Wordless Wednesday: Julie's Peony

My wife took this picture of one of her many flowers this evening....thought she captured it rather nicely. 

Is There Hope?

This past week there has been much heartache & loss in my community. A young middle-school student was found dead by a teacher and a group of students. She had apparently hung herself from the bleachers.

There has been much speculation in news stories & social media about what may have driven this young lady to end her precious life. Lots of discussions about bullying in schools.

I didn't know the girl or her family. But as a parent, my heart breaks for them. I can't begin to imagine what her family must be going through. What goes on in the mind of a young teenager (or anyone) that leads them to conclude suicide is better than life? That tomorrow will not be any better?

Adolescence has never been easy. But kids today face things that were unimaginable when I was their age. Bullies prey on those who are often the most vulnerable. Children with special needs, kids that are overweight, kids who, for whatever reason, are perceived to be different, are most often the target. And it occurs not only at school--use of social media is ubiquitous. Cruelty can be exponentially viewed and shared by thousands of people.

Kids are exposed to things they shouldn't see and hear. Oftentimes, they are forced to grow up much too soon.  I would argue we cannot overstate the impact of Hollywood & the entertainment industry's obsession with 'perfect people,' sexuality, and violence have on our children. Kids will compare themselves to the images they see.

Today's families have unprecedented challenges. Economic uncertainty, financial strain, infidelity, greed, self-destructive behaviors, divorce, and shifting values and morals are re-shaping our cultural identity. Once a prominent place in American life, the Christian faith is now relegated to some long-forgotten shelf of yesteryear. So many perfidious things compete for our time, money, and interest.

We not the same country we once were. Some will say that's a good thing. I'm not so sure. We are today, undoubtedly, more jaded, skeptical, and cynical.

I recently read that many of us now no longer believe in the American Dream. Many in my age group that believe their children will not do as well as we have. Although many would never verbalize it, a lot of people believe that our best days are behind us. We are constantly bombarded by news stories confirming our worst fears. An unsettling despondency plagues many hearts and families. Hope seems to be on the extinction list.

Hope is not something tangible you can hold in your hands. Although it can't be seen or physically touched, it is nonetheless 'real.'  Hope, much like faith, is something that you must believe in. And if one has lost all hope, life becomes a burden. A burden that sometimes becomes too much to keep carrying. Hope is a precious commodity that is needed now more than ever. Although it may seem to be a limited resource, it is renewable and sustainable.

Our children need to believe their future is bright. They need to have hope. They need to believe that each passing day leads to better things. If, as adults, we do not believe such things, our children are perceptive enough to know. Our mentality becomes theirs. Our hopelessness is contagious.

As a parent, a neighbor, a community, and as our 'brother's keeper,' we should understand and empathize with the pain and turmoil that occurs in the lives of many in our midst, often silently and unspoken. We need to demonstrate concern and love, and intervene before tragic events happen.

Is there hope? I am compelled and persuaded to believe the answer is, simply, yes. Life is way too miraculous, precious, fragile, and short to concur otherwise. We cannot let fear, doubt and evil triumph. Events like what happened this week in my town, in which a precious 14 year old young lady deliberately ends her own life, should not become commonplace. Kids need to know that someone cares.



Psalms 34:24

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Wordless Wednesday: Brown County, Indiana

Wordless Wednesday: Modoc's

Favorite Quotes of Margaret Thatcher

I've always thought Margaret Thatcher was the quintessential British lady. She was tough, outspoken, and a lightening rod of criticism by her adversaries. I am a collector of quotations...I've included a few of my favorites from the 'Iron Lady.'

“If you just set out to be liked, you will be prepared to 

compromise on anything at anytime, and would achieve 

nothing. ” 

“Do you know that one of the great problems of our age is 

that we are governed by people who care more about feelings 

than they do about thoughts and ideas.” 

“Watch your thoughts for they become words.

Watch your words for they become actions.


Watch your actions for they become habits.


Watch your habits for they become your character.


And watch your character for it becomes your destiny.


What we think, we become.


My father always said that... and I think I am fine.” 

“Consensus: “The process of abandoning all beliefs, 

principles, values, and policies in search of something in 

which no one believes, but to which no one objects; the 

process of avoiding the very issues that have to be solved, 

merely because you cannot get agreement on the way ahead. 

What great cause would have been fought and won under the 

banner: ‘I stand for consensus?” 

 “Don't follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.” 

“When I'm out of politics I'm going to run a business, it'll be 

called rent-a-spine” 

http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/DVIC_View/Still_Details.cfm?SDAN=DFSC8301267&JPGPath=/Assets/1983/Air_Force/DF-SC-83-01267.JPG

“If you set out to be liked, you will accomplish nothing.” 

“I do not know anyone who has gotten to the top without 

hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the 

top, but it will get you pretty near.” 

***

Note: All photos courtesy of WikiCommons, which are in the public domain. 

Forgotten Lore: Post Three

Forgotten Lore

(A Quaint and Curious Volume)

“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle 

slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without 

milestones, without signposts,

...Your affectionate uncle, 

Screwtape.” 

 ***

Here are the uncomplicated rules: 

• I will provide a line or two from a book (perhaps from famous or popular authors, and maybe sometimes from lesser known folks who penned a good line). 

• YOU take a guess at the author and the book. 

• And, if you'd like, provide a line from your own favorite novel/author.  

Wordless Wednesday: Staying on Track

Forgotten Lore: Post Two

Forgotten Lore

(A Quaint & Curious Volume)

"The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct: --It continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness --until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears."

 ***

Here are the uncomplicated rules: 

• I will provide a line or two from a book (perhaps from famous or popular authors, and maybe sometimes from lesser known folks who penned a good line). 

• YOU take a guess at the author and the book. 

• And, if you'd like, provide a line from your own favorite novel/author.  

Wordless Wednesday: Mr. Weenie

Forgotten Lore: Introduction

Forgotten Lore 

(A Quaint and Curious Volume)

I am beginning a new blog series...for those of you that love literature and the written word! I hope to occasionally entice you into an addicting, brief moment of bibliophilic delectation! 

Here are the uncomplicated rules: 

• I will provide a line or two from a book (perhaps from famous or popular authors, and maybe sometimes from lesser known folks who penned a good line). 

• YOU take a guess at the author and the book. 

• And, if you'd like, provide a line from your own favorite novel/author.  

***

Today's quote:

"Words — so innocent and powerless as they

are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent 

for good and evil they become in the hands 

of one who knows how to combine them."

Indy Star Article: Woman Forgives Man Who Shot Her

An incredible story of forgiveness and redemption. Misty Wallace was shot by Keith Blackburn during a carjacking in 1992. Blackburn, now an IWU Divinity School student, will appear on Katie Couric's talk show on Monday.


http://www.indystar.com/article/20130321/NEWS02/303210105/Woman-forgives-man-who-shot-her-1992

http://www.iwuspectrum.com/finding-redemption/

Wordless Wednesday: Estates of Serenity

Parade Magazine article: What Celebrities Earn

Thought this was interesting....


http://www.parade.com/what-people-earn/slideshows/celebrity-salaries.html#?slideindex=0

Wordless Wednesday: Matter Park

Got to take a few pictures this evening after the snowstorm last night. Taken at Matter Park, Marion, IN. 

The above photo was taken with my digital Polaroid. A sudden temperature drop 

caused an unintended foggy effect. 

DailyFunLists Article: 25 Extremely Bizarre Laws That Don't Make Sense

Finding absurdity is an occasional hobby of mine. Oftentimes, I find the 'absurd' to be humorous, providing a good laugh, or at least a break from the monotony of everyday serious stuff. Of course, it helps if you are NOT the one who happens to be caught up in such strange things....like being found guilty of breaking bizarre laws that make absolutely no sense! (Sidenote: To be a spectator of such heinous crimes would surely be pretty fun to watch!).

This particular list from Dailyfunlists really is kind of bizarre, and I think, funny. My personal favorites are #24, 23, 21, 18, 16, 13, 12, 9, 8 (really wondered about how someone did that!), 5 (just the sight of it would be funny), 3 (this seems downright un-American to me!), 2, and the last one (1) is, well, surely surreptitious and perhaps too unwholesome to be viewed by impressionable youths!

Have fun...but don't laugh too hard (especially if you're in public, it may be illegal in your particular municipality!).

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