Posts from — November 2008

I am pleased (and a little floored) to be among the very first recipients of the Universal Light Award!

I created this award to honor those sweet souls that share the light.

Love and light to you.

I have received several awards from some of my favorite blogs in the last few weeks. I’m honored and blessed by the women and men that inspire me through their blogs, as well as share their thoughts and comments on mine.

Sharing light is simple and free. It costs nothing.

The more we inspire others the more we are placing goodness in this world.

We all need a little encouragement to continue our journey. Pass it on to people that share the light!

Much gratitude, Kimmy! I love the idea of the light circuit that is implied here, and so I give your award back to you!

Universal Light Award

Among those who blog, these are the ones that come to mind right away when I think about what lifts my spirits, encourages me, and provides the kinds of questions and thoughts that help me to thrive. Gratitude to you! Love, light and laughter!

• Meditations on an Eyeball
• Theospora
• Love Ministries
• Blog of the Grateful Bear
• Dante’s Virgil
• Rudy’s Blog
• Blind Chihuahua Brain Drops
• Think Buddha
• Infinite Thought
• Ecstatic Days
• Prose and Thorn
• So This is Wonderland
• Reverend Mommy’s Random Thoughts
• Rosei Academia
• A Mindful Life

And I’m holding one for you Elainna, whenever you start a blog! (smile)

Bingkee from I Love/Hate America has bestowed the Power Blog Award upon VirusHead. Thanks Bingkee!

Power Blog Award 2008

I love these awards that circulate among fellow bloggers. It’s a graphic nod of the head to enjoyable blogs. The original Power Blog award required all sorts of rules to be posted and ten other blogs to be named. All that has dropped off, and that’s for the better. Awards like this have become a bit less viral. I don’t think many people really try to use them as marketing tools as they used to do a few years ago.

When I receive an award like this, I take it as a simple compliment. I won’t name ten blogs. Here are three from amongst my faves - three that I fervently hope will not blast me for sending a cute cartoony award (grin). Here ya go!

• Soul Meets World
• Live Passionately
• Kimmy Sharing Light

I just have to mention Spiritual Brother’s Bible Research blog for its stunning collection of Jehovah’s Witness videos and documents.

I had never seen Pastor Russell preach before, and now I can understand how liberating and authentic it must have seemed at the time.

Today’s post really got to me, so I’m posting the video from YouTube. Historical photographs are set to a group of people singing the Kingdom Song “Take Sides with Jehovah!” (Exodus 32:26). It almost brought me to tears. It must have been so different back then. The song never sounded like that at my Kingdom Hall. For one thing, no-one was trained to sing the harmonies anymore. Music with spirit was almost entirely gone. It’s still a very basic song, but it would have made those long meetings a lot more bearable if we could have created a beautiful sound of praise - with feeling and beauty - rather than a cold dirge. I remember people almost glaring sometimes at the few people who really sang. So sad.

Dear Lord and Lady - the mediators -

And to the Sweet God above all gods -

We thank you for this meal that we are here to enjoy together.

We pray for those who are sick, lonely, afraid, and in need - that you may send them strength and comfort.

Protect us from domination and destructive intent - and help us to combat it in fairness and love.

Help our leaders to remember, and to honor, the well-being of the people - all the people - everywhere in the world.

We humbly ask that you provide what we need for our souls and bodies and minds to grow and be well.

Help us to attune to that sweet spot of thriving - between order and chaos - as we navigate our world.

Forgive us our shortcomings, and help us to forgive those who hurt us.
Help us to be mindful, loving, patient and kind.

May we dwell with the Spirit, in gratitude, and with brave and compassionate hearts.

Amen.

As is my habit from time to time, I’ve changed the look of the blog. I’m using a different base theme, and I’ve customized it a bit.

This is more the standard blog width. I’ve been using full-screen flexible templates for a while and so it looks a little “skinny” to my eyes, but perhaps it’s easier to read this way. I’d like to figure out how to make it about 200-300 pixels wider, but I’ve run out of time today.

The subtitle of the blog has changed, and I’ve added a few of my favorite virus-related quotations on the right sidebar.

I am fond of the rotating banner at the top. I’ve added fifteen images from my own photo collection so far. I’ll probably delete some and add others for a while as I discover better ways to select just the right bit of the photograph for the dimensions of the graphic.

The “V” background graphic is brought in from the main site for a little more continuity. Of course, VirusHead.net badly needs a complete redesign, but that’s a much larger project.

The post “signature” (it’s not actually a scan of my handwriting) is also a new thing. I saw them on some other blogs and liked it. I suspect that it won’t be permanent.

Let me know if anything wonks out on you.