The culture around me tells me that I am a victim. Everyone is a victim of some oppression related to race, money, age, weight, parents, gender… you know how the story goes. We are told to wrap ourselves in blaming others and be dependent on ???
This is all a lie. I don’t know why so many are wired to think this way but it is toxic to life.

As a retired performing artist, perspective is important to me. I see and think about what I am seeing constantly. My life is filled with challenges just like yours. My life is NOT an exercise in suffering. Every day is an opportunity to do something, to improve, or maybe just to rest but it is not a burden to bear. Each day is a blessing and a gift. It is from God, bestowed on me, not because of my worth or my deeds, but because of Gods extraordinary love.

The constant complaint, blame game, victim approach is a construct, a choice, that destroys relationship. This is from Satan. It separates us from one another and most importantly it separates us from God. This is sin my friends. The seed may practically originate with your mother, your neighbor, your Sunday school teacher, even your wife and children but it is of the devil.

Life, my life, your life, is about loving and doing in spite of the human challenges which we all have. Living is not about fear and control and the constant envy of what could have been if… this is foolish fallacy.

I am not special. I am a specific, beloved, first born child of God. The systems of men always fail. Gods love does not. I am destined for glory in God, but not because of what I do here and now.

the solution:
1. see the behaviors which are rooted in blame, victimization, and self
2. reject the victim mindset and choose to be grateful. Focus on blessings. They are always there.
3. Live into the future however it comes. Choose wisely, but choose. Don’t let others choose your thinking.

as to all of that blame and victimhood and pain… it is real. To move ahead, you must let it go and forgive everyone. Period.

Best thing I’ve heard from a pulpit in a while. I’ve added my take of course...

2019- year the media and “culture” said to cancel the negative people. Don’t do anything with them. Those realists are just negative Nellies. Everything will be fine as soon as the negative voices are gone.

2020- the year where we were all encouraged to shout down the positive hopeful people because the world was ending and system is deplorable. Their support for standing up and singing loud and proud is a radical position. Hunker down and look out for yourself above all. Socializing is unsafe. If you want to see and be with people you are killing them. Be fearful.

2021- this year we are not supposed to ANYTHING with ANYONE because... there is just too much risk. Be alone. Wait for permission. Someday when it is safe the powers in the know will tell you.

I never bought into any of it. I’m sorry for the months in 2020 where I was so flipping afraid. It will not happen again from me. Be. Love. Serve. Repeat. Is not a passive sit back and watch thing done on a video stream or TV. Living is loving and loving is living. Face to face. Hand to hand. Heart to heart.

A Conversation with a good friend today evoked this quote. “I blame Hollywood for everything... for a long time.” This continued with discussion of governing policies that have entrenched the entertainment signaling into power degrading entire segments of our population. I believe it is a both and scenario and the backstops and cultural relevance of the local church and free speech are effectively insignificant today. This is deeply disturbing. Oh, and BTW, I agree now. I blame Hollywood for everything. He who controls the minds controls the culture.
The entertainment movie, tv, media money model is literally eating America. Correction: it has eaten America.

Defining disinformation and misinformation is a serious gap in 2021 Where is the fact checking, no context warning, cancel culture hysteria when the right is targeted?

Minimizing TV news and mass opinion commentary maximizes clarity of individual thought and perspective.
Reading enough but not too much.
Talking less, smiling more.
Thinking and praying in a private time and space is powerful. Physically creating is far more critical than consuming, competing, comparing and judging. Focusing on personal and local actions maximize the value and immediate results.

Just imagine what could happen if the social media giants turned their full attention to unity. They could “tune” their algorithms to promote the areas and topics of agreement, the topics which bridge and connect disparate groups. Instead, there is this rush to be right and silence anyone who disagrees, promoted and prioritized with insidious efficiency. The effect is a population at war.
We cannot silence and silo ideas and people so brazenly and expect the dissent to just go away. The history of humanity proves this point beyond a reasonable doubt.

My solution is simpler than most would imagine.
— Sing together regularly seeking a spark of inspiration in texts and melodies. It must be done intentionally and actively. Church is a place to start. The discipline of singing within the group and achieving a shared sound of the soul is worthy of high regard. #ChoirIsLife

As to social media. The powers that be could change their approach if they wanted. They do not. These 21st century robber barons profit from the fighting and the attention of their addicted population (products)

74 million Americans voted for Trump and we lost the election. Vast majority of the protestors yesterday were peaceful proud Americans. The radicals who rejected rule of law and stormed the capital building violently were criminals and were indeed a vast minority. There are radicals on both sides of every issue and they must be treated with equal disdain and disgust.

President Trump again acted recklessly with his rhetoric yesterday and Americans died. The escalating violence over the last year could have been stopped by Democratic and Leftist leaders but they acted recklessly in appeasing violence for votes and Americans died.

Our system of govt is fully intact. We have a republic if we can keep it. Governing authority is derived from the people. Power is wielded by the people for the people by “the government” in DC and the states. We the people will always disagree. The mechanism for progress and prosperity is voting, and adherence to rule of law outlined by our constitution, enforced by our government. This is the way.

The rush to blame and group is natural but wrong. 74 million maga Americans did not storm the capital building yesterday. An Illegal, incited, mob did. It was allowed to escalate out of control and Americans died. This story has been told over and over through 2020. It must not be told any more in 2021.

Sadly, I’m not exactly hopeful that this is feasible.
Something broke last year. It may not be repairable en masse. I pray that God is making something new in all of this. As for me and my house, we serve and we sing. This is the way.

The Bill of No Rights
The following was written by State Representative Mitchell Kaye from GA
We, the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid any more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other liberal bedwetters. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim that they require a Bill of No Rights .
ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone - not just you! You may leave the room (ed.: or this page), turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful, do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.

ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.

ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII: You don't have the right to demand that our children risk their lives in foreign wars to soothe your aching conscience. We hate oppressive governments and won't lift a finger to stop you from going to fight if you'd like. However, we do not enjoy parenting the entire world and do not want to spend so much of our time battling each and every little tyrant with a military uniform and a funny hat.

ARTICLE IX: You don't have the right to a job. All of us sure want all of you to have one, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.

ARTICLE X: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to pursue happiness - which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an overabundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

"Tebow extended peace and BLM extends judgment and division, not unity. Black lives matter. Free speech matters. Prayer matters. Sports and entertainment matter. But at the end of the day, at the end of life, I believe it is one’s faith that truly matters." brilliant and elegant analysis.  ​​-- From Julie Boltz.. 

​Today's NFL and pretty much all of the sports "protests" are driving people apart.. not bringing them together.   Why.. because there is no faith at the center. 

News anchors and media personalities are NOT equal to elected leaders. One side talks and judges what the other does. That is all. The search for principles in reporting goes on. The search for principles in politicians is basicly useless.

It is easy to judge and tear down. It is simple to write a narrative which tells your story. How you tell it does not make it true. The decisions and results are the essential arbiter of truth and credibility.

I have long supported the idea of the bully pulpit of the President. I equally support the principle of silence. I’m thinking that Calvin Coolidge was on to something. The executive should decide, enforce, and act, forcing the representatives to actually represent and champion principles of law and order. The judges then judge all of this according to the law of the land.

News anchors and media personalities just watch and talk. They are entertainers, not influencers. Are you entertained? The gladiator asked after killing his opponent.

I want to grant sincerity to technology and healthcare leaders. I don’t anymore. My cynicism born of the 2020trials and 20+ years in tech and leadership has infected me. I’m not sure there is a cure. I’m not sure there will ever be a cure. Without a modicum of respect, the distrust germinates and spreads like a virus into every experience.

I trust God. Period. His power is absolute. His love is unbounded. He listens and hears me in my whining.

I celebrate others success. I mourn their failures. I wish I could do more to help. I do all that I can without sacrificing my own family. I revel in the beauty of others testimonies in word and deed. As a conservative minded libertarian, I am branded by others. In a free country, I still get to speak and vote as I choose. This seems to be changing.

The real test of credibility arises when an expert and/or communicator must align and collaborate with others who DISAGREE. Managing dissenting views is a CRITICAL skill in short supply during this crisis, and virtually all crises. If experts can't quickly and efficiently handle questions from non-experts in a public forum, are they really experts?

The answer is yes, but it does mean that their communications credibility is called into question. The echo chamber amplification phenomenon of the internet does exist in academia and peer review models across all verticals. GREAT and CREDIBLE leaders seek out dissenting views, listen to minority reports, and then decide accordingly.

Sometimes the majority wins, and sometimes the dissenters hold the day.
Sometimes we are right, sometimes we are wrong.
The more we are right... the more credibility we have. Period.

“Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and those over which we have traveled, and if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and, carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that as well.” ― Maya Angelou, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now

Volatile and tragic times are nothing new. Perhaps our collective response to them is, perhaps not. I’m not sure we are even special. 
We change nothing by assassinating the character of others. Hysterical claims and emotional appeals are engaging in media but only influential when connected to reasonable and logical proposals for change. Debate and dialogue enables education and progress at every level. 
———-
"This institution will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind. For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it." - Thomas Jefferson to William Roscoe, December 27, 1820