This is my plea

The second great commandment is to love thy neighbor as thyself. I take this to mean that no matter what another human being does, even if you totally disagree with their actions or opinions, they are deserving of your love and respect - for they are God's children.

This includes President Obama, both legal and illegal immigrants, people who use or abuse the system, people who express opinions well-founded on facts and people who don't know what they are talking about.

This last group leaves me struggling to take my own advice. It can hard to respect someone who doesn't respect the opinions of others and show love unconditionally, to respect he who desires to throw the first stone without all the facts.

Christ didn't throw stones at the woman taken in adultery. He didn't let others throw stones either. Only he knows all. Please, let us always remember this and let Christ be the judge of the individual. And let us remember that our opinion will never be all-knowing... so don't act like it.

This is my plea for others to be more open-minded and polite, less critical and judgmental.

Morning

Morning-kissed, wild land:
Your softness, like the imagined touch of a lover's hand,
fills me with deep breath and anticipation
for what will come of the cautious Fate's slow-moving hand.

Your ever-growing glow
above the mountains I love so
cause the corners of my sleepy mouth to turn upward
ever slightly so.

My full smile will come
when the warm, bright sun is wakeful
and the sunrise nearly done.
However, I shan't know my fate
till my life is nearly done.

On Stage - Round 2 - "Olivia"

Cage - Rough Cut

Olivia

(Verse 1)

A little girl, you cried.

Your mother didn't treat you right.

You ran away, so afraid.

She didn't want you.

Her words still haunt you.

*(Chorus)

But, don't give up, Olivia!

Your life's been hard.

You've known the pain of many hearts.

Don't give up, Olivia!

Your life's been hard.

But you may yet, get a new start.

(Verse 2)

Put in a home, a new life.

But instead of love, you only found more strife.

You ran away again, again afraid.

Now on your own, you feel so alone.

*(Chorus)

(Verse 3)

Hope seems gone, your freedom lost.

Working to support yourself, school is the cost.

Learning was your only love.

Then stealing for your needs, all they can see

is your delinquency!

They say, “You gave up Olivia!”

They say you chose wrong,

you had your agency all along,

because this is the land of the free,

there's meritocracy,

be anything you want to be!

But I say…

What about Olivia?!

Where was the love she needed

to give her a good start?

Don't give up, on Olivia!

Her life's been so hard

Please give her, a new start.

Olivia, Olivia,

Don’t give up, Olivia!

Earthquake

There have been earthquake drills in my life,

but I didn't heed their warnings or advice.

You know when disaster comes to play

that the time to prepare has gone away.

Left with the rubble all around,

even fate could not have foretold the sound

of my heart breaking, aching, crying out now.

It feels like all that's left in my heart is doubt.

(Chorus = *)

And then tomorrow the dust will clear.

The darkness you have felt will disappear.

The fear will fade. Wait and see!

The light will come back. You can believe.

Although at times you made the wrong choice.

You put aside the silent, searching the world for noise.

The soft and peaceful moments are there.

Just lay upon the Lord your every care.

*

(Bridge)

Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil, for Christ is my friend!

*

On Stage

So not yesterday, but the previous Friday (11-11-11), I performed "I Am Here to Stay" at my ward talent show. So I met that last music goal of mine to perform a song I wrote on stage! Now to get more practice at not being so nervous doing so.... :)