Siggy’s Blurbs

I have to ask, again and again:  Are we our brother’s keeper?  You read repeatedly how state after state is slashing their budget for mental health services.  Sure, states can’t afford to continue to pay for upkeep of their mental health hospitals so many of them are closing.  The services in the communities are often not supported; even services that have proved to be cost effective like peer centers.

People will still suffer.  The jails, not hospitals, now contain the largest population of the mentally ill.  Many are in for minor offenses.  Is that right?  As if the politicians don’t know that?  This population is the most vulnerable.  ER’s are increasingly being filled with those in crisis and it is very difficult to find an appropriate place for them to go.

We will be judged by how we treat the weak and vulnerable.  I will ask the politicians, again, are you your brothers’ keeper?  It cost a lot of money to treat the mentally ill in jail.  The money could be better spent in the community.  The mentally ill do not belong in jail.

People are suffering unnecessarily.  The general public is also complicit in this situation.  There was a reason state hospitals were often in the country.  Out of sight, out of mind although it is true decades ago they were called rest homes.  There were none of the medications available and often all some of the people in crisis needed was some peace and quiet and time to regain their equilibrium.

The public and the politicians need to ask themselves are we our brothers’ keeper?  And support the services that are needed to humanely treat the mentally ill.  By all means the states need to spend their money wisely.  But acting as if the problems will vanish and expecting the jails to treat the mentally ill is not right.

It could be your loved one?  After all, one out of four have been diagnosed mentally ill in their lifetime.  And you would want proper and humane treatment for your loved ones.  Or even you?  So we have to keep asking ourselves (and the politicians) are we our brothers’ keeper?

Tags: budget, community, cost effective, country, crisis, equilibrium, ER, general public, God, health, hospitals, humane, jail, judge, lot of money, medications, mental health, money, most vulnerable, one out of four, our brothers' keeper, out of sight out of mind, peace and quiet, peer centers, politicians, rest homes, services, state hospitals, states, suffer, the public, your loved one
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Sometimes the answer (from God) Is No.  No matter how badly we want the answer to be yes.  We don’t understand why we suffer.  Often there is just silence.  And other times it is a definite No.  Otherwise He would be just this person who we just ask to do this or that.  His purposes are beyond our understanding.  He does choose to heal.  But not in every instance.  Even Paul prayed that God take away his ‘thorn in his flesh’.  And He didn’t.  If you ask the question why, there is often no answer.  And if you keep asking that question, it will only torment you.  Sometimes the answer from God is no, no matter how fervently you pray.

Tags: "thorn in the flesh", answer to prayer, beyond our understanding, Bible, fervent prayer, God, healing, New Testament, pray, prayers, question why, silence, St. Paul, why we suffer
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Now every time I pass the meadow near our house I look for the two pheasants we spotted a few days ago.  Of course, they are not there.  Surprises are just that.  They come when you are not looking for them.  Serendipity is serendipity.  What if you saw everything you were looking for every day.  Wouldn’t life be boring?  Usually your attention is somewhere else.  And there it is–another surprise.  Thank God life is not always predictable.  What a world it would be if it was?!

Tags: bird book, bird-watching, birds, God, life, meadow, pheasants, praise the Lord, serendipity, surprises, unexpected
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It is so easy to take your blessings for granted.  Today I was grateful I could also buy some bananas along with a gallon of milk.  It is near the end of the month and we are running out of cash.  I was grateful I could buy what I could.  It is always revealing what you would buy if you are down to your last dollar.  It is so easy to take your blessings for granted.  God owns everything.  I had to remind myself of that.

Tags: banana, blessings, cash, God, gratitude, milk, take for granted, your last dollar
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It is by grace I am here.  Alive and well.  I knew too many who did not make it back.  They became lost in the labyrinth of their minds.  And did not find their way back.  I did.  I knew many swallowed by the “system”.  After awhile it no longer mattered why they were there.  The damage was done by the caretakers.  My family could have easily given up one me.  There were points in my life where my situation seemed hopeless.  It is only by grace I am here–only by the grace of God.  I am a walking “miracle”.

Tags: "the system", caretakers, family, God, grace, grace of God, mental health, miracle, situation seemed hopeless, your mind
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There is nothing I can do but pray.  My daughter is in a bad way, has been for awhile.  I feel helpless.  I know what she can use but I have no idea how she is going to get it.  I want to help, but I can’t easily.  I can just be there when and if she comes to me.  All I can do is pray.  I know in my own life things did not turn around until I hit bottom.  She is close and I can’t help her.  The only thing I can do is get on my knees.  That is the only thing I can do:  get on my knees.

Tags: daughter, feel helpless, get on my knees, God, help, hit bottom, pray, prayer
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I don’t have to stockpile:  God will always provide for our needs.  It says in the Bible He will only provide food and shelter.  I don’t need a backup for every item I use in the house.  I was making a list and there was no need to buy everything on that list.  I crossed off some items I will not run out of immediately.  I am reminded of a parable Jesus related:  a farmer had an exceptional crop and built even greater storage bins and Jesus said something to the effect that that you will not be around to enjoy the fruits of your crops.  He wants you today.  Your time has run out.  You have to have faith God will provide for your needs and sometimes He will do it a day at a time.  When God provided food for the people who Moses led out of Egypt, the manna could only be used that day.  You had to have faith He would provide more food the next day.  I do not have to stockpile my goods.  ‘Give us our daily bread’ the psalm says.  A day at a time.  That is all we can pray for that God provide for our needs a day at a time.

Tags: "give us our daily bread", a day at a time, backup, Bible, crop, Egypt, farmer, food, food and shelter, God, God will always provide, have faith, Jesus, making a list, manna, Moses, our needs, parable, pray, Psalm, stockpile, the Exodus, time, today
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Life is always a question of balance.  First it gets tipped one way.  Then the other direction.  You go back and forth.  The same thing happens internally in your body.  The term is homeostasis.  One example is your blood sugar.  The level in the blood stream goes up and down.  When it reaches a certain low point your appetite is activated.  You eat and your blood sugar goes up.  How quickly depends on what you eat for different types of food are metabolized at different rates.

A person has to have quiet moments to analyze the direction he/she is going in their life.  There is a reason one of the commandments is to observe the Sabbath.  God does not need to rest.  Humans do.  One day a week they need to get off their treadmill and rest and reevaluate their life.  Does the person have to do something different in their life–go  in another direction.  You can go faster and faster but get no where.  Life is always a question of balance.

Tags: appetite, balance, blood sugar, God, homeostasis, metabolism, observe the Sabbath, quiet moments, ten commandments
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The morning greeting from my “pups” was exuberant.  Their names are “Coco” and “Tilla”.  We have had them since they were born and, of course, they are full grown now.

Today they jumped all over me when they saw me for the first time this morning at my front entrance.  “Tilla” demanded he be petted even jumping over “Coco” in the process.  “Coco” wiggled in every direction and “mouthed” me although she did not bite.  She does this only when she gets excited.

I know these dogs are only on “loan” to me.  I don’t own them.  They are both God’s creatures.  And the day will come when they will not be on the earth any more–not that they are old or sick.  They are not.

They are only the first and second dog I have had from birth.  And they do not belong to me.  Today I will enjoy them.  They are a gift.  I will treat them as such.  For that matter, my time here is only temporary, too.  You usually outlive your pets.  But not always.

Tags: a gift, Coco, dogs, God, God's creatures, morning greeting, pets, puppies, Tilla, time on earth
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I can’t react blindly to my mate.  Otherwise, I am controlled by her.  I have to choose my reaction.  If she is angry, I can’t react in anger.  I can deflect her moods better that way.  This was not my idea but I read it in a book.  And it makes perfect sense.  I balked initially.  But I tried it out.  And it does work.  Anger begets anger.  It says this in Proverbs (which is in the Old Testament).  The idea is not new.  There is a time for anger but not all the time.  It is a powerful emotion and you have to be careful when to vent.  Otherwise, it gets abused.

Tags: anger, emotion, God, moods, my mate, Old Testament, Proverbs
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Permanence is only an illusion.  Others grow up, change, die or move away.  This was brought to the forefront.  A neighbor had a moving sale.  I never gave it any thought.  Now the time I had left with them was only days.  We never know when our time with someone is ended.  All we could do is love the ones God puts in front of us.  As if there is no tomorrow.  You will never run out of people.

Tags: change, die, God, grow up, love people, move away, moving sale, neighbor, no tomorrow, permanence an illusion, time
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Joy is gratitude.  It is looking at your life and every aspect of it and thanking the Lord for every simple thing He has given you.  Sometimes it is others you need to give a simple “thank you”.  God works through other people all the time.  Don’t take any gift you have for granted.  As well as all the simple pleasures that come your way.  Joy is gratitude and thanking the Lord for the simplest gifts He has given you.  He has given your life.  And every morning you wake up you need to thank Him for every breath you take.  Get in the habit of thanking others and the Almighty for every single gift.  Life is composed of myriad details.  And prayerfully thank someone for every detail of your life–every pleasure-every thing.  He does not owe you anything.  And He usually gives us abundance.  Don’t be an ungrateful taker.  Thank Him for every detail of your life.  Joy will always follow gratitude.

Tags: abundance, be grateful, every breath, gifts, God, gratutude, joy, joy is gratitude, Lord, prayer, simple gifts, take for granted, thank Him, thank the Lord, thank-you, The Almighty, your life
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