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"Empowered" book out now...
May 25, 2009
Dear friends,

As you know, I've been pretty busy for a while. Apologies for my absenses from groups & no inclination towards small talk.
I've been "in training" for the publication of my 1st book - actually an Anthology which contains one of my essays.

It's an exciting experience & I'm delighted that it's finally come to fruition.

Please have a look at my site, make comments, buy the book, forward to your friends & groups, ask questions (gentle criticisms accepted, too).

Loving me, loving you, loving it all!
Rz
www.theroyalbooks.com
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Posted: May 25, 2009 8:29pm
Using our brain
Sep 7, 2007

I've learned a lot from Chris and his methods. Join me if you'd like to experience ways to solve problems, find solutions, be on the way to making the world a better place for all of us.

www.chrishoward.com/public/affiliates/index.cfm?=313620free

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Posted: Sep 7, 2007 11:20pm
The "L" Road
Jul 9, 2006
It started long ago
When I walked an L
Down the long side of it ... going,
familiar with it's straight, narrow path...
Secure in finding no surprises
my blouse buttoned, hair
combed back, shoes pointed
towards the everlasting aim
of arriving at the same destiny
My head no longer able to imagine
or procure another way, an exit...
And it happened, it hit me
Or was it I the one who came upon
the sudden jolt of the unfamiliar...?
The secure road I had chosen
suddenly daring me
by its ending, where I counted
it would not!
But it mocked:
"You chose an L, not an "I"
And here I am to fulfill it"
Drats!, I protested, how'd I know
it'd be capital not a simple "l"
that'd be manageable, humble?!
Hah, said the L, who'd ever think
you have control of these minuses
or pluses in your life...?
Had all the information been there
You'd know, right? But you don't...
And that's where I, the "L" decide what
I am. Allow you to follow
a lower case life, or explore
what's around the corner...
So, I was left to ponder that I
still had a choice, not to abind
by god L, the fate given...
I could go back over the familiar
or strike sideways upon its turn
although it be not a
fork on the road,
as the poet I chose the
road less travelled...
And said to the god L
Here your pronnouncement
ends... My choice begins
Your sharp bend now craddles
and holds me from harm
Showing me the road much
shorter on the way to my
Capital "R"...!
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Posted: Jul 9, 2006 3:43pm
Prayer, murder, pain...
Apr 7, 2006

Today, I received the message at the bottom and responded in the words below. I know that there are many different people out there and just as many opinions. All our opinions are good and may change w/ time and experience. I'm not interested in debates or arguments, just in expressing myself because I feel strongly that I wouldn't want to have other people's opinions/ standards/ gods/ judgements/ whim, etc... imposed on me. If we mature we can respect our differences and even enjoy them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry, but I don't agree w/what this Father had to say, although I understand his pain.
No one has tried to keep anyone from praying to whoever they want.  However, we can't impose our "god" on other people by making prayer to the christian god official. Everyone can pray in their hearts & not make a fuss of it. In fact, didn't Jesus say that when you do the right thing you shouldn't expect praise for it? Let not your left hand know...

If guns weren't easily available to kids or anyone, it'd be harder for a person to plan a mass murder, thus making it very uncommon.

If parents and our societies didn't put material things above everything, they would be spending time playing, teaching, observing, listening, interacting, etc... with their kids, the neighborhood kids, kids from accross town, the ones from school, etc... teaching them how to interact w/ people of all ages, not only their peer groups.

If we knew the value of truly educating future generations we'd expect more from them and hold ourselves worthy of their trust.

If we truly valued and respected our spirits we'd not accept all the garbage that goes on all around us. But there are disgusting lyrics in songs and we buy the cds. There are absurd situations on tv shows and movies and we watch them because we crave titillation and don't have the moral strength to stop ourselves. Someone makes pornographic movies, publishes magazines, books and we buy them because wow! We can't believe it! Isn't it amazing!

Everything around us has to fit a stereotype or fit in some labeled box, or we don't understand it. Anything or anyone different gets ridiculed or or labeled "Not a team player".

The list can go on forever but the point is that our values, our order of importance have been opted out because we chose to live in a materialistic rather than spiritual world that would respond to our other basic needs.
In such world, owning a gun or any weapon would be as rare as owning a freighter ship, big rig, train, plane... for it would be used for when something like a sick or crazy animal would be threatening us. Being a vegetarian, I can't understand hunting, and being a pacifist I believe that where our needs are met there aren't enemies.
It's hard for me to understand how those parents didn't know what their kids were doing. I guess because I raised my kids thinking that they were entitled to the privacy they "worked" for... If they showed up w/ a friend who acted strange (eyes fixed, pupils dilated, improper language, funny smell, dirty clothes, anything like that), I would be very observant.
I made it known that a certain behavior and standard was expected at our home. Never won a popularity contest with the kids, but I don't think that was my job.
All the prayers we can say out loud can't make up for the infinite emptiness  fed us by our judgemental and politicized religions. We need to pray, believe in and honor the goodness and power in our hearts in order to respect the goodness and power in our sisters' and brothers' hearts. Sincerely, Rz

----------------------------------------------------------
Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? On Thursday, of last week, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful. They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:

"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain Their blood cries out for answers.

"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent.
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy-it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. " I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:




Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!



"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and reek havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. "Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes-He did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999 , at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA - I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!
My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"

Do what the media did not - - let the nation hear this man's speech. Please send this out to everyone you can.
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Posted: Apr 7, 2006 12:22am

 
 
 
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MsR S.
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Topanga, AA, USA
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