red all his people together and told them of his plan to end all violence in the kingdom. He was a gentle soul, and he could no longer abhor the violence that was taking place all around him. There must be something done to quiet the masses and ease the hearts of all who lived under his rule.

So they all listened to his ministerings, and they found the stirrings of love seep forward in their hearts. They found these stirrings to be of a peaceful nature, and were delighted that it seemed to release them from some grip that had overcome them. The terror that used to pervade their dreams no longer woke them in startled wakefulness. Their demeanors began to be that of peaceful content. Smiles adorned their faces for no reason at all.

What was it that the king said to them to cause such a change? Well I tell you this day that it was the amount of love he projected to them as he was giving a state of the kingdom address. Yes, even then this was an annual occurrence. This has been a figure of protocol for eons, in one way or another. When the king told them of the condition of the kingdom they weren’t prepared for the news they heard. They had been so busy fighting among themselves that they did not realize, nor care about the disrepair and desolation of the state of the kingdom.

In truth, it was falling down around them. The streets were bare and potted; the houses were in disrepair for a lack of funds and desire. The fields were barren with only occasional sproutings of wheat and corn where a few had tried to maintain some degree of dignity. In other words, the kingdom was about to fall flat on its face and there was no one who was aware of it for the fighting that was spreading far and wide.

In one far pocket of the land in a hollow of the outskirts of the kingdom lived a farmer who loved his land. He loved his family as well, and saw no difference in the treasure the two brought him. So he nourished them both, and tended them as he would be tended to. His crops were lush and healthy, and his family laughed and took care that they loved God in the highest way they could. They were gentle people and they loved their life. They did not need the things that the village used to provide, for they were able to provide the things they needed by their perseverance and their work on their farm. They knew through their practice of life that they would never be without that which they wanted. While the others in their area were battling among themselves, these farmers held their love and respect for each other, and were able to keep the wolves from the door.

The king knew of these people, for he employed there use of husbandry regularly. He saw the respect with which they tilled their fields and treated one another. He told them that they were prime examples of how a kingdom can operate. He shared with them that because they were so full of love and joy, that they could be a fine example for the other people of his kingdom to follow to turn their lives around. So he asked if they might teach the people how they have managed to keep their wonderful lives, despite all the chaos around them.

The farmer smiled and addressed the king in this way. “My dear King, I am honored that you think I can change the lives of so many with just a few words of wisdom. Do you not think that these words will make a difference if they come from some other, such as you, my dear king?”

But the king would not hear of it; he knew that the words would carry more meaning if they come from those who lived their meaning. This was a fine representation of how it can be when one keeps his heart light and gentle.

So the farmer agreed to give it a try the next day. They gathered in the hall of the king and he spoke to the people who gathered. “I am the epitome of my travails, for I have overcome them. You see before you a fine example of how you can persevere through the torment and trials that surround you every day. To allow the pitfalls of sorrow and vengeance to influence your lives is to give in to the challenges that befall even the noblest of people. The challenges in life are meant to provide a table on which to lay all your cards. Through this presentation, the way is made clear of what is before you and how you can strategize your life so that you come out ahead of the game. Take a few minutes, my friends, and lay all your cards on the table, then see what the future can hold. For it is in your hands; and it is in your hearts. The way is simple and sweet, if you allow it. That is all you need do my friends. In life there is no mystery; it is simply laid out before you in plain terms and pictures.

Stand before your table of cards, and let the reflection of what is in your heart illuminate the truth of the pattern for success and shine forth from what you have created on the table. Then bring it forth into your lives. If in the course of your life, you lose sight of what the cards said, then lay them out again, and don’t be surprised if they speak a different tune for you now. For life changes, my friends, and it is wise to follow the ebb and flow of that life. This is the secret my friends of life as you want it. You will find no desire to fight one another, when you spend you life following the ebb and flow of the cards of life as you read them.”

With these last words, the farmer laid down his pen and he bowed to the people, as he sat next to the king. The person closest to the door came close to see the table that had been laid. He saw a degree of cards that spoke of love and caring. He knew not how he saw that, for it was not written or in pictures. It was a feeling that went to his eyes and his ears; why he could almost taste it, and feel it to his touch. What was this magic that the cards held in his life? Why did he react so to their layout? He came closer so that he stood with his leg against the table and peered down at the cards. An image began to form of his life, as he’d love it. It formed in his longing and told him he could live that dream, if he believed the possibility. Then a voice soft and low spoke forth in his soul, and he wept at the sweetness he felt. He knew he’d heard God, and he fell to his knees, and he loved the people so much. He then rose and turned to his neighbor with whom he’d fought over land that abutted his own in the fields. He said, “Lets just plant that land in our seeds and supply those who are less fortunate than us. Then they’ll find the strength to use their love to supply some less fortunate than they. It can all work like that till there are none less fortunate than any, and the kingdom will be a gold jewel of love that shines forth and welcomes the thought of living a life full of joy.”

Well the rest is history, my friends; for all over this country and globe can be heard and seen the success stories that come from knowing the enemy is not really an enemy but your own fears looking back at you. When you can stop long enough to look at your neighbor and see the promise for yourself in his eyes, then you can bring that love and joy to your life and see finally no difference in the prosperity of the whole.

It starts in the clarity of the promise you bring yourself; and continues in the carrying out step by step, card by card, with the allowance of the ebb and flow of life. You are the kings of your life and the farmers too. Find your blessings as they are showered down around you and share them with your neighbor, for in doing you share them with yourself.

I love you and bless you for all of time.

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