My Manifesto

I understand that the master planner for the September 11, 2001 attack, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, has issued a manifesto.  It was provided to the court during his trial and deemed not to be a threat and so it was made available to the public.  It was published in the Huffington Post two days ago.  Equally disturbing is the other publication that he mailed to a penpal of his in England, a healthcare worker who first wrote to him, with the promise of a Part II and a Part III.

So maybe we all should have a manifesto, defined in this way by Merriam Webster's online dictionary:  A manifesto is a published verbal declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party or government.^[


Here is mine, loosely inspired by one of my favorite publications of all times, Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, except that mine includes my faith which always tops the list.

I will know, love and serve God.
I will love others as I already love myself.
Love will be the center post of my life, the love that I learned from God.
It is not my job to judge others, or to determine the fate of others, but only to offer them what God always offers me -- understanding and compassion.
I will plant roots that will tether me in the wind and the storm, and I will not plant roots in the sand which shifts and changes.
I will recognize that each day on earth is a miracle, a gift from God, and not to be squandered.
I will laugh and find humor in life, because we were created to laugh and enjoy one another.
Life is too short to waste on getting upset about the little things.
Don't wait until the doors of the churches are closed to see that our liberties and freedoms are being questioned and challenged.  This is not a little thing.  Get upset.
If there is anything that I do well, it is because of God.  So therefore, I do not boast, but only give the glory to God in everything and in every situation.
Like my mother always told us when we went for a picnic, leave the place as clean or cleaner than how you found it.
If the eyes are the window to the soul, then let my eyes feast on what is beautiful in the eyes of God.
Finally, let me marvel at the wonder of creation and the value of every human life and live my own live accordingly.

Okay, these are pretty lofty, aren't they?  But according to the definition, these are my intentions, my motives and my views.  KLM's manifesto covered some 36 pages.  I'll stick with mine.

God Bless You!!!