Various blogging experts have expressed the view that we should only write positive material so that our readers will like us and come back to read our commentaries in the future. I’ll be the first to admit I’d rather read and write positive stories any day. And yet…
In all areas of life we are surrounded by Evil masquerading in broad daylight as normal behavior, by Evil brazen enough to attack young women while a dozen witnesses stand by and do nothing, by Evil snatching children from their own front yards, by Evil mercilessly beating an estranged wife or her offspring. TV news, the newspapers, and the Internet are too often full of these stories of assault, abduction and worse. (We can even listen on the car radio if our vehicles aren’t too ancient for satellite radio.) We do need to know what’s going on in our own city and suburbs, as well as in the world, so we can protect ourselves and our own, even though it can become overwhelming.
If you are among those who don’t know what’s going on, there is no shame in that. But please sign up at www.nixle.com, so your local police and state troopers can keep you informed of local or state emergencies by email and/or text message. There’s no charge for the service (other than what your cell phone carrier already charges you), and believe me, it’s an eye-opener!
We surely need to speak up for the good when opportunity presents itself. And we also need to rip the masks off those who would destroy the family. We owe each other respect that includes politeness, good manners, genuine help, and friendship if it is accepted, but political correctness has become a royal pain.
We interact with people on an individual basis, not as a crowd. We love whom we love, whether others approve or not. If we need affirmation of our choices, we go to the God of Heaven in prayer and then listen for His answer, usually delivered through His spiritual messenger, the Holy Ghost. If we’re not sure how to separate wrong from right, the Resource for doing so is the same, along with reading Holy Writ.
Beyond courtesy, it is the God of Heaven who sets the rules for our existence on Earth. See The Ten Commandments, and then The Beatitudes. We can obey or choose to disobey, as long as we recognize there will be consequences that we are not free to choose. What matters most is family, even when we come from one that is preeminently dysfunctional.
Since there’s no such thing as an ideal family, we may wisely create our own from among our friends while distancing ourselves from toxic people. Despite customs that have not changed since the Middle Ages but will change now whether the men who’ve been in charge want them to or not, family is paramount in all cultures, with the probable exception of the occult.
[And we are not going there today or ever, as far as I’m concerned. A bad experience with a nutcase manager nearly two decades ago was the final evidence for me of how vicious are those drawn into the occult. They seem willingly, misguidedly or stupidly to do this, even when they have small children of their own to nurture.]
I look at the sweet photos of children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews that my writing colleagues and church friends post online. They bring back memories of a more innocent time when children could hike through fields of flowers, knowing there were rarely any boogiemen to worry about. If someone suddenly appeared, the kids were healthy enough and strong enough to run away, fast.
I hope children today can still do that, after spending countless hours on computer devices. And no, I’m not knocking computers or the Internet. They are how I pay my bills and how I almost afforded my husband’s medical treatments. However, more dangers lurk on the Internet for children than anywhere else. Monitor their online activity, even when they seem embarrassed, ashamed, or scream that they hate you. For help and guidance, visit the Protect Young Minds website.
Even when there are currently no children in our homes, we can all do something to combat Evil. And perhaps someday there will only be 100% positive stories to write again.
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