It boosts your immune system: Smiling really can improve your physical health, too. Your body is more relaxed when you smile, which contributes to good health and a stronger immune system.
Smiles are contagious: It’s not just a saying: smiling really is contagious, scientists say. In a study conducted in Sweden, people had difficulty frowning when they looked at other subjects who were smiling, and their muscles twitched into smiles all on their own.
Smiles Relieve Stress: Your body immediately releases endorphins when you smile, even when you force it. This sudden change in mood will help you feel better and release stress.
It’s easier to smile than to frown: Scientists have discovered that your body has to work harder and use more muscles to frown than it does to smile.
It’s a universal sign of happiness: While hand shakes, hugs, and bows all have varying meanings across cultures, smiling is known around the world and in all cultures as a sign of happiness and acceptance.
We still smile at work: While we smile less at work than we do at home, 30% of subjects in a research study smiled five to 20 times a day, and 28% smiled over 20 times per day at the office.
Babies are born with the ability to smile: Babies learn a lot of behaviors and sounds from watching the people around them, but scientists believe that all babies are born with the ability, since even blind babies smile.
Smiling helps you get promoted: Smiles make a person seem more attractive, sociable and confident, and people who smile more are more likely to get a promotion.
Women smile more than men: Generally, women smile more than men, but when they participate in similar work or social roles, they smile the same amount. This finding leads scientists to believe that gender roles are quite flexible. Boy babies, though, do smile less than girl babies, who also make more eye contact.
Smiles are more attractive than makeup: A research study conducted by Orbit Complete discovered that 69% of people find women more attractive when they smile than when they are wearing makeup.
There are 19 different types of smiles: UC-San Francisco researcher identified 19 types of smiles and put them into two categories: polite “social” smiles which engage fewer muscles, and sincere “felt” smiles that use more muscles on both sides of the face.
Babies start smiling as newborns: Most doctors believe that real smiles occur when babies are awake at the age of four-to-six weeks, but babies start smiling in their sleep as soon as they’re born.
NursingSchools.net is a website dedicated to proper care giving, healthy living and nursing student resources.
…shared mostly so you can understand where I am coming from, even if you disagree with me.
It is 11:47 pm right now and I should be sleeping. I should be sleeping but I am unable to. One hour ago, it appeared that the current president was going to win his bid for re-election. One hour ago, I walked into our family room and asked my husband to come join me in our room and hold me until I fell asleep. He fell asleep firs…(typical) I asked him to come hold me because I am scared. Here is the thing, I know I have a lot of friends who voted for ‘the other guy’ and I know that tonight is a night of celebration for you. I know you will be happy and think that you have reached a level of success. I know you are certain that something better has happened for our country. I know you are confident that you can believe in the change that you are striving for. And finally, I know that you don’t quite know why people like me are so scared. I thought I would let you know why. Because here is the thing, understanding where the ‘other’ is coming from is a good thing. I want to help you understand…. (To Keep reading, select here)
As I study the realm of thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and emotions in the psyche of humanity; I have become intrigued by the diverse description and explanation of the human Ego. Although it is found in every one of us, the usual reference has depicted its meaning as an unworthy or negative trait. There has been very little comparison otherwise and therefore lays my dilemma. When I look into the unseen forces of nature, and evaluate what I believe is my true spiritual essence, it is hard for me to discard this natural inherent element called "Ego".
Behold: Cyrus the Great, the man that historians call “the most amiable of conquerors,” and the first king to found “his empire on generosity” instead of violence and tyranny. Consider Cyrus the antithesis to Machiavelli’s ideal Prince. The author, himself the opposite of Machiavelli, was Xenophon, a student of Socrates.
The book is a veritable classic in the art of leadership, execution, and responsibility. Adapted from Larry Hendrick’s excellent translation, here are nine lessons in leadership from Xenophon’s Cyrus the Great:
Be Self-Reliant
“Never be slow in replenishing your supplies. You’ll always bee on better terms with your allies if you can secure your own provisions…Give them all they need and your troops will follow you to the end of the earth.”
Be Generous
“Success always calls for greater generosity–though most people, lost in the darkness of their own egos, treat it as an occasion for greater greed. Collecting boot [is] not an end itself, but only a means for building [an] empire. Riches would be of little use to us now–except as a means of winning new friends.”
Be Brief
“Brevity is the soul of command. Too much talking suggests desperation on the part of the leader. Speak shortly, decisively and to the point–and couch your desires in such natural logic that no one can raise objections. Then move on.”
Be a Force for Good
“Whenever you can, act as a liberator. Freedom, dignity, wealth–these three together constitute the greatest happiness of humanity. If you bequeath all three to your people, their love for you will never die.”
Be in Control
[After punishing some renegade commanders] “Here again, I would demonstrate the truth that, in my army, discipline always brings rewards.”
Be Fun
“When I became rich, I realized that no kindness between man and man comes more naturally than sharing food and drink, especially food and drink of the ambrosial excellence that I could now provide. Accordingly, I arranged that my table be spread everyday for many invitees, all of whom would dine on the same excellent food as myself. After my guests and I were finished, I would send out any extra food to my absent friends, in token of my esteem.”
Be Loyal
[When asked how he planned to dress for a celebration] “If I can only do well by my friends, I’ll look glorious enough in whatever clothes I wear.”
Be an Example
“In my experience, men who respond to good fortune with modesty and kindness are harder to find than those who face adversity with courage.”
Be Courteous and Kind
“There is a deep–and usually frustrated–desire in the heart of everyone to act with benevolence rather than selfishness, and one fine instance of generosity can inspire dozens more. Thus I established a stately court where all my friends showed respect to each other and cultivated courtesy until it bloomed into perfect harmony.”
There’s a reason Cyrus found students and admirers in his own time as well as the ages that followed. From Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin to Julius Caesar and Alexander (and yes, even Machiavelli) great men have read his inspiring example and put it to use in the pursuit of their own endeavors.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am anti-union, that I see no reason for the union to exist. Where they needed at one point in history, most likely, are they needed now, in 2012, nope, not at all. They are a socialistic organization that only has itself in mind, they care nothing for their membership or the company their members work for nor the community they living and serve. Unions, by there very definition are anti-capitalism, the driving force behind our nations economy. Left up to the unions, we would have no manufacturing in this nation; they would have killed all possibility of production anything at a price the average American can afford.
Think about it, the American manufacturing industry has dwindled in size, we have lost complete industries, why, because unions priced us out of the market. And the argument that we should tax imports more, to create a more level playing field, we that is just plan stupid, its called protectionism. We have tried that before, and it don’t work, the free and open market and trade agreements are the best way to prop up America, the more we can purchase from other countries, the more we help their economy, they more we help their economy, the more they want to purchase our products, and in doing so, helping our economy. But this is a little off topic, what I want to talk about is how Unions are killing America, how unions are a cancer upon America, a cancer that is growing and killing of good industries, killing off education and opportunity. Do not believe me, watch this:
Unions at their best…
Yep, you hear right, “Sometimes life is not fair”, but wait, I thought teachers unions were all about the student, the learning… OH, wait that is just the nice line they feed us, the truth is much to ugly to tell, so they hide it. What is the truth, the truth is teacher unions are looking out for themselves, protecting bad teachers, rewarding mediocre and punishing students and parents with poor performing schools. Fighting any action that would give parents a choice an option to improve their child’s chances at succeeding in life, all in the name of Utopia.
The brotherhood (and sisterhood, I don’t want to piss anyone off by being sexist) of the unions has created a workforce that no longer believes in merit pay, of right to work, rather they have drank the kool-aid of socialism. A job is no longer a privilege, but a right. No longer do we need to prove our ability’s, just buy or time, wait long enough and you are in like flynn. No longer do you have to work hard and prove your worth, rather it has become a God-given right for a pay increase. I do not know about anyone else, but I look at pay increases as a way for my boss and the company to thank me and reward me for doing a good job, above the expected. I am always very humbled when I get a bonus or pay increase, but then again, I’m not in a union, so I know I have to work hard to keep my job, and I have to do what is expected and more to merit a bonus or raise. But if I was in a union, it would be expected, regardless of my personal input. I find that rather disturbing. I know, from my own personal life, that when a co-worker received a pay increase and bonus, larger than mine, yet I knew, as did everyone else, that they did not deserve it, based in work outcomes, I felt like the pay increases and bonuses had no real value. The value of the extra $55.00 per month is not the money, but the satisfaction knowing you were recognized and rewarded for your efforts. Yet, if everyone got that same $55 pay increase, regardless of their value to the company, than that $55 becomes meaningless. This same person who received the bonus and raise was also the first to complain about not receiving a bonus or raise during the hard times, go figure. He was a perfect candidate for a union job.
I have traveled the world teaching union and non-union people, I have negotiated with the State of Michigan to open a Charter School, and had to deal with the local Teachers Union, and I can tell you from experience, there is a major difference in attitude and perception. Unions see things is what can I get and how does it benefit me were as non-unions see things as what is the best over all, how does it benefit all parties involved. Now I know that not every union person feels this way and not every non-union person feels this way, but on average, this has been my experience.
When I have to teach union students, I always have to remind myself that the traditional classroom rules are tossed out the door. The idea of respect, gone, they show up when they want, leave when they feel like it and do as they please, all with no regard to me or the job I must do. True story, I was teaching a 2-day class to a group of union members. One student sat at her computer the first half of the first day doing nothing but checking her Facebook. How do I know, because she was not shy about sharing facts and tid-bits about her grandchildren to the whole class during my lectures. Yep, right in the middle of a lecture she would blurt out a funny little fact. No concern for me, or the other students. Most of whom were more than happy for the interruption. At lunch time she came up to me and said she would not be returning after lunch, I asked hey why, her response, “Because I don’t want to”, when I informed her that I would have to mark her as not completing the course and she would not be able to get her user ID, she responded with “Ya I will, they have to give it to me” and walked out. Did she get her ID, I do not know, but my guess is yep, she was union. Ah, what a joy…
I take my job and my performance seriously, and when something like that happens, I find it hard to not take it personally. Teaching is what I do, I love it and I always try to give my very best, yet when you are faced with the union mentality, well it all sort of goes out the window, I find myself teaching not my best, but just enough to get through the day. And I hate that feeling, I feel like I have failed. But I find that it is just easer that way, I find that I am not fighting the union mentality as much, they don’t care, so why should I. What a horrible way to go through life. I take no pride in it, but there is no other way to deal with it, I am stuck teaching them, regardless of whether they want it or not, so I might as well make it as painless for them and myself. The odd thing is, my evaluations are better when I put no effort into it, when I expect nothing from them. They reward me for mediocrity. Amazing!
Yep, Unions, the down fall of America and innovation. They need to be busted up and never return. Plain and simple!
“What’s “just” has been debated for centuries, but let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then, tell me how much of what I earn “belongs” to you — and why?”
– Walter Williams
Williams was born into an AfricanAmerican family. His family during childhood consisted of himself, his mother, and his sister. His father played no role in raising either child.[3] He grew up in Philadelphia. The family initially lived in West Philadelphia, moving to North Philadelphia and the Richard Allen housing projects when Williams was ten. His neighbors included a young Bill Cosby. Williams knew many of the individuals that Cosby speaks of from his childhood, including Weird Harold and Fat Albert.[4]
Williams was a talented high school student who displayed a very inconsistent performance in his studies. Following high school he came out to stay with his father in California, and attended one semester at Los Angeles City College, in regard to which he would later state that he was not ready yet to be a serious student.[5] In 1959 he was drafted into the military, and served as a Private in the United States Army.[4][6] While serving in the Army, he “waged a one man battle against Jim Crow from inside the army (where he was nearly court-martialed for challenging the racial order).”[4] Williams:
wrote a letter to President John F. Kennedy denouncing the pervasive racism of the American government and military. “Should Negroes be relieved of their service obligation or continue defending and dying for empty promises of freedom and equality,” Williams demanded of the president. “Or should we demand human rights as our Founding Fathers did at the risk of being called extremists….I contend that we relieve ourselves of oppression in a manner that is in keeping with the great heritage of our nation.”[4] (Link)
The above article, or at least part of the article from Wikipedia and the beginning quote should be an inspiration to all Americans, it talks of Faith, faith in the American system, faith in self and faith in humanity. It talks of self-reliance and justice, not handouts and welfare. It talks about picking yourself up and taking care of business, your business, and not relaying on the government to do it for you. I like that!
So what is “just”?
As a Catholic, social justice is a huge part of my faith, we have Bishops and everyday pew sitters working on this issue daily, we have documents coming from the Vatican and our local Church. I could spend hours reading and re-reading the documents, many of them online and available for free. I can read the words of many a great men, saints and some not so saintly. But in the end, I think that simple quote above states it very distinctly:
…I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then, tell me how much of what I earn “belongs” to you — and why?”
That about states it all… Now I can hear everyone asking, what about the poor, who is going to help them… We need to take and give to them.. True, I agree, you are correct. But… And this is a big but… It’s not the government’s job to decide who or what charities I want to support, it is not the governments job to decide how much is too much. That my friends, it totally up to me… That is “just”.
Humanity will, if allowed, care for herself. In the United Stated we have proven this, prior to big government stepping in, it was left to the local communities to care for one another, and they always did. During the many recessions and depressions this country has gone through, the local community always cared for their own. As it should be. The “Great Society” and the “New Deal” and all other forms of Social Engineering has done nothing to change the simple fact that we will always have the poor. But what it has done is created a whole generation that is now dependent upon the government to fix and provide for all there needs. No longer is it a community coming together, but now it laws and regulations and dependency.
The local out reach programs, Faith based community services and alike are now governed by the Federal Government, bogged down with regulations and paperwork that much of there “good deeds” go undone due to lack of resources to meet the ever-expanding hands of Big Brother. Prior to the government handing out the tax payers money, the local community gathered its resources from the community itself, depended on the community and thrived with in the community it served.
The Catholic church was the prominent provider in many communities, depending upon the Church and the community at large to provide free services to whomever needed them, regardless of their faith. Look at Boys Town as a perfect example. Fr. Flanagan did not ask the Federal Government for moneys to build his Town, nope, he depended upon the common person to send in donations, and the work of building the town, well that was left up the him and the boys. In todays “regulated” world this could never happen, the government would not allow the young men who made up the community of Boys Town to do the labor, they would consider it “degrading” and “child labor”, were as Fr. Flanagan and his boys considered it “Character building” and “Edifying” . How times have changed.
The government would have required trained social workers were as Fr. Flanagan required love and respect. There is not law or regulations for love and respect, so the government would not consider them to be important. How times have changed…
“Charity” and “Social Justice” and not be regulated or forced, they have to be organic in nature. they have to come from the souls of the ones offering. When government sticks its hands into our pockets and forces us to “give” the act of Charity and Justice has just become an act of redistribution and extortion.
In the books “Who Really Cares” and “Gross National Happiness” Arthur C. Brooks, the author, makes the case that charity is a human act, not a governmental act. That it is the benevolence of man and not the redistributionist of government that keeps charities rolling. Both books are well worth the reading.
The Catholic Church, like many organization, has its fair share of redistributionist, who feel that humanity in-of-its-self is not able or capable of caring for each other. To me this is a travesty and a slap in the collective face of man kind! But, truth be told, we allowed this mind-set to happen, we, as a nation have become “dependent” upon the government to not only govern our national affairs, but also our personal affairs.
A return to a simpler time, a time when communities cared for each other, relied upon each other and depended upon their neighbors was when true social justice existed in this nation. We now live in a nation of not social justice, but a nation of social engineering, other wise know as socialism, tyranny or any other work to describe personal liberties and personal responsibilities being replaced by group think. We are teaching our children not to depend upon themselves and the community at large, but rather to look to and depend upon the government. We have generations of Americans that have no concept of charity and giving, of time, talent and treasure. But we do have generations of Americans who understand the concepts of give me, I deserve and “fairness”. Using the term “fairness” not as it was meant, “Equal opportunity” but rather as “Equal treasures” regardless of effort put forth.
The America of pre-New Deal and The Great Society is not yet lost, but is quickly becoming so. We have the opportunity and obligation to change the course of this great nation. To right the wrongs and return American and her citizens back to personal responsibility and community minded obligations. We have a unique opportunity in America, the opportunity to wage a revolution with our guns and blood, a revolution that uses the most powerful weapon ever know to man, the vote. This November we must vote to return America back to Americans, to restore Charity and Social Justice back to the people. It is time to take up the mantel of liberty and forge a new path to prosperity by returning to the founding principles of this great nation. Principles spelled out in our founding documents, the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Documents that outline the path to prosperity and freedom, documents that never, not once, call upon the Government to care for the personal lives of its Citizenry. But rather call upon its Citizenry to care for the Government.
When your in a store and the person in front of you is on there phone and checking out. They always take longer, because they are more concerned about there phone call than checking out. Really, you mean to tell me the call cant wait 5 minuets why you are checking out, and it never fails that they talk load….
When you open the door for someone and they don’t say thank you, come on, it takes 2 seconds to be nice and say thank you. I have been in the habit of saying it for them. And the funny thing is, they give me the funny look, like I’m the rude one.
When your at a red light and the person in front of you decides that’s a great time to look for some long lost item in there car. You mean to tell me that could not wait until you got home and parked in your own driveway… Really…
People who walk there dogs and allow there dogs to do there business on your law, and don’t pick it up. You see them looking around to make sure no one is looking. As far as I know your dogs crap in not my responsibility.
When you are having a debate or discussion with some who disagrees with you, and when you start to win the debate, they resort to name calling. Come on, grow up!
SPAM messages to your blog say how great your blog is, in bad English.
When I am Holy Mass and the person next to me decides that having a conversation about some thing or other is a good idea, and when you give them the “look” they act as if you are disrupting them.
Parents who allow there kids to run around stores and restaurants as if it is there personal play ground.
Parents that cuss at there children, really, that’s the best you can do. No other word would have worked? Give me a break.
When you hear about a gang member being shot and killed, and the parent/relative/friend say “They were a good boy, they never did anything wrong”. I guess being in a gang don’t count.
Make-shift memorials at crash sites along the road site. I understand the need to express your sadness and remorse, I even understand the need to somehow mark the event. But it seems that every time anyone gets a hangnail a make-shift roadside memorial pops up.
The need for people to want to be part of everyone else’s tragedy. When a teen dies in a school it seems that teen must have been the most popular kid ever. Every student seems to post RIP on there Facebook, but if you ask them if they were good friends, the response 9 times out of 10 is, I didn’t know them. Than why are you posting RIP, for the attention? to feel part of it all? Because its what everyone else is doing?
Store clerks who talk on there cell phones or to other workers why they are waiting on you. I am not really all that interested in your weekend plans or who did who…
People who move to this country than bash it… Move back home if America is that bad…
Liberals who praise Cuba or other such countries. Praising there health care or governments, yet ignoring the fact they killed millions of there own people and the people live under fear and oppression.
Sales people who wont leave you alone. I know they work on commission, but don’t they understand that you get more flies with honey than vinegar. If and when I need help, I will ask.
People who voted for Obama, just to be part of history. Really, that’s how you decide who is going to lead the free world, based on the fact that it will make history.
The attitude “I am owed” this or that. We see it in our teens and young adults all the time. There first job they expect to make $100,000.00 and when they find out they are making only $1500.00 they get a little indigent.
School teachers who blindly teach a perverted version of American history.
Unions…. Just because they exist
Well there you have it, the 20 things that bug me….
a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2. procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
3. (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles.
America has flirted with this concept for years, Amtrak, Post Office, Social Security, Medicaid, GM, and our public schools. In fact the public schools are a perfect example of an imperfect system of government that destroys what it sets out to fix.
Americas public school system is based on the Prussian system of mandatory education form the early 19th century. (Read this)(and see this) The point of the system was not to educate but rather to indoctrinate, to create better Lutherans.
Add to this model of education the unions and you have a perfect, self-serving institution that cares not one bit for the people whom they serve. The children are not the center of the education system, they are a necessary evil to the ends they system desires, More pay, less work, more benefit, let out put…
With the spending per student ever on the rise we would expect to have one of the best schools systems in the world, yet we do not. We keep spending, and our schools keep failing. The more we spend the worst we seem to do. Why is this? Simple, because we have a socialistic system of education. No competition and no accountability.
Teachers want smaller classrooms, they state is will increase the level of quality education, yet there is no proof of this. The schools bow down to the union demands, and we get smaller classrooms. The result, less students for the teachers to deal with, meaning more teachers needed to teach and the test results are no different, we still have a failing system. Yet we just spent millions of dollars… (How schools are funded)
Better educated teachers will produce better educated students… This is the next big lie… The unions tie the level of education to the pay the teacher receives. So if a bad teacher has a masters in education they will make more than the good teacher with out the masters. No need to prove your value, just buy it. Oh, and if you’re a bad teacher that was able to stick it out and get tenure than your golden. The unions created a system the rewards you for nothing, no out-come based achievements are needed, just do your time and they will take care of the rest.
This my friends is socialism at its best. When you create a system that is not based on market needs, be it education or food production, you create a system that is doomed to fail. With in the American education system we have no competition, so we have no need to improve, we have no accountability. Yet, if we were to allow the education system to become a free market system, allowing the tax dollars to follow the student to what ever school they choose, be it secular or religious, we would than create a system that fosters competition and that my friends would guarantee an improvement.
Look at any industry run by the government and I will show you an industry that is miss managed. The Post Office, Amtrak or the Educational System, all miss managed and wasteful. None of them have incentives to improve, the government will continue to toss money at them, with new five year plans designed to fix the system. Of course the plan includes lots of new money but no accountability.
With the Obama administrations enactment of ObamaCare, we will see the same ineptness in our heath care as we see in our education and other
government run entities. God help us all if we don’t fix this now.
How do we fix it, privatize it all, allow the free market to do it’s thing. The strong will survive and the others will change or fade away.
Socialism has no part to take in America, we need to rid ourselves of this parasite and return to the free market solutions this great country was founded on.
I am just returning from a two-week trip to Germany and the UK. The weather was fantastic, sunny and warm, all the trees in bloom and the grass was green, I spent many hours outside enjoying the spring. Than I returned home, to Michigan to a wind storm than snow! Yep it’s mid April and we had wet heavy snow. I was not happy! But such is life…
It’s funny, people seems to think because I am an American, I must know the pulse of America. I was asked by one of my students in Germany what America thought of the fact that Germany turned off all there nuclear power plants. My response:
“I’m not sure what America thinks of it, I know that I think it was reactionary, and I know we, in America are debating nuclear power at the moment. I also know that our news covered it, but I really don’t think it was a big news story.”
His response:
“It was only a news story, you’re not talking about it”
It always strikes me funny, Europe despises America, according to Obama and the lame stream news, yet every time I am there they, the Europeans want to know what we, the Americans think. If they despise us, as we are lead to believe, than why do they care what we think? What bother to ask?
American politics are always a topic when I travel, it never fails. And for the most part it is a nice debate over points of view. But once again it was brought up that they, the Europeans, should have a vote in the American political system!?! Really, you really think you should be able to vote for our President, the President of the United States of America… Come on! But this time I did offer a carrot to them, I offered them Obama, I told them I would be glad to ship him over, than he can become supreme ruler of Europe. The look on their faces was, as we often say, priceless.
Another student, this time in the UK brought up the Big Wedding they are preparing for, William and Kate, the young Royals. That, of course lead to a discussion on the Monarchy and is role in British Politics. My take, I like it, I live the idea that I can travel to the UK, see a palace and know a Queen lives there. There is just something about it. But I am not British, and I have no say in their political system. Now for the most part, when the Queen comes up the first reaction of the Brits are disdain for the whole family and the whole Monarchy thing. But this time I was shocked. the student stated that maybe having one supreme power in the Queen or King would be better, than you would at least know who is to blame. Now I understand his point of view. with politicians always politicking, you are never sure who said what, when were or why. And that’s just they way they, the politicians, like it. But… There is always a but… One rule governments never work, the power becomes too much for them, and they want more and more and more. I told my student we have recent proof of this. I also told him that we, in America, are currently trying to rid ourselves of our American Monarchy. For some reason I got a strange look at this comment. “What Monarchy?” The Obama Monarchy, with the way Obama and the Democrats have acted in the past 2 or so years, one would feel as if America was rules by a King, King Obama.
Once again, I offered up Obama, offered to send our King to the British people. The way I look at it, if they love him so much, and he, Obama, loves the European way of governing so much (Socialism) than they can have him. It would work out for the best for everyone. We would get rig of him, and they would gain the savior all to themselves. And Obama would be looked upon as a great politician, and in the end, that is truly all he wants.
I once heard an instructor talk about trying to counsel a young woman in a hospital who had been severely abused by her family. He tried unsuccessfully for an hour to get a response from her but she simply refused to acknowledge his presence in the room. Finally when he got up to leave she spoke for the first time. She explained that in her pain she wanted to end her life and asked him how was able to live amidst the hurts and difficulties in the world. Thinking for a moment he responded, “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.”
It was Alfred H. Ackley who penned the words to the immortal song with those lyrics back in the early part of the twentieth century. He was listening to a radio program where people seemed very confused about the message of Jesus and the meaning of Easter. Ackley found himself extremely frustrated over the conversation he heard, and so with the encouragement of his wife he sat down and wrote the infamous lyrics to the song “He Lives”:
It was the Apostle Paul who proclaimed, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection” (Philippians 3:10). Paul took an eternal perspective about life which empowered him to face all challenges with a sense of victory, peace and perspective.
About the same time that Ackley penned the words to his song a missionary named E. H. Hamilton was asked if he was afraid of dying on the mission field. With his own faith in the unseen realities of life and in the love of God Hamilton responded by writing a poem entitled “Afraid? Of What?”:
To feel the spirit\’s glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid – of that?
Afraid? Of What?
Afraid to see the Savior\’s face
To hear His welcome and to trace
The glory gleam from wounds of grace?
Afraid – of that?
Afraid? Of What?
Both writers captured the essence of the Paul’s words, and both works have been an encouragement for countless people. As Lenten season has begun wherever you find yourself on your spiritual journey, remember the words of Mary Morrissey who wrote, “You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith,” and never forget that all things are possible to him who believes.
A former pastor, Tobin holds both a B.A. and an M.A. in theology. Having traveled widely in the Marine Corps and as a graduate student, Tobin has spent the past 15 years gathering some of the world’s most powerful life-changing truths. He’s the author of \\’The Life That Is Really Life: How Biblical Truth Can Transform Your Spiritual, Emotional, Physical and Relational Health\\’ available at his website twominutesermon.com
I asked him to come hold me because I am scared. Here is the thing, I know I have a lot of friends who voted for ‘the other guy’ and I know that tonight is a night of celebration for you. I know you will be happy and think that you have reached a level of success. I know you are certain that something better has happened for our country. I know you are confident that you can believe in the change that you are striving for. And finally, I know that you don’t quite know why people like me are so scared. I thought I would let you know why. Because here is the thing, understanding where the ‘other’ is coming from is a good thing. I want to help you understand…. 
ʃəˌlɪz
Could Boys Town work today? And other thoughts on Charity and Social Justice.
Cover of Boys Town
Share this:
Like this:
Posted by Paul Sposite on January 19, 2012 in Catholic, Change, church, Civil Rights, Civil Rights, conservative, Conservative Catholics, Control, Election, Faith, Family, Founding Fathers, History, Improvement, liberal, Liberal Catholics, Life, Media, Politics, Religon, selfhelp, social justice, Tax
Tags: affairs, African, Albert, Allen, america, American, Americans, Angeles, Appeal, Archbishop, Arcus, army, Arthur, article, articles, author, benevolence, Bill, Bishops, Boko, book, Both, brother, California, Call, Canterbury, Catholic, Center, Character, children, church, Citizenry, coach, coalition, college, Comment, concept, concepts, constitution, Cool, Cosby, Could, creative, Deal, Declaration, deeds, Defend, definition, depend, dependency, depressions, discussion, documents, donations, dreams, Effective, effort, efforts, Egyptian, Equal, example, extremists, fact, Faith, Faithfunder, father, fathers, Federal, Finalist, Flanagan, forces, foundation, freedom, friends, Fund, generation, generations, government, governments, great, Gross, handouts, Haram, Harold, heritage, human, independence, individuals, inspiration, January, John, justice, Kennedy, leadership, letter, Life, Link, Look, manner, Market, memory, million, Mobile, Mobilize, money, moneys, Movements, Nation, National, nature, needs, Negroes, neighbors, North, November, obligation, obligations, Occupy, oppression, organization, paperwork, path, Paul, performance, person, Philadelphia, Philanthropist, President, Principles, Prior, Private, provider, PRWEB, racism, recessions, redistribution, redistributionist, regulations, reliance, responsibilities, revolution, Richard, rights, role, salvation, Self, services, Short, Should, social, Socialism, souls, Specifics, sticks, student, study, Successful, system, talent, talks, thoughts, times, Town, treasures, True, truth, Tyranny, unit, Urgent, Vatican, victims, Walter, weapon, Weird, welfare, West, Wikipedia, Williams, words, workers, world, worth