At peace with one’s self

The Faithful Servant Soldier

we are tested-to serve God’s plan

What follows is a brief reply to a letter written as a blog by a fellow warrior, who was wounded by life’s trials and tribulations; which is only meant to give respect and honor to him for prevailing and then above all for our Maker for providing this opportunity!

Firstly, thank you for sharing this powerful slice of your life that indeed crippled you for a time but more importantly you prevailed out of and rose above the crushing blow to your inner and outer life! Loss is so traumatic and even horrific, so that can never be taken lightly, and indeed anyone who does isn’t alive or has no humanity within them. Healing is a process that is real too and I see and hear happily that you have been on a long road to recovering and healing as a man who always had good intentions and now those intentions are incredibly more alive than before and have taken on more power and focus, a vitality and singularity of purpose that wasn’t there ever; like it is now.

In life we can arrive at a crossroad where things don’t seem to add up or things look so futile; and that the things going on in our lives may be consuming us or that the world itself is deadly, which eventually defeats us one way or the other. I remember older relatives speaking of being in actual battle, wars and how buddies, fellow warriors standing next to them one minute and the next blown to smithereens, nothing left practically, and then the eventual question of why them and not me! These are sad and frightful thoughts or realities that befall us in this dichotomy of life where there is so much good but yet equally so much bad, because in the end living this earthly life death wins and all things come to their end. My dad taught me as a kid that faith is the key to making it through this what can be at times for some individuals a living hell, because he loved life and his family so much; but I found in time that he loved God more, and knew the secret that really is actually not one.

Belief in that higher power the Almighty is a choice and every thinking breathing human being has to address that question of faith at some point; so dad did say too, that we are tested here Lawrence! You see my brother, we are in our trials and tribulations period and there is an agony and ecstasy value to life that transcends all of this and we can’t fully comprehend it! But, without the dark for the light to shine through how would any corporeal or spiritual being grow to appreciate the unfathomable, and the choice not being given of “free agency” would mean that life surely would be meaningless or of no consequence one way or the other and we would be nothing more to God or ourselves than lumps of matter existing for no real purpose! I think you’re getting where I’m coming from here brother; yes it is damn tough at times and some seem to suffer much more than others, perhaps not by anything they do wrong but being a victim of circumstance! But, those that do suffer in the heat of the flame longest and feel the pain learn and evolve to become more than the original version and like the tempering of steel the innermost characteristics are altered as they take on a new power and strength to forge ahead leading others and helping in ways they otherwise would not have been ever able to without first running the gauntlet; and in the end they did it for purpose; to be there “to serve God’s plan” as instruments of the ultimate goal to save as many as possible from doom or oblivion; which to me is a meaningless existence and then feeling that way for eternity; damnation! Purpose and victory are ahead for those that will take up the shield of truth, honor, bravery and love with commitment to the purpose, the mission, as long is required onto victory! You have been through a nightmare but you are elevated in God’s eyes now, it’s what you do with that, He awaits your decision; with resolve and new commitment to forge ahead and carry on trusting all to Him our Lord; with that nothing will stand in the way or defeat the purpose or you.

I appreciate the added insight and inspiration you have provided here to my outlook! Amen.

God Bless.

Lawrence Morra

Bold as Love

Jimi Hendrix – Bold As Love Lyrics

from album: Axis: Bold As Love (1967)

Anger he smiles towering in shiny metallic purple armor.
Queen jealousy, envy waits behind him.
Her fiery green gown sneers at the grassy ground.
Blue are the life giving waters taking for granted,
They quietly understand.

Once happy turquoise armies lay opposite ready,
But wonder why the fight is on.
But they’re all, bold as love.
Yeah, they’re all bold as love.
Yeah, they’re all bold as love.
Just ask the Axis.

My red is so confident he flashes trophies of war
And ribbons of euphoria.
Orange is young, full of daring but very unsteady for the first go ’round.
My yellow in this case is no so mellow.
In fact I’m trying to say it’s frightened like me.
And all of these emotions of mine keep holding me
From giving my life to a rainbow like you.
But I’m a yeah, I’m bold as love,
Yeah yeah.

Well, I’m bold, bold as love.
Hear me talkin’, girl.
I’m bold as love.
Just ask the Axis.
He knows everything. Yeah, yeah.

by Jimmi Hendrix

Bold as Love audio: Jimi Hendrix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZbC8Uz8tyo

Behind the Scene: Making of studio original.

Bold as Love

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Produced by Chas Chandler

Album Axis: Bold as Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkJhnDkdC-0

A GIFT

The Paradigm Never Changes Here On Earth

“pick yourself up by the bootstraps, brush yourself off and get moving!”

Seeing that conflict exists all the way back as a boy and now has made it all clear!

Going back as far as I can remember I was always an eternal optimist when I had little if any concept of what eternal is!

I remember when as a young boy I was confronted by a pair of bully twins in the neighborhood that were going to beat me up and I asked them why they want to make trouble so much and make me suffer which would sure get them in more trouble than they realize, not just with my parents but with God; and with Christmas coming in a couple of months they would ruin it with all the trouble they want to make. I went on to say we should not be bullies to each other because we should be helping each other the way Jesus told us to and that is why we have Christmas, to be good. Those two bigger than me bullies suddenly became my friends and we walked on down the road till they had to turn to go to their house and I remember them saying, “see you later Larry!”

Fast forward so many decades later and all the more recent battles I’ve been up against with far greater more powerful adversaries and bullies have cut into me deep, body, heart and soul! Was that little skirmish way back then just a trial to get me going in the right direction from a tender young age to reflect on even now and know that the paradigm never changes here on earth but I too should not change from what I was back then and what was in my heart back then when I was a boy, because now it is needed even more to turn the bullies away from doing harm or causing more ruin than they already have to me and the world!

The eternal optimist is still there holding fast to what is right and only seeking to do God’s will knowing so much more now how God will never let the faithful down, they are after all His children; even so the spirit is truly willing and the body is weak more so at certain times than others, but like dear Dad told me as a kid, “pick yourself up by the bootstraps, brush yourself off and get moving!”

I’m “Moving!” Thanks God and Dad.

Lawrence Morra

Don’t Fear Being Alone

Many spend a lifetime running from themselves

This is why I think it’s referred to as finding your soul mate.

Here’s what I think it comes down to. Not worrying about being alone because learning to be able to be completely alone is a beautiful thing, and there is where we can find God’s omnipotence within ourselves; not being afraid of the dark or being completely alone, we can then understand how important it is to learn to love ourselves which will give us the true capacity to love another just as we should. Many individuals spend a lifetime running from themselves or their shortcomings thinking if they can hold someone close then they will be satisfied and whole; but that is placing a burden on another that can’t be met with success.

Being at peace with who we are will then open ones’ heart to another who can do the same allowing that union to expand and grow each passing moment together; two souls at peace and on equal footing with a true inner strength that only comes from God; that is what you must find first, when ALONE!

Lawrence Morra