Kenneth Davis

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N    
TODAYS WORD - SPIRITUAL AWARENESS

     The winds of grace are always blowing, but you have to raise the sail. One cannot be spiritual as long as one has shame, hatred, or fear. An ocean of bliss may rain down from the heavens, but if you hold up only a thimble, that is all you receive. A boat may stay in water, but water should not stay in boat. A spiritual aspirant may live in the world, but the world should not live within him. You should not feel that your path is the only right path and that other paths are wrong. You mustn't bear malice toward others.
     Spirituality automatically leads to humility. When a flower develops into a fruit, the petals drop off on its own. When one becomes spiritual, the ego vanishes gradually on its own. A tree laden with fruits always bends low. Humility is a sign of greatness. The sun can give heat and light to the whole world, but he cannot do so when the clouds shut out his rays. Similarly, as long as egotism veils the heart, God cannot shine upon it. If you spent one-tenth of the time you devoted to distractions like chasing women or making money to spiritual practice, you would be enlightened in a few years.
     Sugar and sand may be mixed together, but the ant rejects the sand and goes off with the sugar grain; so pious men lift the good from the bad. When you meditate, go into the solitude of a forest, or a quiet corner, and enter into the chamber of your heart. And always keep your power of discrimination awake. When the divine vision is attained, all appear equal; and there remains no distinction of good and bad, or of high and low. Those whose spiritual awareness has been awakened never make a false move. They don't have to avoid evil. They are so replete with love that whatever they do is a good action. They are fully conscious that they are not the doer of their actions, but only servants of God

     Ramakrishna (18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886), was an Indian Hindu mystic. A devotee of the goddess Kali, Ramakrishna after adhering to various religious practices from the Hindu traditions of Vaishnavism, Tantric Shaktism, and Advaita Vedanta, as well as from Islam and Christianity, proclaimed that various world religions are "so many paths to reach one and the same goal", thus validating the essential unity of religions. His parable-based teachings espoused the ultimate unity of diverse religions as being means to enable the realization of the same God. He is regarded by his followers as an avatar or divine incarnation of God.

WELCOME TO 
SMOOTH
 CONTEMPORARY JAZZ FRIDAYS

Kenneth Davis

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAYS WORDS - NEW BEGINNING 

             Men can be divided into 2 groups: one that goes ahead and achieves something, and one that comes after and criticizes. Don't stumble over something behind you. We suffer more in imagination than in reality. If you don't know, ask. You will be a fool for the moment, but a wise man for the rest of your life. It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult. The greatest loss of time is delay and expectation, which depend upon the future. We let go the present, which we have in our power, and look forward to that which depends upon chance, and so relinquish a certainty for an uncertainty.
     It's all in your head you have the power to make things seem hard or easy or even amusing. The choice is yours. While we are postponing, life speeds by. Everyone rushes his life on, and suffers from a yearning for the future and a boredom with the present. But that man who devotes every hour to his own needs, who plans every day as if it were his last, neither longs for nor fears tomorrow. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. We all sorely complain of the shortness of time, and yet have much more than we know what to do with. Our lives are either spent in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do. We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them.

     Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger usually known mononymously as Seneca, was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, dramatist, and in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature.

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     April 21, 2024: Be steady as you establish yourself on a solid foundation of faith. My kingdom is sure. My word is truth. Your future is eternal. Take setbacks in stride knowing that they are temporary. I have a plan and purpose that is beyond what you understand at this time, and I will show you that what you are going through will usher you into My will and higher level of spiritual growth, says the Lord. Psalm 119:27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts; so, shall I meditate on Your wondrous works.

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAYS WORDS - ESTABLISH YOURSELF 
 

      With mindfulness, you can establish yourself in the present in order to touch the wonders of life that are available in that moment. Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again. Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment. I will practice coming back to the present moment...not letting regrets and sorrow drag me back into the past or letting anxieties, fears, or cravings pull me out.
     You need the practice of mindfulness to bring your mind back to the body and establish yourself in the moment. If you are fully present, you need only make a step or take a breath in order to enter the kingdom of God. And once you have the kingdom, you don't need to run after objects of your craving, like power, fame, sensual pleasure, and so on. Peace is possible. Happiness is possible. Happiness is available. Please help yourself to it. Many of us have been running all our lives. Practice stopping. Be Yourself. Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just Be. Choose to be in touch with what is wonderful, refreshing, and healing within yourself and around you. In the moment when we are able to smile, to look at ourselves with compassion, our world begins to change.
     Some people live as though they are already dead. There are people moving around us who are consumed by their past, terrified of their future, and stuck in their anger and jealousy. They are not alive; they are just walking corpses. Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others. The quality of our life depends on the quality of the seeds that lie deep in our consciousness. If you establish serenity and happiness inside yourself, you provide the world with a solid base of peace. If you do not give yourself peace, how can you share it with others? If you do not begin your peace work with yourself, where will you go to begin it? Because you are alive, everything is possible.

Nhat Hanh

Kenneth Davis

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAYS WORDS - WISDOM AND GUIDANCE

     Breathing is meditation; life is a meditation. You have to breathe in order to live, so breathing is how you get in touch with the sacred space of your heart. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and don’t let anybody tell you that that’s wrong. Because the best thing is you. If I know what's true in my heart and my soul, then what people say can't shape that. Caring less what everybody else thinks, but also caring less and less about what your own mind thinks, because what your own mind thinks, sometimes, is the thing that makes you sad.
     Comparing yourself to somebody else is like comparing yourself to a bird. If you don't like me, if you like me; both are equally cool. I send love and positive energy to all those people in their lives. I hope they find where they're meant to be. What my parents have given to me is not anything that has to do with money or success or anything that society says people should be focusing on - it's something spiritual that only certain people can grasp and accept. And that's how I act and move in the world today. I want to retreat back to living off the land and just being in nature, experiencing life in the most pure, natural way possible.
     Growing up, all I saw was my parents trying to be the best people they could be, and people coming to them for wisdom, coming to them for guidance, and them not putting themselves on a pedestal, but literally being face-to-face with these people and saying, "I'm no better than you, but the fact that you're coming to me to reach some sort of enlightenment or to shine a light on something, that makes me feel love and gratitude for you." They always give back what people give to them. And sometimes they keep giving and giving and giving. The best piece of advice that I have ever received is from my mom. And she said, "Do you, boo boo." That is forever going to be the best advice.

Willow Smith

IT'S TIME FOR 

JUST JOKING MONDAYS

 1. Why don't oysters donate to charity? Because they're shellfish.

2. What does a baby computer call its father? Data.

3. What did the custodian say when he jumped out of the closet? "Supplies!"

4. Why are colds bad criminals? Because they're easy to catch.

5. How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together. 
  

Joycelyn Lacy (Somerville)

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

      April 23, 2024: Refuse to allow anything to come between you and Me, says the Lord. Continue to seek the truth and to speak nothing but the truth. Let every step you take be according to My will and purpose for you. Be sensitive to the check in your spirit when something seems off; stop to reconsider your course of action. Never doubt that I will show you the way. Psalm 25:4-5 Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.    

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAYS WORD - SENSITIVE

     I am a firm believer that God has already ordered the things that have taken place in my life... and I'm just learning to follow the path he's laid before me. You can't take my joy, because you didn't give it to me. God is not a luxury you can't afford; He's a necessity you truly cannot live without! If God wanted us to ask questions, he would have made us men. Who? God. What? He loves you. Where? Everywhere. When? Always, forever, without ceasing. How? Totally, completely. Why? Because you are His child!

     I think that you are what you speak a lot of times, and there's power in the tongue. I feel sorry for the people who always have something negative to say. If something happens bad in my day, I don't tweet about it - I pray about it, or talk to my husband about it or my mother about it, and get it off of me and move on. I would love for people to look at me as a great singer but also know exactly who I am, the way that we have loved and respected people like Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle, having gone through the different stages of their lives with them. That's the type of history I want to have.

     I talk a lot about strength, faith and love, but I don't ever talk about the fact that I am one of the most sensitive people in my family. That might be the most shocking, because you always see me fighting the good fight, with the strong face on, but I am the most emotional. If you think you are powerless, then you are.

Monica

Kenneth Davis

  T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N  
TODAYS WORDS - YOUR POTENTIAL

     Failure is predictable if you break laws, success is predictable if you obey laws. I discovered and learned that truth when I was 14 years old. Not everyone discovers that. The greatest failure in life is being successful in the wrong assignment. Some people take a lifetime to learn that. Whatever you compromise to gain, you will lose. If your vision dies with you, you failed. We are not to be so concerned about who approves or disapproves of us but remember that God's approval is what counts. Those whom God approves are approved indeed. Attitude creates your world and designs your destiny.
     Your value in life is determined by the problems you solve through your gift. Every human being was born with an inherent gift, and that gift is their gift to humanity; they are supposed to serve humanity in the area of their gifting. When you discover your gift and authority, that gift attracts people. When people come to you, they are not really coming to you for you but for the gift and the vision that you are serving the humanity of your generation with. You must decide if you are going to rob the world or bless it with the rich, valuable, potent, untapped resources locked away within you. Each of us was created to rule, govern, control, master, manage, and lead our environments. You are in essence a leader, no matter who you are.
     We need people to be taught that they possess a hidden leader on the inside, and to reconnect to that leader, they must reconnect to the Creator who placed that leadership potential in them. They must be reconnected to God, and this is why we should come back to God not really to go to heaven, but to rediscover our true leadership dominion mandate, and then serve that to the world. We live our lives based on who we think we are. No matter how good or bad we may feel, no matter how up or down we may be, Christ loves us, accepts us, and thinks the world of us. Circumstances and crises are God's tools to move you into your purpose and the maximizing of your potential. The value of life is not in its duration, but in its donation.

     Myles Munroe, OBE (20 April 1954 – 9 November 2014) was a Bahamian evangelist and ordained minister, professor, author, speaker and leadership consultant. He founded and led the Bahamas Faith Ministries International (BFMI), and Myles Munroe International (MMI). He was also the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the International Third World Leaders Association, and president of the International Leadership Training Institute. 

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY
 
A lion charcuterie board

What Happens to Your Body 
When You Don't Eat Enough Fiber
By Vanessa Rissetto M.S., RD, CDN
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
https://www.eatingwell.com/

     Fiber may not be the sexiest nutrient to talk about, but it's one of the best things you can eat for your health. Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is resistant to digestion and absorption by humans. Fiber is found in foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds (try these healthy high-fiber foods to get your fill). There are two main types of fiber—soluble and insoluble and each type has its own benefits for human health. 
     Epidemiological research has consistently shown that people who eat high-fiber diets have a lower risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, type 2 diabetes and obesity. We all know that fiber is good for us, but only about 5% of Americans meet the recommendations for daily fiber intake. But what exactly happens in your body when you consistently don't get enough fiber? We dug into the science to find out about six things that can happen when you don't eat enough fiber.
1. You have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease
     Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for adults in the United States, leading to over 659,000 Americans deaths every year. Scientists have identified key nutrition and lifestyle factors that help prevent heart disease, and eating a high-fiber diet is at the top of the list.
     Results from a large meta-analysis found that every 7 additional grams of daily fiber led to a 9% reduced risk of CVD. More evidence from another meta-analysis with over 650,000 participants showed that people with the highest intake of both soluble and insoluble fiber had the lowest risk of coronary heart disease. Keep your heart healthy by adding high-fiber foods like oatmeal, berries and nuts to your diet (eat more of these top 15 heart-healthy foods too).
2. You might not live as long
     Another big benefit of eating more fiber: It can help you live longer even if you don't have cardiovascular disease. According to a large body of observational research, people who eat more fiber have a lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to people who don't eat enough fiber.
     While these stats are a little scary, there's some good news: eating 10 additional grams of fiber per day can help decrease your risk of early death by 10 percent! That's the equivalent of adding one sweet potato and a 1/2 cup of chickpeas to your day. Our cherry smoothie has 6 grams of fiber to get you over halfway there, too.
3. You may have increased inflammation in your body
     Chronic inflammation is a major risk factor for several diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Diet and lifestyle factors like stress, smoking and—you guessed it—not eating enough fiber can increase inflammation and make us more susceptible to chronic disease. (Try eating more of these top inflammation-fighting foods.)
     We still need more research to understand the benefits of fiber for inflammation, but recent research has found that consumption of high-fiber foods like whole grains was associated with decreased markers of inflammation. Add that to the list of whole grain's health benefits.
4. Your immune system won't be as strong
     Studies have also shown that dietary fiber may help fight inflammation by fueling the beneficial bacteria in your gut that support your gastrointestinal immune system, known as gut-associated lymphoid tissues or GALT. Strengthening the immune system in your gut is also important for supporting your overall immune health and fighting infections. We often hear about eating probiotics, beneficial bacteria found in yogurt, kimchi and kefir, for a healthy gut. But eating more fiber is important too. Eating prebiotics, a healthy fiber found in wheat, walnuts, bananas, legumes and more, helps feed the good bacteria in your gut and help keep you healthy. Getting a mix of both is the best bet to support your gut and immune health.
5. It's harder to manage your weight
     Losing weight and keeping it off is hard—not eating enough fiber makes it even harder. Eating more fiber is a helpful tool for weight loss because it helps you feel full and satisfied after eating. Dietary fiber helps slow down the digestion and absorption of food, giving your gut enough time to communicate with your brain that you are full and it's time to stop eating. Fiber also helps balance our blood sugar and insulin response, which can help stabilize our appetite and promote fat burning instead of fat storage.
     Another win for weight management: fiber has zero calories. Since fiber is a nondigestible carbohydrate, we can't metabolize it for fuel. Fiber also binds to fats and other sources of calories from food, decreasing your overall calorie intake from other macronutrients. Still not convinced that fiber is a weight-loss superfood? Research shows that high-fiber diets are associated with a lower body weight and less body fat, even when calories are not restricted. So, if you want to lose weight and keep it off, eat more fiber.
6. You're going to the bathroom too much, or not enough
     If you want a healthy digestive system, adding more fiber to your diet can definitely help your cause. Millions of people around the world suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, a condition that causes uncomfortable symptoms like constipation, diarrhea and bloating. While the causes of IBS are not entirely known, eating more dietary fiber has been identified as an effective treatment for the disease. Fiber has a unique ability to both slow gastrointestinal transit time (which helps treat diarrhea) and stimulate gastrointestinal motility (which helps treat constipation).
     Eating more fiber can also help strengthen the lining of your colon, which researchers think might be why high-fiber diets are associated with lower colon cancer risk. High-fiber diets may also lower your risk of hemorrhoids, diverticular disease and inflammatory bowel disease.

      This is for information purpose only, and should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. These are opinions from an external panel of individual doctors. Please seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns.

Joycelyn Lacy (Somerville)

Kenneth Davis

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS
 TO  
GERALD BEST

     Keep your head and your heart going in the right direction, and you will not have to worry about your feet. Every human has a seed of greatness buried in a gift needed by the world. Your existence is evidence that this generation needs something that your life contains.

~Myles Munroe~

Gerald Best

Kenneth Davis

         T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAYS WORDS - OLD ISSUES 

     If you're going through hell, don't stop, keep moving! Whatever life may send your way - make the best of it. Don't waste your time and energy worrying about it. Instead, find a way to do something about it. Learn from it, adjust to it, be strong, be flexible and be your best in every situation. Live your life with passion, with some drive, decide that you are going to push yourself. The last chapter to your life has not been written yet, and it doesn't matter about what happened yesterday. It doesn't matter about what happened to you, what matters is, 'what are you going to do about it?'
     At the end of the day, it's important to know what really matters most in life...your sanity, your health, your family, and the ability to start anew. In life, friendships change, divorces happen, people move on, others die. Money and jobs will come and go. Live long enough and your health and body will change. It goes with the territory of being human. The fact that you are still here gives you an advantage. Don't look back. Look straight ahead!! 
     The things you want are always possible; it is just that the way to get them is not always apparent. The only real obstacle in your path to a fulfilling life is you, and that can be a considerable obstacle because you carry the baggage of insecurities and past experience. It's a new day! Let go of old issues, relationships, or apprehensions that are holding you back. Decide to move forward using the knowledge you've gained, from your failures and triumphs, while making room for new accomplishments. Fear does not have any special power unless you empower it by submitting to it. Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.

Les Brown

TIME FOR ANOTHER 

Kenneth Davis

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAYS WORDS - EPIC PROPORTIONS

     There is no cramming for a test of character. It always comes as a pop quiz. Guilt rarely results in positive behavior. But gratitude? Great things flow from a heart of gratitude. Your greatest accomplishment may not be something you do, but someone you raise. A single act of courage is often the tipping point for extraordinary change. Your devotion to God is illustrated, demonstrated, and authenticated by your love for others. It's better to make a difference than to make a point.
     You have no idea the numbers of people that God may want to influence through you. Grace is the vehicle God uses on occasion to ensure that we get precisely what we don't deserve. Giving up something now for something better later is not a sacrifice. It is an investment. Spiritual maturity is measured in terms of persevering faith, not perfect behavior. Everything now will prepare you for the next step. Don't run from adversity; lean into it with all your heart and God will make you a leader worth following.
     Without courage we will simply accumulate a collection of good ideas and regrets. Here’s a question every angry man and woman needs to consider: How long are you going to allow people you don’t even like — people who are no longer in your life, maybe even people who aren’t even alive anymore — to control your life? How long? Blame enables us to smuggle our issues into our future. What would bring about a revival of epic proportion? There is an appropriate way to use your story, not as an excuse but as a testimony to God's ability to free you from the past. Blessed is the man who gets the opportunity to devote his life to something bigger than himself and who finds himself surrounded by friends who share his passion.

     Charles Andrew Stanley, known as Andy Stanley, is an American who is the founder and senior pastor of North Point Ministries, a nondenominational evangelical Christian church with several campuses across the north and south metro Atlanta areas. 

WELCOME TO 
SMOOTH
 CONTEMPORARY JAZZ 
FRIDAYS

Kenneth Davis

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS
 TO 
BONNIE PIPPIN MILLS 

     God changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls and coal into diamonds using time and pressure. He's working on you, too. Life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not using him for your own purpose.
~Rick Warren~

Joycelyn Lacy (Somerville)

Kenneth Davis

     Greetings Warrior Family! The 55TH Class Reunion Committee, wishes to extend a grateful "Thank You", to all who have completed the questionnaire. Statistically speaking, our website indicates 107 classmates have joined since 2009. Two-hundred and seventy-three (273) haven't, and the total does not include our deceased. There were over 400 graduating seniors in our class.
     A continued campaign to solicit participation for the reunion, has been undertaken. As of March first, thirty-seven ( 37 ) classmates have completed the questionnaire. That's a great start, all things considered. Additional reminders will be posted on the website and sent via email and text messages. We've also been reaching out to classmates on the other Classmates.com website. Especially those who have not joined the website established in 2009. Should you become as excited as we are about the reunion, share your enthusiasm with other classmates. Please provide this link to them via texting or Facebook friends. Thank you for your assistance.

https://forms.gle/x17jZYWs3G6sMZ8d9

Kenneth Davis

    T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N    
TODAYS WORDS - REFRESHED AND RENEWED

     Most people are not in the world of awe and wonder. They're in the world of deadness. Their perceptual fields and bodies are completely self-reflective, and all they see is themselves wherever they go. You are happiest when you are most humble. You are most miserable when you are egotistical. The mind is like a computer. It runs programs. Most of the software has been poorly written. It is written in the language of fear. There is mental conditioning in your mind put in there during this life by your parents, teachers, the society. You've been told what is and what is not, what is right and what is wrong. This has to be pushed aside.
     Happiness comes from self-knowledge. Self-knowledge means that you have understood your mind. Your mind is the whole universe. Just to exist, just to be, to take a breath, to feel that, whether its pleasure or pain, loss or gain, just your experience in life is unique to you. No one sees life like you do. Your life can be horrible, or it can be incredibly beautiful. It can be boring or exciting. It's seldom in between. Your active use of will determines what will happen to you in this and other lives. Purity is developed through caring. You need to care about light and the matters of light, truth, religion and spirituality. The ecstasy and completion of absorption in God is so fantastic that you can't possibly have lost anything because all the things you've always loved and always experienced came forth from there and exist there and are always there.
     Beyond this world and beyond all other worlds there is an all-perfect light. It is pure intelligence, ecstasy, peace and happiness. It is the light that shines beyond darkness, time, space and dimensionality. We have this recurring dream that we're human beings, that we have bodies, that we're in time and space, that there is birth and death. To awaken from the dream of life is to be conscious of eternity. We can't allow ourselves to be depressed or discouraged. There are people who depend on us, things to accomplish. We only have a little bit of time in this world before death swallows us up. No lifetime is a loss if you've learned something, because that learning stays with you. There is no such thing as a wasted life, if you have learned.
     It is necessary to learn how to do a systems analysis of your life, to learn about the effects of places, people, jobs. There are millions of things that go into the study of meditation. Nature soothes us. Nature heals us, and something more, the woods are a place of power. We need to preserve these sacred locations for ourselves, for the species of plants and animals that coexist in harmony there, and for the future generations of humankind that will need to be refreshed, renewed and healed by them. Learn to be happy in any and all circumstances, whether you're experiencing pleasure or pain, whether there's loss or gain, whether the world loves you or hates you. Learn to be happy. What you focus on you become. So always focus on that which is highest, brightest, happiest and most noble of all things, enlightenment.

     Frederick Philip Lenz III, also known as Rama, Zen Master Rama and Atmananda; February 9, 1950 – April 12, 1998) was an American spiritual leader, writer, software designer, and record producer. He founded what he termed "American Buddhism", which incorporated the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, Zen, Vedanta, mysticism, and New Age ideas.

Kenneth Davis

     Storms overnight have caused a power outage in some parts of Memphis. Here's a substitute broadcast for your regular Saturday Blues Session with Estella. Enjoy!!

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     April 28, 2024: I speak to those who are silently but profoundly disappointed. Do not forget that I am for you, and I want you to come through in victory. That is My will. Going through difficult times provides an opportunity to learn an important truth that is necessary to your spiritual growth. Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAYS WORDS - PROFOUNDLY DISAPPOINTED
 

     I didn't have high self-esteem when I was a teen-ager, as I think most teen-agers don't. I was taught from a young age that I had to serve, so that turned into me thinking I had to save the planet. At one point, I was just perceived as only being angry, but now I'm being perceived as angry, peaceful, and spiritual. You live, you learn, you love, you learn, you cry, you learn, you lose, you learn, you bleed, you learn, you scream, you learn. I think some people think I'm a smarty-pants. Some people think I'm intense, some people think I'm super-esoteric and nuts. My own approach has always been to push intense emotions down and attempt to deal with them later. The truth of who we are is innate goodness, and the whole journey is really about removing any obstacle or false belief that keeps us from knowing that. Life has a funny way of helping you out when you think that everything's gone wrong.
     What makes me feel alive is community, connectedness. Certainly family, parenting, relationships, friendship. All the way into colleague relationships and relationship with spirit, relationship with one's own self and inner child, and animals, earth, planet. Fostering and nurturing and really focusing on connection - connection in relationship with other and my own self and God. When I don't feel connected in all those three areas, life is not very good. I think God is in us. I think we manifest God in every moment. I believe we've been given free will, and we can take responsibility for our own lives and for creating our own environments - which I think at times can be a little much for people to deal with. When we [people] are operating from the belief that we're not connected, it feels so dangerous and scary and vulnerable and awful. We're taught to be ashamed of confusion, anger, fear and sadness, and to me they're of equal value to happiness, excitement and inspiration.
     I'm really clear about what my life mission is now. There's no more depression or lethargy, and I feel like I've returned to the athlete I once was. I'm integrating all the parts of me - jock, musician, writer, poet, philosopher - and becoming stronger as a result. When I pray, I'm just talking to what some people might call our higher selves: God, myself, my intuition, my heart. Whatever that is, that's where I go. I know that I'm deeply, spiritually, profoundly philosophical and I also know that I'm about the flakiest person you're gonna meet. The people that were invested in me staying the same way after a decade will most likely by default have to be disappointed. I thought the more famous I became, the more friendships I would have, but the opposite was true.

     Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter and musician. She is known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting. 

Kenneth Davis

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS

 TO 

RUBYSTENE BURKS 

PUNCH

     Grace was in all her steps, heaven in her eye, in every gesture dignity and love. Believe and be confirmed. Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world. Nothing profits more than self-esteem, grounded on what is just and right.

~John Milton~

Joycelyn Lacy (Somerville)

Kenneth Davis

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   

TODAYS WORDS - BE HONEST

     The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. . . Live each moment completely and the future will take care of itself. Fully enjoy the wonder and beauty of each moment. When the mind is calm, how quickly, how smoothly, how beautifully you will perceive everything. Having lots of money while not having inner peace is like dying of thirst while bathing in the ocean.

     Be kind to others, so that you may learn the secret art of being kind to yourself. Most of the world is like a mental hospital. Some persons are sick with jealousy, others with anger, hatred, passion. They are victims of their habits and emotions. But you can make your home a place of peace. It is spiritual poverty, not material lack, that lies at the core of all human suffering. Never count your faults. Just see that your love for God is deeply sincere. For God doesn't mind your imperfections: He minds your indifference. Never do anything that taints your mind. Wrong actions cause negative or evil mental vibrations that are reflected in your whole appearance and personality. Engage in those actions and thoughts that nurture the good qualities you want to have.

     Happiness blooms naturally in the hearts of those who are inwardly free. It flows spontaneously, like a mountain spring after April showers, in minds that are contented with simple living. Happiness lies in making others happy, in forsaking self-interest to bring joy to others. You do not have to struggle to reach God, but you do have to struggle to tear away the self-created veil that hides him from you. Be honest with yourself. The world is not honest with you. The world loves hypocrisy. When you are honest with yourself you find the road to inner peace. Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself. When you make up your mind to do good things, you will accomplish them if you use dynamic will power to follow through. No matter what the circumstances are, if you go on trying, God will create the means by which your will shall find its proper reward.

     Paramahansa Yogananda (born Mukunda Lal Ghosh; January 5, 1893 – March 7, 1952) was an Indian American Hindu monk, yogi and guru who introduced millions to meditation and Kriya Yoga through his organization, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) / Yogoda Satsanga Society (YSS) of India – the only one he created to disseminate his teachings. He immigrated to the US at the age of 27 to prove the unity between Eastern and Western religions and to preach a balance between Western material growth and Indian spirituality.

IT'S TIME FOR 

JUST JOKING MONDAYS

   ⦁ Which knight invented King Arthur's Round Table?

          Sir Conference.....

⦁ What do sprinters eat before a race? Nothing. They fast.

⦁ What do you call a fly without wings? A walk!

⦁ What happens when you witness a shipwreck? You let it sink in.

⦁ What does a clock do when it's hungry? It goes back four seconds.

Joycelyn Lacy (Somerville)

Kenneth Davis

   SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

    April 30, 2024: Do not be disheartened when plans do not work out as you expected. This is not the end; it is a time of preparation for what will transpire in your future. You will learn great and valuable lessons that will transform you and accompany you on your journey to a higher and more complete understanding of spiritual growth. Stay strong. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.  

   T H O U G H T   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N   
TODAY'S WORD - DISHEARTENED

     What we need is a cup of understanding, a barrel of love, and an ocean of patience. Never be hurried in anything. Do all things calmly and in a spirit of repose. Do not lose your inward peace even if everything seems to be going wrong. What is anything in life compared to peace of soul? Do everything calmly and peacefully. Do as much as you can as well as you can. Strive to see God in all things without exception, and consent to His will joyously. Do everything for God, uniting yourself to him in word and deed. Walk very simply with the Cross of the Lord and be at peace with yourself. Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily.

     Faith is like a bright ray of sun light. It enables us to see God in all things as well as all things in God. Be who you are and be that well. Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. I mean, do not be disturbed because of your imperfections, and always rise up bravely from a fall. I am glad that you make a daily new beginning; there is no better means of progress in the spiritual life than to be continually beginning afresh, and never to think that we have done enough. The highest degree of meekness consists in seeing, serving, honoring, and treating amiably, on occasion, those who are not to our taste, and who show themselves unfriendly, ungrateful, and troublesome to us.

     God takes pleasure to see you take your little steps; and like a good father who holds his child by the hand, He will accommodate His steps to yours and will be content to go no faster than you. Why do you worry? Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. I mean do not be disheartened by your imperfections, but always rise up with fresh courage. Doing little things with a strong desire to please God makes them really great. Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. God will either shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to bear it.

~Saint Francis de Sales~

James Stone