This post is a tribute/shout out to Kinetic Effect, a Kalamazoo-based spoken work/slam poetry group. These are some talented individuals with hearts as big as cathedrals. I have the utmost respect and admiration for Kirk and Gabriel. Good luck fellas! You’ll always have a spot on my blog!
Peace, Blessings, and Hmmmmm…..
T2
I’m learning as I get older that there are very few moments of quietness in my life. I’m understanding more and more that it’s very important for all of us to be able to take a few moments and just be quiet! There’s so much noise from my iPhone to my computer, the family, the career. All that is required of me… there’s always noise. I know that its imperative that I get some quiet time, however, I rarely apply wisdom to that knowledge. Being out of state for a few days in a hotel room by myself in complete silence is healing for me.
I’ve appreciated the silence, and the healing that goes on when you have time to your thoughts. You have uninterrupted conversations with yourself and with God. I’m going to make an attempt when I get home to figure out time for quietness for it is in fact… blessed quietness. This quietness holds a special place only reserved for those who make time for it.
Love, Blessings, and Quietness!
T2
There's a wonderful song written by a guy named John P. Kee; it's the picture of a man in hard times pleading for God not to take his simple song away. The gist of the whole song is that life gets crazy. People around you fall apart; you fall apart! Our life experiences aren't always rosey but the best prayer we have available to us is to keep things simple. And sometimes at this time of year, when thigs are at their busiest, most hectic times. When we are tired and charged only by emotion; we too have to pray that we don't lose our simple songs. Songs like "ooh child things are going to get easier," or "don't worry, be happy!" Close your eyes and listen to this...
Some day, we'll get it together and we'll get it all done!
Keep singing, keep dancing, keep hoping, keep it simple!
Peace, Blessings, and Hope!
T2
“The work of the world is done on hate. All work done well is well done only when persons hate work done shoddily. Justice can exist only when injustice is hated, laws only when lawlessness is hated, and education only when ignorance is hated. Every improvement this world has ever known was brought about because someone hated intolerable conditions.”
Here we are in the midst of another political season where lies, vicious rumors, truths and half truths are told every millisecond across millions of mediums in the mediated images that we see, here, touch, and feel every day. However as time goes on and I grow older, I see that hatred seems to be growing by the moment. Tough times bring people to tough conclusions, and as the unresolved issues of race, economics, healthcare, war, budgets, and elections have some in our society claiming that the hatred and indignation we’re experiencing is in fact; righteous.
The question we face today: is it right to hate a person for who they are? Is it righteous to spew mean and hateful commentary at people as opposed to attacking issues? There are many things for which I am conservative and there are many things for which I am liberal. I find myself in a juxtaposition between left and right, right and wrong, conservative or liberal. I find that we are often caught fighting over things we often don’t understand. Unfortunately for our society today, we begin to attack one another’s humanity as opposed to having disagreeable dialogue over the issues.
I would agree with the writer of the quote above that all great movements began with hate. The hate of injustice, the hate of poverty, the hate of mis-education, and the hate for regression have taken our world to great places. However, we have to be very careful that we don’t confuse our unresolved inadequacy and prejudices with righteous indignation. Righteous indignation fights against things that kill us all. Debating over political ideologies is just that, a debate.
I’m not naive to think we can control the madness that has become our electoral process, however, I know that each of us has control over the ways in which we contribute!
Peace, Blessings, and Clean Fighting….
T2
The following words of wisdom was sent to me. It encouraged my day! I hope that it does the same for you. Take time, breathe it in, take inventory of your life account!
Our Birth is our Opening Balance
Our Death is our Closing Balance
Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities
Our Creative Ideas are our Assets
Heart is our Current Asset
Soul is our Fixed Asset
Brain is our Fixed Deposit
Thinking is our Current Account
Achievements are our Capital
Character & Morals, our Stock-in-Trade
Friends are our General Reserves
Values & Behaviour are our Goodwill
Patience is our Interest Earned
Love is our Dividend
Children are our Bonus Issues
Education is Brands / Patents
Knowledge is our Investment
Experience is our Premium Account
The Aim is to Tally the Balance Sheet of life Accurately.
The Goal is to get the Best Presented Accounts Award!
Peace, Blessings, and Investments!
T2
Earlier this week, Kalamazoo lost a true hero in our City Commissioner Terry Kuseke. Terry was truly a good man! Because of his positionality in our world, Terry, far too often experienced hatred and bigotry that he did not deserve.
He dedicated his life to ALL children, and subsequently he fought until his death for the rights of ALL people. Unfortunately for our society, ignorance is still running rampid and mass confusion about how we are to respect and love one another are still permeating too many facets of our lives.
Terry was an avid warrior fighting dismantle ignorance and demonstrate a pattern of love and grace to all he encountered.
Terry will always be a hero to me, as he is one of the people who helped me to learn how to live out in REAL ways one of the core tenants of my faith…”Love thy neighbor as thyself…”
Well Terry, take your rest knowing that you have helped us learn to love…no exceptions!
May God’s richest comfort rest on the Kuseske family, and the Kalamazoo City Commission and community during this time of grief.
Peace, Blessings, and Rest,
T2
On this day exactly four year ago I married my hero. As I rode to the church that day, I felt no feelings of nervousness or anxiousness, I was ready! What I soon found out was that no one can prepare you for the highest level of relating, and it was much more important for me to be “willing” than to be ready.
I love my wife with all of who I am. I love my children with the same. They have taught me so much about my preconceived notions of love, family, romance, and marriage…and we prepared….
My wife and I had an outstanding pre-marital counseling experience with Pastor Kevin J. Lavender, Sr., and we read and shared a great book on marriage entitled “fit to be tied.” We knew that the standard of Love had been set by God and that’s just what love “is.” We’ve all heard the definition of love somewhere…
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
What I have learned about love over these four years of loving my wife, is that this definition is the standard, not some mystical, automatic change that occurs at “i do”, but a life-long journey of becoming together. Marriage is a dialectic, a divine standard that wars with human imperfection to make better people to serve together in this life.
Let’s consider some examples of what I’m saying.
“Love is patient” is the standard. However, I believe that the displays of love in living together and the growth of love happens in the flux or tug-of-war between patience and its natural counterpart: impatience.
The same applies to kindness. In marriage and family there are always reasons to be kind, and there are always reasons to be unkind. Love is in ACTION when you have to choose between the two.
So for every standard found in love’s definition, the realities of relating at the highest level presents its polar opposite. And true love happens in our choices.
I chose to love my wife, and I choose to love her today. Why? because she is wonderful, strong, smart, beautiful, and an outstanding mother and wife. And on those days when she and I are acting out the opposites of the standard, or when things are not ideal, Love remains…even when it’s a tug-of-war.
I’m blessed today with the relaity that we keep tuggin’ and we keep choosin’, and we still Love.
Peace, Blessings, and Happy Anniversary G,
T2
http://www.ted.com/talks/eve_ensler_embrace_your_inner_girl