LOVE WORKS DAILY 03/14/07 - Readers Respond 5 - Deborah, Andrea & Jen

LOVE WORKS DAILY 03/14/07 - Readers Respond 5 - Deborah, Andrea & Jen



Love To You! And Welcome to this thing called

LOVE WORKS! I wish you the greatest of peace, the most

abundant happiness, and the fullness of joy that is

LOVE!




http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveworksdaily/



INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT:

(Great Thoughts By History's Inspired Thinking Men and Women)



There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day.



-Alexander Woollcott





TIM's BLOG


(Random Thoughts and Tim's Daily World):



Hey, Thanks to those who have written me the last few days.

Every so often, I love to throw a curve ball to get people

thinking....glad I could go that....





And now, and few of the letters that I have been

posted to the group in years past...I love them, re-read them,

and share them with you all from time to time.




Note, however, even though I do reprint responses posted to the

group from time to time, and I encourage you to

send in your take to add to the legacy of LOVE WORKS...



I never reprint the private email send to me....if you are not

sure..just mark...do not post to group...or private email....

and it's just be between you and I.










FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

(Brand New and Classic Love Works Essays 2001-2007)



Lately at our house, we've been unpacking the meaning(s)

of the phrase "I love you". We say "I love you" a lot,

and (I certainly hope!) with feeling and thought and energy.



But we've found that we've been digging down through

all the layers of crud that have been laid on the phrase


to find out what some of our core beliefs about

that phrase might be.



Started when a close friend of ****'s was hospitalized,

near death from kidney failure....lots of back story here,

but it really doesn't help get to my point so I won't go

into it all.



Bottom line is we started thinking about what this friend

seemed to mean by "love"...which was "get treated like crap,


not worth taking care of, be abandoned". If someone was nice

then they must not be loving...you get the idea.



And we started looking at how that applies for each of us,

because we sure as heck all have some baggage about what does

"Love" mean, anyway?



Like:

Love means "I'll tell you what you want to hear"

Love means "you'll never stick around"


Love means "as long as you look good, who cares how you feel?"

Love means "only my intentions matter, my behavior is irrelevant"



Ick.

I mean, really ICK.



Intellectually I know darn well that those are NOT definitions

of "love" that I care to have active in my life...and yet they

are, in many ways. Subtly and not so subtly. And we have been

looking at them (to paraphrase the song) "from both sides now"


as well...if someone I know grew up with "love" meaning "hit you",

how do they act towards someone who says "I love you" to them?

what do they mean when they say "I love you" to someone else?



So now I (at least) have some kind of process running in the

back of my mind to identify, tease out, and dispute these

"ugly" layers of meaning that "love" has accumulated over the

years.



Has anyone else done this kind of analysis? Does anyone else


have an insights or ideas about how to best counter the ugly

stuff?



Thanks,

Deborah







Would oreos be COMMUNION to you? or is there a

significance to a certain type of food or drink?


We don't have communion, obviously, but there are different prayers said

over different classes of food - "fruit of the vine", "fruit of the

tree", "food from the ground", etc. The last one refers to all grains

and grain products, and is called a "motzi"; it is just as appropriate

(necessary, to an Orthodox Jew) to say a "motzi" over Oreos as it is

over a loaf of challah (bread). The requirements for Shabbat require a

"motzi" and the prayer for the wine or grape juice. Although challah is

traditionally used for Shabbat motzi, it isn't required - just baked

goods based on grain flour.




Of course, that leaves open the question, what wine goes best with

Oreos? I'd go for a late harvest Gewurtztraminer, myself ;@)



This coming Friday evening (2/6/04) is the holiday known as Tu B'Shevat,

or the New Year of Trees. Every year, I lead a special service at our

synagogue, in which we celebrate the different fruits and nuts of the

Holy Land, meditate on several kabbalistic interpretations, and do alot

of singing and reading out loud. What was a very minor thing, a tax day

really, has turned into a major ecological remembrance for modern Jews.


(BTW, the food plates we put together for the service use carob chip

cookies for both the Carob Tree and for the "motzi"!).



So even if you aren't Jewish, why not take some time Friday evening or

Saturday morning to go hug a tree, and eat some tree fruits and nuts

with mindfulness of the trees which produced them for you?



--








Andrea Frankel



It was good to hear from you again Tim. And just when

I needed it. I worked on a report from 8am to 1pm,

when my computer froze up and I lost everything. So I

lugged home 148 student files to work on tonight after

the kids go to bed. I was feeling pretty sorry for

myself. After all, I got into this profession where I

make not a lot of money for a whole lot of work just


so I could help kids and since this No Child Left

Behind thing, all I do is paperwork! Now I'll be up 4

or 5 hours doing more of it! But to stop and think, I

don't have to like it. I can be irritated at my

computer, the moon, or whatever I want. I can

complain about how they're ruining No Child Left

Behind and my life. But it won't change a thing.

Except make me have a bad attitude in front of my

students, my kids and my husband. So I've decided to


just stay up all night if I have to, get the report

done, and go to school tomorrow thankful that I might

have whatever time I can helping and loving my

students. Complaining has never changed anything in

my life, so why bother? Thanks for the "gentle"

reminder.



Jenifer



Wow, Tim what a great message. And timely as usual.


I too am rethinking the donuts in my life (ooo deep thought).

Yesterday I had a bad day at work. I was in several classrooms

to teach students, but the regular teacher didn't include me

and all I ended up doing was sitting in the back of the room

stewing about my wasted college degree and 8 years of experience.

Today the same thing happened first thing this morning.

A teacher had really planned to use my teaching skills with a


small group, but something came up and it didn't end up working.

So I sat and listened. In doing that I began to think deeply

about the difficulty my limited English kids were having in her

class and guessing that my other students are probably

experiencing similar difficulties. I used my time to think

of ways I can help next week in my own classroom to make

these kids have more success in their "regular" classroom. My


time was not wasted because I didn't just look at the blank

paper side of this

problem. Instead I looked deeper and used the time to my

students' advantage. Now if I could only stop judging

everything and learn to do this every time I'm faced with a

"blank page" in my time.



Thanks for making me think today!


Love to you.

Jen









Love In Thought! Love In Word! Love In Action!



Love To You Today!







"May we endeavor today to increase our understanding and appreciation of


what others have given and contributed to us. And develop constant,

mindful consideration of how our thoughts and actions will BENIFICIALLY

CONTRIBUTE to others"



The best to you today in discovering the answers to life's difficult

questions!







A Final Thought:




Love is always the right thing to do. Even if it isn't the easiest

thing to do.



May we have compassion for the struggles of others, wisdom to

acknowledge our own, and courage to address them both every day.



Respectfully,

Tim





This is a daily newsletter of LOVE WORKS DAILY:


A collective of individuals of different beliefs and

backgrounds, dedicated to a better world by living LOVE in thought,

word and action. Compassion. Wisdom. Courage.



Join one of our mailing list of online groups:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveworksdaily/

http://lists.topica.com/lists/loveworksdaily/prefs/info.html

http://groups.google.com/group/love-works-daily

http://groups.msn.com/LoveWorksDaily






Or read us on the web:

http://loveworks.ebloggy.com/

http://loveworksdaily.blogspot.com/



Or Email me at:

loveworksdaily@wildblue.net



Nam Myoho Renge Kyo

Peace be with you.

LOVE WORKS DAILY 03/02/07 - The Same Road

LOVE WORKS DAILY 03/02/07 - The Same Road

Love To You!  And Welcome to this thing called
LOVE WORKS!  I wish you the greatest of peace, the most
abundant happiness, and the fullness of joy that is
LOVE!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveworksdaily/

INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT:
(Great Thoughts By History's Inspired Thinking Men and Women)

Man has never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.

-Bern Williams

TIM's BLOG
(Random Thoughts and Tim's Daily World):

Good morning Friday!  The snow has stopped here, at least for
the moment and a few rays of sunshine are creeping through.
Very nice to see! 

Hope that you have been enjoying the LOVE WORKS...remember,
it's not just me on here...take the time to write in and
introduce yourself...make a comment on a topic...ask a question...
heck..I'll do the Dear Abby thing!

Love To You!

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
(Brand New and Classic Love Works Essays 2001-2007)

I have found myself growing sick and tired of driving
a short stretch of road between our house and the kids'
bus stop.  It's about 3 miles long...the only way to go...
and this time of year...icy, muddy, snowy, and full of ruts
and potholes.

The bus comes to the end of the paved road.  From the paved
road it is 3 miles of dirt road to our house.  Most of the
year the road is fine...dry, mostly flat, and a nice
scenic tour through the trees.

This winter,  I have grown very tired of it.

I drive the road in the morning,  and then usually again
at lunchtime to deliver the mail and get the mail, and then
in the afternoon to pick up the kids (for the record the post
office is only open 10:30-1:30 so that's why the third trip).
I also usually drive it on Saturday for classes we teach,
and Sunday to church.

I have really grown weary of the same ole road. 

As I was bumping down the road the other day I got to think
about the road...and the road we call life.

Hey! A Love Works topic!

Sometimes,  taking the very same bumpy road over and over and
over again gets really tiring.

Does that ever happen to you?

Seem like your life is all full of potholes and ruts that you
are stuck in.

Get up in the morning..do the very same thing....noon...do
the very same thing...evening...the very same thing....to
bed and then start again the next day.

Reminds me of people I see working in government offices
sometimes...usually the DMV or Human Resources or the post
office or some other office that deals with hundreds and hundreds
of people every day - over and over - the same questions, the
same complaints, the same forms...over and over.

These people look like they could go Posta...um...I mean
could crack at any point from pure repetitive frustration.

A job that goes no place, that you have to do, that brings no
joy at all..and makes you crazy.

I got to that place lots of times with our store.  The same
group of customers working the system time and time again.
Enough to make one pull out their hair!

Well, not to sound trite...I don't think it has to be this way.

My challenge is to make this drive down this same road
somehow more interesting, more exciting,  even fun!

It's not the roads fault...It's not the jobs fault...
It's not the customers fault.....

They are just THERE....and we react the way we chose to react.

If we cannot chose to react anymore..than we do need to
seek mental health treatment before purchasing a hand gun.

Most of us CAN choose....and we can find a way
to remember that we are NOT STUCK.  There may be ruts and
bumps, and the road may get boring.

But we chose it!

I could live someplace else...I don't HAVE to live
at the end of a dirt road 40 miles from noplace.

I picked it!  And most of the time, I love it!

And for that choice,  I pay a certain cost.  I travel
a short track of bumpy road often.

So it goes with relationships, jobs, living conditions
and more....

We pick something...and some of it is great...and some of
it is not....

We can chose to throw it all away...because the road is
bumpy or even boring, at times.

Or we can keep all the good things we have,  and learn to
make the very best of that "same road".

That's a thing my wife and I do...we try to remember
that neither of us is a basket of roses all the time.

But we get alot of good things...and a few we'd do without.

And sometimes LOVE is just like the road....
bumpy, with some potholes, and you get a bit muddy at times...
and sometimes it's maybe even a little boring...

But those are all parts of getting from A to B.

And the payoff is so great...that it's worth getting
a little mud on the tires.

 

Love In Thought! Love In Word! Love In Action!

Love To You Today!

 

"May we endeavor today to increase our understanding and appreciation of
what others have given and contributed to us. And develop constant,
mindful consideration of how our thoughts and actions will BENIFICIALLY
CONTRIBUTE to others"

The best to you today in discovering the answers to life's difficult
questions!

 

A Final Thought:

Love is always the right thing to do. Even if it isn't the easiest
thing to do.

May we have compassion for the struggles of others, wisdom to
acknowledge our own, and courage to address them both every day.

Respectfully,
Tim

This is a daily newsletter of LOVE WORKS DAILY:
A collective of individuals of different beliefs and
backgrounds, dedicated to a better world by living LOVE in thought,
word and action. Compassion. Wisdom. Courage.

Join one of our mailing list of online groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveworksdaily/
http://lists.topica.com/lists/loveworksdaily/prefs/info.html
http://groups.google.com/group/love-works-daily
http://groups.msn.com/LoveWorksDaily

Or read us on the web:
http://loveworks.ebloggy.com/
http://loveworksdaily.blogspot.com/

Or Email me at:
loveworksdaily@wildblue.net

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Peace be with you.

(c)2007 T.Thomas Henry

LOVE WORKS DAILY 03/01/07 - Dark Skies

LOVE WORKS DAILY 03/01/07 - Dark Skies

Love To You!  And Welcome to this thing called
LOVE WORKS!  I wish you the greatest of peace, the most
abundant happiness, and the fullness of joy that is
LOVE!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveworksdaily/

INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT:
(Great Thoughts By History's Inspired Thinking Men and Women)

The wisdom of this world brings doubt. The wisdom of religion soars
above the skies. Reflection on Truth opens the way to the kingdom.
Treasures and armies do not make a king. A true king is a king within
himself.

-Rumi, "Mathnawi"

TIM's BLOG
(Random Thoughts and Tim's Daily World):

 This Love Works Daily was originally printed
in 2003, and although it is years later,  my thought are still with
the people of Iraq and the Soldiers
fighting in Iraq and dying in Iraq to this date,  and the
conflicts that occur around the world when one religion takes action
to "correct" another.  I know that there is no simple answer.  Just
like my story on Hurricaine Katrina,  I didn't and still don't have
the facts regarding our attack of Iraq and continued presence there.

Oil?  Weapons of Mass Destruction?  Human Rights?  Religion?

A friend of mine left me an interesting article with detailed
facts regarding what the US public may or may not know regarding
our invasion and occupation of the Middle Eastern Nation.
What counties may have been involved...Did Saddam have Nukes?

And given that, I may have been tempted to re-write some of what I
wrote in 2003, the day we began our first strikes.
 

Much has happened since Day One..No we didn't kill Saddam Hussein.
We captured him, so that
we could eventually kill him..

And even though I thought I just might be writing something like
this four years later when we were still in Iraq, I had hoped not.

I will never like war. And I'm not sure I will ever be able to justify
it. 
As it turns out,  this is a week of pretty heavy topics at LOVE WORKS
DAILY. 

The world is filled with alot of Dark Skies today....

Skies darkened by the blood of innocent people.

To me, that will never be OK.

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
(Brand New and Classic Love Works Essays 2001-2007)

The wisdom of this world brings doubt.

Today we begin our attack on the country of Iraq with the intention
to kill Saddam Hussein and depose his government. I cannot tell you for
certain whether this is good or bad. Nor can I tell you for certain
what results it will bring. I can tell you one thing for
certain.....The wisdom of this world brings doubt!

The wisdom of religion soars above the skies.

Despite what may have heard....the two big religions in this conflict
both preach LOVE and PEACE. If you take some time to research the
matter you will discover that both ancient Christian/Jewish and Islamic
texts will justify the bloodshed .....but that Jesus and Muhammed (the
ultimate FINAL SAY in both religions) strongly CONDEMNED it!...The
wisdom of religion soars above the skies (now filled with bombs!)

Reflection on the Truth opens the way to the kingdom.

The only way is to love your neighbour and LIVE LOVE in thought, word
and action. This is the only universal TRUTH. All else is dogma and
up for debate. Rather than violent action in contrast to this
truth....Reflection on the truth opens the way to the kingdom.

Treasures and armies do not make a king.

You cannot use MONEY or FORCE to cause people to live at peace or
believe what you believe. And peace gained by those means will only
last until you run low on money and armies, or until the next guy
acquires MORE money and MORE armies.
Peace is achieved by LOVING UNDERSTANDING, COMPASSION and
COMMUNICATION. We may be able to win this conflict (HEY LET'S CALL IT
WHAT IT IS...WAR!)...but we will not be able to maintain it
because...Treasures and armies do not make a king.

A true king is a king within himself.

True victory comes from each of us bringing out the best of ourselves,
and sharing it with others. Living a life of love, by example, not by
force. Standing up for (and defending, if necessary) what we believe,
but not using force to ATTACK those who oppose our beliefs....A true
king is a king within himself.

I don't usually address political issues, and the polls say 65% of you
disagree with me....but I oppose the attack on the country and people of
Iraq at this time. Should Iraq or any other country choose to USE
weapons of mass destruction such as Nuclear, Chemical or Biological
weapons....the world should respond....and respond firmly and put an end
to the use of these weapons. I oppose the agressive use of weapons, and
most definately oppose the use of mass destruction weapons.

But I also oppose our attack on countries that have them, just because
they have them.

Should we attack them all? Pakistan, India,
China, Russia, North Korea....how about England or France (to name
just a few). France and India have done above ground nuclear testing in
recent years....shouldn't we attack them?

We have Nuclear and Chemical and Biological weapons stockpiles.

Do we attack ourselves?

After all, we are only country to actually use nuclear weapons to kill
people, and thousands of unarmed civilians at that. Probably necessary,
but still something to think about.

Now don't get me wrong. Saddam Hussein is not a nice guy. The
government of Iraq is agressive and has commited terrible crimes against
it's own people and it's neighbours, and certainly fuels the
terror attacks abroad.

But there are alot of "bad guys" out there. Is the US the country that
is in charge of eliminating the "bad ones", and protecting the "good
ones". And to do it by using massive firepower to attack and destroy?

I support defending the innocent from harm , but oppose the attack of
Iraq at this time, and in this manner.

I think that..."The wisdom of this world brings doubt."

And so did Rumi (an ancient Muslim prophet).

 

Love In Thought! Love In Word! Love In Action!

Love To You Today!

 

"May we endeavor today to increase our understanding and appreciation of
what others have given and contributed to us. And develop constant,
mindful consideration of how our thoughts and actions will BENIFICIALLY
CONTRIBUTE to others"

The best to you today in discovering the answers to life's difficult
questions!

 

A Final Thought:

Love is always the right thing to do. Even if it isn't the easiest
thing to do.

May we have compassion for the struggles of others, wisdom to
acknowledge our own, and courage to address them both every day.

Respectfully,
Tim

This is a daily newsletter of LOVE WORKS DAILY:
A collective of individuals of different beliefs and
backgrounds, dedicated to a better world by living LOVE in thought,
word and action. Compassion. Wisdom. Courage.

Join one of our mailing list of online groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveworksdaily/
http://lists.topica.com/lists/loveworksdaily/prefs/info.html
http://groups.google.com/group/love-works-daily
http://groups.msn.com/LoveWorksDaily

Or read us on the web:
http://loveworks.ebloggy.com/
http://loveworksdaily.blogspot.com/

Or Email me at:
loveworksdaily@wildblue.net

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Peace be with you.

From Love Works Daily 3/20/03
(c)2007 T.Thomas Henry

LOVE WORKS DAILY 02/28/07 - READERS RESPOND #4

LOVE WORKS DAILY 02/28/07 - READERS RESPOND #4 - Andrea, Jenifer & Deborah

Hello Friends! I hope today finds you happy and well
and filled with the infinity that is love and the
capacity to give and receive it freely today!

Join one of our mailing list of online groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveworksdaily/
http://lists.topica.com/lists/loveworksdaily/prefs/info.html
http://groups.google.com/group/love-works-daily

Or read us on the web:
http://loveworks.ebloggy.com/
http://loveworksdaily.blogspot.com/

Or Email me at:
loveworksdaily@wildblue.net

INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT:
(Great Thoughts By History's Inspired Thinking Men and Women)

There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day.

-Alexander Woollcott

TIM's BLOG
(Random Thoughts and Tim's Daily World):

Today, I continue by series recapping responses sent in
by readers over the years. 

I know, I harp on this topic alot...but when you read
the thoughful and reflective contributions by readers
of the group...I hope you can see how incredibly valuable
these insights are.  Not just to me, but to us all.

Thanks to those who send things in..and thank for
being a continued readered and supporter of the group

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
(Brand New and Classic Love Works Essays 2001-2007)

My definition of courage is from a book title years ago:  "Feel the
Fear, and Do It Anyway."

Just as we can learn attention, compassion, and gratitude for a
multitude of things every moment and every day, we can learn to be
courageous and acknowledge courage for a multitude of things every
moment and every day.

It takes courage to get out of bed in the morning, if you are in pain,
disabled, or depressed.  It takes courage to make plans when you know
that you may be physically or emotionally unable to carry them
through.  It takes courage to reach out to people when you are
grieving, hurt, scared, or depressed.  It takes courage to be present
in our lives.  It takes courage to feel what we are feeling, without
trying to distract ourselves or run from the feelings.

This evening starts Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe.  To any Jewish
readers (heck, to all of us!), I wish you L'Shanah Tovah, a sweet and
love-filled new year.

Andrea K. Frankel

Tim,
Wow! What powerful thoughts you shared today. We so
often don't stop to think about how lucky we are in so
many ways. A good friend of mine has been sharing
with me lately about her marriage to an alcoholic with
a very severe gambling problem. I've been counting
myself very lucky to be married to such a wonderful
man, who may not do the dishes as much as I'd like and
plays on the computer more than I'd like, but is
nonetheless the perfect man for me. He works hard to
make our family a successful partnership. And he
luckily doesn't blow our paychecks at the casinos,
despite the fact that we live in the gambling state.
There are billions of things for us to be thankful for
everyday. Thanks for reminding me of some more
reasons I too am very blessed.
Jenifer

 am SO BLESSED to have your Love Works Daily (or Weekly ;-) ) come into
my ebox. It never fails to lift my spirits and focus me on something
more worthwhile than my aches, pains, and limitations.

I'm sorry if I haven't responded often enough to sustain you - it's so
easy to fall into the trap of feeling that there are "zillions" of other
readers doing that, why would I think that my words would make a
difference, etc. But that's just passing the buck, dropping the ball,
(fill in your favorite metaphor). So I am going to remember (or try to)
to send you loving feedback for all you give us!

Right now, wrap your arms around yourself, and give yourself a big hug
from me!

--

 

Andrea Frankel

It's been very quiet on this list...is anyone out there?

I woke from an interesting dream two nights ago, and when I woke I was left
with an odd thought (which since "opened up" for me) and two songs running
though my head.

The odd thought was: If Jesus were doing his thing in this era, communion
would consist of a latte and a biscotti. Or maybe Folgers and an oreo.

Which expanded to: When Jesus was having his last supper, and telling the
people around him "Whenever you do this, remember me", he was using wine
and bread..two things that were staples for most meals in that era, two
things that people used often. So why did communion turn into something
special, once-a-week-or-less-often, needing major ritual etc. Seems to me
he was trying to tell us that we needed to "remember him" (remember what he
taught about love, and our own god-hood, and peace and the beatitudes and
stuff) EVERY DAY. Several times a day. Whenever we ate or drank something.

That seems to me that it might be a very powerful idea. (Right up there
with my question: "Would you do that to JESUS?")

And the two songs were: "Love Lifts Me Up Where I Belong" and "Your Love
Has Lifted Me Higher". Pretty appropriate, I think.

Deborah

Speaking as a Jew, if I practiced my religion as the Orthodox Jews do,
I would be saying a prayer blessing God for creating the food every
time I went to eat something, and a prayer of thanksgiving to God after
having eaten.  In other words, the Jewish approach is to make every
action a "holy action".  (Did you know there is a specific prayer for
going to the bathroom? :@)

As a Reform Jew, I get pretty lax about this.  But on the rare
occasions when I'm having dinner with someone else, we hold hands
around the food and silently either pray or do mindfulness over the
food.  I like the idea of starting to do this all the time, when dining
alone.  A pleasant side-effect of "doing the b'rucha" every time you
eat (or drink something other than water) is that it really cuts down
on mindless nibbling!

Andrea K. Frankel

Love In Thought! Love In Word! Love In Action!

Love To You Today!

 

"May we endeavor today to increase our understanding and appreciation of
what others have given and contributed to us. And develop constant,
mindful consideration of how our thoughts and actions will BENIFICIALLY
CONTRIBUTE to others"

The best to you today in discovering the answers to life's difficult
questions!

 

A Final Thought:

Love is always the right thing to do. Even if it isn't the easiest
thing to do.

May we have compassion for the struggles of others, wisdom to
acknowledge our own, and courage to address them both every day.

Respectfully,
Tim

This is a daily newsletter of LOVE WORKS DAILY:
A collective of individuals of different beliefs and
backgrounds, dedicated to a better world by living LOVE in thought,
word and action. Compassion. Wisdom. Courage.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Peace be with you.

(c)2007 T.Thomas Henry

LOVE WORKS DAILY 02/27/07 - GRATITUDE AND HOPE

LOVE WORKS DAILY 02/27/07 - GRATITUDE AND HOPE

INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT:
(Great Thoughts By History's Inspired Thinking Men and Women)

It is vital that people "count their blessings" to
 appreciate what they possess without having to undergo its
 actual loss.

-Abraham Maslow

TIM's BLOG
(Random Thoughts and Tim's Daily World):

Welcome again to some new readers!  Love to You!

Today's Love Works was originally written on August 30th
of 2005.  If the date doesn't jump out at you..that was the
first date of the devisation of hurricaine Katrina in
New Orleans.  News reports were just coming in, and at
least at first, it seemed like things might not be that
bad.  Well, the news was wrong...it was terrible, and at
the time I felt rather bad about writing my story that
day.  When I re-read it a few days later I felt like
I was saying that Katrina was not all that bad and
that others had it much worse.  Reading it now...I realize that
what I think I was really trying to say was that no
matter how bad it is we really can "count our blessings"
that it is not worse.

For those in New Orleans that week, and in the weeks
and months to come, I don't think it could have seemed
or been any worse.  I can only imagine.

But most of the world did not live in Katrina's wake...
and I'm not sure how really grateful we all are about that.

I know the rescue workeres who were shipped into the area,
and all of the other terrible disasters to occur around the
world (including war and famine) can see it first hand
and really appreciate that this was NOT happening to them.

So, from August 2005...Gratitude and Hope...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
(Brand New and Classic Love Works Essays 2001-2007)

Today my mind is with those that have suffered losses of life,
home and employment due to the destructive powers of mother nature
and the natural disasters she sends to us.

A thunderous rain storm hit where I lived for about
5 minutes yesterday,  flooding the street for a moment,  and
then the sun returned.

I knew in my mind that this was nothing like the terrible tragedy
going on elsewhere today.  For today, as of the time of this writing,
a tremendous hurricane had ravaged and destroyed much of the southern
U.S. coast line. 

Hurricaine Katrina!

***************************************************************

Writes Mark Wallheiser
BILOXI, Mississippi (Reuters) -

 A widespread disaster unfolded on the U.S. Gulf Coast on Tuesday
as up to 80 people were reported dead in Mississippi, and
floodwaters poured into low-lying New Orleans through levees
 battered by powerful Hurricane Katrina.

The death toll was expected to grow as rescuers
struggled through high water and mountains of
 debris to reach areas devastated by Katrina when
it struck the region on Monday. Hundreds needed to be
 rescued from rooftops,     U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

The storm inflicted catastrophic damage all along the
 coast as it slammed into Louisiana with 140 mph (224 kph) winds,
 then swept across Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee.

It shattered buildings, broke boats, smashed cars,
toppled trees and flooded cities. Risk analysts estimated the
 storm would cost insurers $26 billion, the most in U.S. history.

*****************************************************************

Now, this was a big storm,  and history will tell just how big, when
all is said and done.

I don't want to diminish what a horrific event it must have been for
those who were there. 

But today, I thought about gratitude.  I thought about my little
rainstorm in Oregon.  And my thoughts also went to
other disasters that have happened in history.

Certainly,  I felt gratitude that in my corner of the world,  I did
not have a hurricaine or any major disaster....

I thought about other huge disasters to hit this planet ...

An earthquake that hit the Kanto Plain, Japan, on September 1, 1923,
destroyed an estimated 575,000 dwellings in Tokyo and Yokohama.
 The official total of people killed and missing in the quake
 and its resultant fires was 142,807. Measuring 8.19 on the
 Richter scale, this disaster devastated southeast Japan.
The cities of Tokyo and Yokohama, with populations of 3 million
and 423,000 respectively, were hardest hit. The quake caused
fires to break out in both cities, further adding to the
devastation.

Around 890,000 dwellings were destroyed when the Hwai
and Yangtze rivers in eastern China flooded in August,
1950. In addition, 1.4 million ha. (3.5 million acres) of
land in the area were left untillable for the entire
planting season.

The tsunami that struck South East Asia on December 26,
 2004 has been confirmed as the most devastating in
 modern history. The series of waves were caused by an
earthquake off the coast of Northern Sumatra that measured
 9.0 on the Richter scale.
The countries directly affected are Bangladesh, Burma,
Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka,
 Seychelles, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, and India, including
 the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. However, many small islands
and archipelago were also devastated. The scale of
devastation has resulted in a death toll over 300,000 and over
 five million homeless –­ the largest death toll from a tsunami.

The Kobe earthquake of January 1995 resulted in overall losses
of $100 billion (£63.04 billion), making it the
costliest natural disaster to befall any one country.
More than ten years after the earthquake that caused such
devastation, there is little sign of life in Kobe returning
 to normal. With such enormous damage to people and
property, it was inevitable that life in the region
would be changed forever. Many people must now pay
two mortgages - on the homes they currently own and the
ones they lost in the quake.

On April 26, 1942, 1,549 people were killed by a coal-dust
 explosion at Honkeiko (Benxihu) Colliery, China. Coal
dust continues to post serious risks to miners – as recently
as May 15, 2002, 18 miners were killed in an explosion at
a coal mine in Wentang township in China's southern
 Hunan province.

The most individuals killed in a terrorist act, according
 to the official count from the authorities, is 2,823 as
a result of the attack on the World Trade Center, New York,
 USA, on September 11, 2001.

The fire following the April 18, 1906, San Francisco
 earthquake in the USA caused damage amounting to an
estimated US $5,748,000,000 (in 1906!)

When the Tambora volcano in Sumbawa, Indonesia
(then the Dutch East Indies) erupted from April 5-10, 1815,
92,000 people were killed.

The highest earthquake death toll in modern times
was caused by one that hit Tangshan, China, on
July 28, 1976. The official figure of 655,237 deaths was
 first adjusted to 750,000 and then to 242,000.

Do these numbers and events make me feel different about
Hurricaine Katrina or it's victims?

No.

Does this make me feel that we should be any less compassionate
or extend thoughts of love and hope any less?

Of course not.

What is it does make me realize is that we are all, for the
most part,  very fortunate.

Most of us were not in any of the above mentioned disasters...
including Katrina....

 And we are not nearly grateful enough!

Regardless of how bleak our problems may look today, Today...
someplace in the world...it is most likely even worse...

TODAY there is hope. Things can and will get better...

There is always hope!

And because of that hope.

Today I remember how fortunate we all are.

How fortunate everyone living today really is.

Today, I have hope and gratitude gratitude!

Adapted from LOVE WORKS DAILY 08/30/05
(c)2007 T.Thomas Henry

LOVE WORKS DAILY 02/26/07 - BIG BIG LOVE

LOVE WORKS DAILY 02/26/07 - BIG BIG LOVE

Hello Friends! I hope today finds you happy and well
and filled with the infinity that is love and the
capacity to give and receive it freely today!

Join our mailing list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveworksdaily/

Or read us on the web:
http://loveworks.ebloggy.com/
http://loveworksdaily.blogspot.com/

INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT:
(Great Thoughts By History's Inspired Thinking Men and Women)

People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.

-Abigail Van Buren

TIM's BLOG
(Random Thoughts and Tim's Daily World):

Good Morning to you on this Happy Monday!

Happy Monday?

Yep, Every Day can be a Happy Day is you decide that
is it one!

I'd like to again say a big Welcome and those who joined us
over the weekend. 

For those of you that have been here a while this will
be repeating what I have said before,  but for the sake of
the new readers, I thought I would recap what LOVE WORKS is,
where it came from, and why it continues.

First off...LOVE WORKS in a phrase that came to me in 2001
at a time when things were particularly low for me.
A number of times in my life LOVE seemed to be just another
4 letter word.  People said LOVE,  but it didn't mean much.

Then came 9/11.  I wrote my first LOVE WORKS essay on 9/10/01,
and the next day...all hell broke loose.

I decided to write a daily diary and send it to my friends
about my thoughts on LOVE...hopeful thoughts...about what COULD
BE....

So that's what I did...and have been mostly doing it for
the last 5 1/2 years...

Speading the world that LOVE WORKS...Hate DOES NOT WORK...
LOVE WORKS!

AND Besides all that...LOVE does not just sit there...

LOVE gets off it's butt and WORKS!

Love IS NOT easy...sometimes it's a good-ole pain in the
you-know-what!

That's what LOVE WORKS is about....Loving youself, Loving
your friends and family...and most importantly Loving those
you don't agree with..or are not loving toward you!  Loving you
enemies as well as those who are not!

When you Love in general...people stop being enemies...
and become other people that just need a little more
time to let Love Work!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
(Brand New and Classic Love Works Essays 2001-2007)

Sometimes you need to have BIG BIG LOVE!

Tossing a little bit of love in whenever it is convenient
is an easy thing to do.  Love those who love you back, but
not until it hurts.....

Sorry....

When it really starts to hurt....that's when the REAL LOVE
kicks in.

The Dalai Lama was exiled from Tibet many decades ago...
it was decided that for the benefit of the world, he should
leave his mountain home...and not die...when the Chinese
invaded.

Hundreds and Hundreds of other monks DID NOT go...they stayed
at the monestaries and held hands and made a human line
between the temples and the soldiers.

They stayed hand-in-hand until machine gun fire killed
each and every one of them.

Many years later, the Dalai Lama was asked about the
massacre, and asked how he felt about the Chinese who did
this to his brothers.

He said, "I Love them.  I love them very much."

What!?!

"I loved the monks who stayed and died..but I loved and love
the Chinese more..."

"I love them more...because they need it more...."

Jesus expressed the almost identical sentiments
2000 years earlier....

He hung out with the sinners, because the sinners needed
Love and forgiveness the most.

Ultimately, it is those terrible situations in which
things go so badly and so wrong...that LOVE is needed the
most.

How could I love the killer who murdered my child?

Not loving him will not bring the child back....Adding
a little love in the world is the only way that anything
will get better. 

How can I love the man who cheated on me and divorced me?

Not loving him will not bring him back,  but continuing
to exhibit a loving, compassionate attitude toward him
and about him WILL change the world.  It will change the world
of the small child who sees that LOVE is bigger than
anger..and that a break-up doesn't mean the end of the
love of his parents.  Children who grow up in hate..learn
hate....divorced parents can still live love...if not live
together...

How can I love the politicians that continue to plunge us
further into war?

You can, because you need to...Send them a loving, yet
passionate letter pleading the case of peace....put a loving
vote in the ballot box by voting them out of office and
encouraging the new administation to make a change.

How do we love people who blow up airplanes and skyscrapers?

How can we?

One person at a time. More loving people mean less hateful
people.  It's simple math.  If you hate the terrorists...
you are on the side of hate...and not on the side of love...
You ARE NOT making it better...just changing the focus.

That's what I always remember in terms of my children (and
those of you with teenagers will relate to the challenge
to live LOVE).....

I always LOVE my children.  Always. Always. Always.

Even when I impose a consequence,  I love them, and say
I love them.

I don't always like what they do...and in some cases
I'm sure that people could come to a place where you don't
like the person they have become or the life they live.

But we always love them. Because they need our love, and love
in the right thing to do. Always.

I don't like murderers...but I don't hate them either.
I don't understand murderers...but I do send out my
love and compassion to them.

Anyone who has worked in prison knows that even the most
violent convictt got to that place somehow...and it wasn't with love..
only LOVE has any change to bring them out of the dark place
they live.

I don't like terrorists...but the same applies..only love..not
hate will turn them around....

I don't like, condone, or support a very large number of
actions....

But without LOVE....I am only making the hate bigger....adding
fuel to a fire that is already burning way to brightly already.

I have no interest in adding to the hate....

But sometimes you have to take a deep breath...bite your
tongue...reach down for your most far way smile.....

And put out your hand and offer that....

BIG BIG LOVE!

The alternative just doesn't work...LOVE works!

Love In Thought! Love In Word! Love In Action!

Love To You Today!

 

"May we endeavor today to increase our understanding and appreciation of
what others have given and contributed to us. And develop constant,
mindful consideration of how our thoughts and actions will BENIFICIALLY
CONTRIBUTE to others"

The best to you today in discovering the answers to life's difficult
questions!

 

A Final Thought:

Love is always the right thing to do. Even if it isn't the easiest
thing to do.

May we have compassion for the struggles of others, wisdom to
acknowledge our own, and courage to address them both every day.

Respectfully,
Tim

This is a daily newsletter of LOVE WORKS DAILY:
A collective of individuals of different beliefs and
backgrounds, dedicated to a better world by living LOVE in thought,
word and action. Compassion. Wisdom. Courage.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Peace be with you.

(c)2007 T.Thomas Henry

LOVE WORKS DAILY 02/23/07 - Going All The Way

LOVE WORKS DAILY 02/23/07 - Going All The Way

Hello Friends! I hope today finds you happy and well
and filled with the infinity that is love and the
capacity to give and receive it freely today!

Join our mailing list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loveworksdaily/

Or read us on the web:
http://loveworks.ebloggy.com/
http://loveworksdaily.blogspot.com/

INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT:
(Great Thoughts By History's Inspired Thinking Men and Women)

The giant oak is an acorn that held its ground.

-Anonymous

TIM's BLOG
(Random Thoughts and Tim's Daily World):

Hello again from this frosty Friday morning in
beautiful Southern Oregon.  In case you don't already
know,  my name is Tim Henry, and I am the host and moderator
of this group.  I'd like to welcome a couple new readers
today...Welcome! 

If you've wondered what this is about..and how you got here..
you got here because of LOVE.  Our mission is to enhance
connection and understanding amongst all types of people
to bring down hate and anger and bring up love and happiness.

Yeah, Yeah...I know...Hippy Dippy...Oh, Well...I usually
write this while hugging a tree anyway...so....

So...toss me a guitar and lets have a "Love In!"  Woo Hoo!

Truthfully, I welcome you all to get involved.  If have a comment
about something I've had to say,  or just something on your
mind...everything said in a loving and respectful way is welcome
here.  There is no right or wrong answers...and after all...
that's the point...learning to love even those you don't agree
with...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
(Brand New and Classic Love Works Essays 2001-2007)

In March, my 12 year old is going to State!
He's won the local Klamath County contest of MathCounts,
a $1000 scholarship to Oregon Tech, and the chance to
compete in Corvallis to maybe win a slot at the nationals
in Texas!

This boy can do more math in his head that I could ever do..period.
By all accounts, he is a mathmatical genius. And he's only in
the 7th grade.

Which brings me to my LOVE WORKS topic and a question we have
been wrestling with the last few weeks.

When he won the competition in Klamath Falls,  we, as parents,
were thrilled beyond belief.  Our son was very happy,  but
not terribly surprised, I think.  But WE were out of our
minds.  Neither of us had ever WON a scholarship in an academic
challenge.  For me, however,  It would have been such an
exciting moment.

Now that he has the chance to go to state and maybe on
to nationals...we are thrilled...we are hyped...we are
amped....

And he is rather ho-hum.

I think that he thinks he has a chance...but not a very ggod
one...to win at State...but for him the task has been accomplished.
He set out to win at Klamath, and he did.  He wanted
to be one of the few people ever from Klamath to qualify for
state, and he did. He wanted to be the ONLY student from
his school to ever qualify for state, and he did.

But now...going to state doesn't seem really motivating.

For us, the parents,  we see this as a huge opportunity.
He could end up going to the schools we have only dreamed
of...having the job offers that we could have only begged for.

But what do we do now?

What is the most loving action?

I have visions of "beauty pageant" moms and "Child actor" parents
flashing through my mind.  Adults living vicariously through
the success of the child..at the child expense.  The pressure,
the expectation..the loss of childhood.

Because our son is a math and science prodigy, does this
mean we should push his to fame, fortune and the Nobel Prize?

On the other hand,  if we don't push at all....will he
let his talent wither.

Ultimately, I think that his happiness is the the very most
important thing.  I want his to know without any question
that he is LOVED, and LOVED just as much, no matter what
he does, or how he does in life.

If he is happy being a mechanic or a plumber (both very
skilled jobs, by the way) then that's what he shoud do!

But we feel like we should put SOME fire under him
to do his very best,  especially when faced with opportunities
not afforded many other people.

So here we sit...

He said to me the other day..."dad,  you said that when
we were going to the county Mathcounts that you'd be happy
no matter how I did, but now with me going to State you
seem to want me to win"

Did I?  Was that what I had been saying?

I responded by saying that when someone gets a chance at
something big...something that they want....they should go at it
with the mindset "I can get it!" and try their very hardest. We
would be oh so proud to know that you went and tried hard
but did not win!  We love and support you no matter how
you do. But we don't want you to let something pass you
by that you would regret because you didn't try.

But even after saying that...it wasn't clear to me.

Was it our 12 year old regrets we were worried about...
or were we having regrets about what WE let pass by.

I know, I would have done some things different.

As a man of 40,  I know I would spend every hour between
now and March 10th studying math....to give myself the
best chance...to WIN!

But as a boy of 12,  I think I would want to go out
and build a snowman...which is exactly what he did.

LOVING, to me,  is about going all the way.

Not kids going all the way to Nationals because you think they
will let their parents down....

But parents going all the way to show that they care about
and support their kids no matter what....

Would I be walking on air...to be at the televised competion
in Texas with my son, the math genius.  And when he won
that...going to the White House to meet and shake hands
with the president....?

I makes me nearly pass out just thinking about it....

But my son being happy and being a kid is just as important.

We're gonna keep coaching and pushing a little...but
if he makes it clear that he needs a break...or just wants
some Snowman time...we're gonna back off and
go all the way..to show him we love him.

 

Love In Thought! Love In Word! Love In Action!

Love To You Today!

 

"May we endeavor today to increase our understanding and appreciation of
what others have given and contributed to us. And develop constant,
mindful consideration of how our thoughts and actions will BENIFICIALLY
CONTRIBUTE to others"

The best to you today in discovering the answers to life's difficult
questions!

 

A Final Thought:

Love is always the right thing to do. Even if it isn't the easiest
thing to do.

May we have compassion for the struggles of others, wisdom to
acknowledge our own, and courage to address them both every day.

Respectfully,
Tim

This is a daily newsletter of LOVE WORKS DAILY:
A collective of individuals of different beliefs and
backgrounds, dedicated to a better world by living LOVE in thought,
word and action. Compassion. Wisdom. Courage.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
Peace be with you.

(c)2007 T.Thomas Henry