Life Is Short, Just Enjoy It

It seems like I went to bed at six years old and woke up in High School. Then i went back to sleep and woke up this morning in a grown man's body. It seems like life seems to just pass by faster and faster every day. After my eighteenth birthday every year has went by faster than the year before, with the weeks almost running into one another. I wake up all the time wondering where the time has gone. The way it feels I'm going to be fifty next week even though it is a little over twenty years away.

Well I wonder why I told you all that stuff. The point I am trying to make is that every day you wake up, you are one day closer to the day you die. We seem to forget that every day after the beginning you are working your way to the end. Our time here on earth is so short and we often take it for granted. One thing I don't want to do is grow old and feel there was so much more I could have done with my life. We were all put here for a purpose, but that purpose seems to be frequently forgotten.

If you are a follower of Christ, you know that you were put here to be a living testimony. Your task is to share your life's experiences and wisdom that God has given you to help the people around you get the most out of what life has to offer. We fail miserably at this because we are too busy thinking of what we don't have instead of being thankful for what we do. Things were not meant to be handed to you, but you were designed to work to achieve things. The Bible says ask and you shall receive, but you have to be willing to work toward what you want. The key word being WORK.

But working is not the topic of this post. The main point is that we need to realize that our days on this Earth are numbered. The life expectancy of people is much shorter today than it used to be, mainly because of the increased stress that is placed on people at a young age. We need to stop and appreciate what time we do have and make the most of it. You have to experience life and appreciate all the trials and the joys of it. Without pain how can you enjoy pleasure, and without sadness how can you be thankful for happiness?

Live your life with no regrets. Making mistakes is not as bad as it is made out to be. It is continuing to make the SAME mistakes that we should fear. Life gets messy sometimes, but it makes the joys of making it right so much sweeter. If life were perfect you would never learn anything. No matter where you come from everyone experiences the same types of emotions. Rich, poor, tall, short, overweight and skinny people all experience pain, love, joy, anger, and sadness. So just remember to take charge and make the most of the person you are. Life is way too short to think of what you don't have, because one day you will blink and be wondering where your time went.

Love: Be Careful How You Throw The Word Around

"I love you". I bet everyone has heard that phrase a few billion times during their life. It might be your parents, your significant other, or just a friend, but you either say it or have someone say it to you almost on a daily basis. Love is a tricky word. It can make you feel like a million dollars and just as fast make you feel like you want to die.

As easy as it is to just say the phrase, you should remember to be very careful how you throw that word around. Saying it can be a be a double edge sword and can cut anybody from any direction. We have grown accustomed to just saying things without thinking about what they really mean, and without thinking about the impact they can have on another human life. The best definition of love I could give is that you know without a doubt that you couldn't live happily without that person in your life. You would risk your life and personal safety to make sure that person stayed safe. 

There are different feelings of love as well. The love you have for your parents or children is different than the love you will have towards a friend. The love for a friend would be different that the feelings you have for your significant other. The sad part is we have so many different feelings of love and only one term used to express it. Feelings are so hard to put a definition to that we tend to leave them vague such as being angry, sad, happy, or in this example..... love. 

To avoid breaking hearts or getting your heart ripped right out of your chest, try to understand the context of the word when you say it or when you hear it. There is a big difference between loving someone and being in love. You should love everyone but you can only be in love with one person. When you tell someone you love them, make sure your body language matches the intention of the way you said it. People will read your body more than the words that you say. Most people commonly get hurt during text messages, because they have no visual confirmation on what the person meant by what they said. 

It may sound inconvenient but many people hear what they want to hear despite the way you say it. So be careful how you throw that dangerous L word around. Make sure that the people you say it to know what you mean, because the last thing you want is to be the person that broke a heart. Now I'm sure that if you tell a friend you love them they will understand, but when dealing with members of the opposite sex be careful. Don't just say it for the heck of it if you don't mean it. It is REALLY HARD to bandage a broken heart.

Listen With Your Heart

If you have ever heard somebody say follow your heart you probably should have listened to them. I have a slightly different view on it however. I believe rather than saying follow your heart, you should listen with your heart. Let me clarify what I mean for a moment. Many of you will say that your heart cannot listen and that it is a figure of speech to listen to your heart. The heart anatomically is only designed for one thing, and that is to pump blood throughout the body. We neglect the fact that there are parts of the brain that are associated with different attributes. We have a part of the brain for instinctive function, a emotional part for feelings, and a "thinking brain" that allows us to analyze things. 

The thinking part of the brain is where we have a tendency to stay. We are taught our entire lives to think critically and analytically. These are important tools that separate us from other animals, and allow us rationalize and think in word and number form. The only problem with this is we have been conditioned to ignore our "gut" instincts. This creates internal conflict between the heart and the mind. 

In my life the best example I can share is in a past relationship. I was with a girl for a while and in my heart I knew it would never work. I could feel it in my stomach by feeling queasy and flutters. Most people would tell you that means you are in love, but I felt it in a different manner. Deep down my heart was telling me that it wasn't right and that it wasn't going to work. In my head I was telling myself that is was working and would last. The internal conflict came from my body telling me one thing, and my brain trying to rationalize the situation. The problem is instinctively I knew something wasn't right, but I was deceiving myself. 

The mind and the eyes can be easily fooled because we think we have the knowledge to overcome obstacles. In reality we know very little and we trust what we have been told instead of what we feel. We place a judgement on our feelings by what we have been taught. Everyone as a child has been faced with a situation that they felt was wrong but were talked into doing it anyway. Their friends told them it was okay and they saw how much "fun" it could be, so they did it. The eyes and ears have been deceived when the heart and body knew the outcome ahead of time. It has been said that you should believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see, and this can be and is very true. 

If we would just learn to listen to what our body is telling us we would make better decisions and live a much fuller life. Your heart and your gut are not as easily fooled like your eyes, ears, and mind. Don't try to rationalize why you feel a certain way. If you feel like something is wrong do not let someone tell you its okay, because your body has already sent the message that it does not wish to partake in the event. I believe that we were born knowing right from wrong and can sense situations. It is often refereed to as a sixth sense and called "intuition", but i believe it is just instinctively given to you by God to help you navigate your way through life. 

Learn to listen to what your body is telling you and don't shut down emotions. If you are sad, happy, angry, or otherwise just embrace the feeling. Don't place judgement on what you feel because it is your instincts speaking to you. You can feel what is right and what is wrong. Do not go on what the world tells you is acceptable, but rely on what you know from your body and the convictions you feel from God.

Common Sense: We are NOT as Smart as We Think

There is one key to life that if people would just put to use the world would be a much better place to live. In a world that is more “educated” than ever before, we have to be more ignorant than ever before in history. All the stuff that they teach in school doesn't teach much about the values of life. We learn things in text form and we never learn to apply common sense to our everyday lives. In the United States the lack of common sense has caused this country to be in debt and a have more crime, poverty, and anguish.

Common sense is simply looking at a situation and thinking of it in a practical manner. Everything we think about nowadays is nothing but a conceptual mess leading from one dumb decision to another. For example everyone knows about sexually-transmitted diseases, but despite the risk people continue to sleep around. We all know that printing money is only going to decrease the value of a dollar and create debt, but people in today’s society see that is a way out. They don’t realize they are just putting our economy deeper in the ground. Another example is that it is dangerous to drink and drive but people continued to do it anyway.

Do you see the patterns that we have set for ourselves? It is apparent that with all the “education” and “knowledge” we have attained, we have neglected to look at the way things are going to turn out. We have been taught that books and everything on the Internet is true and without fault, but human error is ever so prevalent. If we could just learn to look at things for what they are and use our brain, our country might be on economic rise instead of falling, or Maybe there will be fewer accidents involving drunk drivers.

Now I can’t speak for the rest of the world, but I can speak for America. It is time to wake up and see exactly what we have been doing to our country. We have destroyed the values and the morals that our founding fathers wanted for this country by not using common sense. Though education is more prevalent in society than before, we have got to have some of the dumbest citizens and political leaders in this country today. It’s not their fault because no one has ever told them to think practically, because in school you were taught to think “outside the box”. While abstract thinking is okay sometimes, it is important to understand what will happen in the real world.

It’s time to wake up America! Start using the brain that God gave you and make decisions that will actually benefit the country we live in. Whether you’re a politician or a high school student, use your head when making decisions. We need to go back to living on Biblical principle instead of the nonsense we believe and live in today!

Investing in Today Will Change Your Future

I see so many people that I talk to and counsel make a major mistake. We all do it and it doesn't seem like such a big deal but if you think about it, it can be. We all talk about tomorrow. What's going to happen tomorrow or what are the plans for next week? Next month? You might say there is nothing wrong with that and you are right.....partially.

It is a good idea when making plans to think of how it will affect your future. The problems lies somewhere in that description. We are not really sure what tomorrow will bring. There is so much emphasis, good and bad, placed on what is going happen later. Everyone tends to get anxious and worry about the things to come. I want to be honest I do this as well, but I always try to catch myself and change my thought process a bit.

See when we worry about what is going to happen in the future we miss valuable time that we have in the present moment. I know I have personally missed out on a great deal of enjoying my life for worrying about things out of my control. I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow or if I will even be here. Lets be reasonable and say that at any age there is a possibility that we won't see tomorrow or next week. Its okay to make plans but we need to realize that anything can be subject to change. Sometimes things do not happen the way we intended, but more often than not it works out for the best.

I believe that we need to put more emphasis on today. Tomorrow will have it's own wonderful moments and trials, but we need to focus on the task at hand. There are only 24 short hours in a day and we often waste time worrying and spend less time making ourselves better. We have to live for today because today effects our future as much as tomorrow will. Your boss at work and friends will not tell you to focus on today, because we are all conditioned to think of the future. Plan for the future and take your step forward today, because it is today that can make tomorrow worth living. If we live everyday like it is our last, we will have no regrets and our futures will take care of themselves when tomorrow becomes today.

Education vs. Indoctrination: What Are They Teaching in Schools?

What are they teaching in schools these days? Have any of you realized what you or your children are being taught when they walk into today's education system? I am working on finishing my second degree right now, and I am amazed at what they are teaching us as so called facts. Do any of you remember when you actually learned facts in schools? One thing i have noticed is that they teach very little facts but they sure do force "theories" down the throats of students. There is nothing in a science class these days that tells things that they can prove. The are repeatedly teaching things that are just ideas to students, and making them believe that it happened that way, with ABSOLUTELY NO PROOF!

My favorite example is evolution. This is the biggest and most ridiculous of them all. I had a biology teacher once tell me that we came from lemurs. Well I don't know if you believe that, but if you do I invite you to think of it from this perspective. Supposedly we "evolved from monkeys" or we were once "slime that developed into a human body". If any of this was true why would it have stopped so long ago? If evolution was possible, wouldn't you see monkeys walking out of zoos and humans growing from slime in a lake? When is the last time you saw that? You can't answer that question because if you said so you would be lying. If anybody ever saw that, it would be all over Facebook, Twitter, and CNN. Not to worry though because you will never see it. To put it in southern dialogue IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!

Why would they teach something as fact when they not only have no proof, but it isn't occurring today? Why do so many people believe this stuff? It makes absolutely no sense to believe in something that doesn't continue to happen. Supposedly the world is always evolving, but if that was the case we would see evidence of it over time. I have been alive for quite some time and I have to say that I have never seen it. And my parents have been alive for much longer and they have never seen it either.

I do however believe in adaptation. Every species adapts to certain stimuli they encounter. In a way natural selection is a conceivable idea, because certain traits are looked upon as attractive and are chosen in nature. For example if women like tall men they will mate with more tall men, and shorter men will not receive as many mating opportunities. That doesn't mean we evolved into being tall because if it did I would be playing basketball for the Lakers. The reason you see bigger, stronger, and faster athletes in sports today isn't because we have evolved into that. Those few players were just selected by organizations to play rather than the smaller ones, because bigger athletes are looked on to provide a greater advantage over opponents

The last point I want to make is that if we can teach unproven theories in school, why is it so bad to talk about the Bible or Christ in school? I mean even if you don't believe in God it shouldn't matter. Some parents over the years have protested Creation being taught in schools because they didn't want their child exposed to the Bible. Well I don't want my children learning about "evolution" so now it is my turn to protest against something that if we think about it, is a load of garbage. They want students to be open minded. Well open your mind and let children see the other side of the coin for once. In many cases kids are not even exposed to the Bible in the home so how about being fair. If we allow them to teach scientific theory let them learn about Creation!

If you like this and agree feel free to leave a comment and share it with your friends. It is time to change what the future of America is being taught in schools.

Faith Isn't So Difficult

I want to bring something to everyone's attention that I am sure we have all struggled with. It is the subject of FAITH. Whether it be in God or just in your own abilities we all tend to lack a certain level of faith that is required to live a complete and happy life. What I mean is that many of us simply doubt ourselves and God, and think that things are impossible. Plain and simple we have little faith.

Do you want to know the secret to having faith? Well do you? If you aren't already sitting down go pull up a chair for a moment and keep reading. Are you seated yet? I hope you are because I want to call attention to the chair that you are sitting in. If it isn't broken it is supporting your full weight right this very instant. I would be willing to bet that you never even thought before you sat down about whether that chair was going to support you. I would also be willing to bet that when you get in your car you don't often think about whether that car is going to make it where you are planning to go. I know i don't. I just sit down in a chair or crank up the car without a minutes thought about whether it would support or carry me. 

In case you missed the point you do have faith in something. So if we can put your faith into an inanimate object why is it so hard for us to have faith in something that is alive? I believe that through the years we learn to trust things as we come into contact with them. When you get to know someone or get familiar with a car or chair, you develop a personal relationship or trust with that person or object. So why can't we have faith in God? Why do we doubt ourselves? We do not take the time to get familiar with our innermost person, and we do not take time to develop a relationship with God or the person we really are.

Now I am not saying that you should put faith in every person or idea you come into contact with, and I am not saying that every chair you sit in is going to hold you, but if we can trust non-living objects we should be able to trust ourselves and a living God. Whether you are a believer in God or not you should have faith and consider this idea. You can't see the wind but you know it is there right? The only proof of it's existence is that people feel it and see it's effects. The same goes for salvation. It is not something you see plainly but something you feel and see the effects of. 

Before you get discouraged and become a doubter, remember that you do show signs of faith on a daily basis when you sit down or drive your car. So if you can trust that you should learn to trust God and yourself. Having a little faith will teach you a lot. 

Put it in Drive Instead of Park

Have you ever looked at people around you and wondered how they have the things they do? Be honest with yourself and I know I have as well. It’s easy to become jealous of what others around you are achieving from day-to-day, but instead of being envious we should learn how to do these things for ourselves. What is it that these people have that we don’t? Do we really want what these people have? The fame, the wealth, the cars, and the hottest members of the opposite sex. Well the answer is yes and no. We do want some of these things because it is human nature to want them, but the overwhelming majority of us will probably never have them. The question is not whether you would be happy with these things but it is that you probably will never do what it takes to get these things.

There are some people in the world that it seems like things are just handed to them. They seem to be the people we often envy, but they are not the role models that we should be looking to for advice. The people that worked for things that they achieved are the people that you ultimately wish to emulate. That still doesn’t answer the question why will most of us never attain the things we want? Because we’re not willing to take chances to make that happen. Many of us have conservative ways of living and that’s great, but real rewards come from taking chances. In reality you should live somewhat conservatively but without ever taking a gamble, the likelihood of you achieving greater things in life is very slim.

Your dreams are very important to your character and the person that you ultimately wish to become. Far too many of us will dream and wish for things to happen, but will never jump the proverbial gap to reach the other side. It is human nature for us to remain in our comfort zones the rest of our lives, but remaining in our comfort zones is also what keeps our progress stagnated. It is a difficult concept for us to act upon sometimes, but it is always necessary to keep moving forward in life. When you stay in the same spot that you have always been in without advancing you may as well have been walking backwards. We’ve all heard it before that life is too short so why do we live like there’s always going to be a tomorrow for us? You think about your answer to that question, and when you finally realize that our days are numbered, hopefully we will learn to live life and take chances like never before.

Take chances, make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. They will strengthen your character as well as making your journey through life sweeter. Put your "car" in drive and keep moving along. Enjoy!

Respect: Your Relationship with the World Around You

We all have a different idea of what respect means but we all wish to attain it. Many people walk through life expecting people to just give them respect without returning the favor. I have been one of these people and I’m sure you have as well, but let’s look at the real truth behind why we don’t get respect.

I was walking through a local grocery store when I heard a lady giving a cashier a difficult time. The cashier trying to be professional was doing everything she could to make the customer happy. Like any other human being the cashier eventually became agitated and in a polite manner snapped a comment back to the customer. After paying for her groceries the lady strolled over to the customer service desk and filed a complaint to the manager. Now you know as well as I do that this cashier was probably punished for her actions. The lady told the manager that the cashier was unprofessional and very disrespectful towards her. 

Now let’s analyze the situation for just a moment. This lady was disrespectful to the cashier but told the manager that the cashier was disrespectful to her. Do we see anything wrong with this situation? It looks like this woman demanded respect without realizing that she should have given respect in return. She can talk to another person anyway she pleases but if they talk back in any way she sees unfit it is unacceptable.

These are the kind of things that I see going on every day in almost every place I go. People demanding respect from others and neglecting to realize how distasteful they come across to the people that they come into contact with. I want each of you reading this to think about a time that you probably were disrespectful to someone and became angry when they were disrespectful back. If the roles were reversed and it was you on the other end of the register or wherever you may be, how would you react? The person that you are being hateful to is probably only being that way in return as a means of self-defense.

The moral of the story is that if the roles were reversed you would only treat people with respect that treated you in that same manner. It is only fair that you treat others the way you expect to be treated. So if you cannot be respectful then you CANNOT complain when someone doesn't let you run over them.

Be courteous and remember that the relationships you build with people are directly related to the way you treat them as well as the way they treat you.