On the discovery of oneself
Life = Life is a lot like going to school. It’s a bunch of little educational moments stacked on top of each other, at different time frames, and at the end we all hope to graduate with honors. After you accumulate enough of these moments, try to reflect on them from time to time. Reflect on both the good things you did and your mistakes. Forgive yourself for the mistakes. By reflecting on these moments, you gain a better understanding of yourself because your actions of the past have molded you into the person that you are today. Make sure you remember, think about, and appreciate every moment along the way, regardless of how small it is, because someday you will realize that some of the littlest moments of the past are what mean the most to you today. That will also help guide you as to what kind of a person you want to be in the future.
Take Pictures = Yesterday already feels like it was just another dream I once had. As one day leads on into the next, it is easy to forget the details of yesterday. Take pictures along the way so that you don't forget who you are, where you've been, or what has made you the person that you are today. One simple image can allow you to remember every sight, sound, and feeling of a moment in time. We need to remember where we've been, in life, to help understand who we are today and who we want to be tomorrow.
Life’s like a "Choose Your Own Adventure Book" = For those of you who have never heard of this book, it basically told a story with you being the main character. Every two pages or so you were faced with a dilemma or situation and you had to make a choice. You didn't know the outcome of your choice, but you made your decision and then turned to the appropriate page for that choice. Sometimes the choice you made didn't turn out like it was supposed to or at least how you thought it was supposed to, but it was too late. You already made your choice and you can't go back. All you can do is continue to read and hope the next choice will work out better.
Believe in a higher power. Father, Son(Jesus), and the Holy Spirit (Three beings with one shared spirit = God) = It's often been said that the only guarantee in life is that someday, and at no set time, you are going to die. Don't think of this as a depressing thing and don't spend a lifetime ignoring the fact that this is going to happen. Maybe you will be lucky enough to grow old or maybe you'll die tomorrow? I have seen both in my life so far. You never know what today or tomorrow offers you and life promises you nothing. Don't procrastinate for a future moment that will be too late. Don't position yourself to be either angry, terrified, or feel its unfair when your moment comes. Be at peace. Even if you do make it to a ripe old age you might not have enough time to acquaint yourself with your maker or you may be too senile to perform the task. We are really too simple of creatures to fully understand the world around us but considering that everything on earth is all based upon a hierarchy of power its really not that hard to believe that there is another level (intelligent designer) above everything that we would want to be close to and loved by.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Genesis Chapter 1 26-27 (Let "us" = Father, Sun, and Holy Spirit. Three beings with the shared spirit of God.)
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
On Interacting with People
Talk to Everyone = Some people are closed minded idiots and some are very profound geniuses, but you never know until you make that first contact. Some people are shallow and have nothing to give. Some people will change your life forever. Others lives will be changed by you forever. You will never know for sure until you make that first contact.
Jesus ate with the worst of sinners. Prostitutes, Tax Collectors (they were well known to lie and steal from people back in his day so they were hated), etc... He is the definition of love and healing for those in need. He had conversations with people who were making bad choices in life. He guided them out of their struggles and always wrapped it up by asking them to go and sin no more. They went away changed for the better. We are all fallen but Jesus gave all a path to clarity and goodness. When the Pharisees asked him why he said, "it is not the healthy that need a doctor but the sick". We too should love other people but not confuse love with a reason to approve of their bad life choices.
Be honest = Don't lie to people. Lay it out for what it is. You will never make everyone happy and their are no rules in life that say you are supposed to. Politicians have been trying to do this for years and it doesn't work. If someone asks you how you are doing its OK to be honest and have a real conversation about something we all experience. Following some script around things you think you should be saying just to make everyone happy is often shallow.
Be Nice and Polite to Everyone = That is unless they give you a very good reason not to be. Then it is OK to be honest but in a calm (non-angry or yelling) way. Be the adult in the room.
Care about people = We need to have meaningful interaction with each other.
The world is full of many shades of grey = At times we do good. At times we don't. Depending upon your culture you may think you are doing something right while other cultures will think of you as self centered and completely in the wrong. The trick is to be humble, try to do the good right thing as much as you can. Don't hate other people. Those who hate (strong word) other groups of people have nothing but evil in their hearts. Don't hurt others. Seek out truth vs just accepting something someone said as actual gospel.
Don't hang around with people that bring you down = It takes all kinds to make a world. This gives you a large variety of people to hang around with. Help others, but don't feel you need to hang around with people who suck the life out of you or bring out your worst features.
Live and let live = It takes all kinds to make a world. Don't think that the world rotates around you and your ideas. We all change. We all struggle at times. It makes life more difficult to judge everyone from your point of view at one moment in your life's learning journey knowing that it will most likely change to some degree. Follow timeless truth vs an emotional thought at a moment in time.
Try not to pass judgement on others successes or failures = Many succeed in life and many fail, and all at different times frames. We can never predict at what point in time someone will either succeed or fail. We can never predict our own successes or failures and everyone's level of success and failures are different. You have the right to not participate in someone else's failures but you should not be quick to point out someone's faults knowing that you have your own.
Never Argue = It will just make you crazy and nothing gets solved by yelling at people. Try to calmly show how things look from your perspective. Also understand that the other person may not be aware of your life experiences or they may have their own viewpoints that you also need to understand.
Don't tell someone that they are wrong, that they have a bad idea, or there idea won't work unless you feel you have a better idea and can prove why it is better. = Be prepared to back up you idea and give those reasons right away as to why you think that the person has a bad idea. Lastly, try to be polite during the process of explaining why they have such a bad idea and try to use words like "Here's another way of looking at that" or "Let's look at this from another perspective." Nobody likes to feel stupid but we all miss things from time to time or we may not have looked at an issue from every perspective.
How we perceive the way others communicate means everything = Everyday we interact with people. Sometimes we interact with people that we could perceive as being rude, impolite, and stupid. More often than not those people are trying to be cute, funny, and wise rather than rude, impolite, and stupid. Try to perceive any questionable comments as them attempting to be cute, funny or wise but they just aren't that good at it.
When you meet someone for the first time try not to immediately ask them what they do for a living. Your first impressions could be perceived as being competitive, degrading, or you could be stereotyping right from the start if your first words are "So what do you do for a living." Most people would rather talk about hobbies and a person should at least leave the door open for things they enjoy. You will also get a better understanding of the person if you know their hobbies first. After you get to know each other then you can talk about work if it is really that important.
Have respect for anyone who is gainfully employed. = Some jobs are better than other jobs, but to work is noble. Don't yell at or give a gainfully employed person a hard time.
1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Dr. Seuss
“To the world, you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.”
On being happy
True happiness must first start within yourself. When you are first happy with yourself then everything else in life is usually pretty wonderful and you can share that with others.
Let it go = We all have had experiences in life where we did the wrong thing. Forgive yourself and move on. We have all known people in life that have done us wrong or taken advantage of us. Don't dwell on those experiences, or people, as you can not relive those moments. Let them go, learn from them, and know that the wisdom you now possess won't allow it to happen again.
Having cash, wealth, or personal items does not mean you will be happy = Cash can expose you to situations that can create happy stuff, but it does not equal happiness. The happiness part is all up to you. I have known miserable people with lots of money and consistently ecstatically people who are always broke. For the most part, the wealthy and the poor all are exposed to the same sensations in life. Just because I don't have a swimming pool in my back yard does not mean that I don't know what it feels like to swim. Just because I don't own an expensive race car does not mean that I will never know the sensation of driving fast. Lastly, sometimes having wealth just means that you have more things to worry about or more things to take care of. That itself can be stressful and also a distraction from understanding what is really important in life. After all, in the end we all leave this life taking nothing with us other than what we have learned along the journey..
Look at life as a gift = Life is a gift and everyday it gives you something new. Don't waste life. Don't waste time worrying about your possessions when, in the end, it all fades away or becomes old and meaningless. Its all just stuff on a temporary loan or its a future garage sale item. Don't waste time getting wrapped up or stressed out over the little routines of life. Don't waste time trying to impress the world. I know it's easy to let life drag you down physically and emotionally, but all of these negatives takes away from your ability to be happy and it doesn't have to be that way. It's just life, and several years from now the stuff that depresses you or drags you down today will no longer matter. Since it won't matter several years from now it shouldn't be bothering you now. Be happy, plan for tomorrow, but live for today. Spend your lifetime achieving fulfilment, love, live, help others, give, search your soul, strive to discover meaning, be happy, and figure out Gods plan for you in this life.
Psalm 118:24 New King James Version
This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
On personal prosperity and growth
What you put into life is what you get out of it.
You will make mistakes = We all make mistakes from time to time, but life is a learning process and it's OK to make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. Learn from your mistakes so you may make a better choice the next time.
Always try to do - the right thing to do.
If it relates to your life you must learn everything about it. = This can also be reworded to say I should learn how to repair or build items myself rather than pay someone to do it for me. An example would be that I drive a car, their for I should learn how to repair it or at least maintain it. If my house needs rewiring then I should learn how to do it myself and make it happen rather than pay someone to perform that task. If my computer dies I should figure out how to fix it. If I wish to build some metal thing then I should take the money that I would normally pay someone to make the thing and buy a welder so I can make it myself. By following this philosophy, you will learn about so many things in life and, some day, when you need to perform that task again you will not only have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do it, but you will also have the tools to make it happen.
Have a lot of hobbies = Lots of hobbies gives you lots of great experiences in life. They teach you many things about the world you live in and create good experiences.
Goals = Plan for the future, but live for today. Always have a goal and work towards it. After you achieve that goal then set another one. If you can't quite make it to that goal, no worries, it's OK. Just take a look behind you to see how far you progressed from your original position. So with that in mind set your sights high so the distances from your lower positions look better.
Life promises you nothing = As we go through life, there are no guarantees and no promises. It's just life and it gives you many experiences both the good and the bad. Be grateful for the good. Learn off of the bad. Expect life to throw stuff at you from time to time that you did not plan for or that you may not like. Understand that these experiences teach you things about life and they are all a part of the journey.
Keep your debts to a minimum = If you have no debts then you can handle anything that life throws at you. You can be broke and always find a way to get by. If you are broke and in debt then you are really in a bad situation if life throws a wrench in your plans.
You can have anything you want in life, but you can't have everything. = If you work for something hard enough you will eventually get it. Still, sacrifices have to be made along the way so you can't have everything that's out there.
When striving for a goal, at some point or another in your life, you may have someone tell you that you don't have the skills to reach that goal or some random (insert random thing here) will never let you achieve that goal. Don't listen to them and don't stop striving for that goal. Most of the time you are able to do most anything in life, it's just a matter of how bad do you want to make your goal a reality. If you dig deep inside of yourself you can do some pretty amazing things.
You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. = A person has a tendency to adapt the characteristics of their friends, family, co-workers, and basically the people that you spend all of your time with. If these people all think along the same lines then you are not exposing yourself to other ideas. You may be preventing yourself from experiencing what is truth, or a better approach to something, because you never looked for it outside of your small circle.
Philippians 4:11-13 New International Version
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
On peace
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
---Billy Graham 1978
Take a moment throughout your day to occasionally say "God, thank you for that" even if its just thoughts in your head. When your riding your motorcycle and you come up over a ridge to see a beautiful sky say "God, thank you for that". When your taking a break and a small animal comes up next to you as if to say "hello" then say "God, thank you for that". If you have a good dream... I could keep going but you get the picture. By doing so you will accomplish a few things. One is that you will be saying little prayers throughout your day which is a good thing for keeping a relationship with your creator. You will also gain a new perspective where it can be said that either you will start to see beauty where you previously didn't or God will start to show you more beautiful things that he created. Beauty creates peace.
Philippians 4:7 - NIV
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Why does religion have so many rules?
Why Jesus?
Some of the Details:
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 7:16
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me."
How do we know that there is an afterlife in heaven or hell?
Outside of the Bible:
In the Bible:
John 14:1-7
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
How do we begin to establish a relationship with God?
Life = Life is a lot like going to school. It’s a bunch of little educational moments stacked on top of each other, at different time frames, and at the end we all hope to graduate with honors. After you accumulate enough of these moments, try to reflect on them from time to time. Reflect on both the good things you did and your mistakes. Forgive yourself for the mistakes. By reflecting on these moments, you gain a better understanding of yourself because your actions of the past have molded you into the person that you are today. Make sure you remember, think about, and appreciate every moment along the way, regardless of how small it is, because someday you will realize that some of the littlest moments of the past are what mean the most to you today. That will also help guide you as to what kind of a person you want to be in the future.
Take Pictures = Yesterday already feels like it was just another dream I once had. As one day leads on into the next, it is easy to forget the details of yesterday. Take pictures along the way so that you don't forget who you are, where you've been, or what has made you the person that you are today. One simple image can allow you to remember every sight, sound, and feeling of a moment in time. We need to remember where we've been, in life, to help understand who we are today and who we want to be tomorrow.
Life’s like a "Choose Your Own Adventure Book" = For those of you who have never heard of this book, it basically told a story with you being the main character. Every two pages or so you were faced with a dilemma or situation and you had to make a choice. You didn't know the outcome of your choice, but you made your decision and then turned to the appropriate page for that choice. Sometimes the choice you made didn't turn out like it was supposed to or at least how you thought it was supposed to, but it was too late. You already made your choice and you can't go back. All you can do is continue to read and hope the next choice will work out better.
Believe in a higher power. Father, Son(Jesus), and the Holy Spirit (Three beings with one shared spirit = God) = It's often been said that the only guarantee in life is that someday, and at no set time, you are going to die. Don't think of this as a depressing thing and don't spend a lifetime ignoring the fact that this is going to happen. Maybe you will be lucky enough to grow old or maybe you'll die tomorrow? I have seen both in my life so far. You never know what today or tomorrow offers you and life promises you nothing. Don't procrastinate for a future moment that will be too late. Don't position yourself to be either angry, terrified, or feel its unfair when your moment comes. Be at peace. Even if you do make it to a ripe old age you might not have enough time to acquaint yourself with your maker or you may be too senile to perform the task. We are really too simple of creatures to fully understand the world around us but considering that everything on earth is all based upon a hierarchy of power its really not that hard to believe that there is another level (intelligent designer) above everything that we would want to be close to and loved by.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Genesis Chapter 1 26-27 (Let "us" = Father, Sun, and Holy Spirit. Three beings with the shared spirit of God.)
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
On Interacting with People
Talk to Everyone = Some people are closed minded idiots and some are very profound geniuses, but you never know until you make that first contact. Some people are shallow and have nothing to give. Some people will change your life forever. Others lives will be changed by you forever. You will never know for sure until you make that first contact.
Jesus ate with the worst of sinners. Prostitutes, Tax Collectors (they were well known to lie and steal from people back in his day so they were hated), etc... He is the definition of love and healing for those in need. He had conversations with people who were making bad choices in life. He guided them out of their struggles and always wrapped it up by asking them to go and sin no more. They went away changed for the better. We are all fallen but Jesus gave all a path to clarity and goodness. When the Pharisees asked him why he said, "it is not the healthy that need a doctor but the sick". We too should love other people but not confuse love with a reason to approve of their bad life choices.
Be honest = Don't lie to people. Lay it out for what it is. You will never make everyone happy and their are no rules in life that say you are supposed to. Politicians have been trying to do this for years and it doesn't work. If someone asks you how you are doing its OK to be honest and have a real conversation about something we all experience. Following some script around things you think you should be saying just to make everyone happy is often shallow.
Be Nice and Polite to Everyone = That is unless they give you a very good reason not to be. Then it is OK to be honest but in a calm (non-angry or yelling) way. Be the adult in the room.
Care about people = We need to have meaningful interaction with each other.
The world is full of many shades of grey = At times we do good. At times we don't. Depending upon your culture you may think you are doing something right while other cultures will think of you as self centered and completely in the wrong. The trick is to be humble, try to do the good right thing as much as you can. Don't hate other people. Those who hate (strong word) other groups of people have nothing but evil in their hearts. Don't hurt others. Seek out truth vs just accepting something someone said as actual gospel.
Don't hang around with people that bring you down = It takes all kinds to make a world. This gives you a large variety of people to hang around with. Help others, but don't feel you need to hang around with people who suck the life out of you or bring out your worst features.
Live and let live = It takes all kinds to make a world. Don't think that the world rotates around you and your ideas. We all change. We all struggle at times. It makes life more difficult to judge everyone from your point of view at one moment in your life's learning journey knowing that it will most likely change to some degree. Follow timeless truth vs an emotional thought at a moment in time.
Try not to pass judgement on others successes or failures = Many succeed in life and many fail, and all at different times frames. We can never predict at what point in time someone will either succeed or fail. We can never predict our own successes or failures and everyone's level of success and failures are different. You have the right to not participate in someone else's failures but you should not be quick to point out someone's faults knowing that you have your own.
Never Argue = It will just make you crazy and nothing gets solved by yelling at people. Try to calmly show how things look from your perspective. Also understand that the other person may not be aware of your life experiences or they may have their own viewpoints that you also need to understand.
Don't tell someone that they are wrong, that they have a bad idea, or there idea won't work unless you feel you have a better idea and can prove why it is better. = Be prepared to back up you idea and give those reasons right away as to why you think that the person has a bad idea. Lastly, try to be polite during the process of explaining why they have such a bad idea and try to use words like "Here's another way of looking at that" or "Let's look at this from another perspective." Nobody likes to feel stupid but we all miss things from time to time or we may not have looked at an issue from every perspective.
How we perceive the way others communicate means everything = Everyday we interact with people. Sometimes we interact with people that we could perceive as being rude, impolite, and stupid. More often than not those people are trying to be cute, funny, and wise rather than rude, impolite, and stupid. Try to perceive any questionable comments as them attempting to be cute, funny or wise but they just aren't that good at it.
When you meet someone for the first time try not to immediately ask them what they do for a living. Your first impressions could be perceived as being competitive, degrading, or you could be stereotyping right from the start if your first words are "So what do you do for a living." Most people would rather talk about hobbies and a person should at least leave the door open for things they enjoy. You will also get a better understanding of the person if you know their hobbies first. After you get to know each other then you can talk about work if it is really that important.
Have respect for anyone who is gainfully employed. = Some jobs are better than other jobs, but to work is noble. Don't yell at or give a gainfully employed person a hard time.
1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Dr. Seuss
“To the world, you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.”
On being happy
True happiness must first start within yourself. When you are first happy with yourself then everything else in life is usually pretty wonderful and you can share that with others.
Let it go = We all have had experiences in life where we did the wrong thing. Forgive yourself and move on. We have all known people in life that have done us wrong or taken advantage of us. Don't dwell on those experiences, or people, as you can not relive those moments. Let them go, learn from them, and know that the wisdom you now possess won't allow it to happen again.
Having cash, wealth, or personal items does not mean you will be happy = Cash can expose you to situations that can create happy stuff, but it does not equal happiness. The happiness part is all up to you. I have known miserable people with lots of money and consistently ecstatically people who are always broke. For the most part, the wealthy and the poor all are exposed to the same sensations in life. Just because I don't have a swimming pool in my back yard does not mean that I don't know what it feels like to swim. Just because I don't own an expensive race car does not mean that I will never know the sensation of driving fast. Lastly, sometimes having wealth just means that you have more things to worry about or more things to take care of. That itself can be stressful and also a distraction from understanding what is really important in life. After all, in the end we all leave this life taking nothing with us other than what we have learned along the journey..
Look at life as a gift = Life is a gift and everyday it gives you something new. Don't waste life. Don't waste time worrying about your possessions when, in the end, it all fades away or becomes old and meaningless. Its all just stuff on a temporary loan or its a future garage sale item. Don't waste time getting wrapped up or stressed out over the little routines of life. Don't waste time trying to impress the world. I know it's easy to let life drag you down physically and emotionally, but all of these negatives takes away from your ability to be happy and it doesn't have to be that way. It's just life, and several years from now the stuff that depresses you or drags you down today will no longer matter. Since it won't matter several years from now it shouldn't be bothering you now. Be happy, plan for tomorrow, but live for today. Spend your lifetime achieving fulfilment, love, live, help others, give, search your soul, strive to discover meaning, be happy, and figure out Gods plan for you in this life.
Psalm 118:24 New King James Version
This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
On personal prosperity and growth
What you put into life is what you get out of it.
You will make mistakes = We all make mistakes from time to time, but life is a learning process and it's OK to make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. Learn from your mistakes so you may make a better choice the next time.
Always try to do - the right thing to do.
If it relates to your life you must learn everything about it. = This can also be reworded to say I should learn how to repair or build items myself rather than pay someone to do it for me. An example would be that I drive a car, their for I should learn how to repair it or at least maintain it. If my house needs rewiring then I should learn how to do it myself and make it happen rather than pay someone to perform that task. If my computer dies I should figure out how to fix it. If I wish to build some metal thing then I should take the money that I would normally pay someone to make the thing and buy a welder so I can make it myself. By following this philosophy, you will learn about so many things in life and, some day, when you need to perform that task again you will not only have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do it, but you will also have the tools to make it happen.
Have a lot of hobbies = Lots of hobbies gives you lots of great experiences in life. They teach you many things about the world you live in and create good experiences.
Goals = Plan for the future, but live for today. Always have a goal and work towards it. After you achieve that goal then set another one. If you can't quite make it to that goal, no worries, it's OK. Just take a look behind you to see how far you progressed from your original position. So with that in mind set your sights high so the distances from your lower positions look better.
Life promises you nothing = As we go through life, there are no guarantees and no promises. It's just life and it gives you many experiences both the good and the bad. Be grateful for the good. Learn off of the bad. Expect life to throw stuff at you from time to time that you did not plan for or that you may not like. Understand that these experiences teach you things about life and they are all a part of the journey.
Keep your debts to a minimum = If you have no debts then you can handle anything that life throws at you. You can be broke and always find a way to get by. If you are broke and in debt then you are really in a bad situation if life throws a wrench in your plans.
You can have anything you want in life, but you can't have everything. = If you work for something hard enough you will eventually get it. Still, sacrifices have to be made along the way so you can't have everything that's out there.
When striving for a goal, at some point or another in your life, you may have someone tell you that you don't have the skills to reach that goal or some random (insert random thing here) will never let you achieve that goal. Don't listen to them and don't stop striving for that goal. Most of the time you are able to do most anything in life, it's just a matter of how bad do you want to make your goal a reality. If you dig deep inside of yourself you can do some pretty amazing things.
You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. = A person has a tendency to adapt the characteristics of their friends, family, co-workers, and basically the people that you spend all of your time with. If these people all think along the same lines then you are not exposing yourself to other ideas. You may be preventing yourself from experiencing what is truth, or a better approach to something, because you never looked for it outside of your small circle.
Philippians 4:11-13 New International Version
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
On peace
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
---Billy Graham 1978
Take a moment throughout your day to occasionally say "God, thank you for that" even if its just thoughts in your head. When your riding your motorcycle and you come up over a ridge to see a beautiful sky say "God, thank you for that". When your taking a break and a small animal comes up next to you as if to say "hello" then say "God, thank you for that". If you have a good dream... I could keep going but you get the picture. By doing so you will accomplish a few things. One is that you will be saying little prayers throughout your day which is a good thing for keeping a relationship with your creator. You will also gain a new perspective where it can be said that either you will start to see beauty where you previously didn't or God will start to show you more beautiful things that he created. Beauty creates peace.
Philippians 4:7 - NIV
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Why does religion have so many rules?
- Without a moral code then that leaves an open door to the self destruction of you and society.
- As we go through life we all travel on the same journey with the same experiences, just at different time frames. Without a guide we would deviate from those experiences and miss out on meaningful things in life.
- The rules are all multigenerational common sense items. Don't steal, don't hurt others, don't hate ("hate" is a strong word), don't hurt yourself, live a good fulfilling life, etc... the list goes on. Without a moral code then you basically allow evil to take over your life and lead you down a destructive path.
- Rules create a happier and safer world. For example, I grew up in America at a time when "In God We Trust" was so much a part of our lives that we put it on our money. Crime, violence, murder, etc... was massively lower than it is today because society had a moral code. It wasn't even that long ago that people were allowed to bring guns to school so they could go hunting afterward with friends and it wasn't weird or scary. That would be unthinkable today. People didn't lock their doors. Nobody felt unsafe. When asking yourself what changed between then and now the answer is societies moral values. Sure there have always been bad people doing bad things. There will always be evil amongst good. The levels have just changed for the worst. We as a society have regressed and we lost our moral compass.
- Without a moral code then you are left with a "if it feels good then you should do it" mentality. Much like a drug addiction the sensation is very temporary, often destructive, hurts others, and is empty inside.
- Moral codes come from a central authority which is God. Without God then it is only opinions that exist. Opinions change based on who the person is. So one persons opinion does not create a world wide consensus of understanding what is right and what is wrong. That sort of thing is written in the heart by God.
Why Jesus?
Some of the Details:
- The Old Testament prophesied about the events of Jesus life. No where else in history has so many prophecies come true. Prophecies that were written down 1000 years before the events. People describing crucifixion wounds at a time when crucifixion did not exist. The odds of predictions from the past perfectly tying into events of Jesus life are too staggering to have ever tried to force them to happen. There are several other sites that spell these out but below are two that share a few of them.
- https://www.newtestamentchristians.com/bible-study-resources/351-old-testament-prophecies-fulfilled-in-jesus-christ/
- https://www.jesusfilm.org/blog/old-testament-prophecies/
- Historical records outside of the Bible confirm a lot of it happened. The Census that happened at the time of Jesus birth is a simple example of historical accuracies. Another example is from 3rd party people describing Jesus crucifixion outside of the bible. Example: “On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.” (Julius Africanus, Chronograph, 18:1).
- There were many eye witness accounts of Jesus resurrection. He met with many people after his death and resurrection. Jesus met them all at different times and locations. At one point he even appeared to over 500 people at the same time. This gave a huge degree of credibility compared to if it were just the Disciples that saw him. This is also the reason why Christianity spread so fast as there were so many witnesses that you could speak with to confirm that the events which took place were real. (1st Corinthians 15: 5-8 "fallen asleep" means dead. Most were living, some had died, but you could still talk to any of the living to confirm the story was true). 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
- 11 of the 12 Disciples were tortured to their deaths in an effort to get them to say Jesus wasn't real. They refused despite the suffering. John was the only disciple who wasn't killed but instead was tortured in boiling oil and then banished to Patmos island where he wrote the book of Revelations. The same can be said for many of the early followers. If it was all a lie then why would someone allow themselves to be tortured and killed over beliefs that were not true? If I were lying then I would give up right away and say "your right.... it never happened.... now can you please stop torturing or trying to kill me."
- Jesus performed miracles. He healed people that were beyond healing. He spoke with authority and ordered demons to leave people on several occasions. He was the only person in the history of the world to live a sin free life. Early Christians saw this, understood all of this, and were willing to live under the constant threat of death, which would be unthinkable unless they were absolutely sure that Jesus was not a charlatan. ("con artist" or "fraud")
- Even today, followers of Jesus are persecuted in many countries including our own. Evil is always at odds with good. If the world puts a heavy emphasis on persecuting Christians but doesn't do that to the other religions doesn't this make you think that evil (the world view) is at odds with the good (Jesus)? (John 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.) In other words don't blindly follow what the world will tell you to do as it is not the authority. It will try to lead you down a bad path. Choose the good and right path.
- If someone writes something embarrassing about themselves then it is probably true. People don’t like to write embarrassing things about themselves they usually only want to write about things that make them look good. The authors of the New Testament constantly embarrass themselves which sides to it being true.
- Paul Harvey 1965: The man and the birds. A Christmas story.
- Akiane Kramarik (Prince of Peace Painting of Jesus). Acclaimed to be the real face of Jesus. Evil even tried to hide it from the world but failed in the end. Watch the videos. Many people who have had near death experiences have confirmed that this is the face of Jesus.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm9BGxpf0hU
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B86y4XRCHg
- Yes, there are other religions out there other than Christianity. Some worship demons (witchcraft, pagan, taro cards, ouija boards, etc.) Some worship the creation instead of the creator (sun, stars, etc.) Some worship people instead of just admiring a talent (famous singers, political leaders). Some religions were created by wealthy warlords who took parts of the bible and created a modified new religion out of it so that person could gain more power, wealth, and come up with excuses to conquer lands. Some religions feel that they can achieve atonement by doing good works or by repeating ceremonious actions over and over again in a empty fashion. Since we are sinful by nature we are already doomed from the start. There is nothing we can do on our own to fix that on our own. That is why God send Jesus to atone for our sins and give us a push in the right direction. Our sins were placed on Jesus and he was the final sacrifice. The burden was great but Jesus took it on because of his love for us.
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 7:16
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me."
How do we know that there is an afterlife in heaven or hell?
Outside of the Bible:
- Heaven = God is love. You live in a place where time is irrelevant and you are surrounded by that love.
- Hell = Hell was never created by God for humans. It was created by the fallen spirits who were so anti God that they made it the opposite of Heaven. Hell can be viewed as either the absence of love or a place filled with hate because everyone there was lied to about what is really important. They rejected Gods love. They spent a lifetime pushing God out of their lives while pursuing self centered temporary things. They did not want to have a relationship with their Creator and God is not going to force it. If you spend a lifetime pushing God away then he will respect your wishes and not force you to be with him. I have seen too many people spend a lifetime pursuing fleeting things only to be bitter, angry, scared, and feeling a sense of unfairness as they face their final moment in life. Don't be that person.
- Medical technology has advanced so much in recent years that we are seeing a record number of recorded near-death experiences than ever before. Many of these near-death experiences talk about someone either going to someplace amazingly beautiful or some place of extreme torment before being pulled back to this life. In each of those stories the persons life was majorly changed afterward. There are many books and videos created by people who describe there experiences, both the good and the bad. If heaven and hell were not true these stories would not exist. For sure they would not exist with the level of detail and common themes that they have. Read between the lines as some of them are are questionable but there are also honest ones. The following link is an example of what I would consider to be what seems to be an honest NDE and a generic (non secular) take on God and our lives. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCpBa1xgFv0
- Research Nursing Homes or Hospice Care to show how people see proof of an afterlife. On a personal level my great uncle Bill was in a nursing home. His roommate had a wife at the same nursing home but in a different room due to her health. One day my great uncle’s roommate died. Two weeks later my great uncle mentioned that his roommate came back to visit him, which seemed odd because he was dead and my great uncle was mentally sharp until the day he died. We later found out the same night that my great uncle saw his roommate the man’s wife also died. When talking to the nursing home staff they said that this sort of thing happens all the time. They felt that my great uncle’s roommate came back so he could take his wife to Heaven. There are many more stories like mine.
- Paul Harvey 1965: If I were the devil. Its interesting how an old clip is todays reality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9NoQHgjM_0
- C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity: "If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world."
In the Bible:
- The Bible talks about heaven in many locations. Too many to reference on this single site.
- The Bible talks about hell in many locations. Too many to reference on this single site.
- Jesus mentioned the existence of hell many times. He even went there to proclaim victory over what evil did to him, how in the end it has no power, and then set the stage for the future.
John 14:1-7
1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
How do we begin to establish a relationship with God?
- An old high school teacher of mine once mentioned that I rode the line between right and wrong but always knew to go back to what is right. I never forgot that. I can see that now. It is my goal to make sure you don't make the same mistakes and have a meaningful life.
- If you are living in a temporary superficial world then you aren't really living.
- Don't be self centered. You are here for a reason bigger than you.
- Demons are real. Don't listen to them. Push them away and don't be afraid to ask God for help. You can invite them in through many means. Demon can be the voices in your head telling you to do bad things. Demons are also the voices behind Taro Cards and Ouija boards. The list goes on. They also can invade your dreams and make your life uncomfortable. The more you allow them in the more they take over. On a personal level, I have lost two close friends and two different coworkers to suicide. They listened to the demons and didn't seek out God for help.
- God speaks to those who listen. The problem is that people go about their daily lives distracted, never take the time to listen, or choose to ignore the voice thinking that they have a better plan. Don't expect it to be a booming voice but I can honestly say that I have felt guided at different points in my life by a whisper or a nudge that I either listened to or didn't. When I listened to it my life improved. When I listened to it other peoples lives improved. When I rejected it then it had the opposite effect. The closer you get to becoming a child of God the more you hear him.
- Find a good Study Bible that is easy for you to understand. Meaning it will be easier for you to read a NIV version vs a King James version just because it is more modern language compared to medieval language. Doing so will make it easier to read and less frustrating. Start with the New Testament and take your time. Think of it as a book with a lot of great short stories in it vs an overwhelming novel. There are a lot of great timeless stories and wisdom to be found in the book.
- Find a bible based church to learn more about God. Be careful. Don't always assume that what you hear at every church will be bible based. Some are altering thousands of years worth of teachings to appeal to someone's desire to not follow Gods teachings. Some rely on emotion vs honesty. The New Testament even predicted that this will happen so just be careful and don't always assume what someone says is absolute truth without doing additional research. Many are choosing to appear "good" rather than be good. Be careful.
- Love and sex are two different things.
- Open your heart and start having conversations with God. Our lives are but a drop in the ocean of time but you have a purpose. Once you humble yourself and understand that you will find peace and understanding. I am a child of God. You can be as well. In doing so you can live a very fulfilled and meaningful life.
- Jesus said "Everyone who asks receives: the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew 7:8)
- "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13)
