We Have Fallen

I have been doing a lot of reading lately trying to understand things about the world around me. I see all this bad stuff happening and I like any other human have wondered why God allows things to happen. The most common question I hear when someone speaks of bad things that have happened in America is where was God when that happened?

The answer to that question is plainly right there beside everyone the entire time. The thing is God allows things to happen as a wake up call to us to go back to the way we used to do things. America was a Nation founded on Godly principles and we have slowly and purposefully moved in our own direction. 

So where has God been in America? Well in a book I have been reading through answers the question like this. We kicked God out of our Government, our schools and we are even beginning to take the pledge of allegiance out of schools because it says "One Nation Under God". We have literally wiped God completely out of every aspect of our lives as a country. 

So if you only want God to be around to help when things are bad then why should he keep his hedge of protection over us as a Nation. When everything is going good America completely ignores the blessings that God has given to this country, and when things are bad we wonder where God was. Well he has been there since the beginning, and he has not went anywhere, but at a certain point he will allow things to take place to bring us back. If we refuse as a Nation (which we have) he will allow further problems to arise. 

If we want the prosperous America we once had we are going to have to go back to the things that we once did. We allowed God to be in control. If anyone wants to argue that point think of this. How many times have you seen violence in schools since we removed praying and speaking of God? If we don't believe that removing God was the cause then we are all in serious denial.   

Lose Lose Situations

Have you ever been in a situation that you felt like either way you go you are going to lose? I think we all have an honestly I had a friend ask me the same question the other day. He said if he made either decision, someone that he considered a friend was going to be upset with him.

He wanted to know my honest opinion, and my honest opinion was that I didn't know what to tell him. I have been in those situations many times and I still have no idea which way is the best way. I once heard it put like this. If you are going to lose either way it really doesn't matter what you chose to do, because you are going to any way you look at it.

Sometimes the best thing to do is listen to your heart and what God has to say about it. I know even reading the Bible and praying, the answer doesn't just always pop up. I think that God wants to let you have the freedom of choice on the matter and when you are going to lose anyway, that is just how you have to think.

Life can come up with some pretty strange circumstances that will create an internal conflict on both sides. If I do this consequence A will happen, but if I chose the other consequence B will happen. I honestly would be lying if I said I knew what the best road to take is, and in that case you just need to think, pray, and make the best decision you feel you can make.

If anyone has a good way to handle this type of situation please leave a comment below. I really would like to know what some of you would do when these types of things come up.

Learn To Be Creative

If you ever had dreams that were shot down repeatedly you may feel like it just doesn't work for you. That may be the case but let me explain something that will change the way you think. Lets say after years of failure you think well maybe I just can't do it. The solution get creative!

Sometimes the methods that work for other people just are not the way that will work for you. Maybe it is not working because people have been doing it too much, or they have been leaving out important pieces of information so that you will keep failing. 

This is when you have to come up with your own way of doing something. If it is something you are trying to learn then think of a different way to try to learn it. It may help you to read it, see it, or actually do it. Everyone learns and achieves things differently so you may have to switch it up for yourself. 

If more people would learn to think more creatively instead of listening to everyone else, they may find some great success. There is usually one way to do things, but there are many tools you can use to make it happen. An example of this would be that if you want to be a doctor you have to go to school. The difference is that you may not go to the same medical school that your doctor did, you may not learn the same way they did, and you may find that the teacher everyone likes just isn't for you. 

In many circumstances you have to do things a certain way but you can modify them to your advantage. Just remember that being creative can change your life for the better, and you may learn things about yourself you never knew before. 

Life Is Tough

One thing that I am learning more every day is that life is so hard. There is so much to think about on a daily basis and there is only 24 hours to get it all done. It is really easy to feel overwhelmed knowing that you have stuff to get done today so that you can do the things you need to do tomorrow.

I have found that it is easy to get frustrated with life in general. The harder you try to make things work it seems as though you make even more mistakes. Things in your life just seem to never finish developing and it is a constant battle in your mind.

I believe that the reason we feel beat down is that we let our minds get in the way and even I have had trouble with this. When things don't work for me I feel like packing up and quitting to, but this is no way to live life. I have to practice what I have been telling people for years, but I want everyone to know that they are not alone when they feel like throwing in the towel.

Sometimes you just need someone to lean on and for them to tell you that they have been feeling the same way. I know that you feel like no one else is having the same problems, but they are in some way experiencing the same things you are. Situations may be different but the emotions are always going to be the same..... happy, sad, angry depressed etc.

Find the few true friends you have or talk to your family and tell them that you need them for support. They will be there for you and help you get through tough times. Always remember that you do have The Lord to lean on when no one else seems to care about you. You will find comfort if you will just learn to have a little faith.

The World Doesn't Begin And End With You: Be Humble

I was walking around a few stores this weekend and I continue to notice how rude people seem to be. I have posed on this before and I feel it bears repeating. Too many people act as though the world owes them a living and when they don't get the things they want, they become angry and hateful. 

Let me be clear, it is nice to get your way, but no one in this world owes you a thing. Get over yourself. Yes we should all treat each other with respect and we should get respect in return, but you are not the only person that God created to walk this earth. Too many people feel like they are more important than they are. You should think highly of yourself but in such a way that you are still humble. 

You can be proud of who you are and the things you have accomplished without putting everyone down in the process. You will find that people will be more willing to help you if you are a thoughtful and respectful person. I have no reason to feel the need to help someone that thinks that I owe them. I don't feel any emotional drive to see them come through or make anything of themselves. 

I am a caring person and if seeing people act that ways makes me not care what they do, then chances are the rest of the world won't care either. I am not the most important person in the world and neither are you. It really doesn't matter whether you are the President or some other public official, the world does not have to bow down at your feet. 

Just remember that if you want more in life stop expecting people to just had you things. Work for what you want and people will help you. Nothing in life is free so stop expecting things to just be handed to you on a silver platter. Be respectful to the people that are working with the public because they have to be there long after you have gone home. They don't owe you anything more than the service they get paid for, which by the way, is not enough for what they do (I know from my own experience).

Do Things Out Of Love

In my life I have found myself doing things for others and like everyone, I usually had a feeling I would receive something in return. Usually you do but when you do in with that kind of attitude if you don't you become angry and say that you are not going to help that person anymore.

While people should return the favor you should just do things out of love and not expect them to do things for you. It can be difficult but try to do things just because you want to help and not because you want something for yourself.

I have made that mistake too many times in my life. In the past several years I have realized that I enjoy helping people and I don't have to receive something for my efforts. Sometimes a simple thank you or seeing someone smile makes me feel like I have already been payed.

I have been payed to do things and while the money was nice, I enjoyed just simply doing something for someone that really needed help. I have worked with people of all ages that just wanted someone to talk to or to help them through a difficult time. These are the things that should make life worth living. Knowing that you were there to help someone in possibly there lowest point and that you helped pull them out.

People need someone to lean on for support and you can be that person if you will just put yourself in that persons shoes. I'm sure when times were hard for you, you wanted someone that was willing to help you no matter how you repaid them. So just remember don't always do something to receive something in return. Do things because you care and want to help and you will find that everyday you have a reason to wake up in the morning.

Finish What You Start

Many people start things with good intentions of finishing them. Then at some point along the way you notice that they fall off track and the deed winds up unfinished. We have all done this at some point where we make a resolution to exercise more or to have more money this year or anything you can imagine. 

The sad part is that many of these things we set out to do will never be completed. Our entire lives are full of things that were started with enthusiasm and then we just stop. The thing I hope to do in my life and that I hope everyone will do is to finish what you start. 

If you ever want the success in life you have always dreamed of then you will have to finish the jobs that you have started. If you know that you are not going to finish something, then there is no reason to even start it. If your goal is to exercise more then you should do whatever it takes to make it happen. Everything you do you need to see what the end result is in your mind. Without knowing where you are going you will never get there. 

There are some things that you can do right now to ensure that you become better at finishing what you start. The small things are what matters the most. Little things like finishing a book that you started reading are what sets the habits you will continue to carry. If you can't even finish something as small as reading a book to the end, how are you ever going to finish school or work in the same job until you retire. 

We tend to get bored with things and we feel it is time to move on, but training yourself with small things will train you to want to finish everything you start. You will notice that starting small will build a work ethic in you that will drive you to complete every task you begin. Finishing the job will make you feel more complete and will help make tomorrow better for you.