Messages From Home

God Bless America, the song that needs to be sung daily. Regardless of what is going on in the world, God Bless America because it is still the best place to be. Please join me daily with that song to make it a reality in our personal life.

This is the month that we celebrate Independence Day. I won't go into all the history and meaning of this great day. I'll save that for you. If you feel the need for more information, please click on to the below link for all that you ever wanted to know. wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day There are a lot of perceived negative images of our country in the media right now. The war in Iraq, our treatment of foreign prisoners, scandals involving our politicians, the devalued dollar in foreign markets, floods in the Midwest, etc. The list can go on and on. But what do you choose to look at; the gloom and doom or do you look how great this country really is? This is the true 'melting pot' of the world. Where else can people live without fear of persecution for being different (or should I say, being themselves)? Our country - isn't it great!

The Eternal Flame “You are like a candle. Imagine you are sending light out around you. All your words, thoughts and actions are going in many directions. If you say something kind, your kind words go in many directions, and you yourself go with them.” –Thich Nhat Hanh, no death, no fear I have been reading two books by Barrack Obama and thinking about the changes in the world ahead. I cannot know and will never know what it means to be black and struggle with self definition in a world that wants to constantly define me. Barrack brings up some very interesting things to think about. Ultimately, through the story of his own life and those around him, he realizes that dialogue is what changes the world and the people in it. This is why he has called for churches and community organizations to have candid discussions about race and diversity. As we open to this, a new consciousness emerges and old definitions will fall away. As a group of humans we find new ways to understand each other, new horizons of love and joy. This month as we remember America’s Independence, I invite you to dialogue with all you meet rather than talk. Make your words and actions meaningful. This is how we change the world and ourselves.