Christmas Is the Time For Love, and Giving...Real Love

You have heard the old saying that oil, and water, don't mix; and its true. But here is a new one for you; love, and words don't mix. Anyone can say "I love you"; but, does that make it so? Not necessarily. We all probably have had past lovers, that spoke these words, but didn't really mean them. If love can't reliably be shown by words, how can you tell if someone loves you? Simple, by their actions. Love can only truly be shown through demonstration.

Whatever the relationship, love is always shown by one's actions. What good would it do for an infant to have it's mother, tell it how much she loves it, without the mother feeding, cuddling, nurturing, and paying attention to it? This is true with any relationship, parent-child, husband-wife, siblings, and our relationship with God.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, well, a sincere gesture, or sacrifice, is worth a thousand love poems.

Love, is always a giver, never a taker. Love, does not take offense, and love is patient. Love does not change, even if people do. To love is to care, and to not care if it is reciprocated. True love, is not decided on the whims and desires, for it is eternal.

Everybody wants real love, but how many are ready to give it?

A Pat On the Back For You

Life is full of two lane streets. You give something, you get something. That is how it works in an ideal society. Everybody wants something, but not all are prepared to give something. The Beatles, on their album"Abby Road" closed the album with this couplet.

"And in the end, the love you take, Is equal to the love you make."

Truer words were never spoken. If I could tell you a secret that would change your lives, would you listen? Here it is; learn how to give love. It really is that simple. The more love you give, the more you will receive. I know that it is not all that easy to just pick up and start loving EVERYONE. You have to walk before you can start running.

You learn how to love everyone by learning how to respect them first. Respect, like love has to be given in order to earn it. For most people though, it is easier to give respect than it is love. If you want to learn how to love, first learn how to respect.

Respect can manifest in many ways. Opening doors for strangers is a good start. Give a co-worker a pat on the back and a compliment, refuse to gossip and talk behind someone's back, smile and greet people as you pass them in the hall, and most important, allow people to be themselves. Not passing judgment on others is the ultimate show of respect.

As you get better at showing people simple respect, you will notice that their consideration of you has also risen. You will feel better about yourself, and nothing opens the heart to give love more than a good self esteem.

Once you get real good at giving respect, you'll realize you've been giving love all along.

I Don't Need To Be Forgiven

One of the biggest hoaxes ever foisted upon mankind is the notion of “Original Sin”. This is the belief where each and every man and woman is born with the indelible stain of the original sin of Adam and Eve against God. Mankind has always been taught that because of this stain we need a Savior or baptism in order to be forgiven of this sin. Millions of people have either been baptized, or had their children baptized in order to keep from spending an eternity in either Limbo, or Hell. Of course once you get baptized you are obligated to spend your entire lifetime in that religion or face an eternity in Hell after death.

This notion of Original Sin is a control mechanism instituted by the religions in order to keep people under their control. If you have nothing to be forgiven for, or saved from, it goes to reason that most people would not have a need for a religion. The religions of course know this and that is why they hammer us with the concept of Original Sin. The more the religions can convince us that we need them, the more we are apt to follow them, their leaders, and pay them portions of our wages to keep us safe.

It is true that each one of us is born with a debt; but it is a karmic debt that each of us has accumulated over our many lifetimes. This karmic debt cannot be washed away by being baptized into any religion. This debt is accumulated by each of us by our actions in prior lifetimes and must be rectified by each one of us without an intermediary, or Savior involved. It is not a religion that is needed, but an understanding of this karma, and a willingness to work through it.

This brings up the question, “How do I work off past karma, and not accumulate more of it?” The quickest way to work off karma is to learn to be a giver, and not a taker in life. The quickest way to learn to be a giver is to learn how to love.

Love is always a giver, never a taker. If you can learn to give love in any one of many forms, you will be on the fast track to spiritual advancement and enlightenment. It does not matter what religion you were born in to, or what religion you choose; what matters is how much love you have in your heart, and that you give it to others.

Selfishness and greed are the things that will add to your karmic debt, but love and giving will burn off your debt and help you realize that you are not stained by the actions of Adam and Eve, but beloved in the eyes of God.