I have been told by a friend they think I write as a form of therapy for myself.
During my summer trip to Croatia I saw two images of lasting change. The first is from Postajna cave in Slovenia
The guide told us how over time tiny drops of water have worked through the rock creating this beautiful picture.
These are mountains in Rijeka, Croatia. The Roman empire occupied Croatia for a time, and during that time they stripped these mountains of all the trees. More than 2000 years later the land is still barren.
A few weeks ago my elbow hit a glass on the kitchen counter knocking it unto the floor, the glass shattered in a million pieces, to a million places.
These three images got me thinking of the lasting impact each individual has during their time on earth.
Choosing to harm others is represented by the Croatian mountains. Harming someone takes away their beauty, their self confidence, their trust, sometimes their ability to function. Cruel acts impact the victim, their family, and all of society. These acts have consequences felt centuries later.
Choosing to help others is like the caves and the broken glass example. The water does not know the effect of it`s dripping unto the rock. The glass I broke ended up in hundreds of different spots in my kitchen, some clustered, some by themselves in tiny corners far away from the counter. That is what doing good for the right reasons is all about. Our help has an immediate effect, but it also has a multiplying effect we will never truly fully understand. That is good, for we are prone to pride.
What do Sia, Matthew West, and Lady Gaga have in common? Recently a song from each of them touched me on a personal level.
I recently finished a half marathon race in a surprisingly respectable time.
It was the 373 fastest half marathon ran in Ontario in 2016. Some rolling hills took a lot out of me from the 13 to 16 kilometer mark. In one week I will run a race called The Egg Nog Jog which is only 10.8 kilometers but is all uphill. Hills have always appealed to me in that I feel they represent the daily challenge faced by victims of sexual abuse. In that, the victims are starting each day at the bottom of a steep hill. For me climbing hills builds strength, endurance, power, and confidence. I pray that the victims I run for are granted these qualities when they need them most.
Sia The Greatest
Uh-oh running out of breath, but I
Oh I, got stamina
Uh-oh running now, I close my eyes
And uh-oh I see another mountain to climb
But I, I, I got stamina
Don`t give up, I won`t give up
Don`t give up, no, no, no
Don`t give up, I won`t give up
Don`t give up, no, no, no
Your free to be the greatest, Your alive
Your free to be the greatest, here tonight, the greatest
It is a broken world we live in. So many people are suffering today. Lately my eyes have been opened to many problems I have been ignorant of. A sampling: PTSD by Military personal once they get back to civilization. The poor treatment of Native Indians in the past and present, and the highly disproportionate number of young native girls trafficked into the sex trade. The high rate of depression, mental health issues, and suicides by teens. PTSD by victims of repeated sexual abuse, especially when occurring as children.
Lady Gaga Million Reasons
I bow down to pray
I try to make the worst seem better
Lord, show me the way
To cut through all this worn out leather
I`ve got a million reasons to walk away
But baby, I just need one good reason to stay
In less than five months on April 30 I will run my ninth marathon, The Waterloo Marathon. Like last year when I ran from Mississauga to Buffalo I have another long journey planned to get me to my marathon. I will run/walk 97 km from Mississauga to Waterloo in one day. I have four months of increasingly hard training ahead of me. Mentally I have been a bit off lately, I am weary of the things that are evil in this world. I wonder about what Heaven will be like? I think there will be a disproportionate number of women there as compared to men. People who run marathons are not smart, they are determined. Sometimes they need encouragement and to be shown one reason to stay.
Driving to work this past Sunday I hear this song on the radio. It speaks to me in that there are many problems in the world, I do believe at a later time I will try to tackle some of the issues I mentioned above. For now I have been called to try and correct one; that is Ratanak International and it`s work in Cambodia of giving back dignity to victims of trafficking.
Matthew West Do Something
I just couldn`t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said "God, why don`t You do something?"
He said, "I did, I created you."
Larry
During my summer trip to Croatia I saw two images of lasting change. The first is from Postajna cave in Slovenia
These are mountains in Rijeka, Croatia. The Roman empire occupied Croatia for a time, and during that time they stripped these mountains of all the trees. More than 2000 years later the land is still barren.
A few weeks ago my elbow hit a glass on the kitchen counter knocking it unto the floor, the glass shattered in a million pieces, to a million places.
These three images got me thinking of the lasting impact each individual has during their time on earth.
Choosing to harm others is represented by the Croatian mountains. Harming someone takes away their beauty, their self confidence, their trust, sometimes their ability to function. Cruel acts impact the victim, their family, and all of society. These acts have consequences felt centuries later.
Choosing to help others is like the caves and the broken glass example. The water does not know the effect of it`s dripping unto the rock. The glass I broke ended up in hundreds of different spots in my kitchen, some clustered, some by themselves in tiny corners far away from the counter. That is what doing good for the right reasons is all about. Our help has an immediate effect, but it also has a multiplying effect we will never truly fully understand. That is good, for we are prone to pride.
What do Sia, Matthew West, and Lady Gaga have in common? Recently a song from each of them touched me on a personal level.
I recently finished a half marathon race in a surprisingly respectable time.
Sia The Greatest
Uh-oh running out of breath, but I
Oh I, got stamina
Uh-oh running now, I close my eyes
And uh-oh I see another mountain to climb
But I, I, I got stamina
Don`t give up, I won`t give up
Don`t give up, no, no, no
Don`t give up, I won`t give up
Don`t give up, no, no, no
Your free to be the greatest, Your alive
Your free to be the greatest, here tonight, the greatest
It is a broken world we live in. So many people are suffering today. Lately my eyes have been opened to many problems I have been ignorant of. A sampling: PTSD by Military personal once they get back to civilization. The poor treatment of Native Indians in the past and present, and the highly disproportionate number of young native girls trafficked into the sex trade. The high rate of depression, mental health issues, and suicides by teens. PTSD by victims of repeated sexual abuse, especially when occurring as children.
Lady Gaga Million Reasons
I bow down to pray
I try to make the worst seem better
Lord, show me the way
To cut through all this worn out leather
I`ve got a million reasons to walk away
But baby, I just need one good reason to stay
In less than five months on April 30 I will run my ninth marathon, The Waterloo Marathon. Like last year when I ran from Mississauga to Buffalo I have another long journey planned to get me to my marathon. I will run/walk 97 km from Mississauga to Waterloo in one day. I have four months of increasingly hard training ahead of me. Mentally I have been a bit off lately, I am weary of the things that are evil in this world. I wonder about what Heaven will be like? I think there will be a disproportionate number of women there as compared to men. People who run marathons are not smart, they are determined. Sometimes they need encouragement and to be shown one reason to stay.
Driving to work this past Sunday I hear this song on the radio. It speaks to me in that there are many problems in the world, I do believe at a later time I will try to tackle some of the issues I mentioned above. For now I have been called to try and correct one; that is Ratanak International and it`s work in Cambodia of giving back dignity to victims of trafficking.
Matthew West Do Something
I just couldn`t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said "God, why don`t You do something?"
He said, "I did, I created you."
Larry
