Investing Your Humanity

A little friendship, a little sympathy,
a little sociability, a little human toil
is needed in every nook and corner.

Therefore, search and see if there is not some
place where you may invest your humanity.

~Albert Schweitzer

Of Note: Just think, if everyone served as Dr. Schweitzer suggested, the world would change overnight. No one would be out too much because implementing his suggestions is basically free. What really stymies us is inertia and the hopeless feeling that one person can't make a significant difference. Thing is, we might just have to get over looking for immediate results. The emanations of love spread through service are invisible and long lasting--having faith in that concept would free us to joyfully give and leave the results to take care of themselves.

Today's Weather Report: Yesterday it was in the 50's Fahrenheit but chilly because it was damp. Today it is just plain chilly because the temperature dropped to the low 30's. On the way into town, it started to snow--or maybe that was sleet. Whatever it was, it thankfully stopped within a few minutes because I did not relish driving on potentially slippery roads. Good news! The old 1937 dump truck parked in our pole barn was fixed today by the local implement mechanic and should be running after the battery is charged. Its conversion from a 6 to a 12 volt electrical system was stymied two years ago when the repairman at the time moved out of town. The dump truck was great for hauling things around, and we've missed having it running.

Sacrifice as the Best Possible Business Policy

Sacrifice is the very door to affluence.
It is by giving that we receive.
Self-sacrifice is, therefore, not a duty,
but the best possible business policy.

~Dr. A. S. Raleigh
Science of Motion and Number

Of Note: Dr. Raleigh has a good point. If we accepted his thought, gone would be the previous concept of sacrifice as dry and dreary. You know, the self-flagration stuff. Instead, sacrifice would come to mean a joyful giving--the ultimate act of love.

Today's Weather Report: Clouds welcomed us this morning but the sun peeked out later in the day. Around noon it was 39 degrees Fahrenheit, but it probably got into the low 40's before the sun went down. It is getting dark early now, starting at about 6:30 pm. Before the winter solstice in December, it will be dark by 4:30 pm. No kidding. That contrasts with the summer when we have light until almost 10:00 pm. Winter hibernation has real meaning both for humans and animals in the far northwoods of Wisconsin!

Big Change, Small Steps

BIG CHANGE STARTS WITH SMALL STEPS.

~ Anonymous

Of Note: Back when I was 34, I got braces at the suggestion of a friend who was a dentist. Some folks asked why I would bother with it--as if it was too late in my life for change. Slowly over four years the crooked teeth came into alignment and to this day a retainer, applied weekly, keeps them in place. It was my first experience with the truism: "If you don't start down the path, then you will never arrive." With braces, the end could be seen from the beginning. Admittedly, it is much more frightening when this is not the case. It might be reassuring to think of change simply as movement forward, taken one baby step at a time. The important thing is to get moving.

Today's Weather Report: Oh, glorious sun, how I love it when you shine! Particularly after a VERY gloomy day the day before. It was in the forties today, and the colorful fall leaves glistened in the light. The swamp-loving tamarack trees are golden and will soon loose all their needles. At first sight, the trees look like sickly fir trees, until one realizes the yellow needles are a natural part of the northern Wisconsin landscape in the fall.

Standing Where You Are

DO WHAT YOU CAN
WITH WHAT YOU HAVE
WHERE YOU ARE.

~ Theodore Roosevelt

Of Note: Taking a stand has many connotations. Spiritually it can mean standing at the center without deviation, a steadfastness of mind as it were. An outcome of this would be a calm, centered attitude toward whatever comes our way. Even though this might not seem possible at the moment, such unwavering standing is part of our evolutionary future. Starting to picture such a possibility will one day aid in producing the projected outcome because energy inevitably follows thought.

Today's Weather Report: My Mom assured me tonight that lakes overcome by drought eventually refill. It does not seem possible at the moment that our lake will ever recover, but I will take her word for it. The rain today may inch us closer to that eventuality. Like I have said many time before, bring it on. Last night our two resident deer came very close to the house to munch on some of the last green vegetation in the garden. At this point it does not matter because the green will be done shortly anyway. In the spring, I would have been out there shooing them off but now they can eat what they want to fatten up for the long winter ahead. I noticed that the baby no longer has spots so it can no longer officially be called a bambi.

Reach High

Reach high, for stars
lie hidden in your soul.
Dream deep, for every
dream precedes the goal.

~ Pamella Vaull Starr

Of Note: I have a special affinity for TheHungerSite.com and post a link to it on the right. Under six different categories, a person is able to donate to the specific cause for FREE just by clicking in the brightly colored box on each of the six pages. Just think, with one click we can impact hunger in the world, or breast cancer detection, or rain forest devastation, or literacy, or animal welfare. Plus, the site is full of information about the initiatives--but only asks for the click. Want to start one of those 28 day habits mentioned here so many times? This is a simple and easy one with which to begin.

Today's Weather Report: Although drippy because of the heavy rain yesterday, the sun was out today and a jacket was unnecessary--meaning it was about 40 or so, though I never officially looked. We were busy readying the place for a special guest--Jim's chemistry teacher from high school, who just happens to be a nun. What a delightful visit we've had since her arrival at 3 pm. Interestingly, she is the influence behind his decision to pursue an undergraduate engineering degree--a story she heard for the first time tonight. We all shook our heads in amazement at the influence people can have on others without even knowing it.

All is Energy

Much of the true revelations since the time of the Christ
has come to the world along the line of science.

The presentation, for instance, of material substance
as essentially only a form of energy was as great
a revelation as any given by the Christ or the Buddha.

Who shall say that the statement "God is Love" is
of more value than the statement "All is Energy"?

~A. A. Bailey

Of Note: As we speak, a brave group of scientists is bringing to the world the idea that the universe is electrical in nature--meaning positive and negative energies shape what we see. That might not sound like earth-shattering news but mainstream science postulates that the space is not influenced by electrical charge. To make up for phenomenon that can't be explained by a non-electrical model, the Big Bang, Black Holes and the like are mathematically invented and then accepted by astrophysicists around the globe. Soon, hypotheses are seeping into the lay media as incontrovertible truth when in actuality nothing has been proven. On the other hand, when electrical engineers and plasma physicists see photos beamed from the Hubble telescope, they say to themselves, "We've seen this same thing in our lab, it looks just like Birkeland currents" or whatever. Their explanations are straightforward and based on proven physical laws. Many predict that within the next 5 to 10 years the evidence will be so overwhelming that the electric universe model will be the accepted standard. This knowledge will accelerate the understanding that all beings are electrically One without beginning or end. As above, so below. Check out www.thunderbolts.info for more information on this fascinating subject.

Today's Weather Report: It's in the thirties today, just a little above freezing. The rain has stopped but the clouds persist. Nothing could be done for the flat little roof on the Taj Mahal; so, a professional will be called in to fix the problem. Without a question, when it is raining as much inside as out, the time has come. I don't usually mention sports, but a momentous day is coming up on November 1st: for the first time ever, all four professional leagues (NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB) will be playing games on the same day. If you or someone you love is interested, check out Inhistoric.com for more such tidbits.

Transcending Barriers

The sharing of knowledge, ideas and values
is the noblest way to transcend barriers.

In this sense, globalization is the architect
which constructs academic
bridges across geophysical landscapes.

~Her Highness Shiekha
Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned

Of Note: Next month Qatar is hosting the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE.) 1000 world renowned experts and decision-makers will converge to map out challenges and solutions, tools and practices in the field of education. The organizers, including the Qatar Foundation chaired by the Sheikha, promise a unique global and a multidisciplinary approach. The event will culminate in presentation of the WISE Awards 2009 to the "six most significant achievements that have contributed to improving pluralism, sustainability and innovation in the field of education." Although sustainability and innovation have been common themes these days in many fields, pluralism has not been. As used by the foundation, pluralism is defined as "creating education for respect and understanding, increased access and equalities in a globalized education." It is based on the principle expressed above by Her Highness. Not many would look to the Middle East for dynamic movement in the all important area of education. But we may be in for a surprise. To find out more, click on www.wise-qatar.org.

Today's Weather Report: How often have we seen a 100% chance of rain in the forecast? Not often, I would guess. Today is the day, though-and it IS raining so the prediction came true at our house. Bring it on. We will also get to see if the leak is fixed at the Taj Mahal cabin that I worked on two days ago. This leak is the last one and has been persistent. If water is still coming in, more drastic measures will have to be taken but maybe not until the spring. At 40 degrees Fahrenheit which it is today, caulk and the like will no longer work.