True Religion

The headlines this week have been brutal.

A tornado devastates 20 miles in Oklahoma.

Men literally butcher a man in the streets of London while asking onlookers to video tape the event.

And Washington is weaving such a web of deceit that I fear for our country.

Our country.  The Country that was founded on 'In God we Trust'.

But the question is, who's God?  What God?

Not to be cliche, but will there ever be world peace?  In a world where religious freedom should be celebrated, we come face to face, on a daily basis, with the clash of these very freedoms.  Religions colliding in stomach churning fashion and what, may I ask, is gained?

People in Oklahoma, Sandy Hook and Boston pray to a God to help them through the dark days ahead.  They pray to a God that they most undoubtedly ask why?  Why did this happen to us, me, them?  And without the answer, they pray to him, to help them recover, rebuild and move on.  They pray that our God will keep the loved ones they lost safe and happy.  They pray that they too, will one day, be reunited with their loved ones.  And finally, they pray for forgiveness. The ABILITY to forgive those that may have caused this destruction.  The ABILITY to forgive the reason behind it, EVEN IF, that reason is another god.  But how do you forgive a person and/or religion that justifies killing innocent people?

I was in a store the other day and a man sneezed twice.  I automatically said, 'Bless you' to which I got no response. Nothing.  Not a nod. A 'thank you'. A 'kiss my ass'. Nada.  Now, I am not claiming to be a hero because I simply gave well wishes to a stranger, but it made me think, maybe 'my' blessings from what he thinks may be from 'my' god don't match up to 'his' god.  But regardless of what God you believe in, where is the common decency to acknowledge people?  Do you ever hold the door open for someone and they don't say thank you?  Don't you want to kick them in the ass?  Seriously.  COMMON DECENCY towards one another can go a long way.  Regardless of religion, race, sex, etc..  Being polite should not be biased.  But do we live in such a divided world that there is no common courtesy?  And if so, if it's this bad now, what is it going to be like in 20, 40, 60 years?  I may very well be gone, but I worry for my children, nieces, nephews and hopefully, grandchildren.  What kind of world will they live in?

My children get a little mad sometimes because we are not regular church goers.  Yet, when I suggest we go, I get the usual grumblings. We end up in a fight and I find myself thinking, a family feud is not what God had in mind for Sunday.  Instead, I think of my faith as a 'quiet faith'.  Do I believe in God, yes.  And how do I honor him?  It's really quite simple.  I try to be a decent human.  I try to live by the ten commandments.  Not let the seven sins control too much of my energy and I appreciate the simple pleasures in life that he has given us.  Have you ever watched a spider weave a web?  Or thought about the crazy transformation a catipillar takes to become a butterfly?  I look at these things and think, yes, there IS a greater being.  Man did not create this.  The way each and every living thing has a purpose on earth is nothing short of miraculous.  And so, I make 'my church' these things.  Not on Sunday, but every day.  I miss the music in my church but I hear the music of the birds, the squirrels rustling in the woods and most recently the cicadas.  They are all hymns, if you allow yourself to hear them.

So why are my simplified religious beliefs relevant?  Because the ten commandments are a constant between all religions.  There are various translations but, it is indeed used, not only in Christianity but, in Judaism and even Islam.  Now, I am not a theologist and I know there is a LOT more to the story but,  instead of focusing on the differences in our religions, should we maybe focus on the things we have in common?   Do we have the ABILITY to respect our differences and celebrate our common beliefs?  Do we have the ABILITY to acknowledge a stranger for an act of common courtesy or well wishes?  With all the bad news, couldn't we ALL use a little blessing from someone, even a stranger who may have different views whether it be religious, political or social?  Think about it.  Maybe it really is simpler than we make it.

Now, I have a pageant to get ready for so until next time....world peace.

Where's the Merry?

Last night I couldn't sleep.  I tossed and turned looking at the clock with eerie precision.  12:30. 1:30. 2:45. 4:45. Slowly closing the gap between sleep and the alarm.

My thoughts were consumed with Christmas.  With exam week, a funky schedule lies ahead and  I was feeling the crunch.  So much left to do.  Presents to buys, presents to wrap, etc..  And then my thoughts turned to Sandy Hook.

In a week, while Christmas music fills the air, we will be greeting each other with hugs, smiles and the exuberant MERRY CHRISTMAS! while Sandy Hook families will still be suffering.  Mothers and Fathers looking at presents under the tree that their children will never open.  At a time when we try so hard to be merry and bright and renew our faith, they will be struggling to see the light.

How do you find the Merry when so many people are in pain and massive attacks are on the rise?  How do we continue the 'norm' for our children when the reality 'here today, gone tomorrow' is so fresh in our minds?  We want to cherish every moment.  Fully. Completely.  With no regrets but how can we with such heavy hearts?

Christmas can be so misunderstood too.  You get caught up in the marketing aspect of it and pretty soon it IS about the gifts and not about 'sweet baby Jesus'.  Children compare their presents.  Some children ecstatic, some children disappointed because they didn't get exactly what they wanted or, a friend got the 'better' toy.  Do you give your child everything they ask for?  Do you hold back so that they can save money and buy something on their own?  How do you balance the true meaning and the retail meaning?

As most of our friends know, we are not regular church goers.  I take religion very personally and try very hard to enjoy the simplest pleasures that God has given us.  I have a quiet faith I guess you could say and I try to pass that along to my children.  At Christmas, we try to fill the season with traditions, family, food and friends and try to appreciate each other a little more.  Is that the true meaning?  Am I giving my kids enough of the true meaning?

As we reflect on this tragedy in Connecticut, we will all celebrate, whether we know it or not, a little bit differently this year.  We will take the true meaning of Christmas more seriously.  Whether that means going to more church services, saying more prayers throughout the day, hugging each other a little more often and a little tighter or, helping those in need.  We will continue to search for our purpose in life. What and how God wants us to live.  For some, this will be easy and for others, it will be a struggle but, we will all try a little harder.

Is this the true meaning?  Maybe, maybe not.  But it is something to think about.

I think I will ponder this a little more on the way to the mall. Not to flip back to the retail meaning so quickly but, for some reason, I DO feel the need to spoil my kids this year.  We are very fortunate to have each other and giving that love in the form of hugs AND with a few more boxes, doesn't feel like such a bad thing this year.

Beauty and the Beasts

I am a self-proclaimed winter wuss.  The bear in me wants to eat and sleep until the sun comes out and the temps reach the mid 60s.  As a result, mornings with heavy frosts make it especially hard to get motivated.  My cure?  Coffee and a hot….golf tourn?

Yes, a golf tournament.  Yesterday, I turned on the Golf Channel to get my daily Morning Drive fix only to find the recorded, first round of the Australian PGA.  As the frost lingered outside, I was being transported to a piece of paradise.  Bright blue skies, warm sun, lush fairways began to warm my core.  Cameras panned back only to expose the beautiful, hilly landscape that is Coolum, the Sunshine Coast.

But warm conditions and lush landscapes are nothing new to golf.   Some courses are obviously more beautiful than others, but each course offers subtle differences that help separate it from courses around the globe.  In the case of Coolum, it was the ‘moving landscape’ that caught my eye.  The kangaroos.

I live in an area where deer are rampant and it is not unusual to see several during a round at any given course.  But, how awesome would it be to see a mother with a joey sitting in her pouch?  That is exactly what one cameraman caught during the telecast.

This morning, the frost looked like a dusting of snow.  Again, I searched for my visual warmth and turned on the Golf Channel to find live, second round coverage of the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Malelane, South Africa.  As predicted, beautiful, lush, warm landscape with a little something extra.  While players contemplated yardage and club selection, rhinos, zebras and giraffes frolicked in the distance. And I’m starting to think the Golf Channel should change their name to Golf Planet.  Only on Animal planet could you see more animals in their natural habitat.

Now, I realize that this may not be as cool to some people as it is to me.  But I want to thank the cameramen and crew who obviously enjoy the beauty of their surroundings and allow us to be a part of it.  And for this stay at home mom, who loves to travel, it is very much appreciated.

The coffee is now gone.  The frost still lingers.  I may not be motivated to go outside quite yet, but at least I was motivated to write.  I did ask a friend playing in the Australian PGA to snag a kangaroo for me.  Do you think he will have trouble in customs?