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| Community Voices ... Serving a Multicultural Community! Opinions expressed on this Website do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Community Voices LLC, which has no control over, thus no responsibility for, the content of Linked sites to this Web page, financially or otherwise. Issues concerning content should be directed to Community Voices LLC Voicemail (269) 343-4653 * Write: P.O. Box 424, Kalamazoo, MI 49004 * Fax (269) 343-2270 * E-Mail Comvoices@aol.com About Us Advertise Contact Us |
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faster, and I can write faster than anybody
who can write better. - A.J.Liebling (1904-1963)
faster, and I can write faster than anybody
who can write better. - A.J.Liebling (1904-1963)
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| HAPPY ANNIVERSARY COMMUNITY VOICES March 15, 2005 - March 15, 2010 ! Live Each Day Life may be stressful and troublesome at times, But keep the faith – the sun always shines. With God at your side, there’s nothing to fear. His presence is with you and always near. Life goes by extremely fast, So live each day like it may be your last. The opportunities before you are so very vast So, don’t sit back and wonder how you let your Precious time pass. God will watch over you day and night … Just trust Him and follow His guiding light. Know that you’re loved and can be your best. With conviction, you can withstand any of God’s tests. Life goes by extremely fast, So live each day like it may be your last. The opportunities before you are so very vast So, don’t sit back and wonder how you l et your precious time pass. Remember that you are sustained by God’s loving care. Just touch your heart and you can feel Him there … Leading, guiding and making a way … For you to be happy and live each day. Life goes by extremely fast. So live each day like it may be your last. The opportunities before you are so very vast So, don’t sit back and wonder how you let your precious time pass. -- By Tanisha Coleman (BPRW) |
| Opinions expressed on this Website do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Community Voices LLC , but firmly believes in the right of free expression. CVs reserves the right to determine inclusion or refusal of submissions based on content. . |
__________________________________________________
| ******************** |
Many of our troubles are due to an
inability to forgive
It feels as if I have been on a long journey on
the road to forgiveness, a journey filled with
challenges to my ability to forgive and to love
unconditionally. The past year and a half have
been particularly difficult as I was wounded
deeply and it lead to my examining my past and the
unforgiveness I have had towards others. It also caused me to
come to terms with the pain I had caused loved ones and the
forgiveness I received.
The quality of my life has been enriched because of the
forgiveness I have received, without which I could not feel as
passionately as I do about injustice. So for someone who has
received much in the way of forgiveness why was I finding it so
hard to forgive others. I recently took part in Four Conversations
about Forgiveness hosted by the Fetzer Institutes Campaign for
Love and Forgiveness. The conversations took place over the
course of four weeks in a small group setting of 8-10 people.
What was clear is that we all had our issues with Love and
Forgiveness. My particular issue was that I found it hard to
forgive any type of injustice towards myself or towards the
persecution of others without wanting some sort of retribution. It
was important to me that the person or institution that was
responsible for the injustice, acknowledged the wrong doing
and made a change for the better. The conversations helped me
realize acknowledgment and change may never be forthcoming,
and it has no bearing on the need to forgive the transgressor.
What stood out for me was the incredible acts of forgiveness
under the most horrific of circumstances, Forgiving the mass
murderer of 10 Amish school girls, Forgiving your holocaust
tormentor, forgiving the person who threw a grenade that badly
injured you and asking his forgiveness as well, asking the
person responsible for the death of your husband to attend his
funeral. It truly shows that forgiveness has no limits.
My own feelings of anger and resentment paled in comparison
to what others have had to endure, and have managed to
forgive. Forgiveness and the need to be forgiven is essential to
your mental, emotional and physical well being. Forgiveness is
for the strong who seek to live a life free of hatred and internal
strife. Unforgiveness is for the weak who only take solace in
self righteousness, revenge, self pity and may never know true
happiness.
We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who
is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.
There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best
of us. When we discover this we are less prone to hate our
enemies - Martin Luther king Jr.
Ultimately we must examine our relationship with God to find the
true meaning of forgiveness.
With the spilling of the blood of Jesus Christ God gave his only
begotten son in sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Under
any circumstances we must take the matter of forgiveness to the
cross. Jesus died on the cross so that our sins would be
forgiven, and with his last breath he spoke these words. “Father
forgive them for they know not what they do” and we as well as
his tormentors were forgiven. How can we who have been
forgiven choose not to forgive those who have trespassed
against us.
It is important that we are mindful of this on our journey toward
forging a new and more compassionate America. We must be
willing to share the gift of forgiveness to help repair the broken-
ness that so many who live in poverty and have been
imprisoned experience on a daily basis. Forgiveness is the only
way that those who seek a second chance will genuinely have to
experience how it feels to be greatly loved and what it means to
greatly love others.
--------------------
Posted CVs March 12, 2010 / Revised March 17, 2010
inability to forgive
It feels as if I have been on a long journey on
the road to forgiveness, a journey filled with
challenges to my ability to forgive and to love
unconditionally. The past year and a half have
been particularly difficult as I was wounded
deeply and it lead to my examining my past and the
unforgiveness I have had towards others. It also caused me to
come to terms with the pain I had caused loved ones and the
forgiveness I received.
The quality of my life has been enriched because of the
forgiveness I have received, without which I could not feel as
passionately as I do about injustice. So for someone who has
received much in the way of forgiveness why was I finding it so
hard to forgive others. I recently took part in Four Conversations
about Forgiveness hosted by the Fetzer Institutes Campaign for
Love and Forgiveness. The conversations took place over the
course of four weeks in a small group setting of 8-10 people.
What was clear is that we all had our issues with Love and
Forgiveness. My particular issue was that I found it hard to
forgive any type of injustice towards myself or towards the
persecution of others without wanting some sort of retribution. It
was important to me that the person or institution that was
responsible for the injustice, acknowledged the wrong doing
and made a change for the better. The conversations helped me
realize acknowledgment and change may never be forthcoming,
and it has no bearing on the need to forgive the transgressor.
What stood out for me was the incredible acts of forgiveness
under the most horrific of circumstances, Forgiving the mass
murderer of 10 Amish school girls, Forgiving your holocaust
tormentor, forgiving the person who threw a grenade that badly
injured you and asking his forgiveness as well, asking the
person responsible for the death of your husband to attend his
funeral. It truly shows that forgiveness has no limits.
My own feelings of anger and resentment paled in comparison
to what others have had to endure, and have managed to
forgive. Forgiveness and the need to be forgiven is essential to
your mental, emotional and physical well being. Forgiveness is
for the strong who seek to live a life free of hatred and internal
strife. Unforgiveness is for the weak who only take solace in
self righteousness, revenge, self pity and may never know true
happiness.
We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who
is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.
There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best
of us. When we discover this we are less prone to hate our
enemies - Martin Luther king Jr.
Ultimately we must examine our relationship with God to find the
true meaning of forgiveness.
With the spilling of the blood of Jesus Christ God gave his only
begotten son in sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Under
any circumstances we must take the matter of forgiveness to the
cross. Jesus died on the cross so that our sins would be
forgiven, and with his last breath he spoke these words. “Father
forgive them for they know not what they do” and we as well as
his tormentors were forgiven. How can we who have been
forgiven choose not to forgive those who have trespassed
against us.
It is important that we are mindful of this on our journey toward
forging a new and more compassionate America. We must be
willing to share the gift of forgiveness to help repair the broken-
ness that so many who live in poverty and have been
imprisoned experience on a daily basis. Forgiveness is the only
way that those who seek a second chance will genuinely have to
experience how it feels to be greatly loved and what it means to
greatly love others.
--------------------
Posted CVs March 12, 2010 / Revised March 17, 2010
CVs wants to express its heartfelt 'thanks" to BlackPRWire
for allowing CVs to reprint info from its website. We have
no doubt CVs readers have enjoyed reading its messages
of hope, as well as information !
for allowing CVs to reprint info from its website. We have
no doubt CVs readers have enjoyed reading its messages
of hope, as well as information !
| And to our Community Thanks for the the Memories! |
An Historic Night but the Fight is Just Beginning
It was an historic night on Sunday as Democrats in the House
of Representatives passed comprehensive health insurance
reform. Democrats have been working toward this goal for
more than a century, and now that dream has become a reality.
Because of your hard work and dedication to this task, every
American will finally be guaranteed high quality, affordable
health care coverage. Those who don't have coverage will now
have access to it. And for those of us who do, we will no longer
see arbitrary premium hikes, have our policies canceled, or be
discriminated against due to pre-existing conditions.
In Michigan alone, hundreds of thousands will now have
access to care, seniors will get better Medicare benefits, small
businesses will receive tax breaks and government incentives
to be able to afford care for their employees, and health-related
bankruptcies will disappear.
President Obama said it best on Sunday night, "This is what
change looks like."
Our President and Democrats are willing to fight the difficult
battles. Willing to put the American people ahead of special
interests. Willing to do what's right.
But the passage of this bill is only the first step. We still have
work to do.
It's time to unite and thank our Congressmen and women
who were courageous enough to vote for this historic bill.
Leaders like Mark Schauer, Gary Peters, and particularly John
Dingell - who has been fighting for this legislation for 50 years.
While the Republicans continue to be the Party of "No," we
have shown that we care about the American people and will
do whatever it takes to do what's right. Help us continue down
the path to fight for you.
Today, like all of you, I'm proud to be a Democrat. But even
prouder to be an American.
Sincerely,
Mark Brewer
-----------------
Posted CVs March 22, 2010
It was an historic night on Sunday as Democrats in the House
of Representatives passed comprehensive health insurance
reform. Democrats have been working toward this goal for
more than a century, and now that dream has become a reality.
Because of your hard work and dedication to this task, every
American will finally be guaranteed high quality, affordable
health care coverage. Those who don't have coverage will now
have access to it. And for those of us who do, we will no longer
see arbitrary premium hikes, have our policies canceled, or be
discriminated against due to pre-existing conditions.
In Michigan alone, hundreds of thousands will now have
access to care, seniors will get better Medicare benefits, small
businesses will receive tax breaks and government incentives
to be able to afford care for their employees, and health-related
bankruptcies will disappear.
President Obama said it best on Sunday night, "This is what
change looks like."
Our President and Democrats are willing to fight the difficult
battles. Willing to put the American people ahead of special
interests. Willing to do what's right.
But the passage of this bill is only the first step. We still have
work to do.
It's time to unite and thank our Congressmen and women
who were courageous enough to vote for this historic bill.
Leaders like Mark Schauer, Gary Peters, and particularly John
Dingell - who has been fighting for this legislation for 50 years.
While the Republicans continue to be the Party of "No," we
have shown that we care about the American people and will
do whatever it takes to do what's right. Help us continue down
the path to fight for you.
Today, like all of you, I'm proud to be a Democrat. But even
prouder to be an American.
Sincerely,
Mark Brewer
-----------------
Posted CVs March 22, 2010