Pre-conceived notions

As Victor Hugo once said, “Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake. “ Mr. Hugo was a great 19th century French poet, novelist and playwright whose works were incorporated by such greats as Verdi. Exposed to a variety of experiences he spoke about the qualities of life from a unique perspective (his father was a general under Napoleon). From success as a writer to banishment and ultimately public service, he maintained a decorum of steadfastness. His crowning work, Les Misérables (1862) speaks about the poor and social injustice. He was a human rights activist and a staunch believer in Republicanism. Through his writings a deep understanding is apparent about people and their pre-conceived notions. A pre-conceived notion is an opinion formed prior to an event or experiment without adequate evidence to back it up. It is what science calls tainting the experiment.

Courage is the a quality of your spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing any fear. He suggests that we have courage when we face the great sorrows of life and to have patience for the lesser sorrows. Patience is a good-natured tolerance of the delays in life or the incompetence of someone’s behavior. In other words, not reacting with anger and fear but with confidence and strength. Every day we all have our various chores to do. We go to work, we maintain our homes and we raise our children. Hopefully we make the time for personal edification on our journey through life. At the end of our day Mr. Hugo tells us to go to sleep in peace; confident in the wisdom that God is awake and minding the store. Do you believe that God is alive and awake? Have you felt His presence within you lately? Do you feel the loss or pain that other human beings feel due to their circumstances? Or do you just whisk your way by and look at them with disdain?

We are all living and breathing creatures that exist in a world of interdependence. We need each other to build a society where the understanding of the lesser of us is just as valid as the greater. All people should have access to education, health care and a level playing field. We are all created equal. We lose our equality when we don’t diligently strive to be the best we can be. Opportunities for all create a level playing field. When prejudice and cronyism rear their ugly heads segregation creeps in. No one has the right to make their decisions about the playing field based on race, religion, creed or national origin. But yet, every day we see the results of such prejudices disguised as issues. In order to see the truth you have to see into the hearts of people. How do you do this? It’s simple. What fruits do they bear? Are they surrounded by lack and limitation? Are they a loner or do they have great friends? Do they give of themselves to others or do they hoard for themselves? Just as Jesus cursed the fig tree for not bearing fruit, we should remove ourselves from those who don’t bear fruit. We need to have courage in dealing with people who only look out for themselves. We need to have patience with those who quietly support them or those who can’t make up their minds.

We must end our day in peace and let go of any pre-conceived notions we have accumulated during the course of the day. These notions become our reality when we think about them often and develop a belief that they are real. Let go of these notions and go to sleep in peace, knowing that God is awake within you and outside of you as well. Trust in Him to guide and direct your life to become the best that you can be. As the saying goes, “It’s all good.” Release the burdens of the day knowing that God is operating in your life whether you feel it or not. God is awake!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Fire it up; are you ready?

President Barack Obama delivered one of his best speeches yesterday at the University of Maryland. He told a story of how an elderly lady kept repeating the title of this story until he felt fired up. Early in his run for the presidency, he promised a South Carolina state representative that he would visit her hometown of Greenwood. When he arrived to give the speech at Greenwood, SC, he was tired from the campaign trail. But this lady kept on repeating, “Fire it up; are you ready?” It was infectious to him and his campaign staff. Sometimes when you are tired and weary someone steps up to the plate and motivates you. In my case, it has been the many readers who have supported my position concerning the lies and manipulations of the right wing base. This occurred many times during the presidential campaign and even John McCain got to the point where he couldn’t take it anymore when he told the flustered blonde haired lady that Obama was not an Arab and was a decent family man.

All of this form of bashing is nothing more than rhetoric and distraction. If you keep people looking in one direction long enough, they won’t see what is happening elsewhere. When it comes to health care reform what is truly important? Protecting the rights of the insurance companies to gouge us for profits or to help our fellow man? Isn’t that the message that Christ taught? Didn’t he say that if someone knocks on your door and you refuse him that you are refusing Christ? And yet, the right wing base quotes the Bible when they have absolutely NO CLUE as to what it means. They follow fear-mongerers like Glenn Beck who proselytize yahoos with Biblical misinterpretations and rhetoric to support their weak position. These people are the worse form of leaders because they actually believe their own lies. Using bits and pieces of fact they construct an image of fear to support a view that segregates people from their inherent divine heritage. We are all children of God and we are His most prized creation. Anyone who tells you differently is lying and manipulating you at best.

I have been and examiner since April of this year and have published 75 articles. In my discourse, I have tried to emphasize the translations, geographic idioms and language nuances that are associated with the current state of the Bible. At best, what we read is something that has gone through many people at first mouth to mouth and ultimately written down hand to hand. If you believe that everything in the Bible is directly from the mouth of God you are fooling yourself. You are basing your whole life on a book that was constructed to keep the constituency of the various churches in check; to make the priests and ministers middle men between you and God. This I refer to as Literary Authoritarianism.

God is within each and every one of us and we don’t require or need a book or someone else to be one with God. Every day that you express love and compassion for your fellow man you are LIVING God. You are expressing the expansion of the universe. There is one thing that physicists will tell you for sure and that is that this universe is constantly expanding. Conservatism restricts expansion because it believes that the old ways were good enough and that we shouldn’t change them. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Our constitution was designed to be a dynamic document that would grow as its people grew. Not stagnate with old ways that worked at one point in history but no longer work now.

I posted an article the other day that the editors of the examiner removed. I was taught to respect the wishes of someone else in their home and I will abide by their request of me to no longer attack the position of another examiner. However, I feel compelled to refute what is being taught to what I refer to as an unstable base. Therefore, I have taken my responses to this examiner off of this site and have obtained another piece of virtual real estate to continue my watch dog efforts. If any of my readers or his readers would like to investigate this discourse, then please go here. Yes, I am fired up and yes I am ready. I will not remain tight lipped when I believe many are being misled. Thank you to all of my readers for your support and kind words. I will continue to relay information about Spirituality in this forum and will direct my rebuttals to the other forum. May God bless all of you.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Wimerwhiners, Part 2

Welcome to the new blog solely dedicated to the opposition of right wing blogger Keith Wimer of examiner.com. I am the Spirituality examiner for examiner.com and became exposed to Mr. Wimer’s blog during the summer of 09. Mr. Wimer’s bio states the following:”Keith became a follower of the Christian faith in 1996 and since then has carefully read the Bible cover to cover many times. In addition to general Bible study, Keith has perused the texts of other world religions (including the Qur'an) with an emphasis on attainting an understanding of how the topic of "eschatology" -- understood to mean the study of so-called "end times" -- varies therein. Over the past ten years, Keith has read nearly a hundred books presenting various positions on eschatology. Additionally, he has deliberated at length upon such topics as cosmology, evolutionary theory, and Christian apologetics.” In his 13 short years of religious studies he has come to a unique right wing perspective of the universe as a whole. Wow! 13 years. How impressive! Hogwash. This person has manipulated and directed his readership to a space where they have no clue of the truths hidden within the Bible and the Qur'an. When you study anything with a pre-conceived notion, you will always find things that will support your position.

Eschatology is the study of the end times. Throughout human history we have had eschatological theories perpetrated upon believers in order to keep believers in line with a religious group’s beliefs. It is the preaching of fear by fear mongerers. Playing to his right wing base, Mr. Wimer, article after article, supports right wing nuts like Glenn Beck. And no wonder. As I say in the tag line of this blog, “A blog dedicated to refuting the erroneous claims by the right wing blogger and Glenn Beck supporter Keith Wimer. His brand of inciting his unstable base needs to be countered by intelligence and forthright opinion.” After experiencing the wrath of Mr. Wimer’s commenters, I assure you, they are unstable. I have collated their inciteful (misspelling intentional) comments for any reader who would like to view them. Just leave a comment with your email and I will forward them to you. Why? Because we need to see and understand that there are unstable people in this world who will go to any length to assert their position; i.e. going to town halls with handguns. These people are uninformed, blind and self-righteous about their position and listen to morons like Mr. Wimer.

This blog is the result of the whining of Mr. Wimer. After an article I wrote entitled, “Wimerwhiners, Part 1, Mr. Wimer reported me to the Examiner claiming that I was not being professional in my attacks on his ludicrous position. I was informed by the Examiner that it was inappropriate for me to attack another examiner and they refused to re-post my article. They removed the article and I have re-posted it here as Wimerwhiners: Part 1. In this article I list the points where I agree with Mr. Wimer. In fact, the tone of the article is not egregious at all. Yet, it was taken down by the editors of the Examiner. I was taught to respect someone in their house and I replied to my section leader with a notice that I would respect his wishes. However, since Mr. Wimer has gotten away with spewing his vitriol against me with impunity, I have had no choice but to acquire a new piece of virtual real-estate, this blog, in which to refute his erroneous claims. Mr. Wimer’s form of self-righteous indignation is dangerous at best. I would like to thank the Examiner for the professional manner in which they handled the debate between Mr. Wimer and I, however, the fact remains that he has whined and cried at the fact that I caught him in his lies and he can’t take it. I say to him; if you can’t take the heat, then get out of the kitchen. I am not the only one who has caught Mr. Wimer in his lies. Please visit Kerry Martin at thefbm.com and read his words. Compare his 13 years of research with my lifetime of living and studying the Word and there is no comparison. Yet, he sits on his self-appointed throne of readership with his court jesters saying yes to his every word without investigating where his word came from. This is the worst form of truth-bating and those who follow it are doomed to a life of ignorance and fate.

Those who preach fear will reap fear. Please, read the fear of his followers as they spew their support for a person who does not completely research his findings; just like his hero Glenn Beck. In article after article he uses Biblical references to support his weak conservative position without any care to the fact that he is inciting and unstable base of people who don’t research the Bible and who blindly take his word for what it means. This is the most dangerous form of posturing and that is why I have created this blog. As time permits, I will examine and respond to his blitherings here in order to challenge and enlighten those who seek the truth and not conservative white-washing. Welcome to a blog where a debate is welcome and censorship is not allowed. Speak you mind whether you agree with me or not. And here you won’t have to worry about Mr. Wimer’s whining. It will NOT influence the outcome of this blog.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. Please visit my Eschatology Refutation Blog. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Wimerwhiners: Part 1

I have been anxiously waiting to begin this series on those commenters who frequent Keith Wimer’s column on Religion & Politics, as well as the refutation of Mr. Wimer’s eschatological conclusions based the Bible, Nostradamus, et. al. Something of this magnitude requires a significant amount of time digging in the dirt, so to speak, but the fruits of my labors will expose the eschatology for the sensationalism that it truly represents; sensationalism based on fear. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it is a duck. You can anthropomorphize the duck to the Nth degree, but in the light of reality you will see an animal that paddles with its feet and dives for its food.

In his article entitled “Glenn Beck: a chink in the armor” Mr. Wimer asserts that Glenn (Watsamatta U) Beck’s “unflinching promotion of traditional American values” through “incisive and well-researched interviews” makes him “worthy of a degree of admiration.” This is laughable at best since Mr. Beck takes facts and creates conspiracies like speed freaks read FBI marching orders on the oblique in daily newspaper columns. With any set of facts one can read just about any agenda into anything. Glenn Beck is a master at this! Mr. Wimer continues his discourse on John Hagee, the end of days clown who has repeatedly proclaimed the end of the world without success. Keith correctly pins down John Hagee for his “scandalous past” and Glenn Beck for being “responsible for the content of his program.” Whether Beck’s staff “didn’t bother to check the man’s credentials or didn’t find them germane” is my case in point. Jesus said emphatically that “no one will know” the end of days. Since we are “no one”, then it is safe to assume none of us will know.

Mr. Wimer further asserts, correctly, Hagee’s interpretations of current events into signs of the coming apocalypse as “hogwash.” I will go one step further and assert that St. John’s vision of The Revelation of Jesus Christ as being nothing but delusions of a sick and dying man trying to instill fear on those who had persecuted him. What better way to get even with those who were more powerful physically and politically than him; if this were not the case, then why was he hiding out in a cave on the Isle of Patmos in 90 C.E.? Just as I challenge the visions of Joseph Smith of Moses and Jesus I challenge the vision of St. John the Beloved. Science teaches you that if you cannot prove something by re-creating an experiment, then it cannot be accepted as fact; whether written authoritatively or not. Mr. Wimer continues with Biblical assertions made by some Christians which don’t have any basis in the written word. His points are as follows:

1. “A future uber-evil leader of a one world government (a.k.a. New World Order, a.k.a. "Revived Roman Empire") commonly referred to as the Antichrist. (Nope)


2. A future seven year tribulation period. (Not to be found)


3. Nuclear warfare. The battles fought in the Bible, especially the one that is supposed to happen at the climax of human history, Armageddon, are all fought with ancient weaponry, e.g. bows, arrows, swords, men on horseback, etc. hence each has already happened in the PAST!


4. Israel becoming a nation again, the temple being rebuilt therein, the reinstitution of the sacrificial system, as in animal sacrifices. (The Bible is eerily silent about these matters)


5. A future seven year tribulation period. (Not to be found)


6. A multi-stage second (or third) advent of Christ, inaugurated by this made up thing called "the rapture". (Nope, it can’t be found in the Bible either)


7. Christ reigning from a throne in Jerusalem (Uh, sorry, look as you dare, you won’t find it)


8. Modern day geopolitical sovereignties such as Russia, China, Iran. (Hello? Simply not there)”

Mr. Wimer’s above points are correct according to my research. However, inferences to #8 are debatable due to some scholars’ assertions that the Tribes of Israel and their descendants are manifested in European, Middle-Eastern and Asiatic countries. As for dispensationalism, God relates to human beings as his most prized creation. His message has been the same since the beginning of our time on this planet; it is how we perceive it that has changed. Mr. Wimer states that “Christianity seems imbecilic to those who don’t already understand its simple straightforward meaning.” I couldn’t agree more. Mr. Wimer focuses his attention on “those who misappropriate the teachings in order to line their own pockets and otherwise muddy the waters for personal reasons.” We agree. So far, so good. Not for long, however. His last statement reflects both John Hagee and Glenn Beck to a tee! More to come…

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

You lie! oh yeah, section 246

It is better to remain silent, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. A wise saying that all Wimerwhiners should adhere to. In regards to Congressman Jim-Bob of South Carolina’s blurting out to the President. Not only was this a major faux pas, but one based on NO facts. It takes a simple reading of HR3200, Section 246 to view the language in regard to illegal aliens. Section 246 reads, "NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS. Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States." Why doesn’t Congressman Jim-Bob step up to the plate and admit that he is a racist? This 9/12 March on Washington that claimed over a million people in attendance used Photoshopped photographs to give the “appearance” of more people than were there. It was accurately estimated at 75,000 by the Fire Department. And Glenn Beck states that a university, that he can’t remember the name of (Watsamatta U?), stated 1.7 million. How many people were in attendance at Obama’s Inauguration? About 2 million. What a difference! The placards about “Bury Obamacare with Kennedy” were not only in poor taste, but based on lies and inaccuracies promulgated by racists who won’t accept that an election of a black man took place last November 4th. Sometimes I am embarrassed to be white, and this is one of those times.

The difference is obvious after the election of 2000. George W. Bush became the first duly selected President of the United States. Selected by right wing Supreme Court justices when Al Gore had clearly won. Yet, Al Gore had the sense and loyalty to this country to step aside for the greater good of maintaining order and peace. What are these 9/12 morons doing? Not reading, not listening and most of all, choosing to believe rhetoric and gossip over the facts as they stand. A simple reading would make them aware. But when was the last time that most of these people even read a book? A newspaper? A blog? Well, a group of voiceover artists got together and donated their time to reading the bill into an audio format that these people could listen to it, if they choose not to read it. Will they listen to it? I doubt it. They are so entrenched in their racism and hatred against blacks that their lily white faces are turning redder by the second. Get over yourself and your antiquated beliefs and accept what the majority of the country has chosen. I was not happy when the Supreme Court selected Bush, but I dealt with it. All 8 years of lies, control, domination, manipulation and stepping on of our rights. Especially, the Patriot Act. What an offense to all Americans! Fascism flourished and intelligence diminished.

Then the 9/12er’s counter with, “we are not racists; we don’t want big spending and government takeover!” Well then, where were you when W. and Cheney rode heard over our budget and took a Clinton surplus and converted it into a W. deficit? Nowhere to be found. You were happy that there was a lily white Christian cowboy in the office and no matter what he did you could blindly trust him. Revel in your moronic behavior because you are violating what Jesus had taught all of us. Follow the commandments. Follow the Beatitudes. If you would take the time to read them and embrace what they say, you would then know that the behaviors and loudness of the 9/12er’s come from hate and NOT love. Dispute that one, Wimerwhiners! BTW, the Bible is available on CD audio as well.

Your acid test is WWJD. Or should we say, what DID Jesus do. Jesus said “And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's (Luke 20:25). Are the 9/12er’s following this simple rule? Does their anger that is being fomented by a paranoid psychotic big mouth named Glenn Beck justify their behavior? Not by a long shot. Respect what Jesus has told you to respect and you will receive the respect you give. If you base your behaviors on racial prejudice and lack of intelligence, then you will reap your reward of frustration and anger. God ahead, make your day one of hatred and anger. Share the love of Christ with red in your eyes and red on your neck. See where that will get you.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

9/12: fear at its peak

From the smell of burgers on the grill at tailgating parties to the mall in D.C., many gathered to proclaim the mantra, “I want my country back!” And exactly what is their country? A country that, until recently, most of the world hated and despised for its infiltration into the societies of the world and its manipulation of their governments and economies. In essence, Big Brother. Yet the war paint of the old government fans and their louder and louder yelling doesn’t change the fact that our country has changed. People who have studied world history have finally gotten to the point where they see that we are no longer an island unto ourselves, but part of a global community. The founding fathers of our Constitution, mostly Deists, knew that the Constitution had to be a dynamic document. One that could be amended and modified to suit our growth and the times in which we would live. Not a static rag that would putrefy knowledge, growth and wisdom. Flexibility is the key to transition. Rigidity causes attitudes and behaviors to break instead of bend. Yet, with NRA placards in hand and a full metal jacket, those who want to defend our old way of life rise up and march on Washington.

With Bibles in hand they proclaim a way of life that has caused injury and insult to many peaceful people who want to be integrated into a global community. The same mindset that raided the lands of the Native Americans and called them heathens. Peaceful and sharing people who welcomed the settlers with open arms and shared our national holiday of Thanksgiving. People who were open to sharing the land, not raping it. Even if these 9/12er’s were taught the true history, they would still deny it based on the loudest of their leaders’ skew on the facts. Why? Because their leaders are right? Hardly! Because it fits into their pre-conceived agenda of control, domination and manipulation; the American way. Or should I say the redneck American way. In full regale the yahoos led by Jim Bobs marched on D.C. proclaiming an anti-socialist agenda and to make a statement. Over a million strong availed themselves of the right to demonstrate; in full view of the Congress and the President. This wouldn’t have happened in the Bush Administration, for they would have been relegated to demonstrating miles away.

With mantras like, “I want my America back”, many marched with self-righteous indignation like they “own” this country. What about the rest of us who want a better life? Are our opinions of no matter? Leaders who want power for themselves rule with control, domination and manipulation. They spin the facts to suit their needs and get even with those who disagree with them. They smear anyone who offers another opinion. If an opinion stands up to logic, based on facts, then it is worth debating. When conclusions about facts are embraced by people as true, it must stand up to scrutiny under the microscope. Also, it must be seen in a collective light as well. The Christian question is WWJD? Yet, many of these self-righteous 9/12er’s spin that question to defend a way of life that has hurt, moreover than helped, many people in the world.

The bottom line is that the 9/12er’s are preaching FEAR. Did Jesus preach fear? He preached obedience to God and respect for your fellow man. Not to take a position and posture yourself so that your viewpoint is right, whether it stands up to scrutiny or not. Remember the line he drew in the sand? Do most of you know what that idiom means? Have you taken the time to investigate the message of love and faith that Jesus taught? Or are you taking the easy way out and joining a mob of fear and defense based on an antiquated outlook of separatism? Are you enforcing fear at its peak like the Glenn Beck’s of the world or are you contributing to the growth and prosperity of your community? You decide. The facts are right in front of your face. Will you ignore them or support them? It’s up to you.

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.

Give the united way

On Thursday, September 10, 2009, I videotaped interviews at a United Way event for delawaredhispanic.com. When I arrived the 40 some kids were sporting their new United Way tees and smiles that could only come from a moment of getting out of school. After interviewing the director and one of the fundraisers we had an interesting conversation with an officer from DEDO about how much the United Way helps families in Delaware. Please visit their site at the United Way. True spirituality starts when people go out of their way to help other people. Be a part of a world that grows and nurtures the development of its people. Following is the press release for the last Thursday event that “stopped traffic”:

UNITED WAY OF DELAWARE “STOPS TRAFFIC” ON MARKET STREET MALL TO ANNOUNCE $20.5 MILLION 2009 CAMPAIGN GOAL

WILMINGTON, Del. (September 10, 2009) – United Way of Delaware (UWD) “stopped traffic” in downtown Wilmington at noon today to stage a “flash mob” and announce its fundraising goal for the 2009 statewide campaign. A group of ‘Live United Players,’ including United Way staff and first-grade students from Kuumba Academy performed in front of the Grand Opera House on Market Street Mall.

Organization leaders joined with community supporters and the general public to announce a 2009 United Way Campaign goal of $20.5 million and to underscore the importance of bringing donors together to support more than 100 social service agencies throughout the state. The campaign will run through the end of the year.

“We launched the campaign differently this year because, frankly, it can’t be business as usual anymore,” said Michelle A. Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Delaware. “Times are never easy for those who need our help, but things are tougher than ever this year.”

Taylor noted that the economic challenges of the past year have yielded a great deal of compassion from Delawareans, including the many community volunteers who help lead United Way’s appeals and partnerships. The kickoff event included United Way of Delaware’s 2009 Campaign Co-Chairs: Diane Gulyas, Group Vice President for DuPont Performance Materials, and Ted Becker, Managing Partner of Stewart-Becker Properties.

“If you’ve never given to United Way, this is your chance to be a real hero in your community,” Gulyas said as she reminded the crowd about the ease of payroll deductions to support community needs. “If you get paid 26 times per year, just one dollar per pay period can mean eight meals delivered to a homebound senior. Ten dollars per pay would mean three months of mentoring to help a young person stay on a positive path.”

About United Way of Delaware

United Way of Delaware’s mission is to maximize the community’s resources to improve the quality of life for all Delawareans. United Way of Delaware (UWD) works to advance the common good by focusing on the three building blocks to a good life: education, income and health. UWD is engaged in a long-term strategy to eliminate the root causes of Delaware’s most pressing social problems in New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties. UWD works collectively with business, government, social service agencies, academic groups, community organizations, and concerned citizens to effect positive, long-lasting solutions for today and into the future. For more information, to make a contribution, or to volunteer to work with UWD, please visit www.uwde.org or call (302) 573-3700.

This year’s goal is $20.5 million dollars. They can only reach that goal with your help. Give your donations, your time and your heart to those in need. The blessings you will receive will be multiplied over and over. The basis of spirituality is in the understanding that we are blessed with gifts and talents that we need to share. We are not islands on this earth. We are mountains and forests! Shine forth your light and bring joy to your friends and neighbors. Give the United Way!

For more info: Download my free Wilmington Spirituality Examiner toolbar. “Life is a gift. Be thankful for it and it will be replete with abundance. Encourage others to express creativity, release negativity and embrace pro-activity." ©2009 Dean A. Banks. All Rights Reserved. Dean A. Banks, MCIWD, DD can be reached at webproducer@hotmail.com or banksnet.com. Download my free eBook on Articles 1-10 here.