I agree.
But I looked at my previous post from May (seriously where in the world was I for the last several months? I know I have had other things to write about....) - and the topic was diet and how to live a healthier life. I love talking about food and how it can truly be the best medicine - or food can most certainly be the worst thing for you too.
We enjoy supplements at our house - and we each take a few but one of the things that we really take a stand for is the power & impact of essential oils. Many don't acknowledge the historical relevance of essential oils - but they have been around - forever.
Yes essential oils have been around for a long time. And I contend if we questioned the OTC (over the counter) stuff as much as we question EOs - we all would be in much better shape. I enjoy diffusing oils as I write - clears the air - clears my thoughts - just makes the room more pleasant. Very similar to candles - without the potential irritation from the chemicals of a candle.
Valor is one of my favorite to diffuse and this essential oil was given to me by dear friends when my father passed away this past July. That is a blog entry for another day - but Valor -
"empower the physical & spiritual bodies - helps us overcome opposition so we can stand tall during adversity..."
That is the real topic of this entry for today.
I will begin with a caveat. I have no earthly idea how to be politically correct - no earthly idea how to express things in a manner in which is appropriate for today - I am pretty much clueless but I know what my heart feels - and that is how I will write.
I recently found out that when I was growing up in the small, small town in Texas there was an understood expectation that we would be an all white town. I find it hard to refute that claim since there were not any black families and very, very few hispanic people. And decades later I found out that my dear, best friend wasn't always treated very well because she was white & hispanic. I honestly had NO CLUE. After all her parents & mine were the best of friends - really. We would spend holidays together - play board games - cook - eat - share our homes when the water would freeze at the other. Seriously - the best of friends.
Couple that reality of mine with my naive view and one comes up with a person who is just pretty clueless about race and the societal differences. I have written about this all before - several entries in this blog have been about civil rights, racism, hatred, prejudice - those are the words I have used before.
But our world is different now. Even in the short time since I wrote the first entry on this topic. Not to be melodramatic - but hate is literally everywhere. Oh I think it is easy to feel like we should all just move past the rhetoric that is in the news - move past all the assumptions about leaders - move past that feeling that our world has changed.
I mean - after all when the first black person was elected as President 8 years ago - we moved past it all - right? Of course do I really want to "move past" the conversations that happen when we are running for the office and then the change once we are in the office - which of those words are the true words?
With the opportunity that the media gives us - we don't move past anything at all. We don't leave well enough alone - we don't stop - we don't pause - we just keep on. At our home we say "being a bull in a china cabinet".
I feel like we have bulls everywhere - from all the different pastures and this china cabinet of a world is crashing.
I know a bit melodramatic. Is it really crashing in the little Texas town that I live in now? Oh it did - for a few weeks when we battled the sale of alcohol and who we might support for President.
There are many of us who speak of love. But many of us only want to speak of love for our viewpoint.
But we can only move on if we face the realities of our world as it is today. We must see things for how they really are - then we can heal, grow, move toward .... We do have differences - but we are called to love each person - including those ones that we cannot find a quick common ground - it is then that we need to search.
For me this journey has gone into overdrive this fall. I have found Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter friends that have helped me to open my eyes to the reality that this world is just different. I refuse to be uneducated - refuse to be naive (any more than I already am...) - refuse to use this space as only a spot for not so controversial topics....
We live in a segregated world.
My challenge to you is the same challenge that I have given myself - LEARN. Read. Listen. Even to the things that you think you don't agree with. Of course - be an educated learner and challenge your thoughts - challenge the thoughts of others - make sure that they match up with an authority.
For me the authority is the Bible - Jesus -
Here is the map for my journey - please share your thoughts! Find me on Facebook - Instagram - Twitter - and at my professional site - Dr. Cannon Groves.
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| Wonderful Netflix Original that sets the stage for our current state of affairs. |
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| Shane's books are worth your time and a bonus to understanding. |
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| From the book "Irresistible Revolution" |
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| This book will change your mind FOREVER. Bryan is also a guest in the Netflix 13th Film. |
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| This is the book I am currently reading.... Michelle Alexander is amazing & also featured in 13th. |
There are many - many more books to read - articles to find - and people to follow ----- here are a few of the people that I follow on Twitter and Instagram:
Latasha Morrison - "Be The Bridge"
Jen & Brandon Hatmaker
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| This book will WRECK your comfortable world!!! It is a perfect read. |
Austin Channing
Those are just a few - there are more. #ShaneClaiborne, #TheSimpleWay, #RedLetterChristians - too many to list here. #drhopelyn - #SPLC - #PopeFrancis #RickAtchley #TheNewJimCrow - #annvoskamp #maxlucado - the list can go for a while.....
I want to learn more - I want to understand how it must feel to see our current political system and our world as completely far away from where we should be headed.
We should be headed toward Love. Every day - in every way - in dealing with each other.
I know I am not naive any longer (still a bit awkward in this quest) --- but I am heart broken. This hate must go - love must prevail.
That begins with me. What about you?
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| They have always taught me of Love. His prayer - that he said every time - even until the end was "Thank you Father for loving us." He knew love - he gave love - he taught love. He would not understand the hate - and he would just want Jesus for all of us. |
Always, May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14.
