tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post114111212571197027..comments2023-11-15T09:24:10.316-08:00Comments on The 25 Year Plan: RhetoricMichael K. Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07726807939923761538noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141415549507360712006-03-03T11:52:00.000-08:002006-03-03T11:52:00.000-08:00Sadie Lou, I think that makes Mike a Blog stalker....Sadie Lou, I think that makes Mike a Blog stalker... dont you... hehehehhehehhehehheheheh jk <BR/><BR/>w2g on the exam. Now you can relax and enjoy the weekend!Helenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06481533361253699464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141340103087046682006-03-02T14:55:00.000-08:002006-03-02T14:55:00.000-08:00Sadie Lou, you go, girl! ;o)<B>Sadie Lou,</B> you go, girl! ;o)Saur♥Krauthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160101729455178399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141325840322311862006-03-02T10:57:00.000-08:002006-03-02T10:57:00.000-08:00Oooops.... sorry, I didn't mean to hit the verific...Oooops.... sorry, I didn't mean to hit the verification twice. Silly me.....Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05767057478043796740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141270451535497302006-03-01T19:34:00.000-08:002006-03-01T19:34:00.000-08:00WooHoo on the stomping of the mid-term! Raising a...WooHoo on the stomping of the mid-term! Raising a virtual cup of tea on your success... from Atlanta.Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05767057478043796740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141270439386662982006-03-01T19:33:00.000-08:002006-03-01T19:33:00.000-08:00WooHoo on the stomping of the mid-term! Raising a...WooHoo on the stomping of the mid-term! Raising a virtual cup of tea on your success... from Atlanta.Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05767057478043796740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141262464927186792006-03-01T17:21:00.000-08:002006-03-01T17:21:00.000-08:00Hi, looks like things have been comfortable for yo...Hi, looks like things have been comfortable for you....I remember reading way back when a book entitled, "Be Here Now"...by Ram Dah (sp?). I really needed it back then and when I get out of sorts I remember all what little book had to say and use all the time now. Loved being up North... We will have to plan a ride..<BR/>KTKathleen Jennettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17527996189920596997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141260326469700402006-03-01T16:45:00.000-08:002006-03-01T16:45:00.000-08:00Very good post and it does make complete sense to ...Very good post and it does make complete sense to me!Lee Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08981305686482468585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141249637288971292006-03-01T13:47:00.000-08:002006-03-01T13:47:00.000-08:00~ to all: Thank you for your thoughts. I STOMPED m...<I>~ to all: Thank you for your thoughts. I STOMPED my con law mid-term! I'm feeling pretty good. </I><BR/><BR/>Good job! Thanks for the explaination. I'm glad you are at least a lurker of my blog. Finding time to comment is a challenge--I understand! I was just hoping I didn't offend...Sadie Louhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07362158642491145353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141246494246231282006-03-01T12:54:00.000-08:002006-03-01T12:54:00.000-08:00You are so correct.The way we perceive and the ext...You are so correct.<BR/><BR/>The way we perceive and the extent to which we accept people, places and things as they are is the key to our own peace of mind.<BR/><BR/>Glad to hear your grass is watered, and so beautifully green!BarbaraFromCaliforniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16154135502964236043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141245801249600012006-03-01T12:43:00.000-08:002006-03-01T12:43:00.000-08:00I have always had a hard time wrestling with pre-d...I have always had a hard time wrestling with pre-determination and free will. Some Christians believe that both is possible, because ANYthing is possible with God...blah blah blah. To me, it makes no sense and I see direct conflict in the Bible. So, I'm with you: I have free will, but maybe less than I realize.<BR/><BR/>As for nature, I definately understand. My peace is sometimes found <A HREF="http://franklysaurkraut.blogspot.com/2005/07/saturday-morning-sailing.html" REL="nofollow">sailing.</A>Saur♥Krauthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160101729455178399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141239768685684152006-03-01T11:02:00.000-08:002006-03-01T11:02:00.000-08:00jinsane ~Thank you. This feeling of harmony strike...jinsane ~Thank you. This feeling of harmony strikes me quite frequently these days. Being of an analytical mindset, I try to figure it out - usually with no real explanation. I guess I'm still trying to figure it all out.<BR/><BR/>ultimate ~ It is indeed curious how similar the peoples of the world are at some levels - even when completely isolated from each other.<BR/><BR/>ellen ~ Thank you so much. I think you may be my biggest fan! It took a lot of trials and tribulations to get here - my hope is that others don't have to do the same.<BR/><BR/>neal ~ Although I carefully avoided the word "God" in my post, the inference is definitely there. I don't know either - I am truly agnostic. However, I do believe in something beyond... what that is, I haven't a clue. I don't think it's a race, more of a journey - it doesn't work for me to measure it.<BR/><BR/>jd ~ As I have mentioned before, I'm not sure what you would call my belief, but I do believe in action and reaction. Consequences, both positive and negative are part of life. Having said that, how the consequences are assessed are a matter of perception.<BR/><BR/>blair ~ Exactly. There are indicators, both internal and external. Peace is found where we find it, and that could be anywhere.<BR/><BR/>bar bar a ~ Yup. That's kinda the gist of it. I write this stuff to open the realm of the possible rather than identify the impossible. My beliefs evolve almost daily - for the better.<BR/><BR/><BR/>outin... ~ It is definitely the journey. I am reminded of part of a poem I once read: It will be ok when it's over, if it's not ok, it's not over.<BR/><BR/>sadie lou ~ I haven't had time recently to leave a lot of comments. I do read your blog and it does, like many, inspire me in thought. I tend to avoid religious topics because i don't really have any formal knowledge of any organized religions. My take is more general and self generated. This post is more introspection than anything else. You are absolutely on my daily read list.<BR/><BR/>~ to all: Thank you for your thoughts. I STOMPED my con law mid-term! I'm feeling pretty good. <BR/><BR/>~MikeMichael K. Althousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07726807939923761538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141234966944220262006-03-01T09:42:00.000-08:002006-03-01T09:42:00.000-08:00I notice you lurk on my blog every now and again b...I notice you lurk on my blog every now and again but never comment--used to comment but don't anymore. I guess I have to ask, out of curiousity, why?<BR/>and I wonder if this post was in response to something that provoked you--perhaps read on MY blog?<BR/>I have to know.<BR/>:)Sadie Louhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07362158642491145353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141212708334478622006-03-01T03:31:00.000-08:002006-03-01T03:31:00.000-08:00Good luck on your mid term.Good luck on your mid term.nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13655450848483696856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141194781251857582006-02-28T22:33:00.000-08:002006-02-28T22:33:00.000-08:00Dang, you wrote a great, reflective post and I'm t...Dang, you wrote a great, reflective post and I'm too tired to see, nevermind comment properly! (AHAH, I just read Neal's comment and he said the same thing, it;s an epidemic of tiredness!). Anyways, I am glad you found peace and I think the old adage "Life is a journey not a destination" can hold true to what you were saying. All these things we find shitty are actually part of the ride, and once we realise that we achieve true peace and happiness. (And even if we realise it, it takes a while to accept it).<BR/><BR/>Have a good one...and I promise, I will be more awake the next time I come and visit! :)Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17632532461407526747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141182085531978452006-02-28T19:01:00.000-08:002006-02-28T19:01:00.000-08:00Mike,I think it's wonderful that you have found pe...Mike,<BR/><BR/>I think it's wonderful that you have found peace and gratitude. Those two things seem to go hand in hand. You've taken the "long way" to get to where you are today but many will never arrive, I'm glad you did so you can show the way to others.<BR/><BR/>I believe in God but don't pretend to understand Him and everything about Him. I think He gave us free will so that we could choose our paths, but I also believe He has the power to intervene at any time He chooses and re-direct us, or to answer our prayers. It seems like He usually uses our circumstances and choices to teach us. We are the ones who mess up and have to live with the consequences. Like any partent, He hopes we won't get hurt - but we often do.Bar L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11100008292699584336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141181991196950792006-02-28T18:59:00.000-08:002006-02-28T18:59:00.000-08:00Thank you all for the thoughtful feedback. Tonight...Thank you all for the thoughtful feedback. Tonight I am studying for a constitutional law midterm. Although still at peace, the harmony will be of a different flavor tonight. Later tonight or tomorrow I will respond to one and all, for there has been some excel comments made. Until then - <BR/><BR/>~MikeMichael K. Althousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07726807939923761538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141180988067575342006-02-28T18:43:00.000-08:002006-02-28T18:43:00.000-08:00JaimeI think that if there is a God He has a maste...<B>Jaime</B>I think that if there is a God He has a master plan that rules the destiny of every single persons life. I do believe that He would have an overall plan for mankind. There would have to be some reason He put us here other than to live and to die. <BR/><BR/>It is like some of the Buddhist thought were we are here to improve upon ourselves and if we didn't we are reincarnated and come back to try again. The only difference from my studies of Christian belief is that if you mess this time up you don't get a second chance.<BR/><BR/>That is one of the reasons my search for answers is so sincere. I would hate to leave this world knowing what the consequences were if I didn't get things right.nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13655450848483696856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141180688737927972006-02-28T18:38:00.000-08:002006-02-28T18:38:00.000-08:00I think I am on the same page. I believe that we ...I think I am on the same page. I believe that we have some control over our destiny. I think the universe presents us with opportunity when we are ready to receive it. Whether that opportunity is peace, a new job, a new friend, or love. So, you must be ready for peace. Take it in. Enjoy it. Because life is so chaotic that we don't often get time to stop and listen to the rain.<BR/><BR/>Cheers,<BR/>Blairblairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09530535076607807743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141174729650443282006-02-28T16:58:00.000-08:002006-02-28T16:58:00.000-08:00I believe in God, but I do not believe in a plan, ...I believe in God, but I do not believe in a plan, and I do not believe that all things happen for a reason. I think that there is good in the world & evil. We all see the results of it daily. I do not think that kids dying from cancer or people dying in car crashes happens as part of some divine plan.<BR/>I think we live, make our mark on the world, and we die.Jamie Dawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11036600186909466411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141174003551094562006-02-28T16:46:00.000-08:002006-02-28T16:46:00.000-08:00I sure wish I could coherently speak the thoughts ...I sure wish I could coherently speak the thoughts that run through my head. You do such a better job than I. Needless to say let me say what this post meant to me.<BR/><BR/><BR/>It seems like you and I are like two people on the same racetrack but you are a couple laps ahead of me. So much of what you said in this post I can relate to on a very personal level. –<BR/><BR/>I seem to still be at the stage you talk about in the fourth paragraph where you say you were still battling hopelessness. I am still seeking answers to many of the same questions you were. I can’t accept that there is no purpose for life. I just haven’t found it yet.-<BR/><BR/>I would like to think that there is some higher power that rules over this chaos we call life. I do not know if there is a God. I don’t claim to be an atheist, I just don’t know the answer. I find it hard to accept the fact on faith alone. Maybe that is my problem. I have attended many different churches and have found them falling short of satisfying my need for answers. I find them more concerned with ritual than with substance. I don’t blame the institutions themselves, for although our government itself is based on solid principles I find it lacking when run by people. So I blame the people who run these churches for the lack of substance, not the institutions. This may upset many, but that is the way I see them.-<BR/><BR/>One thing I found particularly profound in your post was the comment, It is as it should be, for if it weren’t , something else would be happening. That is so Zen. Pure acceptance of your circumstances without questioning why things are the way they are. It seems like such a simple statement but I bet many people if they thought about it would find it hard to actually live by that concept moment by moment.-<BR/><BR/>You also talk about the guideposts to help direct you to a harmonious destiny. I have done some research on Taoism and Buddhism and I have found many of the concepts they teach are very similar to what you find Jesus preaching in the New Testament. These guideposts are what I would call a plain and simple code of ethics to live by. If more people lived by them our world would be such a better place.-<BR/><BR/>Anyway, someday I hope to be at the place you are in life. I try my best to treat people with respect and courtesy. There are times I find myself unable to accept certain character traits but I am working on that also. It is the main questions of why we are here and what is my role in life that I struggle with. –<BR/><BR/>I could go on but I am not as eloquent as you with words and I don’t wish to waste your or anybody else’s time.nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13655450848483696856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141162948740497152006-02-28T13:42:00.000-08:002006-02-28T13:42:00.000-08:00I wanted to leave some profound words, but found t...I wanted to leave some profound words, but found that you pretty much said them all in your post.<BR/><BR/>Thank goodness we have someone of your caliber to keep us enlightened everyday.... you give much hope to those who are still struggling to see the path.<BR/><BR/>As always.... brilliant post! You always leave us wanting more...Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05767057478043796740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141159875958905922006-02-28T12:51:00.000-08:002006-02-28T12:51:00.000-08:00Very deep stuff. I had to read it a couple times. ...Very deep stuff. I had to read it a couple times. But yeah, the basic right and wrong principles can be extrapolated to most all of the situations we face throughout life.UltimateWriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13649163400111449211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141157908693561142006-02-28T12:18:00.000-08:002006-02-28T12:18:00.000-08:00Very deep post...one that I enjoyed alot. Actuall...Very deep post...one that I enjoyed alot. <BR/><BR/>Actually, I need to think about this one for awhile before I respond. However, I wanted you to know that I read it and am taking it with me to mull over. XOJinsanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11813562411858564906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141139431272203482006-02-28T07:10:00.000-08:002006-02-28T07:10:00.000-08:00neal ~ 7:oo a.m., no coffee yet... Ya, I know. Pre...neal ~ 7:oo a.m., no coffee yet... Ya, I know. Pretty profound huh? I honestly don't know where this stuff comes from sometimes. I mean, it's me, but it's not - does that make any sense?Michael K. Althousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07726807939923761538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19984125.post-1141126578596743962006-02-28T03:36:00.000-08:002006-02-28T03:36:00.000-08:00It is 3:37 a.m. and I just took my first sip of co...It is 3:37 a.m. and I just took my first sip of coffee. My eyes are still blurring in and out of focus and I find it difficult to form coherent thoughts right now. I would like to say more, but alas I am afraid that will have to wait until I get home from work this afternoon. Needless to say, very interesting post.nealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13655450848483696856noreply@blogger.com