hope you enjoyed the day off

It's nice to take a day off from work and relax. I hope you enjoyed it. Growing up I never had this day off from school or anything. I never knew much about Martin Luther King, Jr., but I am radically and passionately against any form of racism or prejudice... so, I thought I would take some time today to learn more about this man. After reading several of his speeches I have decided I want to continue learning more about him. You may not agree with everything he did, but you must agree that he loved God and wanted to advance His kingdom on the earth. I definitely was not planning on posting a blog about this today, but I want to leave you with some amazing quotes from this man... take them to heart and let them really sink in...

"I submit to you that if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live."

(WOW! That is awesome... just think about that one for a few minutes!)

"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. ... Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

"On some positions, a Cowardice asks the question, "Is it safe?" Expediency asks the question, "Is it politic?" And Vanity comes along and asks the question, "Is it popular?" But Conscience asks the question "Is it right?" And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right."

"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think." (OUCH... ain't that the truth.)

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

"I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered." (we obviously still haven't shifted)

"Power properly understood is nothing but the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political and economic change. ... Now a lot of us are preachers, and all of us have our moral convictions and concerns, and so often have problems with power. There is nothing wrong with power if power is used correctly. What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love."

"I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we are moving against wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. He who hates does not know God, but he who has love has the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of ultimate reality."

"Let us be dissatisfied until that day when nobody will shout "White Power!" — when nobody will shout "Black Power!" — but everybody will talk about God's power."

"When people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping point short of victory."

***pretty cool stuff. hope you enjoyed it... i know i did.