Jeweler, Author, and founder of Why Mom Deserves a Diamond contest.
This may be hard to understand. Everything is nothing. Nothing is everything. All that remains is consciousness. Can you imagine a universe with us not in it? Me neither. Now think of this. The universe, and everything in it, is only here because we can observe it. When we close our eyes, is it still… Continue reading This may be hard to understand
I'm impatient. I don't enjoy being stopped by a red light. I don't like to be put on hold. I abhor waiting in checkout lines. I seek instant gratification. I love a one-minute thrill. I savor a delicious meal. I delight in a good sneeze. I chase pleasure and avoid pain. I live for the… Continue reading Time
Please do not call me a Christian. Although the teachings of Jesus have shaped me into the person I am today, that statement might seem shocking for many of my friends. From the writings of the New Testament to learning the noble qualities of my mentors, including my mother, I have learned how to love… Continue reading The Miracle of Walking on the Earth.
Real happiness does not come from material things, but from the thoughts of love we hold in our heads. If we want to look at the past with a smile, we must create a good memory today.
When I was a child, my adoptive father would always joke with me, telling me that he and my adoptive mom picked me out from a room of babies. "I want the curly-headed one over there," he told me he said to the nurses. For years, I happily believed this story of my beginnings. When… Continue reading Never Be Afraid of a Bully
Sometimes a seemingly insignificant event in one's life may later turn out to change that person forever. That person was me. When I was a teenager I took my girlfriend to the fair with friends. An elderly lady was caught in a bustling strip of rides and fairgoers and was knocked down by some running… Continue reading We must not Stand Silently
Kneeling during our national anthem may be controversial, but it does not show disrespect to our country. I remember refusing to recite every verse of the Apostles creed at a Christian church. I was not being disrespectful. This was my way of expressing my beliefs within the congregation. In the case of NFL free agent… Continue reading Every Knee Shall Bow
All of us have opinions on immigration. Wherever you live, it has always been a touchy subject. Some say immigrants make our country strong. Others say immigrants take away our jobs. Whatever your feelings, America has always seemed to use its heart while establishing its policies. This is the spirit of America I have grown… Continue reading DACA and Immigration
With carefully selected words, our president has neglected to let white nationalists know he is not their friend. No one is born a racist, they are cultivated through example of how we live and speak. Charlottesville did not simply have a "deadly car attack," it was invaded by hate, prejudice, and ignorance from domestic terrorism.… Continue reading Evil by it’s True Name
My wife once said if my arms were long enough I would stretch them around the world. She said this endearingly, but also as a way to poke fun at how I tend to think galactically by grasping beyond my reach. When I began the Why Mom Deserves a Diamond contest I invited a small… Continue reading Hugging the Entire World
In 1993, shortly after I had decided to rebuild my life in California, six friends came to my apartment for refreshments. Carmen was from Guatemala, Daniel was from Switzerland, Sontaya was from Thailand, Hamid and Touraj were from Iran, Shlomi was from Israel. There was only one person that was from the United… Continue reading What is Humanity? Eating, Loving, and Laughing.
I would love to tell you a joke or try to make you laugh, but it has heen hard for me to laugh since Friday. There's always time for a joke, but not tonight. Trump's order from Friday states that, "in order to protect Americans, the United States must ensure that those admitted to this… Continue reading Irony
At an early age, my adoptive mother taught me to be compassionate, kind, and to respect every human being. She instructed me to be slow to anger, to laugh at myself, and to look at myself first before finding fault in others. She told me to enjoy life without fear and to always stand up… Continue reading Blinded by our Light
I am usually mild-natured and rarely get upset. But that is how I feel during this quiet beautiful morning after my town was just deluged with crystal balls of hail. They sparkled like diamonds as they crashed onto the bricks of our garden. There is silence now, and the sun has cut through the clouds.… Continue reading I am Sorry
Since I was a teenager, I remember my employers giving me a 30-day probationary period. Nowadays, it is called an "adjustment period." This is necessary to benefit both the employer and the employee. It is an established time period to determine if an employee is right for the job and if the job is… Continue reading Questions for a President