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. 

Exercise Is Great Medicine For a Bad Day

There are many factors that have an impact on your happiness every day. Stress at work, children getting in trouble, and when your next bills are do could make or break your day in a hurry. One thing that many people don't realize is how much better you will feel and how much happier you will be if you try to exercise a few times a week. 

Most people associate lifting weights with big strong men and jogging with overweight people, but what they don't realize is how it can help even the average person enjoy their life much more. Taking a light jog, walk, or lifting some weights can actually help you feel better about yourself. Exercise eliminates anxiety and stress and these are the main ingredients for a miserable day or week at work. 

When exercising the body is pumping fresh oxygenated blood to the muscles and it causes the muscles to flush all the tension and toxins out. It also causes the body to release chemicals in the brain that promote peace and relaxation. 

Many of us just don't realize how much it can help your health far beyond just being able to fit in those jeans you bought last year. It is almost the best type of therapy you could ever take the time to do for yourself. If you want to not only look better, but also feel better and be less stressed you should consider walking, jogging, or getting in some resistance training a few times a week. Your body and brain will really appreciate it and you will have more energy at work and for spending time with your family.  

Admit When You Are Wrong

It always feels good to be right, and we all wish we could be right all the time, but there are going to be many times in life that we will be wrong. Most of us find a great deal of shame and embarrassment when we find ourselves in the wrong and we will do anything to try to hide it.

Honestly the best thing you can ever learn to do is to admit when you have done wrong. When you try to cover things up or hide them you are actually doing more wrong than just what you did in the first place. It is human nature to not want to admit error, but we are all with fault and there is nothing we can do to change it.

Pride is what is getting in the way. The best thing you can do for yourself is to man up (or woman up) and admit that you have done wrong. You are not only lying to other people, but you are lying to yourself if you don't believe so. The Bible says we are all sinners and that we will all make mistakes, and we should openly admit our faults to God.

You don't have to tell the world the wrong you have done, but God knows what you have done and if you won't admit it to him you are foolish. Be honest with yourself and the Lord when you make mistakes and ask  for guidance in the right direction. If you can't admit you make mistakes, you can't confess your sins, and then you will never have a true walk with God.

Admit you are not perfect and you will be happier and closer to God and the world around you.

Trusting God's Plan

Has anyone ever told you that God has a plan for you? Have you ever done what you thought you were supposed to and felt like a failure because for some reason it didn't work out? When something goes wrong it is easy for someone to tell you that God just has other plans, but when you are the one that is getting discouraged it feels a lot different. 

I have had so many moments in my life when I felt like I was going in the direction that God wanted, and the all of a sudden, it seems like all I did was waste my time. There is nothing you can do to avoid these feeling and circumstances because it is going to happen to everyone multiple times in a lifetime. 

Sometimes it is so hard to accept that God has plans that may differ from yours, and it can be really difficult to think of it the way it actually is. God does have a plan for our lives, but those plans may not directly reflect what we want. He has his own time schedule and if it is not time, you will not have what you want until he is ready to give it to you. Following the guidance of someone you can't see can seem so tough, but remember that with every trial, God is right there beside you. 

Many times he is just simply seeing if you are willing to follow him and do what he asks of you. It is not that he is trying to send you through loops, but that he wants to know that you trust him, even though he already knows whether you will or not. 

Don't get discouraged. I know it can feel like things never work out for you, but if you do trust Him you will be more than okay. Don't let your mind tell you that he doesn't answer prayers or that you are just a lost cause, but trust and continue walking. You can do anything that you want to with help from the Lord, but it is going to be in his time, not yours. 

  

Money Isn't Everything, You Should Also Be Happy

If you have ever worked a job you hate the you can relate to just about everyone in the world including myself. It is not uncommon to work a job just because you have to, and push come to shove, it is better to have a bad job than no job. 

I want to share something with you that I have been thinking about for a while now. Through the years I have been in a lot of less pleasurable circumstances, and through these experiences I have learned one thing that it is hard to teach younger generations. 

FOREVER IS A LONG TIME TO WORK A JOB YOU HATE!

I know you are not going to live forever, but just think that if you are even able to retire, you will be working for a minimum of thirty to fifty years. I don't know about you but I think that is a pretty good amount of time. If you work somewhere that you are miserable, what impact do you think that will have on your health and well being?

I can tell you what it did for me. I have done everything I possibly can to make the most of my life, and to make a path for happiness and success in my future. The only thing that I feel that people have the wrong idea about is money. 

No you cannot live without money unfortunately, but the amount of money you make should not always reflect the employment you accept. Don't take a job you hate just because it pays more unless it is what is necessary to provide for your family. You may not have as many material things, but you will be a much healthier and happier person. 

Make sure that you have enough money to buy what you and your family needs, but don't kill yourself to make more money just because. You life is too short to live miserable, and you work way to long to wake up dreading every day, so do your best and don't always think more money is better. Yo can't always have your cake and eat it too, so think of what is most important and what will give you what you need to live. 

Don't Let Social Status Separate The Family

We are all struggling to make ourselves a spot in the world, and it always seems as though we are pushing for further social status every day. The world seems to be divided into groups or "cliques" (clicks) that range from rich, popular, and nerds to name a few. It is common to walk through a High School campus and see kids standing around with the people that they fit in with.

Now I'm not saying its a good or a bad thing, Everyone has a niche that they fit into or that they feel comfortable with and it is always going to be like that as long as the world is in existence. One thing that I have been seeing in the last several years is "cliques" in the family.

You all know what I am talking about. You go to your family get together and you have the family members that are wealthy, and then you find the ones that are at the bottom of the totem pole. Each and every family experiences this to some degree whether they would like to admit it or not.

This may be the way of the world but it should not be the way of the family. You are only born into one family in which you do not get to choose. You should never discriminate in your family because they are the only people in your life that will always be a part of you. In a marriage, it could end in divorce for some reason, or a friendship could be lost due to jealousy, but a family is bound by blood no matter what you do.

Think about how much more productive we would all be if we supported our entire family and never made anyone related to us feel like they don't belong. I mean after all, if you don't fit in with your family the who do you have? We were meant to love one another and always be there for a family member in need.

Don't create "cliques" in the family. Try to treat your family like they should be treated regardless of their social status or whatever is separating you from them. Eventually family may be all you have because the world is getting more wicked by the minute.

Sometimes It's Time To Move Along

Sometimes it is easy to know where you want to be in life, but it can be difficult to know when to move on. Many people face situations everyday that they must decide whether to stay where they are or move in a different direction. 

I said in an earlier post that you should always strive to move forward in life, but when we think of leaving someone or something behind we change our mind. Did you know that many times we stay in places that we should have left a long time ago?

When I was younger I used to go hang out with my friends as all teenagers do. I knew eventually that I would not be hanging around them, but for the time being I thought I was having a good time. The older I got the more I understood that I wasn't going anywhere in life staying with that same crowd of friends. It was time to make a decision on whether to stay or go. 

As you might have guessed I decided to go and even though I felt like I lost the best friends I ever had, I have to say that I found out most of them were not really friends at all. When you make a change in your life and start pushing to become better your real friends will understand. The ones that get mad that you want more in life were not worth ever being called friends in the first place. 

Your real friends will understand and tell you that they support you on your decision whether they are a part of your life after the change or not. Over the years I have lost contact with friends and I was mature enough to know that they did what was best for them, even though they left me behind. When the time comes you will have to make a choice, and as hard as the choice is make sure that it is what is best for you. 

When you feel it is time to move away from a group of friends and make something more of you life, don't wait another moment and start working toward what is best for you and your future family. I have no regrets for leaving my friends behind to pursue greater things, and neither should you. Remember who you are and where you come from and if you have real friends they will want you to move on with what is best for you and respect and support your decision. 

Be Grateful When Others Help You

When someone does something for you, do always remember to thank them? If you don't you should because we all need to learn to be more appreciative of what others do for us. I know that when I worked in retail that people expect you to just do everything because "that is what they pay you for".

I have heard that more times than I can count, and I have to say that most places do not pay enough for everything you do. You can pretty much tell when someone is going above and beyond what their job duties call for. I know I used to do things for customers and when I would finish they would just walk off and never seem grateful.

I'm not saying that I worked for a thank you, but it did make me feel much better when someone let me know that you they are grateful for my services. We all need to have that gratification that a paycheck just doesn't fill. I would not trade money for appreciation alone, but i feel that being thanked is not only courteous  but also makes someone feel more complete.

Next time you go to the grocery store or anywhere be thankful for the people working there. The people that clean the bathrooms, scan your groceries, and carry them out to your car don't make enough for what they do. Be grateful that even though they don't make much that they still do their best to take care of you. When appropriate thank them and let them know that you appreciate them because without them you will not have the pleasant shopping experience that you often do.

When you thank people for doing things for you they will be more likely to go above and beyond to help you in the future. Not to mention it is just plain disrespectful not to thank someone for providing a service to you.

Raising The Future Of Society

In the next few years society will go through a change as it does all the time. As children grow into adults they take on the roles that the older generations are leaving behind. This is why I believe that we really need to make sure we have taught great values to our children.

If we want hard working respectful adults in the future, it is an absolute must that we teach them to be that way when they are young. I see it more every day that there are disrespectful young men and women coming into the work force. These young adults have no respect for themselves or the people around them, and often have no work ethic in the least. 

I am not saying that all kids are bad, but I am saying that I have been seeing fewer values being shared among young people. This is because many parents these days try to be their child's friend instead of being th parent. Children will have more than enough friends in their lifetime, and what they need right now is a role model to look up to.

You should always treat your children with respect and be a "friend" to them, but your role is not the role of friendship. It is a different bond and one that parents should take very seriously. Do you want your children to spend time jail or not be able to hold a job? No we all want the best for our children, so do what is best for them and teach them to be the young men and women that our future needs. 

Our worlds greatest generation is almost all gone. The people that served in WWII are either very old and are no longer with us. If we ever want to get those types of people back it is up to the parents of today to teach Godly morals and values to our young people.

Change The Way You Budget Your Money

I already shared a way to save money by only buying what you need, and not spending money on things that are unimportant. That is a great way to have more money in the future, but I will share another way you can boost your budget.

Many people budget their money out into what they have to pay for each month or what they want to get. For example someone may make $1200 a month which would equal out to around $300 a week. They would have $500 going to rent, $400 going to groceries, and maybe the rest going to utilities. Whatever they have left over is probably blown in one way or another.

Living on a strict budget can get you in a lot of trouble because if for any reason your wages or hours are cut back, you are out of money. I have seen many people come in with money issues, and they all say the same thing. "I had exactly the amount of money I needed and when my hours were cut, I got behind on all my bills".

The best way to take care of your money is know exactly how much money you need for certain tasks. Pay your bills up front, and always make sure to put a little bit of money back. This is going to allow you to save money in case you do have a hour or wage cut at work. You can still buy some things that you want each month, but make sure that every month you have something to take with you in the future.

Another good idea is to set up a few emergency funds, such as a three month emergency fund, or a six month fund. In a rocky economy such as the one we have in 2014, you never know what could happen to your job. Some of the careers that were thought to always be in demand are seeing job opportunities dropping like flies. Don't lie to yourself and say that you could never lose your job, because I have had many friends and family members that were laid off from their jobs in the last two years.

Be smart and don't budget your money down to the penny every month. Use what you need and always take a little with you to the next month in case of emergency.

Fear Of The Future Can Make You Stronger Today

In my life I have felt every emotion possible. I have felt happy at times, extremely angry, and even depressed as I am sure everyone has at some point or another. One of the emotions that I had a difficult time with when I was younger was fear. We all have fears and I often tell people to be fearless, but in my mind that doesn't mean you should never have any fear.

Fear can be driven by the unknown or knowing exactly what is going to come. Some people fear the dark, others fear being alone and no one can ever say they have never been afraid. The thing that has always brought fear in my life is the future. Where will I be in twenty years? Forty years?

I like being in control of what happens to me, but when it comes to the future I feel as though my control is limited until I am living in that day. I feel like it is pointless to worry about tomorrow because today is the day I am living and tomorrow will have it's own problems. I said that in an earlier post and I stand by that, but it is difficult to live by and today I want to tell you how having a fear can make your life better.

As I already said the thing that I usually fear most is where I will be in the next twenty years. Instead of letting that fear cause me to miss out on the things I can enjoy today, I can focus on how today will change my future. The fear I have of my uncertain future is what is driving me to work harder and become a better person today. Instead of it holding me back I am allowing this fear to launch me in the right direction.

Fear is not a bad thing, it is what you do with it that makes the difference. Just like any other emotion, you should channel it to your own advantage. When people become angry they can use it to push harder next time or they can let it hold them hostage. Any emotion you experience can make you a stronger person. So next time you feel afraid or uncertain, use it as your driving force to make the best of yourself. If it is the future that you fear most, let it drive you to become the best version of yourself today so that your future is bright!

We Aren't As Smart As We Seem

I know a lot of people in retail stores in my home town because I have worked in retail in the past. I was in a store over the weekend and while paying I overheard a conversation between a cashier and a customer.The customer had given the cashier some cash and some change and the cashier had no idea how much to give them back. Maybe you have been in line and this has happened to you. 

Then I remembered being where that young cashier was and thinking to myself how it blew my mind as well. Many of these kids are straight A students and school and are great at math, so why can they not count back change to a customer?

The reason is that they spend so much time in schools teaching these complex forms of algebra that they neglect to teach fundamentals. I remember as a student being able to use the quadratic equation but when it came to nickles and dimes I was lost. It seems as though the things most practical to life are completely ignored in educational systems. So we are going to have a bunch of math experts running around that have no concept of something as simple as handling change. 

We really need to get back to teaching our kids fundamentals and stop focusing so much on the things we will never use. I think being well rounded is important and learning complex things is great but when simple tasks become mind blowing we need to fix things. We are turning into a world of very intelligent idiots and we can fix this problem by teaching fundamentals first then complex things later. 

Trust Is The Key To A Great Relationship

It is bound to happen in a relationship at one point or another. The person you care about most is going to lie to you about something. It doesn't meant its a big lie or that they are lying about anything serious, but it hurts just the same. You start second guessing everything they tell you, thinking that if they would lie about that, would they lie about this.

I have been there a few times in my life and I know the concern it can create, and I also know how it effects your trust for that person. Let me be real clear about something. If you don't have trust you have no real relationship. Relationships that last are build on a trust that you know that person will never do anything to hurt you.

Yes little white lies come up from time to time, but you should know how they can change things between you as a couple. Sometimes we lie to keep from hurting someones feelings, but you should never lie to the person you love. Maybe you tell them they look great even if they don't and that is not really what I mean. I mean telling them you didn't do something that you know you did, or telling them you were one place when you were really at another.

These things can severely limit how close you are to your significant other. If you feel you can't trust them, or they feel they can't trust you, your ability to grow closer and move forward slows down significantly. It is really hard to love someone when you think they aren't being honest with you. Love is is tricky thing and when you are playing with someones emotions honesty is going to be your best friend.

Always be honest with the person you love and try your best to earn one another's trust. Your relationship will grow stronger and you will become much closer if you do. Love is built on a foundation of trust, and trust makes you fall deeper in love! Trust is the key to a great, long lasting relationship.

Punished For Showing Love And Support

A friend of mine sent me an email yesterday and it really got me thinking. The email stated that there was a little girl that was told she couldn't attend school because of a dress code policy. At first I thought it wasn't a big deal until I continued reading. I read that this little girl had shaved her head in support of a friend who had been undergoing treatment for cancer. This brave little girl shaved her head to show her friend that she loved and cared for her, but the school would not allow her to come back because it violated their dress code. Eventually she was allowed back to school.

 I don't know about you but I thought loving others and making a difference was more important than some school dress policy. This is why America is in the shape it is in. We have allowed certain entities to become so powerful that we have no rights in an education system. If kids can't love others then what does that say about the future of America?

I understand that if a dress policy is in effect it must be enforced, but given the circumstances this little girl should be commended for what she did. It is not like it was a fashion statement of a High School kid, it was simply a young little girl with love in her heart. If she had done this to be different then they should enforce a dress code strictly, but simply being supportive is an entirely different thing.

Wake up America! We are going in the wrong direction from where we started. If you want a more promising future for your family then realize what is happening and maybe we can do something about it.

We should all strive to be more like this young girl, because she has something that we have lost through the years. Courage and Love!

Be Careful How You Use Social Media

Just about everyone in the world has a Facebook, Twitter account, or some other form of social media. While it is great that we have come so far in technology that we can communicate with anyone at any time, I feel as though there is a slight problem. Connecting with friends and family is not where the issue lies in social media, but what people are using it for. 

If you look on people's profiles it seems as though there lives are all about how much trouble they can start. This is something more common in the teenage crowd, but I have been seeing it with adults as well. Social media can be a great tool if used correctly, but many people do not use it for any good.

I want everyone to be safe and so these are the things to keep in mind when putting content on your social profiles. 

It may not seem like a big deal to put your phone number, address, etc on your profile, but there are some sick people in this world. You should be extremely careful in what you allow the world to know about you. When you tell people where you live, you could be inviting danger to come right to your front door. Not only could you be endangering yourself, but you could potentially be putting friends and family at risk. 

The second thing I see a lot is people putting pictures of themselves at parties and in not so modest clothing. Many companies today check into your social media accounts to see what type of person you are. It may seem unfair, but a picture of you half naked at a party last Friday could cause the company to change their mind about hiring you for the job. Good character is hard to find and when they see pictures of you showing qualities that they are not sure about, they could potentially reconsider. 

Finally the garbage that some people put on social media is not suitable for all ages. People at every age are on social media networks now. From Middle School to Senior Citizens alike all have profiles on some form of social media these days, and the things that people see you posting could have a poor impact on how people see you. Now in no way am I saying that you should care what everyone thinks of you, but you should know that a first impression is everything. You shouldn't be upset if people don't like who you are, but you shouldn't let it be because you come off as a distasteful person. Often times everyone can see your profile, and you are setting an example to those reading about you. The reason the world is in such a mess is because we are all seeing nothing but garbage in our society. Younger generations are looking to the older generations as a guide and the things they see on social media can have a significant impact on their character in the future. 

I am not saying that Facebook and Twitter are the devil by any means. I think they are a great example of how far we have come in Technology, but use these things to deliver good messages and for people to see a positive profile. There is enough negativity in the world without seeing it on social media. What you put out there for the world to see can not only endanger you, but it can have an impact on the generations that follow. Set a good example and use it for what it was made for.... to connect people from across the world, not to see how much drama and attention you can get from it.

Keep these things in mind and keep striving to live better tomorrow. Enjoy your Facebook and Twitter accounts, be safe about it, and show the world some love and maybe we can all live in a better more positive environment.

Spend Time With Your Family

I have a friend that makes great money but works 50 plus hours a week. He probably has more money than he knows what to do with, and honestly he has more money than he has time for. What I mean is that even though he makes great money he is missing out on so much that life has to offer.

I know we all want to make money so we can live and buy the things we want, but when you have no time to do the things you enjoy is there really any point in having all that money? When you have a lot of money and no time to spend with your wife or family then you are not really in the plus in any way. On the other hand if you have the time to spend with your family you may not be able to provide for them the way you would like to. 

You need to decide what is important to you. If working long hours is what you have to do to support your family then do what you have to do, but I would suggest that you take a long look at your priorities. I can say that your family at home would much rather be with you and have less things than for them to have everything and you never be around. 

One reason the world is in the mess it is in is because there are fewer relationships being built at home. Children need there moms and dads and they need that bond from a young age. Kids lack respect for adults now because they are never around there adult figures in the home. We could be moving in a different direction if we would spend more time with our families. Yes it is important to work, but it is important to realize that your family should always come first. 

Learn to balance your family life and your work so that you can not only provide, but also be there for your family. Family is far more important than the things money can buy. You can never get the time you lost back so make sure you make the most of it. 

Getting Your Hear Broken Is Tough: How Can In Benefit You In The Future?

Moving on from a bad relationship or a long one can be really difficult. One of the toughest times in my life was when I was just out of high school and had my heart broken. When it first happens you feel like you are never going to get over it. Months later you still feel the pain when you think about it, and nothing seems to take your mind off the fact that you lost someone you cared about 

For me the hardest thing was realizing that the person I cared about didn't really care much about me. Well I moved on as will the rest of you reading this even if you feel like there is no way. It takes time to realize that the person you cared for so much just wasn't the right person for you. I know it sounds cruel to say, but I feel like getting your heart broken is something everyone should experience. I feel as though is builds character. The more things you experience in life the stronger you will ultimately become.  

I sure didn't feel this way at the time, and if someone had said to me you need to have your heart broken I probably would have said they had no soul. Looking back now I thank God that I experienced the heart break because I have a new outlook on life. Some people are just no good for you, and no matter how bad you want them God knows what is best for you. I used to pray that things would get better and they just never did. Now that I have moved on I know that not everything is going to go the way that I want. Sometimes God's plans for us are a lot different that what we had hoped for, but in any circumstance we are right where we are supposed to be. 

Getting your heart ripped out of your chest lets you experience rejection. Believe me you will be rejected a lot throughout your years on this earth, but you will keep fighting to find what is right for you. It teaches you to bounce back and that you can overcome things. Most people like myself, will not let their heart be vulnerable for a long time after a break up, but just like anything in life we must get back on the horse and try again. We also get to see what God feels like during these times in our lives. We love someone so much yet we are rejected the same way God loves us but many people reject Him as well. 

Anyway, just remember that if you haven't had your heart broken yet, you will at some point or another. If you already have, think of how you have grown from that experience. Don't do like I did and become bitter for a long time. Life is too short to become angry over someone that didn't care about you. In time you will find the person that God planned for you to be with. If the person you think you want to be with at one time or another never breaks your heart then you will never find the TRUE love of your life. Stay positive, live your life, understand that the things that happen to you help you grow, and keep striving to live better tomorrow!

Get to Know Yourself

Over the years our personalities change significantly. Some people change very little and some dramatically either for the better or for the worse. We can go from being shy to outgoing, happy to sad, or any combination you can think of.

It is undeniable that our personalities are what makes us who we are. It is something that makes us unique from everyone else. People can have similar personalities, but everyone is different in some way. The personality we display doesn't necessarily reflect the real you unfortunately. We often hide our true feelings and hide behind fake smiles or intimidating body language.

So what does this mean? 

We are hiding our true identities from the people around us. The people we are close to are never going to see the real us, and even worse you won't know yourself. We get so caught up in doing what the newest trend is that we forget about who we really are, and what separates us from the rest of the world. Chances are if you would take the time you would discover things about yourself that you never knew. 

If you were to sit down by yourself for a few hours each day, and do something other than sift through other people's Facebook status, you would probably discover some hidden talent or gift. We all have something in us that makes us 100% original and it is our duty to find it. You don't need to follow the crowd on this one, you need to get to know the real you!

Take a few minutes to a few hours a day to get to know yourself. Stop following others and start being true to yourself. Instead of being caught up in everyone else's life, get to know the person you live with everyday.... YOU! You never know what you will discover about yourself until you make it a priority, and the people you care about most will be impacted as well. Keep striving to make your self better and stronger so that you can live better today and tomorrow.  

Don't Make Excuses For Your Problems

There was a young man that came to see me yesterday about a problem he had. When I asked him to tell me the whole story he seemed to leave out certain pieces to the puzzle. I then asked him to start over and I got a completely different story. Finally when I told him without knowing exactly what he did wrong I couldn't help, he became very defensive. 

I understand where these feelings come from because no one wants to accept blame when things go wrong. We all distort the truth in our head of what really happened to protect ourselves from guilt. In reality we all need to learn to accept our mistakes rather than deny the fact that we are ever wrong. We will blame any other circumstance to avoid blaming ourselves many times. 

In school did you ever not study for a test, and then when you fail you tell everyone that the teacher didn't cover all that material? There are times when they don't but more often than not you just don't want to admit that it was your own fault for failing. You may have gotten into trouble when you were younger and it was automatically your friends idea the moment you get caught. 

We don't take responsibility for our actions the way we should. I told that young client of mine that the first step to fixing his problem was not to blame everything else, but to realize when he was in the wrong. We cause ourselves a lot more grief by not admitting our faults. Deep down you will know this and you will end up feeling worse that if you just admit it openly as soon as it happens. 

If you are making excuses for yourself like I and many others have in the past, STOP NOW! Make yourself stronger by dealing with your problems head on and knowing the real cause. If you blame everyone else every time you will keep making the same mistakes the rest of your life. Stay positive and keep striving to live better. 

Be Dependable and Work Hard

Walking into work can be one of the worst feelings in the morning. You didn't sleep good, your coffee hasn't worked yet, and you just can't wait until quitting time. We all feel this way no matter how much we love or hate your jobs. One thing that we cannot let our feelings get in the way of is our work ethic and dependability. 

If I called in sick every time I was tired, nothing would ever get done in my office. The people that expect me to do certain tasks would never be able to depend on me doing what I told them I would do. The world is beginning to become lazy and people are more undependable and unpredictable by the hour. 

No one really wants to have to go to work every day but it is a simple fact of life. You don't necessarily want to pay bills, but if you don't they will shut your power off. There are a million things in life that we don't want to do, but we must learn to accept things and move on. You have to work so stop being lazy and thinking of every reason why you should call in. 

I see this most often in teenagers, but I am beginning to see this in adults as well. People will say they are sick multiple times in a month, or complain the entire time they are working about how tired they are. People don't really want to hear that the whole time they are working. Just do your best to go into work every day, do your job, and go home. It is really not that difficult. 

One thing companies like is good work ethic and dependability. They want someone that will not only get the job done, but that they know will be there day after day. Your attendance at work is something you should take pride in, so take it as seriously as the actual task that you are completing at work. 

Just remember these things when you get up in the morning. It is unfair for anyone to have to pick up your slack when you are not actually sick.... GO TO WORK! When you get to work, do your job to the best of your abilities and go home. Work hard, be dependable, and live better at work tomorrow!

Don't Give Up! Turn Your Weakness Into Strength

Have you ever felt like giving up? Every single person has felt like giving up, and if they say they haven't they would be lying. I feel like giving up all the time, because when times get hard it is so easy to pack up and quit. The body and the mind always migrate to a path of least resistance. When you hurt your ankle you will limp because the body avoids the pressure on that joint as you walk. 

Even though your body is conditioned to take the path of least resistance, we should not be so quick to give up. When you give up you are weak minded. I have given up several times and later I realized how weak I was. I let a difficult situation change the path I had set out for. 

We all have strengths and weaknesses, but we should be striving every day to make our weak areas stronger. If you are afraid of something you should face that fear rather than run the other way. I know one fear I had when I was younger was water. I took swimming lessons and never would let my head go under. Eventually I thought to myself.... What am I going to look like at 18 to 30 years old being afraid to swim? 

The thought pushed me to face my fears and learn to swim and go under water, because I could not stand the fact that it beat me. Yes I gave up on learning to swim as a young child, but when I realized how weak I was I did everything I could to teach myself how to not be afraid of water. Now you will never see me anywhere but the water if I am on vacation. 

My point is that we all let something beat us at some point in our lives, but the fight shouldn't end there. We are only as strong as our mind and body are, and if we train ourselves to be afraid and run we always will. If we teach ourselves to face fear and adversity head on, we can make more of our lives and our opportunities. Don't let a fear control you but take it by the horns and go along for the ride. You may even surprise yourself one day when your weakness becomes your strength. 

Friends: Envy Lies Beneath

I was talking to a friend of mine a few years ago and I told him some things that I wanted to stay between us. He assured me that he would not tell anyone, and him being a friend I believed him. A few weeks later I started noticing that people were asking me things that revolved around what I had told this friend. Then I found out that he had told a lot of people what I had asked him not to. 

So fast forward and the same thing happened with a different friend. I started noticing patterns that most of my so called "friends" were the ones spreading my business. It turns out that I only had a few friends that kept things between us and those were my true friends. 

The question I had is why are my friends the ones telling things that I ask them not to? Simply put you do not have as many friends as you think. You will have a lot of people in your life that are not real friends, and they are jealous of you for many reasons. A "friend" will hide their envy of you because they are supposed to be your friend, but deep down they want to be the person everyone likes. They will do almost anything to get in your way even if they don't really want to hurt you. 

This goes back to the minds thoughts manifesting themselves in the body. If someone is jealous of you deep down, their actions will show it eventually. This doesn't mean they don't care for you but that their jealousy is coming to the surface. Your friends are far more envious of you than your enemies and will hide any spite from you. 

 Jealousy gets in between most friends on a daily basis, but we should all strive to build trust in our relationships. It is up to you to decide whether you keep those friendships with people that you feel don't respect your privacy, and only you can determine if you believe that there is a true bond of friendship.

It Is Important To Be Healthy But Enjoy What Life Has To Offer

One thing we know is that we are not going to live forever. In my own opinion anyone that tells you eating healthy and exercising will make you live longer is lying. Let me explain what I mean before anyone automatically disagrees.

You are going to die at specific day and hour, but you do not know when it will be. I don't believe that there is anything you can do to change that. If you eat healthy and exercise you are just making the time you have on this earth healthier, but not longer. You should do whatever you can to stay healthy and live an active life, but don't think by doing so you are going to live to be 100.

I have had family members that ate quality food and were very active that died in their early 60's. I have also had family members that ate what they wanted and lived to be in their 90's. The difference is that the ones that died in their 60's never got sick and they felt great, but the ones in their 90's had health issues that went far beyond just old age. 

The question you have to ask yourself is how do you want to spend the last five to ten years of your life? Do you want to spend it sick or do you want it to be pleasant? I think everyone wants to know that they were able to enjoy their last years on earth before they die, and that is why you should eat healthy and exercise. Do it for your health not for your "longevity". Yes there may be ways to prove that you can extend your life by eating right, but I believe that God knows when you are going to die, and nothing is going to change that day. However, I do believe God can change His mind if He wants to. 

So I just want everyone to know that IT IS IMPORTANT to take care of your body by eating healthy and exercising, but you should enjoy life as well. Don't eat garbage all the time but do enjoy what you love to eat, because you may die young anyway. You have no way of knowing, and you may not die from being sick or having a heart attack. Those are not the only things that cause death. So be healthy, eat right, and exercise, but do remember to enjoy life a little, because you are NOT going to live forever. 

A Simple Tip For More Money In The Future

In today's economy people are concerned about how they are going to support themselves and their family. The cost of living is extremely high and many are without jobs or without good pay. Many of the jobs people have today only pay minimum wage or a little above, which is hard to put food on the table and pay bills. I get this question a lot... How can I make the most of my money?

There are many ways out there to save money so you can afford things when they come up. I have worked minimum wage jobs, and on thing people always asked me was how I still had money left over. To simply put it I don't spend on what I don't need!

This sounds like such an easy concept, but in a society that thrives on having the latest style of phone and clothes it can be difficult for people to put it to use. Almost everyone I worked with was living from paycheck to paycheck. The thing I did that was different was I knew how much I needed to make it through the week, so I pulled that much cash out and put the rest back for a rainy day. If I only needed gas and a few things that week, I would simply spend on what I needed and not touch anything else.

Working part time I was able to save and have more money than the people that worked full time at the place I was working. It may not be as fun as having the new things everyone else has, but I can say when I needed the money for repairs or for a date I had plenty left in the bank. We all need to stop placing so much pressure on ourselves to have what everyone else has, and start thinking about what is really important. We need food, a place to live and clothes to wear. If we have that we are better off than a lot of people in the world.

You don't have to have the finest of everything. Just focus on what you need and eventually you will be able to get the things you want. Just have your priorities in order and things will work out in time. Make tomorrow better for yourself by saving today!

The Truth Hurts But It Is What We Need

Sometimes we get hurt or angry when someone tells us what we don't want to hear. There are a lot of times when the truth just doesn't make you feel all that wonderful about yourself. I have had clients walk out on a session because they didn't like what I told them.

We have grown accustomed to telling white lies to prevent from hurting someone's feelings, but are we really helping them? When you tell somebody that everything they do is okay they begin to believe it. When someone finally tells them the truth they get very angry and feel like that person is just jealous. Yes we do live in a jealous world, but if more than one person says it, you may want to take a step back and look at your actions.

The truth is unfortunately not always pretty but we really need to hear it. If more people were honest with one another then we wouldn't feel so targeted when someone told us when we were wrong. The key is to be honest and encouraging at the same time. When you call someone out on their actions or anything for that matter, you need to make sure you do it in a manner that doesn't make that person feel attacked.

White lies have destroyed our society and the morals that we once possessed. People pretty much do anything they want because the world is encouraging poor behavior instead of telling the truth. We really need to step up and tell people when they are wrong, and listen with open ears and hearts when someone is honest with us as well. Don't get mad when someone tells it like it is, because if they are right then they may be helping you out a great deal.

Ears are only going to hear what the mind wants them to. That is why the truth hurts so bad, because people rarely hear it. When someone tells you the truth it means they care about you enough to tell you what you are doing wrong. They want to save you from making the same mistakes that everyone else is making, so take time to look at yourself objectively. You will realize the error in your ways. Make sure when you tell someone the truth you are not attacking them. but that you are just providing some insight of what others may perceive of that person. Be respectful and always be objective. Learn to accept constructive criticism and the truth for what it is.

Do Our Thoughts Determine Outcomes In Life?

I had a friend ask me a question yesterday that really got me thinking. He said "do you think that our thoughts cause things to happen in our lives?" Well to answer that question I had to really think long and hard. Personally I do believe that our thoughts manifest themselves in our body, but to cause other things to happen can be difficult to prove.

If you think about feeling sick or hurting, you eventually will feel sick because your mind and body are working together as one. When you think about sad things you  feel sad, so this idea is conceivable. I have had many people tell me that they don't understand why bad things seem to always happen to them. I can't prove it without fault, but nine times out of ten when you think negatively you attract negative things into your life.

When I have felt like I had no money and stated that my bills kept piling up, I had even more expenses dumped in my lap. When I have thought about doing bad on a test, I usually end up with a not so wonderful grade. Your negativity will attract negative things into your life. That is not to say that thinking positively will always get you want you want, but you have a much better chance of things working in your favor if you do.

In the world we live in we are conditioned to expect the worse and hope for the best. This is the wrong attitude because you could be potentially setting yourself up for bad things to come. When bad things do come up you can just brush them off and roll with it. Life is full of good and bad and thinking positively will not only attract good things your way, but will also help you deal with the bad in a much more productive way.

So remember, think positively and hope for the best instead of expecting the worst and hoping for the best. You will find a sense of well being and harmony in your life. When unwanted things come up, just smile and accept life for what it is... a journey.

It Doesn't Feel Safe Anymore

Sitting on the couch watching the news can be very depressing. It seems like the only thing you hear anymore is about robberies, murder, and unemployment. There aren't a lot of good things going on anywhere in the world honestly. 

Do any of you remember being able to sit in your living room and feel safe? I know we all have but when your neighborhood and the neighborhoods surrounding you have multiple break-ins within a few months, it wouldn't be hard to become a little uneasy. Within a two year span in the small town I grew up in, there were homes being broken into almost on a daily basis. This is in a town that has never been known for much crime if any. 

The point is that no matter how safe the place you live has been in the past, the odds of it staying safe are slim. We live in a world that doesn't have any respect for personal property or safety. They don't care who they hurt or what they take in the process. Some of the things that were stolen from the homes around me were things that were far more precious than a few lousy dollars. They took things that had value to people on the emotional level. Feelings that no money in the world can buy. 

We really need to sit back and look at what we have become. Criminals especially considering they would rather terrorize lives than to be contributing members of society. If you have children then you can relate to wanting to protect them and feel safe leaving them at home if at an appropriate age. I and many others around me were home when we were robbed, and to think of the impact that would have on a fourteen or fifteen year old is upsetting. I know I was startled but that would seriously traumatize a young teenager. 

America needs to take back what we fought for years to claim... FREEDOM! There are young men and women risking their lives over seas for our freedom while we are letting our own citizens terrorize our cities. If we are going to be held hostage by our own people then why should they fight for us. We need to do our part in protecting our communities and make our streets safe for the troops when they come home. They make us proud, so we need to return the favor and hold down the front lines here in America. 

Criminals are like high school bullies all grown up, but instead of slamming your head into a locker, they are shooting and robbing us from the freedom we have a right to. We need more men and women to make a difference and take back the country that we fought for long ago. 

We Are Forced To Accept, When Will The Favor Be Returned?

We are getting to an uncomfortable place in American society these days. America is a melting pot with cultural diversity everywhere you turn. One thing that is apparent is that we have turned in a complete opposite direction from what we were founded upon as a nation. Believe it or not and whether you like or not, this country was founded on Godly principles. Our founding fathers prayed that the God would bless this country and the people that lived here. 

As a country we have allowed our Government and Political officials to dictate to us that which we must accept. Everyone these days is claiming that they have either been oppressed or discriminated against. No matter your racial, or religious background there is no law that will protect you from being looked down upon. Rich kids look down on less fortunate kids in schools, and races are targeted on both sides on a daily basis. 

We have become so politically correct in this country that you can't even practice your right to freedom of speech. I understand that everyone has rights and they are allowed to live and believe in what they want. The problem lies with what we are allowed to say and do. They have made it where you almost can't even say the Pledge of Allegiance in schools because of the words "Under God". On the same level they have contemplated the idea of building a place for Muslims to worship in the United States.

The fact that they want to build a Mosque is beside the point. It is the fact that they will deem it appropriate for them to build them a place to worship, while severely limiting the amount of places we can talk about God. They will not allow prayer in school or teachers to talk about their faith, but we can learn about other religions in school. I think that if we have accepted others religious, sexual, and cultural beliefs then they should have to allow Christians to share our beliefs as well. Because remember America was a Nation founded under Godly men. 

One thing I don't like is to be silenced and to be forced to accept things that I do not believe in. If you want to believe men can marry other men and women can marry women, that is your decision but it doesn't mean I have to believe it. The same way that you may not believe in God, I don't feel that I should have to believe in whatever it is that you believe in. 

We were meant to love one another as we love ourselves, but Christians should not be silenced on our beliefs just to allow others to insert their beliefs instead. We have become tolerant of too many customs that our Founding Fathers would find horrifying. Yes we all come from different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, but we should not allow the Government or anybody else limit our rights so that they can live and express theirs. You can do and believe in whatever you wish but stop going public bashing Christians for our beliefs, because we are more than willing to stand up for our rights as well. 

This goes back to the post I wrote on respect. If you want others to respect you and your beliefs then you need to understand that they have their own views. So instead of taking things to court because you feel like someone hates you, remember that others have convictions that they feel strongly about and feel they must uphold their values as well. 

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.