March

(under construction)

Week 1 – Haven Week 2 – Relent Week 3 – Swat Week 4 – Probe

haven.030617.Monday

“Great Britain has been a haven for budding socialist for many decades.” It is interesting to note that historically when a country becomes a safe place for socialists that it will eventually disintegrate and become a socialist run dictatorship. They think that a country will become better through socialism. However, history does not bear that out. Eventually a small group of intellectuals will gain power and they will rule. Freedoms disappear, motivation ceases, fear increases, and truth becomes a distorted tangle of lies. Younger generations will never realize the utopian haven they dream of!

haven.030717.Tuesday

“At that moment, the soft couch was a haven for her exhausted and aching body.” The most often used meaning for haven is “a place of safety.” A harbor or port is another definition we see for haven. Another sense of the word is “a place offering favorable opportunities or conditions” as in an investment haven. When you have a place where you feel protected from danger and trouble, it is your safe haven. At times we all need that place of peace and protection from our troubles. Sometimes it is a couch and sometimes it is your own little cubby-hole where you feel safe!

haven.030817.Wednesday

“That inn is a haven for weary travelers.” Another word we often see used in place of ‘haven’ is refuge or a place of safety.  When we travel overseas, we have our favorite havens, especially in London or Germany. We know that these havens are well maintained with the things we like. Easy access to buses, trains, or underground is also close by. We not only have a place to park our weary bodies, but favorite places to eat or entertain us are easy to reach. That haven for weary travelers is very high on our list for travel!

haven.030917.Thursday

“Our national parks provide a safe haven for wildlife.” Our parks are a national treasure for us to enjoy. They also protect wildlife from man-made dangers and trouble. Those of the forestry service are trained in the “what and how” of protecting our national parks. It is the job of the forestry service to be on the alert for any signs of trouble or harm to the animals and environment inside the parks. As U S citizens, we are blessed to be able to enjoy the beauty of our national parks. We need to do our part to keep them as safe havens for all to enjoy including the animals in them!

haven.031017.Friday

“A good relationship is a safe haven for those who need loving attention.” Rare is the woman who does not like or need loving attention. One of the aspects of a good relationship is that both parties to it can give and receive attention. A good relationship between a man and a woman is not only trust but care for the other. The weakness of one can often be covered by the strength of the other. This overlap helps both to depend on the relationship for protection and refuge. Good relationships are always a safe haven!

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relent.031317.Monday

“Twisted socialist will never relent on their objective to destroy the U. S.” The mind of a socialist is to destroy and rebuild. Most are so focused on the goal to destroy that they seldom get around to rebuilding anything. The thinking is to be rid of anything that hinders what they want to do. It makes no difference if it is good, reasonable, common sense, or lawful; their goal is to destroy it and make things ‘new’ in their image which includes a godless society of “if you can do it and get away with it” it is OK. Their goal is to never relent in the destruction of the U.S. government and its authority!

relent.031417.Tuesday

“The rains pelted them and would not relent.” Relent is a verb and means “to become less severe, harsh, strong, or determined.” Another sense of the word is “to agree to do or accept something that you have been resisting or opposing.” When one holds an intense opinion or position and decides to soften their thinking, they have then relented in so doing. They have decided to give up or slacken that position. Conversely, our example sentence gives us a weather picture that seems not to change but will eventually relent and move on. Hold fast as bad conditions will eventually relent and soften!

relent.031517.Wednesday

“He had refused to pay and relented only after being threatened with a lawsuit.” In this example we see a stubborn and obstinate man who submits only when force is used. This mindset is one which sees resistance as being the right action even when he is presented with a clear case that he owes a debt. The threat of a lawsuit is a drastic means but sometimes necessary when a person does not want to do the right thing. When you incur an obligation, you must take care of it the right way. Don’t let force be the means that makes you do the right thing. Just relent and do it!

relent.031617.Thursday

“The the city relented in the end and issued my permit.” One of life’s challenges is working with those in authority. Government (local, state, or federal) often asserts its authority even when at times it doesn’t make sense. To have authority is to wield power. Sometimes those in such positions of authority do not relinquish it easily. It can even become an irrational sense of not giving in when doing so really makes sense. It is best to walk softly when you sense this kind of illogical reasoning. It may be a case of good judgment to relent and live with the results!

relent.031717.Friday

“He would not relent in his desire to marry her.” In relationships, the willingness to relent or not relent can be a mixed blessing. If the motivation is to protect or provide for the other then the unwillingness to relent may be a good thing. If the reason is for selfish or one sided reasons then the unwillingness to relent will often be a bad thing. Good relationships are usually a co-operative effort on both sides. A willingness to examine motivations and intended actions needs analysis for the result to positively impact both parties. A failure to do this can result in bad feelings by one or the other and fester into a fight or worse a failure in the relationship. Relent of ill-founded desires!

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swat.032017.Monday

“The cat was swatting the injured mouse with its paw.” This example reminds me of a story about an experience that my wife and I had in Africa. We were there with a team working with the nationals. While there, we were furnished with a place to live and a cat came with it. His name was Garfield (really!) and he was a jungle cat. He would spend the early evening with us and when we went to bed, he would go hunting. More than once we would wake up early the next morning with a half-eaten dead mouse next to our bed. One time he had a live mouse and yes, he was swatting it around like a toy. He was doing this to show us his expertise at swatting the mouse without it getting away!

swat.032117.Tuesday

“She swatted the fly with a magazine.” It sounds simple, but it is better to use a flyswatter. This week’s word ‘swat’ can be used both as a verb and a noun. As a noun, it means a powerful or crushing blow. Its definition as a verb means “to hit with a sharp slapping blow with an instrument such as a flyswatter.” However it is used, swat usually involves some kind of forceful action. Flies are very quick so you need a good aim and force to hit one with success. To swat a fly, take action with a flyswatter!

swat.032217.Wednesday

“The impatient toddler got a swat on his wrist for pulling his sister’s hair.” Unruly behavior will normally incur some form of discipline. In the opinion of many socialist today, discipline should never be a factor. Their reason: human behavior must never be inhibited. Why? Some kind of harm will come because of that inhibition. However, the innate carnal nature of humankind is to cause harm to others because of selfishness. To please oneself is far more important than to treat others with kindness and self-respect. Interestingly, we use ‘swat’ teams to corral nasty criminal activity!

swat.032317.Thursday

“He swatted the tennis ball out of bounds.” This tennis player did not know his own strength or was not skilled in keeping the ball inbounds. Anytime you ‘swat’ something, it is going to go in the direction you hit it. A swat is usually a motion that is carried out without much skill or control, but it can have force. Keep your attention and focus on the object you are swatting!

swat.032417.Friday

“She swatted her boyfriend’s hand as he teasingly pinched her arm.” A gentle swat is much different than a powerful swat that kills a fly. A good relationship will include a lot of tenderness especially an act of attention. A relationship that is devoid of tenderness is never to be considered a long term union. A casual acquaintance probably would not include an act of intimate tenderness unless it blossoms into a closer union by such actions from both parties. Be careful of a swat that brings unintended injury to another!

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probe.032717.Monday

“Congress has launched a probe (now in progress) into the accusations of the candidate elect that he was under surveillance by the Democrats after the election.” This week’s word is ‘probe.’ The present probe by congress should never have to be done, but the Democrats have shown they have no moral values or respect for political rules. Their agenda is to bring down a duly elected president. Democrats have shown they will use any device – legal or illegal – to remove our president. They have so perverted our legal system that it no longer functions as it was originally designed. They want to win even if it means destroying our Constitution and the United States!

probe.032817.Tuesday

“The FBI probe did not produce any new evidence against Hillary Clinton.” In this example, probe is used in the sense of “a penetrating or critical investigation.” This definition is only one of three meanings for ‘probe.’ The noun form is “a slender medical instrument used to explore a wound or body cavity.” Another meaning is a device used to test substances or circuitry. The verb form means to search into or explore very thoroughly as in the example sentence. The government will probe anything they consider to be wrongdoing!

probe.032917.Wednesday

“Searchers probed the surrounding streets for the shooter.” Sadly this is becoming a more common activity for the police during a protest. The use of deadly weapons by some protesters makes the work of law enforcement much more dangerous. Peaceful protests are a thing of the past because of radicals and their intent to create violence. The rule of law is being challenged and the softness of the courts to punish such offenders is becoming more common. Breaking the law is one tool that extreme political protesters use to make statements that they have a right to do so with impunity. Without a solid rule of law, a society is doomed to fall and this is the goal of such extreme political acts. Wake up America before we lose the right to probe such acts!

probe.033017.Thursday

“His questions made it clear he was probing for information.” Sound familiar? We have all been in places and situations which required us to give information. Maybe you were stopped for running a stop sign or red light. The officer would ask for your driver’s license and why you did not obey the sign. We have all had such events happen to us and the ‘probe’ for information was a little disturbing. Few of us like to be under the magnifying glass for things we do. It is best to take the probing and move on!

probe.033117.Friday

“She probed his responses for evidence that would help her know him better.” Yes, in every relationship there is a little probing that goes on for how the other will act or respond to things we say. Good communication is vital to a relationship and how well the ones involved will interact. Without a little probing, we can only guess what the other is thinking or how they may respond. However, a little probing is good, but constant probing or questioning can be a tiresome and irritating thing. Use good judgment in the extent of your probing!

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