Big Thoughts from PGH Medium, Rev. Rivera

  Luca This week, I got to spend some time with my 3 year old great-nephew Luca. We were playing outside where he has a play station that reminds me of a pirate ship, in the yard were some magnetic fishing poles...we used those poles to chase my sister's dog around. That dog is a Cane Corso, he's a 190 lb love muffin named Mac. We pretended that the dog was a huge fish, we laughed and got dirty and I got stuck trying to cram my fat ass in his pirate house and even knocked the doors off when I tried to climb out and FELL over. We laughed like 3 year olds do when they play. We eventually ended up in the front yard when Luca casually turned on the hose and well, my mom and I gave him a wet sweatshirt contest..LOL!  This kid makes me laugh and remember why we do all the grown up things we do. We do them, so that we can love on our people. We do the things we do, because we have bills to pay and we have to make a living, but when it all boils down, what we really want is to laugh a...

Do you have to believe in God?  Wow what a loaded question! Recently, a new friend asked me this , thanks Dawn. How would I "do what I do" without a belief system that honors the Creator of the infinite universes in existence? I believe it would be impossible for me ,  but you may or may not be able to "do what you do" without that same belief system.  When I say "do what you do" I mean, live your life. There are many components to living.. like how you do your work, parent your children, make your decisions about how you spend your time and energy and loyalty. You can function well without any sort of belief system that includes a scripted version of God/ess, Great Spirit, Higher consciousness... the God of your understanding for lack of anything else to say since the list could go on and on. You may simply prescribe to a moral code of right and wrong. Your code of ethics may be more or less evolved than that too. Who should say? We live in a ...

During a recent conversation with my therapist, I brought up the subject that I think everything has a deeper meaning.  I do like to think about those deeper meanings when I have the time. There's a saying that we "make time for what's important". Which seems to be the well spring for this blog. I'm making time for deeper reflection because it is important to me. What do you "make time" for? Creating music or art or  poetry? I used to write so much poetry that Ifeel like it fell out of me when Iwalked. Do you make time for friends, family, pets or a social club? Alicia (my wife) and I play poker in the Elite Poker league. We play for different reasons. She is super social. Have you met her? That's why we get along so well in that we are complete opposites in every way, especially in that she is super social and well, I am NOT. I like to observe people's behavior and she likes to engage. SO poker is the perfect place for us both to participate in ...

 Cancel Culture There's been so much buzz lately about "cancel culture" that I could not NOT write about it. Do you know what it means? Cancel Culture is a term that refers to when  someone is thrust out of social or professional circles – whether it be online, on social media, or in person. Those who are subject to this ostracism are said to have been "cancelled"  The latest victim to lay at the the cancel culture throne? Chris Harrison of the famed Bachelor series. TO be honest, I do watch the show/s ( OHH the shame!!) .  I don't even like the shows, so I am not sure why I keep up with them. I don't like the premise of the show, I don't like how the platform deifies the bachelors and in many ways villifies the bachelorettes for doing the same thing as the main male characters. I don't like the shows so much that by the end of each pilot episode, I am yelling at the TV hahhaahah. I guess I keep watching for the same reason we can't turn awa...

 Why do the Woo Woo folks like crystals so much? In every bad joke about hippies and fortunetellers etc, someone is holding a crystal to the forehead... LOL  YES this may be how I choose my outfits everyday ! LMAO!  I am laughing because when I was in seminary school, I remember taking some crystal classes and laughing about the stereotype, and remarking to myself that I would NEVER get that cliche'........... well fast forward 20 some years and I am like my own crystal method dealer !!  I think crystals are feel-good reasons to get outta bed every day ! I am fairly certain that I have never seen a stone I don't like, have you? Crystals are like "Rock Candy" to me!  You’ve got a problem? There’s a crystal for that. HAHAHA From being broke to a broken heart, crystals have been said to have physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and metaphysical powers, even though there are few if any actual studies to verify that they have supernatural or healing properties. Bu...