-AND BELIEVE IT

“Half measures avail us nothing.” Recently the world changed, well recent in a generational sense. It happened over the last 60 years. Once upon a time we taught our children to strive to be the best, to excel, to play hard, keep score and that bumps and scrapes and bruises and winning and losing were all part of growing up and life. When they ran home with a bloody knee or elbow, they received a spray of Bactine, a band-aid, and a pat on the butt and were sent back out to play. If Johnny who lived down the street bloodied their nose, Dad would give them a pep talk and a boxing lesson. If they screwed up at school a swat from “old hickory” or some such named paddle was delivered, picking up trash or some other supposed demeaning task given to punctuate their malfeasance, parents notified only if they were repeat offenders. God was prevalent everywhere, from the pledge of allegiance recited at the start of every school day to singing Christmas carols and making manger scenes in every grade school class room.

Today a bloody knee, elbow, or nose could lead to a trip to the plastic surgeon and an immediate call to an attorney to assign blame and seek compensation for emotional tumult and future therapy needs, fighting requiring a police report. Have you been to a playground lately? No swings, no bars to do “death drops” from, no jungle gyms or teeter-totters, grass and dirt replaced with specially formulated cushioning sand and rubber mats. No one fails in school anymore, it being more important to “try” than succeed. Even scores for sporting contests have been discontinued in some locals because it is more important to participate than to have winners and losers, God forbid. Oops, sorry, using the G word or saying “Merry Christmas” may upset or offend someone so that is frowned on and do not even suggest singing any of the great Christmas songs like Silent Night, too religious dontcha know.

If you agree with way the world is turning in regards to personal responsibility, wrapping children in “cotton” in a attempt to shield them from life’s inevitable ups, downs, bruises, cuts, failures and successes, the removing of God and Spiritual Guidance from being mentioned in any public way, than please, have a wonderful day and stop reading. No Really. Stop.

God is either everything or else He is nothing-period. There is no middle ground. When we believe in nothing then we will believe in anything, all that matters is feelings. Actions have no consequence, so long as I feel good about myself. Living on the Spiritual Basis provides a foundation built on unshakable rock, faith and belief in a Power Greater than Ourselves. Think of God. Review some of the things that you know to be true about Him-His perfect goodness, infinite intelligence, all presence, limitless power, unbound love, and so forth. Claim that God who is all those things, is with you-and believe it. God is either everything or else He is nothing-choose wisely. Oh, and Merry Christmas.