Child

Fear not I those salty testaments to pain or doubt, nor too proud am I to stumble through life’s follies, for my vulnerability bestows upon me unexpected gifts; the gifts of courage, wisdom, and empathy, and the blessings of an open heart. For better or worse, mine will forever be the heart of a child.

A Murmuration

In this short 2 minute video, found embeded in the title, two young girls are out canoeing on the Shannon River in Ireland and chance upon one of nature's true wonders, a murmuration, which is a giant flock of starling birds doing.......well, just watch it for yourself and marvel.

By Sophie Windsor Clive and Liberty Smith

Kool Aid

My name is Andrea Hanson Kelley and I don't drink the Kool Aid. Well, at least I try not to. I try not to drink the Kool Aid poured from the pitcher of religious dogma, be it Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, or any ism for that matter. I avoid the ladles served up by Macrobiotics, or South Beach, or Atkins. I pass on the cups containing labels, such as "left" and "right", or "conservative" and "liberal". Political punch is one of the least palatable beverages, especially as of late. Honestly, Kool aid is just so unnatural, all that artificial color and flavor, marketed to be wholly and wholesomely great for every planet dwelling human. Kool Aid can taste great, can even be refreshing, but perhaps it can be most beneficial when it's carefully sipped and explored. Kool Aid begs to be examined by the critical thinker. Is not every body different, every food different, every botanical, every snowflake, every thought, every cell, every molecule, every soul different? Don't all ideologies, all paths, all beliefs contain kernels of wisdom which have at some point in time served in value and with merit? How can one way be the only way for everybody or everything? When exactly did health consciousness or faithfulness become synonymous with rigid inflexibility? If I were to believe that my way was the only way, and the only way for me was to associate with those who believed as I did, what kind of faith is this? How would I grow in my faith? How would I grow in my relationships with others, in my relationship with God if there is only one way for everybody? Do we seek a God synonymous with ourselves and where we are at presently in our evolution as human beings, or do we seek a God who is greater than or wiser than ourselves? Surly God is greater than our limited human experience? Didn't God make us all different for a reason? Could it be that God created diversity so that we could learn and grow from one another, so we could develop kindness, humility, and tolerance for each other and our differences, so that we could discover peace within ourselves and thus manifest peace throughout His kingdom? The next time we consider drinking the Kool Aid our brethren offers, or the next time we consider offering our sister a glass of our own, we might ask ourselves, "Will this quench our thirsts and bring us together in communion, or will this feed our insatiable human need to impose our beliefs and opinions onto others?" Why do humans feel the need to limit each other when God has provided us with such infinite possibilities?

Joy...

...y la luz fabulosa!