His Promise

I got this in an email and thought it would be a great way to start the morning off.
Thought for the Day:

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring. He sends you a sunrise every morning. Face it, He is crazy about you!
God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain,
but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.
... If God brings you
to it,
He will bring you through it.

Purpose

Motionless commotion
time stops amist chaos
freezing emotions and passionate preaching
pulsating veins, rushing blood, and
tongues in mid verse with facial expressions, stop before completing meaning
art of life...
soul-fully soul-less and searching for meaning,
understanding,
some clarity, as to what exactly it is
that is, our purpose here.
most surround themselves with beliefs, symbols, and doctrines
and others choose to flow freely
unaware and certainly unplanned, but content either way
with no reason to be other than being
yet, even when my faith is silently strong and fundamentally rooted since childhood
I can't escape that force that calls me to attention
springing from me questions
I fight with the concept of science verses scriptures
facts verses opinions and highly thought out theories
verses the idea that it's all relative
some how it has to make sense and add up
I'm in search of that simple explanation that balances out all the complicated ones...

Incantation

I don't remember where I found this, I just know that I was so moved by it I scribbling it in one of my journals. It was written by a Lithuanian Poet, Czeslaw Milosz.
"Human Reason is beautiful and invincible, no bars, no barbed wire, no pulping of books, no sentence of banishment can prevail against it. It puts what should be above things as they are. It does not know Jew from Greek nor slave from master."
It's the one thing we all share, the one motive we share, regardless of race or status.

ESCAPE

Her tippy toes whisper her movement across the ground as she silently dances to the chaos playing in her mind. She rides her train of thought, taking her from step to step and back around again. She twirls amid the darkest of thoughts and greatest of fears, afraid that if her thoughts are revealed, she'll be objected to worse than what she already knows. So she continues to make her escape across the room, down the stairs, and out the door, away from terrifying memories...
But as the breeze of freedom brushes against her face and she can finally rest her feet firmly on the ground she feels an immense crippling force grasp her, forcing it's way in, immediately killing all air and life within.
With one hand still clenching the door knob, she turns to look into the cold dark room, now familiar and even welcoming. She knows that if she stays the torture she endures will devour what little life she has left. Yet as she struggles to save herself, the air of freedom slowly suffocates her, stealing away the only life she's even known. Confused, she's torn between deadly freedom and a fateless life which grants no destiny...

Disturbing or SAFE?

20,000 more souls recruited will enlist to fight a cause, protect the nation, travel, become employed, and face death. 20,000 more will give up civilian life for dog tags, a uniform, and the command to fight and win! 20,000 more bodies will alleviate the stressed caused to our military. 20,000 more will replenish the man power of those fallen, in the name of our red, white, and blue freedom. WAR. I don't know the answers. I can come up with plenty of suggestions, theories, and oppositions to the destruction and death occurring on foreign land to protect the very soil we sing, dance, pray, love, and walk freely on. But I do know this, I am not proud of Murder. Terrorism, no matter what the cause, is wrong. Two wrongs, does not make a right...So naked pictures of prisoners only amounts in more shame. Stakes are high amist politics. Millions live in fear. My life as I know it from a street corner in Bronx, New York will never be the same if I'm anticipating the day a missile crosses the sky I live under.

Uninspired

Uninspired is a writer's greatest tragedy
a moment when life comes to a halt
and words do not suffice
with a pen in hand and a clean sheet waiting
Inspiration ceases
and emotions become misplaced
because at this very moment
not a single word in the English dictionary
cam clearly define or articulate into phrases
what thoughts cross the mind
that the writer's heart wishes to express
and so with one last attempt
to poetically perform
the writer glances around
desperately searching
for a sign, a symbol, or color of inspiration
that will possibly release the untold story
but until that time he drops his pen
and walks away
leaving his words unspoken,
his poetry unwritten.

Higher Ed

There are always two sides to a story but is either side fair? The process of student admission at higher education institutions constantly battles with issues I sometimes wish were irrelevant when it comes to admitting students into a chosen institution. Arguments of race and social class emerge from all sides of the spectrum. Although affirmative action has survived all these years, diversity remains a major issue at some institutions, most commonly those who rank at that top percentile. The linked article poses both sides of an admission policy at a University in Texas which allows entrance to students who rank in the top 10% in public high schools. This off course allows for students of a lower class acceptance into a university they would otherwise not have a chance of applying to.
Which brings me to my point, The Posse Foundation. I work for the Posse Foundation, a not for profit organization that recruits public high school, puts them through an 8 month leadership training program and sends them off to one of our high-ranking, partner university in a Posse, a diverse, talented, motivated group of 10 scholars. Not only are we providing access to students who many not have even been offered the opportunity to apply to such universities but the university provides them with a full four year tuition scholarship. Posse has made wonders, develop exceptional leaders and changed the demographics of these institutions. This scholarship is not SAT based, minority based, need based, it's merit based. It's based on students who excel in various ways but would have probably been overlooked.
Now, the law in Texas discussed in the article may send other, wealthier students, who do not rank as high at private high schools out of state, because they were not granted acceptance, but they are still getting into a valued, accredited institution. It may not be fair, or the student's first choice, but I see it as a win-win situation, because that law, and Posse, give a chance to someone who probably didn't have a chance...

Give a little...

Morning,

"Did you know that the worldwide food shortage that threatens up to five hundred million children could be alleviated at the cost of only one day, only ONE day, of modern warfare." -Peter Ustinov, actor, writer and director (1921-2004)

Ever feel like doing a good deed or volunteering for a worthy cause but may not have the time?

Well for those of you who shop online, you can have a great time shopping and effortlessly make a difference at the same time. At www.buyforcharity.com when making a purchase at one of their partner stores like Barnes and Nobles, Bath and Body, eBay, 1 Stop Flowers, and Gap,(you can check for addition participating stores http://www.buyforcharity.com/allmerchants.asp)
they will contribute up to 35% of your purchase to a cause or charity of your choice like AIDS, Poverty, Politics, etc http://www.buyforcharity.com/category.asp, once you've signed up.

So visit the links i've included above and give every time you get something for yourself! There is no excuse for not having time.

Mo


PS: Forward this to your friends!

AIDS and INFIDELITY

Well it makes sense doesn't it? If two people are committed and monogamous and never have sex with anyone else but their partner then it greatly reduces their risk of becoming infected by STD's or HIV.
The linked article in June 13ths The New York Times Magazine titled "The Fidelity Fix", discusses the efforts to reduce the transmission of the AIDS virus. Besides the obvious measures such as condoms, and abstinence, infidelity is also an option.
Now we all know that throughout history even our President's have come across some scandalous issue when it comes to infidelity and American talk shows are inundated with "My husband Cheated On Me!" and "Cheating Confession!" episodes, so cheating has become almost an accepted part of society. Of course there are those who pride themselves on their faithfulness and commitment, but come on look at the divorce rates and the reasons that come along with them....Infidelity definitely ranks at the top of the reasons.
Any how back to the article, if you get a chance read up on it. It discusses the efforts being made in South Africa, Africa having the largest AIDS infected population, and of course we all can learn something for our own purposes and education with this article. Something needs to be done and the first step to this issue is to raise awareness of what's happening in our world!

Hello

Well i'm actually new to this, although i am familar with these sort of sites and love to write i've never before considered becoming a member until now. I spend plenty of hours in front of a computer while at work and come across some very interesting or informational pieces i often feel like commenting on or sharing because it maybe beneficial to others. I will also be including some poetry. I wrote my first poem at age 9 and haven't stopped writing since.
So I hope you enjoy and please feel free to post comments on your view to the issue or topic at hand! Mo