Thanks to recent events I have had to consider things unimaginable. The thoughts
 of what had to occur in the previous decades to allow such heinous acts, such unspeakable evil to occur
to the most innocent. The repetition of such evil frustrates me. Yes, the loss
of innocent lives angers me, but I cringe after each event for another reason.    
       
     We hear stories of evil acting out in third world countries in ways that
scare us like demons and witchcraft. We hear of miraculous healings and people
coming to know God in amazing ways as well. There they call detestable things by
their rightful name: evil. Here we say let’s get more laws, more security, less
guns, more guns, mental health programs, etc… but things continue to get worse.
Evil more boldly shows its face in America with each passing day.            
     
     Yet after all of these current events I read in Ecclesiastes that says
there is nothing new under the sun. So why does it seem that our culture is
fading quickly into the moral abyss?  I look at the founding fathers of our
once great nation and see dozens of men of integrity who gave everything for the
freedom of all the people. Today I see millions of people who give little (if
anything) and expect more handouts. The founding fathers did everything they
could to uphold what was right, not what was easy. I RESOLVE to do what is right
no matter what the level of difficulty. I will work. I will love. And I will grow.

               
Darkness cannot exist where light shines. So let your light shine before
men, and watch them glow in your presence for they see a glimps of God's love.
 Here is some light to shine into your day: my nephew Liam

You don't have to watch the video just listen as you read.

    Have you ever thought about how much your senses are attached to your emotions? Why is it that when we smell the perfume of a significant other we are filled with warm tender feelings, or if we make a tackle in football that gives us a headache we are glad we made the hit. But if those same senses are applied to different situations we get angry. Like if you catch the scent of someone from a past, bad relationship we get mad, or if someone drops a book on our head on purpose we are fuming. It goes with the saying "if someone spits in your face does it make you angry?.. (answers yes).. No it makes you wet.
    The song Amazing Grace is a powerful song. I have heard it often during my 24 years on this planet, but it is only when it is played with the bagpipes that it makes me tear up. When I hear that version I automatically think of the man I was named after; my Grandfather. He passed away eleven years ago. My dad's family is very proud of their Scottish heritage and this song is no acception. We love bagpipes, especially Amazing Grace. It incites powerful emotion for me.
    At the core of it, really all we hear is wind moving through a specially crafted instrument of cloth, wood, and plastic. But my emotion goes wild still. Logically we know movies are not real, but we still feel tense, excited, scared, love, joy, or anger when watching. When someone flatulates (farts) some get mad, others laugh. All this tells me emotion is volatile. So should be try to erase them?
    Emotion is like a hammer. It can be used to build up great things or tear them down. God has given us this gift of emotion to use properly. We have to power to build others up through encouragement and affirmation, inciting good emotion into the lives of others. Let us build a foundation worth building upon.