Hi Linda, Chime away... Two points: ONE: ============= "Why not just say "let me explain a bit better...." - then everyone can understand. lol" ============= Well, I could do that but then I would deny a whole bunch of people from learning a new word. Like the BeeGees said: "It's only words, and words are all I have, to take your heart away." (Did anybody sing that little verse in their head? Come on. Own up. I did.) TWO: ============= "We all know there is foul and evil... as well as greed, selfishness, outright lies, overblown egos and every other negative, annoying, and even dangerous thing out there. We accept they exist. We don't deny that. At least most of us. To focus on them, though, just eats our own brain." ============== Umm... Isn't that what I have been saying all along? Too funny! Gary

Gary, I see. I forget that other people don't obsessively read every word in an interesting thread as I do. Sometimes several times. No wonder I don't get anything else done. I appreciate and return your cyberial friendship and respect. Is 'cyberial' a real word, or did you make it up? Regarding emoticons, I find that even in real life (vs cyberially), my humor is sometimes so dry that it's sadly (and badly) misinterpreted. Far from detesting them, I wish I had a set--or at least a winky one ;-) --to hold up when I'm talking to people face to face! Maybe they would 'get it' then... Cheri

Hi Cheri, I normally read fairly intensively (and extensively) as you do. However, some people don't. That is obvious by the way that they can take a single comment in isolation rather than the overall context of what has gone before. =============== "I appreciate and return your cyberial friendship and respect." =============== Thanks Cheri. I appreciate that. =============== "Is 'cyberial' a real word, or did you make it up?" =============== Heh...heh... To be honest... I'm not sure. I just added a suffix to "cyber" which I know definitely is a word. Anyway, you knew what I meant - across the ether, over the internet... that sort of thing. Regarding sense of humour (humor)... I find that it is sadly lacking these days. People are too quick to jump to conclusions and far too quick to take offence. Sometimes even the gate as well. (Get it? A small play on words. No?) Again, we are back to how people view the world - positively or negatively. Yang or yin. Take your pick. But the key to everything, for eveyone, is just to THINK, I think. Gary

Cheri! Ha Ha Ha! Tooo funny! I can just see you walking around with little placards with smilies on them! LMAO!!!

Gary - since you opened the door... ============================================================= To recognize Christ does one deny the existance of the devil? (Dave... an opening for you, perhaps.) ============================================================= First of all, to recognize Jesus Christ, one must accept the existance of the devil, as to deny the devil would be to deny the words of Jesus Christ, thereby negating his statement that he is the "way, the truth and the life," thereby denying him. To deny that something does not exist simply because it makes one uncomfortable does not make it any less real. When light is taken away, there is darkness. When good is taken away, we have evil. When the positive is taken away, we have the negative. Denying that it's dark when the light is gone is a great way to run into something, but recognizing that it's dark and doing something about it (turning on the lights) immediately drives away the darkness and gives light to everyone near. Denying that something evil is evil, is simply encouraging the evil to spread. NO amount of good will make evil good, but enough good applied will drive out the evil. Denying negativity does not stop negativity; that would be like putting your hands over your face and saying that you're invisible, but dealing with negativity in a positive manner can change attitudes and bring positive change in other people's lives. It IS important to remember that one of our greatest strengths is our ability to choose. So rather than denying the ugly things, we can choose to put them behind us when they cross our paths, make a positive contribution wherever we can, and to enjoy, remember, and talk about the things that are beautiful. That's what I call positive thinking and reality. God bless, Dave