My Cup Runneth Over

Island coconut coffee in hand and relishing each and every sip, I am feeling quite pampered just knowing that God has given me the ability to be surrounded by so many loving people and so much beauty. Yes, I'm a mounds girl, and I've had a passion for coconut all my life. I know that coconut is good for you and it's now available as a milk substitute, which is wonderful in cereal.

It's hard for me to understand how people prefer violence over peace, seemingly wanting to do battle all the time. Everything said lately, brings about opposition and separation, when life was meant to be lived and enjoyed--lived as if we were all brothers. The fact that people are rejoicing over a death brings about sadness, first of all that people can be misled to do violence to other's and live to that purpose. What a waste of goodness. God tells us that vengeance is His and He shall repay. We are told not to judge.

Sometimes, knowing that it will be taken care of is enough. Enough to let go and let God. Years ago the old saying was "what goes around, comes around." I didn't understand what that meant then, but it means what you do to others may come back to haunt you. Is in not better then, to practice goodness....Love, and it will be returned to you?

What do you rejoice over? Hopefully, your answer will not be someone Else's death. If that is the general opinion, then we have in fact, become "a culture of death and destruction,"even if we didn't start it. Our defense may be necessary, but more so, our goodness. Love annihilates evil.

You get what you give in life. Plant seeds of beauty, kindness and gentleness. Love often and be an example of love, not hate.

It may surprise you that through the years and through the grace extending from forgiveness, you can eventually love someone that has hurt you, changing your attitude toward them completely.

Looking at those who live to hurt others are sadly, "needy" and, somewhere within each of them, their is some "goodness." They are loved by others, their families and friends. Keep in mind that God is the creator of all and He does not make junk. Ideologies may not change, but the heart of man can, with God's help.

We will always have enemies, sometimes "we" are our own worse enemy. If we delight in the violence toward others as they do toward us, then we have also become "the enemy." God tells us clearly that peoples can change with examples of goodness, caring and sharing. Turn the other cheek, if you can. Make your enemy the plight of the world instead, -- hunger, poverty, ignorance and want. Give hope to the widows and orphans and lonely. Share your talents and gifts with others, and it will all come back to you.

We are instructed in Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (12:14) "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord."

Before the departure of the Lord, he clearly told us what we should be seeking on earth--peace. (John 14:27) "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; (The Orthodox Study Bible) When we decide to kill we are overstepping the right of God, who is the author of life and death, even from the womb. Clearly, in my opinion, we had other options.

Let us, in these troubled days of war, in which many will seek us with ill-will and vengeance, try to find in our midst, forgiveness and develop a spirit of "peace on earth and good will."