The Statement of a wise man

Subject: The statement of a wise man.
I loved this when I read it. Merry Christmas and and Happy New Year to all of you and your families!
> The statement of a wise man.> > The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday > Morning Commentary.> > My confession:> > I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not > bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, > bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel > discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.> > > > It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't > think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, > I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating > this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger > scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If > people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few > hundred yards away .> > > > I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think > Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people > who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I > have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly > atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it > being shoved down my throat.> > > > Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we > should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we > understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there > are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where > the America we knew went to.> > > > In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a > little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's > intended to get you thinking.> > > > Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson > asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding > Katrina); Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. > She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for > years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our > government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I > believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His > blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?' > > > > In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I > think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body > found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools , and we > said OK.> > Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says > thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as > yourself. And we said OK. > > > > Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they > misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might > damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an > expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.> > > > Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they > don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill > strangers, their classmates, and themselves.> > > > Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I > think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.' > > > > Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the > world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but > question what the Bible says . Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail > and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding > the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar > and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion > of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.> > > > Are you laughing?> > > > Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on > your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they > will think of you for sending it.> > > > Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than > what God thinks of us.> > > > Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one > will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back > and complain about what bad shape the world is in My Best Regards.> > Honestly and respectfully,> > > > Ben Stein> > > > Amen=

WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT

THIS IS WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT!
It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 A.M., when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it waswell healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. Iwas surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is." I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life." True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

The Season

Merry Christmas. Tis the Season to be Thankful. I know I have been mournful of my lot at this time of year. Then I was confronted by some who have much less and some who have lost all. The devastation along thew coast of Oregon not to far from here has given me a healthy thankfulness for all I have and not for all I have-not. So that being said, I wish all a very happy Yule and a peaceful New Year.
Peace,
Rocco

Now What???

Sight vs Vision

Sight is the ability to see the physical world while vision is the gift of seeing beyond it. Sight enables us to take the world in so we can participate in it with knowledge. It brings pleasure to perceive the colors and shapes of all of nature and human beings. It helps us feel in control, which way we are going, and exactly where we are standing at a given moment. We are able to read, navigate, sense, and perceive how a person is feeling by the expressions that cross there face. As anyone who has lost their eyesight can tell you, there are things that are clearer when you cannot see the world through your eyes. One of the reasons many meditation instructors advise sitting with the eyes closed is because we become more in touch with our inner world when we are not distracted by the outer world. It is in this state that vision becomes our mode of seeing. Vision comes from within and shows us how to navigate the realms of thought, feeling, and emotion. It enables us to see things that aren’t yet manifested in the world of form, and it also connects us to that part of ourselves that exists separately from the world of form.
As we age, even those of us with perfect eyesight will generally lose some of our acuity, but this loss is usually replaced with inner vision. This is the time of life when we are meant to turn inside and take what are sometimes the very first steps of a journey that cannot be traced on a map. We call upon intuition and feel our way along a path that ultimately carries us beyond the realm we can see with our eyes and into the land of spirit.

What do you think?