This past week I set out to totally revamp my living room. It has been five years since I shifted around the furniture and splashed on a new coat of paint, so it seemed fitting to give my favorite room a new look. It’s quite amazing how we begin to feel comfortable in our surroundings, and after a while we subconsciously start zoning out highlights of a room we spend many hours in. It could be a painting, a couch, or a simple rug…I kid you not, as the months roll by our eyes can easily start factoring them out….until one day when we decide to make some changes….we then look at every square inch to see what stays, and what goes. For me, that time was this week.

As I went about moving the furniture, repainting the wood floor, and repositioning pictures and paintings, it was as if, after a while, the living room itself started to have a conversation with me. Each change I made I felt was done in agreement with the room. This process took two days…the room was transformed, bright and new, while still retaining its original character. I only wanted to give the room a fresh look….while not erasing the memories.

How about you? Have you ever gone through this experience? Possibly so. When you go out to run errands, and return home, the difference can be striking and gratifying. So many of us feel we have to move on to a new house after five years or so….forgetting that it is quite simple to just re-invent the house that we have. A friend of mine who was considering selling his house and moving, fixed it all up to put on sale, and it was at that point he looked around and said, “What, am I crazy? The house is now the way I wanted it all along! So why move?”

As we enter each room in our home, the walls speak back to us of all the time that we have spent in that surrounding. In this day and age, it is so easy to get bored in the shortest span of time. While we forget the history that we are personally creating, revamping our surrounds gives us the opportunity to look back and plow ahead.

If home is where the heart is, it too needs a little tender loving care to let it know how much it means to us.

Home Sweet Home,

love, Jennifer Avalon

© 2006 Jennifer Avalon

Right or Wrong, Up or Down, Good or Bad, Rich or Poor, Left or Right, Love or Hate, War or Peace, God or Godless…these are a few examples of choices that we have to make daily. Each predicament or scenario that stands before us, sometimes at a moment’s notice, in an instant we sometimes have to choose one way or the other. In some cases we don’t get to have the luxury of time and reflection…in these moments we go by gut decisions. Such is Life.

It’s quite amazing, when you think about it, how we humans are able to get so many things right, with the obstacles that we have to overcome. In the year 2006 surprise, surprise, so many are still here! If one was to turn on the evening news and see the havoc that is revealed on a daily basis…a person could easily come to the conclusion that it is nothing short of a miracle how we all can continue to exist together. Each day always brings with it a new set of choices.

Isn’t it strange that most of the answers to complicated problems can be answered quite simply…not complicated, not cluttered, at times with just one line. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if an independent force could intervene in the war between Israel and Lebanon and just say “STOP, put down your weapons, and go home to your families.” It’s as easy as that, STOP killing each other…there can be no winners. The independent force would round up all the weapons and say, “ENOUGH.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t need to see any more children getting killed for whatever reason….because next year it’ll be something else. Some other place….someone else’s choice….for whatever reason….to kill.

May we all make the right choices, may we find the peace that we so desperately need in this world, may we never forget the light in a newborn’s eyes, may we never forget the last words before someone dies. Perfection may not be obtainable, but growth and contentment can be found within our hearts. As we sail through life, the direction we choose can either leave us lost at sea, or headed for home. We are what we choose.

Choose wisely,

love, Jennifer Avalon

© 2006 Jennifer Avalon

Here we go again folks….the Middle East is erupting into a major confrontation. How long and how far will this go? God only knows. Through the course of our lifetimes we have seen this scenario taking place again and again, each one worse than the last. After awhile one has to wonder…how much more blood does it take for the Middle East to find Peace?

This time around the stakes could not be greater….for the first time the word “nuclear,” has entered the equation. How long will it be until multiple Middle Eastern nations have nuclear arsenals? Rest assured, we are heading down that road. What’s starting to look more difficult to understand is, can nations fight their way to safety? What do you do when nations don’t want to negotiate, don’t want to disarm, and can’t find Peace? Let’s hope it’s not inevitable that we arrive at the Line in the Sand.

I still have hope that the current conflicts in the world will resolve themselves…but what I find troubling is that each time around the wheel the challenges rise further. I pray that cool heads prevail….but with each passing day I am hearing lines on the news that sound eerily like those that got us into two World Wars. Not bad for a planet that has more PhD’s then ever….what are we really learning?

So many people praying daily to one God….yet the only solution that man ultimately comes to is War. Does it really matter what Age we are in if that is the only conclusion we can come to, to solve disagreements? I call on man to implement the true hope of God…that only through Peace can we find lasting progress. It doesn’t take a microscope to see what’s wrong on Planet Earth….let’s hope it won’t take one to find the broken pieces.

Love thy Neighbor,

Jennifer Avalon

© 2006 Jennifer Avalon

The pit and the perils of everyday life can surround us and reinforce their negativity on us at will. One flick of the television dial and a person instantaneously can be inundated with everything that is wrong about the world. Still, there are far more people, places, and things out there that are wonderful, beautiful, helpful and healing. Joie de Vivre, or in English, Joy of Life, is something we have to protect, nurture and grow in our lives. Life is way too short to allow negative forces to take control and dominate the time that we have left.

What more does Hate fear, then Love? or Despair fear more than Hope? or, does a frown run from a smile? Which action or choice we choose rests with us. We can never get enough of the Joy of Life…we must make it surround us, embrace us, and enhance us. The danger is when we blind ourselves of all the good, and swim in a sea of sludge. We take so much for granted on this earth….that we always expect things to just be. The sun, with all it’s beauty, doesn’t have to rise in the morning….but it does. How many times do we take each minute, hour, day, and year, for granted, as if we have a never-ending, unlimited supply? Well, we don’t….each day is a golden nugget from Heaven, for us to cherish and leave our mark.

Joie de Vivre…taste it, drink it, feel it….it’s nourishment is timeless.

Cheers,

love, Jennifer Avalon

© 2006 Jennifer Avalon

Has Loyalty become an endangered species in our society today? Perhaps, perhaps not. Still, there are many out there who’ve forgotten the definition and the meaning of Loyalty. Has the world entered the stage where it doesn’t matter what you have to do, as long as you get there in the end? I hope not. Loyalty means that we hang in there through thick and thin, and never compromise our principles.

Loyalty is that prodding finger that constantly reminds us who we are and what we stand for. While storms swirl around us, and doubt blows through the wind, Loyalty is what keeps us straight and tall without giving up. We all in our own way, from the day we are born, do battle with injustice, fear, doubt, and compromise. Loyalty is there to always remind us that some things are not for sale. Loyalty and Dignity walk hand in hand, through all terrain. True Loyalty is not laced with foolishness or dominance. It is a collection of principles that are established to evolve the world to a better existence. The purpose of Loyalty is to give one a perspective and wide range of vision, while holding the Truth close to the heart.

The ultimate Loyalty comes from God….while there are those who may disagree, God never abandons us. What we learn from the Heavens about Faith and Purpose, we are obligated and bound to disseminate upon earth. Loyalty challenges us to understand that while Peace is the destination, the journey can sometimes be quite rough. Love, Peace, Loyalty…have they become relics, or are they destined to consistently be reborn?

In the hands of Loyalty is Hope and Understanding. Loyalty has to stand strong to tell someone they are wrong, even when they think they are right. If Loyalty is the foundation of a good friendship, then Truth is the house that it is built upon.

Be true,

love,
Jennifer Avalon

© 2006 Jennifer Avalon

One of the greatest aspects of Life is available for free…through the senses. Find a meadow, open field, or back garden…look around at the miracle of Nature. Be it a plant, a tree, the sky, or the wind….Nature, by far, can display the greatest show on earth.

This time of the year in the United States, the full power of Nature starts to emerge. How many hours of a life can be recharged by just staring at the beauty of a flower? How many lives can be extended by watching the world go by under a shady tree? What a wonderful feeling it is to stretch out on a nicely mowed lawn, surrounded by Nature’s blanket of green.

Nature is priceless….yet it is also free to experience. It can never be taken for granted. While it can be breathtaking and extraordinary, it can also be powerful and ruthless. Nature can deliver with one stroke a sun drenched day, yet turn dark, stormy and blow winds that can devastate the terrain. One thing’s for sure…Nature demands respect.

Each year as the seasons pass, the performance of Nature is witnessed by all. It is one of the last bastions of Life that Man has no control over. Nature can hurt, and heal. It teaches and reminds us that we live on a planet spinning through space and time. Many feel Nature is a reflection on how we live….. others see it as a force to be reckoned with. Nature is with us, whether we like it or not.

So enjoy, respect, and experience it…the greatest performance that planet earth has to offer. If Nature is a stage, we all are truly the actors.

The show goes on,

love, Jennifer Avalon

© 2006 Jennifer Avalon

Money is the modern day acceptance for trade, transactions, and services rendered. In a world where a price is put on just about everything, Money is the currency which we use to assign a value to all assets, and liabilities. In a perfect world, Money would not be needed, but in a flawed society and civilization, it is an accepted form of transaction.

We buy, we sell, we win, we lose…..whatever the outcome, Money always seems to hang like a shadow over our heads. Is it far fetched to say that the majority of our problems are Money related? Is it far fetched to say that most of the evil acts that are performed have their roots in Money? The reason Money can do so many bad things, is because it exists….still, the reason Money can do so many good things, is also because it exists. It’s not about the amount of Money…..it comes down to what we do with it.

It’s possible that one of the most fundamental reasons that Money is used in our society is that everybody and everything is assigned an amount of value. Life may be priceless, but rest assured, there are those out there who have no problem coming up with a number for an individual’s life. Just walk down the street and most of the time what you see and hear has a tinge of Money. All over the place, everything after a while seems to be vying for what you have in your pocket. The amount of advertising dollars spent yearly is astronomical…all of it competing for what you may want to purchase. It helps, it hurts, it rises, it falls……Money, ironically, sometimes seems to have a life of it’s own.

Money released in the right direction can do an incredible amount of good…..but if we take no responsibility and oversight, Money can just as easily be re-directed and sent on a pathway to destruction. The past few weeks the Enron trial is getting many headlines…what we keep hearing over and over again is nobody seems to know what happened, and it was the other guy’s fault. The Money just disappeared. How Enron crumbled is a mystery…..heck, some even say it happened by itself!

Money is a necessity in our society…to pay our bills, and do commerce. Yet we must always remember we own it….it doesn’t own us. In the end, we can’t take it with us.

love, Jennifer Avalon

© 2006 Jennifer Avalon

War happens when mankind fails to reach a realistic compromise…..War is the condition where man is reduced to his basic, animalistic tendency. As much as we feel we have intellectually evolved over time, killing is still a part of our physical and mental fiber. Once again, the Dogs of War are howling loud and strong.

Is mankind’s mission to bring about a planet of peace and tranquility? if that is the case, then the weapons of destruction must be extinguished. Is the human civilization forever doomed to choosing either one side, or another? Good against Evil, Peace Versus War, Hate against Love. How many more wars do we have to have before this competition is ended?

The more we drift from the Will of God, the further we drift into the wilderness. Surely, we were not put here to kill. If an extraterrestrial craft with any form of advanced intelligence were to approach our planet right now, would it surprise any of us if they just kept going? Have our egos gotten so out of whack that we think we ARE God? How many go to sleep each night thinking no one could be smarter, while others wonder if there will be a world waiting when they wake up?

I think many of us understand that we are heading for some form of major confrontation that will affect the entire planet. It’s in the air…it whistles through the streets, it ripples with the flag. As we walk the streets and catch a glimpse of the eyes, written on many faces, without a word being said, is the sense that something is coming. The question is, can mankind find a solution to head off the abyss?

Stay close to your families, stay close to your friends….let them know you love them. All of this may end up being “moot”…nothing to worry about….then the worst you’ll have done is spread a little more Love….but if it does come to pass, you’ve surrounded yourself with the most important line of defense.

Take the time to love,

love, Jennifer Avalon

© 2006 Jennifer Avalon

Well folks, it’s starting to look like the era of full-blown robots and clones is just around the corner! Sometime in the near future we are all going to have to grapple with their effects on our lives. How soon? Perhaps within the next five to ten years.

Within the past two weeks I have read that two horses were successfully cloned from a champion thoroughbred racehorse. At the press conference the participants mentioned that they expect to do thirty more over the next year. Why is this important? Horses are mammals, last time I checked…and so are we. Are we fully prepared for the impact of clones in mass numbers on our daily lives?

So what about the robots? We’ve all seen the demonstration of Japanese robots…I know, they look a little strange and mechanical, but trust me, things are moving fast. I always believed that the robotic brain or program would enter our lives first, to be followed by the hardware or body. Sprouting up all over the Internet are sites where you can communicate with or create your own ChatBot. Some of the software is free, where you get a choice to implement the subject matter and interests that you want the Bot to have. I have checked out some of the sites…it is truly fascinating. You ask the Bot a question, and it answers, and as each question is accumulated, the Bot begins to develop a greater understanding of who you are, what you like, and what information you need. Eerie, but interesting. A computer in every home? How about a robot in every living room? These robots will quite easily be able to be personalized to each person’s or family’s satisfaction. You want a robot interested in sports? Presto! You got it. How about a political robot?…Tell me this, how long will it be before “Meet The Press” is hosted by “Tim Chatbot!!” I’ve read articles where people are concerned that Artificial Intelligence can increase at thousands of times the speed of the human brain.

So what’s it going to be? Do you want a clone? Or a robot for your birthday?….think hard. One or the other is coming to a store or manufacturing facility near you. So check it out….stay informed. If you have a few minutes, read up on the latest clone research, and enter Chatbot in your search engine to see what’s coming. People are going to be talking about the ethics of these issues as they evolve, for years.

Be informed,
love, Jennifer Avalon

© 2006 Jennifer Avalon

We go to work, we come home. We go to work, we come home. We go to work. We come home. Same thing, week after week, over and over again. At some point, we all must force ourselves to take a “time-out” from the cycle, otherwise before you know it, Life’s over!! I don’t care if it’s a walk around the block, a conversation with the flowers in the back garden, a card game with friends, or, if you must, a scream from a mountaintop, all of us must accept the fact that if we don’t control what we do with our time, Time will control us.

Let’s get real….with television’s 24 hour news cycle, how much is enough? Hey guys….I know the world is going to hell in a hand basket, but how many times do you expect me to hear it before I just “zone it out?” I find myself these days more and more tuning into shows on the Discovery, or Travel Channel. There are many things I probably will never be able to do in my life, but at least for fifteen minutes, I may be able to get a glimpse of them. Each evening I try, whenever I can, to take a fifteen minute “vacation” to see, hear, or experience something I have not done before. I find this exercise a great refreshing excursion outside the norm….so that when I “return,” I am filled with a feeling of newness.

All it takes is fifteen minutes….around the block, or around the world through television, or the internet…it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are transported to someplace you’ve never been before. If we humans are a collection of our experiences, the more, the merrier.

Bon Voyage!!!

love, Jennifer Avalon

© 2006 Jennifer Avalon