Post 500: My Top 10 Posts

"It’s not the number of followers you have or “likes” you get, it’s the strength of your bond with your followers that indicates how much anyone cares about what you have to say. In this game, the one with the most real relationships wins."

-- Gary Vaynerchuk, Entrepreneur

I have readers that think it's enough to read the intro to my posts to get the gist of where I'm taking it, and they're probably right... probably.  It's when these same people are critical of what I write that problems arise, knowing that they are too lazy to do me the courtesy of reading the post prior to commenting.  It is pretty easy to tell who reads and who doesn't by whether they get it, or not.  For some, though, the mere fact they don't get it is evidence that they really do get it.  I suppose, for them, they would be in denial of their "Aha!" moment.  How many times do each of us deny, outwardly, that which we know in our hearts to be true?  How many of these times do we really think others have bought into our bullshit denials?  Just a thought.

Gary Vaynerchuk is correct in the quote, above, when he says, "it’s the strength of your bond with your followers that indicates how much anyone cares about what you have to say."  Gary is an entrepreneur and, as such, for him business is a "game" to be won.  Thank God I don't have to worry about my blog making money.  For me, this is not some game to be won; it is not me against them.  For me, if I can help even one person along their path, I have accomplished something great.  After 499 posts I can say, with forced humility, I have received many comments of thanks, or agreement, which keep me on my own path.  I have also garnered the occasional constructive criticism, which keeps me humble, and lets me know where there is more work to do.  

One interesting aspect I have found about some of the critics of what I write is... they don't write.  Personally, I don't think many critics actually excel at what they critique.  It reminds me of the old adage, "Those that can, do.  Those that can't, teach."  But, with critics, I find their not knowing their ass from a hole in the ground to be a fairly evident shortcoming to their chosen profession.  Most seem intolerant of anything they don't personally like, and their ego helps to focus on their own transparency.  

Sometimes it's not what you say that matters, it's what you don't say.

- Spongebob Squarepants

I got into the habit, some time back, of trying restaurants which food critics gave bad marks.  I could almost guarantee myself that the meal would be exceptional.  It was the place with high marks one might better avoid.  If you don't have something nice to say, better to just shut the hell up and save face.  Luckily, my critics have been few.  This has allowed me to know them and dictate to whom I will pay the respect of response, and to whom I will simply allow my other readers to form their own opinion about.

I write these posts as much for me as I do to leave some legacy behind for my children, grandchildren, and friends.  I enjoy the task, and I think that's important.  You should love what you do in life, as much as you love the people you do it with, or for.

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”

-- Mother Teresa

For my 500th post, I went back through the other 499 to find those which seemed to get the most hits.  I suppose these are my "Top 10 Hits Parade" for the blog.  Four of the ten were from the weekly My Sunday Thought series, but the subjects were varied.  I am always surprised by which post will get mass attention, as it never seems to be the one I would assume.  But, then, I never for a moment thought Russia would account for my second highest number of hits, or that I would have readers in 60 countries around the world.

As you look through the Top 10, I hope you'll find one you might not have read.  Please feel free to click on the link and see if you can tell why it made the list to begin with.  You will note that I have an eleventh post at the bottom, Congregation for Religious Tolerance.   This post holds the number one position for the most hits, and I suppose that is only right since it is the primary driving force behind why I do this, and it would seem you all agree.  

• Joyful Hands
• Friends Along Our Path 
• "Not my circus, not my monkey"
• The Hypocrisy of Acceptance
• The Holocaust: A Museum for Tolerance
• The Path We Take
• Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places
• Correlation of High Religiosity In America with Everything Bad - My Response
• Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign!
• Je Ne Sais Quoi
• Congregation for Religious Tolerance

Thank you all for making these first couple of years, and 500 posts, a meaningful task along my personal path.  I will endeavor to not be repetitive in what I blog, but sin is, fortunately, not as varied or my repetitions would be much less.  I have also tried to keep politics out of the blog, which is also difficult in these times of religious persecution which our leaders either ignore or condone through their inaction.

I invite all of my readers, throughout the world, to contact me with their thoughts or concerns, to offer up "Guest Posts" for possible inclusion here, or to offer up topics which they feel are important to them, or might be important to others, for which they would like my humble input.

Thank you all, again, and my God bless believer and unbeliever alike, in the spirit of love, understanding, and tolerance.

You are my reason, and you constantly take my breath away.

“In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took,

but how many moments took your breath away.”

-- Shing Xiong 

Editor's Note 

(re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and then engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion and debate in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years as a military intelligence analyst, planner, and briefer, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we do afterward, and what we learn from the experience.

Frank Anthony Villari (aka, Pastor Tony)

Pastor Tony is founder of the Congregation for Religious Tolerance and author/editor of the Congregation's official blog site, "The Path."