 must continue to evolve and prosper. I'm simply urging each of us to maintain the seed of faith in each other. We're still a community on the precipice edge of 2021, not an uninhabited island. I'm not asking any of you to make a "New Years Resolution", however I am looking forward to see the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. As you celebrate tonight, continue to remain safe as well as in the days to follow. Maintain your faith and we shall be rewarded. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me this year. By faith, we understand that seasons change and we prepare for its results.
As a Blessed passenger welcome to Flight #2021. We are prepared to take off into the New Year. Please make sure your Attitude and Blessings are secured, and locked in an upright position. All self-destructive devices should be turned off at this time.
All negativity, hurt and discouragement should be put away. Should we lose Altitude under pressure during the flight, reach up and pull down a Prayer. Prayers will automatically be activated by Faith. Once your Faith is activated you can assist other passengers.
There will be NO BAGGAGE allowed on this flight. The Captain (GOD) has cleared us for takeoff. Destination GREATNESS.
Feel free to repost if you're taking this flight with me...#2021
I thought you would like this one it is worth sharing. Happy, healthy and prosperous 2021. 💥🥳🙏
Good morning Classmates
It is with much sadness I have to report to you the passing of a great Warrior Robert Bowie Jr.
Please keep his wife Deborah and family lifted up in prayer.Good morning Classmates
It is with much sadness I have to report to you the passing of a great Warrior Robert Bowie Jr.
Please keep his wife Deborah and family lifted up in prayer.
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Good morning Classmates 