August 7, 2017
Category: peace
August 6, 2017
Those Thundering Songs Which Define Me
Being an artistic soul, and having gone through so much pain, sorrow, anger and depression, I have a short list of songs which thunder in my spirit. At times a lost child and at other times a blood-drenched soldier, these anthems make up the DNA of my warrior soul.
July 26, 2017
The Light of Faith in the Darkness of Adversity
The world is getting colder, angrier and deadlier; more violent and desperate, I think. Spirits—that is, hearts, attitudes, emotions—seem to be heavy these days. Like we’re struggling to even breathe, or at least that’s my impression. Bon Jovi said, “Keep the Faith.” Eric Clapton said he was “Running on Faith,” and Kid Rock described his “Lonely Road of Faith.” Real faith, however, comes at a cost of tears and blood. Sometimes it may even cost us our life, but it is the only path to genuine peace of mind.
July 24, 2017
Fight The “Blues” With Me
It’s the first day of the work week, but I'm not experiencing your typical "Monday Blues" today. I have no clue what's wrong; it's as though a dark cloud of sadness, almost an anxiousness, has moved into the duplex next door. Sometimes—for me anyway—stress, depression, anger and even anxiety unwillingly invade, like watching black storm clouds roll into my spirit. As I am helpless to chase away a thunderstorm by sheer will, so this feels in my heart. But my family and I are born fighters. We surrender to God alone; never to darkness, never to defeat.
July 20, 2017
The Fragility of the Artistic Soul
Today the world received the devastating news of the suicide-by-hanging of Chester Bennington, lead singer of the band Linkin Park. As in the case of many other artists who have committed suicide, the sad fact is the artistic soul is a fragile one. Singers, poets, musicians, painters, writers, actors, we all have it; a seemingly brittle, inner core which is easily shattered. I know life seems devastatingly brittle at times, but believe me, it's not worth ending it. The enemy of our souls is at work, doing everything within his grasp to steal your soul. Don't let that happen. As Dylan Thomas said, “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
July 18, 2017
You Cannot Give Up
I’m going to share with you my whole reason for being; the entire reason I'm on planet Earth. My life's purpose rolled up into one paragraph. Here it is: never give up. Never, never, never give up. Never surrender to the darkness which tries to swallow you whole. Never quit. Not tonight, not tomorrow, and not ever. Keep fighting, until you draw your last breath. Keep reaching for the stars, keep breathing, keep laughing, keep loving. Just keep on, and never quit. Life is worth it.
July 11, 2017
Laugh It Up, Fuzzball
The tattoo on my right upper bicep (and on my daughter’s calf) says, “No fear of the future, no regrets of the past.” Granted, this is a mindset which is hard to attain, and even harder to maintain. It's a goal both she and I strive for every day. I'm closer to it than I was a year ago, but not as adept as I will be in a year. It’s totally doable, though. I know this because I've witnessed the joyful faces of those who have gone through terrible agony. There is a terrible sadness, hidden away, which has forever altered their lives. But not destroyed them. So follow the advice of that great theologian, Han Solo, who said, “Laugh it up, fuzzball.”
July 3, 2017
Hats Off to the Veterans of Pain & Life
Sometimes I literally have to speak to the old dude staring back at me in the mirror. "Make peace with him," I say. "You're older, you're not as thin. Look at him. Make peace with him. His wife loves him. His children love him. His grandson and his parents love him. You must love him, too." We can allow the aging process to blanket our entire soul, or we can acquiesce to the inescapable, and cultivate an appetite for the artistry and charm of life.
June 21, 2017
Rest In Peace, Hollie
Being around those who are terminally ill is always awkward for me, but Hollie put people at ease immediately with her goofy sense of humor and her contagious laugh. She was all about laughing through the pain, smiling through the fatigue, pushing herself as long as physically possible, resting a while and then getting up and doing it all over again. We lost Hollie to cancer on Monday, June 19. Rest in peace, my friend. See ya soon.
June 16, 2017
Broken People 