But......

I have noticed that the word "but" is often a trigger that what follows is going to be a contradiction of what proceeded it. The most famous being "I'm not prejudiced but..." as the person goes on to make a remark that clearly shows they are. I have a coworker who is that way. She will say she has nothing against gays but her gay stepson can not bring his partner into her house. She has nothing against immigrants but they need to pay taxes and speak English the moment they come here.

I have always tried to take to heart Christ's words of "Thou shalt love thy neighbor" because there is no but in his statement. He ended it there. It seems to me if a person is going to call themselves a Christian that they should actually follow the teachings of Christ. Christ may have chased the money lenders out of the temple but he didn't hate them. He preached the words of love, reconciliation, and spirituality. He preached words to live by.

I find as I have grown older that I am more forgiving of others. I don't harbor a grudge over past problems. I desire more then anything else peace in my life.

This last week has been a down week for me with the anniversary of my Dad's death. I miss him terribly. My Mother has had two heart incidents this week and I don't know how many more her damaged heart can take before it gives out completely.

I am thinking about my future. What will I do next? Where will I go? What do I want to still accomplish in my life? As I move ahead with my life I know that I want to be able to continue to help others. I want to continue with my art and my writing. I want to continue to meet new people and make new friends. Life is a precious gift and I want to continue to enjoy and expand my horizons.

The picture is called "All That I See." I see possibilities opening up in my life. I just need to make sure that I am keeping myself open to change.