Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

More About Jazz

Jazz is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in New Orleans during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, drawing heavily from blues, ragtime, and other influences. It's characterized by improvisation, swing rhythm, blue notes, and a blending of musical influences, including blues, ragtime, and European harmony. Jazz is known for its spontaneity, expressive freedom, and the ability to evoke a "emotion of the moment" through its improvisational nature. 

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Key Characteristics:

Improvisation: A defining feature of jazz is its improvisational nature, where musicians create new musical ideas on the spot. 

Swing Rhythm: Jazz often features a distinctive swing rhythm, characterized by syncopation and a feeling of forward momentum. 

Blue Notes: Blue notes are slightly lowered notes, adding an expressive and soulful quality to jazz music.

Call and Response: A common pattern in jazz where one instrument or voice answers another, creating a musical dialogue. 

Evolution and Styles:

Jazz has evolved over time, with various styles emerging, including Dixieland, swing, bebop, cool jazz, and fusion. 

Significance:

Jazz is not just a music genre; it's a cultural phenomenon that has influenced music, art, and literature. It represents freedom, expression, and the ability to create something new on the spot. 

Musical Instruments:

While a wide variety of instruments can be used in jazz, common instruments include saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, and drums.

Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

WORSHIPPING GOD DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN IN CHURCH

Worshipping God is not simply the sort of thing we do when gathered with other believers in church. It’s far more than what we might do in our personal devotions. True worship, according to Romans 12:1, involves giving our whole selves to God each day. The actions of our bodies become the means of worship as we live in the world for God’s glory.

What does this mean in practice?

It means you can worship God as you teach a class in school or as you stock a shelf or as you take a deposition or as you negotiate a contract or as you serve a customer or as you promote a candidate or as you hug your children or as you build a house for homeless people or as you lead a Bible study in your office or…

When you seek to worship God with your body as a living sacrifice, everything you do can become an act of worship.

Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

April Warriors

Warriors born in April are enthusiastic about everything they do and are unafraid of taking risks. They feisty and possess seemingly boundless energy. They tend to be hard workers—they are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get the job done. They are also a huge fan of consistency and thrive on a routine.

They have bubbly personalities and positive outlooks. They can be chatterboxes who love attention and can sometimes want to hog the spotlight. Thanks to their ambitious and tenacious natures, they tend to be leaders. Warriors born in April can be innately stubborn and bossy—a potent combination (when used right) that can lead them to achieving their goals.

Known to be passionate, fiery, and impatient, they tend to wear their emotions on their sleeves. The good news is this makes them wonderful friends because they bring all that passion to every relationship in life.

The diamond is the traditional birthstone of April and holds significant meaning for those born in that month, thought to provide the wearer with better relationships and an increase in inner strength. Wearing diamonds is purported to bring other benefits such as balance, clarity and abundance.

The April birth month flowers are the daisy and the sweet pea. The daisy stands for innocence, purity, and true love, while the sweet pea is a way to say goodbye, send good wishes, or merely convey a thank you.

Plenty of famous people have April birthdays, including Maya Angelou, Pharrell Williams, Chance the Rapper, Jill Scott, Kelly Price, Judge Greg Mathis, Billie Holiday and Keisha Knight Pulliam.  

Kenneth Davis

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     April 29, 2025: For those who feel like you have been on a roller coaster ride in an amusement park, take a deep breath, and relax. Things will begin to smooth out and be more manageable. Lean on Me and set your heart and faith on a new beginning with renewed hope and faith in Me, says the Lord. Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

   
  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 WORDS - A NEW BEGINNING

     The more room you give yourself to express your true thoughts and feelings, the more room there is for your wisdom to emerge. Let's forgive the past and who we were then. Let's embrace the present and who we're capable of becoming. Let's surrender the future and watch miracles unfold. Miracles begin when we consider the possibility that there might be another way. Imagine the most outrageously positive possibility for your life, claim it, and consider it done. We need less posturing and more genuine charisma. Charisma was originally a religious term, meaning "of the spirit" or "inspired." It's about letting God's light shine through us. It's about a sparkle in people that money can't buy. It's an invisible energy with visible effects. To let go, to just love, is not to fade into the wallpaper. Quite the contrary, it's when we truly become bright. We're letting our own light shine.

     We can always choose to perceive things differently. You can focus on what's wrong in your life, or you can focus on what's right. The way to have the life we want is to receive more deeply the life we have. Sometimes we keep our own life at arm's length, thinking we'll wait until circumstances improve before giving it all we've got. But life is just a reflection of consciousness, so it's never going to give any more to us than we give to it. Don't wait for a perfect life; breathe in the life that's already perfect. With every thought we think, we either summon or block a miracle. It is not our circumstances, then, but rather our thoughts about our circumstances, that determine our power to transform them....you're on this earth with a divine purpose: to rise to the level of your highest creative possibility, expressing all that you are intellectually, emotionally, psychologically, and physically in order to make the universe a more beautiful place.

     Where there is lack, God’s abundance is on the way. Hold on. Have faith. It’s coming. In each of us, there lies a divine connection to a power more powerful than hate or violence. Today is the day to attune to that power and use it on behalf of peace on earth. Just as you wouldn't leave the house without taking a shower, you shouldn't start the day without at least 10 minutes of sacred practice: prayer, meditation, inspirational reading. Don't be concerned that things appear to be falling apart: this has to happen in order for something new and wonderful to emerge. Something very beautiful happens to people when their world's fallen apart: a humility, a nobility, a higher intelligence emerges at just the point when our knees hit the floor. It takes courage...to endure the sharp pains of self-discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives. You don't need a new life, just a new lens through which to view the one you have. You can live your life out of a circumstance, or you can live your life out of a vision.

     Prepare for the new; expect the new; embrace the new. Otherwise, you'll just repeat what's old. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. Always be open to new beginnings. To the universe, every moment is the start of the next big thing in your life. Dear God, Please send to me the spirit of Your peace. Then send, dear Lord, the spirit of peace from me to all the world. Amen. There is no such thing as a faithless person; we either have faith in the power of love, or faith in the power of fear. For faith is an aspect of consciousness. Have faith in love, and fear will lose its power over you. Have faith in forgiveness, and your self-hatred will fall away. Have faith in miracles, and they will come to you.

~Marianne Williamson~

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
TODAY'S WORDS - SOLUTIONS TO DIFFICULT PROBLEMS

     In order to succeed, people need a sense of self-efficacy, to struggle together with resilience to meet the inevitable obstacles and inequities of life. People’s beliefs about their abilities have a profound effect on those abilities. Self-belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly spawns failure. People with high assurance in their capabilities approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered rather than as threats to be avoided. People who believe they have the power to exercise some measure of control over their lives are healthier, more effective and more successful than those who lack faith in their ability to effect changes in their lives.
     We are more heavily invested in the theories of failure than we are in the theories of success. Coping with the demands of everyday life would be exceedingly trying if one could arrive at solutions to problems only by actually performing possible options and suffering the consequences. What people think, believe, and feel affects how they behave. The natural and extrinsic effects of their actions, in turn, partly determine their thought patterns and affective reactions. Among the types of thoughts that affect action, none is more central or pervasive than people's judgments of their capabilities to deal effectively with different realities. Convictions that outcomes are determined by one's own actions, can be either demoralizing or heartening, depending on the level of self-judged efficacy. 
     Success and failure are largely self-defined in terms of personal standards. The higher the self-standards, the more likely will given attainments be viewed as failures, regardless of what others might think. People who grossly overestimate their capabilities undertake activities that are clearly beyond their reach. As a result, they get themselves into considerable difficulties, undermine their credibility, and suffer needless failures. Some of the missteps, of course, can produce serious, irreparable harm. People who hold a low view of themselves will credit their achievements to external factors, rather than to their own capabilities. People who are insecure about themselves will avoid social comparisons that are potentially threatening to their self-esteem. Persons who have a strong sense of efficacy deploy their attention and effort to the demands of the situation and are spurred by obstacles to greater effort.
     Reasonably accurate appraisal, of one's own capabilities is, therefore, of considerable value in successful functioning. Large misjudgments of personal efficacy in either direction have consequences. Perceived self-efficacy also shapes causal thinking. In seeking solutions to difficult problems, those who perceived themselves as highly efficacious are inclined to attribute their failures to insufficient effort, whereas those of comparable skills but lower perceived self-efficacy ascribes their failures to deficient ability. After people become convinced, they have what it takes to succeed, they persevere in the face of adversity and quickly rebound from setbacks. By sticking it out through tough times, they emerge stronger from adversity.
 

~Albert Bandura~

Kenneth Davis

WEDNESDAY WELLNESS

Drinking This May Increase
 Your Risk of Oral Cancer, Finds New Study
By Emily Surpless Published on Apr. 02, 2025
https://www.thehealthy.com/

   It's a refresher, especially as the temps turn up—but 13,000 people will likely die from oral cancer in the United States this year alone. Teeth can be a tell-tale sign of good health, continual research shows, including one recent study that found the number of teeth at a certain age can hint at an individual’s likelihood to live 100 years.
     Indeed, the mouth is a window into wellness: Nearly 60,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year, estimates the American Cancer Society, and 12,770 could see their lives shortened—and though it’s not too tough to diagnose, it can be difficult to diagnose early. The Cleveland Clinic states that many cases aren’t detected until the cancer has progressed to a late stage. Dental exams can catch early symptoms, and quitting smoking is one way to minimize oral cancer risk. So, says a new study, is avoiding sugary drinks.
     In March 2025, University of Washington otolaryngology doctors (specializing in research and treatment of the ear, nose and throat) released details of their study on the effects of high sugar-sweetened beverages on oral cavity cancer risk in women. (The Mayo Clinic says the term “oral cavity cancer” is synonymous with “oral cancer” or “mouth cancer” and can present on the lips, tongue, cheeks, gums, and both the roof and floor of the mouth.) 
     Published in the medical journal JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, the study focused on 162,602 women with an average age of 43 years and included smokers and nonsmokers. It analyzed 30 years of data collected by the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), which investigated chronic disease risk factors in women’s health. Of the participants, 124 were diagnosed with oral cancer.
     Researchers found that women who consumed at least one sugar-sweetened drink each day had 4.87 times the risk for oral cancer than those who drank fewer than one sugary beverage in a month. When narrowed to non-smokers or light smokers, as well as nondrinkers or light drinkers, the risk was even greater—5.46 times so. The researchers suggest this is more evidence that a regular sweet-drink vice can increase chances of cancer.
     “High sugar-sweetened beverage intake is associated with various gastrointestinal cancers,” they say, but its association with oral cancer hadn’t yet been explored. The research team told MedPage Today, “This study provides support for ongoing policy pertaining to limiting sugar intake to improve health and limit chronic disease in the general population.”
     While this research is a step toward better understanding oral cancer risk factors, more studies, including those involving men, are necessary to confirm results. The Cleveland Clinic notes that previous studies have found that soda—even diet soda—can increase your risk for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and coronary vascular disease. Try swapping that sweet afternoon pick-me-up out for sparkling water or lemon water, which some doctors recommend cutting down on kidney stone risk. And, as always, keep added sugar to a minimum.

     This is for information purposes 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.

Kenneth Davis

Kenneth Davis

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  
TODAY'S WORDS - OLD ADDICTIONS 

     You may not be able to alter reality, but you can alter your attitude towards it, and this, paradoxically, alters reality. Try it and see. You can only be jealous of someone who has something you think you ought to have yourself. In the end, we'll all become stories. There's the story, then there's the real story, then there's the story of how the story came to be told. Then there's what you leave out of the story. Which is part of the story too. In Paradise there are no stories, because there are no journeys. When we're young, we like happy endings. When we're a little older, we think happy endings are unrealistic and so we prefer bad but credible endings. When we're older still, we realize happy endings aren't so bad after all.
     Oppression involves a failure of the imagination: the failure to imagine the full humanity of other human beings. And yet it disturbs me to learn I have hurt someone unintentionally. I want all my hurts to be intentional. Men and women are not "equal" if "equal" means "exactly the same." Our many puzzlements and indeed unhappiness's come from trying to figure out what the differences really mean, or should mean, or should not mean. Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them. We still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly. Which of us can resist the temptation of being thought indispensable? Stupidity is the same as evil if you judge by the results. There is no fool like an educated fool. If you're not annoying somebody, you're not really alive. If we were all on trial for our thoughts, we would all be hanged.
     Another belief of mine; that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise. We understand more than we know. For years I wanted to be older, and now I am. Now I know better. I look at the faces in newspapers, in magazines, and wonder: what greed, what furies drive them on? The world is being run by people my age, men my age, with falling-out hair and health worries, and it frightens me. When the leaders were older than me, I could believe in their wisdom, I could believe they had transcended rage and malice and the need to be loved. Every habit he's ever had is still there in his body, lying dormant like flowers in the desert. Given the right conditions, all his old addictions would burst into full and luxuriant bloom. If he wants to be an asshole, it's a free country. Millions before him have made the same life choice. Why is it we want so badly to memorialize ourselves? Even while we're still alive. We wish to assert our existence, like dogs peeing on fire hydrants. The sands of time are quick sands ... so much can sink into them without a trace.

~Margaret Atwood~

Kenneth Davis

  In 1948, Memphis channel WDIA became a community voice and a rock ‘n’ roll star-maker.

 Joe Hill Louis, aka The Be-Bop Boy (right) was one of WDIA’s DJs in the early 1950s. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Nat D. Williams at the mic, interviewing for WDIA.

Dr. Ernest C. Withers, Sr. courtesy of the Withers Family Trust

WDIA’s “50,000 watts of goodwill” were on display during the Big Star Show. Dr. Ernest C. Withers, Sr.

courtesy of the Withers Family Trust

Musicians at the WDIA radio station, circa 1954.

Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

B.B. King in 1950, when he had a regular spot on WDIA.

Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

James Stone

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   
TODAY'S WORDS - STAY STRONG

     Each day is an occasion to reinvent ourselves. And I'm excited when I find somebody stimulating to talk with. That's one of the great treasures in life. What I do is about living. It's about living the best life you can and enjoying the fullness of the life around you- from what you wear, to the way you live, to the way you love. There is a way of living that has a certain grace and beauty. It is not a constant race for what is next, rather, an appreciation of that which has come before. There is a depth and quality of experience that is lived and felt, a recognition of what is truly meaningful.
     My dreams are my work. I design out of the things that I love. Ralph Lauren has always stood for providing quality products, creating worlds and inviting people to take part in our dream. We were the innovators of lifestyle advertisements that tell a story and the first to create stores that encourage customers to participate in that lifestyle. Personal style is about a sense of yourself, a sense of what you believe in and wearing what you like.  I have had a lot of good things happen, but I've also had a lot of terrible things happen.
     Success isn't based on 'look what I can do!' but more on an inner sense of self and believing you have something to say in your own consistent way. And I think we all have to fight to maintain our unique style and taste in a world that would have us conform. The clothes that I design and everything I've done is about life and how people live and how they want to live and how they dream they'll live. That's what I do. Having success at an early age gave me more of a sense of what's important in life rather than always driving to make it. The key to longevity is to keep doing what you do better than anyone else. 
     There are times in my life when I let myself get consumed with jealously for someone else's life, their body, their wardrobe, their talent. They call it the green-eyed monster for a reason. It's self-destructive and when it's in the room, it consumes you. Be strong and don't focus on what other people have. We work really hard at that. It's about getting your message out to the consumer. It's about getting their trust, but also getting them excited, again and again. My clothes. the clothes we make for the runway... aren't concepts. They go into stores. Our stores. Thankfully, we have lots of them. I went through the extremes of amazing notoriety and also the dreaded things that you never thought you'd have to live through. Not everything works the way you want it to, but if I sit back and think, 'Am I happy about this?' Yeah. I wouldn't have done anything any better. Enjoy your family. Do things that you like to do. Stay strong. That's the secret to remaining happy.

~RALPH LAUREN~

Kenneth Davis

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS
TO 
WILL BOYD

     Ageing is an odd thing, we all have to do it if we're lucky! As we grow older, our priorities change and people can be catalysts for that. Time is evolving, and we are, constantly. Nothing stays the same. That's the beauty of life. When the sun is shining, enjoy the sun; when the rain is raining, dance in the rain - you're going to get wet anyway. When you're a kind person at your core it comes out in the little ways.
~Lou Sanders~

Kenneth Davis

WELCOME TO 
SMOOTH
 CONTEMPORARY JAZZ 

     Jazz isn't like pop, where you sell millions of records with a hit. Your spirit and soul aren't important in pop music. But jazz is like classical music. If people like you, they'll remember you and you'll last forever. I used to try to play like [Miles Davis], and Miles caught me copying him one night at Birdland. He said, 'Hey man, why don't you play some of your own stuff.' So, I finally did, because I had copied all his solos. Dizzy used to tell me I'm playing too hard. He'd say to not give everything. Miles told me that too.

~Freddie Hubbard~

Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)

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   
TODAY'S WORDS - PERSEVERENCE AND DETERMINATION

     Little Johnny got kicked out of school today. The teacher asked him, “If I gave you twenty dollars. And you paid five dollars to Kate, five dollars to Sally and five dollars to Linda. What would you have?
     Little Johnny sat in the principal’s office, his heart pounding with fear and uncertainty. He had been called in after getting kicked out of school for an incident that had occurred earlier that day. The principal, a stern-looking man with a kind heart beneath his tough exterior, regarded Johnny with a mixture of concern and disappointment. 
     “Johnny, can you tell me what happened today?” he asked, his voice gentle but firm. Johnny shifted uncomfortably in his seat; his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I got in trouble in math class,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. The principal nodded, understanding dawning in his eyes. “I see. And can you tell me why you got in trouble?”
     Johnny hesitated for a moment before speaking. “The teacher asked me a question, and I didn’t know the answer,” he confessed, his voice tinged with regret. The principal leaned forward, his expression sympathetic. “And what was the question?” Johnny swallowed hard before answering. 
     “She asked me, ‘If I gave you twenty dollars, and you paid five dollars to Kate, five dollars to Sally, and five dollars to Linda, what would you have?'” The principal nodded, his brow furrowing in thought. “And what did you say?” Johnny hung his head, feeling a lump form in his throat. “I said I’d have nothing left,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. The principal’s eyes softened as he listened to Johnny’s response. He could sense the boy’s distress and understood the weight of his words.
     “Johnny,” the principal began, his tone gentle yet firm, “let me tell you something important. Even if you don’t have any money left, you still have something valuable – your integrity, your character, and your ability to learn from your mistakes.” Johnny looked up, his eyes wide with surprise. He hadn’t expected such wisdom from the principal, nor had he realized the significance of his actions. 
     The principal continued, his voice steady and reassuring. “Getting kicked out of school is not the end of the world. It’s a chance for you to reflect on your actions, take responsibility for your choices, and strive to do better in the future.” Johnny listened intently to the principal’s words, feeling a glimmer of hope begin to blossom within him. He realized that he had made a mistake, but that didn’t define who he was as a person.
     With a newfound determination, Johnny vowed to learn from his experience and make amends for his actions. He thanked the principal for his guidance and promised to do better in the days ahead. As Johnny left the principal’s office, he felt a sense of relief wash over him. He knew that the road ahead would be challenging, but he also knew that with perseverance and determination, he could overcome any obstacle that came his way. And as he walked out into the bright sunshine, he couldn’t help but feel grateful for the second chance he had been given – a chance to learn, grow, and become the best version of himself.

Estella Wright (Mayhue-Greer)

Kenneth Davis

      SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns

     May 4, 2025: There are things you can do now that have been impossible in the past for a variety of reasons. The doors are opening, and possibilities are presenting themselves for your consideration. Be sensitive to current opportunities to move beyond where you have been stuck. The days ahead must be taken one step at a time instead of one leap at a time. Prepare for a methodical and consistent process. Proverbs 119:133 Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.

  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 SENSITIVE

     All I can do is follow my instincts, because I'll never please everyone. Don't let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do, or cannot achieve. Do. Not. Allow. It. I don't want other people to decide who I am. I want to decide that for myself. I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to be who I really am. I'm going to figure out what that is. There's nothing wrong with being afraid. It's not the absence of fear, it's overcoming it. Sometimes you've got to blast through and have faith. I think women are scared of feeling powerful and strong and brave sometimes. It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum, instead of two sets of oposing ideals.
     Gender equality historically has been predominantly a women's movement for women. But I think the impact of gender inequality and how its affecting men hasn't really been addressed. For the record, feminism by definition is: 'The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes.' Men think it's a women's word. But what it means is that you believe in equality, and if you stand for equality, then you're a feminist. Sorry to tell you. You're a feminist. You're a feminist. That's it. People associate feminism with hate - with man hate - and that's really negative. I don't think that's what feminism is about at all - it's really positive. I think that's why women became reluctant to use the word.
     I keep telling myself that I'm a human being, an imperfect human being who's not made to look like a doll, and that who I am as a person, is more important than whether at that moment I have a nice figure. Being passionate is not what makes you a girl, it's what makes you a human. Becoming yourself is really hard and confusing, and it's a process. It's often not cool to be the person who puts themselves out there. If men don’t have to be aggressive in order to be accepted, women won’t feel compelled to be submissive. If men don’t have to control, women won’t have to be controlled. Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. … Gender equality is your issue, too. … I've seen young men suffering from mental illness, unable to ask for help, for fear it would make them less of a man—or less of a man. I've seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don't have the benefits of equality, either. 
     I have realized that fighting for Women's Rights, has too often become synonymous with Man-Hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop. Whether you are a woman on a tea plantation in Kenya, or a stockbroker on Wall Street, or a Hollywood actress, no one is being paid equally. The reality is that if we do nothing it will take 75 years, or for me to be nearly a hundred, before women can expect to be paid the same as men for the same work. Women share this planet 50/50 and they are underrepresented, their potential astonishingly untapped.
    We don't often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes, but I can see that they are and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence. We want to end gender inequality, and to do this, we need everyone involved...We want to try to galvanize as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for change and we don't just want to talk about it. We want to try and make sure that it's tangible. Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong... It is time that we all perceive gender on a spectrum, not as two opposing sets of ideals. How can we effect change in the world when only half of it is invited or feel welcome to participate in the conversation?  No country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality.

~Emma Watson~

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   
TODAY'S WORDS - NECESSARY CORRECTIONS

     Most of us are facing big changes in our lives. But, in our more evolved moments, I think we can all agree that fear-based worries are a waste of time and only create the experiences we are trying to avoid. We are all being called to be more present than ever, while dealing with a more challenging array of personal and professional challenges, opportunities and all-around growth. The mind and heart is the field upon which war is waged within us. If we can stop that internal fear-based battle, then those outside of us will be affected as well. I truly have come to believe that there are only two states of being that generate our thoughts: LOVE or FEAR. The only unifying thought is one of LOVE. I have recently decided that there is no place in my head or my heart for fear anymore. 
     We explore within postures everything we deal with in life: the interplay between resistance and surrender; establishing stability and maintaining flexibility; learning to receive and release; being present to all the complexities of our lives and returning to the fundamentals of our "beginner's mind" again and again. In life, when you start to fall, you don't have to go crazy, scolding yourself and further throwing yourself off balance. Instead, simply make adjustments. There is a polarizing and dualistic experience occurring politically and economically in the world, and I believe we are near the peak of a cyclical and truly chaotic time.
      "Balance" as a verb doesn't mean "stillness," but the constant act of making minor corrections from one side to another to bring one towards a center of stability. Balance for me now means seeing myself as a tree, being strong enough in my roots and trunk to not be a pushover but being flexible enough in every circumstance not to break. I am continuing to expand, but not any faster than my roots can support me. I make the necessary corrections if I find myself leaning too far in one direction. Nine times out of ten it's a minor shift in your focus and your attitude that makes the difference.

~Brenda Strong~

Kenneth Davis

IT'S TIME FOR 
JUST JOKING MONDAYS

Curtis by Ray Billingsley

Joycelyn Lacy (Sommerville)