Tag: politics

Life Itself Becomes the Path

I remember the times that people would tell me that it’s too bad that life sometimes gets in the way of having a good time. Is that mismanagement of time or trying to stuff too much into an otherwise productive day? Every moment of life is a dress rehearsal for true life. And our life is a play that doesn’t quite make it to Broadway. “Hamnet” we are not! (Although the book IS better than the movie).

Our blessed God, however we name Her, placed us on this rock in space to nurture it as caretakers. And we have done a terrible job! We pray to Her daily asking for forgiveness and then leave our churches and continue to destroy our planet with no remorse. We fear flushing the toilet in which we live.

But we do have one saving: “Grace.” “Love.” Love abides in God, and since God abides in us, Love thusly abides in us. This has been true since time immemorial! When we accept that God lives within us, God becomes our life and it comes down from God and embraces spirit, soul, and body, and LIFE THEN BECOMES OUR PATH.

P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.
Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.
If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99.

I apologize if I offend people, but I am very disappointed in our political leaders and many of our religious leaders who talk a good game but live a life much different from that which they preach. Throughout the history of the United States, there has been an undercurrent of pure hatred of the other… just simmering, waiting for an evil leader to allow it to surface. We are in the midst of one of those times now.

When we stop and pray and really listen for God’s word, we hear Her words in Lamentations: “Let us test and examine our ways and return to the Lord (3:40).” Our true relationship with God asks us to love the other as ourselves, care for the forgotten by society as if they were kin, and not allow them to feel thrown away.

P.S. I Love You. And I pray you love others.
Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.
If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

I quote from Genesis 9:6, “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.” And earlier in Genesis 1:27 , God directed man to write: “ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  There are those in Christianity who believe that God made man to be a god. this is ludicrous; nowhere in any religious writing does man write God allowing man being a god, or even godlike. Except of course, Jesus the Nazarene, whom God did elevate to that status. And whose Godly resurrection we just celebrated.

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Gen1:27)

I sometimes wonder how and why God puts up with mankind. The Old and New Testaments that are used as the Christian Bible are filled with instances of mankind outright killing God! in my current version, including the Apocrypha, there are 70 stories {books} that comprise the Christian Bible. That excludes many of the relatively newly discovered Gospels found from the deserts in northern Africa or the caves in the mountains of East Asia referred to as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

So, now that we have taken the time to bless ourselves for recognizing the sacredness of the resurrection of Jesus we can return to our professions of war-making, dropping bomb on other societies, killing their people, making death count. And why, for oil of course. Money, or some other reason God didn’t  make us for. Jesus asked us to do two things: Love God and love one another, I know it may not seem like it but I must leave by saying that I love you and I love God.

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

We strut around with our heads held high thinking that we are the greatest thing in the world. Maybe this is because we earn the most money, drive the biggest or classiest car, or live in the most luxurious home. If we stop and think about our lives, we should realize that everything we have was in some way or other was given to us. We may have sweated to get it but in the end, it was given, not truly earned.

If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

We really need to celebrate the miracle of being alive and reach out to those who are suffering in our midst. We can use our voices as a force for good and use the courage to do what is right, not what is easy. May have the strength to shine a light in the darkness and not distance ourselves from ourselves. This way we will always be present for others, realizing that what we have is a gift to be shared and a blessing to have for the community of man, not just for ourselves.

Teachers get it! They commit to a lifetime of learning new teaching methods to allow their students to learn. For instance, I learned to stop talking from the front of the class as the teacher and allow the students to carry the conversation, so I wandered around the classroom. It’s amazing how much my students taught me!!! We have to rethink our modes of operation and our own importance. We might learn something.

Happy Easter

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

You’ve seen the ads on TV, the children in wheelchairs, disabled, with no arms or legs, asking for only 63 cents a day ; or the starving dog, horse, or cat and the spokesperson asking the same amount for food for these dying animals; I even saw one for the Heart Association. The other night I saw one with a very old woman walking in and out of a hovel dressed in ragged clothes. The announcer was telling us that this 90-year-old  woman suffered under persecution by the Russians during World War Two and now in Ukraine is suffering again under Russian occupation, and, you guessed it, for only 61 cents a day we could feed this woman healthy food and save her life.

There must be something magical about 63 cents a day or $19.00 a month; each of these organizations are asking the same amount. Do they figure that we are chumps for that magic figure? Excuse me! But all of these organizations are worthwhile!!! On top of this we have almost 800,000 homeless people with no place to sleep except on the streets of our cities.

You know; we have over 400 billionaires in this country. If these 400 rear-cheek tightwads would give just 1%, no 5%, of their ill-gotten gains to help correct these problems, can you imagine what our country would look like? Could you imagine? how fulfilling the Sermon on the Mount can truly be if this were to be true?

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

          (as the world goes to hell)

Gracious God,

hidden yet so near

holding our hands, our hearts

awaken us with Your Grace.

As we pray for those we love,

and for those who are lost,

even if they are enemies,

for none are true enemies.

We pray even when

times seem hopeless,

keep us in Your special care,

thus, miracles will happen

for our kingdom is Your Kingdom . . .

forever. . . and ever.

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

 

I just happened to open my Bible to Isaiah this morning, Isaiah 3 to be Exact. And as I’m reading, I’m saying to myself. My God, are you speaking about the United States today? Are we due for a downfall? Our president is threatening to take over two more countries as he has already taken over Venezuela. Our Congress seems too weak to stand up to him. He is putting armed forces in the street To calm protests while supporting protests in other countries.

As I’m reading Isaiah 3, I’m comparing the United States society, Of which I am guilty., and I’m saying that is us; that is me; we are complicit and falsely building up our country. Almost a blueprint of Isaiah! Is Isaiah speaking of us? Is it too late to tur around? Dear, God in heaven. OH, God surrounding us. Oh, Ancient God of the Israeli world, Yahweh! Please join us! Please help us to save us from ourselves. Please do not make it be too late. . . 

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

 

 

 

 

 

I believe in the God of Abraham

         who led our ancestors out of the wilderness

I believe in the God of Moses

         who led our Grandfathers out of slavery

I believe in the God of Jesus

         who showed us the way to eternal life

I believe in the poor in spirit,
          for they have shown us the kingdom of heaven.
 I believe in those who those who mourn,
          for they will show us how to be comforted.
I believe in those who are meek,
          for they will show us how to inherit the earth.
I believe in those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
          for they will show us to be filled.

I believe in those who are merciful,
          for they will show us how to attain mercy.

I believe in those who are pure in heart,
          for they will show us how to see God.

 I believe in those who are the peacemakers,
          for they will show us how to be called children of God.
I believe in those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
          for they will show us the way to the kingdom of heaven. 

This is why I pray: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt 5:16) 

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99

 

 

We attend church and pray. And we know and understand and do  our best to do what our leaders suggest. We volunteer and give to various causes in the community. We pride ourselves and say that this is enough and return to our lives of hard work and hard play.

Maybe we should put the love we learn in church into action in the form of love in the community. We should take our love and share this, not necessarily with the person in the pew next to us, but with the poor family living in the dirt of the city streets. And we must share our most precious possession, our wealth.

Is it necessary to show off driving to church in a Porsche 911 when a Ford Mustang is also sporty? Jesus asks us to love our neighbor as ourselves, but we don’t. Let us forget our tithe and begin to share. Stewardship is making sure our neighbor has enough to support himself, not enough to continually accept handouts.

Henceforth, let us love God with all our hearts, then love our neighbor as ourselves. Then perhaps you will understand when I say ,“I Love You!” 

Russell Kendall Carter, BA. MAT. Dlitt.

If you are inspired, read my latest book. Kindle eBook $3.99