On Hallmark they come little love stories so sweet, so full of syrup that they will make you sick. Designer ****** mysteries that she baked, Aurora and her Tea garden oh so fake. Things written for bored housewives, neatly fitting into a niche to be over oh so quick, but in real life the charterers would likely be divorced or dead, or perhaps on drugs to deal with the cliches that fill their head. The cupcake movies that people write as dribble and mundane, they make real life look like it is insane.

I walked by a garage just the other day. I saw a man in overalls working the day away. He had a Grey streak in his hair and grease on his face, but he turned and smiled as I walked on my way. I went to eat a meal at a diner beside the road, the waitress that served me looked like she was tired on her feet. I saw a picture on her name tag and I ask who it was, she said it is my young son who I really love. I pulled into a truck stop and saw a young man climbing into a semi-truck, he looked kind of tired but he started the engine up. He shifted the rig into gear and took off down the road. With a trailer in tow, he went to deliver another load. I have traveled all across this land, I have seen every kind of worker, people who make a living with their hands. People who work dead tired on their feet. People who have aching backs at the end of each and every day. I have yet to see them complain as I traveled on my way. We have grand tall buildings made of glass and steel, but these are not what makes America real. It is the average working person who scrapes and will sacrifice, to feed their families and build a better life. So the next time you see a banker a lawyer or a stock broker in a long black limousine, take a moment and wonder how they got the thing. For if it wasn't for the America that I saw, even with all of their money, they just might have to walk.

In a world gone mad I will sit on a hill. I will be a single candle in the night. When hope seems lost, I will help you find your way. When you are weighed down with burdens, I will give you a hand. When the storm rages all around I will be a beacon. When the road seems like it will never end, I will be a lamp along the way. I am only one soul, but sometimes one light is enough. When others see the light of hope in me, then perhaps their own light will shine. When we all join each of us a light, then we can dispel the darkness and shine brighter than the sun.

Some people believe in anything and some believe in nothing. Some hold somethings to be a sacred truth. For all of our failures and our expectations, we must understand that the world is not our friend. We ask why things are the way they are then we refuse to hear our fathers word. God is not complicated, God is not difficult, God simply wants us to obey his will. While people run around looking for answers, God has already given them all to us. So when we ask who God is, perhaps we should ask who we are?

The doors to stores are closed, the churches are silent. The streets are empty and for a moment we can breathe. Some people live in fear, but to others a revival has come around. Children are sitting at the table, and mama is cooking in the kitchen while they ask her questions. Dad has the family bible and reads the word of God to his family. Checkers and Scrabble have been dusted off and have replaced the internet. Books left on the shelf are opened and stories are read by all. We are forced to rediscover what technology has taken away. Home was once just a place to sleep and store your stuff, but now it is so much more. Families are learning that they can  be with each other and find happiness together. Things don't make you happy and distance doesn't make the heart grow fonder. Rediscovering home has become a new great adventure.

Water brought to a boil in a ceramic ***. A few tea bags into the boiling liquid. Spearmint, or Earl Grey, which ever you like. Green tea if you prefer but with a bit of a bitter after taste. Best served on a cold day, but suitable anytime when company happens by. A bit of honey for flavor or sugar if you must. Lemon if you choose, or Peppermint leaves for a little twist. A comfort to think of and to warm the soul. A conversation stater and a light refreshment with a scone. A versatile beverage if there ever was one.

In a dream I walked beyond the constraints of the physical world. I saw the heavens open up and watched the stars being born. I walked along a glowing path into another world, I looked back and saw myself sitting while I was moving without thinking about it. A dragon flew by and roared at me, a winged horse landed in front of me and nuzzled me. I saw a new world where there were no scars or imperfections, only clear air and pure water flowing from Mountains covered in pristine snow. I wandered backwards and forwards in time. I saw my own mistake and spoke with amazing people. Finally, I felt myself slowly drifting backwards into my own body. I once again was lost in my own pail existence. For a moment I was free to explore so many amazing things. I could see how one could want to be free of this world so that they could explore what is to come.