Positive Works Poem

BLessed are the PEACEMAKERS!

P!nk - F**kin' Perfect

Always remember, each person has flaws, each person is broken, each person has a destiny, each person has an innate human dignity. Be proud of who you are and live up to your potential. Never settle for less than what you are!

Disarm Your Heart: Coming to Terms with Your Inner Violence

Have you ever wondered what makes you act a certain way? 
Have you ever said, done, or thought about something and later wished you could take it back?
When it comes to acts of violence/war/hate, do you respond with anger? Do you respond with compassion? 

Well, your response to different types of stimuli gives a lot of info about you as a person. For example, if you are the type of person who immediately get upset by the way someone brushes their teeth, or eats their food, then I would say you are someone who has very low self-control. 

The point to this post is to inform you that, we all have an inner "violence" that stirs up through exterior stimuli and generally makes us react negatively. In this post the term "violence" will be used with the understanding that violence is "anything disrupts the natural flow of life". Over the course of our lives we experience many people, places, things, and a wide range of circumstances. Due to these experiences we form into a person who generally, reflects their past. What I mean by that is, we are formed through our experiences/encounters with the occurrences of this world. Because of this, when we are faced with an obstacle, whether it be the smallest thing in the world, or the most important challenge of your life, we (often without realizing it) take all of those experiences/encounters into consideration subconsciously when trying to overcome said obstacle. Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing. However, some experiences/encounters are very negative and have made a serious impact on our being, some obstacles reawaken these emotions and can cause a negative outcome. But my point here for this post is that it is important to begin a process of "disarming" your heart. We do this by searching our inner being and determining what makes us get upset by people, places, or things. Do we allow ourselves to be emotionally affected by everything? We begin this disarmament by spending time each day, reflecting on events of the day, and trying to pin point whether or not our responses to those events were fruitful and productive to creating a word of justice. If you can come to terms with the violence in your heart, then you will be able to truly live at peace and nonviolently. Recognize your demons, tame them, and go forth nonviolently challenging others to do the same. Then continue to walk down the road to peace and justice. 

Blessings, 
Jerry 

PS there will be another blog in the next few weeks discussing this topic again. 

Evening Meditation: Is there beauty where you live?

https://www.facebook.com/FrJamesMartin/posts/10151426869976496:0

The above link is to an Evening Meditation by Father James Martin SJ, member of the religious order known as the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Hope this helps to bring things into perspective for you this evening. 

Peace and love! 

Jerry 

Why All the Drama??!! Does It Matter?!?

Have you ever wondered why we as humans fuss over things that in the big scheme of things, are really not that important? Well, I was reflecting on this and I think if has to do with our understanding of how we fit our society.

Some of us like to think we are just a tiny fish in a giant fish bowl. Everyone else, according to our paradigm, is a giant fish in a vast ocean. But in reality, if we look at these analogies we can see that we are placing ourselves on the same level as the other person, WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT! 

Just think about it! If you are a small fish in a giant fish bowl, then the perimeter of the bowl is the limit to what you can compare yourself to. The same is with the fish in the vast ocean. The vastness of the ocean is the limit to which the fish can compare itself to. So keep that in mind.

Now, lets talk about how our perception of ourselves and our environment in which we dwell. If the place in which we dwell is our limit to how we view ourselves and other things; then why do we as a society and as individuals rant/rave over diverse issues, that might not even remotely be in the limits of our paradigm? Is it because humans like causing conflict? Do we rant and rave over political, economical, scientific, religious, issues because we need attention? Do we seek approval? 

In the vast array of things happening in the world and particularly IN OUR NATION, I think these are important questions to reflect on. Everyday, as we go about our lives, we get involved in things that are important to us and that we feel can make an impact. On the news we see and hear about things that have happened/going to happen all over the world and we form opinions about those events or get emotionally involved. 

Is there a point? is this just a cycle of being? Are we just making a bunch of hot air come out of our mouths? or are we actually making a difference and reforming the world? So during this week, month, year, I challenge you to reflect on these questions/thoughts and see what your spirit tells you. Is it time for humanity to take a collective "step back" from the issues of the world and reshape our paradigms? Are we being real to ourselves and to our global community? 

Peace and love sent your way always! 

And remember, if you can't do anything else....SPREAD JOY AND LOVE! 

Peace, 

Jerry 

Building a Functional Production through Dysfunction.

I like to see things at times, from the view point of a Musical Production. Whether the production be a musical, play, dance, choral concert, band concert, etc etc etc. The imagery of a musical production is quite pleasing to me, primarily because I'm a Musician and Music Teacher. However, there are some other reasons why I like this imagery or "lens" at which to look at circumstances in life.
A passion of mine is teaching children about living a life of faith and being a person who seeks the greater good for the community they live in, and ultimately our global community. I teach this through my music lessons, my Sunday School classes, or in the public school I work at during the school year.

One of the things that has always fascinated me, as a teacher, is how kids (even adults) react differently to how, where, when, or why you say/do something in the classroom. One of the challenging parts of being a teacher, is having to help a child (teen, young adult, or adult) understand why their behavior is not acceptable for whatever reason. The reason why this is challenging is due to the fact that as teachers, we often have this mentality of "because I said so." or "I am in charge." This is not really the best way to go about reprimanding a student in our modern times. My reasoning for this statement is due to the fact that I have seen how the children of this generation, are more attentive to using your words against you and are keen to question you. They do not do it for the sake of being rude but because they have an honest desire to know "why?". So back to the Musical Production idea. In a production, lets say Musical; there are many components. A Musical requires actors, musicians, a director, stage manager, artistic director, scenery, lights, etc etc etc. Well in order to make a musical "function", we must take the actors and essentially, "build a functioning production, through their 'dysfunction'". Let me clarify what I mean by this phrase, which is the basis of this reflection. Every actor has their own interpretation of a script  and of their individual part; however, until each actor gets together and rehearses, each part is in complete "dysfunction". This is means it has no meaning or purpose, it's just words on a page. But as you come to know your part through rehearsing or interacting with the other parts of the musical, the production starts to "function". This means that their part is starting to make sense in the context of the musical which eventually will help to make the entire show come together, thus a great show happens! I think this is how students should be approached when they have done or said something unacceptable. Do not try to put a student into a conventional box. What I mean by that is, do not put them in the box that is labeled "everyone in the world behaves like this so you have to also". A student (especially a child or teen) will not appreciate that and that approach to reprimanding a student will back fire 9 times out of 10. So using this "lens" what a teacher or even a counselor at a rehabilitation center for alcoholics, drug addicts, etc etc. should do is be a "Director". Just like a Director of a Musical, we should understand the other person for who they are, worts and all, then use that "dysfunction" as the fuel to create a "conventional box" for them. So essentially, you are modeling them to think, speak, or behave in a certain way, by allowing them to understand why they reacted in their particular way then letting them (through your prompting, encouragement, and challenging) to create for themselves, their own means to the end that you desire them to be at. A good Director can point and instruct an actor, how to properly execute a particular part in a scene, but thats all they can do. The actor then must take their instruction and manifest it through their own filter and in the end form a box that they can label as "conventional" for them and you can also because it qualifies as a means to the end that you have been hoping for since the beginning.
Hope this reflection feeds your spirit and helps to model you into truly understanding how your dysfunction can play a huge part in making this world a functional production.
Peace and love sent your way! I'm praying for you always!
Jerry
P.S. See link below, for a beautiful article about Brother Bill Tomes. Bro. Bill really exemplifies this reflection in his ministry as a Charismatic Catholic who ministers to inner-city gangs in chicago. He ministers through means of nonviolent resolution to gang violence and being a witness to love through standing in the middle of gang fights.
http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/grant-picks-people/Content?oid=1213016