As I was painting my fingernails bright red on Tuesday thoughts came to my mind like, "Why is there so much hatred, fear, envy and other negativity towards sexuality and differences in people?"; "Why are some people singled out for persecution?"
". . . the whole point of Klan-style terrorism was to make examples of "troublemakers" so that everyone else would stay in line," writes Eugene Robinson in his book Disintegration The Splintering of Black America.
Conflict is inevitable. Using terrorism to try to transform others is not inevitable. During Jesus Christ's earthly ministry He and many of the religious, governmental and other leaders clashed. Jesus didn't teach His disciples to try to limit His adversaries to certain books, certain places or certain relationships. Jesus Christ didn't teach people to monitor the every movement of adversaries or try to force them in other ways to convert to Christ.
Instead Jesus taught people things like receiving a relationship with God, cooperating with God to allow inner transformation that will show up on the outside and living life lead by the Spirit of God and not by fear or coercision.
Fear and coercision are terrorist tactics that lead to the tyranny of Satan; being enslaved to sinful behaviors. 2 Timothy 1:7 Amplified Bible says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control."
Sometimes even some Christians become deceived and disobedient to the Word of God and try to change people through terrorist tactics and end up supporting tryannts. Not all Christians and other people in the American colonies were for the independence of America. Instead some supported Britain.
Yet the founding principles of an America independent of Britain were based on the Bible not terrorism. Our American 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 . . ."
Jesus Christ gave His adversaries the freedom to believe and to live wrong all the while extending to all people the offer of righteousness.
Means matter. Means are part of the message.
Sometimes terrorists will say they are for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but they will also stalk people, monitor their telephones, Internet and other communication devices, steal, harrass and harm people who hold beliefs different from theirs.
Jesus loves people even while they are His enemies (sinners). Romans 5:8-9 Amplified Bible says, "But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us. Therefore, since we are now justified (acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ's blood, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God."
No one need die for sin anymore. Jesus' one-time death and ressurrection paid for sin. Now it's time for those who receive God to love large. Jesus Christ says in John 13:34-35 New Living Translation Bible, "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
Love is not weak, but a wonderful way for conflict to be resolved with all parties in the conflict winning. Through love no one is trying to defeat another through scarring others out of their minds or some other destructive tactic. Love and terrorism are antithetical. Dr. Gary Smalley writes in his book The DNA of Relationships Discover How You Are Designed for Satisfying Relationships, "Remember, you're part of a team. Therefore you have to redefine winning as finding and implementing a solution that both people can feel good about." Dr. Smalley says win-win solutions can be applied to all kinds of relationships. He writes, "The spirit of the no-losers policy also applies in the workplace. If I know that my boss feels very concerned about making decisions that work for me, I can relax and give my best to my job. I feel good about being his or her employee. Of course, at times an employer has to make difficult and unpopular decisions for the health of the company. But even then, the spirit of the no-losers policy can come into play. People committed to win-win will find a way to walk through even a layoff or termination so that people feel valued, honored, and convinced that the employer did everything possible to make the situation work."
Win-win solutions work best for those who have rejected terrorism, embraced the love of God and made sacrifices to share God's love on the inside with themselves and other people. The book The Wisdom of the Native Americans records Chief Dan George saying, "My friends, how desperately do we need to be loved and to love. When Christ said that man does not live by bread alone, he spoke of a hunger. This hunger was not the hunger of the body. It was not the hunger for bread. He spoke of a hunger that begins deep down in the very depths of our being. He spoke of a need as vital as breath. He spoke of our hunger for love. Love is something you and I must have. We must have it because our spirit feeds upon it. We must have it because without it we become weak and faint. Without love our self-esteem weakens. Without it our courage fails. Without love we can no longer look out confidently at the world. We turn inward and begin to feed upon our own personalities, and little by little we destroy ourselves. With it we are creative. With it we march tirelessly. With it, and with it alone, we are able to sacrifce for others."
Please share personal stories of love transforming terrorism.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Wisdom Keeps on Giving Good
"Real giving occurs when I give somebody something that I want to keep," says Joyce Meyer in her book Love Out Loud 365 Devotions for Loving God, Loving Yourself, and Loving Others. I really wanted to keep my book Crazy Good Sex Putting to Bed the Myths Men Have About Sex by Christian author Dr. Les Parrott, but I donated it to a local Prince William County, Virginia, library.
Please share an on-line comment about the books, audio-books, CDs, DVDs and other media you have recently donated to a library. Please also comment about other gifts that keep on giving to others. I welcome financial gifts to my ministry. Checks and money orders should be made payable to "Michele Jackson," and mailed to P.O. Box 2106, Woodbridge, Virgina, 22195.
Learning is a lifetime pursuit that at its best connects to wisdom. Proverbs 8:35-36 Amplified Bible says, "For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and draws forth and obtains favor from the Lord. But he who misses me or sins against me wrongs and injures himself; all who hate me love and court death."
During Jesus Christ's earthly ministry, the majority of the Pharisees were well educated, but wronged and injured themselves and others by creating rules that lacked the Spirit of God. God is the source of goodness. Following many of the Pharisees' rules meant participating in evil. Martin Luther King Jr. says in his speech "The Better Way" on the CD The Wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr. quoting Gandhi and Thoreau, "Non-cooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as cooperation with good."
Bartolome de Las Casas was a Dominican friar and bishop who practiced non-cooperation with evil. He spoke about the humanity of Native Americans during colonial-era Spanish rule when Native Americans were thought to be and treated as a lesser race.
Please share an on-line comment about current evils in relationships, sexuality and life that need to be exposed.
Please share an on-line comment about the books, audio-books, CDs, DVDs and other media you have recently donated to a library. Please also comment about other gifts that keep on giving to others. I welcome financial gifts to my ministry. Checks and money orders should be made payable to "Michele Jackson," and mailed to P.O. Box 2106, Woodbridge, Virgina, 22195.
Learning is a lifetime pursuit that at its best connects to wisdom. Proverbs 8:35-36 Amplified Bible says, "For whoever finds me [Wisdom] finds life and draws forth and obtains favor from the Lord. But he who misses me or sins against me wrongs and injures himself; all who hate me love and court death."
During Jesus Christ's earthly ministry, the majority of the Pharisees were well educated, but wronged and injured themselves and others by creating rules that lacked the Spirit of God. God is the source of goodness. Following many of the Pharisees' rules meant participating in evil. Martin Luther King Jr. says in his speech "The Better Way" on the CD The Wisdom of Martin Luther King Jr. quoting Gandhi and Thoreau, "Non-cooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as cooperation with good."
Bartolome de Las Casas was a Dominican friar and bishop who practiced non-cooperation with evil. He spoke about the humanity of Native Americans during colonial-era Spanish rule when Native Americans were thought to be and treated as a lesser race.
Please share an on-line comment about current evils in relationships, sexuality and life that need to be exposed.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Food, Love and Marriage
Last Thursday Rafael and I enjoyed walking and listening to live jazz music being played by a military band in a shopping mall. Thus inspired I recalled eating at an African-American restaurant in Washington, D.C., on July 4th, and I tried to count the number of African-American restaurants in Prince William County, Virginia, where Rafael and I live, that have waiters and waitresses, outstanding food and remarkable decor. I couldn't recall and count even one such restaurant.
I know where to buy our favorite fajitas with fine decor and wait staff but no jambalaya with other outstanding African-American food and remarkable decor. If you have eaten out and enjoyed fine African-American food in Prince William County, Virginia, please leave an on-line comment sharing the experience.
Many lovers enjoy sharing delicious food. I pray that Rafael, my son who has autism, enjoys dating and eventually marrying a Christian woman who shares his delight in eating out, personal relationships and beautiful, balanced, Biblical sexuality and sex among other good, enjoyable, beautiful things. Rafael savors saturating his fingers with food. He likes to feel it, smell it and taste it. Food and fingers fascinate him. He revels in having his finger tips kissed and kissing the hands of some people.
God created both single and married people with a desire for marital sex and other relationships. The first man had a relationship with God and the animals, but this was not enough. Genesis 2:18 New Living Translation Bible says about God creating the first woman for the first man, "Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”"
Mohandas Gandhi said, "To say that some men are untouchables is a heinous sin." Yet some would like to treat persons with autism and other different minds like untouchables denying them access to restaurants, marriage and the best possible life.
God wants the best possible life for everyone. God created us and preserves our life from fertilization through birth, youth, old age and beyond death for people who are African, European, Asian, Hispanic, male, female, working all different kinds of assignments at all different kinds of hours and with different minds and abilities and with multiple mixtures of these characteristics. God created us to have a good relationship with Him and to be in relationships with people who are just right for us.
Good relationships are compatible with good business. An untapped, massive market exists in welcoming persons with autism and other different minds into restaurants, marriage and other good, enjoyable, beautiful things. Please share an on-line comment about your best eating-out experiences and moments in marriage.
I know where to buy our favorite fajitas with fine decor and wait staff but no jambalaya with other outstanding African-American food and remarkable decor. If you have eaten out and enjoyed fine African-American food in Prince William County, Virginia, please leave an on-line comment sharing the experience.
Many lovers enjoy sharing delicious food. I pray that Rafael, my son who has autism, enjoys dating and eventually marrying a Christian woman who shares his delight in eating out, personal relationships and beautiful, balanced, Biblical sexuality and sex among other good, enjoyable, beautiful things. Rafael savors saturating his fingers with food. He likes to feel it, smell it and taste it. Food and fingers fascinate him. He revels in having his finger tips kissed and kissing the hands of some people.
God created both single and married people with a desire for marital sex and other relationships. The first man had a relationship with God and the animals, but this was not enough. Genesis 2:18 New Living Translation Bible says about God creating the first woman for the first man, "Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”"
Mohandas Gandhi said, "To say that some men are untouchables is a heinous sin." Yet some would like to treat persons with autism and other different minds like untouchables denying them access to restaurants, marriage and the best possible life.
God wants the best possible life for everyone. God created us and preserves our life from fertilization through birth, youth, old age and beyond death for people who are African, European, Asian, Hispanic, male, female, working all different kinds of assignments at all different kinds of hours and with different minds and abilities and with multiple mixtures of these characteristics. God created us to have a good relationship with Him and to be in relationships with people who are just right for us.
Good relationships are compatible with good business. An untapped, massive market exists in welcoming persons with autism and other different minds into restaurants, marriage and other good, enjoyable, beautiful things. Please share an on-line comment about your best eating-out experiences and moments in marriage.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
A Good, Enjoyable, Beautiful Life
Autism and other different minds are not fully understood. Experience provides some learning and sharing. Yet different minds are not integrated into our society.
Saturday Rafael and I ate fish tacos and drank sweet, mint, green tea in a restaurant. I didn't see anyone who has autism like Rafael does. I rarely see people with autism in restaurants.
Rafael and I enjoy eating out. Eating out can be part of a good, enjoyable, beautiful life. Jesus Christ is for joy. Satan is for sadness. John 10:10 Amplified Bible says, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."
On Tuesday it was confirmed for me that at times powerful people prey on the perceived weak. Why not instead pursue every positive way possible to give different minds a good, enjoyable, beautiful life?
"Jesus answered, Is it not written in your Law, I said, You are gods?" (John 10:34 Amplified Bible). Believers are gods. Gods have power to seek and seize good.
Good includes an enjoyable, beautiful life from fertilization through birth, youth, old age and beyond death for people who are African, European, Asian, Hispanic, male, female, working all different kinds of assignments at all different kinds of hours and with different minds and abilities. John C. Maxwell writes in his book How Successful People Think Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life, "Good thinkers, especially those who are also good leaders, understand the power of shared thinking. They know that when they value the thoughts and ideas of others, they receive the compounding results of shared thinking and accomplish more than they ever could on their own." Please leave an on-line comment sharing your thinking about liking this article and/or ways to fully integrate different minds into society.
Saturday Rafael and I ate fish tacos and drank sweet, mint, green tea in a restaurant. I didn't see anyone who has autism like Rafael does. I rarely see people with autism in restaurants.
Rafael and I enjoy eating out. Eating out can be part of a good, enjoyable, beautiful life. Jesus Christ is for joy. Satan is for sadness. John 10:10 Amplified Bible says, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."
On Tuesday it was confirmed for me that at times powerful people prey on the perceived weak. Why not instead pursue every positive way possible to give different minds a good, enjoyable, beautiful life?
"Jesus answered, Is it not written in your Law, I said, You are gods?" (John 10:34 Amplified Bible). Believers are gods. Gods have power to seek and seize good.
Good includes an enjoyable, beautiful life from fertilization through birth, youth, old age and beyond death for people who are African, European, Asian, Hispanic, male, female, working all different kinds of assignments at all different kinds of hours and with different minds and abilities. John C. Maxwell writes in his book How Successful People Think Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life, "Good thinkers, especially those who are also good leaders, understand the power of shared thinking. They know that when they value the thoughts and ideas of others, they receive the compounding results of shared thinking and accomplish more than they ever could on their own." Please leave an on-line comment sharing your thinking about liking this article and/or ways to fully integrate different minds into society.
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