I Am More

     Sometimes life can seem overwhelming. Our anxiety increases with the added stresses to our life. We can become depressed and even begin to feel a little hopeless in our situation. It can feel like your mind is surrounded in darkness and you cannot find a direction to go in. In this time of my own mental confusion, I realize something about myself I am more than my overwhelming condition. I am more than my weaknesses. My mind may feel that I am drowning in a sea of darkness but I can feel somehow that my spirit is still strong. My spirit is telling me that I am more than what I am feeling. It tells me that I am not defined by the troubles that I am facing. It says I am more greater than the sum of all my problems.
     In my sea of trouble I can see all I have to do is to swim upward toward the light to feel free again. It seems to me that this world has a way of producing a fog of darkness that surrounds the mind making it feel depressed and hopeless. You can become lost in it and it becomes a struggle to just live your life. I know it's a mental condition but sometimes I feel like it is more than just that. It blocks out your happiness and joy it makes you feel that life is not worth living. It feels like it's something evil that is trying to block out all the light of hope from reaching you.
     When my mind is surrounded by a darkness I struggle with it for a time and then some light breaks through. When I am in this depression all my thoughts turn inward on my mental suffering but when I focus upon God my thoughts move outward and God's Holy Spirit have always move the dark clouds away. He had rescued me out of this mental condition so many times I have lost count however I have gathered much insight through my suffering but I rather be well than to suffer.
     It says in 1Corinthians 6:19 that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit whom you have from God. Romans 8:9 "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him." I feel because I have the indwelling Spirit of God within me the dark clouds that sometimes surround my mind can never totally take control. I can always break free with God's help. 
     I am more than my problems for the Holy Spirit of God dwells within me and with his help I can manage my problems. They cannot break me for his spirit is there to strengthen me. I do not lean on my own understanding but on the wisdom of God. He has shown me that I am more for I have his spirit to guide my way.
     

Troubled Times

      Troubled times are upon us. Matthew 24:6-8 "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that that you are not alarmed, for this must must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of the birth pains." All these things must occur before the second coming of Jesus Christ.
     Many men and women are becoming more disobedient to God and are not following his teachings. Matthew 24:12 "And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold." The people who are not obeying God are acting without any restraint like the people in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people." Because of their disobedience to God their love will grow cold and their heart will become hardened. These people will become more violent and bring war and death into our world.
     We can still have hope in these trouble times by keeping our faith in God and believing in his words and promises. A day will come when our Lord and Savior will return and bring a lasting peace to our world. Isaiah 2:4 "He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done." Revelation 21:3,4 "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
     

The Importance of Touch

      When we were babies we depended upon our parents for all of our needs. Our parents held us and touch us in order to care for us. Touch played an important part in our development. We bond through physical touch. When you engage in pleasant touch, like a hug, your brain releases a hormone called oxytocin. This makes you feel good and firms up emotional and social bonds while lowering your anxiety and fear.
     There is a medical term for a lack of touch it is called Touch Starvation. According to WebMD Touch Starvation is a condition that happens when you don't get as much physical touch as you're used to or any at all. Some people experienced it during the pandemic while social distancing but it can happen with any lack of physical touch. We need the human touch because it can help regulate sleep and digestion, build your immune system, and help fight infections. When you don't get enough physical touch, you can become stressed, anxious, or depressed.
     According to WebMD it says you can fight Touch Starvation even when you can't physically interact with other people. You can video chat which lets you visually interact with others. Online exercise will help you to interact in a social setting which may make you feel less lonely. Interacting with pets is a form of touching that could ease some touch starvation symptoms. The article said that studies show that oxytocin levels peak in dog owners when they caress their pets.
     Dacher Keltner a university professor of psychology said, "Touch is the fundamental language of connection' "When you think about a parent's child bond or two friends or romantic partners, a lot of the ways in which we connect and trust and collaborate are founded in touch." In a survey 40,000 people from 2 countries took part in describing touch. The three most common words they used were "comforting", "warm" and "love".
     Touch increases our feelings of well being in social environments. When we feel that we are anxious or in danger a kind touch can reassure us that we are not alone. When we are going through a deep sorrow a hug from a friend can make us feel better. Your child who hugs you can make you feel loved. During a team sport a touch from a team mate can make you feel that he has your back. Touch also could be a pat on the back, a handshake, a high five or a friendly hug, we feel the need to reach out to each other and touch. Human beings are a herd species and we need to feel connected and touch is a form of connection that bring us closer together. 

He Rescued Me

     As a child I lacked a father figure. My father was a alcoholic lets say he was just absent from my life even though he was around. My mother was just the opposite she was attentive, loving and kind. She had a bible study once a week at the house and I would sit and listen to them talk most of the time. It was there where I learned about a heavenly Father who look over his children in a loving way. I was immediately drawn to the conversation for a loving father is what I was lacking in my life. I began to study more about this heavenly Father and how he care for his children.
     By studying the scriptures, I found that our Father who is in heaven is a God of love (1John 4:7,8). A God who watches over us and protects us from harm (Psalms 121:5-8). A God who provides for us (Phil 4:19) and a God who listens to us (Jer. 29:12,13). He was everything that I could want from a father. So I began my journey to know more about him so to become closer to him and him to me. He became my father figure that was missing from my life. He was my role model to which to follow and to learn from. He gave me hope and meaning to my life. Where there was fear there is now peace. Where there was darkness there is now light. He rescued me with his love.
     I told you this story not to draw your sympathy or pity. I told you this story to give you hope that whatever you are lacking in your life God can fulfill. Life can be hard and we can become broken inside but God can fix us and make us whole again if we let him. He can and will rescue you if you call out to him. Your are his child and he is your loving Father who cares for you. Your suffering can end if you lay down your burdens upon him. Jesus Christ who is the image of God (Col.1:15) said these words in Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

I Made the Choice to Follow You

     From all the voices I could have followed I stood my ground and followed you. The glitter and the temptations that were around me I ignore them all and looked to you. When some people fell away and said that you did not exist I did not believe them and still held on to my faith. Some say we no longer have a need for you because you are out of touch with our modern times, I saw through their blurred vision and saw that your wisdom could stand the test of time. You are the beginning and the end of all things no one is greater than you. I made my choice to follow you and listen to your words of salvation and hope.
    When trouble times that were upon me you gave me the strength to carry on. The sadness that I was drowning in you rescued me from it's depths. When I was lost you found me and shown me a way out. You watched over me and comforted me even if I were at that time standing at a distance from you. You never gave up on me and waited patiently for my return.
     What thing or person within this world is greater than you? The whole world lies in your hands and creation itself is your design. Where on Earth that has not been touched by your spirit? Where on Earth can people go where your spirit is not there? Your eyes see everything, your mind understands everything there is no place where a person can hide their actions from you. The angels of heaven report to you everyday.
     Our God of love and of peace, why do we stand against our God of salvation? Why do we not put him above all else? Is our distractions more important than him? Time we have so little of and we give our life away to our desires leaving our names unwritten in the book of life. Glory be to God for the future we will have despite ourselves. Centuries has past and mankind has no answers to the violence upon the land and the fear upon our hearts and minds. Destruction continues to march onward taking our lives away.
     I made my choice to follow you, God of my salvation for your path leads to your kingdom. A kingdom of eternal peace and security. A kingdom of love and happiness. Where death is no more and neither will there be suffering. Man cannot rid his world from suffering but you can by the power of your Holy Spirit. My hope is in you, I place my life in your hands. There is nothing in this world that is greater than you. I make this choice to follow you as long as I can.

   
     

     

Citizen of The Kingdom of God

     If I am a future citizen of the kingdom of God how should I act now? Would I not want to live my life differently than from the world? If I did not change my life would not the people around me say, "Why should I change my life if a citizen of God's kingdom lives no differently than me?" Would they not think that if God accepted you without a commitment to change, they will be accepted as well? You maybe their first example in how a citizen of God's kingdom acts and their only opportunity to learn more. So I say to you brothers and sisters within the Lord do your utmost to represent the kingdom of God well for the sake of those who have yet come to Christ.
     When I look towards my future I want to be with Jesus within the kingdom of God. If I want to be a citizen of the kingdom of God should I not be acting like one now? I cannot say to myself I will continue to do as I please and when Jesus returns only then will I be totally devoted and act righteously. Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." These words mean you cannot place a pursuit over your service to God making it the most important thing in your life. You cannot expect to serve your desires and enter in God's kingdom with only a half-hearted devotion to him. I do not think God will be satisfied with the little crumbs from your worship.
     The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:19, 20 "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." So we are indeed fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. We will be just like the great multitude who will come out of the great tribulation from every nation, tribe, peoples and languages and we will stand before the throne of God and worship him within his kingdom (Rev.7:9,11). I believe that if we are future citizens of the kingdom of God shouldn't we now conduct ourselves as those citizens to live our life as though we were standing before the throne of God. We should not wait until the end is nearly upon us so as to make the changes to our lives.
     I will do my utmost to make changes to my life. I will trust in Gods words and not doubt his wisdom. I will try my best to fight against my sins and weaknesses so to have a clear conscience and a clear mind. I would like to live my life as an open book with a nothing to hide mentality. I would like there to be no barrier between me and God. As a citizen of the future kingdom of God I must align my life in a way that Jesus Christ wants me to live as to love, kindness, compassion and mercy. I must be more forgiving and have a strong faith believing in God with my whole heart, mind and soul. I must be willing to be whole heartedly at making the changes that I need so to live like a citizen of the kingdom of God.

     
     
      

Commitment

      The first Commandment in Matthew 22:37, 38 "And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." If we are to obey the first commandment we must love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and mind. It did not say to partially love the Lord with a little bit of your heart, soul and mind. The first commandment demands total commitment on our part with every bit of our heart, soul and mind.
     I will not question your faith, belief or even the amount of love in your heart for God. I am asking you, are you totally committed to following the path that God has laid out for you through his son Jesus Christ? I believe you really want to but something in your heart is holding you back. You are not really where you want to be in his service. You are struggling to be better but having a hard time to advance in your progress. Total commitment is your goal but partial commitment is where you are now. I know you feel sad and sometimes feel like a failure because of your lack of success however I also know you haven't given up and you will keep on trying to get it right.
     We are getting it right by not giving up on ourselves and our God. In time we will find the answers that we are looking for so to succeed in strengthening our commitment to God. In finding those answers we must look deeply inside of ourselves to find that which has become an obstacle to our commitment. Is there something missing in your life that must be found? Is there something broken that must be fixed? Are you holding on to something that must be let go? Something is pulling you away from God. Something is making you to walk backward instead of forward.
     Due to our imperfect condition sin can play a big part in why we are not totally committed to God. Especially if it is deeply ingrained within us. For example, it is difficult to over come an addiction that we my have. It will take a lot of work on our part to overcome it. It isn't impossible to overcome an addiction but it does take a commitment on our part to do the work that is necessary. There will be a lot of set backs and you will need to be determined to never give up.
     There will come a time when you will reach a point where you are ready to hand your life over to God and make that total commitment to Christ our Lord. I hope for you that you can make a total commitment to God without going through much suffering, however some will only come to God when they hit the bottom and there is no where else to go but up.
     Our eyes must be clearly open to see that sin can be the lead weight that is pulling us down. We must come to understand that our sin or whatever weakness that is within us can be a barrier between us and God. If we want to have a total commitment to God, we have to be willing to let go to whatever that is holding us back. Only then we will be ready to give God all of our heart, soul and mind. 

     

Have We Forgotten?

      Moses spoke these words to the Israelites that roam the desert for forty years. These words could be applied to us today. Deuteronomy 8:11-14, 17 "Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Beware lest you say in your heart, "My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth."
     Moses goes on to tell them that it was not their power that brought them wealth. Duet.8:18 "You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day." Moses warns them what would happen if they forgot what the LORD had done for them. Deut.8:19 "And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall perish." So there are consequences in forgetting the LORD.
     The LORD will also discipline us like a father that disciplines his son. Deut.8:5, 6 "Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the LORD your God disciplines you. So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his way and by fearing him." The LORD loved the Israelites like a father and wanted the best for them. He did not want them to forget about him but to live by his words and prosper. He made a path through the wilderness for them to follow and have a beautiful life and all they had to do is to remember him and his commandments.
     The words in Deuteronomy chapter eight may have been written for the Israelites but they are important for us as well. The words tell us do not forget the LORD and what he has done for you. What did he do for us? He created us and gave us a world to which to live. His very breath brought us to life. We cannot say that we are independent from God. If he took that in which he created away the land, air and sky where would we be? Independents from God is an deceptive illusion and not based on reality. If we have forgotten about the LORD and all his works then we will be on a destructive path and only with the LORD's mercy can we be saved.

1 Corinthians 4:7 "What do you have that you did not receive? If then you receive it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?"

Psalm 76:11, 12 "I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.

Our Malnourished Soul

     When you was a child you probably did not know how to eat right until you were taught by your parents. If it was up to you, you would probably eat dessert as your main meal. Living off eating candy, cookies, ice cream and cake it would be fun but not healthy in the long run. Your parents know this so they taught you to eat your vegetables as well. If we do not eat a balanced meal our bodies can become malnourished and our health could suffer.
     As a child I was inclined to eat a diet of unhealthy things until I was taught to eat the right things. Now as an adult I still sometimes eat the wrong things and have to force myself to focus on to eat the right things. In this world I find it so easy to to do the wrong things and I have to make a conscious effort to do the right things, perhaps it is because of my sinful nature. Because of our sinful nature, I believe we can become malnourished not only in body but also in spirit.
     I believe that some of the people in our world are living in a spiritual malnourished state. Their minds have become mentally sick and unhealthy. They do acts of violence because they are spiritually malnourished. They live by their sinful nature and ignore their spiritual health. Even if we were taught how to to eat well, we must also be taught how to live in peace. We have to have proper guidance in order to live a healthy peaceful life.
     Proper nourishment for the body is life. Malnourishment for the mind is mental chaos. How can one even function in this world even if their body is healthy but their spirit is suffering? The body and mind must work harmonious together in order to achieve peace and happiness. A balance must be maintained by feeding your body and your mind the proper nourishment it needs.
     John 6:32-35 "Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you true bread from heaven. for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." 

That's Me

      I think a real connection is made when we can see ourselves in each other. We can relate to someone's suffering by the memory of our own. It is the same with their joy if we have experienced the same thing. We have the ability to empathize with each other. Our empathy can reach out and understand the other person's situation. We will have reached one of our highest degrees of understanding when we can say they are us and we are them. Divisions can melt away if we can empathize with one another.
     A scribe asked Jesus, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" and Jesus answered him in Mark 12:29-31 "Jesus answered, "The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." Jesus said you shall love your neighbor as yourself and this is the second most important commandment, so if we are empathizing with our neighbor we are fulfilling the second commandment of love. If we are empathizing with someone we will surely follow it up with kind acts of support and love. By connecting with my neighbor through my empathy, I can see that he is just like me needing that which I would need.
     So with my empathy I can look around my world and see others as myself. I may not always completely understand what they are going through but I can say if I was in their shoes that I could be just like them. If I saw someone suffering, I could say within my mind that's me. If I saw someone without a home this could be me as well. If I saw someone confused, lost and hungry that's me in need of help. Every person that I see I could be them and they could be me if the circumstances were right. My neighbors would no longer be strangers if I saw myself standing in their shoes. I could love my neighbor as myself because with my empathy there will be a common bond between us. I can see that he is a child of God just like myself and we are just trying to find our way in this world and both of us we need some help along the way and through our empathy and love we can help each other.
     Opening your heart and letting yourself feel what others are feeling is a great thing to do. It is letting go of your fear and replacing it with love, it is seeing others as yourself. It is breaking down the barriers between us and making connections. Empathy and love draws us closer together as a people. We are making God proud when we reach out and help others that are in need. They are us and we are them this is the outlook that we must have in order to love your neighbor as yourself. You have to put yourself in their shoes and say this could be me. That's me over there hurting. That's me being sad. That's me needing help. That's me needing a friend. When you can see yourself in every situation and being able to empathize with love then you will find yourself standing next to God. If we all could do this our world would become close to a paradise.

A Slow Drift into the Darkness

     We have to be forever mindful of our present mental condition. A slow drift into the darkness can occur without us even being aware of what is happening. My meaning of a slow drift into the darkness is the feeling of the absence of God's spirit within our life. It is not the absence of God by him, it is the absence of God by us. We ever so slowly inch our way into a dark state of mind. We were praising God at one time and now we feel that we are alone and abandoned. Our mind clouded by the darkness somehow does not remember about God's words of comfort and wisdom. 
     When the light dims within our mind, we struggle to make sense of the things that are happening around us. We rely on our own wisdom to figure things out. We become lost within the darkness and waste so much time in our life in just finding a way out. During my own battle with this darkness God took mercy on me. He saw me as his lost sheep that had wander off and he took action to bring me back to him. God's action for me was sending a guiding light into my mental darkness so that my mind would have a direction to go in. What I had forgotten became clear again that life without God's light is darkness. Once again I felt close to God and went about thanking him and praising him for my rescue.
     Why does this drifting into a darkness happen? If you take a good look at our society, it is not about strengthening our spirituality. Our society is more about who is popular, good looking and wealthy. It about fashion and who is trending on the lateness news and gossip. I do not know if our spiritual growth is even on that list. It is so easy to become so distractive from our main purpose in life in becoming closer to God. We will drift slowly into a dark state of mind if we are not spending enough time studying God's word. God is our only protection from the darkness we must put every effort in staying close to him.
     A slow drift into the darkness will occur because we seem to have an habit in forgetting these words. Matthew 4:4 "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." If we do not take these words seriously we will become lost to a dark state of mind. Even if we take care of our bodies our mind will become spiritually starved for God's word. We must have both food for the body and the mind.
      Even if you do become lost to the darkness there is still hope for God will be looking for you and when he finds you he will rescue you because he loves you. Matthew 18:12-14 "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." 

     

When I Feel that I Have Nothing

     When feel that I have nothing I still have my faith in God. An atheist does not believe in the existence of God but I somehow I have always believed there is a God. Feeling the spirit of God within my life has always felt natural to me. When I had my doubts and when I got to a point when I did question his existence that experience left me with a strange feeling. It was something I did not like. In my life I never felt abandoned by God. In my life I had much troubles but I have always felt the spirit of God near me and I got through them. So when I say when I feel that I have nothing the only thing that I really feel that I do have is God watching over me.
     When Job had nothing but his life, he still held strong to his faith. The apostle Paul was beaten and persecuted he also remained strong in his faith. Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross and when he die he said "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" These men of God remained loyal to God to the very end of their lives. When bad times came to them they did not give up for they knew they still had God on their side.
     The times that I feel that I have nothing I still praise God and pray to him. When hard times come sometimes your faith in God is all you have. I will not lose hope for God will be always with me. Today might be bad but with God's help tomorrow will be better and if tomorrow never comes I know I will be in God's hands. Job 12:10 "In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."
     

In Our Times of Distress

     In our times of distress our faith can sometimes be shaken. The meaning of distress is extreme anxiety, sorrow or pain. I believe many people experienced distress during this pandemic when they saw their friends and loved ones die from covid. Many people prayed for their recovery but yet they still passed away. Many people out of their distress could have turned bitter and believed that God was not listening or even cared. They may even lost their faith and said that God does not really exist. Times of great distress can weaken or even break our faith in God.
     I personally believe that our times of great distress should draw us closer to God rather than to push us away from him. God has always promised us a better life in his kingdom and not in today's world. Jesus said his kingdom is not of this world in John18:36 "Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." We will have to continue to endure the unfairness, cruelty and suffering of this world until we are standing in God's kingdom.
     Our hope is in God's love. The apostle Paul said this in Romans 8:35,38,39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
     Our future is with Jesus. John 10:27-29 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."
     Jesus has power over death. John 11:25,26 "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" He said this to Martha before he raised her brother Lazarus from the dead.
     In our times of distress we can be shaken but not broken. We can put our lives in God's hands. If we or our loved ones do die we know Jesus Christ has the power to resurrect us. Our future hope is not in this world has it is now but in how God will someday remake it. During our time here we can always rely on God's strength to help us. Psalm 73:26 "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  
     
     

God's Presence in Our History

     God has been with us since the beginning of our time. He created Adam and Eve. God went on to help Noah, Abraham and Isaac. He was there for Jacob and Joseph. God then went on to instruct Moses in how to bring his people out of Egypt. God made David king over Israel and his son Solomon a very wise man.
In time God brought his only begotten son into our world to die for our sins and to instruct us on how to live our lives. Jesus Christ made a way to bring us to God's kingdom so to bring back the paradise that was once lost to us.
     God has invested a lot of his time in the human race and he will not abandoned us now. No matter how bad our world will become God we be with us until the end so to bring us a new world to which to live. This was his plan from the beginning to bring us back into his kingdom. The sacrifice of his son will not be in vain. We will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
     Revelation 21:1-3 "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God."
     God's presence in our history has been a very long one even today he is working to accomplish his plans. Psalm 33:10,11 "The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations" Even though the world may look out of control, it is not out of God's control. The plans of his heart is for all generations God is leading us ever step of the way. God's presence in our history is forever. 

Resentment an Obstacle to Our Happiness

     As we live our life, we are going to encounter many different people. Some of these people we are going to disagree with is about their opinions, beliefs, and lifestyle. We are also going to have disagreements with our own family and friends. Our constant disagreements can lead us to a feeling of resentment. Our resentment and anger can overwhelm us and make us bitter toward the people we meet. I know we want to be view as kind and approachable but with to much anger and resentment we may become a person whom people are trying to avoid.
    The meaning of resentment is a feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury. For example, if you were to get treated in an unfair way you may begin to have resentment towards that person. If someone was very rude to you, you may develop resentment towards them. However you can also have resentment towards those who you never met just by the way they look and their different opinions on life. If we are not careful our resentments can grow and take over our entire life.
     As a Christian you have to be careful that your resentments do not overly multiply. Some strict religious practices can make people resentful of the people around them who do not live by such restrictions. We cannot live our life being mad at the world because they are not doing the things that God wants them to do. We have to strive to keep our inner peace and learn to forgive for forgiveness is the opposite of resentment. The less resentments we have the happier our lives we will be.

     The rock group The Beatles sung a song called "Let It Be". The lyrics of the first verse is "When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom, let it be." These are wise words to live by when you see something you do not like and something you cannot control just walk away and let it be instead of adding it to your list of resentments. Let it be and place it in the hands of God to take care of because his hands are way much bigger than ours. A wise man said, "Expect much from yourself and little from others and you will avoid incurring resentments."

A Favorite Bible Verse

     One of my favorite Bible verses is Revelation 21:4 "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Our whole world seems to be in chaos right now but God will bring his order to it. I believe many people has lost sight of this that God will one day bring us peace and happiness to our entire world.
     Instead of listening to God's words of peace, love, kindness and compassion, we are becoming more like the people in Noah's day. Genesis 6:5,11-13 "The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt. for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth." It is clear that if people turns away from God's guidance, there is a good chance that they themselves will become corrupted and violent.
     I know that our government must be neutral in order to rule fairly over us, however it must also have a moral code in order to protect it's citizens. There are some people that we must be protected from who are immoral to a point of harming others. Our leaders must act in an ethical way so that violence and corruption do not over take us.
     I know that some people do not believe in God and they live by their own rules. I only hope that their rules do not include giving out fear and violence. People who live their life without out believing in God are taking a risk that there is no devil. I personally believe we need God to protect us from the devil's destructive plans. It always seems to me every time that we ignore our spiritual growth evil grows stronger. A person who's mind is focused upon the teachings of Jesus Christ is not thinking about doing something evil. A person who is looking into the light is looking away from the darkness.
     Even though some people have turned away from God's teachings, they can still come back to him. They can let the teachings of God to soften their heart so to let go of their hate and violence. They can learn to live in peace and be our brothers instead of our enemies. We all can be a part of God's new world, living together in his new order without death, pain or sorrow for God has the power to changed it all.

 
          
     

Ease Your Mind

      Do not put pressure on yourself by trying to be what somebody else wants you to be. Do not live a lie but be yourself. Each person has a different opinion on how we should live. The only opinion that should be the most important is your own. I am not saying that we should not listen to them if we are hurting ourselves and others. What I am saying if we are fine with ourselves, we do not have to listen to those who are trying to force their views upon us.
     Ease your mind by believing in that you have a place upon this world. Even though you are standing among many in a crowd you have the right to be there. Does God love them more than you? No, he does not. God wants you to be happy as well as them. We do have a way to make ourself feel inferior by comparing ourselves to others. We feel we are less because others have more money, better looks, more accomplished or more intelligent. We undermine ourselves by thinking of these things. The truth is we all belong here together. We depend on the work that everyone is doing. They are being who they are and we need to be who we are (who we were born to be).
     Ease your mind by not worrying so much. Enjoy today if you can. Live in the present. Try not to think of things that might happen but be thankful for today. Notice the things around you and appreciate them. If you can say I am fine today then you are doing well. Be thankful for the basics in life like food, clothing, and shelter. Be thankful for your family and friends. If you do this maybe you will see that your life is not as bad as your mind was telling you. Relax, slow down and enjoy your life while you still can.
    Ease your mind by taking away the unnecessary pressures that you put upon it. Ease your mind by loving that beautiful person that God created you to be. We are loved and we are special to our creator. Each of us belongs here upon this Earth. We are one family under God. A precious treasure to him. He wants us not to harm each other but to love one another. Put your mind at ease for God is watching over us and taking care of us.

What Is This?

      What is this dark force that is sweeping across our land? This is what I say to myself when I hear about the shootings and the brutality that is being frequently done. What is the meaning to this violence? Right now I hear children playing outside. I hear them laughing. I hear their joy and happiness in their voices. If you were to bring gunfire to their play their laughter would become screams of terror, their joy becomes sorrow and their happiness would become despair. Even if the people who did these terrible things had different motivations they all accomplished in spreading evil. Who is the master of evil, Satan. They can deny it all they want but they all followed Satan's will.
     Satan is always trying to take away our humanity by spreading his evil any way he can. Bible shows the kind of fight that we are fighting. Ephesians 6:12 "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in heavenly places." People needs God's help to fight against these dark powers and if they do not have it they will be easily manipulated by these evil spirits.
     So I say to all of you hold tight to your faith and the goodness within your heart do not let the devil take it away. Ephesians 6:10,11 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." I am not trying to be preachy but I am saying we are in a desperately in need situation and placing our faith in God is far better than placing our faith in the ways of men. God can get us through this whereas man alone can be bent to the devil's will. I will hold tight to my faith during these times of trials and tribulations and trust in God's power and righteousness.

Do Not Lose Hope

      Do not lose hope or feel broken beyond repair. In hopelessness we can feel that we are trap in a situation with no way out. We can become lost in the darkness feeling angry and confused. If we cannot feel loved? How can we give love? If we lost are in confusion, how can we ever have peace? The world can look so dark at times however even in the mist of darkness there is still some light to be found. 
     Do not lose hope for there is still a light of hope within you. You must reach for it and hold onto it. There is a new beginning waiting to be born. It is a way out that somehow you have become blind to. Lighten the suffering within you by lightening the burden you bear. You must learn to love and forgive yourself. Jesus said we must forgive our brother 7 times 77 and I say we must forgive ourselves that many times as well. We must not cling to the suffering within but to forgive ourselves and let it go. Forgive our brothers and forgive ourself, this is our new beginning.
     Let go of the anger and the hate whether or not it is for someone else or for yourself. It will destroy you if it is not dealt with. Love yourself and love your brother. Be kind and merciful. Break free and embrace the light that is within you. It was always there for your taking. There is a darkness and a light within you but somehow the darkness took over and block out the light. It is fixable but it will take some effort on your part. You must believe that the light is stronger than the darkness and you must move towards it. You must truly believe that love is stronger than hate and forgiveness can take away your pain. Be kind to yourself by loving and forgiving yourself.
     A new world is coming if the light can break through the darkness that is within us. There always seem to be to much darkness within our world, a world with more light is way over due. Darkness increases darkness where as light will increase light. The majority always seems to rule. We cannot wait for the tipping point but we must do our part to help it along. Increase the light within you and decrease the darkness. Let love and forgiveness heal your soul.
    Do not lose hope, love yourself and be kind to yourself by forgiving yourself and others. Let go of the emotional pain and be free. Do not lose hope for you can become the future hope of the world by easing it's pain with love and forgiveness. Darkness will only destroy our world whereas the light of goodness will show us a new way to be. Believe in the power of the light and take hold of it tightly for it is your lifeline to a better future.