me to you, with respects to ernest

paco knew he could be a great matador. knew that he would have no fear. he met his end at the hands of a pessimist holding an arm chair and two steak knives. Hemingway wrote that one, i've just read it a few hundred times.

thought about it and have decided that many of us are strong in our minds. we are conquerors, until we face that which is unexpected. we play a good game. dipping and shaking at the right time and begging to take the bull by the horns. we succeed a lot, however, it just takes one shot in the gut to put us down for good.

to be a great matador in life one must recognize that at any given moment you will get stuck by the most unlikely foe. when things in life are good, when you finally have this crazy game figured out and have decided that you are the master of your own destiny, you will be blindsided.

biggest question for me is: how do i react?

i can fold up, question the causes, faint disbelief and give up OR i can scream out to the one i have ignored for so long, beg forgiveness for my arrogance, accept my consequences and fight back one step at a time. would love to say that i always fight on. for that matter, would be great to lie to you and say that i have never tried it on my own.

i am on the floor, bloody and disgusted frequently. have given up more than once only to find myself sinking in the abyss of my "mastery" in this life. thank you GOD for being kind enough to forgive. thank you for being the ultimate matador in my life.

" be merciful to me , o GOD, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack. my slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride.
when i am afraid, i will trust in you. in GOD, whose word i praise, in GOD i trust; i will not be afraid. what can mortal man do to me?" Psalms 56: 1-4 niv

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happy fourth of July! let us be thankful and prayerful not only for our Independence, but for the courage to stand up and be counted on to do the right things for ourselves and for the millions of others in our world begging ( and dying) for freedom. in GOD we trust!