How do we stay positive in this world of constant change. This is unlike anything I have experienced in my 71 years on this earth of living/traveling/working around the world ??? Politics in Choas, Pandemics, Wars, Destructive Weather, Jobs lost, Loved Ones passing on or ill, Countries in Chaos !!! How can we even begin to stay positive and hopeful ???

Well I have to use Golden Butterflies to calm and energize myself at times !!! Have you ever watched a butterfly flutter around, Beautiful colors flashing up, down, in the shade, in the sun, here one moment and gone the next- It is hard for me to watch a butterfly and not feel a calming effect !!!

So here is how I cope with all the unknown, unpredictable and unmanageable things that are going on all around me today !!!

Golden Butterflies in my mind !!!

I dwell/concentrate on some of the most comforting, happy and pleasant experiences from my life and turn each one into a Golden Butterfly in my mind- It may be that first kiss, first love, singing songs with my baby daughter on my lap, first daughters step, seasonal spirit, first driving experience, first horseback ride, standing by a waterfall and feeling the calming and yet exhilarating effects of it, first time I accepted Jesus into my life and realized deep in my heart that I would never be alone again !!!

These are some of my Golden Moments that I have turned into Golden Butterflies fluttering around in my Mind’s eye. As I dwell on these Golden Butterflies, my other senses click in and participate as well,,, I smell/remember the scents of that experience, see the surrounding where I was at that moment, hear the sounds that surrounded me at that instant,,, all in my mind- It is exceptionally difficult to not relax and smile inside with all this going on in my heart and mind !!! Turns me from negative to positive every time !!! I believe it is impossible to truly smile inside and be negative and hopeless at the same time !!

Sounds a bit wacky and silly coming from a guy,,,, as well as a guy my age,,, but it works- We all have golden moments we can turn into Golden Butterflies and enjoy at any time in our heart and mind !!!

I can tell you what,,, If you fill your mind with Golden Butterflies you will not have a lot of room for negative thoughts and you can handle whatever is thrown at you with a positive, hopeful attitude !!!

There is always,,,, ALWAYS,,,, a silver lining to that dark cloud !!!

Give it a shot !!!!

Good Luck and Happy Butterfly watching !!!!

God Bless !!!

Appeasement: the act or action of appeasing someone or something,, especially : a policy of appeasing an enemy or potential aggressor by making concessions (Webster’s Dictionary)

The other night I was put into a situation where I was questioned about my faith and where it came from- This was probably one of the few instances where I was talking to someone,,,, face to face,,, about this subject- It was a friend a little younger then me about cancer,,, he had and probably will again have to fight it- When he asked I felt convicted about it and proceeded with support from above !!!

You know that witnessing to someone face to face has always been difficult for me,,, even at 6 ft 5 inches and 270 lbs,, I have always been intimidated by it- It is one thing to witness in some blog like this where you don’t actually have to bare yourself into an uncomfortable/intimidating face to face position- You can just hit the send button into an infinite black hole of the internet, so to speak-

Later in the evening after this encounter,,, I had a very good feeling about doing it and hoped it had opened up the door into his heart about faith and Jesus !!!

Okay,,, here is the point to all this !! While laying in bed thinking and praying about it later,,, half asleep,, all of a sudden the thought of appeasement flashed into my mind,,,, Appeasement I thought ??? While having an understanding of what it meant,,, I have probably, to my recollection, never used the word in any conversation,,, just not in my base of words for conversing ???

Then, as I thought about it,,,, it came to me that “Appeasement” was exactly how I had been living my life relating to my faith and Jesus Christ / God,,, I was playing a game of appeasement with him to ride the fence between completely following him and chasing the world’s delusions !!!

Not that I have ever thought of Jesus as an enemy or potential aggressor,,, but I did realize/know/believe that he is my creator and much more powerful then the super’est of superheros !!! I did and have always feared him, respectfully, as the the Creator of all things and the final judge of everyone when this life is over,,, no exceptions there !!!

So how was I reacting so I could have it both ways,,, him and the world ??? What a delusion I was living- I was thinking I could give concessions to him so I could continue my false dreams of worldly living- How arrogant ( exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one’s own worth or importance) and self-serving is that position toward someone like God !!!

So what is my way forward after this shot of light from Jesus- To try and pray for help to live by Pleasement (Living to please Jesus) rather then Appeasement ( Trying to make useless dilusional concessions, in my swallow mind to make me feel good about the life I was living)

I can’t have it both ways,,, I either have to accept him completely or I am actually rejecting him,,, and I can tell you what,,, at the end of this life, which we will all experience,,, I don’t want to be on the “reject him” side of things !!!

Find and except Jesus in this life and suffer through any of the temporary conscequenes or rejections of this world for the unimaginable happiness and peace of his heaven in the next !!! And there is a next, which will be unimaginably good or unimaginably bad,,, no doubt about that !!!

God Bless and Thanks for reading !!!!