Love and life are made manifest every day in every breath we take, if we choose them to be.

Love and life can be included with morning tea, afternoon lunch, dinner and dessert and if you're lucky, everything in between.

Despite our circumstances.

I realize how hard that is, how hard life can sometimes be, and how easy it is to give in and compromise where we shouldn't. But don't. Don't backslide. Stay the love and life course.

1st Corinthians 13:4-7

"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."

13"And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Realize that by the Grace of Almighty God you are here but for a moment on this planet, in this universe, in this galaxy with the rest of human and spirit kind as well as all living things.

What you choose to do with this moment effects the entire universe, least of all your individual world.

So, in the face of a life or death choice "choose life" as Jesus commanded quoting Moses.

The Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy talks about blessings and curses, life and death. This is really powerful. I've read through the Old and New Testaments and these passages have always stayed with me. Moses wrote the Book of Deuteronomy with means "second law". After forty years the Israelites were about the enter the Promised Land of Canaan. But before they did, Moses wanted to remind them of their history, all that God had done for them, and the laws they had to continue to obey as God's chosen people. Bet you didn't know that it was Moses who told the people to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength' in order to continue to enjoy God's blessing.

Interesting to note that these Holy Words are only 320 pages into the Bible. I've included the whole Chapter.

Deuteronomy 30
Prosperity After Turning to the LORD

When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses you among the nations, 2 and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, 3 then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you. 4 Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back.

5 He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. 6 The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. 7 The LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you. 8 You will again obey the LORD and follow all his commands I am giving you today.

9 Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The LORD will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers, 10 if you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

The Offer of Life or Death

11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Can I get an AMEN! Wow. Moses was serious. Loving God has many benefits. Choosing to turn your back on God, not such a good idea.

The choice since the very beginning has always been ours. It is there for the taking. You can either embrace life or not, blessings or not. Be prepared though. Your choices have consequences.

As for me and my house, we are and always shall be in great anticipation of the continued blessings the King of the Universe prepares to bestow upon us. We shall receive them with great gratitude and humility and will declare that we have these things and can do these things because of the Great God we serve.

If you are experiencing a deeper awakening than ever before, you are not alone. There are millions of people on this planet at this very moment who are sending out Agape love, healing, and prayers, despite their circumstances, to everyone and anyone in need.

You can tap into and receive that energy by focusing your attention on love and life and healing. Ghandi said "be the change you want to see in the world". Begin by praying for the world, your world.

Choose life and be a part of the shift in our mindsets to seek after the things that are not of this world.

Practice What You Preach

A couple of years ago I had a conversation with a young man (a very precious young man whom I love and whom shall remain nameless to protect his identity - but he knows who he is). I was inspired (or frustrated) to write this poem. Thought after yesterday's blog, it was appropriate to post.

Practice What You Preach

Advice can be like a dirty old smelly sock
That someone throws at you when you’re not looking.
Advice can be spewed out of park fountains at
Family picnics as you watch the chicken cooking.
Sometimes, advice can be as painful as the secrets
In our hearts themselves. . .

Listen closely! Here’s what you should do.
Remember to keep what I tell you between me and you.
In my opinion and in my experience,
I know the error of your ways
Even though I can’t get through one of those “Just For Today’s”.

No, I know better and I may not walk the way I talk
And true they almost outlined my body with that nasty white chalk.
But enough about me, you know all there is to know.
You know where I come from and you know where I go.
So what! Big deal! I can still give good advice.
So what if I’m still out there paying the price.
Your problem’s a no brainer, a tease at best
So before I solve your problem, give me a rest
I have to head downtown to feed at my lover’s breast
Yeah, you know the one

You think you’ve got me all figured out.
We’ll one day I‘ll think clearer and hear whispers instead of shouts
But for today, I know I can help, it’s all about you.
If you want to come with me, you’re welcome to.

Man, I can show you some things you’ve never seen before.
I’ll even show you my favorite place to score.
Trust me in twenty minutes you’ll be saying “what problem”?
And I’ll be too fucked up to remind you that I solved them.
I know I can help you, stick with me.
Two hours from now, free from freedom you will be.

Yes, advice can be like a curse or a poison
And disrupt the imperfect life you were born in.
Advice can snuff out the best of our voices
And cause us the continuum of wrong choices.
Advice can perplex the calmest of hearts.
Advice can kill our best efforts at fresh starts . . .

Yo, you think you know what I need?
All’s I see is a man chosen to bleed.
You want to give me advice about what I should do?
First take care of that shit on your shoe,
Or that plank in your eye or that spot on your soul.
Don’t give me advice until you’re in control.

You said “In my opinion and in my experience”, please
That my “problem’s a no brainer, at best a tease . . .”

If I want advice on where to score
Drugs or a whore
Armani off the truck galore,
How to slip into a coma from the rip roar for sure
How to steal a couple bucks from your Pops top drawer,
How to be on the outside only 50% cool
And be on the inside an empty lost fool,
How to use and abuse and manipulate,
How to never persevere and procrastinate
How to look down my nose at everyone
And lie to them all and say its fun
How to have expensive taste with no money in my pocket
To lie about my mad car, while at home I ride my rocket
Of hypocrisy and blind confusion . . .

Oh, I truly know where to go.

And thank you for showing up and offering me blow
Or whatever narcotic you’ve chosen today.
I’m sorry now, but I don’t play.

And next time wait and see if I ask
For advice on a subject or particular task.
I’m not interested in your twenty minutes or two hours from now.
I’m not interested in your k-hole or PCP pow wow.
I’m not interested in your blow or your slow death,
So save your advice and save your breath
And get out of my face.

Go do what you do best.
If you don’t know what that is,
You’ll find out like the rest.