Tag Archives: Thought

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To Try and Fail is Still the Better Choice

Wednesday morning one of our outdoor cats caught a baby bunny. He knew he shouldn’t have as soon as he saw my daughter approaching, and he dropped his catch before taking off to hide. The bunny, a cottontail, was only a week or so old, eyes not yet open. His name is Pip since he has such a little squeak, and we knew it was unlikely he would survive.

We raise big, fluffy Angora Rabbits.  They grow to be 7-10 pounds and are bigger than our cats.  When they are born, they are tiny but no where near as tiny as Pip.  The baby bottles we have used on the Angoras are bigger than Pip.  Pip is as tiny as his squeak.

Pip did well on the first day, and there was hope.  The danger for rabbits, baby rabbits especially, is that they will hop, or violently twitch, and break their backs.  Hungry baby rabbits twitch and spasmaticly jump when they sense it is feeding time. Sadly, even with great care, they can harm themselves.  Pip showed no signs of broken bones, and his back legs worked well.

By day two, Pip was actively eating. His belly would get large and then he would get sleepy.  After a bit of cuddling, he would take his nap in his shoe box home, just feet from my desk.

Today has been a long day.  The world is a crazy place. People we know, members of our community are hurting.  Some are gratefully praying because their children changed theaters last night and were safe as dawn shed light on a tragedy.  Others give long distant support to their children as friends in the hospitals are visited.

Today has been a very long day, and I sit here writing with Pip on my chest, knowing that his little body just can’t fight much longer.  So I keep him near, praying the beat of my heart will give him comfort, knowing his life is in God’s hands.  I knew when I held him on Wednesday that saving him was a long shot, but it is still better to try and fail the to never try at all.

Pip is such a little squeak, but he is God’s and the tears running down my face do not negate the blessing God has given me as I have cared for Pip.  If Pip should live beyond today, it will be God’s will.  If today Pip breaths his final breath, it too, will be God’s will.

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A Gun Owner on the Subject of Guns

It is said all the time here in the US that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”  In light of the latest horrible episode depicting the horror wrought by one human on another, the saying should be changed.

“Guns may not kill people, but people carrying guns kill people.”
More people carrying guns will only lead to more dead, not less.  

People legally carrying guns into schools, parks, and theaters will not deter the senseless, horrific killings of innocents.  By all means, if you chose to own guns, do so, but do so at home, or on the gun range. Do so after receiving training. Do so with the knowledge that only nutcases talk about killing others.  Spouting off that you are prepared to kill another, even in self-defense, does not make you sound brave. It makes you sound foolish.

Many men and women train to protect the nation and its citizens with deadly force if needed, but I doubt they brag about the actual idea of killing another human being.  It is one thing to own a gun in honor of your Freedom to do so, it is completely different to own a gun with the intent to kill someone.  If you doubt this, ask a cop or a soldier.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have lost their lives or their loved ones this week.  My heart aches for your sorrow.

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Saith the Daughter … War

Women tend to make advancements in equality after every war, probably due to the decrease in the male population.  So therefore, war must be an evil female plot to get ahead. – A Theory to Ponder in the Future, saith the daughter.

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Why Do We Go to War?

A friend of mine posed a question as to when war is justified on her Facebook wall.  The discussion that followed became focused on why those who have experienced the horror of war would ever justify the value of another war.  This is my take…

Human beings tend to enjoy being in groups.  Like with cows, the majority will stay with or nearby the herd.  Some will go rogue, wander away from the heard and chart a separate course, but most will stick to the herd.  Herd mentality dominates our social, political and economic lives.  A family unit is a herd, a political party is a herd, and school is certainly herd like.

Where human nature deviates from the cow nature is in the ability to reason.  Pecking order behavior, i.e. strong vs. weak and experienced vs. youthful, will still impact the human herd, but the human herd will reason or justify their actions and choices.

When confronted with enough data, evidence, propaganda or rhetoric, the human herd will justify a course of action.  They will justify a course of action in order to remain in the herd.  If they remain unconvinced that the course is justified, they may seek to separate from the herd, but will look for another herd to join.  The theory that there is safety in a crowd certainly applies to ideological fears of danger as well as physical fears of danger.

War is simply one of many courses mankind justifies. In contrast to peace, war is much easier to propagandize.  Fiery speeches, enflamed rhetoric, and poignant sound bites are easy to develop when fear and danger is in the mix.  The key to a successful herd is in maintaining a feeling of security in the group.  Threaten the group and it will rally together in defense.

So why do people who have experienced war agree to additional war?  Simply put, even the horrors of war cannot negate the justification of protecting the herd.  Although there are some who will develop such a strong sense of revulsion to conflict that they will suppress any feelings of self-preservation in order to avoid further conflict, they are rare and seldom include mothers.

A final point, no two people ever experience war with the same perception.  Even those participating in the same horror, experience the horror differently. This makes me think, strangely, of childbirth.  Why would anyone who nearly died in the delivery room ever seek another pregnancy?  The justifications of the blessings override the worry of fear, pain, and possibly death.  In the case of war, if the end result can be portrayed as being of greater value than the known casualties associated with war, then the herd can be persuaded to follow a course of war.

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Let Your Light Shine

When you look around, overwhelmed by the negativity, sorrow, and despair of the world, feeling there is no positive to be found, remember the positive is inside of you.  It may be your actions, your smile and your attitude that will brighten the world you live in for yourself and for the multitude nearby seeking a ray of hope.  It may be through you that the Light will return, shine forth and brighten the day.

When we are the candle bearer, it can be hard to see the positive around us. Everything will look to be in shadows compared to our circle of light. We just have to pray that when we are down and gloomy, someone else will hold the candle and help us lighten our path.

Matthew 5:16                                                                           Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Psalms 18:28                                                                           For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

Psalms 27:1                                                                            The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?