every now and then, usually back during some when, words are written that so bluntly true, powerful and elegant that they stand alone. until someone lesser, such as myself, feels like they must add to them, as I have.

“When love is suppressed, hate takes it’s place” – Havelock Ellis

in any event, once you start rolling the above quote through you head, you will begin to come up with countless example.

peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

brian patrick cork

Do a happiness audit.  Do it!

Write down a list of all the things that you do during the course of a week and put them in categories according to the level of Joy they cause in your life.

That, I suspect (well, actually know), will make you part of the solution.

Peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

Brian Patrick Cork

I’ve been giving a great deal of thought about the difference between doing what you say, and what you actually do.

I wonder about the correlation between the fisherman’s “whopper” tale and people that drive around town with images of fish on their vehicles. I’m not picking on Christians (I might want to be one myself, at some point). I am pointing at them, however. I feel communication leads to alignment, and then accountability. Those are fuel for beacons of light, if you will, that expose the vital differences (and, many are fine) between good and evil.

This will, eventually, bring me back to the dialogue I’ve been driving here in Alpharetta, and surrounding communities, around living an authentic life.

Meanwhile, here’s a thought that isn’t new; it just is:

“Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible.” – George Horace Lorimer

It’s relevant to my thinking, here. Because, it’s often, more than not, easy to talk than accomplish, or promise than follow through.

Peace be to my Brothers and Sisters

Brian Patrick Cork

There has been some good activity at the Comments level around Charles Darwin (he may be “dead” – but not forgotten indeed) on this Blog the past few weeks.

While SOME homeschool children are taught by their parents (we Home school Haley Anne until next year) about Darwin, they don’t usually get lectures about how his theory of natural selection can be considered one (as in alternative) reasonable foundation of modern biology.

Nope… They (well… many) are taught something much different.

For example, Mr. Doug Phillips is the President of Vision Forum Ministries, a popular fundamentalist Christian organization that appears to advocate patriarchy, creationism, and homeschooling. He has eight children – and, encourages couples to breed like Kentucky trailer trash have as many children as God might give them. He apparently thinks birth control is a sin (see “quiverfull“).

NOTE: I need to make it clear that I am not on their mailing list. This information was shared with me by a local Pastor wanting my thoughts for an upcoming sermon.

forging ahead…

In a recent newsletter, Phillips tells his readers what he teaches his children about Darwin:

1. Darwin was bitter.
2. Darwin worshipped a false god (materialism).
3. Darwin was sloppy and he was not a scientist.
4. Darwin trained his children to hate the God of the Bible.
5. Darwin trained others to be hateful toward their fellow man.
6. Darwin’s legacy could be the legacy of anyone who worships the creature more than the Creator.

Aside from the (documented) absurdity of most of these claims, what concerns me is the potential for brain washing misunderstanding. When you are raised in a family like this and are surrounded by people who think similarly, it is very difficult to break free from this kind of downward spiral.

It also has the potential to feed the negative perception of Home Schooling (and, I suppose Christians – who are, often enough, viewed as a determined and assertive lot, to be sure).

For the record, Haley Anne is developing a broad view of the world that includes travel, tolerance, open-mindedness, curiosity, abstract thought, the classics and logic (and, she happens to be a rather formidable Defender on her Shockers soccer team [despite her coach]).

Peace be to my Brothers and Sisters.

Brian Patrick Cork