Of Honor and Respect

Since I wrote my last post, I was going to our local post office and saw this small single flower as it made a forced entry in dirt that was in the cracks of the walkway in front of the building.  I thought it was a unique fit to my message on "The Mind in Weeds & Flowers and Charlie Wilks".   I challenge you to look for such sightings, they are more frequent as you become aware in observation of flowers and weeds in unusual places.  And if you haven't checked out the video yet on Charlie Wilks, please do so - he is a young man with a great inner soul.

And now we continue on to today's post tackling a huge subject about honor in a condensed version.  During the months of May and June, there have been a variety of holidays, which we celebrate in the United States.  They are:
     Mother's Day ~  A celebration honoring mothers and motherhood
     Memorial Day ~  A remembrance in honor of those who died while serving in the country's armed forces.
      Flag Day ~  A celebration to show respect and honor of the United States flag.
      Father's Day ~  A celebration honoring fathers and fatherhood.
 I have written previous posts on all of the above, links listed below, if you'd like to read about them.

In each of the holidays we have had during the past two months, a singular word stands out that defines each one and that is HONOR.  What exactly is honor?  The basic meaning is to hold high, to respect and to esteem.  In breaking those words down further -  respect and esteem means to appreciate, to regard and to value.  This is just a very short description of a very powerful word in the full extent of meaning.   We have witnessed the opposite of honor and respect; you can find it blaring in the media headlines.  I don't care to elaborate on these negatives but rather on the strength of the goodness of character that honor represents in its treatment to people, to country and to environment.

Since I am a visual person, many times a photograph will speak a thousand words.  I am sure that you have seen photos that have stirred emotion that words cannot capture.  Recently, the town of Mount Vernon placed new banners and flags on both sides of the main street that happens to be Highway 26.  The banners were both colorful and welcoming and were introduced to this small community on Flag Day.   American flags were proudly displayed alongside the banners throughout the streets.

It is known in the equine world, that you need to earn the respect of a horse to "enjoy the ride".  The below photo shows several horses who have come to respect my favorite cowboy as they came up to him to listen to what he has to say and just hang out.  These horses have come to trust the man before them - the same man who bonded with them as colts, gentles them with a firm and loving hand, feeds them during the winter and talks to them in typical 'horse sense' style.

You can witness visual honor around you every day in how we treat one another from the young to the old and with nature and animals around us.  Our world would significantly change for the better if it centered on honor and respect - and it begins with God Almighty as the Creator and we, as the created in honoring Him.  Perhaps humility is a precursor to honor and respect.

Since yesterday we celebrated Father's Day, I discovered this saying that was written anonymously.  I share it with you as its truth stands for yesterday, today and tomorrow.....
                                                               A father is respected because
                                                               He gives his children leadership...
                                                               Appreciated because
                                                               He gives his children care...
                                                               Valued because
                                                               He gives his children time...
                                                               Loved because
                                                               He gives his children the one thing
                                                               They treasure most - himself.  
 
For greater elaboration, you can read my post on "A Sorority Called Motherhood"
http://www.turn-uppatch.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-sorority-called-motherhood.html 
On Memorial Day.... "The Rite of Remembrance"
http://www.turn-uppatch.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-rite-of-remembrance.html
For a greater description of the American flag - "Identity of the American Flag"  This was actually a July 4th post, but is applicable in the meaning of the flag.
http://www.turn-uppatch.blogspot.com/2013/07/identity-of-american-flag.html 
My post on "A Fraternity Called Fatherhood"
http://www.turn-uppatch.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-fraternity-called-fatherhood.html 
 

Tune In to The Turn-Up Patch next time, on Monday, July 6.... see you then!

The Mind in Weeds & Flowers and Charlie Wilks

I recently discovered Charlie Wilks.  A young man determined to live a full life despite his blindness.  His wisdom is far beyond his age and his story is an ongoing inspiration that makes us reflect on what a champion in life is made of.  He said this...."You determine who you are - not any event or person in your life."  

This quote made me think about our minds and how we build fantasies according to how we view truth.  A whole scenario is created before we "catch" what is going on in the story of our mind's reality.  The No Spin Zone as titled in the Bill O'Reilly show has an interesting concept in separating fact from perceived truth. Using this analogy, the mind can 'spin' in twisting and distorting perceived notions. From the thoughts we think, we can end up in an emotion of anger, sorrow, frustration or even self-reproach, depending on the scene just created in thoughts.  The mind is really busy or am I the only one???    As we become aware of what the mind is doing, we can stop the spin that is going on and make it a no spin zone, where thoughts are reined in rather than running wild.  

I found these two photos that illustrate how weeds or flowers can grow in concrete - amazing when there can be just a slight entry within a crack or even enough force to push through concrete.  How like our minds - we can grow weeds or flowers and our minds will provide plenty of cracks for growth.

Charlie Wilks has used his positive attitude in thought to overcome his personal adversity in blindness.  Not only does he achieve but he spreads encouragement  to those around him. Blindness does not hinder him from the experience of living; he does not use it as a crutch to sit on the sidelines of life.  He has some great quotes that makes us all, who have sight, sit back in admiration of this young man's character.  He has grown flowers in his mind.

Do yourself a favor and watch the below video put out by ESPN that was produced in 2009 about Charlie and playing football.  It is a wonderful short documentary that is splashed with Charlie's "insight" about living.  We can learn much from Charlie - he sees far beyond the physical aspect of vision.  Since that time, he has gone on to college and is a musician.  You can visit him on Facebook and hear his music on YouTube.  Way to go Charlie!   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTrEkNlx16E

A scripture comes to mind out of Philippians 4:8...

What things are true,

what things are honest,

what things are just,

what things are pure,

what things are lovely,

what things are of good report;

if there by any virtue,

and if there be any praise,

think on these things.

God bless and we'll see you again at the Turn-Up Patch on Monday, June 22....