Recently The Tennessean contained an article that said: “Twenty-seven states have passed constitutional admendments defining marriage as the legally sanctioned union of a man and a woman after a Massachusetts law allowed gay marriage. In 2006, Tennessee voters approved a similar constitutional ban.” Did Massachusetts make a mistake making marriage man-to-man?

If you research history Massachusetts took an unprecedented action. As far as I can discover, never in human history (until our time) has a government, society, or even a tribal group, sanctioned homosexual marriage. Of course homosexual activity has been present through out history, but I can not find even one instance of it being accepted as legal marriage.

So why shouldn’t American states stay in step with all of human history? And why should the state of Massachusetts think they can suddenly pass a law and totally change the historic concept of marriage? Are Massachusetts legislatures smarter than all the politicians and policy makers who have lived before us?

Have you heard about the two sets of sextuplet babies born in the US on June 12, one in Arizona and the other in Minnesota? The AZ 6 were born at 30 weeks and the MN 6 were at 22 weeks.

AOL recently reported: “The joy of the announcements was tempered with the news that 3 of the sextuplets born prematurely to the Morrisons (in MN) died.” Yet how many millions of 22 week old babies have been intentionally killed in America since 1973? And why aren’t we losing some joy over America’s slaughtered babies?

AOL also said this: “The three surviving babies remain in critical condition.” Isn’t that inconsistent? The press usually calls 22-week old human beings “fetuses”, not “babies”.

Finally AOL quotes a Dr. Edward F. Bell who says: “There is a small amount of room for hope that at least one of the babies might survive. A handful of 22-week old babies have survived, but it is a rare event.”

So how can the lives of the 6 22-week old babies born in MN be of concern and interest to Americans when untold numbers of 22-week old babies are killed every year and their bodies disposed of as trash? Location. Yet, why does a baby’s location determine his or her value to society?

Motivation Quotation: “Always live your life with one dream to fulfill. No matter how many of your dreams you have realized in the past, always have a dream to go. Because when you stop dreaming life becomes a mundane existence.” –Sara Henderson

Motivational Quotation Comments: Everybody needs a dream, a goal, a vision, a hoped for outcome — something to eagerly look forward to — something to work toward with enthusiasm. Without a purpose for our day, we are merely going through the motions of living.

No matter what we have accomplished in the past, what about today, this week? What are we working toward right now? Just getting by? Paying the bills? Making it until the weekend (or retirement)? How dull.

That’s right. No goal and/or boring goals make life downright dull. Why not spice up your life today by dreaming about what you can accomplish for yourself and others?

Go ahead. Decide on a worthwhile, inspiring objective for yourself. Then throw your time, effort, and energy into making it happen.

I'm from Nashville -- (Country) Music City. And Country Music has the reputation of being “negative”.

Some of the song titles even support that idea, such as: “You’re The Reason The Kids Are Ugly Little Darlin’,” and “If Drinking Don’t Kill Me, Her Memory Will.” And then there is: “You’ve Left Me So Many Times It’s A Wonder You Ain’t Gone.” (Now, I’m not positive that the last title is from a real Country song.)

However, I don’t believe that Country is “negative” as much as authentic. It is reality music (which is much more true to life than reality tv). Country Music faces facts and looks eyeball-to-eyeball into life’s pain and problems.

And life is loaded with problems. I believe that everybody either has a problem, is a problem, or is married to a problem and Country Music helps to ease the pain.

Folks can identify with Country Music. It connects with people’s real life situations and gives them a safe outlet to release their negative emotions through somebody else’s songs.

So sing those country lyrics. Yeehaw! You're are not alone.

Yall, keep reading my blog now, ya hear?

Motivation Quotation: “The way to keep bad thoughts out is to fill your mind so full of good and kind ones that there is no room for others.” –Grace Dodge

Motivation Quotation Commentary: Your conscious mind is the gate that guards your subconscious. The thoughts that you open up your conscious mind to will impact your emotions, your attitude, your level of self-esteem, your fears, your happiness, and even your productivity and abilities.

One of the most effective techniques for keeping bad thoughts out of your mind is thought replacement — to purposefully think a good thought instead of the bad one that is trying to crash through your mental gate.

The human mind cannot think two thoughts at the exactly same moment. So if a bad thought is marching through your mental gate, grab a good thought instead and then there will be no room for bad thought to sneak in.

Try it. It really works. Go ahead. Choose a good thought to be the lock on your mental gate for today. Something like: “Day by day, in every way, I’m becoming better and better,” or ”I am peaceful, content, thankful, healthy, and extremely happy,” or some other positive thought.

Now every time a bad thought tries to get into your mind today, slam the gate on it by thinking your positive thought instead. And you know what? You will find this one simple mental act will greatly improve your ability to have a great day!