Winter

Winter

Winter makes me think of toasty things like hot chocolate,

warm coffee and campfires,

Winter makes me think about family and friends and birds in the brown

grass begging for food.

It makes me think of how lucky I am to sit in a warm house and the embrace of 

warmth as it encircles me from head to toe as I sit in front of the

fire and hear the inviting crackle of the flames.

Winter makes me think of home.

Winter makes me think of people on the street who stand around a

barrel to warm their freezing hands. It makes me think of gloves

with missing fingers and blankets filled with holes. It make me think of the cold, of bone

chilling dampness and loneliness. It makes me think of the hungry and those with

no one to care. It makes me think of soup kitchens and animals which shiver in the

cold rain. It makes me think of how blessed I am.

Winter is many things to many people.

This winter I feel God and know that I am special.

This winter I am warm.

World Peace

World Peace

Today I came face to face with hate, a vicious hate, a hate which cost an 18 year old boy his life.

I was reading my local paper and on the front page was the picture of a nice looking well dressed

young black man. His skin was smooth and youthful. His eyes crisp and clear. In the year of 1957

his life was deemed worthless. He was brutally murdered by unknown white men. I stood at the nurses desk as I read this. Tears welled up in my eyes and a rush of grief for someone who lost the ultimate. His name was Rogers Hamilton the county, Lowndes county in Alabama. Alabama the state which I call home. The state which I love.......

It went further that there are at least 60 cold case files in Alabama believed to be racially motivated.

It saddens me to my soul. How can we love yet not allow our love to reach across the color of our skin or eyes or if our hair is straight or wavy. My pastor has been preaching a series on tearing down walls and building bridges. Walls of racism, hate, alcoholism or anything else that destroys lives. How can we travel to Haiti, or Mexico, or Africa to lend help when there are so many hurting here. I believe we should help them but it should start here. If you can not sit or work or stand by someone of another race without thinking of them first as Black or White or Asian or Hispanic you should take a closer look within your heart. Are you prejudice???  Really ???  Are there walls there which you do not even recognize?   Lets help each other...

Let us be kind and helpful.  The other day I was at church , I reached in my wallet and noticed that I had $40.  I gave it to my pastors wife and told her to give it to someone in need. As I got to my truck on my way home I realized it was my gas money for the week. In fact it was all the money I had for the rest of the week. I almost panicked. Guess what I have not ran out of gas yet. Still I go to work each day and have not done without. I say this to say this. Let all of us reach a little farther. Let us dig a little deeper. Let us love a little more and as we look at ourselves this Christmas season let us be able to like what we see. Did God make just blacks, or whites or people of a certain race. No!  by all means no. He made us all and loves all equally. Our skin may be different but our hearts , our souls, are all the same color. If racism even flickers at all in you, pray that God will cleanse you and make you like him. That he will help you to love.........period.