Faith and Belief

According to Webster's Dictionary, faith is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. Whereas belief is a state of habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing. Belief may or may not imply certitude in the believer.

A couple of weeks ago I met a gentleman online who shared his Christian faith. After several sporadic conversations, we exchanged phone numbers. Recently he talked about his desire to marry--no, he wasn't talking about me--and his belief in love. He is twice divorced but still believes the right woman is out there for him. In fact, he is so convinced his wife is waiting that he has already purchased an expensive ring to present to her when he finds her. Now, that's some real faith.

Nonetheless, I was encouraged to hear that his faith is driven by his belief in God. You see, he hasn't always been a believer. There were times when he tried to chart his own course and make things happen, but the results were unkind. There's nothing nice about having two failed marriages, being a part-time dad, filing bankruptcy, and encountering health issues. According to him, all of these things happened because he didn't make Christ the center of his life. His belief was only in himself and not in a higher power.

Now with new priorities and Christ firmly centered in his life, he's experiencing remarkable changes. His physical and financial health has rebounded and he now sees his children more often. Even though he has no proof that a wife awaits him, he has all the confidence in the world that he will marry soon.

"As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit." ~Emmanuel~

Feeling Patriotic?

If you're feeling patriotic today, may I suggest you listen to Marvin Gaye singing the National Anthem. When Gaye first sang the anthem during the opening of the NBA Allstar game in 1983, he received mixed reaction. While some lauded his performance as original, creative, and nothing short of genius, others panned the performance and claimed Gaye had 'crucified' the national anthem by personalizing it. Marvin's rendition was not the traditional version, but was more jazzy and smooth. Almost immediately after his performance, a petition was circulated by his detractors to ban anyone from personalizing the national anthem. Obviously that didn't fly, hence, Roseanne Barr's fisaco 15 years later.

Only in America, as Don King would say.



Marvin Gaye singing National Anthem

Is Black Love Dead?

I ran across this piece on YouTube by http://www.themessageshow.com/. It's clever commentary on the 'state' of black love. Tell me what you think.

A Walrus Tribute to Michael Jackson

Enough said . . .

A Change is Gonna Come . . .

Sam Cooke wrote and first recorded his hit song, "A Change is Gonna Come," in 1964, which later became the anthem for the civil-rights movement. Now more than 40 years later, a new generation of socially consicous Americans are singing a new tune: "Yes, We Can.", based on a speech given by 2008 Democratic presidential hopeful, Senator Barack Obama.

A new voice ihas emerged in American politics and people are listening. What do you think?

Build Self-Esteem with Love Gifts

I ran across this article by Virginia Reeves and thought I'd post it on my blog-- of course with Ms. Reeves' permission. Hope you enjoy it. I certainly did!

Build Self-Esteem with Love Gifts
© By: Virginia Reeves

Feeling good about yourself enables you to easily treat others well. Practicing the following seven tips will bring more happiness and joy into your life.

1. GIFT OF ACCEPTANCE.
Show those around you that they are loved for what they are, not for what they do or even how much they try to please you. Acceptance builds self-esteem in both you and others. Offer guidance if asked and continually foster independence. Help others find happiness in their own way and you'll find that your level of joy increases as well.

2. GIFT OF SELF-CONFIDENCE.
This means trusting one's own abilities and talents and using them. To be proud of accomplishments and not shy about letting others know about them is another component. The understanding and acceptance that one does not need the approval of others all the time is critical to good mental health and emotional growth.

3. GIFT OF POSSIBILITIES.
Anyone can do anything they want to do - if they're willing to work at it. This means acquiring the needed skills, taking risks, and reaching out.. Give to yourself and your loved ones and friends the gift of freedom to be anything rather than limiting imaginations by labels and rules. Permit everyone to dream and then help in whatever way you can to see the achievement of those dreams. Encourage love of learning and exploration of new ideas. Your influence will encourage you to do the same.

4. GIFT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
This support base allows a positive outlook to permeate whatever you do with your life. You learn from both the good and the bad, the happy and sad, the success and the setbacks. Interactions of all types are found, nurtured, and used throughout your life. They aren't always picture-perfect but that's part of teaching you how to develop yourself and the many capabilities you need to build self-esteem.

5. GIFT OF BEING A PERSON WHO HAS A SPARK and appreciation for all of life. Encourage those you care about to be fully alive by taking adventures, finding laughter and fun daily, expressing their creativity, and stretching themselves beyond their personal limits. Model a lifestyle that provides them with a positive guideline.

6. GIFT OF LIFE WITHOUT NEEDLESS WORRIES OR FEARS.
Show others by practicing this way of life demonstrates that you don't just sit around and fret about problems. Rather, you tackle them. Be a doer; you'll be surprised at how others will follow your lead. Not only that, the"problems" may vanish when met head on or realistically pushed aside.

7. GIFT OF ACRONYMS.
Sure, it sounds strange but it gets you thinking. Here's some ideas for the word love.

• Loving Openly, Vivaciously, Enthusiastically
• Liking Offspring Virtually Everyday
• Little Oddities, Very Endearing
• Life Offers Vibrant Energy
• Laughter, Openness, Vitality, Excitement

In addition to giving these gifts to others, remember to give them to yourself as well. Love gifts can be given away any time, to anyone, for the best reason of all, you care. The gifts of acceptance, self-confidence, possibility thinking and action, problem solving, and the supreme gift of finding happiness in the challenge of living comes from self-esteem love gifts. Give them freely, willingly, and with affection.

Riddle Me This

What do you get when you cross free online games with modern popular culture? One amazing web site called Riddler.com. This great web site offers tons of free online games that you can play right in your browser: puzzles, trivia, arcade, sports, word games and more. It's all FREE and you can play online, so you never need to install any programs on your computer. From a quick, casual game to engaging multi-player tournaments.

Enjoy!