JUST STOP!

STOP!

Can we just stop arguing?

It seems that wherever you go today,

someone is arguing with somebody.

Husbands and wives.

Parents and children.

Parents and teachers and coaches.

Political parties.

Neighbors and friends.

Populations. Entire countries.

Members of congregations.

Aren't all the people on your Facebook page
"YOUR FRIENDS"?

Can't we agree on anything?
Or simply agree to disagree?

As Americans, we love our freedom. We have rights.
Why are we suddenly so critical?

Is there no other point of view except our own?

It breaks my heart to see so many families who argue to the point of estrangement. How is it possible for parents to cut off their own children? Or kids to completely remove their parents from their lives. What could possibly be that important?

There's more than enough hate in the world.
Can't we spread a little love this Christmas?

Smile. Slow down. Sing. Hug.
Don't blow your horn.
Add a nice comment or don't write anything at all.
Give someone a compliment. You'll never know how much your words of encouragement might mean to a person. It might even save their life.
Each one of us has worries, fears, and troubles.
Let's make life a little easier for people.

Never make it harder.

Going Viral Part II

To be noticed on social media today, everything you do must be epic. No longer can a boy simply ask a girl to the prom. He must plan, coordinate and film the invitation for thousands of viewers to watch.  Shared and re-shared. On PCs. Laptops. Cellphones. iPads. News Stations. YouTube.
 
The prom is just the beginning. Marriage proposals are getting wildly dangerous and expensive. Talk about pressure! Now the groom's sincerity and depth of dedication are judged by his degree of creativity when he pops the question. A public proposal puts him at risk for a broken heart and humiliation.

It's no longer the moments of our lives that are meaningful. It's how the moment is played out and received by family, friends, and strangers across the Internet. We no longer feel with our hearts or see others souls. We record. Edit. Share. Does the couple spend the rest of the evening holding hands and slow dancing to 'their song' after she says "yes'? Do they look into each other's eyes and talk about their future together? Or do they rush home to put his proposal out on YouTube and keep checking to see how many hits they have? How is that living?

Gone are the days when military kids longed for their parents to come home from a tour of duty. Now they plan 'surprise' returns. Soldiers jump out of a cardboard box or wear a costume. Can't we just be happy they came home? 

What does this teach our kids? They're growing up in a world that demands socialization but offers nothing but isolation. Children spend so little time playing outdoors with friends. They don't talk. They text. They don't hang out. They FaceTime. They squander hours competing in video games with kids in other countries but never meet their own next door neighbors. 

In today's society, everyone is your 'friend.' Even those you never met. Don't like their political views or choice for Best Movie? 'Unfriend' them. Poof. They're gone. We can find the girl who sat next to us in kindergarten, yet never visit the old man across the street who hasn't had a visitor since his wife died last year. 

Hundreds of people die every year while taking 'selfies' to impress the masses. Do they stop to admire the view when they climb to the top of a mountain? Do they think about God and creation? The sheer beauty and wonder of it all? 

And if they were moved to give thanks... would we later see them kneeling, head back, eyes closed, arms spread in silent awe? Sure. If they use it as their new Facebook Profile Pic.