The purpose of this entry is to identify some of the Guiding Principles God has put before us and discuss what they mean. You’re about to learn that Le-way is a lot more than just a fair judgment to look forward to. It’s also a philosophy and a form of moral psychology that can’t help but move a life in a more positive direction. In my opinion the Guiding Principles found in this post are really just common sense but I’ll let you decide that for yourselves.

One of my most favorite sayings is that Part of faith is doubt. It has to be if we are being true to ourselves. I don’t believe there is anyone on Earth who can say for certain that God exists. They believe it because they want to believe it, not because they know something the rest of us don’t. The Guiding Principle, in this case, is that we can’t be true to God, if we’re not being true to ourselves. Guiding Principle #1.

I think it’s far more important to contemplate what’s right than what‘s true. The truth means almost nothing if it’s wrong or lacks any real moral ramifications. People need to seek the truth by asking themselves what’s right instead of worrying about what the rest of the world thinks. We have to start with what‘s perfect which means allowing the Guiding Principles to show us what that is. According to Le-way God is all knowing, all powerful, always right and absolutely fair. If God is worth looking for He will be all these things and more. It makes no sense to believe in a God that isn’t perfect. That would be like worshiping the guy down the street with a lot of yard work to do and not enough time to do it. What would be the point? Guiding Principle #2.

According to Le-way, the worlds many religions are just a bunch of different ways to worship the same God. God is like a mirror. The mirror never changes but everyone who looks at it sees a different face. God has provided human beings with more than one path to a spiritual awakening for a reason. Just because you are on a well beaten path, does not mean you are on the right road. The moral of the story is to not let anyone shape your beliefs for you. Not even me. It makes no sense to believe what the preacher man says just because He’s the preacher man. He isn’t necessarily any closer to the truth than you are. The only place you will ever find God is within yourself. Guiding Principle #3.

Alcoholics Anonymous teaches a form of moral psychology that’s been able to help millions of people recover from their addiction to alcohol. A lot of these people would not have been able to get the help they needed if it weren’t for Alcoholics Anonymous and the people who make it what it is. The problem is that there are still some people AA can’t help who will either die from their misfortune or have to carry on to the bitter end (as AA says). Forward Momentum is for these individuals. All that a person has to do is commit themselves to moving in a positive direction, stick to their commitments (no matter how small) and keep their eyes on the prize. “Think big. Start small” pretty much sums it up. The thing Forward Momentum is able to do is get rid of the all or nothing mentality that causes people to fail and eventually give up. There’s no reason a person can’t begin to move in a positive direction just because they’re not ready to take on their larger obstacles. Such a person should be able to build the confidence and learn the discipline they need to address those concerns down the road. The thing is that Forward Momentum can’t fail, at least, not entirely. It might take some time but with a little effort Forward Momentum can transform a person into the person God wants them to be. I’d say it’s worth a shot, anyway! Guiding Principle #4.

Newton, who is one of history’s most respected figures, is noted for saying that God did not give us the ability to reason to forgo its use. Human beings are smart for a reason and it’s not something to take for granted. God wants us to seek out knowledge and wisdom wherever we may find it and then guard it with our lives. Wisdom comes to those who look for it and then put it to good use. A sage is someone who knows how little they know compared to what there is to know. The important thing is to learn what you can from everyone who crosses your path. Read as many books as you can and study the internet to learn more about certain subjects. Science is just mans way of understanding the natural things of God and history teaches us about all sorts of stuff. The more you know the better you’ll be able to make sense of what you know and benefit those around you. It’s true what they say, “With knowledge comes power and with power responsibility.” Don’t let it go. Guiding Principle #5.

You might already be familiar with what Le-way has to say regarding sin. If not, consider the following and tell me what you think: “A thing is right or wrong (and to the degree that it is right or wrong) for reasons that can be determined. A sin can usually be defined as an action or behavior that brings harm to ones self or another. There are exceptions to the rule which most often involve the greater good or lesser of two evils but also include what I call the lesser sins. The lesser sins are sins that do not necessarily bring about harm to anyone but are still apart from Gods will (in other words, not something we’ll be doing in Heaven).” Right from wrong isn’t rocket science. When it comes to our actions they are what they are.

Some things are worse than others for obvious reasons while other things are not as bad as some people say for reasons that are just as obvious. It makes no sense to let something like prejudice get between us and common sense. The trick is to remain as reasonable, down to Earth and realistic as possible and trust that God is too. Guiding Principle #6.

Suffering is a part of life that almost everyone will experience (sooner or later). You don’t have to like what you’re going through, but you do have to go through it. If it means kicking and screaming and crying and complaining, then that’s what it means, but it’s not going to change a single God damn fucking thing! Being born into this world means you will someday have to learn more than you want to about death and dying. You may even have to go through worse. Life isn’t fair and no one said it would be. If you’re going through hell the best advice I can give you is to keep going. The best thing we can do is try to make the world a better place for the people around us. We do this by having an attitude of gratitude and by not taking the little things for granted. I thank God each morning for the privilege of getting to enjoy a hot cup of coffee on my way to work and for that part of my day that truly belongs to me. An attitude of gratitude is more than just a catchy phrase. It’s our responsibility to God and everyone around us. No matter how bad things get they could always be worse and actually are for someone else. We should ask God to remind us that when our lives are good to think about all the people who aren’t doing so good at the moment and how important it is to make a difference, even a small one. It’s good to know that what doesn’t kill us will only make us stronger but it’s even better to know that someday God will make things entirely better for all of us. Guiding Principle #7

I remember being in full blown schizophrenia and drunk most of the time. It was probably 1993 or 1994 and it had been, at least, a year since I had a moments peace! My life was a constant struggle and it seemed like it would never end. The voices had nothing positive to say and were not about to let me go on with my life the way it used to be. My saving grace came one drunk afternoon as I sat alone in my apartment (a place I associated with hell) when I heard a voice I had never heard before. I looked up from where I was sitting and asked it to identify itself. The voice was that of an innocent child and remains the voice of unconditional love and acceptance in my life. I eventually came to refer to this voice as Baby Man. Baby Man has a great sense of humor and loves all of Gods creatures! He even complains when I kill spiders and flies and other bugs. Baby Man has remained by my side ever since and I’m not sure what I would do without him! I honestly don’t think I would still be here or could have overcome so much without his presence. I will never be able to thank Baby Man enough for expressing so much unconditional love for me, not only in my darkest hours, but also when things are good. Baby Man didn’t cure my schizophrenia or give me the will power to quit drinking. The only thing Baby Man ever had to do (to make things better) was to love and accept me for who I am, no matter what anybody else was saying and always be there when I needed him! I love you Baby Man (more than words are can say) and it was you who taught me that love is by far the most powerful force in the universe. It’s also Guiding Principle #8.