"Horn Broken--Watch For Finger!"--Bumper Sticker Message

Everyone knows that actions speak louder than words. Sometimes however we use an action like "shooting a bird" to communicate rather than saying what we really mean. Most of us have been on the receiving end of such a gesture and it is sure to raise our blood pressure when we do. I strongly suspect that many reading my musings have used this form of expression as well, probably accompanied by wide range of seriousness or anger.

We, as a society, have strayed from civility and tolerance and are quick to express our anger in ways that used to shock. Traffic seems to bring out our darker selves with ease and frequency.

For the Japanese, a very civil and very serious people, there is a very different ritual involving giving another the finger.

There is an underground criminal element called the Yakuza which is a dark counterpoint to the Samurai class. The Yakuza are outlaws, but they are bound by a stringent code of conduct, perhaps even honor. Loyalty to their leaders and brotherhood are supreme.

When a Yakuza clan member has made a very serious error or let his chieftain down, there is a way to make things right. It is well known that the Samurai atone for failure with seppuku or Hara Kiri as they call ritual suicide.

When the Yakuza gravely offend their master, there is a slightly less drastic ritual. They take their...

Have you ever heard of alcohol being referred to as strong spirits? What other kinds of spirit are there? Are they interchangable?

In Christianity it is a tenant of belief that man (and woman, of course) was made in God's image. At face value, that seems to say that we physically share the same characteristics of God. Literally, it implies that God is humanoid.

I often think of God as being a fatherly man, resembling Old Man Winter, it helps me to get my arms around the concept that the creator of the universe cares about me. I am sure others use a visualization technique that works for them in relating to their conception of God.

To me the Christian Trinity is a key to the actual meaning of the truth that Humanity is formed in the likeness of God. We are physical/material beings that are inhabited by spirit and that manifest intelligence (have a mind).

God is three-in-one: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are three-in-one: Mind, Body and spirit. I relate our mind, the center of our creativity and decision-making with the God the Father. Our bodies correlate with Jesus, the Son and physical manifestation of God. And as Jesus died, our physical body is mortal. Our spirits are the subtle but vital (immortal?) connection with the creative energy of God. Spirit is the least obvious leg of our three-legged stool and we are often unaware of the state of our spirits.

Alcoholism and addiction are diseases that affect the...

The Bastille, Lubyanka, the Tower of London--we all know these famous prisons and they conjure up images of hopelessness and dread.

Most alcoholics and addicts have experienced the sound of handcuffs ratchetting shut on their wrists and can recall the clang of a high security cell door. It is a rare addict who has never run afoul of the law and been incarcerated, even if only briefly. There are many more who have been "in the system" for some alcohol or drug-related incident that can run the gamut from DUI to possession, shoplifting, domestic violence or worse.

It is a fact that alcoholism and addiction, if unchecked, invariably lead to three results: insanity, incarceration or death.

The victims of this extremely fatal disease often end up physically behind bars (or institutionalized). As bad as that may be, there is another form of imprisonment that characterizes addiction. It is much more subtle than gray bars or the four walls of a tiny cell. It is the spiritual, physical and mental bondage that drug addiction creates.

There is no parole board or time off for good behavior to cut short this sentence. There is only one person who can free an addict from this hell (incarceration derives from a root word for hell) and that is himself. Addiction builds a prison for its victims in their own mind and sadly most of the victims never realize they have the power to free themselves.

This key which all...

Honest self-appraisal is the foundation of change and is absolutely vital to recovery from addiction.

Paul the Apostle said there is a war going on within us between the spirit and the flesh. Who decides which will win?

We do, we have the power to determine the outcome of the battle.

That is great news.

Most people know that the definition of "Jihad" is a holy war.

Today that word and its derivative "jihadi" (holy warrior) conjure up images of smoking sites strewn with dead that were moments ago filled with innocent people leading their daily lives. This is not surprising because this is the scenario we are too often forced to endure. All because of misunderstanding.

In its true spirit jihad means an inner struggle between the self-will and God's Will. It is our contest to win or lose.

Islam like all religions has its share of fanatics. The name, Islam, means "submission". To me, and to the vast majority of Islam's followers as well, this submission is that of the individual to the Will of God. To the fanatics it means forcing others to submit to the Will of God as they understand it.

All sorts of mayhem, fear, death and even wars have resulted from this subtle but significant difference in interpretation.

In my own life as a alcoholic, I must confess, I have been guilty of inflicting a tremendous amount of damage to...

Have you ever felt the very fate of the world hinged on a plan of yours going a certain way?

I have a friend in recovery who once told me it's all "Mind over matter". I was slightly puzzled until he followed it up with the statement, "If I don't mind, it doesn't matter".

Jesus, as time drew near for his sacrifice and crucifixion, prayed to the Father, "Thy will be done". What I like about that prayer is that it shows that even Jesus wanted things to go a different way. He knew the final result of everything His Father had planned and still had to acknowledge and surrender his desire that "this cup pass from me". Peace could only come to Him when he accepted the Father's will over His own.

Why is it so important to me that my will prevail? Why, time after time, do I let my own vested interest play such a large part in my relationships and behavior with others? Usually at the cost of my peace of mind and serenity.

Often I can justify it because I AM RIGHT (or at least believe I am), and right should always prevail, shouldn't it?

In the expression "He is his own worst enemy" there is much truth. I know there is a part of my being that fights constantly to attain its own way. Very much like a baby that thinks only of itself and never considers those around it.

Because I am an alcoholic, I lived constantly in a mind-numbing haze of chemically induced...