From:  Ed Kassirer
    Date:  November 10, 2000
Subject:  Validation

In our lives, we are always attempting to validate our worth, our effort, our existence.
Many validate themselves through their accomplishments, or their children, of God.
I validate myself each night before the mirror, for if when I look into those eyes, I can
honestly say, that I did the best I could with what I have, then my life is valid.

We say that God is everywhere, then it stands to reason that you are filled with God,
as everything and every creature on earth is. So, whether we look to the heavens for God,
or look into our own eyes for God, we are either way, communicating with God.
If God is in us, and we are in HIM, made in HIS image, then we are all God.
If God is one with nature, and Nature is one with God, and we are one with Nature, and
Nature is within us, there does not seem to be a place you can draw a line to create
a separation, it is all one and the same.

To look outside yourself for validation for your life, will always to be one step removed
from the real of life, of you. To give yourself to something outside yourself,
for validation, or to feel you need to have something to hang onto or cling to,
is a very big price you pay. For to give yourself, to something you feel is bigger than you,
is to make yourself small; to give yourself to something that you feel has more power than
you, is to make you seem powerless, for every thing about yourself that you give away,
you are left with less and less of you, and you get feelings of being small and minute
in the grand scheme.

God is perfect, and God is not perfect. For, the same rains that grow your food,
one oops and it is a flood, and the same sun that also grows your food and warms you,
oops and there is a drought, The breeze that cools you, oops and there is a tornado.
This shows each of us, that the same way God is perfect, so are we, as we are one
with God and Nature, and we are made in Gods image. Neither God or Nature have
a problem with thinking, to cause themselves anguish as we do. I have yet to see
a mountain, with a bad temper, or a snake with a weight problem, or a cloud that called
in sick, or a wind that had to go back and REDO his last "show', it is nature and it IS.
Neither God or nature ever say they are sorry, or apologize or feel guilty for anything,
because they put full effort into EACH thing they do, and after that, no better could
be done, EVEN if it resulted in a "oops".

These are the things we should seek in our lives, as validation. To do the best we can with
what we have, to be honest with ourselves, and not to hurt another.

Of course, man has this problem. Talk about doing things and talk about feeling and
thinking, but it NEVER gets to action. This is why religion as we know it exists, to
intimidate man, with feelings of guilt, that he is being watched, judged and weighed,
that a "score" was being kept on his life, I find it quite amusing.

To believe in a creator, and to worship and communicate in your mind is fine, but to
enter the man made idea of anything further, sort of leaves me wondering. Now, if thru
"praying", you can come out feeling stronger, more complete, more inspired or more
apt to be a better person, this is fine, it is akin to self hypnosis, but if it works, then
by all means, do it!

In life, we need to feel good about US, we need to take pride in what WE have done,
and the MORE we thank SELF, the better we will feel and the stronger person you will be.
For, until you have ever been able to validate your existence through yourself, you will
never have QUITE reached your full potential as a person, and you will always be
"missing" something.

Thank you for your time.....Ed