Not Again

      How many times have we said those words, "Not again!" Sometimes life can be so cruel and unrelenting. You may have went through a bad experience over again. Like when your car breaks down and you fix it and then it breaks down again. You could have had a health problem that you thought you were over it and then you find out that it has returned. You might had to fix your house from either storm, water or fire damage and then sometime later you had to fix it again from the same kind of damage. Sometimes we have to deal with the same type of problem and we think to ourselves, "Not again." 
     We are only human and we can only take so much before we start to break. Our mind and our heart is not made out of stone. The problems we face in life can effect us mentally and physically. They can wear us down and make us feel tired from constantly trying to solve them and then having the same problem return again. Life makes you feel you have no control when you fix your house from storm damage and then you hear another storm is on it's way. What can you do but pick up the pieces over and over again. Not again we may say but life says yes, again.
     What can we do? We must continue on in our life, the best way we can. In the reality of life there will be good times and there will be bad times, we just have to endure the bad times to get to the good times. We can try our best to make sure that we experience more good times than we experience the bad. 
     How to face a problem that we have? We cannot linger on what should have been but on what we can do now to solve it. We must break down our problem into smaller steps that we can fix and then go step by step in solving it. Do not say, "It can only be done one way." but be flexible in your thinking and try another way if your original plan did not work. You do not have to go it alone you can seek out help if you need it. You can pray to God and ask for his strength and guidance and have faith that your problem we be solved.
     We must do our best to endure and persevere, even if the same problem keeps coming our way. We must not give up and give in to the hopelessness that we may feel. In time our life will be better. We just have to work through the 'Not again' times of our life knowing this will not last forever. We can trust in God to help us see through our problems and help us to find the answers that we need.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Philippians 4:6-7 "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

 

None Participation, Could It Be Hurting Your Life?

     I wanted to write this before you read this post so I would not be hypocritical. The things I am telling you to do in this post I should be doing as well. If you see a 'you' in this post it should read 'you and me'. If you feel you are living a sedentary lifestyle than an active one and if you feel you should be getting out more and meeting people. I feel the same way that you do about my life. I wrote this post for you and me so we can start to think about the changes that we might need to do so to make us feel better about our life.
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      Being only the watcher and not the doer could be hurting your life. Seeing people having fun and not being apart of it, you could be losing out in making a connection with others. Reading about love and not being around people who can love may make you feel lonely. Not being apart of a group that is working on something, you may lose out on an opportunity to develop a friendship. Not going out but staying in, the isolation could be making you feel sad.
     We need connection and the feeling of belonging. We need to find the people who we feel comfortable with. I know that being a Christian we are no part of this world but we still need to be around some people who are like us so to have some kind of support and fellowship. Being all alone in this world is not good for our mental health. I know that some people like being alone and if that is their choice then I am fine with it. I am saying that if you feel disconnected from life maybe it is time for you to become more active in life than sitting on the sidelines and watching.
     In doing things, going places and meeting people we will find out more in what we like to do and the people we like to be around. By becoming more active in our life, we might be able to find out what we are looking for. It could be the beginning in finding out what was missing in our life. Being more active in our life, we will benefit from the activity and be more healthy by doing it. We do not have to drastically to change our lifestyle but with the little changes that we do it could make a difference in our life.
     You could find a church that you would like to go to and participate in their activities. You would meet new people that may have the same beliefs that you have and maybe even make a new friend. You could find a community center that has activities that you like. You could find a group with the same interest that you have or even go to a book club that you like. You need to find a place that makes you feel comfortable and that you would not mind visiting again in order to make you feel like you want to be around other people.
     Do not put a high amount of pressure upon yourself fearing that you may say something awkward causing people to not to like you. We all seem to have some amount of social anxiety. The people that you meet may have the same anxiety fearing that you may not like them.  I am not trying to cause you more anxiety by suggesting to you to go out and meet with others. I am just suggesting that a lack of social interaction may have left you feeling a little bit lonely and sad. I know that some people may have a physical condition that has left them not able to get around. Some people may have a mental condition called social phobia that prevents them from going outside. I am just saying do what you can to interact with others so that you do not feel so isolated and alone.
     In the Bible it has many verses telling us to be together and encourage each other, to love and to help each other. Jesus and the apostles did not live in isolation but they were interacting with the people who were around them. Here are some Bible verses telling us how we should live our lives.

Genesis 2:18 "Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."
Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Ephesians 4:2 "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love"
Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."   
     

Lord, Help Me to Keep Moving Forward

      Have you ever been in a situation, where you feel that you cannot take one more step? You feel tired and exhausted because you cannot find any rest for yourself. You feel there is never any let up to the obstacles that you face. When you get past one then another takes it's place. This causes your energy to become depleted. You want to keep moving forward but your body has become to weak to move your feet to go on. Your faith in God is still with you and your hope in him is still alive but your body and mind has become so tired. You look up into heaven and say, "Lord, help me to keep moving forward do let me to just keep standing still."
     It is like we are standing in three feet of snow and we still have a will to move forward but the wind is blowing so hard against us and every step we take is so hard to do. In our mind we ask ourselves when will this end and we pray to God rescue us so that we can continue on.
     I am not a quitter but in my mind there is a question to what to do? How do I move forward if I can barely move my feet? I must think deeply within my mind in how did I get to this place of being stuck and not being able to move? How did I work so hard and tried my very best and still in up in a place like this? My mind aches at trying to find an answer. Who cares, you may say to yourself if I do not move forward and stay and die in this state of mind? I say that your family will care, your friends will care, your sons, daughters and wife will care. If you have anyone in your life at all, they will care and God most definitely will too. However I must say that the world in general may not care. In these things lies your power to move.
      I see that maybe there are some ways that you can move forward. One way is from the help of your friends and family by their support and love. You can get strength through your prayers and worship of God. You can also seek out professional help through a therapist. Another way is that you can get mad at world and say, "If the world does not care if I stay here and die I will move forward in spite of them all." You can start by twisting and turning your torso. You can move your hands up and down and around. You can kick your feet in anger. You can still jump up and down. This is the beginning to moving forward again. Showing yourself that not all is lost that you can still move your body. By doing these things you are firing up your mind and your body to take few steps forward. You can say to yourself, "I will not stay here and die." Then push with all your might to take a step forward.
     We must find a way to free our mind and not be locked up in hopelessness. The world is still going to continue on whether we are stuck in one place or not. We have to find a way to adapt and move forward. By changing the way we think and by changing the direction we are going in maybe we can bend like a reed and not break like a rigid stick to find a way around our troubles. 
     I maybe stuck right now but I been stuck before and figured my way out. I have used perseverance and endurance and even by pure will power alone I have made my way forward. I do not quit or throw up my hands in surrender to the troubles I am facing. I will push forward even at a slow pace until I find a solution, an answer, a way through or a way around my obstacles in life. When you stop trying you start to become hopeless inside but when you continue forward and do not give up you show yourself there is still hope and that you will find what you are looking for. You are playing for more time. As the saying goes, "Time heals all wounds." Maybe all you will need is some time to heal and rest.
     I will still keep on looking and praying to God for my answers. I will not give up on my faith no matter how hard my life may get. God said in 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." Exodus 14:15 "The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward." Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." Isaiah 40:29 "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength." Psalm 73:26 "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."