“When it comes to spiritual liberty, we can twist any doctrine into some excuse for evil. There is no doctrine easier to distort than the principle of Christian liberty (Gal. 5:13; 2 Pet 2:19; Jude 4).”
This is what Donald Trump does. He wears a cloak of darkness to cover up his evil actions. He repeatedly lies and changes his lies to suit the lie of the day. But, underneath all that is an evil man who will do whatever it takes to obtain his desires. He only cares for himself.
“Things are not always as what they appear.”
It’s easy to blame someone for what is happening in our world. Rather than blaming, seek the Truth. We seek the Truth so we can understand. Remember, things are not always as what they appear.
People have the right to bear arms; the 2nd Amendment says so. However, in the 21st Century, Americans must use guns in a responsible manner, and qualify to do so. There needs to be a nationwide “license to operate a gun” system in place similar to getting a driver’s license; which includes a nationwide application database; background checks to include felon and warrants checks; marksmanship training (competency); safety education; photo ID and fingerprinting. This system would be managed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Licensees would be required to be 18 to qualify, on a stipulation that from 18 to 21, they waive the right to an expunged juvenile record that would be reviewed for violence history and gun related crimes. (Eligibility to be determined) Otherwise, licensees would have to wait until 21. The nationwide system would show a cumulative application history including eligibility for each qualifying step, if you will.
Initially, this nationwide system will be cumbersome and expensive to implement but once standing , would assist Americans to understand the consequences of gun violence, teach owner responsibility and create a solid management and eligibility system. This database could be incorporated in states who implement “red flag laws,” in a coordinated effort to address those whose danger to self & others status, disqualifies them.
In high schools there would be an elective gun safety course (that follows a DOJ Gun Safety course curriculum & could qualify as the gun safety course required on applications) that could be taken as an elective. After passing this course, a community service option for high school juniors & seniors, would be to provide peer safety education (curriculum based) geared toward younger ages which could be taught in Jr High & Elementary schools.
Updated June 3, 2022
Skor would have been eight years old on July 12. On Wednesday I went to the park in Julian that Skor loved which is when I took this photograph of the sunset. She was always so excited to get out of the car and enjoy the smells and to walk the cement path around the park. She was an enthusiastic girl who loved simple things, for us it might be smelling the roses, but for her it was smelling anything, and taking a long time doing it!
Another place that Skor loved was driving down the Old Cuyamaca Highway, a side road off of Highway 79 near the park, that used to be the main road heading south out of Julian. We would drive 15 to 20 miles an hour and she would just soak up all the smells outside. Skor loved to hike up in the hills up by the old transfer station. She had a way of going up the rocky hills (and down) faster than me and even stopping with opportunities to sniff along the way.
Skor loved to relax on our wooden painted porch. She would lay down after retuning from a walk then turn on her side panting to her heart’s content. As she got older this recuperation would last longer and longer. Skor was a big girl, all 85 pounds of her. She wasn’t overweight, per se, but she could have lost a few pounds, as we all can use. She was a strong girl and could play tug-of-war with any toy for a long time. When she was younger I used to let her win but as she got older we would really tug back-and-forth, all the while she had the look on her face that she was never quitting.
I have so many great memories with Skor and I still can’t believe she is no longer with me. Sometimes I think I feel her presence. It is hard to move on but things seemingly have gotten a little bit better. Things have to get better because I know I can’t live in the past or stay in disbelief that she is dead and buried on a slope by the house she was born in. I have to move on. And I will, all in my good time.
I spent 24/7 with Skor. I miss her terribly. Unfortunately society is not the most supportive when it comes to grieving about a pet that has died. I do my best to push through many of the mundane tasks of day to day living, or shall I say, surviving. I have daily bouts of anxiety which I know is my heart grieving my loss.
I was actually getting to a better place in dealing with my clinical depression. Yes, I am a mental health professional with a diagnosis. Many actually. Most are considered physical; some are mental. Mental. How many people will focus on that as I share my life’s story? (To be continued…)
A few weeks ago I decided to attempt blogging about depression, a topic that is often taboo in our society, and is often misunderstood. I got the site set up and then, I was stuck at how to begin. I wasn’t feeling motivated. Then, on May 15, my wonderful Airedale Terrier died unexpectedly. Skor was my constant companion and my emotional support animal at work, and often my long drive home in the dark. I miss her terribly. Skor was my inspiration for often just “doing one thing” over the past 7 and a half years. Sometimes my depression would be so debilitating that I could not get myself even out of bed. Most often, I would move to my bird window, and watch the birds. But then I realize that I needed to feed the birds if they were going to hang around for observation. Thus, was the beginning of my motto. Do. One. Thing.
Some days you just have to do one thing which often will lead to another task, and another. My dog Skor was a good motivator because not only did she need to go outside and relieve herself, be fed every day, but also needed daily walks. Some days I didn’t feel like walking but I knew I had to. Even though I knew that I would feel better after I walked sometimes I just couldn’t get myself going. But Skor would remind me daily that we needed to go on a walk. She would get so excited and try to contain her excitement when she knew I was getting ready. Luckily, my employer, would allow me an extra few minutes on one of my breaks to make our regular walk. in the San Marcos neighborhood I work in.
I have to decided to dedicate this blog to Bigg Skor, a tenacious Airedale with a big heart and a lot of love.
Do. One. Thing. 