Fear Not...

"For God has not given us a Spirit of Fear, but of Power and Love and of a Sound Mind" (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV)

Over the past couple of weeks, I have written about a number of topics, mostly about Purpose, Strength, Talents and Keeping a Positive Mindset.  

Although I have included a few passages of scripture, I deliberately tried to balance my thoughts and messages with non-biblical experiences...I was afraid to polarize anyone who had contradictory beliefs.  I wanted to convey a subtle message of Jesus and Salvation.

As the days continued, I found myself wanting to include more and more the Message of Jesus Christ within my Blog…Again, I struggled with…"should I include this passage or that passage"…

As I was reading some memoirs of Ronald Reagan tonight and a few other Leaders over the past couple of weeks, I found that the ones (the leaders) I respected the most made no attempt to overshadow their Beliefs and I actually read the scripture from 2 Timothy on page 40 of The New Reagan Revolution.

If anyone were to ask me in person or in a chat about my faith, I would never, Never, NEVER deny Christ as my savior…but why was I afraid to include more about him in my Blog?  Not sure, but I can tell you that I won’t hold back any longer!

Tonight’s post is short, but I invite any and all to ask me about Jesus. 

Blessing to you all!

Purpose...What is yours?

Do you ever question what your purpose is on this earth?  There are many self-help books to help you figure this out and even at the company I work for, I went through a very valuable process to determine my “Sense of Purpose”… At the end of the activity, I was left with a simple statement about how I would like to be remembered at the end of my life…if at the end of my life, people viewed me as an Established and Accomplished, Spiritually Fulfilled Husband, Father and Friend, then I should have lived a full life…full of Purpose.

After a very intriguing service this morning at church, I began to think about the difference between “Sense of Purpose” and what my “Purpose” truly is…

It was evident that my Pastor’s purpose to Preach the Good Word of God and of Salvation!  (I learn something new every week)

But, am I on my way to fulfilling the Purpose God created me for?  We all are blessed with a variety of Talents, some are very artistic (painting/ etc.), some people are inspirational and can lift anyone’s spirits with a simple smile, some are great educators, and some are great leaders.  I was thinking about it…do we have a long-term purpose, or do we have a new purpose every day?  Or is it BOTH?

I think it is BOTH and that is why I have been thinking about it so much lately.  Each and Every day, you have the opportunity to live out a purposeful day!  What are your talents?  What are you going to use them for today and tomorrow and for the next 10 years?

Today, I hope to encourage you to use your gifts and abilities to do something amazing!  Teach me something new…share your story with me.

God Blessed You…Have an Impact with your blessings! 

Start Strong...Stay Strong!

What is your Purpose in life?  This is a very challenging question to answer…I have spent a few years working towards understanding the Purpose God has for me…I have defined what my Sense of Purpose is…at the end of my life, I would hope to be an established and accomplished, spiritually fulfilled husband, father and friend!

How do you get do I get there though?

How do you define your Purpose?

Well, today I hope to inspire you to start each day with a strong drive to accomplish something big.  You also have to stay committed and stay strong through the end of the day.

You can’t allow anything to hold you back…some of the common things people allow to restrict them from living each day to their fullest potential are guilt, resentment, fear, materialism and the desire to have approval from everyone.  You cannot allow any of those things to hold you back.  When you wake up in the morning, you should start the day by knowing that you are able to accomplish great things and that whatever happened in the past is the past…you can direct your steps forward!

What are you going to do today and tomorrow to start stronger and finish stronger than ever before!  Be a person of Excellence today!  Make someone smile for no reason whatsoever…tell someone something encouraging…

When you are selfless and do something for someone else, you will feel revived and renewed and you will be blessed.  I think sometimes that the most selfish thing I ever do is to help someone else...the rewarding feeling you get from seeing someone happy because they needed to be cheered up or they were truly in need financially, emotionally or spiritually…is awesome!  I think it actually increases my joy and strength…finish strong by serving someone else today!

Confidence because of Equality…

One of the most valuable Life Lessons I ever learned…I was privileged enough to learn when I was only 13 years old.  As I was collecting money for my weekly paper route, I was caught up in a conversation with one of my favorite neighbors of all time.  Keep in mind, my neighbor was much older than me and was quietly confident…at the time I didn’t know much about his life, because I was only 13 and he had 4 children who were much older than I was (2 of them actually babysat me)…

We were talking about a Famous Sports figure and I was talking about this Sports figure almost like he was a God…My neighbor stopped me right there mid-sentence…he said, “You think too highly of this person…HE is only a man.”  My facial expression must’ve expressed my confusion…what did he mean He was only a man?  He continued with, “Listen, we are all equally created by God…I am no greater than you and this man is no greater than you…we are all EQUALS!  Do not have more admiration for someone because they have a higher societal position, or more money than you…You are every other person’s equal.” 

That conversation helped form me into who I am today.  I often receive comments about how confident I am in front of others…especially those I encounter at work, but what my neighbor said is true.  No Man or Woman is greater than any other.  Society and media may lead us to think so, but you must keep thinking about how special you are and that your Purpose in life is equally as great as every other person.  God made you exactly who you are for a reason.  Now use the amazing ability he has given you to do something that is truly remarkable today!

It’s all about Perspective…

With everything in your life, there are a variety of ways to perceive something.  The longstanding question of, “Are you a Glass is Half-Full or a Glass is Half-Empty person” is relevant with how you view your success, your life and also those lives around you.  If you want to be happy, then when you start to view something as negative, you must immediately pause for a moment and think about the same situation with a new perspective.

You don’t have to agree with me here, regardless of what you are faced with today, whether you have a headache, you have someone that is deliberately trying to steal your Joy, or if you have some other major crisis you are dealing with today…I want you to know you are facing those situations for a reason.  Step back for a moment and be thankful for something simple to refocus just for a little bit…

If you are reading this Post right now, or if you are hearing it, be thankful that you either have vision and are able to read and comprehend what it is saying, or that you can hear it and put thought into it…Many people do not have the blessing of sight, nor do they have the ability to hear…if you can do both, then you are experiencing a double blessing! 

I am not saying that you need to focus on every positive area of your life, but if you do, your perspective might just change and you will face adversity with a new ability to overcome it…

Instead of thinking, why are my taxes so high this year…you may think, well praise God I have to pay my taxes, because that means I have a Job and income!

Instead of thinking, my leg hurts…I am feeling discomfort in my joints…you may think, Praise God I have 2 – legs and I can walk and enjoy the simple pleasure of convenience to get from one point to the other.

Why is my house so small while my neighbor’s house is almost a mansion?  No, Praise God that I have a home and that is something that almost 75-80% of the world’s population is unable to say when they lay down to sleep at night.

Today’s post is meant to make you think about your blessings today and focus on the positive side…you are a blessed and favored individual!  I am thankful to be able to interact with you today!

Conquer whatever task you are faced with today with a newly revived courage and confidence!

Strength To Overcome...

We all experience adversity…many times we face adversity multiple times each day.  The One thing to remember though is that You have the strength and ability to persevere and overcome adversity.  You have to be open and willing to overcome it though.  One statement that rings true is that you can be a Victim or a Victor and you have the choice either way. 

Luke Chapter 19:10 says it like this…”I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

Do you believe in yourself?  You should because God believes in You!  Can you embrace that?  When I begin each day appreciating God’s Favor, Strength and Power, I can accomplish anything and everything I put my mind to…so can you.