Looking Up

It is easy to become discourage because life isn’t what we like it be. I know that I have thought that on many occasions. I think it is important to look up to God for help when circumstances just don’t work the way we thought they would.

I do believe that I am blessed for a number of reasons including living a good life. I know that people in the other parts of the world are not as well off as I am. Nothing less I am able to eat each meal if I feel like it. I won’t go hungry like those in other parts of the world. Actually I have heard of people in my area that go hungry as well. We do have what we would call food banks where people can go shopping at their grocery and buy extra food for those going without and also can donate money as well.

This doesn’t help though that we all go through times of difficulty. Some of it is our own trouble because of selfishness but there legitimate reasons of difficulty to. We know that everyone does not go through life free sailing.

This is where our purpose comes in to help others in when they go through difficult times. We can share encouragement to others even if it isn’t our true gifting or talent. The importance though is to use our gifts and talents whenever we can. This can happen when we are going through difficult times as well. In fact often this is the time we should use our gifts and talents the most. We can feel happier because we take our focus off ourselves and onto others. I am not saying it will be easy because it may not. The reason is the trouble we are in puts us in a hard place.

It is important that we see what other are going through because at some point we will need help as well. In these times again we should look up and not only ask God for help but to find others that can help us too.

So I hope that life is good to you right now however if it isn’t remember to ask for assistance. Don’t be too proud to ask for help.

 

Destiny

What goes with our purpose in life is our destiny. We are all called by God for a purpose all we have to do is accept his invitation.

Destiny and purpose work together for our good. At some point usually on in life we are side tracked by other things that keep us from meeting our destiny and purpose. Satan or the devil or whatever other name you want to call him knows how dangerous we can be if we actually live in the world of destiny and purpose. He will make every effort to make be sidetracked. Since he is the father of lies this is the way he gets us off the road the life we were intended to live. The thing is there is enough truth in what he says that we often believe him though we may not recognize that it comes from him. He uses ordinary people to do his dirty deeds by discouraging us to take the wrong path. Also the wrong road is very enticing to take as well. So do we go to the right or the left or straight ahead? What path is different for each one of us. Unfortunately many of us have taken the wrong path however it is not too late to get onto the right path. So even though we may not have lived up to our destiny and purpose it is never too late. The path will still be rocky however we will be on the right one.

Having a Good Time

I always remind us how important it is to have a good time doing our purpose. Things can become serious when we are mentoring someone that is going through hard times and we are using our talents and gifts to help them. We are created not only to help others but to have a good time as well. I think I have mentioned before it is in our DNA.

Another thing it is important that we get away to spend time by ourselves or with someone we care about or have relationship. We can get tired out doing good without getting refreshed. Also it is nice go to see other scenery.

I am sure most of us have a bucket list of places and things we would like to do. I hope you have written them down or at least have them in your mind so check to see one of them that you can do right now or to plan for in the near future. If the timing isn’t good right now at least get away for the weekend.

The most important thing though still is to enjoy the journey and our purposes. The gifts and talents were given to us freely to enjoy along with helping others. This is a reminder that I will give to us all many times over. Often we have to hear from others because we can forget at times. So keep plugging along enjoying the journey but get off the ride or pick up another ride. Amen!

Whispering Voices

 I have mentioned before that since we were born or at a very young age anyway most of us have never been encouraged to be the best that we can be. In fact negative words have been thrown our way on many occasions. This is where whispering voices come into our heads telling us that we will never meet up to our purposes. This happens often regardless how successful we are. I am not saying this because we are somewhat crazy because we have voices in our head the thing is we all hear voices in our heads in one degree or another. This doesn’t make us crazy it is the reality of life.

The important thing for us is to not believe the thoughts that come in our heads and what other people say about us whether from the past or even currently. The important thing is to be around people that care enough for us that they give us encouraging words in the same manner we should give to others as well.

So what I am saying here is whispering voices are in our lives whether good or bad and the most important thing is not to listen to the bad ones even those that might have some truth in them. That is the major problem is those words have enough truth in them that we believe the words but in reality they are lies. We may never live up to the highest level but we must try to do the very best we can. We may go beyond our own expectations and that is a good thing. We should never feel superior to others but at the same time never see ourselves below others either. I am not say that because I have made it already on the contrary every day I have to get the thoughts out of my mind that I will never be good enough. So other words we are all on the same play level. So let’s press on and take one step at a time. Amen!

 

 

Setting Goals

On Wednesday I felt we all need to do is set goals for our purposes along with talents and gifts. Along with setting goals is writing down all the gifts and talents we believe that we have. Also to write down places that we use our gifts and talents right now besides work. For example any groups we might volunteer at and including civic groups or the boy scouts, girl scouts, church and hospitals. We can include places we go to like the YMCA. List people we currently mentor or those who mentor us.

During the time that you list all these groups you may realize some other talents and gifts that you and add those onto the list as well. After you conclude writing all these down make another list of places that you can go to use your gifts and talents. Remember that your family can be involved in this as well. Also write down goals for the next six months, one year, two years and five years. We might be surprised how much of an impact we can have by helping others out with our gifts and talents.

Hope in You

When it comes to our life purpose hope is important part along with love and faith. We have to believe in God and in ourselves that our purpose is meant to be.

Our purpose created in us to do good works. It doesn’t mean that our purpose is the only thing in our lives however we have identified the answer to why are we here. We don’t do good works to earn anything we do them because we desire to and to help others.

If we are married and have children they are the number one priority to raise them to be the best they can be and to identify their purposes as well. Encourage and answer any questions they may have in what to do with their purposes. Beyond that is to help others like our friends, co-workers and other family members. We must to realize that our lives are not all wrapped into our purposes. We can help others even in areas that are not our strong suit when it comes to gifts and talents. Our hope is in God first then others and lastly ourselves. We will have great joy by using our gifts and talents because they are why we are created. So set your heart and mind to help others with everything you have.

Looking Where to Take Your Purpose?

When it comes to our purpose we don’t always know where to go with it if the gift or talent we just found out is new. Often we use the talents that we have known for years on our job or volunteer work. A new talent discovered could work in either of those places or a new place. My recommendation is to see where it works in places you go to now. Often a new talent or gift will work with those that you have used already.

Another idea is try the gift with your friends. The most important thing to know is the gift was given to you for helping others. Most likely you have had the gift for a while but only discovered it. Remember the gifts are not just for your benefit only they are for others.

I believe a new gift happens when we take a risk. Years ago I decided to try out for a play that was going to be performed at my church. The director put a sign up for tryouts so I decided to go for it. I had been in a play when I was in junior high but it was a very small part. Growing up like many people I didn’t do well in front of crowds but now being an adult I felt more comfortable doing so. Anyway there were not many men trying out for parts. Most of the tryouts were by women and children so it gave me a good chance to see what I could do. I knew with the small amount of men I would at least get a small part in the play. I was amazed reading some lines from the play that I was somewhat good at acting. At my surprise the director gave me the second male role. After the first run of the play people came up and told me how good I was in the play. I ended up acting in three other plays at the church. I could have had the lead in a couple of them however I was going to school at the time so I felt I couldn’t give the time to prepare for the roles but I did play minor roles. It now has been some time since I have been in a play but I do know that when the opportunity arises I can do so and at the same time I feel comfortable in front of people.

So for us to discover some of our gifts and talents we have to take a risk. We may become surprised by what happens and where we can use them to.

Think Good of Yourself

Often we can think negative about ourselves because others have programmed us that way by telling us we are not good. In a way we are not good because we are not perfect but no one else is either.

Now we have to program ourselves by realizing that we are not what others have said about us and that we are good in the best way we can. God did create us for a purpose but it does not totally define us. He made us perfect but the world around us made us not think so. We have to get back to God for him to put us back into perfect standing. The person he made us in the beginning. It doesn’t mean that we will not do wrong things or what is called sin however we can overcome it with his help.

The first step is to forgive others who have wronged us by telling us lies and then forgiving ourselves for believing the lies. The second step is to love ourselves in the same manner that God does.

I like the story of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson who was encouraged by his father he could be the best whether it was a quarterback or something else. Whether anyone encourages us or not we must accept what God says about us that we were made perfect. Every day we must meditate on that fact and the more we do so the more we believe it.  I am not saying this because I have arrived in this place of thinking good of myself I really haven’t. One day, one step, one breath I work on it too be what he says that I am.

Lifting Other’s Up

Whatever words that we speak should be encouraging and lifting other’s up. So much of our world is where people are put down. This start’s when we are children. We often hear negative words spoken of us whether from parents, adults and other children that we should not be surprised that so much negativity is around us.

I know that we can’t stop everything negative however we lift others up as often as we can than the world will be a better place to be.

We don’t even have to know the person to give them encouragement. We can let them know that they have a nice smile or wearing a nice shirt. Whatever we speak should be positive at all times. We should do this even with others who don’t give us the same courtesy. People can change it just has to start with us.

What other purposes we have been given lifting others up can be at the top of our list. When we look at others we should find what is positive about them and share with them.

The more we are positive with others the more positive will be thrown our way as well. We don’t do it so others will speak well of us but it will happen anyway. Others will see what is positive about us. Also important to teach our children the same knowing that learned behavior can change someone.

Test What You Hear

The last three Wednesday nights I have been taking a class at my church called “Hearing God’s Voice”. We have one more class to go in the series this coming Wednesday.

We have learned about hearing God on our own, for others, and prophecy. The key for receiving from others and prophecy is to test what we have heard. What that means we have to check our hearts the words being spoken are encouraging and at the same time resonate in us confirming what is going on in our lives along with knowing scripture. We have to test what we hear is in line with scripture. Often we hear things from others that might seem right but they actually not. Our ears can be tickled because it is something we want to hear and the words can actually be out of context. In the church this often is what going on these days.

So I am saying here is for all of us to judge for ourselves the words others say to us no matter where we are at. This goes for us giving words to others as well. The most important thing is what we are saying to others is encouraging and uplifting. Are we helping them become better people instead of dragging them down. Are we saying things because we want them to feel good right now?

So I want you to be not only encouraged by what I say I want you to test the words so you feel right about them and help you out. It is beyond just saying the right words. I hope this helps you out whether reading what I write but what others write or say. These days’ people can be deceived even by those with the right intentions. In the end I want you to live a life of purpose. The one intended for you when created and born. Amen!

Being Bold

I have mentioned before that we all have gifts and talents. Some of them we don’t use as often as others. I think being bold is one of them that aren’t used as often. This would depend on the individual and what is going on in his/her life.

I believe an example of being bold is when you believe something strongly and you stand up for your beliefs. A situation where others need to know how you feel. One situation I think of is going to a city council meeting because something is going on that you don’t agree with and you feel they need to know. You may have to raise your hand to be heard when the issue comes up that you disagree with or even when the issue doesn’t come up.

I believe that being bold isn’t something that comes natural for most possibly even the person who becomes bold. Another thing is that I believe we have to use wisdom when we get into these situations as well or we will come across where those we are talking to have ears not to listen. It doesn’t mean that you use wisdom only when being bold but using wisdom when you do.

Another thing I believe is that when someone speaks with boldness they will surprise all the others around them unless they do so on a regular occasion.

So don’t be afraid to be bold when the circumstances arise. I am sure that you will surprise yourself as much as those you are speaking to.

Some gifts like boldness only need to be used when the opportunity arises. I would call them special gifts. Don’t be afraid to use these gifts. You may surprise yourself too.

Gratitude

What is good to go with joy is gratitude. They go hand to hand together very well. Also if you have the gift of service you will have gratitude as well. In fact many gifts go with gratitude.

I am sure those who are not very sympathetic don’t have gratitude either. We live a life of gratitude than we will live a life of joy and love.

I am not here to judge anyone however gratitude is between you and your conscience. Again it is a choice that we make. Our life will have more purpose when we have gratitude.

I am sure most people realize what I am saying is true. We will have more gratitude when we think of ourselves less. I know at times I don’t have gratitude or joy so life isn’t what I would like it to be. Usually this happens when I have self-pity which is against everything I believe in. I have experienced being in a dark place. Nothing works right then. I must then turn away from that thinking and get back in right standing. It doesn’t mean that I feel gratitude or joy all the time but it sure makes life a lot better for sure. 

Travel Is Good Release

If you have read some of my past posts you can see that I enjoy traveling though I haven’t done much as I would like though. I hope to do more in the future.

In a month a will be going to visit cousins in British Columbia Canada for my birthday along with mother. We will be about a week or so. It is a beautiful part of the world for sure. I will post some pictures while I am there.

I believe that travel can be a good release for us all. Life can become stressful so getting a way is a good thing. I believe that we don’t have to travel very far away either. There are many places to see even near where we live. So getting a way for a couple days is good as well.

I believe travel is a way to practice our gifts and talents as well. A good way is to talk with strangers to see how they are doing. This is especially good if you have the gift of service and encouragement. Everyone can use encouragement even if we speak a few words or smile.

On Monday I was at my cardiologist office for my six month checkup and I was surprised that I young woman was there for some testing. Not often do I see someone younger than me. We had a five minute conversation before she went in for her appointment. Besides that she was attractive I could see that she had joy and she lifted my spirit up. When she went in she wished me a wonderful day and enjoyed our time together. This is what can happen with anyone even someone you may never see again.

In a way we can have an attitude of traveling even when we are just spending time in our town. All we have to do is have the right attitude.

Joy Begins in the Morning

We can choose to have joy in our lives and we should decide for it begins in the morning. I believe that our attitude when the day starts will help us to have a good day. There is no guarantee of course however we will have more good days this way.

One way for joy to happen is to begin the day with prayer and singing. They are two important things to do for the day. Prayer and singing allows us to have joy. We prayer that our day will go well for us and those who we care about while singing songs of rejoicing will bring the joy we seek. Our body, soul, mind and spirit will work together when we begin the day with joy. God will grant us peace and blessing throughout the day giving ourselves to him when the day begins. At night before going to bed we will thank him for the day we just had however all begins when we have joy in the morning. Amen!

What Are You Longing For?

At some point in our lives we are longing for something. In fact it probably starts when we are young. I believe that we are not getting what we want when we are young. This is especially true when you are living in a dysfunctional family. Even in a family where love is shown and demonstrated on a daily basis longing is still part of the equation. As human beings this is part of our makeup.

We may not realize it however God wants us to long for him. He wants us to have a relationship with him. Also he gives us these gifts and talents for a purpose. They are what we long for as well. It take us a long time before we realize this if we ever do at all. A relationship is what we truly long for and many of us make the wrong mistakes by getting into relationships that turn out to be wrong. In fact many get into the same type of relationship over and over again. At some point we think that we will get it right even though in the back of our minds we know it is wrong.

So what must we do to receive the longing we desire? First we must go to God to receive the longing we must want and then ask him to bring the right person into our life. That person is not to be a substitute for God but to enhance and encourage us in our relationship with God.

We must pray to God that he forgives us for the mistakes we have made and to help us to receive all the longing we want. In the end it is he that we long for. Amen!

Exercising Your Gifts

We all have been given gifts and talents to be used the question are we using them. Some of our gifts we do a lot of the time because the opportunities come up a lot. For example the gifts we use on our job. Over time we get better and better with them.

There are gifts that we have that we don’t use as often these we need to exercise them in a manner to speak to get better at them. These gifts are natural for us as the others however we must use them too. Another example is we have healthy legs but we don’t walk on a regular basis they won’t function as well. When I sprained my ankle and I went to physical therapy I found out that my balance was out of joint in a manner of speaking. Now that I am stretching on a daily basis my balance is so much better. I have tripped on several occasions since I sprained my ankle but I haven’t fallen; if I don’t stretch on a regular basis than I can  hurt myself over and over again.

It is important that we recognize all the gifts and talents that we have been given. Those we haven’t used often time to do so. We will be amazed how it works and how much more fun life is too. Enjoy the exercising of your gifts and I hope that you discover those gifts that you didn’t know that you had.

 

 

The Sun Shine

The weather certainly hasn’t a lot since the season has changed from winter to spring in many places. Here in the Seattle area it has been raining most of this week though last Monday while my nephew Ken was here we had the opportunity go to the Point Defiance Zoo and the sun was out all day. Tuesday the final day that Ken was here it was supposed to rain all day but the late morning the sun came out as well so we were able to walk around Seattle Center without the rain. It was very good timing since it has rained most of the time since.

So what I thinking is even when it is raining have the attitude that sun is shining or at least enjoying the day as though the sun is out. It may sound strange however most of us here in the northwest feel don’t feel as good when it rains than when we have sun. I have lived here all my life so I am accustomed to the rain this time of the year. What this means is that we need an attitude adjustment on the days when it rains. Other words look at how we feel and think when the sun comes out. Of course we can’t do all the things we do when the sun comes or we get soaking wet but we can still enjoys things and see places that are indoors.

Makes me believe we all need to make adjustments when things are not going well in our lives. I believe our focus should be on our purpose in life and how we accomplish them. The less we think about ourselves the happier we become. We have to remember that our purpose is more for others. We get into ourselves way too much sometimes. So let the sun shine in our hearts when everything looks wet outside.

Where Is Your Hope?

The three most important elements in our lives should be faith, hope, and love. Love is the greatest of the three however to really love we must have faith and hope.

The question here where is your hope or who is your hope in. I have my hope in Jesus Christ. Actually my faith, hope and love are in him at all times. I know that others may have their hope in other things like family or friends however at some point because none of us are perfect we lose hope in them. You may think that you have lost hope in God as well. It is understandable if you feel that way but in the end he is still our hope because we actually fail in him.

I know that there will be some here who will disagree with me however someone disagreeing with me doesn’t change how I feel about hope in Christ but in the end it is all by our choice and will. I can tell you how I believe but you must decide on your own.  I don’t believe that there is no other choice when it comes to hope than in God because everyone and everything else will fail. If you don’t believe the same as I do right now I hope that it changes for you in the future. You will find out that Jesus Christ is the only hope. So look down deep into yourself and ask the question where is my hope.

Happy Face!!

No matter how we feel or going through putting on a happy face is a good idea. I think that a lot of people who put on a happy face are not doing it real or in another term it is a fake happy face.  It is sort of like when someone asks you how are you and you respond by saying OK. I believe a lot depends on the tone of your voice whether you are or not. I am not sure the same goes for a happy face it might be harder to know whether it is real or fake. In any case putting on a happy face is a good idea. If we do it often enough we may have a genuine one. I am not sure the same goes for saying I am OK.

I remember once at church a woman asks me how I was doing. I am sure she was expecting the same answer as most give when she asks the question or she didn’t listen. Whatever the case I wasn’t doing well that morning and I said I wasn’t OK. I don’t remember why I wasn’t doing well on that Sunday morning however she responded back “that’s nice.” Made me wonder how many people ask the question really mean it at all or not. I haven’t answered I am not doing well since that day. It is not like I haven’t reached out to others because I have. I don’t wait until someone ask me that question.

I have wondered about what goes on with those who never put on a happy face. Is it that they are never happy or is it just how they are? There is a woman at my mother’s church that whenever I see her she never smiles. It doesn’t mean she isn’t happy because going to church with my mother on Good Friday I noticed her talking with some after the service and she started laughing. It was the first time I had seen her laugh as well however I am sure it isn’t her first time. There is a good possibility that she puts on a happy face at times I just haven’t seen it myself. Usually I see her walking into church while I leave my mother off of for church. Yes I attend church but I go to another one that is less than five minutes from mother’s church. I have had people wonder I don’t attend the same church as mother. Well I grew up in that church however when I became a true follower of Christ I continued attending for a few years but I didn’t feel that my spiritual life was not increasing so I made the decision go to another church. Nothing against my mother’s church because I do enjoy the time there when I do attend on occasions but I just didn’t’ grow there.

Anyway putting on a happy face is a choice we have like everything else we actually choose to do. Whether you are happy or not in the inside doing so after a while your inside may feel happy as well no matter what is going around you. At least something to try anyway I feel. What do you have to lose?

Doing Good

As you know I am here to encourage everyone about our purpose in life. I think a lot of what I am going say along with love and truth. Also I want our lives have great meaning and I don’t judge either.

Anyway as a Christian I am commanded to do good works and deeds however it is not how we earn our way into heaven. I have heard answers from many people when asked when they die will they go to heaven and why they deserve to do so. Unless they are a Christian they say usually “I am a good person.”  I am sure most people try to be good people and there are some who believer that they do good works gives them a reason to have a place in heaven. The truth is that none of us has done enough good works to enter into heaven. We may see ourselves in a way that makes us believe that we can enter heaven because we are good people as well.

The thing is that God has a higher standard than what we believe unless he reveals the truth to us. He is a Holy God and expects us to be holy as well. We all fall short because we have missed the mark of holiness on a lot of occasions. This is the reason we celebrated Easter almost two weeks ago. If you have been angry or didn’t love someone at some point of your life you have missed the mark. This is the reason why Jesus Christ came to pay the penalty of us missing the mark or in other terms sinned. We believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as our Lord and Savior this allows us to enter heaven. We may try all sorts of ways to get his approval but in the end there is no other way into heaven unless you are perfect and holy. Far as I know none of us meets the goal of being holy.

The next question would be “why do we want to do good works or deeds if they don’t allow us into heaven?” The answer is because we want to without any strings attached. Also God will honor us for our good works and deeds. I know that sounds contrary to what I said before. Getting into heaven is not by our good works but we will be honored for them. Yes we will continue missing the mark on occasion however believing in Jesus Christ allows us to enter heaven. Living our life of purpose will give us joy along the path because it is the reason we were created. I am happy because I am able to encourage and lift others up. Like I say I am not here to judge. Just reminding that it is not good works that is the pass into heaven; no matter how hard we try it doesn’t work however we will be honored for doing our best. Also tells us that we can’t live on our own strength and we have to turn to God for that. Another thing is that he has given us free will. He loves us enough that he doesn’t force his will on us. We do so because we choose to. Amen!

Hard to Say Good Bye

When someone is visiting that is family or a close friend leaves I always find it hard to say good bye. This weekend my nephew Ken has been visiting from Montreal. We have been going around the area. Sunday the weather was wet and windy however Monday the complete opposite with the sun out all day but the rain returns today Tuesday.

On Monday we spent several hours at the Pt. Defiance Zoo. We were able to see sharks. Camels, tigers, and elephants among the animals.  Today we will visit the Seattle Center before he flies out early evening. Like most visits not long enough however it has been really good to see him. He plans to come again next year.

The hardest good bye’s of course are when someone is ill and dies. Actually the hardest is when someone dies and you are unable to say good bye. The rest of your life they are on your minds. This is why so important to spend quality time with everyone you are with because we don’t know when the last time will be.

With Ken I am able to keep in contact on social media which is really nice however in person contact is the best. In May I will be going to British Columbia to visit my cousins Suzy and Christy. This will be another special time for me. I will be posting as often that I can while traveling to and from along with being there. I drive by car and it takes two days to get there. The first day I will drive about six hours and then eight on the second day to arrive. I will take at least three breaks along the way. There will be wonderful places to see on the way. I am so grateful for all the people in my life and those who are no longer with us. I continue wanting to encourage others in purpose. Amen!

              Nephew Ken visiting cousin Jennifer in Oregon

 

 

How Much Can We Handle

I have heard and read in the Bible that we can handle more than we know.  I know that I have had to handle a whole lot over the years and I am still here so that is a good sign. I will let you know if I ever get to the point that I question where I am at that spot of saying no more please.

I have been amazed by friends that are no longer with us that knew they had little time left on this earth had the faith to make it through anyway. I hope that I don’t have to go through that experience. Yes we are going to die though it would be nice to be someone who beat the odds and didn’t but who knows. Just kidding by the way though it is a serious business; I just hope I am one that is able to pass on this life where I don’t die from a disease that I am aware of ahead of time. Unfortunately none of us are guaranteed of that.  My mother at ninety-seven has likely passed that threshold and is likely to die of old age instead.

So it is good that we can handle a lot of things though often we may not feel that way until we get to the other side. What I mean is that we are done dealing with what put us into that situation or circumstance. We all have gone through  troubles whether  small or large and come out well. Anyway believing we can handle a lot is good news to. Many blessings to us all for today.

Call Out!!!

Life isn't easy at all however call out to the one truly God who cares and to those who care for you.  We have a purpose in life that we may still have to figure out. We are all created in a unique way with talents and gifts only given to us however there are those who are trying to snatch it away from us. We must have love and faith to make it as well.

Dealing with Desires

I don’t know about you however dealing with desires has always been a problem. I feel as though they should be part of my daily life and it is frustrating when they are not.

I have never been married though I have had the desire for many years. I don’t know what to say to some when they ask me why not.  All I know is that I haven’t found the right woman to fall in love with and get married. I thought I did about fifteen years ago however she changed her mind when it came to marriage with me. It is a poor spot to be in when you have waited though you found it and then falls through.  The thing about marriage though is that I don’t want to get married just for the sake of it. I want marriage to be something that we both enjoy and that love is the center of the marriage. I want our purpose in life to work hand in hand. I still hope to get married but every day it is harder to believe that it will ever happen. I am sure that I am not the same that feels that way.

I am not here to plead my case for a spouse I just everyone knows how important desires are and they do have important place in our lives. Marriage to me is very important and with the divorce rate as it is I am not sure how many people feel that way although I am sure most go into marriage with the right intensions. I know that most divorces happen because one or both parties become selfish. Some get deceived or look elsewhere thinking that another person besides their spouse is better than them. Sort of to speak it is greener on the other side. The thing is often the problems with a marriage will likely move over to the new relationship though I have to say that I am far from being an expert on the subject. What I do know is that getting married to me will be like winning the lottery. It is important that desires don’t overshadow what we already have.  Anyway that is what I have on my mind right now about the subject. I hope we all learn something here right now. I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend so far. OK.   

Accomplish

One of the greatest feelings in life is when someone can accomplish something. I am sure we all remember those times in our lives along with family, friends and those we mentor.

Some accomplishments come fairly easy for many like when a little child goes from crawling to walking or when they can talk in their native language. We seem to celebrate under those accomplishments. Of course there are those who may take longer to accomplish the walking or talking then most and we celebrate even more so. I didn’t start talking English until I was five years old because of having a hearing problem. I don’t remember the experience myself however I am sure my family were overjoyed when it happened. I do remember though the accomplishment to be able to say the alphabet for the first time and being able to read complete sentences. I wasn’t able to read my grade level until I was fifteen years old so that was an accomplishment that I was very happy about. Another accomplishment was later on when I decided go to community college to get an associate’s degree in business. Growing up though I had accomplishments like reading and writing I wasn’t a big fan of school anytime we had holiday’s I was happy not to go to school so attending college was a big deal. I didn’t really have any idea how well I would do at college since my grade point average in high school wasn’t that good however not only did I accomplish the goal of getting my degree I graduated with honors.

Now with our purpose in life we can still celebrate our accomplishments including helping others accomplish their goals. So let’s set goals to see what we can accomplish today. We could do so by doing something we have never done before or we haven’t done in a long time. Also it could be project we have started that we go to finishing it off. No matter how old we are accomplishments can still be done even if it takes us longer to do so. Remember to have a good time as well. Amen!

 

Our Thoughts

A few years ago I was wondering if it might be a good idea not to think so much. I thought thinking was a bit overrated and it would be nice to clear my mind in that area but I found out that was hard to do. Also I realized that thinking is part of my purpose in life. Why do I say that? Well I can’t help others whether in this site or wherever I meet them.

I come from a very intellectual family. Because of my early childhood where I had a problem hearing and I didn’t talk until I was five years old my start was late. My older brother Dick was high on the food chain you may say when it came to intelligence. He was the smartest guy I have ever known. My other siblings and I compared ourselves to him. My younger brother Jack went to Harvard so you see another intelligent sibling but he still felt compared to Dick. Even now that Dick has been gone for a while. He died when he was thirty-eight years old and I still miss him every day but we still compare ourselves with him. Not a bad thing because we all come from the same DNA. Both my sister Barb and Jack have intelligent children as well each with different gifts and talents. It is interesting Jack son Ian who is his second son like I am we have some of the same way of thinking and personality. Also his penmanship is similar to mine as well. I believe our purpose is similar as well though he does it in a different manner than I do. He has done some writing as well. He has written plays along with a book and he has written music as well. Also we pick things up well to. What I mean by that is that we are able to think at a faster rate than others in our family. I wasn’t able to study growing up very well because of my hearing problem but he didn’t have the same limitations however he didn’t study hard like his brothers and sisters. It doesn’t mean he didn’t study it is that he picked them up faster so didn’t have to study as long. So you see that is the reason I didn’t want to think so much a few years ago because thoughts came to my mind very fast.

It is all interesting because growing up I didn’t think of myself as being intelligent though I learned after I became an adult that some of my classmates thought of me that way.

So what I am saying here right now doesn’t discount the gifts and talents that you have even if they are different than your siblings or other people. It is common for us to compare ourselves to others but we should stop doing so and do those things we are meant to do. In a way like I have written here a good idea to write down your thoughts you probably get amazed what you write. Amen!  

Being Strong

We all believe we are at our best when being strong however the truth it is our weakness that leads us to being strong.

You may ask why these words are true. If we actually believe in being strong we can be let down while knowing that we are weak than we look elsewhere for our strength.

Our weaknesses make us realize the more that we can’t rely on ourselves that we have to be dependent on others as well. Most of us think of our independence where we don’t have to depend on others but that is the farthest from the truth. The more we depend on others and not on ourselves the better we can live.

The reason we feel that we have to be independent is that so many have let us down in the past but as we mature we know the future is to be dependent in others. We don’t know the future that is ahead of us so we can’t do things like we could in the past. Our life purpose is not to live a life on our own but with others. We were created into a family and friends that we can share together. The more people we are in contact with the stronger we become. We become stronger because we can encourage one another. Despite our weaknesses we can tell each other that we will make it through the day when in times of trouble. We have gifts and talents not only for our own purpose but for others too.  The gifts and talents that I have are different than yours however you have gifts and talents that I need to rely on as well. The reason we are family and friends. Amen!

Memories Help Out

Though our lives aren’t depended on our memories is sure nice they can come around when we need them. They help us out all the time. We especially think of them when someone visits that we haven’t seen in a while or we only see on social media.

This week my nephew Ken will be visiting for a few days. He is the oldest of the next generation of our family. As a little kid he looked a lot like our side of the family  and then when his younger brother Connor came along he looked like his father’s side however when they both got older they switched. Ken looks more like his father while Connor sees our side. Isn’t amazing how that happens sometimes.

We saw Connor a couple weeks ago with my sister visiting with him and now Ken will be showing up. I know have five nephews and one niece. My niece Leslie is special because she is the only girl. Doesn’t mean that I don’t love the nephews any less than her but she is still special. None of them I see very often however it is very good when I do. It will be great to catch up with Ken though I do see him a lot on Facebook however not the same as face to face. He is now a man and I remember him so much a little boy running around and do the things he did. I am sure my mom does the same with me though I take care of her now.

All these memories allow us to know or figure out what our purposes in life is or should be. All those we think about in our memories are as important as those we spend our time with now. Even better when they show up; thank you to all those in my memories and those who I touch today. Without you all living the life of purpose would not be the same.

It Isn’t Easy

One thing we do know this life it isn’t easy. We start out crawling before we walk. Everything has a beginning before an end.

 I amazed how much faith many people have under difficult times. Faith is what allows  them to make it through it all. There are two other wonderful ingredients included they are hope and love. All three makes life worth living when the times are not easy.

I shake my head for those I have known that have gone through things over and over again. They seem never to get a break but they keep pressing on. They choose to be happy and joyful during the bad times well as the good. These people are an inspiration for us all. You can’t keep the tough ones done at all. They will pick themselves up and keep going no matter how many bumps in the road.

So when life isn’t easy and you could use a break remember that you can make it. Most likely there are those who having a harder time than you. I think of those hard times where I can still laugh and tell jokes. Light can come to shine and take away the darkness. Peace to us all today regardless what today brings us. Rejoice that life is worth living and we have a place in it.

A New Purpose

Here we are now with Easter and the Holy Week Celebration over and reflections of our lives. What does all this mean? Well we can continue doing what we have been doing or following a new path. We may have added by discovering new purposes to our lives.

The whole thing about our live purpose and destiny it is up to us in many ways. Other words we have the free will to pursue our purposes that we were created to follow or we can do whatever we want to.

The reason I would follow my purposes is that I am happier person do so. If I do things contrary to my purposes likely I may not be as happy. I might be happy for a while but doesn’t mean I will for the rest of my life. We were each given special gifts and talents for our well-being. They are what make us unique from everyone else. Yes there are others who have some of our same talents and gifts but they don’t have them all. Even if they do have them all they likely use them in different ways than we do. Since there are millions of people in the world I am sure there has to be someone that has the same talents and gifts we do however they may use them in different ways as I have said.

There are those who have the gift of being an artist but each one uses it differently. One may draw pictures while another is an architect and another an engineer. Those closest to us which are our siblings likely have close ties to our talents and gifts because they come from the same dna. I know my brother and sister have some of the same talents and gifts that I do however they have different ones than I do as well. Another thing is that their personalities are different than mine so the gifts they have like mine likely work differently as well.

So again it is your choice whether you pursue the purposes of your life or not. Even if you don’t pursue them today it doesn’t mean you won’t tomorrow because you have the free will in changing your mind too.

Happy Easter Everyone

This week we identified his suffering however today it is great news “Christ has risen”. He overcame death and is seated on the right hand of God. He intercedes for us every minute of every day. That is how much he loves each and every one of us even those who still reject him.

The great news as well is that we can rise as well. We can live a new life like we have never known before all we have to do is to acknowledge him and accept the free gift of eternal life. It is that easy by asking for his forgiveness for the sins we have committed. We can be born again or in another way born new. We know longer have to live the life we have up to this moment. That is what the great news today about Christ has risen. We accept his invitation into our lives. Let him run the show as to speak. We do his will because we love him and most of all because he loves us. Amen!!