Working With Being Up and Down

Five years ago my cousin Rob his son Mike was in a bad accident skiing. He actually helped coach the Canadian Olympic team. While getting ready for the 2014 Olympics he was showing a maneuver which went wrong and he had to be sent to the hospital in Denver, Colorado with a spinal cord injury. He was in the hospital for a couple weeks or so before being moved to a hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia.

A miracle happened where he recovered from his injury. He isn’t able to ski competitively any longer so he now encourages youth about their lives especially those who have accidents and get discouraged at this same.

In a lot of ways, Mike does the same thing I do with this site except he does so in person. I would call him a motivational speaker. He now is a co-founder of a website for those in competitive sports to help them prevent injuries. The site is headstartpro so if you have a child or you are involved in sports you check it out.

What Mike went through and what he has done on the other side is amazing. He not only been an inspiration to all of us we call family but for many others as well especially throughout Canada.

I figure whatever I can to encourage others can be an inspiration as well. Though he felt his purpose in life was to ski and he wasn’t able to continue because of his accident he became involved in a greater purpose.

Finally, Mike has said, “the downs in our lives help us appreciate the ups more.” Thank you, Mike, for all that you have done. 

We Should Believe In

There are three things we should believe in for our purpose to succeed.

We must believe in God our creator who has given us our purpose, talents, gifts, and destiny. We must believe in ourselves and our purpose.

Another on our list of beliefs should be faith to move mountains. We may never move a mountain however there are many things we can move having faith.

Having the fullness of belief in God, us, purpose and faith we should be able to move those things in people’s lives that are keeping them away from being all they can be.

Use the rest of this month to think about what you can do further to use your purpose. Whatever level we are at in our purpose we should be able to go even further. Remember this isn’t just for us but for those we help. Amen!

Good Stories Returns

I decided today to repeat a story I wrote early on in my blogging. I wrote this back in November 2015. Probably tell you have far I have come in my writing as well.  Enjoy!

Good Stories

In this time it is hard to find really good stories. If you look online or through the newspaper you will find some of those good stories. It really seems like the readership or viewing is better when the stories are about tragedy or something bad has happened. We all know those kind of stories are out there because so much tragedy happens whether close to us or in our lives itself.

 Even the weather when it goes bad makes the headlines. I find sometimes the weather is told in the fashion where it is a lot worse than it really is. Another area close to weather is traffic accidents where people either die or at the least takes people a lot longer get to work or at least their destination. Most of those accidents happen because of poor weather.

At least here in the northwest, we don’t have tornadoes or large snow storms like in the Midwest or on the East Coast. My brother told me last week that are high winds made the national news. I find it normal for November and of course, a lot of rain makes the news as well.

 What really would make the news as far as the weather goes here would be a snow storm or an earthquake. We have neither of those very often anyway. Well, I have to say we do have some earthquakes; however, most of the time they are very small so they only make the local news. It is amazing though we could get two or three inches of snow on one occasion and the local news will make it bigger than it should. I have to guess it helps with the ratings.

Most people here though have trouble driving in snow even if it an inch or two on the ground. The truth is most people are bad drivers around here. The good news I am a good driver. I figure to put in the good with the bad at least.

November we have had a lot of rain along with the wind storms. The good news though the weather has been nice over the Thanksgiving weather though it has been cold into the 20s at night and mid-40s during the day.

 Yesterday though I volunteered to help the youth at my church in selling Christmas trees; I had a good time doing so except the cold weather. I was out doing my good deed for three hours and got my hands and feet cold despite wearing gloves. I am going out to do my good deed again this Sunday and then next Saturday. I went out after my first day doing my good deed by getting warmer socks and gloves. We did have an outdoor fire made to help us keep warm along with a propane heater for the ladies who take care of taking the money from the customers. The money for selling trees goes to the youth group and feeding the poor as well. It is a very good cause indeed.

Though good stories are hard to find I figure we can make our own good stories especially this time of the year since so many people are in need. The most important thing is to recognize the talents that we have and use those to help others. Even if you don’t have a lot of talent you can go alongside those who do.

 Every group that is out there this time of the year can use the help. If you can sing at least a simple tune at the very least find some of your friends and go out caroling. Older people in nursing homes would love to hear you sing. For one thing, they do not get many visitors around the year so if you can go see them and give good cheer than you have made a good story in their lives.

 This is the time of the year old St. Nick will remember for you are being good and not naughty. So be a good story in you. Happy Holidays!

Love Always

Our greatest gift given to us is love. This holiday season we feel the love greater than any other time of the year.  We should love always, however, we find hard to love sometimes.

Every day we are going along doing the purpose we were created to do love should be motivation behind our gifts and talents. We love what we do and we love those we do it for.

When we give or receive our material gifts we should remember the love behind them along with the natural and spiritual gifs we use.

Now we are starting the second half of December we should be thinking on next year and how we can improve in our purposes. Also, we should keep our eyes open for those we can help. It doesn’t matter whether they are rich or power or weak or strong or happy or sad everyone can use our help. What makes this worthwhile we are helped as well. Happy holidays to all. 

It’s Almost Christmas

I know there are those who are ready for Christmas right after Halloween or Thanksgiving or hearing Christmas songs wherever you go, however, reality set in for me yesterday when I got a couple gift packages in the mail.

Actually, I have known Christmas is coming for a little while though it is unbelievable because time goes by so fast doesn’t it. I feel we just got over summer and then fall arrived. The weather has been kind until this last week and the temperatures had been warmer than normal as well.

The amazing thing is family was prepared this year. The gifts usually don’t arrive until next week however the thought is the most important thing. It would be nice to open the presents now but I am being good and wait.

Remember the greatest presents though are each other. Giving our time and energy to each other; of course, love is in the middle of it all.

Although we still have eleven days until Christmas I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and add in a Happy New Year. May this be the best holiday season you have on record. Amen!

Let It Snow

Right now we are getting a lot of rain in the towns and cities here in Western Washington while the mountains are getting a good bit of snow. Until a few days ago the weather has been sunny and dry. Everyone likes to see the sun most of the time however rain and snow both need to come.

I wish we had some snow like the mountains. I have to say most people except children, of course, would rather have rain so they don’t have to drive in the snow. I don’t have any problem driving in the snow. We do have a lot of hills around here so living on or next to a hill can be difficult to getting starting.

The mountains have been lacking the snow so those who want to ski have been aching to do so. I heard a couple people last week wanting to snow in the mountains so they could go skiing.

This made me think often we don’t agree on things. In some situations, we have to have a mediator to solve the disagreement. It takes a wise person with experience to decide on how to resolve the issue. This brings to mind as well we have mentors too. We want to have changes in our lives and the mentor has a life we would like to have or at least come close to anyway. This can be so rewarding for the one wanting to be mentored and the one mentoring.

 So back to letting it snow. Although I like to have snow here the likelihood of it happening is not great. We usually get snow once or twice a winter and it doesn’t really stay around long. I do remember as a child and young adult we had a lot more snow back in the day. No, I didn’t walk to school for miles in the snow. There was a time I walked home in the snow though however, the distance was a little over a mile. 

So if you live where there is snow you are a blessed person. Throw a snowball just thinking of me in your mind and I say thank you. 

A Special Gift

This time of the year many are buying gifts for their loved ones and friends for Christmas. Some gifts have more meaning than others though they can all be special because of the people giving them to us.

The reason I am writing this to remind us the gifts are not really the most important thing it is the people behind the gifts. Actually, every one of us is a special gift. We are here because God considers us special. We may not know it or feel this way most of the time however this is true.

So today treat everyone you meet plus yourself as the special gift. You will feel better and have a richer life. 

Interesting Times

This year coming to a close we continue to know we are living in interesting times. In politics, we have the left, far left, right and the far right. I am sure we have people in the middle too.

Most Christians believe we are living in the end times. I am sure we are however most have believed since Jesus Christ came on scene two thousand years ago. Even the disciples believed he would return in their time.

I read the Book of Revelation in the New Testament at least three times a year. I don’t try to figure all things out however I do wonder whether somethings have been written have already happened or not. Are all the prophecies still in the future?  At this point, God hasn’t revealed it to me as of yet. I am not saying this to say I am the one person he will do so. I am sure there are those God has revealed to some point or another.

Now back to interesting times. This is why so great a time for us to be alive to see what more happens in these days.  We were all born for a purpose and this time to shine.

So many people seem to have lost hope these days and whatever hope we can share the best we can do. Use the purpose given to you to bless others. Going into 2019 and beyond bless others to the best of our abilities. A year ago I said for this year to be let’s do it. Now for 2019 let’s bless others.

Remember you are special for a purpose you were only created to do. Amen!

Our Heart In

During the holiday season, it does become easy for us to give our hearts out to others unlike the rest of the year. The state of the world these days it is understandable why we don’t let others in.

I remember growing up though I had issues it was easy to trust people in those days while now hard to know who to trust and who not to trust.

Personally, I don’t worry much about who to trust and who not to trust. I don’t have any children so for me it is easier. These days it is harder to trust others with your children.

As a child, I was able to get out and around without my parents worrying much about me. Now parents have to be protective of their children. This is where I believe our hearts come in the equation. We can’t automatically let others in but we must find a way to do so with those close to us.

The world has become closer together with the internet and social media. Often people are being slammed by others even those close primarily because of politics. Here in the United States anyway families have been divided over the last election in 2016. With the next election coming up in two years for the presidency again this will be trouble and might get a lot worse.

I try not to let the difference of people opinions about politics to bother me. The hardest part these days I have old friends who speak negatively about President Trump on a daily basis. I am not a fan of his but it is tiring to see so instead I hide the posts when they come through. I amazed people can be so obsessed about him. I can understand doing some warning but day after day come on people.

So this is where our hearts draw away from each other so much. Let’s get back to drawing our hearts together regardless difference of politics or whatever else going on. Amen!

Interesting People

I am sure I have mentioned a number of times I enjoy meeting people. Everyone is interesting in one way or another.

On Saturday I met a man who I think he is interesting. I am sure he is like most being different than expected by looking at his cover.

His name is Stephen and he is new in the area. He is staying with a friend or he would be homeless. I don’t know much of his story in recent times other than he lost his savings.

Stephen told me he is a retired doctor and pastor. He has a daughter going to college at Portland State University and she is majoring in music. He will be going down to Portland in a few days to spend Christmas with her.

He told me he has written a book and is looking for a publisher. I hope he does well with the book so he can land back on his feet financially. Right now he is living on social security and it is not enough money to live on especially finding a place to rent.

Anyway to say all this is he told me the only reason he is still alive is he has a purpose in life. I told him he is correct and the reason we are all here still because we do have a purpose.

It is so nice to when I talk to someone and they recognize that they have a purpose in life. Not everyone recognizes they have a purpose.

So whenever you have the time to pray do so for Stephen. I am sure he can use all the prayers he can get just like us. Amen!

Friendship

Whatever our purpose is being friendly should be part of it. However, there are those we should mentor while others we should have a friendship with.

We can actually be a mentor well as a friend at the same time. Often mentoring comes out of friendship. I would call it the next step.

The whole thing though about our purpose in life we should do more of caring than out of doing for the gifts and talents we have. Other words we should not do something because we want to have points added on by doing works. We do all things for the greater good of all involved.

We all need friendship besides being friendly. It doesn’t mean we will gain friendship with everyone we are friendly too. The reason is we don’t have the time to be friends to everyone we meet. We can be friendly when we see them but there are those we will be friends with too. We have to see who they are and act accordingly.

Saying Goodbye

In a way, it is a follow up to the last post about George H.W. Bush we all know someone who has passed on recently whether our parents’ generation or ours for that matter.

Thursday I went to a funeral of a lady I have known most of my life. I grew up with her daughter and son-in-law. Her daughter we were in Sunday school together.

It was nice to say goodbye to her and see some familiar faces. I found out before the service her brother passed away a couple days ago so the family will be mourning further as well.

I have known friends who have lost both parents in a manner of weeks so losing siblings close in time isn’t surprising either though difficult.

Saying goodbye is for a period of time. We will see each other someday again whether days, weeks, months or years in the next life. This is where hope comes because I do believe this isn’t the end only the time in-between. We will see those we love and known throughout life again.

I find enjoyable at a funeral or memorial service about someone I knew since childhood and they were an adult what they did before having a family.

Her grandfather came to Gig Harbor, Washington right when it was coming alive. He came to Gig Harbor just over one hundred and thirty years ago back in the 1880s. She was born and raised in Gig Harbor. She went to a small schoolhouse which anyone can visit now because it is right next to the Harbor History Museum.

Many of the children of today living get to see and learn about the city of Gig Harbor where she spent most of her life. In the last few years, she moved to eastern Washington into her daughter’s home near the Columbia River because of her health however her heart never left her home of Gig Harbor where she now rests.

It was so good to talk to some of those who gathered at the church before the service. I had to take my mother to a doctor’s appointment we couldn’t change so we had to leave near the end of the service.

I was able to say hello to her family well as next door neighbors and longtime friends. It is amazing something people remember as well. One of her neighbor’s children who I was in school with remembers seeing my family when visiting her grandparents. They lived right next door to us. At one point my grandfather tried to buy their place from them.

Memories keep coming back to time knowing her and the family growing up. I would see her and her sister who passed away within the last couple of years whenever I go to church with my mother. It was no longer my church on a regular basis, however, I went with my mother at Christmas Eve service or soup dinners Wednesday nights during Lent. Those lovely ladies were always there and I would catch up about their lives and the children I knew.

So it isn’t goodbye really it is see you later whenever time it will be. 

Thank You Mr. President

I really enjoyed what I was able to see of President George Herbert Walker Bush funeral service. All the current past presidents were on hand well as current President Donald Trump.

President Bush was one of the best presidents the USA has ever had. He had a great sense of humor along with doing what he truly believed. So I truly want to thank you for not only the job as President but being the man you were. You lived out the purpose God created you for.

The sad part I found on social media where some people including some classmates I grew up with spoke up against President Trump instead of honoring President Bush. I am sure they had a strong feeling on Bush but this wasn’t the place to criticize Donald Trump. This is one day I feel they could have done without doing so.

We should be able to encourage others with good words instead of disrespecting someone. Again hale to the chief George H.W. Bush.