For all my Family and Friends, Especially Jadyn, my Lil Princess

Although to most of the world, our 4th of July holds little, if any, significance, I pray you'll pray for our celebration of freedom along with us. We are all UNITED!
We are all equal...
Maya Angelou said it best: " We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color."
Wish I'd've said that.
God Bless!
Taylor

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

The Declaration of Independence says:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

DOES THAT APPLY TO EVERYONE BUT US? Don't mean to shout, but I just want to be heard.
Can't we just be accepted as we are?
We may have some differences, but we can certainly find a solution that suits both sides.
Todd Ruthman - "It's the things in common that make relationships enjoyable, but it's the little differences that make us interesting."
Can't we join a circle of Love around this magnificent earth of ours? We're all children of God...there's no mistaking that.
Different languages, different faiths, different beliefs, different homelands, different clothes, and yes, different sexual orientations.
We are a work in progress, always have been and always will be. By changing our inner attitudes, we can change history in a positive fashion that our forefathers would have applauded and cheered from the highest soapboxes.
The future of America and the rest of the world, for that matter, holds God's Light and strength. He's trying to bring us together. He wants us to see each other as one family. His Family.
Even broken people can make a difference. It's what we do that defines us.
There's evidence that even demons have been redeemed.
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do."
There's only one of each of us. God threw the mold away after He made us.
On this July 4th, 2008...please accept God's invitation. He wants you to want Him in your heart. He wants you to want Him in your life, the gift of which He gave you.
Before you light that first firecracker of celebration, say a prayer of Thanksgiving for the wonderful LAND in which we live.
May your fireworks light the heavens.
Happy Fourth of July!
Peace and Light,
Taylor

"Let Us have a Little Talk With Jesus"

Jesus speaks with all of us, just as He spoke to the woman at the well. Different words but with the same love and tender mercy.
I Kings 8:46 tells us that there is no man/woman that does not sin, yet in verse 49 it continues by saying, "He hears our prayers and supplications in Heaven."
He knows us better than we know ourselves.
Why, He Knows what you're having for dinner tonight. If he knows something that trivial, don't you think He knows the happy and not so happy cogs in the wheels of our lives? He keeps our lives turning, doesn't He?
But...He can't give what a rambling tongue, unsure of its own true desires, rattles off like a barking dog, baying at the night sky.
Speak with Him...but more importantly...listen to what He has to say.
There's an old saying: "If God wanted you to talk more than listen, He'd have given you two mouths and only one ear."
Certainly, conversing is a two-way street and He wants to hear from you all through your day, not just when you want something.
Do you go to your earthly parents and talk with them only when you need something from them? If so, I bet they're heartbroken. They want to hear from you in the good and the bad...just like God does.
So whether you're driving home from work, exercising, sitting quietly outside or in a diner or restaurant, or curled up on the couch with earphones pumping some of your favorite music through your ears, take a moment or several minutes to have a little talk with Jesus.
It's okay to cry. He'll wash your tears away. It's okay to stew over a matter of importance to you. It's okay to express your fears. It's okay to ask for more than you can possibly attain on your own. It's okay to take His invisible hand in yours. All this shows Him is your constant Faith.
It connects you and provides security, freedom, opportunity, love and grace. Makes no difference whatever your sexual identity. And all that is a great thing from an awesome and loving Father.
Hope is the basic ingredient of optimism. It energizes your mind. We're united by the Spirit of the Divine.
Talk to Him. Some call it prayer, but it's all the same. You are ONE with CHRIST.

A Message God Told Me to Send

There's been a wee voice speaking tenderly in my heart all morning. It keeps saying..."Someone out there is hurting."
Is this message for you?
Someone is criticizing themselves relentlessly, holding back NO punches. They're bruising and harming their body and soul.
It's a terrible hurt you're feeling. You feel so all alone in your heartache. You're not alone my friend. We're standing here with God to help you. Just say the word or look our way...and we'll come running.
Has there been an illness in your family or even the death of a loved one? Has the economy set you back ten years or so? Are you struggling with whether to tell your friends and family about your homosexuality, fearful of rejection? Or countless other spirit-crushing roadblocks?
Don't be embarrassed by the need for guidance. We all need it, and to be honest, we need it most of the time.

Over 1800 hundred years ago the Nag Hammadi manuscripts were hidden by some monks, fearing the Church would destroy them.
Discovered in an earthenware jar, ancient voices rose from the parchment when they were unearthed. Feminine voices speaking of wisdom. Their wisdom holds true today. It's seven pages, but I've condensed a portion of the pages as I received them.

"For I am the first and the last.
I am the honored and the scorned one.
I am the whore and the holy one.
I am the wife and the virgin.
For I am knowledge and ignorance;
I am shame and boldness.
I am shameless; I am ashamed.
I am strength and I am fear.
I am war and I am Peace.
Give heed to me.
I am the one who is disgraced and the great one."

Do these time lasting words show you the dualities we've all faced? She's telling us that in order to know wholeness,we must dance with the opposites. Yet she warns us not to get stuck in such dualities. Learn from them.
It's only a parcel of her enigmatic poetry and her wisdom.

Pogo wrote: "We have met the enemy and he/she is us."
But, we can change that. Now is the only time we have dominion over.
Our hands are extended to you. No matter what your crisis or challenge. Right or wrong; we love you.
As extensions of God's awesome Love, we won't turn our backs to you. Please allow us to pray for you. There's Power in our genuine prayers to God.
Wonder working Prayers!
One thing that I have learned...Life is amazing!
God's Amazing Grace is here today, tonight, tomorrow, next year or all of our years.
It will out last us on earth.
Each and every one of our prayers are etched in Heaven.

I don't know if this message was meant for you or not. That's between you and God. But,if you need a prayer for something special or something anonymous, we stand waiting.
Oh, before I forget,He told me to tell you, "He Loves You...His Prince and/or His Princess."
May you rest in God's arms.
Peace and Light,
Taylor

'Escape From Yourself'

Do you ever get tired of following yourself around, day in and day out?
Maybe you need to flee to the sanctuary of God. He's our refuge.
Where God is...there is VICTORY! That's what you're in search of, battling for, or aiming to reach, isn't it?
I know that I am, but sometimes I keep getting in my own way.
The scriptures say, "According to your Faith, be it unto you."
Now I know this backwards and forwards, and all ways in between...but heck no, that doesn't stop me from trying to pave my own road occasionally. And I know a frog's nose about construction. Leastwise, the type I need in my life.
Claim God's help. Claim it today! It requires obedience. Its path is straight and narrow, but it leads directly to His Kingdom, His outstretched arms of mercy.
Draw near to God, not only in prayers for our wants and our needs, but draw near just for the sheer nearness to Him. He'll spread His divine wonder-working power over you. A power beyond our infinite minds.
So jump from your lily pad...jump from the pond you've called home and leap into the arms of the Savior. Escape from yourself with a trusting heart. Victory is only a prayer away.
Pray that your character is chisled in beauty, as only His hands can do. Not the beauty of the world...but the beauty of perfect exhalted Freedom.
Turn loose...'escape from yourself'...if only for a few minutes each day. Escape into the sanctuary of GOD!
I'll meet you there.
Photo taken by 'BUNNY'

"STRENGTH"

Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com

" Eastern teachers say:" Whatever you are looking for, you must first find it through yourself."
Love not only breathes love, life, and happiness; it can breath wars and death as well.
LOVE is more powerful than hate; so open your heart and prove the STRENGTH of Your LOVE.
People's vibrations interact with our own. Draw them to you with the love of God that occupies your soul. Love is eternal and even death cannot destroy it.
Whether you believe it or not, you are a storehouse of knowledge. There is a garden within each person's soul. Fertile soils that can produce anything, any power, or any accomplishment.
Our thoughts are the seeds that bring forth each after its own kind. They have bodies, breath and wings. We build our future, precious thought by precious thought. Keep them pure and filled with love.
Our thoughts bring forth fruit. You could say that our thoughts are another name for fate. Remember the bible verse? "Whatsoever a man thinketh, so she/he is."
Our minds are just as much ours to control as our tongue, hands and/or feet.
Your mind is your connection between your physical being and your soul...your life and God. For all thoughts are prayers in one way or another and our thoughts feed our minds as food feeds our bodies. The present always holds the future in its embrace.
So wait on the Lord to renew your STRENGTH. Mount up with the wings of eagles; run and be not weary. Let God be the wind beneath your wings.
I John 4:12 " If we love one another, God lives in us, and His Love is perfected in us."
Find God inside of you. It doesn't matter your gender, your nationality, your religious beliefs, your sexual preference, the amount of money, or lack thereof, in your pockets, your size or shape, where you live, where you pray, or the years of your life...God loves us all.
If He doesn't live in your heart, I'll guarantee He stands knocking on your heart's door. Open the door and let Him in. Then you too will mount up with the wings of eagles and soar over the bountiful garden growing inside you. You have nothing to lose. Please trust me on this. Take a chance my friend, no matter where you dwell. OPEN the DOOR of YOUR HEART to God. HE lives inside you.
Just like the Eastern teachers have said: "Whatever you are looking for, you must first find it through yourself."
Just turn the doorknob of your heart's door. He's waiting.
God bless you one and all from sea to shining sea!
Softly and tenderly, my prayers are with you.
Peace, Light and Love,
Taylor

Don't let your dreams get lost!

Confucius say, " Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."
External voices, opinions and judgments by others can hide our dreams far beneath the sea, if we allow those critical words of others to swamp our sailboat.
Tune them out and listen to God. After all, He's the maker of your dreams.
Expect the seeds of growth from your heart; the place of greatest wisdom. The place where God lives.
Everything has beauty - look for it - look until it flourishes in front of you. Trust me...it's there; if we've not allowed the attitudes of others to blind us.
Take a solitary walk with God around the neighborhood. Say, "Hello" to all you meet with a genuine smile spread across your face. Most likely you'll get one back.
Or take a hike in the woods and cuddle close to nature. Enjoy its wonders. Just you and God. He has some special words for you...but you must be quite and listen. Listen with your heart. ( Might take some practice; it did for me.)
I'm just wondering Lord, how many times I've let fear keep me from moving toward experiences in my life that could help me grow and be my best?
Choose to walk in FAITH, my friend and no one can swamp your sailboat and hide your dreams far beneath the sea. Reclaim your God given dreams!
But if you need any help...I'm an excellent swimmer.
We're all riders on this earth together...
May your weekend be filled with celestial beauty.
Peace and Light across our great lands, made especially for us by the hands of Our God.
Eternal Love,
Taylor

'Breaking Up Is Hard to Do'

NOPE! I haven't turned to the bottle, but a glass of wine in the evening doesn't hurt.
Gracious be, I hate hurting anyone, but sometimes couples grow apart, or in different directions. We hear about it almost every day. Doesn't mean one is good and/or the other bad. Just that they've come to a fork in the road where one wants to go one direction and the other wants to go another direction. Compromising has ceased.
One thing I've discovered is that words have just as much power as an atom bomb. They can blow relationships apart.
You can either walk through life or be dragged. When either one drags the other, the stress over the years wounds you permanently.
Sometimes we outgrow the clay pot we were planted in, and if we're not re potted, we'll wither and die. So at times a break-up is the only resolution to end the hurt and fertilize the growth on both sides.
Well, I'm going through that miserable dark cloud now, as well is my partner of nearly 14 years. It's not that love has died...but all the emotional energy has been drained nearly dry.
So love without intimacy is friendship. And trust me, we're doing everything possible to remain friends. But finding the courage to face great sorrows plays melancholy melodies on our heart strings.

No one's to blame. Let's make that perfectly clear! Straight or Gay, time moves on, and sometimes we have to make some tough choices. I'm seeking God's advice and guidance each and every day.
Forgiveness is having the courage to take down the walls of bitterness that frost over our hearts.
Unweaving the rainbow that once covered our relationship is the hardest part. Here's where I quote Pascal again: "The heart has its reasons that reason does not know."
I just keep remembering that prayers go up and blessings come down. It gets me through.
I know many of you have faced this exact situation before. Friends are our antibiotics to help us heal, when life pours down hard on our heads.
I think maybe Christ has His arms around me now as I write this. He steers my path. But still...breaking up is hard to do!"
Share some of your heart songs with me.
Thanks for listening.
Christians go through tough times, too!
Peace, Love and Light to you all.
Taylor

God's Path

Have you ever felt you were drifting anchorless upon the ocean, with no land in site? Completely LOST? Your heart heavy with impossibilities? Seeking endlessly for a shortcut to success.
Is your heart at half-mast?
Pick up your shoulders. God's your answer. He's your anchor, He's your miracle-maker, He lives in your heart, so raise yourself to the top of the flagpole! Stand tall...for you are God's Prince or Princess. You're royalty.

We often think that super achievers are the only folks who can teach us anything. But the fact is: You can learn from your surrounding. Wisdom can be gained from other's mistakes, other's thoughts, ideas, and actions. Young ones, older ones, black, brown, yellow, or white ones, straight, or gay/lesbians, transgender, rich or poor, a CEO or a sanitation worker.
You have to be willing to grasp these things placed before you, no matter their wrappings.

There's a homeless man that lives in the woods close by my church. I try to take a care package each week, just to remind him that's he's loved. He showed me a ring yesterday with a cross etched on it, and said, "God goes everywhere with me." He proudly displayed the symbol of his Master, our Lord Jesus Christ.
This man's name is Charlie. I walked down to his camp one day when I couldn't find him. He sleeps on some old foam rubber, and uses the dirty inerts of an old couch pillow for his head. He has two places to sit, both wooden crates. There's plenty of empty beer cans and liquor bottles thrown about. That's why I never give him money. I suppose he drinks to chase the loneliness away. I can't judge him.
I gave him a favorite bible of mine with highlighted passages and scribbled remarks, I'd made throughout the years of use. I believe he'll read it. I pray it helps his situation. I've never told him that I ventured through the woods to his camp, but he knows it, because I left a care package behind for him.
So even old Charlie isn't anchorless. Even old Charlie has possibilities. He may not be searching for the kind of success we yearn for...but God brought me to him. And I know one day I'll see old Charlie in Heaven. I might not recognize him at first without all that hair on his face and head, but our souls will recognize each others.
Charlie's taught me that one can make do on very little. He holds a sign printed with the words, God Bless You. I know there must be others that stop every now and then. See...God takes care of old Charlie.
What makes you think that HE won't take care of you? You've got to ask God for what you want. Nothing is too small or too big. If you're gonna pray, you might as well pray BIG.
You might question me about old Charlie being royalty. But his long gray hair is his earthly crown.
Open the door to your reality. Create JOY! Get up and move. Make something happen. Spoil yourself sometime.
The biggest problem you have to deal with is yourself. Be Gentle. Be Tender.
Look above and know that you will always be LOVED. You'll always have an anchor during high seas. Just reach out.
There's no shortcuts to success. It's the PATH, to success, that carries all life's lessons for you. And, remember, you won't be walking alone.
I've chosen God's Path. Hope to meet you along the way.
Your sister-in-Christ.

Monday's Ponderance

The wellspring of courage and endurance in the face of unbridled power is generally a firm belief in the sanctity of ethical principles, combined with a historical sense that - despite all setbacks - the condition of man/woman is set on an ultimate course for both spiritual and material advancement."
-Aung Sang Suu Kyi

"We are our thoughts...and YES, God allows us to choose the paths of our thoughts. Spend your thoughts wisely, my friends. It will make all the difference in the world."
Helen Taylor Little

Misfits For Christ

Have you ever considered the disciples Jesus chose? Think about it.
A thief, a tax collector, a drunk, a murderer, amongst other fellows from the wrong side of the track. By no means the cream of the crop!
He saw in them what He sees in you and me...sinners from all walks of life, but longing for more.
People wanting to come home, people wanting the comfort of His Everlasting Arms. People hungry for Salvation. Sinners everyone. But He loves us just as we are.
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, that's OUR LORD and SAVIOR.
You were chosen - rich - poor - well educated - illiterate - shy - boastful - beautiful inside and/or out - willing to travel the highways of God. Regardless of the boulders we run into, we must find our way over...or through...or around along our way. Yes, there will be many, that's inevitable. Yet, He gives us the strength and endurance to surpass these obstacles. He gently guides us.

But most importantly, this time of the year, we're reminded that 'HE GAVE HIS LIFE' for us, so that we might have eternal life.
You'll never figure out just why He chose you... just believe it...it's your destiny. There's no greater reward, my friends.
You can't make a brand new start from the beginning, but you can make a brand new ending. An awesome ending with Christ as your Rock of Salvation.
It is necessary for us to suffer patiently the dark night of sorrow and death, if we are to enter the brilliant new Light of Easter.
I'm a misfit for Christ. Are you?
The boulder has been rolled away.
"Up From the Grave He Arose..."
Have a glorious Easter, and may His Light shine upon you.

Have You Discovered Your Purpose?

A very special friend of mine over in Iran is making me a white woolly scarf. This is a picture of what she's accomplished so far. Going to be beautiful, isn't it? Fortunately for me, she has it surrounding my latest novel, 'Returning to Rockwell.'
So many of us have all these hidden talents. No,my friend isn't going to be a weaver, knitter, or tailor.
She's going to be a vessel for God in spreading His magnificent LOVE and Purpose for our lives.
She's shy about all the terrific attributes she possesses. Actually she hasn't recognized her flair to fulfill these vast tasks, but God has. He molded her especially for this valuable work.
Don't let internal dialogue drag you into the past or future. Focus on the present. Be a part of each divine moment. LIVE!!!!!
Christ always leads us in a triumphal procession. Stay in step, but should you stumble, His arms will catch you.
Don't forget your prayers. Even our thoughts are prayers, so if it's too small for prayer, then it's too small to worry about. Move on from any unacceptable minute circumstances. They don't pay rent, so kick them out and let God's positive energy flow through your life.
Yep, there's challenges in finding and keeping FAITH. But once attained, we can change the world.
Never miss the opportunity to help a stranger, or a friend, or a family member. God promises to return it back to you in ways you've never imagined. I'm living proof.

I dreamed of being a writer since I was a little fart. That dream never left me, but I selected a more lucrative career path for many years, before God showed me, or perhaps shook me back in line with my purpose. I was created by our Creator to write, to share His Almighty Love with others. And, you know what? I may be a starving artist, but I'm a happy one.
WHY? Because I've discovered my purpose...

James 1: 5-6 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he/she should ask God,...but when he/she asks, he/she must believe and not doubt."

Don't Underestimate Your Worth...

Tonight an ocean of stars swims under an ebony canopy. Shiny diamonds in the vast sky; kinda like you and me in this expanding world that circles round about us.
Oh....! You don't see yourself as a shining diamond? Why Not?
Do you think you're not as shiny and bright as the person next to you, or across from you?
STOP!!! Stop comparing yourself to others. We must learn that it's our differences that make us so special.
Longfellow wrote many years ago: "The heart, like the mind, has a memory. And in it are kept the most precious keepsakes."
Have you recently taken the time to count your many blessings? No? Why not?
You say...life's been tough lately. So much sickness, financial problems, family crises, the right job hasn't come along, my health seems to decline more each day. God doesn't seem to be listening to me! He's got so distant. I'm at my breaking point. And on and on and on.

Make no doubt about it, God is still right by your side. He's telling you all the right things to do - but - guess who's not listening? We're too busy listening to the screaming woes of life to hear His gentle voice. His sound advice.
Can you believe it? We turn off God's voice by drowning it out with things we have absolutely no control over. We live in the shadows of fear, anger, judgment, and a storehouse of other aspects lurking within us.
We give them permission and they take on a life of their own, thereby robbing us of our feelings of worthiness.
Step out of the shadows, come face-to-face with these tormenting robbers and join God's Army. Then you'll have legions helping you fight your invading trespassers.
All you have to do is ask. He's waiting for you.
You're not going to find yourself...you must create yourself. And you need His help to do that.
Don't become sheathed in ice crystals, drooping in depression.
God knows what, and who you are, and who you can become. He stands ready to guide you.
Liberty comes from walking by FAITH. No, I won't tell you it's easy at times...but there's no better road to travel.
Unsaddle the negativity. Catch a rising star and soar to your place in the sky. Glow like you've never glowed before. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to see the glistening diamond you truly are.
In God's Army, we all wear the light of love...and boy-O-boy, do we shine. Join us.
Pick your place in life and shine as only YOU can shine. Just like from the nursery rhyme most of us learned as a child. "Like a diamond in the sky."
You are most worthy. Claim it, believe it...live it.

Time For a Change

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""...Pond, Langbehn's partner for nearly 18 years, was stricken in Miami with a brain aneurysm and died. Langbehn, a social worker, said officials at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital did not recognize her or their jointly adopted children as part of Pond's family... Langbehn said she was informed by a social worker that they were in an 'anti-gay state' and that they needed legal paperwork before Langbehn could see Pond."
The Olympian, of Olympia, Washington, June 17, 2007

Janice didn't get to say goodbye. In Florida her family relationship was refused any recognition even in their hour of direst need.

In November, Floridians will be forced to vote on a ballot measure that would enshrine this kind of discrimination forever in the Florida Constitution and could ban benefits for all unmarried partners.

It's Valentine's Day, the time of year when we focus on love. It's time we stop this madness right here and now in Florida. With your support, we can defeat Florida Amendment #2 on November 4, 2008.

Let our hearts come together, on this day of hearts, and be unified in calling for change, and the rights already allocated to the gross of adult Americans. But we must never forget every path has a few puddles. Let's leap them or splash in them together.

Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends and family...

Living for Jesus

Never Forget...

Never be afraid to let your Light shine! For by doing so, we reveal the Divine within us.
Shine for Jesus, shine for yourself, shine for all those you love, and shine for the strangers you meet.
Just add a smile to brighten your Light.
SHINE...SHINE...SHINE.

My Proud Heritage

Look closely...this is me. Or at least a part of me. He was one of the original settlers of America. At least a drop of his blood courses through my veins. If he had not lived, I would not be here. Doesn't matter the tribe. We are all connected.
In 2005, I wrote a book titled, 'The Forest of Life.' It's a book about 'Two-Spirits.'
What's a 'Two-Spirit?'
Native Americans once revered these members of their tribe and clans. They were the embodiment of the Yin and Yang. A person that was made up of two genders. Holy people they were called before 'white man' changed the cultures and traditions of these early American settlers.
Before native lands were overtook by foreigners, 'Two-Spirits','Dual-Spirits' or 'Twin-Spirits' were honored and treated with the highest respect. Usually healers, keepers of the tales, or noted for their empowerment within their clans, they possessed a delicate balance of male and female. It was said that they had a Holy calling.
Oh...but how times have changed! Progress, though vital to society, isn't always a good thing when changes are made through those not enlighten.
Our Creator directs our steps, but it's up to us to take the steps. Sometimes we choose to go our own way. Then critical mistakes are made along life's path.
Being a lesbian 'Two-Spirit' is part of the heritage God gave me. It isn't always easy, but, if He didn't think we could deal with the challenges that go with the calling, I might be 'Mary Poppins', floating about with me umbrella.
I ask you again, please look at this face of our American Forefather. His face reflects a life of struggles.
As LGBT we've faced many of the same, except without the bows and arrows as weapons, but with the bows of bigotry and arrows of hate.
I'm proud of my Indian heritage and I'm proud to be a 'Two-Spirit'.
Our eyes present the truth...look deeply...and feel the love reflected back to you.

Strangers Come Into Our Lives For a Reason

Through the eyes of a stranger...


Have you ever felt the fire in a stranger's caress? It wasn't an earth-shaking hug, but you felt an automatic connection spring from the wells of your heart.
Did Jesus, Himself, just hug you through the arms and eyes of a stranger? Can't be, you say. He'd never come to me.
But in my opinion, you'd be wrong. For I've received many of just such hugs, and knew, almost instantly, I'd been embraced by our Savior.
Perhaps, He's used you to to deliver a heavenly hug to a stranger.That idea, in and of itself, can't help but make you feel special.
And SPECIAL You are!
I have a friend who once was but a stranger, but the gold that glistened in her eyes drew me in. I knew those were the eyes of Jesus I was looking into and I lowered my eyes in reverence.
It was the gift of encouragement my heart had been asking for. It helped me abandon the pain of many yesterdays. It whispered that our past can no longer block the way of our hearts. This stranger, my winter rose, although without words said, "You can change your tomorrow, if you seek your dream today.
Always seek the opportunity for a hug. Either you, the receiver or both of you will be blessed...same as my winter rose.
For as Mother Teresa once said: "In the final analysis, it's between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
Yes...you can trust me on this. Strangers come into our lives for a reason.
God bless.

Come Into Your Own

This is a story by a noted scholar and mythologist, Heimlich Zimmer, a German who studied Indology. It gives sharper meaning to what your surroundings say about who you are or who you become.

There was once a pregnant tigress who was ready to deliver the cub inside her. She had been prowling many days without success in finding prey, when she finally came upon a herd of grazing goats. So ravenous was her hunger, that even though she was exhausted, she sprung into the herd of goats. This great leap prompted the birth throes and from sheer exhaustion, she died on the spot.

But the tiger cub that was within her was born alive and safe.
The little goats, being friendly and compassionate, gathered around.
“Gaa, what have we here?” a mother goat said.
“I don’t know, but let’s take care of it! Poor little thing!” said another.
So the goats adopted the orphaned tiger cub as their own, nursed it together with their own offspring and fondly watched over it.

By following all the little baby goats’ example, the tiger cub learned how to eat grass like a goat. It was a little bit difficult at first because of his sharp teeth handling the thin blades of grass, but he figured it out. And the vegetarian diet kept him slim and his temperament became meek. Playing among the goats, he learned the goat’s language and let out a “blaaarraaa” bleat like a goat. So of course he thought he was a goat.

One night, a fierce old male tiger approached the herd. The goats all scattered with fear. But the tiger cub, remained where he was devoid of fear.
Here was a tiger among the goats, and the old male tiger could not believe his eyes.
“What is this? A grass-eating tiger cub among goats! Ridiculous!” and with that he gave a huge pounce into the herd and attacked it. He was rather surprised, however, to see himself face to face with this fierce enormous jungle animal.

“Graaaaaa” the tiger/goat cub bleated, then plucked a piece of thin grass and chewed it.

“What is this nonsense? The old tiger roared enraged. “What are you doing among these silly goats? Why on earth are you eating grass?’ he demanded.
“Graaa,” was all the tiger cub could say.
Furious, the old tiger grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and shook him, as if to knock him back to his senses. He carried the frightened cub down to a pool of water and sat him down next to it, forcing him to look into its mirror surface, which was illuminated by the full moon.

“Look, look I say! Look into that pool of water and see our two faces. They are alike, you and I! You have the pot-face of a fierce tiger, like mine. You are not a goat! You are a tiger, so why do you bleat like a goat and eat like a goat when you are not a goat? You are a tiger!”
The little cub stared at the images for a long time, and a little uneasy, shifted paw to paw for a little while and let out another little “Graaaaa.”

“Oh, for goodness sakes!” the old tiger exclaimed, and carried the cub off again to his den. There he gave the cub a piece of raw meat left over from an earlier meal. But the cub shuddered with disgust.
“Here take it and eat it!” he cried. “Chew it! Swallow it,” the tiger commanded. And the cub began to chew and was just about to make another noise again, but the taste…hmmm. He began to feel an unfamiliar satisfaction as this new food went down to his belly. He felt a strange, glowing strength arising from there that spread throughout his whole body, and he felt wonderful. He arose, and gave a mighty yawn, as if he were waking from a long night’s sleep, a sleep that had held him under a spell for many years. He stretched his body out, he arched his back, he extended and spread his paws. Finally, his tail lashed the ground and suddenly from his throat burst the terrifying, triumphant roar of a tiger.

“Now do you know what you really are?” asked the old tiger. The young cub nodded and then the two went out into the jungle to hunt together.
Ramanujan, A.K., Folktales from India, Pantheon Books

We must look beyond our physical body to see the magnitude and depth of our soul.
Dare to be the TIGER you were meant to be! Don't settle for less than your true self...or like the story...you'll only chew the grass of life. Reach and grab the fruits of life. LET ME HEAR YOU ROAR!

Sometimes it takes a child to remind us...

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.
We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik.
My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?'
Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.'
Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.'
Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.
My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.
We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.
Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.
I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.'
Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.
He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.'
I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity.
The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom ofGod , we must become as little children.'
Story shared by - Ericka M. Ernst

'The Hands of Time'

My Dad sent me a message the other day and it's cavorted through my mind, wearing ballet shoes, every since I read it. The type of message that makes you sit up and take notice. So I've been studying my hands, as well as those of others, unobtrusively on the sly.
God gave most of us two of'em. Have you ever really looked at them? They tell a lot about us. Of course, they've changed over the years, according to our deeds and the years we've embraced life.
Take a moment...look closely at your hands. Turn them over, open and close them...feel them.Think of all they've done for you.
I don't know from where the story originated, but I'll point out a few things the story told:
Your hands braced and caught your fall when you were a toddler.
They put food in your mouth and clothes on your back.
Hopefully, you've folded them in many prayers.
Hopefully, you've lifted them to God.
They've tied your shoes or helped pull on your boots.
They've wiped your tears.
If you were a soldier, they've held a rifle in war.
Why, they've been dirty, scratched, scraped, stung, swollen and bent.
They were probably a bit clumsy when you held your first newborn.
We decorate them with rings of friendship and love.
They've wrote letters.
They've lovingly stroked another.
They've trembled when you've lost a loved one.
They've extended to help another.
They've shook hands and touched others.
They've balled in fists of anger.
They've washed your face and the rest of your body.
They've combed your hair.
They've steered a car, or perhaps even a plow or lawn mower.
They hold you up and lay you down.
They show the marks of where you've been and reveal the ruggedness of your life.
But here's the winner...it will be your hands that God will reach out and take when He leads us home. He'll lift us to His side and with these hands we'll be able to touch the face of Jesus. Then it will be God's hands that caress us.
Fold your hands right now and say a prayer of gratitude. Feel the power of life pulsing through them. Amazing, isn't it?

The Way of the Cross Leads Home...

Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com

I swing with the LORD!

Connections

Best Friends will stand out in the rain with you on a cold day and wrap their arms around you.
Best friends will defend you, even when they know you are off-base, however they'll defend your words with gusto.
Best Friends will share their table with you.
Best Friends will ride to the ends of the world with you.
Best friends will tell you the truth, but frost it with loving words to prevent a sting.
Best Friends will answer your phone call in the middle of the night and run barefoot to your door, if needed.
Best Friends will dare another to hurt you.
Best Friends will love you in times of trouble.
Best Friends are the sisters or brothers your mother never gave you because she knew you would fight with each other.
Best Friends are your connection to the world of others.
Best Friends make up your heart.
Reach out and connect with your 'Best Friends' today.
Tomorrow may be too late. And then a piece of your heart would float away.

Do you feel the need to take a walk with Jesus?

I've walked with the Lord since I was seven years old. Got saved at that tender age at a country Baptist church. I joke with my friends and tell them the minister scared me so bad with all his talk about the devil, I ran into the arms of Jesus.

Sometimes we're in the dark about what the Lord sees and is doing in our lives. We get confused and stumble along the way. Sin can so easily ensnare us. Every servant of the Lord will experience trials and tribulations. But, 'thank goodness' we have a forgiving Lord.

Staying with the Lord takes tenacity.

However, if we let His word frame our lives, He'll reward us for it.

Psalm 113: 3 - "You will discover that the Lord has things moving forward that you can not yet know, and His goodness is destined to reappear. So the praise of Him is your connection to His life and presence, even when the pain wants to make you run and hide. Praise Him in all things."

He is our eternal Guide...

The author of the following poem is unknown, but its message is an ageless reminder.

A Walk With Jesus

If you could take a walk with Jesus

If He could spend some time with you

Would you walk through fields of flowers?

Sprinkled with the morning dew.

If you could take a walk with Jesus

Would you walk beside the sea?

Or would you walk out in the forest

So you could rest beneath a tree?

If you could take a walk with Jesus

What would you say to Him?

Would you spend your time complaining?

About your family and friends?

If you could take a walk with Jesus

Would you grumble about your job?

Would you choose your words with caution,

As you walked with the Son of God?

Now before you give your answer

Give careful thought to what you'll say

Though you may not have noticed

Jesus walked with you today...

2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD!
May God's Glorious Light shine upon You, showering You with blessings of Happiness, Peace, Joy, and Love...And may all Your dreams come true.
Forever Yours,
Taylor

Friendship

There's been a wish for Friendship desired on my part and/or that of others through the span of times, though it never materialized. It was all our faults. Either I, or the others, let the bloom of friendship wither. Turn to dust and fade silently away into the depths of time to be trampled upon.
Friendship is more that just a temporary longing to form a close bound with one another. It goes well beyond that. It's a shared commitment. Taking the actions of all concerned individuals to flourish into a monument of Love and Strength.
Often, we have a thin understanding of what 'FRIENDSHIP' really means.
It extends ethnology, demographics, or theologies. In fact, it comes down to Love and Respect. Friendship is a 'social glue' that paves the roads of 'PEACE'.
Friendship is a 'free' gift that God offers to us...For genuine friendship does not dissolve...It's loving each other for what WE are. It provides a mirror of ourselves, even though we are separate and different from each other in life form.
Indeed, we are the gardeners that in tendering the souls of others to bloom, we find ourselves blooming right along with them. A give and take that occurs so naturally.
Spiritual friendship seeks to teach us that we have only a transient connection to the body. Age, gender, hobbies, careers and religious affiliates don't travel with us from here to eternity. There is no 'them' and 'us.'
It's a transcendental truth; we're all connected.
Friendships build bridges between people - much like the bridge between earth and Heaven.
In friendship we possess mutual confidence and trust. It's found on acceptance. Without friends our lives would be very lonely, and loneliness depletes our zest for LIFE.
We need to take care of our friends, who in turn will take care of us.
Friends are easy to find...but also easy to lose.
To keep our friends we must know:
How to comfort,
How to encourage,
How to forgive,
And, how to be generous.
Life becomes richer as love grows. Never forget that whatever conduct displeases you will also displease them.
The colors of Friendship make up the rainbow...a promise of Hope for tomorrow.
Let's remember to appreciate one another. Let your friends know how much they mean to you.

For in God's delight were we born.


"We are all but a single tree in the forest of life..." htl

YOU'RE INVITED...

Reverend Suzie Chamness of the Spirit of Life Metropolitan Community Church in New Port Richey, Florida will be presenting a Candle-Light Service, Christmas Eve @ 7 PM.
The church is located directly off SR- 54 in NPR.: 4133 Thys Road. Call 727-849-6962 for further directions or information.
We're a growing congregation that opens our arms and hearts to all.
Matthew 18:20 - "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them..."
I'll look forward to meeting you there.

What if Jesus Came to Your House?

IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOUSE
If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two, if He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do? Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored guest, and all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best.
And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have him there, That serving Him in your home is joy beyond compare. But when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door, with arms outstretched to welcome in your heavenly visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in, or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been? Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard, and wished you hadn't uttered that last loud nasty word.
Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out? Could you let Jesus come right in, or would you rush about? Oh, I wonder if the Savior came to spend a day with you, would you just go on doing all the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying the things you always say? Would life for you continue as it does now day to day? Would our family conversation keep up it's usual pace, or would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing and read the books you read, and let Him know on which the things your mind and spirit feeds? Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you planned to go, or would you maybe change your plans, for just a day or so?
Would you be glad to have Him meet with all your closest friends, or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends? Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on, or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do, if Jesus came in person to spend the day with you!
~ Song written by Lois Blanchard Eades, sung by Red Sovine ~

'Merry Christmas'

Matthew 2: 9,10 - "Behold, the star shone over where the young Child was, and when the wise men saw the Holy Child, they fell down and worshiped Him."
From my heart to yours...I wish you a blessed 'Merry Christmas. '

May the stars of heaven shine down upon you, and may you be touched by His angels.

"I Can Only Imagine!'

The title of this song says it all - "I Can Only Imagine..."
Knowing one day I'll stand face-face with Jesus lights my horizon everyday. But as the song proclaims - just what will I do?
Jesus has done so much for me and for you. Things we'll never know about on this earthly ground.
How many times has He reached out and saved us from evil unaware to us? How many times has He sent heavenly angels to shield us from harm. How many times has He saved us from foolish mistakes? How many times has He used us to help another? How many times has He used others to help us?
Two-thousand years ago he made the ultimate sacrifice...He gave His all. He saved us...black, white, yellow, brown and all the colors in between. Men and women. Girls and boys. Straights and gays. All nationalities. All peoples.
Now we're nearing the time of His birth, so many years ago.
He only wants one thing for Christmas, which is His birthday. He wants YOU.
My heart is tied with a ribbon...the ribbon of His Love, His Glory, His eternal Light.
Won't you tie a ribbon around yours, too?
'I Can Only Imagine.'
May the Spirit of God Light your Soul with a fire that glows all the way to Heaven.

Advent

Advent comes from the Latin word meaning 'the coming'.
Our ecclesiastical calendar marks Advent as the holy season preceding Christmas, the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For centuries we've honored this spiritual reflection with a double-focus. The affirmation that Christ has come, and He will come again in all His glory and power.
In Mark 13:33 - "Jesus said to His disciples:
"' Be constantly on the watch! Stay awake...You do not know when the Master of the house is coming."'
This busiest time of the year calls us to draw closer to others. Open ourselves to God's presence. Spend rich personal time with the King, our Messiah, who will bring Peace and Righteousness to our world.
Advent is the timeless story of God's radical gift to the world...the birth of His son, Jesus Christ.
Yesterday, (Sunday) Reverend Suzie Chamness @ our Spirit of Life Church in New Port Richey, Florida, spoke on Advent, and the first candle was lit on the Advent wreath. The wreath represents eternity, everlasting life...no beginning and no end.
The wreath is made up of five candles, 3 purple for Hope, Peace and Love; one rose candle for Joy, and in the center a white candle symbolizing Christ's birth. Advent is celebrated with prayers of devotion, commitment and submission.
It's the revelation of God in Christ, signifying anticipation and hope.
We are God's people. That means you and you and you.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart," and "love your neighbor as yourself."
Prepare for 'the coming'. Share the joy.
'O come, O come, Emmanuel.'
I'll be out of town until December 14...so I'll catch up with you then.
Happy Holidays my friends...and may God spread wondrous blessings upon you!

Srike Another Match

Sometimes we give so much of ourselves; still giving, even when our candle begins to flicker. But there are many of us that don't let that stop us, either. We continue until we're drained of the zest that lit within us. Our soul light is diminished.
That's when our candle temporarily goes out. We're sitting in the dark. Depression comes in and cozies up next to us, eager to keep us company. While filling our heads with woeful thoughts, depression hogs the microphone to our minds, probing in the darkness like a
fer-de-lance, entwining around us, desperate to poison our optimism and bane our Faith.
Ambiguity takes a seat on the couch of our heart. We wrestle with it, refusing to let it rob us.

But stars come out in the dark. The full moon rises and light morphs back into our cells, washing us with brilliant angel wings. They untie our emotional energies. The 'lashon harah' (Hebrew for "bad talk') is silenced by the light, chased away by our angels sent directly from God to rescue us. They breathe God's Grace on us. And hand us a book of matches.

With the matches we relight the candle of our soul and begin to give again, and again, and again.
We've learned that into every life some darkness must fall. But as Christians, we know God's angels will always be there to help us 'strike another match...'

'Treat IT Gently'

In Genesis, God told Adam to "tend and keep the earth." That message was and is meant for all of us.
With over 6.6 billion people in our world, that's a lot of gardeners.
This magnificent sphere of ours is a beautiful gift that God created for us to live, until the gates of Heaven open up for us.
We need to recognize our responsibility and preserve its natural resources for our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and all the other future generations that our gentle caressing of the globe, or lack there of, will reap. We are the stewards of their inheritance.
We can all work together to do our part using synergistic efforts. I don't need to tell you how. You hear it all the time; but are you listening and taking action?
"Tend and keep the earth."
God has placed the world in our hands. Show your love and appreciation for His gift...Treat IT Gently.

May I have this dance?

Voltaire said..."Let us read and let us dance...two amusements that will never do any harm to the world."
Christian music has changed so much since I was a kid. It's now got a beat that invites you to dance. I think God loves to witness us praising His name, not only with Joyful words, but Joyful feet, too. The body moving in harmony as we celebrate His word.
Exodus 15:20 - Miriam led the women with timbrels and dancing.
II Samuel 6:14 - David danced with great abandon before God.
God's gotten a bad rap, totally undeserved. Our Father loves to see His children being Joyful.
I don't think it's possible to dance and feel sad at the same time.
I don't know why folks try to make God seem so stern all the time. Sure, He commands discipline, but you can be disciplined and have fun at the same time. Just no rampaging like a crazy bull.
Put on some Anne Davis with her encouraging lyrics or Connie Scott's infectious melody, both of heavenly quality.
And...may I have this dance?

Love and eggs are best when they're fresh.

Cosmic Kinship

The following is a discussion I began with The Best Religion Group @ Shelfari.com

Friends fill the sky of our lives with stars. For friends are made from stardust, more brilliant and more valuable than gold.
Beneath a dome of friendship, we glow with God's Universal Power and Love.
From love comes Peace; the ultimate goal for all of humanity. ( Or at least it should be.)
'''Friendship promotes peace,"' as a dear friend of mine said. How very true his words. It's a giant leap towards our desired goal.
We receive a great deal more than we give. By giving thanks for a little, we find a lot. And that brings about gratitude. It has been said that a person is defined by their attitude towards gratitude. Gratitude unlocks life's riches. It turns a stranger into a Friend. It makes sense of the past and illuminates the future.
We are all children of the King (God)...and that makes us all, either a Prince, or a Princess. Members of God's Royal Family.
In this week of our nation's Thanksgiving celebration, let's remember the gifts of Friendship we share around the world.
To all my Prince and Princess Friends, those made, and those yet to make,"Thank you for making my life brighter.
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine." Shine on cosmic kinship...
Happy Thanksgiving!

The Storms of Life

Louisa May Alcott said: "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my ship."
When the seas of life get rough, and they often do, we just might need a soul prescription. We don't need to go to the doctor for it, for we can write it ourselves with our heart. Take a heaping tablespoon of God's guidance and Love. It goes down easy.
Like water in perpetual motion, God flows through our souls. He's always there when we're tossed about in the storms of life; even when we're tossed overboard. He's our lifevest. He pulls us gently back onboard, and with a soft, fleecy towel dries us off and puts us back at the wheel of our life.
We sail back into blue skies with a rainbow of experience. Wiser having tasted the salty waters of a high sea. Our Faith strengthened.
So when you see the storm clouds bubbling, put on your lifevest and take a heaping tablespoon of God's Love...
"All things are possible with God." YOU CAN COUNT ON IT!!

Returning to Rockwell takes off running

I'm so excited...finally my new novel 'Returning to Rockwell' is off and running. Look it up on Amazon.com. They're the first to release it. It should be available at most online book stores within the next month, but it's a Christmas story and ripe for the season. I write under my own name, Helen 'Taylor' Little.
Sure it's main character is a lesbian, but that's not all she's about. I think you'll like her once you get to know her, her family and friends.
A genteel Lady with southern grace. A smalltown girl's charm and wit.
Irish heritage lights her family tree. Dana Lynne O'Malley invites you to travel with her on an amazing adventure.
I appreciate all my readers. May my story warm the cockles of yer heart...
"Top of the day to ye!"

Job Bias Bill Passes the House

It's a giant step in the right direction. On Wednesday the House passed a bill that would put a federal ban on job discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals. This bill would make it illegal for employers to make decisions about hiring, firing, promoting or paying an employee based on sexual orientation. Rights our Canadian neighbors passed many moons ago.
By a vote of 235 to 184, supporters know it will be a tough-go getting it passed through the Senate, where support is narrowly divided.
President Bush is expected to veto the proposal, should it reach his desk. How sad that our President has closed his heart to our community.
But we'll get there by hook and crook, if we have to tread water all the way.
Republican Barney Frank is one of two openly gay members of Congress that supports the bill.
Nineteen states and our nation's capital already have laws in place protecting our civil rights. Isn't the White House located in our nation's capital? Isn't that where our President lives?
Are basic civil rights too much to ask?
But we'll get there eventually.
Hebrews 13:5 - He (God) will never leave us or forsake us...

***God has two dwellings***

Huh? What on earth are you talking about?!!
Just this: God abides in Heaven and in all the meek, loving and thankful Hearts of His children, from toddler to the grave.
Longfellow once said: "Graves are the footprints of angels." Some may see his words a bit morbid, but I see them as comforting. The grave is the doorway to Heaven. And His angels our escorts.
The preacher said in church last Sunday that only 3% of the World's population owns more than one suit of clothes and one pair of shoes. That puts you and me in that blessed minority. It's hard to imagine that 97% of the world lives in such poority, isn't it? Makes you feel rich in comparison.
He also said that we're each meant to walk in our own shoes. But sometimes even our own shoes don't fit, when we seek to follow the world. And that includes our family, friends, and counselors' ideas of what's right and what's wrong.
If you're a lesbian, imagine your best male friend or brother trying to stretch his size eleven foot into your size 7 shoe and walk to the store over a mile away. Bet he'd go barefooted first. I know I would.
That's kinda like it is when the unenlighten souls of the world tell us we must be one way...their way, or face damnation.
But if you're gay, you can only hide in the closet for so long before you knock the door down and amble yer own path.
Otherwise, the shoes being either too big or too small make us stumble and fall...causing us to want nothing to do with them. Kinda the same way some folks want nothing to do with God.
Others try to make you feel He never has... and never will LOVE YOU.
Don't fall for that. It has No truth...Always remember GOD is LOVE. He doesn't discriminate.
Our Lord stands knocking at the door to your heart. Let HIM in. He wants in. He wants to LOVE YOU and give you the life you so yearn for. The life you desire as a child of God..., but you must first answer the door of your heart and invite Him in. How easy is that? And what do you have to lose by welcoming Him inside?
Remember He dwells in Heaven and the meek, loving and thankful Hearts of His Children.

Countdown

The countdown has begun. Ten more days and my new release "Returning to Rockwell" will be complete and ready to hit Amazon, Books-a-Million, Dreamwalker and all the other major and minor bookstores online...
You'll probably hear my exclamations of delight around the world; so grab yer ear plugs.
I'm about to breathe life into my story.
Thanks for all of your support.
Helen Taylor Little

Prisons

Prisons aren't only jail cells in correctional institutions.
You can be a prisoner in your own home...or, for that matter, in your own mind.
Though the world is beginning to realize that the word homosexual isn't a bad word; still many help keep people of that identity locked in the closet of their minds.
I've had numerous individuals question their sexual preference and ask me if they might be gay. That's a question I've yet to answer; for I have no way of knowing. I wouldn't dare suggest one way or the other. I have no right. Its answer lies within their own heart.
I don't like to see or hear of anyone quarreling inside the prison walls of their mind about their sexual identity. Been there, done that. It is indeed a hellhole of agony.
If you struggle with yourself...there's freedom through God. Pray and ask for guidance. YES, positively, God listens to the prayers of homosexuals. Don't let anyone, not a single solitary soul, convince you differently.
But never argue with an idiot either. They'll drag you down to their level and keep you a prisoner within the confines of your human vessel, tethering their negative energy to you like a kite's tail.
Courteously, thank them for their opinion and move away as fast as you can. Cut the kite's tail and RUN my friend.
So, how do you know if you're gay? You just know...same as a straight person knows they're attracted to the opposite sex.
But no one can answer that question for you. Nor should they...

Helping Others

There's an old Chinese Proverb that says:
"If you want Happiness for a lifetime...help others."
I bet, like myself, you've found that to be true.
Nothing puts a SMILE in yer heart like extending a helping hand to a friend, family member, associate, or a stranger. It builds a fire that radiates through the trillions of cells that compose our bodies.
Like the sands of an hour glass, each grain of sand flows to make-up the hour...much the way each of our deeds, good or bad, flow to make-up our lives.
What we give tells much about who we are. For we can only give from what we are.
Have you ever considered LISTENING to be a treasured gift? An easy way to help others? I'm talking about when we truly listen with far more than just our ears. Giving them our undivided attention. Using our minds, eyes and hearts. It takes skill, practiced skill, to give this sort of gift, but once you've accomplished these listening skills...the gift becomes twofold. You become a much better speaker, just by listening.
Resisting the need to interrupt, unless it's for clarification, takes an unseen strength.
Why college curriculums now offer courses entirely on listening skills.
What makes listening so hard for most is that the the human brain thinks much faster than it can speak. At least four times as fast. So that means if a person talks 125 words per minutes, another person not skilled at listening has already taken several side trips, thus only comprehending a fraction of what was said.
I've found that to genuinely help others you must become a good listener. Don't just anticipate their needs; know them from their own lips, or eyes, or facial expressions, or body twitches or various other forms of communication that only a good listener observes. That's when you can really help a person. Get to the bottom of what they need. What is it that you can give. We're not talking $$ here, but something no amount of money can provide.
Sometimes listening was/is all they needed. Or we may find that a friendly hug or a few words of compassion need to accompany the conclusion of a friendly listening session. Or if there's wisdom to share, don't hesitate - but try to never turn it to fulfill your own personal needs. For if you do, no matter how great a listener you were, you null and void the gift. Helping is about others, not yourself, even though you will receive a blessing all the same.
And though some will welcome a prayer for them, others will squirm with apprehension. Respect their wishes; yet go and silently pray for them. They won't know it, but it could be just the help they needed.
Help Others! Try these for starters: Smiling - Listening - Words of Comfort - a Gentle Embrace - and/or - Having a Word With Jesus.
May God bless you all, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, or disability.
God made us as one - all branches of the same Tree of Life...

'Choices'

Many say we chose this homosexual lifestyle for ourselves. Are they crazy???????? Duh! Do they really believe we'd choose to be ridiculed and scorned?
We have many choices to make in life...and I'm here to tell you, being gay/lesbian isn't something I chose. It's who I am.
I fought against it...tried to be something that I wasn't. But you can't be what you aren't; no more than a 'straight' person can switch teams.
But I have chosen to make the best of my life.
My present choices determine the type of memories I create. I've chosen to seek out goodness and truth.
I've made some tough choices that I wouldn't wish on anybody, but only because at the time I thought it was the right thing to do.
Sometimes when we try to do what some clerics say is the Godly thing to do, not only do we hurt ourselves, but others too.
We're so segregated. Gay churches, gay resorts, gay nightclubs, gay cruiselines, gay bookstores, gay restaurants, etc., etc..
I pray I live long enough to see unity and acceptance. United in the transforming power of God's love.
Thank God, Ellen DeGeneres has pushed some doors down and folks have gotten to see that we're not perverts. Heck, once they get to know us, they find we're just like them. With the exception of one thing.
So you might ask, "If you didn't choose to be homosexual, then who did?" And that's where the battle begins. I can tell you from now until the cows come home that I was born this way. Yet many will argue til they're mad as h_ll that I must be out of my mind. God wouldn't make that sort of mistake.
We're not mistakes. God doesn't make mistakes. But the Bible says, you say. I read my Bible daily. God is precious to me. I choose to worship Him. He guides me my life; however like a little child, I sometimes stray from the yard.
I wish more ministers of God would practice what they preach. God is Love. Far more divine, compassionate, forgiving and loving than my mind can go near. He's my CHOICE...and He Chose Me.
There's a dawning of choices in life.
May the healing, guiding, prospering power of divine love be one of the choices you make.
Fee Amanillah - God be with You...

Thankfulness

I just can't believe how blessed I am. No, I'm not of millionaire status when it comes to currency, but when it comes to friends and family, I'm magnificently RICH beyond measure.
It takes real maturity to recognize all of life's blessings. Before then, we take so much for granted.
Mother Teresa said: "Be Someone for Somebody." Here the saintly Lady didn't even have a pot to pee in, but offered up herself without expecting a thing in return. Recent news has presented her as a basket case at times, questioning her belief in God. They say ( the News media ) she was forlorn, literally lost on her path with God.
Forgive me, but I say, "Hogwash."
So what?! She got weary at times. Depression sat on her chest like a camel with diarrhea. Life stunk and she felt crushed by internal sorrow. But she never stopped believing...she never stopped giving...she went forward by the Grace of God. She thanked Him daily, even though her mind questioned, reached and searched. She thanked Him through the darkness and the Light. An example for all of us.
Haven't we all had those days when dung seemed to drop out of the sky onto us? But if you stop and think...dung is a fertilizer...it produces growth. Now I don't like dung dumped or slung at me, but by golly I like growth. And sometimes growth causes us a pain in the royal butt.
I think we only get the dung treatment when we've turned our backs to the gentle ways. Sometimes we can be so hard of hearing or seeing what sits before us, that God moves us on to plan 'D' for dung. Often its at our own doing. We can be such a glutton for making our own tough times. I'm just now learning the caution signs and I keep me brakes in tip top condition. But that doesn't mean I don't trip over my own feet once in a while. You can bet I do.
I look at the food before me at every meal, just before I say my blessing, somewhat differently now. I'm thankful I don't go hungry. I'm thankful that I don't know what real hunger is. Why my meals are a bloody feast compared to what so many, near and far, from us must eat; that is if they get to eat at all on some days.
You've seen the TV ads. Children and adults alike, starving. Barely any skin attached to their skeletal frames. Can't eat a nice juicy steak or a plate of fresh veggies watching that; now can you?
Thankful, an eight lettered word so simple to say. So easily taken for granted.
You and you, and me are blessed, even when the skies are grey. Those dark clouds will go away. But as hard as it is to do, let's be thankful for the grey skies too. They provide the raindrops that water the dung, that nourishes the soils, that grows our one-of-a-kind lives. We're set free of the dung, and sprout upward in knowledge and love.
Yes, I'm a lesbian, but that's a very small part of who I am. I'm thankful that God wanted me to live. For He gave me birth; make no mistake about that. I thank Him daily.
Well, I'll stop spurting off at the mouth for now and end by saying:
I'm truly thankful for all my friends and family, and that includes the friends I've yet to meet.
Tonight, before you climb beneath the covers in your soft bed, try saying 'Thank You," to God. He'll be listening.
God Bless You All.