My Friend Goliath
BY: SHAZIZZ MAN

Why does the sun shine when I am happy? Why does it rain when I am sad?
Most people can not sit down and read a book in one sitting even if it has a good story to tell, So I am going to do something special. I am going to write a book right here on facebook a little at a time. And if you stick with me and read along as I write, I promise you misspellings, poor grammar and misplaced punctuation and all, I will give you a story with insight inside my heart and mind. I hope to write for you the best story of all time with a point and a moral and maybe even a benefit for all of mankind. In this story I will poor out before the world with all of my heart and soul, and if anyone likes it and deems it worthy to share with a friend please do. Help me make our world a better place one possitive pebble at a time. 
The Story begins with My Friend Goliath 🙂

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My Friend Goliath
Somewhere in this world a miracle was born out of sight of any and all eye's. From a tiny little egg emerged a soul with a heart of gold, his name would come to be Goliath.
From the first ray of sunlight and the first peek out into the world Goliath had a great destiny to fulfill. He would travel many hard paths with dangers, adventures and so much more.
From the egg to his destiny Goliath would see the world that would mold him into what he would come to be, just a simple turtle to most but a great blessing to me.
See I too had traveled this world heading towards Goliath, and down a very hard path. I have said it many times, that I have seen things in my life that no man or women should ever have to see. I do believe in miracles and my hopes is that this story will show you why.
I can only speculate all of what must have been Goliath's trials and tribulations on his fascinating journey through life, but what I can say for sure after living through mine that meeting Goliath, was a miracle that gave me hope and a time and a place to really breathe, a soul to hang out with that gave me peace of heart and some peace of mind. Goliath, in the good book was a giant taken down by a small boy named David, that would one day become King. All of us have our own Goliath's to face and as we stand before them they seem to be so much more than we can handle and can leave us with doubt and despair even fear.
Some call these troubled times the valley of blessings because they make us into who we are and we learn so much about this thing we call life. After countless battles against the Goliath of this world and all of the fallout that came along with each and every retreat. I met a friend on the battlefield with a heart bigger than a giant and I named him Goliath and made him my friend. And so the story begins. 🙂

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My Friend Goliath
Everything in life seemed so big and had become so overwhelming. I retreated into my room at home turning it into my fortress of solitude and only means of defense against the Goliath's of the world that seemed to me to be chaotic and out of control, out to get me and my family,  knocking at both the front and back door wanting to get in to do me harm. Truth be told, I spent so much time in my room that I literally began to die, both inside and out. Travel to me was out of the question period!
Something had to be done and fast, because It seemed as though I could not breathe. All of the things that had happened and been seen on my journey through life had quite literally taken it's toll. I was as they say the dead man walking. My wife and my family, my friends stayed firm by my side and helped me so much through these troubled times. Their love and light, lit the path to the door as they helped me to gain the courage to step outside. After looking into the mirror and realizing that I had crashed so incredibly hard and needed to seek some help from somebody outside my circle to get a new perspective on this thing that was bringing me down. The miracle came by the name Ramona who was and is a patient advocate for veterans at the VA. She is wonderful, not just as a person. But as a listener and a women of strong faith. Her words and her actions, her heart and her concern gave me inspiration every time we met. I found someone who I could talk to that did not judge only tried to help me understand what was happening to me and how together we could see this thing through and begin to heal. She told me I should try to set time limits to staying in my room and venture outside to find anything in life to do. I took her advise, 13 acres of land gave me a safe zone to wonder outside. I began to see things that needed to be and things I wanted to be done. Don't get me wrong I had ups and I had really bad downs to get where it is that I believe I am today, I began working the land and becoming as they would say one with nature. Not to mention constant prayers to my God. I decided that my goal would be to try and turn this land into a mini version of the Garden of Eden as I believe it to be. As if to show the world outside what kind of place our world should be.
My journey lead to me to the shoreline of a lost and forgotten pond. Seriously neglected and out of balance this pond was covered in green. Little did I know that this pond held a treasure worth so much more than physical gold. I decided that day that this is where I shall start I will bring this pond back to life. 
For another time and another story this was not the only pond involved at the time, only this one was the home of  My Friend Goliath. 🙂

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My Friend Goliath
Goliath was watching, but I didn't even know he was there. Stealthily he would move about the pond, I imagine wondering who or what was this being and what does it want as he peered out of the murky waters to see this old man that was me. As I began skimming off the watermeal  and scum from the pond thinking about this world and life it dawned on me that this was the only way to save the world,  just one scoop at a time. 
With every passing hour the water would clear then fill back in a layer of green. Day after day the same old thing. The task became so huge and it seemed I was not even close to gaining any ground. It was then that I would put my mind to the test, research on how to get rid of the green. I decided after failed pumps and filters that I would recruit some help. Friends, gold fish, minnows and many other fish even some crawdads would help me clean this pond along with the introduction of natural plants. One day as I sat on a bucket scooping away at the green thinking to myself what a waste of time it happened. I had been feeding the gold fish floating pellets and had just a little in the cup left by my side. Suddenly out of nowhere this massive turtle head emerged from the water. He just sat there looking at me.
After a minute or so I spoke, I said "Well hello there how are you today?" he did not answer,  just kept looking at me. I spoke again "would you like some food?" still no answer. I reached into the cup and carefully not to scare him threw him a handful of food. He paused and then began to eat the food. When he was done he once again began to look at me, I spoke again "there is not much left in this cup, but I will give it to you and go get some more if you like and wait right here." I gave him the bit of food left and slowly got up so as not to scare him away and said " I will be right back." when I got out of his sight I ran to the house and filled the cup with food. Thinking to myself this is crazy, there is no way that turtle will be there when I get back!
To my surprise, he was still there and as I sat down he kept looking at me as if waiting patiently for me to fulfill the promise to him that I made. I threw him some food and he paused still looking at me trying to figure me out but then went on to eating.
Every day I would go back to the same spot and begin to work.
This turtle knew when I was there, he could hear the pond skimmer slapping against the side of the tree with every scoop of the water mill that I cleaned off. And as soon as I saw him I would pause cleaning then share with him some food from the cup in my hand. I talked to him explaining how I was cleaning his pond for him and hoped he could see better through the water and that I hoped he was enjoying the food. I went on to say you need a name. Seeing how you are the biggest turtle I have ever seen I will call you Goliath. And I will make a promise to you Goliath, "as long as you do not eat my goldfish I will bring you food twice every day" he seemed to agree! Life got easier for me that day I felt like I now had a purpose again. Better yet I received a blessing "My Friend Goliath" 🙂

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My Friend Goliath
"Goliath and the boat"  We all make choices in our lives that affect us personally. But sometimes other people make choices that affect our lives as well. Years ago a man made a choice out of anger that in an instant turned my world upside down, a choice that changed my reality in ways that I can not explain. Unless you have lived it the next best thing is the words that I speak if you have the ears to listen. I had been working every day on the pond to bring it back to life. Sometimes I neglected other things that may have been more important to some. But in my mind because of a choice made by someone else,  I have absolutely no concept of time. Time for me that day stopped forever, all that exists is the here and now. Chris found me a boat that I could use to work on the pond. But before I continue I have to tell you about the frog! 
I was sitting there on the bucket after feeding Goliath when suddenly I began hearing what sounded like a cry for help. I know by now I am sounding crazier by the second, but I heard it. Help! help! help! So I ran around the pond to see what was going on. I could hear the sound coming from a bush. When I went up to the bush and pushed the leaves aside I saw what first appeared to be a mouse, but ended up being a frog laying on his back. the frog flipped over and hoped off into the pond. Just then a huge black snake slithered off quickly from around the bushes. I realized I had just saved that frog from impending doom! The next day I was sitting on the bucket cleaning the pond waiting for Goliath to come around to say hello but he never showed. 
As I was skimming the pond, this frog swam up, turned around and sat facing the pond between my feet. Every move I made was cautious not to scare this frog away. The frog sat there as if knowing that as long as I was there this frog knew it would be safe. I thought to myself could this be the frog that I saved the day before? Seems word in that pond must travel fast because other frogs came as if they had absolutely no fear. I spoke to the the frog and called him or her whatever the case may be FROGGY and I said "You are safe as long as I am around that old sneaky snake won't get you" Tired of waiting for Goliath to show up I jumped into the boat and paddled out into the pond to seek him out and search for gold fish as well. I spotted Goliath, and he spotted the boat!  Goliath did not like the boat and I had crossed the line of his trust. After all it was his home being invaded by me in this big metal boat. Trust took awhile to earn with Goliath and with one simple boat ride our two worlds began to slip apart. When dealing with nature one must move slowly as to show no harm and only good intent. The world that we humans travel in can be very scary to us, So imagine the mind of a turtle with his new but strange friend. From that point on I walked and spoke softly as I interacted with nature and all there within. Animals of nature can learn your heart and those who know say they are people to. Goliath, was not in the least impressed by the boat. But as time passed he seemed to understand the boat was nothing more than a tool for the man.
Soon he would follow the boat as I would talk to him and throw him food. Rarely poking his head above water unless the boat was far away, but I could see his bubbles behind me as I paddled away, I knew he was there! Trust can be a very fragile thing while traveling through life. I know this for a fact because years ago someone shattered mine. and knowing how it feels I have sworn to never do that to another living soul as long as it was in my power to not do so. Many roads traveled, many dreams incomplete yet I now know that my destiny begins at the bottom of my own two feet. I had to decide weather to allow the ghosts of years done past dominion over me, did my life belong to them or did my life belong to me? Some would say, "and you got all this from spending time with a turtle? why? And a great big smile to them would be my only reply.
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My Friend Goliath
This world can be harsh and things in this world can be huge when they are happening to you. Understanding for others is the master key to knowing what you can do? Goliath started off his life inside the protection of an innocent little egg, And he after all of his trials and tribulations ended up in a scummy green covered broken down old pond where he met up with this tired broken down old man. He as well as I by this time may very well have had the same philosophy as in this pond stinks and this life stinks as well ! But at the moment  that this bond between man and turtle formed he saw hope in me as I saw hope in him. I would help him clean up his pond and he would help me heal mine. As I look into Goliath's eye's my heart warms with happiness from deep inside. Maybe it is this wild creature that just looks at me in wonder of what I am, or waiting for the next bit of food or even curiosity of what I might do. I like to think he looks at me with love in his big heart like I look at each of you. What ever the case may be in my mind I am a friend to Goliath and he is indeed a friend to me. Goliath has taught me so much about myself and the true meaning of life. One thing that I learned if you work hard for nature, nature will work hard for you.
I know this world is messed up, and I understand there are people in this world who are so much more worse off than me. My love goes out to each and every one. Miracles can and do happen and that my friend is so very true!  Most of the time if you look in the mirror you will see the miracle you have been waiting for is you. Other times it is your family and sometimes may be a friend, occasionally a stranger never the less the miracles never end and when you do not expect them to happen at all they come from the least likely of places such as in an old scummy green broken down old pond in the eyes of a turtle with a huge loving heart. This world is crying out to us, because just as we need this world this world needs all of us as well. We need each other. We need people to believe again, to believe in Love. to believe in God, to believe in Life or simply believe in each other or at the very least believe in the dream! The things that we could do together to make this world a better place. These things I saw as I looked into My Friend Goliath's sweet loving face.  🙂
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My Friend Goliath

Time has it's way in healing old wounds, but sometimes you have to take the first step outside your comfort zone to speed things along. It helps to have the support of others, but trust me when I say a little faith in yourself goes a long way as well.
I spent hours floating around in the pond on the boat just thinking. Goliath was never far away. In his mind I am sure that he knew by the silence something with me wasn't right. As well I am sure that you the reader probably agree with Goliath.
I mean after all who talks to a turtle and believes that the turtle understands? Regardless I felt at peace knowing he was near by. I floated around silently hoping to spot a glimpse of some gold fish. Crazy as that sounds as well I have myself convinced it is good luck for the day to see them as well as they bring me peace. The battle in my mind had raged on for so many years and as hard as I tried I simply could not find any peace.
Many years ago I left a Navy vessel behind and as I turned back one last time to take a look, I literally saw myself standing on board the ship. I turned away and left myself behind. I know that makes no sense to most, but that day haunted me ever since.
I swore that the new me would never step foot aboard another Navy vessel. I carried deep scars that I buried so far out of sight and mind that I convinced myself of a whole new life. And it wasn't until many years later that I would have to remember and relive them all. Time itself stopped for me that day and even to this very day I have absolutely no concept of time. In my mind I am still 19, but my body tells otherwise. Every day is a shock to look in the mirror. The constant ringing in my ears and the metal in my skull, the terrible loss of memory. I could not even tell you how I got here where I am today. I just know that I am here and someone or something carried me through. The years of struggles are beyond words. I won't go into all that any further at this time, Just know that if I made it this far you can to.
Goliath is more than just a turtle in this story to me, he became a symbol of hope and more than that my friend.  🙂
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My Friend Goliath
Goliath swam up to the shore of the pond to see me. He had been watching me work on the dam.
 A little bit by little bit the pond was looking so much better. 
See I think he knows a few things, one of which is he knows I mean him no harm. Quite the contrary he knows I bring good things,  with exception maybe of the boat and even that he is getting use to. I was sitting on an old wooden stool taking a break looking at my work when I saw him poke his head above the water. I said "well hello there my friend and asked him if his pond was looking better" Goliath sat the intently listening to my every word. I asked him are you hungry? then I said you wait right here and I will run and get you some food, I will be right back! I dashed off to get him some food and when I had returned there he was waiting for me again. Seems he knew if I gave him my word I would be back so he waited for me.
See there are people who believe we humans are nothing more than parasites or a disease on this earth, but we are not! We are merely students of life. We have forgotten what and who we really are and what amazing things it is that we are capable of.
We quite literally were given the power to create as we where made in the likeness of our creator. We have a choice of weather to be great caretakers or great destroyers of this gift that was laid at our feet. Because we forgot and began making selfish choices in this world, nature became angry and all the animals began to fear our very presents. We have so much more power as humans than you can possibly imagine.
Every choice we make affects everything and everyone around us. If I say to you we can fix every problem of this world and you believe it, together we will make it so. If I say to you we can fix every problem of this world and you doubt it,  then it will never come to pass. No one person of all of us can do it alone and that seems to be the big secret of the day. We need the combined power of each and every one of us to make this world a better place. We do have the power to make it happen if only we chose to use it. My Friend Goliath, believes in me and is teaching me how to once again believe in myself. His pond was in such terrible shape and the task at hand would be enormous! But a little faith at a time and a lot of hard work and results began to show. Nature itself had smiled down upon me and that pond for all my efforts, the animals and birds began to arrive as if in some sort of fairy tale story, except this one is true.  🙂
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My Friend Goliath
Without her it would not have been possible to face the demons of my past. But there we stood placing our footprints in the sand.
I wondered would Goliath be ok or even miss me when I would be gone for 5 day's? It was not my ship but it was a ship,  a US Navy vessel that I was about to board after all these years. One would only have to know the real me and the whole story to understand how big of a deal this really was to me. I needed to be here and I needed to do this. My wife knew this, and she knew that just getting me away from home this far was a miracle in itself! The flood of memories and emotions as I stood aboard this peace of history was more to me than words could say, The stories of the past echoed through my mind. The men and women who served aboard not just this vessel but all of Naval history ran through my mind. Not every battle field is the same and some do not even have to go to war to find themselves on their own personal battle field. Each of you know what I am talking about because many of you have been there. Some of us win with the hand of cards that life itself has dealt us. but for others like myself who found themselves in the middle of the battle field journeyed through our own personal hell in search of true peace. This trip to Michigan for me came with much more than a trip so far away with the one I love so dear. I brought with me some extra baggage in my heart and mind. At times I felt like I wanted to turn back and retreat to the safety of my home. But as I knelt there touching the sand a feeling of blessedness flowed through my heart because I was there with my best friend and she has always had my back, I love her so very much. I hope that you understand that I do not believe this world is all about me, I just want you to know what it is that I see and give you and idea of what it means to be me. I really do believe in the dream and I really do believe in you. This world may be harsh at times but as My Friend Goliath has been teaching me we can fix these things together you and me. All of us who love one another and this world that we live in, this amazing gift we have been given are waiting for the rest of you to just understand that together in life there is nothing that we can not do to make our home so much of a better place for all those to come. Future generations simply living in true harmony with nature and peace and love with one another. It took a very long and hard road for me to come to understand what life was truly about. But now that I get it because of a turtle named Goliath I am opening my heart to let this love pour out.  🙂
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My Friend Goliath
They say that behind every good man is a great women. Apparently in nature this holds true as well! 
Until I get a battery for my camera you will just have to take my word for this and I will get you pictures if I can.
None the less, her name is Molly. Not quite as big as Goliath, but very close. How I found out was a bit odd to say the least! I was showing some family around the pond and sharing the story with them about Goliath, I told them how when I put food out for him he would show up, But for this time he didn't show right away.
I was saying Goliath is going to make a liar out of me today I guess. Suddenly Steven says "does that turtle have two heads?" I replied not that I am aware of, right then I looked in the direction he was pointing and there was Goliath. 
I then said well that explains why he didn't show up, seems he has a girlfriend! I will leave the rest of that up to you. 
The story gets even more interesting.
Among all the turtles that share this pond there is one I forgot to mention, His name is Spike, I call him this because he seems to have a broken tale that sticks straight up in the air all the time like a periscope on a submarine. I imagine he got it in a fight with another snapping turtle and his tale did not fare so well if you know what I mean.
It is kind of funny because the day we met Molly,  Steven also pointed across the pond at what he thought was a stick swimming around in circles as we where looking for Goliath. 
I laughed and said no that is Spike and he has a broken tale. Spike is a character, no matter how sneaky he thinks he is you can always know where he's at because of the periscoping tale. Sometimes when I throw food out for Goliath and now Molly as well, 
Spike will stealthily  sneak up and I have to laugh because I know he is there. We will get back to him later, 
I have to be careful now that Molly is in the picture because she is so close to the same size as Goliath that I have been fooled by her.
Sitting there having a conversation with Goliath and look across the pond and there he is, WHAT? I then apologize to Molly for calling her Goliath. Funny thing is, that she too looks out of the water at me as if listening intently to my every word or maybe simply thinking when is this old man going to shut up and throw me some food? 
Regardless of the case you have to admit it is very cool.
Nature is amazing and if you look hard enough you will see nature has character as well. And that my friend is why I believe they say animals are people too!  🙂
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My Friend Goliath
It has been said that life isn't all about fun and games. I know this from personal experience that this can be true. When you feel as if you are up against the world all alone doing battle with the dragons or facing off a giant? It becomes all to easy to let all hope sweep itself under the rug so to speak. Sometimes our pride or even concern for others,  to not allow them  to be burdened by our worries or despair will cause us or even give us self justification to bottle this up and suffer this alone. We are social beings and are not really meant  to go through this battle alone.  We have family and friend by our sides that if we let them will help us through if only we will allow them to. Sometimes however family and friend can be to close to see the big picture and it is ok to reach out to a stranger to get a new perspective on things in your life. The hidden blessing in reaching out to a total stranger is that you usually end up with a new and very special friend. It is so easy to be a good speaker if you speak from the heart, but it is much more important not just for yourself but others around you as well, to be a great listener.
People who are listeners are very special souls, they come with very special wisdom because all that they have paid attention to.
When you find someone like this take it easy on them for they are people to. They have lives and family and problems as well.
Their minds and hearts are not dumping grounds for all the negativity of the world, they are people with enough love and concern in their hearts to care and listen to others. These people that I speak of are all around you and are a true blessing in your life and that means that you are never truly alone unless you chose to be so. The process of healing never seems to come quickly and most often takes a very long time. So you have to learn to be patient with yourself and others to reach your goal.
I have traveled down many hard roads and have seen so much more than time will allow me to say. On this journey through life I learned so much!  I have been heard to say many times "LIFE IS LIKE WRESTLING A CACTUS IT IS PAINFUL AS HECK!". As funny as that may sound and even mostly true, it really didn't have to be so bad and could have even been really great. But if you are honest about it? would you be the person you are today if life was perfect? would you have so much love in your heart?
Maybe for some this would be the case, but the lack of perfection has left this world jaded if you know what I mean.
The misfortunes of life has even been known to harden the hearts of the once good souls. Life is after all a school house where in we are all students one and the same. We all learn to love or we learn to hate. We are creators of our own destiny as a family here on this once beautiful earth. I have chosen to bring a once forgotten pond back to life, so to show myself and this world that  it can be done and we have the power to make the dream come true. And with that said, we all have the power within us to make all of this worlds most amazing dreams come true. My prophecy for the future would be that using all these gifts that we have been given from what I believe was our creator, that the day that we decide to truly come together that we literally have the power to create a heaven on earth. If not then I also believe that it will take a divine intervention from the great beyond to save us and this world from ourselves as all of mankind. So my heart says preaching peace, hope and love is what I am here to do.  🙂
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My Friend Goliath
Sometimes being human stinks! 
Just like the seasons, friends come and go into our lives. We as humans have to learn to understand that each of us and our friends have our own and their own journeys in life to travel.
So we gather memories and trinkets to carry with us and in our hearts and minds to remember these special souls and good times. 
Fall is always a somber time for me and it sometimes gives me the feeling of sadness in my heart that a part of life is coming to a close. Some would say this time is a time of rest and renewal, but for me I find it very hard to let go.  Don't get me wrong I love life, but I fear the pain of it as well. 
They say that nothing lasts for ever, I disagree. Love lasts for ever if that Love is true. Very special people in my life filled my heart so full of love that I today have so much love to spare. 
As I sat there watching the sun rise waiting for Goliath to show up,  a leaf fell and landed in the water. I watched as the wind circled the leaf around. My mind began to travel through time. I relived memories of the past some good and some bad. 
I called out for Goliath. 
"where are you buddy I said. Goliath, Goliath, where are you pal?" He did not show. 
I then called out once more " Goliath, Molly, Spike anyone?" 
still nobody showed. 
A single tear rolled down the side of my cheek and at that moment in time I felt so alone.
Suddenly a tiny head poked up from the water and looked at me.
For this story and because of his size I will call him Pee Wee. 
Not really original but it kinda really does fit. Pee Wee looked at me with a curious eye, I asked him "have you seen Goliath?" and just as fast as he showed up he dashed under water and swam away. A bit of laughter filled my heart and I spoke out loud " why you little turkey, I didn't want to talk to you anyway" I laughed out loud. 
For some strange reason I envisioned Pee Wee swimming at top speed to find Goliath to give him the news of my presents or even that the old man with the food is sitting by the shore waiting for him. A bit of time had passed and I was about to give up and go back to my room. 
As if a couple of friends from the past just stopped in to check on you, from the water emerged not just Goliath, but Molly as well. Just like in life they did not stay long, we shared a bit of food and some kind words and went our separate ways. It is times like this that we should be thankful of the time we get to share with one another, for these are the best of times. 
Often life brings with it disappointment and heartache.
But most often life brings good memories and times of happiness as well. Letting go of the past and troubled times is not always easy. but sometimes needs to be done for our own sake. 
Goliath and Molly and even Pee Wee reminded me of this that day. 
We are never truly alone and help is never far away. 
Crazy as it may sound to you I feel like they stopped by to check on me that day. 
Though you may find life to be so busy that you do not have the time to see an old friend, check up on each other now and then when you can. 
Those little moments mean so much more than you think.
Through all of my trials and tribulations in life I now know that I have truly been blessed with people who care. I have so many stories to tell about each of them and do tell their tales every chance that I can.
I want people to hear the tales of the wonderful, sad, scary or even fun times with each and every one of them. Those were the good times and the adventures of a life time with each of them being a one of a kind. No two stories are one in the same and each of you my friends are truly one of a kind. 
This world needs you! all of you. 
My story is that I am a very odd duck who finds blessings in everything and even the tiny things like Pee Wee are a very big deal to me. 
Though I spend so much time fearing life I have learned to have the most profound respect and thankfulness for life as well. They say life is short and to live every day as if it were your last, but because of my faith I do not fear my last day. I only want to leave everyone a good memory each time we meet and then when we part. I want them to carry away with them a little love from my heart. Because of this life and all that I have learned I dare to dream what some would say to be the impossible dream. 
We are all still struggling to heal from some of life's deepest wounds. Goliath the turtle has taught me that together that the impossible dream becomes the possible dream when we give peace, hope and love, each other and life a chance. 
Last but not least "FAITH" can go a very long way as well for you as I believe it has for me.  🙂
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My Friend Goliath
The good book said, Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.﻿
Pause with me for a moment, walk softly with me to a quiet place in time. Let us sit quietly together by the shore as we listen closely for a very special sound. Ignore the train passing and the cars as they rumble down the road and pass us by. 
The sound that we are listening for is so much more important and when you here it my hope is that you will understand why.
Don't close your eye's just listen and watch silently with me. 
In the background there is a rooster, to the left a Blue jay and a Robin to the right. The sounds of crickets,  the splashing of fish.
Even frogs jumping about. The rustling of branches as squirrels shake the hickory nuts and walnuts out. The wind as it blows through the leaves of the trees. See the shadow of the hawk as it passes us by. The footsteps of the rabbit through the grass and the little field mouse as it scurries by. There are so many more sounds and much more for us hear. Can you hear it now as natures song begins? A symphony of life written specifically for you and I. No one else on earth can here it but you and me from this special spot where we sit in this moment in time. I am honored and humbled to be blessed to see and hear this next to you. As the symphony plays on, from the water emerges My Friend Goliath, who has come to join us at this wonderful place in this moment in time. This is the miracle that with words from my heart I am attempting to share with you. Though life at times seems to be hectic and at the very least racing by,  try if you will to imagine seeing this all through a turtles eye's. I think turtles walk slowly just observing it all as they journey through time from spring to fall, maybe sleeping through winter dreaming of it all.
My wish is the world could hear what I hear and see what I see and become as thankful for this amazing gift given to us all you and me. What ever happened to me way back then had set me on this path where I would in this day meet an unlikely friend.
I now see this world in such a very hard to explain or even a magical way. There are those who would say I am crazy, and others who would say that I have been blessed. regardless of the case I feel My Friend Goliath has inspired me to share with each of you this experience in a some what strange but yet most profound way. If it were not for these daily struggles and not always pleasant journeys through life,  I don't think I would be able to find these words to say and maybe even like some on earth I may have never have found the blessing of seeing the light. I believe I do understand the meaning of life and the true meaning of Love. And if it is alright for me to say to you,  I believe it comes from our God in the heavens above,  who holds in heart  a very special love just for you to.  🙂
"see next post"

My Friend Goliath
It is said that,  to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
Autumn lays down a beautiful blanket of leaves as all of nature prepares for winter. I began my daily rounds to feed my gold fish and work my way from pond to pond to spend time with My Friend Goliath, but to my surprise when I arrived at the first pond closest to the house Goliath was there waiting for me. I said to him "well hello there! How did you get all the way up here?".
My feelings where that he was on his way to an adventure doing what ever it is that turtles do in winter and wanted to stop by to see me before he left. I shared some food with him and talked to him for a bit then continued making my rounds. Later it had dawned on me that I may never see him again. A sadness filled my heart and I told myself maybe he will stay around and I will see him tomorrow. We humans make bonds and we like to believe that the good times will last forever and that friends and loved ones will always be there. Unfortunately things usually never turn out that way. But the memories that we gather on this journey through life always remain in our hearts. I don't want you to feel sad about that. because it is a wonderful gift that has been given to us by our loved ones even if at the time our hearts feel pain having to let go. I believe that we will find each other again someday.
Goliath taught me some very important things during my times with him. Most of all that love is all around you if your willing to let it in and the good times are now and every day if you will allow it to be so. We spend so much time beating ourselves up that we miss out on so much of this glorious gift called life.
We are meant for so much more than words can explain.
If there is but one candle in the darkness shinning its light the the darkness can never win. Each of you are a candle, Goliath was my candle when I needed him the most, and as he opened my eyes wide searching for him he showed me that there where candles everywhere all lit bright and shining there light not just for me but all of you as well. I held in my hand a shinny polished rock with beautiful colors and a blessing filled my heart and soul.
I got to see this world from the very first day of creation in my mind and the beauty was just to amazing to explain with words.
Time had encrusted the stones at our feet with years of dust and hid away its beauty from us all. Imagine walking with me on that very first day of creation down the shoreline of beautiful stones how amazing it would be with everything so new. I believe that one day we will get to see this, until then together we will begin to see that as Goliath showed me there is still so much of this beautiful gift even here in our world today. With a little bit of hard work and a whole lot of love together we as humans can make it all shine once again for all of mankind. Our creator made no trash only treasures that were then gifted to us out of love.
If only once you could see what I see these word I write would begin to make as much sense to you as they now make to me.
You, each of you, all of you are so very important maybe even more than you will ever know. If we wish for a better world it is up to us all to make it so, God bless each and everyone of you as I know in my heart he surely will, if you just open your hearts and let the real you shine. 
Now I got all of that from what I believe to be an angel from God in the form of a turtle and an army of angels in the form of each of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart and to My Friend Goliath.   🙂
                  "THE BEGINNING" never the end!

Love your family, Love yourself, Love your friends, Love your pets, Love everyone!

LOVE IS THE ANSWER AND THANK GOD FOR IT ALL.

SPECIAL THANK YOU LIST:

THIS BOOK I DEDICATE TO ALL THE VETERANS
AND TO EVERYONE WHO SERVES THEIR COMMUNITY IN ANY WAY "THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE".
While our brave men and women fight for freedom and justice there are hero's keeping home alive. The waiter and waitress, the bus driver, truck drivers, teachers, firemen and police, security gaurds and officers, the cooks, the chefs, the clerks, cashiers, paper boy or girl or even man, the trash man, bus boy, dish washer, janitor or maintance man, nurses and doctors dentist,  people from every nation every job and even the unemployed. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE" YOU EACH AND EVERYONE KEPT HOME ALIVE. I am a vetran and a proud american who loves his country and loves you all. Thank you for allowing me the great honor of serving you. The good book said, Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called children of God, If you believe this and know someone on the battlefield of life anywhere in this world please share my message with them so they will know they are never alone and together We The People of the world can find peace and love in our hearts.
                    Thank You again and may God Bless us all.