LOSS OF FREEDOM

I wonder if many people realize the losses for freedom they have allowed to be taken away. How many find it ( the government) slowly encroaching into every corner of their lives. One of the biggest freedoms allowed to be rescinded by the government is the freedom of speech. To be free to speak as you think is no longer a luxury, and we must be careful of the language and content of our "free speech." Saying that this person or that person must be removed from office, or this action is unconstitutional and should be blown up or erased or impeached and their name removed from the history books is no longer allowed. Why?, because it smacks of rebellion and thus open to investigation. Less than 50 years ago, people were encouraged to open verbal rebellion. The "SOAP BOX" orators were on a street corner in most every town, it was a sign of the health of a nation. Fear of what someone would say is a show of being paranoid. And now WE as a People are showing all the sign of a fearful paranoia. Think about it for once and see if you are not able to see elsewhere the loss of freedoms.

Now what.

There seems to be a the idea floating around that all the good things are a part of some mystic past. Bull! All the most important things were created in my kindergarden class and nothing else has come along to show me different. So me the best of today and it will come form the our elements posted in some 5,000 years on a cave will and practiced by very knowledgable people. Prayer is not a part of modern medicine, and the rate of healing is directly linked to the mystics of Prayer and heasling ceremonies. I have a powers and hopes and prayers, linked to my eternal life cycle. OK, Now what?

WHY WE WERE CHOSEN

God in his wisdom has selected this group of people to be the purveyors of his goodness. In selecting them through whom to bring about this phenomenon, He went not to the proud, the mighty, the famous or the brilliant. He went to the humble, to the sick, to the unfortunate — He went right to the drunkard, the so-called ‘weakling’ of the world.Well might He have said to us: “into your weak and feeble hands I have entrusted a power beyond estimate. To you has been given that which had been denied the most learned of your fellows. Not to scientists or statesmen, not to wives or mothers, not even to my priests or ministers have I given this gift of healing other alcoholics which I entrust to you.It must be used unselfishly. It carries with it grave responsibility. No day can be too long, no demands upon your time can be too urgent, no case too pitiable., no task too hard, no effort too great. It must be used with tolerance for I have restricted its application to no race, creed, or denomination. Personal criticism you must expect, lack of appreciation will be common, ridicule will be your lot — your motives will be impugned and misjudged.Success will not always attend your efforts in your work with other alcoholics. You must be prepared for adversity, for what men call adversity is the ladder you must use to ascend the rungs toward spiritual perfection. And remember, in the exercise of power I shall not exact of you beyond your capabilities.“You are not selected because of exceptional talents, and be careful always if success attends your efforts not to ascribe to personal superiority that to which you can lay claim only by virtue of My gift.“If I had wanted learned men to accomplish this mission, the power would have been entrusted to the physician and the scientist. If I had wanted eloquent men, there would have been many anxious for the assignment, for talk is the easiest-used of all the talents with which I have endowed mankind. If I had wanted scholarly men, the world is filled with better qualified men than you who would have been available.“You were selected because you have been the outcasts of the world, and your long experience as drunkards has made, or should make you, humbly alert to the cries of distress that come from the lonely hearts of alcoholics everywhere. Keep ever in mind the admission you made on the day of your entrance into A.A., namely that you are powerless and that it was only with your willingness to turn your life and will into My keeping, that relief came to you.”This was written by Fr. Bud several years ago. He has since passed over to the other side. I find them great words of wisdom!

Working With A Shaman

Since time immemorial, certain men and women have felt called to heal the sick, to safeguard knowledge, to guide the lost, and to commune with the spirit world. These unique individuals, known as shamans, were mystics and seers, repositories of wisdom, and keepers of herbal lore. During those periods when ignorance loomed large in the world, shamans across the globe bided their time, peacefully practicing their practical yet refined arts in the jungle, mountains, deserts, and tundra that protected them from those who misunderstood shamanism. Today, however, shamanism has reemerged, as modern men and women feel the same call to service that their ancestors felt long ago. Also, as more individuals explore the notion that healing necessarily involves the soul as well as the physical self, people are consulting shamans in their search for wellness, wisdom, and guidance.The word shaman literally means "he or she who knows." Shamanism is an art that has not changed in any quantifiable way for millennia and is not bound to any particular form of spirituality. It is grounded on the principle that the visible world is saturated with unseen forces that influence the lives of human beings. Shamans, in addition to acting as fonts of wisdom, are dedicated to diagnosing and curing human suffering-whether emotional, physical, or spiritual. To treat an illness, a shaman may communicate with the spirit world in order to connect more directly with the soul of their patient or with the force causing ill health. They often work closely with animal guides, plant and earth spirits, or your spirit guides, and may make use of use of herbal remedies to supplement other forms of treatment. Shamans, as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual realms, recognize that all objects are in manner alive and retain information that can be utilized to heal.Shamanism is powerful in part because its practitioners tailor healing to the individual needs of those who seek them out. A shaman manipulates energy, giving you power where you have lost it and removing misplaced energy lurking within you. When you seek out a shaman, they will endeavor to know and understand you before treating you. In this way, they can provide you with therapies that act on your whole being, positively influencing your body as well as your soul.Now that that has been said, I wonder how many think all this is nothing but a con or circus act.

THOUGHT’S TO CHOOSE

THOUGHTS TO LIVE BY............

He is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood." Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or...... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. "Yeah, right, it's not easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life." I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him > when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released > from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins......Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I > could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. He continued, "....the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'." Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34. After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.