The ramblings on of a 33 year old guy...

If figure I should totally put my age in a blog title, so that someday, when I cannot remember well, I can say, "Oh, that was back when I was a young whippersnapper at age 33."

Anyway, so much has happened today and from it I have taken some interesting thoughts.

First of all.  Things are not always what they seem.  No matter what you THINK might be going on, or what someone else tells you, you should always investigate for yourself.  I am not one to take anything at face value.  Call me a Doubting Thomas, or what you may.  It is always worth it to investigate a little and determine, what, in fact, the truth is.  Context is always very important.  It is very easy to think rapid fire and react the same.  However, the patient man will be the wiser, as a man with less virtue will abandon a sinking ship without realizing it's just rain.  (yes, I made that up...go me, go me, its my birthday, wooty woot woot)

With the first thought in mind.  Don't judge on first impressions...not even second.  I am so guilty of this and must continuously remind myself to hold back my initial thoughts and wait to be sure.  It is so easy to let those first 10 seconds command our judgment of character, personality, and other things which can be detrimental to a fortuitous and worthwhile relationship.  Though 'they' say a first impression is made within such a short amount of time, it takes a lifetime to truly understand who we are as a person.  If we must give ourselves such longevity of judgment, don't we owe it to ourselves to give at least a little more time than a first impression to determine what we think about others?  My Pappaw always said, the man who comes in with the beat up truck, holes in his pants, and mud covered shoes can often times buy the homes of 100 men in designer suits and Mercedes Benz.'  (He may have said Cadillac, but you get the point).

Release the hard feelings and move on.  This does not necessarily mean you must immediately forgive and forget (which we should, but is not always the case).  It does, however, give us much greater peace in our hearts and our minds to let go of animosity toward others for things of the past.  Please do not misunderstand, as I am never saying you should befriend those who have hurt you or taken advantage of you.  However, holding on to harshness in our hearts can never allow us to proceed with ourselves wholly.  To forgive and forget is Christian, to forgive and remember is human, yet to let go and move on- is imperative.

Food is not always good when it is reheated.  Just figured I should point this out.  I tried to reheat beer-battered fish from Red Lobster last week...and it was G-R-O-S-S. Random, but true.  Trust me.

A true friend is one who tells you to call when you need an ear, and picks up the phone.  A true friend is not always one who will tell you what you want to hear.  Don't ever forget this.  Those who care about us tell us what they think and believe.  They look out for us even when they know it will make us mad.  Even if we KNOW they are wrong, it does not make their intent wrong.  Those who love us can hurt us the most.  Not because they intend to cause pain, but because they love in the way they know how.

Stop judging others.  There is no reason to pass along judgment to those around you.  Now, don't get me wrong, if you are Jesus, then go right ahead.  I will give you that.  However, if that is not who you are, then keep walking.  Keep your pointer finger in your pocket and say a prayer to yourself.  I promise you, you will not be sent to hell for keeping your mouth shut on occasion.  Now, if they ask your opinion...open that mouth.  If they do not...please remember the words that come out of you can be sharper than a two-edged sword.  Words can kill.  They can lead to such damage in a person.  In their heart, in their mind.  We tend to say things without ever thinking about the consequences.  Once it is out...it cannot be taken back.

I have been reading the facebook page and the blog of a new friend of mine.  He says things that many people do not agree with.  However, some of the responses he gets are so scathing and filled with hate; I cringe.  I never have had to deal with such feedback and hope never to do so.  It just pains me to know that hate and judgment can often times be whitewashed in the name of a religion.  I am not saying any one religion, as each one has it's fanatics, even those without.

My point is, be careful what you say.  It is said, and it is done.  The words of hate can lead to war, but words of peace between two people cannot.  Let us not be warmongers.  Let us be vessels of hope.  Entities encompassing peace.  Those who bring life and love to those in need.

I cannot say it enough, but make a difference.  Today, when you are finished reading this (all 3 of you), take a second and find a facebook post that you see someone hurting on, or someone being hurt.  Even if you don't really know them.  Just tell them you wanted them to know that they are important and someone special.  Lift up your brother and sister.  Raise our voices.  If we can sing this chorus in unison, Handel's Messiah will have nothing on us.

Peace.