Nuggets of Wisdom – Saturday, 20 February 2016

Ostentatious Facades Give Impetus to Search for Truth

From a young age, I have always been fascinated by books. One of my favorite pastimes is visiting different bookstores and perusing books of various subjects. I equate my spending time in a bookstore to a little child in a candy shop trying to decide which of all the candies is his favorite, and which of his favorites he will be able to buy with the allowance he has been given. Like the little child, I find myself mulling over which book or books I am able to buy and not exceed my spending limit.

The decision of which books to buy and which ones to buy at a later date is not always easy, I may select several books and put them in my shopping basket, but before I reach the checkout counter, I look at my selections carefully to choose the one or ones that I believe I would be most interested in reading. To help me make that decision, I glean as much information as I can about the books that I plan to buy by reading the front, inside, and back covers of each. Sometimes the title of the book alone is enough to spark my interest to buy it. Other times it is the short synopsis of the book on the inside or back cover of the book that will wet my appetite enough to buy it. Whatever the case, I find that my decision to buy a book is generally influenced by what is written on its cover. I have discovered, however, that sometimes what is written on the cover of a book is spot on about what the book is about, but there have been a few instances when I found that the cover was nothing more than a pretentious façade to entice people to buy the volume only to discover that the contents may not be exactly what was expected.

And so it seems that the cover of a book alone may not necessarily show its true contents. In the same vein, we should not live under the pretense of believing that we know everything there is to know about a person judging solely by his or her outward appearance. Just as we must open the cover of a book and look at its contents to learn what it is about, we must take the time to get to know a person and the true content of his or her character, and then we may find that our previous judgments of that person were unwarranted. The cover, or the outward appearance of a person may show some things about a person, but it is the content of their character that defines who they are.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where people find it easy to judge others for one reason or another. Oftentimes the judgments that they make are superficial, not factual. For some, it is easier to be critical and condemning of another, than  to try to understand and help lift up another. These are they who incessantly point out the flaws in others, but fail to acknowledge their own. Matthew 7:1-5 teaches:

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

The scriptures also exhort us, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37), and “judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).  In the exercise of our moral agency, we each make some sort of judgment every day.  We make judgments about who we choose as friends, what career path we will follow, how we will spend our time and money, and for those who are single and seeking a mate, judgments are made about who the right choice for a mate would be. However, we must use caution that our judgments of people are intermediate and not final, and that the judgments we make are righteous judgments. Righteous judgments will be guided by the Spirit of the Lord, not by anger, revenge, jealousy, or self-interest. Moroni 7:15-16 in the Book of Mormon teaches:

15 For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night.
16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks. in a talk delivered at Brigham Young University on 1 March 1998 titled “”Judge Not” and Judging,” taught that “there are two kinds of judging: final judgments, which we are forbidden to make, and intermediate judgments, which we are directed to make, but upon righteous principles.” He further admonished, “these judgments are essential to the exercise of personal moral agency. Our scriptural accounts of the Savior’s mortal life provide the pattern. He declared, “I have many things to say and to judge of you” (John 8:26) and “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see”(John 9:39). He continued by commentating that, “the Savior also commanded individuals to be judges, both of circumstances and of other people. Through the prophet Moses, the Lord commanded Israel, “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour” (Leviticus 19:15)”.

Doctrine and Covenants 1:10 reminds us that the day will come when “the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.” Therefore, if the Lord uses His own criteria for judging us, we are assured of a just and merciful judgment (Psalms 103:8; John 5:30). The question that then begs an answer is, “Are we confident enough with the criteria we use in judging others that we are willing to have the Lord judge us according to our criteria and not His own?” Do we want Him to judge us in the same way we judge others? If not, then perhaps we should be less hasty to criticize and condemn others.

The summation of the matter is this: “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:1-3) “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of [his] brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” (James 4:11-12)

Nuggets of Wisdom – Thursday, 18 February 2016

Beware the Talebearer

“Listen not to a tale- bearer or slanderer, for he tells thee nothing out of good-will; but as he discovereth of the secret of others, so he will of thine in turn.” – Socrates

It would prove wise counsel to beware the talebearer. The talebearer is an extremely slanderous and scandalous person. He speaks with a forked tongue that is as deadly as the venom of an Egyptian cobra. He weaves a web that is more intricate than that of a venomous spider, ensnaring and entangling his unsuspecting victims. The talebearer often knows a minuscule of the truth, and even that truth which he professes to know in time becomes twisted and distorted, resulting in one vicious lie after another being told. Seeking after the truth, or even telling the truth has never been, and never will be his forte. Instead he basks in the hate and discontent that he causes by spreading malicious falsities.

Those who dare to associate with the talebearer place themselves in peril. At first he may seem as harmless as a lamb, but once he has gained favor, his true identity as a ravenous wolf comes to light. He will lure you into his den and hold you captive there. He will not release you until you agree to take part in his devious behavior. In time you will become just like him, a slanderous and scandalous person who spreads malicious falsities, causing undue malice and discontent.

And so, it proves a foolish adventure to want to tread upon the playground of the talebearer. If perchance you do happen to stumble upon his playground, it is to your advantage to vacate immediately. It will proffer you nothing but relentless stress and heartache to stay and try to befriend him, for he is not the true friend of anyone. He only seeks to rally innocent victims to champion his cause. He is cold-hearten and ruthless, and when he gets the opportunity, he will use you as the subject of the next tale that he bears.

Nuggets of Wisdom – Wednesday, 17 February 2016

Scammers, Scalawags, Vagabonds, and Thieves

I am but a young man of 57 years. However, within my short life time I have slowly watched the world spin out of control on a downward spiral. Many of the nonsensical things that are occurring in our day and time would have never been thought of or heard of when I was a lad growing up.

Perhaps those were simpler times. Times when people respected each other, and actually endeavored to work together as a unified community for the common good of all. Certainly we had our problems in those days with the various crimes that were committed, but the crimes that were committed did not seem to be of the same brashness and magnitude as we see today.

During the days of my youth there were those who loved playing pranks over the telephone such as,  “Is your refrigerator running? Well, you better go catch it.”, but we did not have people calling us attempting to scam us out of what little money we may have had. Today with the ever-increasing knowledge that man has been able to get with the rapid advances in modern technology, some people have found it convenient to take advantage of honest people in any way that they see fit and find absolutely nothing wrong in doing so.

For the most part, these scammers, scalawags, vagabonds, and thieves are nothing more than cowards. They play their cloak and dagger games consistently pretending to be someone who they are not, and often use coercion tactics to get innocent people to fall prey to their devious plots. These criminals have even gone so far as to use fake telephone numbers to call people so that if the person being called wishes to trace their  number, they will have a difficult time doing so. Some of them try to disguise themselves as harmless, innocent sheep when they are ravenous wolves seeking their next prey to devour.

People such as these bank on the false hopes that their operations will always stay covert. What they fail to realize is that everything that now appears to be done in darkness will one day come to light. Some have had their operations foiled and brought to light sooner than expected as once innocent victims have begun to raise their voices in protest and expose these scammers, scalawags, vagabonds, and thieves for who they are – criminals who deserve nothing more than to spend time sitting behind bars looking out, longing for the freedoms that they once had but willingly threw away because of their nonsensical schemes and scams which ultimately brought about their own demise.

My dear friends we live in an hour when Satan and all of his little minions are on the prowl more than ever seeking whom they may devour. Their evil forces are stronger than they have ever been. Knowing this, I am reminded that the only thing needed for evil to continue to succeed in this world is for good men to sit idly by and do absolutely nothing.

Now is not the time to give up and give in. Now is not the time to run and cower in a corner crying, “What shall we do? What shall we do?” What we should be doing and need to be doing is standing up and speaking out with a clarion voice to announce that we have had enough – from now on and no farther. Now is the time to stand up and speak up and send a message loud and clear to those who wish to destroy our lives and our society at every turn that if they are caught playing their game, from this point forward and forevermore, the only verdict that will be rendered is, “Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars. There is a place that has been prepared for you and your friends where you can spend your days cheating and scamming each other.” For far too long these criminals have been allowed to roam free and cause havoc. We must take back what is rightfully ours and put them where they rightfully belong.

Nuggets of Wisdom – Tuesday, 16 February 2016

The Parable of the Street Sweeper

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the clarion voice of the American Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated on the evening of Thursday, 4 April 1968, at the young age of 39 years, while standing on the balcony of his room (room 306) at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee. He was a man of vision and determination that never stopped dreaming of what could be. As a Baptist minister, he taught Christian values to the community. He was charismatic and had a powerful way of speaking and getting his message across. Having spent thirteen years of his life dedicated to non-violent protest, his voice was silenced by one final act of violence as a sniper’s bullet would claim his life.

Six months prior to his death, on Thursday, 26 October 1967, Dr. King spoke to a group of students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He began his remarks that day by asking the students what has since proved to be a timely question. The question that was put before the students that day was, “What is your life’s blueprint?” His message was based on the premise that no matter what a person’s lot may be in life, he should always strive to be the best at what he does. He encouraged the students by telling them, “And when you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. Don’t just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn’t do it any better”.

To further illustrate his point, Dr. King used the example of a street sweeper. He said:

If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of Heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. If you can’t be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. But be the best little shrub on the side of the hill.

Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.

Dr. King’s message was not just for the students at Barratt Junior High School on that particular day in 1967, but the principles that he taught can be applied to our times as well.

For example, there is a person who has a job that he absolutely does not like. He wakes up each morning, rolls out of bed, gets dressed, and complains the entire time about how lousy his job is, and how he is not looking forward to another day at the office. Once he gets to work, he spends the entire day constantly watching the clock waiting in great anticipation for the moment when he can finally flee from his misery and return home. When he gets home he spends the evening complaining about how miserable his day was and the fact that he hates his job. The next morning he gets up and starts the cycle all over again, never seeming to find an end to his misery and woe.

Now compare this worker to Dr. King’s street sweeper. There is no doubt that he may have aspirations of a better job, but he understands that at this time in his life his job is to be a street sweeper. Each morning he wakes up, gets out of bed, gets dressed, and prepares for the day ahead. He is thankful that he has a job and that he is able to make money to be able to take care of his needs. He shows up for work on time every morning and gives nothing less than his best in completing the tasks that he is given. He not only does a good job, but he is so passionate about what he does that he is determined to be the best street sweeper that ever lived. When the work day is over, he goes home with a sense of satisfaction that not only did he do the best job that he could possibly do, but on this particular day he was the best that has ever been at his job. He is happy with his job and happy with his life. He can rest peacefully at night knowing that whatever he has to do, he does it “as if God Almighty called [him] at this particular moment in history to do it”.

The major difference between these two workers is their attitude. The first worker has a negative attitude about everything and thus is a constant complainer. He allows misery and woe to fill and define his life. The street sweeper accepts his lot in life and has a positive attitude that things will get better in time and some day he may have a better job. Although he may not think his job to be as significant as some others, he is determined to give it his all and believes in his heart that “the living, the dead or the unborn couldn’t do it any better”.

The first worker may end up working at the same job his entire life without ever being promoted to a better position within the company. The future of the street sweeper; however, is promising. One day a manager or supervisor may give notice to his passion for hard work and promote him to a lead position. Because of his passion to do the best job that he can in the new position as well, he may soon find himself being promoted to a manager or supervisor position.

Even if the street sweeper never climbs the economic ladder higher than his self-made position as the best street sweeper that ever lived, he is happy and successful throughout his life because of his positive attitude and the passion to do whatever his calling may be to the best of his ability.

What lessons can we learn from the street sweeper? In the words of Dr. King, “If you can’t be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. But be the best little shrub on the side of the hill. Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are”.

These principles not only apply to our employment, but also to our family life, and our everyday life in the community as well. Whatever situation in life we may find ourselves in, let us learn to accept who we are and where we are at this particular moment in our lives. Let us develop a passion for everything that we do, and regardless of the struggles and adversities that we may face, never give in and never give up. Let us press forward with the attitude that winners never quit and quitters never win. Let us resolve that from this day forward, no matter what our lot in life may be, we will be the best at whatever we do.

This is an audio clip from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s message titled “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life” delivered at New Covenant Baptist Church, Chicago, Illinois, on 9 April 1967.

A Voice of Reason – Fireside Chat – Sunday, 14 February 2016

How Do I “Love” You?

There are two four-letter words in the English language that both begin with the letter “L”. One of the words ends in the letter “t”, and the other ends in the letter “e”. There are many people who use the words interchangeably when expressing their intimate feelings for someone. They treat these two words as if their meanings were one in the same, but in reality there exist a chasm between the two. The two words are “Lust” and “Love.”

There are those who feel that their lustful desires are an expression of their “true love” for someone. They base their entire relationship with a person on the supposition that the most important element in that relationship is having those desires fulfilled, and nothing else matters. As a result they find themselves forever in search of “true love” but never finding it because their concept of “true love” is only superficial. For them, “true love” is not enduring, but rather is fleeting, lasting only for the duration of the fulfillment of their lustful desires at that moment.

True love does not always seek to fulfill the lustful desires of the flesh, but rather it is pure and genuine in intent, and finds its pleasure in being with and supporting another. True love comes from the heart and realizes that fulfilling the desires of the flesh is an additional part of a relationship, and not the entire basis for a relationship. True love seeks not to satisfy self, but always seeks to please and to be pleasing to another. True love does not ask the question, “What is in it for me?”, but rather the question that is asked is, “How can we work together, and grow and mature together, to make this an enduring relationship based on our genuine and true love for one another?” When true love is at the forefront of a relationship, that relationship is destined to become a bilateral relationship.

Lust, on the other hand, only seeks self-gratification for that is all it knows and really cares about. It is always in a state of flux, continuously moving from one relationship to another, always wanting to fulfill its desires, but never finding true happiness or real satisfaction in any relationship that it is a part of. Lust always wants to know, “What is in it for me?” Nothing else, or anybody else ever matters. It is shallow, cold-hearted, and callous by nature. It seeks to fulfill its pleasures, but never truly finds lasting pleasure for itself in the fulfillment of those pleasures, for it always begs for more and the more that it gets, the more it wants. When lust is the sole basis for a relationship, that relationship is destined to become a unilateral relationship.

“How do I ‘love” you?” is a question that each individual must answer for themselves through self-examination of their true intent and motives. When a person enters into a relationship he needs to ask himself if he is seeking something that will be enduring, or is he seeking something that is fleeting like the wind. The main word in the vocabulary of lust is “me”. The main words in the vocabulary of true love are “you and me.” Lust stands alone. True love joins together with another to create a harmonious relationship.

Nuggets of Wisdom – Thursday, 11 February 2016

Shall I Call Him My Friend?

Perhaps we should begin our discussion by defining what a friend is. A basic dictionary definition states that a friend is a person you know well and regard with affection and trust. Arthur Ashe, the famous tennis player, once said, “We must reach out our hand in friendship and dignity both to those who would befriend us and those who would be our enemy.” And Oprah Winfrey, the famous television celebrity, once said, “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”

If someone asked us the question, “What is a friend?” we would each have our own personalized definition. Some people base their friendships on certain criteria, but there are others who find it easy to befriend anyone they meet along life’s pathways.

Personally, my friendships are not based on religious beliefs, cultures, backgrounds, national origins, race, or any other such thing. They never have been, and I humbly pray that they never will be. For example, because a person does not practice the same religious beliefs as I do, have the same political views as I do, or view the world in general the same way that I do, is not a valid reason to exclude that person from being my friend. I humbly believe that we all have our free agency and how someone chooses to live their life, or what they choose to believe, is strictly their choice. Who am I to judge or condemn my brother? For he too is a child of God and is deserving of love and friendship.

I am also reminded of the example that the Savior set before us. During His earthly ministry He did not spend all of His time with only those who believed on Him and what He was teaching. Instead, He spent a large part of His time among the sinners and publicans, and as you will recall, was often criticized and ridiculed for doing so. I believe that He was teaching us all the valuable lesson that regardless of a person’s lot in life, or what they believe, they are all children of God, and we are to “owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). “By this shall all men know that [we] are [His] disciples, if [we] have love one to another” (John 13:35).

There are some friends whom we consider truly special. They are one of a kind friends. Friends that we cherish forever. As someone has wisely stated:

Sometimes in life, you find a special friend. Someone who changes your life just by being a part of it. Someone who makes you laugh until you can’t stop. Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world. Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door just waiting for you to open it. This is forever friendship. When you’re down and the world seems dark and empty, your forever friend lifts you up in spirit and makes that dark and empty world suddenly seem bright and full. Your forever friend gets you through the hard times, the sad times and the confused times. If you turn and walk away, your forever friend follows. If you lose your way, your forever friend guides you and cheers you on. Your forever friend holds your hand and tells you that everything is going to be okay. And if you find such a friend, you feel happy and complete because you need not worry. You have a forever friend, and forever has no end.

Now, with that being said, there should still be a certain amount of wisdom and discernment used in choosing who we call our friends. Sadly, not everyone who says that they are our friend, is our friend. There are some people who will claim they are our friends to our face, but the moment we turn our backs, they drive the daggers in as far and as deep as they can. They smile in our faces, but when they around others, they belittle, berate, ridicule and scorn us to shame. These people are actors on their own stage and wear false masks of friendship. And just as the actors in the ancient Greek theatrical world wore their false masks and were referred to as hypocrites, these people are referred to likewise.

If it is true that one whom you call a friend is behaving in such a way, then I would counsel to distance yourself from that person. Notice that I said distance yourself – not hate. There is a vast difference in distancing oneself from someone because of a lack of trust and confidence, and hating someone for those same reasons. Just because we may no longer directly associate with someone, we still have a duty and responsibility as Christians (followers of Jesus Christ) to love that person. Hear the words of the Savior as recorded in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” And in Romans 12:10 we are taught to be “kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” And so beloved, “let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. . . . if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:7, 11).

I close this treatise with the words of Solomon as recorded in Proverbs 18:24 when he said, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” I share these thoughts and leave them with you humbly in the name of that Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Even the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Fame Pro Veritatis – Choose Thee Well Thy Friends

One thing that has always boggled my mind is the great lengths which some people will go to keep up a certain status of what they refer to as popularity. I am forever amazed at how some people feel that it is all so important to have a myriad of “friends.” It is almost as if having a large number of friends is some sort of security blanket for them.

If the past 55 years on this journey through life has taught me nothing else, it has taught me the valuable life lesson that not all people who say they are your  “friend” have your best interest at heart. Yes, there are those who are true and loyal friends to the end, but the proverbial flip side of that coin is that there are also some people who are only a “friend” so long as being a friend is of some benefit to them.

There are some who work under the guise of friendship because of the associations that we may have with certain people, and they feel that by being a “friend” to us will somehow place them in the spotlight of “knowing” or being “good friends” with those same people. And then there are those whom I refer to as the leeches in life. They are only clung to us so long as we do whatever it is that they want, when they want, regardless of how inconvenient it is for us. When we no longer play the role of being their underdog, they fall off and go in search of a new victim to suck the life blood from.

We need to use wisdom, discernment, and sound judgment in choosing our sphere of friends. We must also realize that when choosing friends, quality is far more important than quantity. It is far better being surrounded by a small pond of devoted, loyal, true friends, than being overwhelmed by an ocean of supposed friends.

Elige quod bonum tibi dilectis – – -> Elija te vaya bien a tus amigos – – -> CHOOSE THEE WELL THY FRIENDS!

Nuggets of Wisdom – Tuesday, 9 February 2016

Taming the Roaring Lion Within

Each of us become angry at times for one reason or another. It is a part of human nature. I make no claims to know what causes anger inside of a person as I am by no means a therapist. There are different triggers for different people depending on circumstances and situations. To a degree, however, I believe that anger is a choice. If we allow every little thing that happens to us or said to us or about us, to upset us, then something or someone will always trigger our anger.

We need to realize that there are people in the world who pride themselves on pushing other people to their limits, hence they incessantly cause strife and contention. The sad commentary is that we are the ones who become upset and angry, all the while, 99.99% of the time the person who triggered our ire doesn’t care on iota. In fact, he or she mocks us. It is a lot easier to say than do at times, but we must learn to laugh at some things even through the hurt and the tears.

When people attempt to annoy me or make me become angry, I imagine them either standing on their deceptive soapbox wearing nothing more than their underwear making a spectacle of themselves, or standing on a stage before the entire world stark naked (I do not mean to come across as being gross or crass) as they deliver their soliloquy of insincerity, rudeness and ignorance. Quite honestly that image can be pretty funny. In other words, I believe that it is far better to let the foolish wallow in their own folly than to entertain their diabolical behavior by becoming infuriated.

When someone is being rude, arrogant, or annoying, we should try responding with a smile. Most people who are trying to make us angry cannot deal with us not reacting (getting angry) as they would expect. Therefore, we must find our own way to defuse any situation. We have to make the conscious decision that we will be happy in any given situation – we will focus on the positive, and not the negative. Remember also that we cannot resolve bitterness and anger by fueling an already raging inferno with more bitterness and anger.

Family and TRUE (I emphasize the word TRUE) friends can also help by not continually bringing up the past. The past is the past – LEAVE IT THERE! We also have to get to a point where we let things from the past go. Let’s not pitch our tents in the lands of the past and attempt to dwell there. That in and of itself can be poison to our soul and spirit. Also, if we know that we are prone to become angry or hostile in certain settings or situations, then we have to disassociate ourselves from those settings or situations if possible.

Remember, it is the poisonous venom of the rattlesnake (anger, hostility, hatred, unkind words, rage, etc.) that causes death, but it is the anti-venom (kind words, kind deeds, happiness, smiling, making wise choices, etc.) which if administered properly and promptly brings healing and restoration to life.

These are just a few of my thoughts on the matter. I would love to hear what you have to say.

Nuggets of Wisdom – Monday, 8 February 2016

The Folly of A Fool

To entertain a fool in his folly is like getting into the pig pen and wallowing in the mud with the pig. One of you likes it while the other becomes disgustingly filthy.

The wick of the fool’s candle will continue to burn so long as there are those who give in to his antics and continue to play his nonsensical games of which there are no real rules other than the rules that he devises as the games progress to make sure that the score always remains in his favor. The longer one continues to play the fool’s games, the more they become ensnared in the mangling chords of his web of madness and confusion without a chance of ever breaking free.

It may seem impossible to beat the fool at his games, but there is one sure way. The best way to beat a fool at his own games is to not become foolish enough to play his games in the first place. A fool left to his own folly to play his games alone will find that the wick of his candle will soon be snuffed out like a candle in the wind.

~ Keith Lionel Brown

Nuggets of Wisdom – Sunday, 7 February 2016

Do You Know Him?

Just because a man or woman has a theological degree from a Seminary, Bible College, or some other religious institution, it does not show that he or she has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It only signifies that he or she has a piece of paper that indicates the successful completion of a course of study. It does not even fully qualify or equip him or her as a minister of the Gospel to effectively teach and preach His truths.

They may well know the name of Jesus Christ and have a concept of who He is, but that knowledge alone does not necessarily equate to them actually KNOWING Jesus Christ or having a personal relationship with Him. Even Satan knows the name of Jesus Christ, and when he hears the name, he trembles. To be effective in the work of the ministry requires a personal, intimate relationship with the Master Teacher – the Lord Jesus Christ. It is through that relationship that one becomes fully ready and equipped to effectively do the work that Lord has prepared for him or her to do.

I am not so much interested in the degrees or the titles that a person has. Those things are nice, but what is more important is if in all of their education and obtaining of those degrees and titles they truly KNOW Him. For without Him they can do nothing. Without Him, they will surely fail.