A letter to a Soldier
Dear J.,
Here are the books promised plus some magazines L. thought you might like. I don’t do very good letters. I love to write everything else, you would think letters would be easy but they aren’t. And word always makes those silly hatch marks under my misspells which I can’t stand so I am going back and correcting things constantly.
I hope everything there is as good as can be and that you are safe. Soon you will be back in the states and I do hope we keep in touch better than we did before you left. Everyone here is doing fine. Just working and living a normal boring life. I have been training new help for the last week and older lady who I think will do okay but it is tiring. Some days I like being the boss and others I really don’t. Most days I would rather just be rich and not worry about it.
Last time we yahooed and you asked me about the rule of three and whether I believed and I didn’t get to explain how I believed and I am not sure how you were considering it. I believe very deeply in God and that he gave us free will and that he loves us no matter what choices we make even if they seem bad at the time. This world is our school, we learn what we need to and then we go on. I don’t believe God is the narrow minded vengeful petty spirit that so many people make him out to be.
As for the rule of three I believe that in general we bring things into our life for two reasons, because we like them or because they have something to teach us. We have the capacity to learn from every situation. The lessons you take home from this war will stay with you forever but that is all they are is lessons. For the rule of three to be worked into this you have to understand that this rule applies to things you do with wanton disregard or delight.
Killing people in a war is not something that will bring sin and ruin down upon unless you start actively hunting them for personal vengeance. Or if you start raping pillaging and stealing just because you can. In every situation there is a high road, even horrible ones. If in your heart you are protecting your buddies, your country or even just yourself then killing is not going to bring down retribution. If you go into the any situation and give the most kindness you can then kindness will find you and your nightmares will be less.
Even the so-called innocents in a war aren’t innocent; the people on the other side make their own choices. They choose to blow up their own people and that’s not even counting the fact that their own people hate each other just because they are a different sect of the same religion. I find it very sad that the Christians, Jews and Muslims all believe in the same God and yet are willing to kill each other. It makes no sense and none of it brings God happiness I am sure. But like a child learning to walk. Mankind must fight these battles. The best quote I have heard about the war is that people have to start loving their children more than they hate each other and to me that is the only way it will ever end.
I can’t imagine the people in America side with one religion over another and allowing the corrupt government to brutalize and terrify the people without the people fighting back. I would like to think that what is happening in Iraq couldn’t happen here or that if it did the people would stand with the constitution and against the government to bring down our own tyrants. Not depending on outside forces to do it for us.
I have no doubt that it is horrible there and that all of you have done things you wish you hadn’t but these are not Rule of three things, these are survival things, not things that stain your soul unless you give them the power to do so. You are a great kid and you always have been. I would much rather have these conversations in person but letters are the best I can do right now cause I ain’t flying to Iraq no matter how much I love you.
As for spell books and other assorted things. Most of your ancient spells were for the most part herbal remedies and most of the people killed over the years were merely people who studied plants and their uses in medicine. They figure about 80% of the witches mostly female of course burned at the stake were local healers. A the time the church didn’t not want the women to have power and certainly did not want them to be seen as capable of healing ails. People talk about druids and witches in times past like they have a counter part here in today’s world and they don’t.
During the dark ages when most of this stuff happened the priests were bashing in sick peoples heads to let out the demons. Bleeding the bad humors from their blood, and don’t forget you couldn’t bathe regularly because that smell helps keeps demons away. They were primitive people in primitive times.
I believe wholeheartedly in magic and in miracles but you don’t need books or spells or candles. If you don’t want to be touched by evil all you have to do in walk in the light and know in your heart that God exists and will always protect you and that whatever happens it happened because you had something to learn from it.
If you want to make something happen you have to merely believe again that that’s what should happen and it will. Small magics are easier than others. Knowing what babies people are having come to me in dreams as does limited visions of the future. April or I can generally tell you if a house is haunted and whether it is good or evil and yet ghosts don’t bother us because they can’t. touch anyone that walk in the light.
Now you may think that you are going to believe the war will end tomorrow and you are going to make a million off the first lottery ticket you are going to buy and you can’t disprove magic because that doesn’t happen because no matter what you profess to believe you know the war isn’t ending tomorrow and as for the lottery ticket you probably don’t really believe that is going to happen so it won’t. True belief in the depths of your heart is what counts not words and most of the times not even actions.
With the rule of the three the saddest part is that people who don’t think clearly enough about this generally do themselves more harm than any silly curse ever could. Because they believe they did something bad and therefore deserve punishment. And as I mentioned on Yahoo we see only the smallest part of what is happening. We are not God we can’t see how the story is interwoven we don’t know when a death is a good thing or when it is bad and like ripples on a pond we don’t know the end effect any action may have. Therefore all we can logically do is be the best people we can be, and trust and have faith that everything will work out all right. The world has come far from where it was a 100, or 500 or even 2000 years ago when Christ walked upon the earth. With each generation we become less violent and less likely to kill for silly reasons, like you looked at me wrong, etc. Whole countries used to lay waste to entire generations and yet the most recent conflict in Lebanon lasted a few weeks killed a few dozen and everybody is pitching in to rebuild even though some of them still hate each other. It’s quite bizarre when you look at it through the lens of history. You are in the middle of the last (I hope) religious war. You are fighting for the right of people to believe, as they want for that is what democracy really is. You are fighting for the next generation of little girls in the middle east so that they can vote, wear what they want and not be beaten, abused and tortured by the men who are suppose to love them because they are nothing more than chattel in that country. You are fighting for rational law instead of religious terror.
These are all good things to fight for and in the end good will always win, yet we can not truly appreciate good until we have seen the face of evil.
Love you bunches
B
PS…. Read Illusions – For me if for no other reason
Here are the books promised plus some magazines L. thought you might like. I don’t do very good letters. I love to write everything else, you would think letters would be easy but they aren’t. And word always makes those silly hatch marks under my misspells which I can’t stand so I am going back and correcting things constantly.
I hope everything there is as good as can be and that you are safe. Soon you will be back in the states and I do hope we keep in touch better than we did before you left. Everyone here is doing fine. Just working and living a normal boring life. I have been training new help for the last week and older lady who I think will do okay but it is tiring. Some days I like being the boss and others I really don’t. Most days I would rather just be rich and not worry about it.
Last time we yahooed and you asked me about the rule of three and whether I believed and I didn’t get to explain how I believed and I am not sure how you were considering it. I believe very deeply in God and that he gave us free will and that he loves us no matter what choices we make even if they seem bad at the time. This world is our school, we learn what we need to and then we go on. I don’t believe God is the narrow minded vengeful petty spirit that so many people make him out to be.
As for the rule of three I believe that in general we bring things into our life for two reasons, because we like them or because they have something to teach us. We have the capacity to learn from every situation. The lessons you take home from this war will stay with you forever but that is all they are is lessons. For the rule of three to be worked into this you have to understand that this rule applies to things you do with wanton disregard or delight.
Killing people in a war is not something that will bring sin and ruin down upon unless you start actively hunting them for personal vengeance. Or if you start raping pillaging and stealing just because you can. In every situation there is a high road, even horrible ones. If in your heart you are protecting your buddies, your country or even just yourself then killing is not going to bring down retribution. If you go into the any situation and give the most kindness you can then kindness will find you and your nightmares will be less.
Even the so-called innocents in a war aren’t innocent; the people on the other side make their own choices. They choose to blow up their own people and that’s not even counting the fact that their own people hate each other just because they are a different sect of the same religion. I find it very sad that the Christians, Jews and Muslims all believe in the same God and yet are willing to kill each other. It makes no sense and none of it brings God happiness I am sure. But like a child learning to walk. Mankind must fight these battles. The best quote I have heard about the war is that people have to start loving their children more than they hate each other and to me that is the only way it will ever end.
I can’t imagine the people in America side with one religion over another and allowing the corrupt government to brutalize and terrify the people without the people fighting back. I would like to think that what is happening in Iraq couldn’t happen here or that if it did the people would stand with the constitution and against the government to bring down our own tyrants. Not depending on outside forces to do it for us.
I have no doubt that it is horrible there and that all of you have done things you wish you hadn’t but these are not Rule of three things, these are survival things, not things that stain your soul unless you give them the power to do so. You are a great kid and you always have been. I would much rather have these conversations in person but letters are the best I can do right now cause I ain’t flying to Iraq no matter how much I love you.
As for spell books and other assorted things. Most of your ancient spells were for the most part herbal remedies and most of the people killed over the years were merely people who studied plants and their uses in medicine. They figure about 80% of the witches mostly female of course burned at the stake were local healers. A the time the church didn’t not want the women to have power and certainly did not want them to be seen as capable of healing ails. People talk about druids and witches in times past like they have a counter part here in today’s world and they don’t.
During the dark ages when most of this stuff happened the priests were bashing in sick peoples heads to let out the demons. Bleeding the bad humors from their blood, and don’t forget you couldn’t bathe regularly because that smell helps keeps demons away. They were primitive people in primitive times.
I believe wholeheartedly in magic and in miracles but you don’t need books or spells or candles. If you don’t want to be touched by evil all you have to do in walk in the light and know in your heart that God exists and will always protect you and that whatever happens it happened because you had something to learn from it.
If you want to make something happen you have to merely believe again that that’s what should happen and it will. Small magics are easier than others. Knowing what babies people are having come to me in dreams as does limited visions of the future. April or I can generally tell you if a house is haunted and whether it is good or evil and yet ghosts don’t bother us because they can’t. touch anyone that walk in the light.
Now you may think that you are going to believe the war will end tomorrow and you are going to make a million off the first lottery ticket you are going to buy and you can’t disprove magic because that doesn’t happen because no matter what you profess to believe you know the war isn’t ending tomorrow and as for the lottery ticket you probably don’t really believe that is going to happen so it won’t. True belief in the depths of your heart is what counts not words and most of the times not even actions.
With the rule of the three the saddest part is that people who don’t think clearly enough about this generally do themselves more harm than any silly curse ever could. Because they believe they did something bad and therefore deserve punishment. And as I mentioned on Yahoo we see only the smallest part of what is happening. We are not God we can’t see how the story is interwoven we don’t know when a death is a good thing or when it is bad and like ripples on a pond we don’t know the end effect any action may have. Therefore all we can logically do is be the best people we can be, and trust and have faith that everything will work out all right. The world has come far from where it was a 100, or 500 or even 2000 years ago when Christ walked upon the earth. With each generation we become less violent and less likely to kill for silly reasons, like you looked at me wrong, etc. Whole countries used to lay waste to entire generations and yet the most recent conflict in Lebanon lasted a few weeks killed a few dozen and everybody is pitching in to rebuild even though some of them still hate each other. It’s quite bizarre when you look at it through the lens of history. You are in the middle of the last (I hope) religious war. You are fighting for the right of people to believe, as they want for that is what democracy really is. You are fighting for the next generation of little girls in the middle east so that they can vote, wear what they want and not be beaten, abused and tortured by the men who are suppose to love them because they are nothing more than chattel in that country. You are fighting for rational law instead of religious terror.
These are all good things to fight for and in the end good will always win, yet we can not truly appreciate good until we have seen the face of evil.
Love you bunches
B
PS…. Read Illusions – For me if for no other reason
