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 BORN INTO AN UPSIDE DOWN WORLD: Did you know that when a baby is born, for the first few days they stumble as their brain is trying to make sense of the upside down objects their eyes are seeing? We are born into an upside down world, due to the anatomical nature of the optics of the eye and its lens system - The images we see initially are made up of light reflected from the objects we look at. ... Because the front part of the eye is curved, it bends the light, creating an upside down image on the retina. The brain eventually turns the image the right way up. - - source: sightsavors.org  You would think we would always see things as "upside down" and continually have problems navigating and dealing with objects coming at us, but no. The part of the brain that assembles visual data into a meaningful and useful picture of the world out there recognizes "upside-down" as normal. So we go on to learn eye/hand coordination and such within this "flipped" visual world. -- Source: J Trevor Woodhams, M.D. - Chief of Surgery, Woodhams Eye Clinic WE ARE NOT LIVING IN HEAVEN IN THE BEGINNING WE SEE THE TRUTH: If God created all things - and if a baby represents the purity of life before it learns the ways of this world - than you would believe that the creation of our eyes was meant to show us the truth in the beginning - and our brains help us to adapt to the world that we were cast to live in which is FAR FROM GOD temporarily - because we are not in heaven - we are living in this world.  WE ADAPT We adapt to our surroundings both physically (as our brains help us to do) and spiritually - your Soul deserves the same attention you give to your Flesh and to your Mental Health. You’ve heard of the phrase “Mind, Body and Soul” - The soul is the part of us that most people do not think they need to support because they question what a soul is and they question religion and associate a soul with religion - when our soul is just as much a part of us as our flesh and mind, it IS who we are. GOD HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT OF OUR LIVES We were cast out of Eden, away from God because of the original sin (Adam + Eve) - We are not living in heaven, we are living in a world that is far from heaven, that is upside down, and the values of the majority of the people in this world are upside down, they are not of God.  God has been taken out of our lives:
 REAL LIFE EXAMPLES: There was a church group that got together and had a picnic at a local park. They were praying together while enjoying the scenery. A couple walked by and the woman of the couple said “this isn’t the place for that”. One of the gentlemen in the church group replied “to us, everything is a place for that”. With that response, the couple called the police to complain, and the police told the church group if they don’t have a permit they can’t have a public prayer group. - The church group explained they were having a picnic and decided to pray together. But they were told to leave the park still. You see, in this world, people who don’t want prayer have more rights than people who want to pray - this is really turned upside down. ANOTHER EXAMPLE: During the pandemic, a state allowed strip clubs to open first and to open churches last. IF that is not upside down I don’t know what is. “Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee jokingly suggested that churches should reopen as a “temporary strip club” since these establishments were exempt from Newsom’s lockdown order.” Source: TNonline.com - Dec. 2020 issue - Times online news If the Devil is the ruler of deceit and has been deceiving us from the very beginning when he tricked Eve into eating the apple - can we not see that he has reign over the principalities, the authorities and the beliefs of majority of the people in this world? Ephesians 6:12 ESV For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. THE WORLD BLINDS US  Because we have been deceived for so long we start to believe that it is ok - or we start to logically explain the reasoning for the unGodly values - and think things like - “Churches are large gatherings so there is more of a chance of getting sick” - - - when strip clubs have naked bodies closer than 6 feet together. Do we not realize that the same amount of people are in smaller quarters in a strip club than in a Church? Just as people were allowed to make their choice of going into a strip club, people should have been allowed to make their choice to go to a Church. The scales must drop from our eyes. What the devil does is he blinds you. But there is a way of knowing the truth -a way out - when you get to know God through his word, the scales come off and you start to see the world, people, places and things through God's eyes. You begin to see how everything is turned upside down. 2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. DISCERNMENT TO KNOW TRUTH FROM LIES  How do you know which side is up and which side is down? How can you tell if you have “fallen” into the lies of this world? Part of it is knowing God. God reveals the truth in your heart. When you build your relationship with God, the closer we get the more God allows us to have the gift of Discernment. Unfortunately there are more people who live in this world instead of living through God’s will for us. They see the world in a completely different way than we do. For example, there are people that worship the Devil. They believe that the Devil is more powerful than God, because he deceives them into thinking he is more powerful - that he can give them power. If God created the Devil, how can the Devil be more powerful than God? EXAMPLES OF VALUES FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN  MODERN RELATIONSHIPS:
JUDGING VS. UNDERSTANDING:
Matthew 7:3-5 NIV 3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Acts 4:12, NIV: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.  Here is why our negative impressions are counter-intuitive for that other person: A research team went to:
In all those very different contexts, regardless of family income, demographics, IQ, there was one characteristic that emerged as a significant predictor of success: it wasn’t social intelligence, it wasn’t good looks, or physical health or IQ - it was GRIT. GRIT is passion and perseverance for long term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future day in and day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like a marathon not a sprint. The best idea about Grit is from Carol Dweck at Stanford University - the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed - it can change with your effort...change and growth in response to challenge, they’re much more likely to persevere then they fail, because they don’t believe that failure is a permanent condition. Source for above: Angela Lee Duckworth” Grit: The Power of passion and perseverance: TED Talks Education. So then - If as family, friends or even strangers, we hold people to their failures, whether visible or not, then we are creating additional obstacles to try and hold them back from their success - which means - are we that unhappy with ourselves that we try to bring someone else down?  People with true GRIT do not allow their failures to hold them back, no matter how long it may take, or how many failures they have - they do not let the opinions of anyone else stop them. Remember:
 THE GROWTH MINDSET: A CHARACTERISTIC OF A SUCCESSFUL PERSON: This growth mindset of ALL successful people - They didn’t listen to the opinions of what other people said. They didn’t take their failure and magnify it. They moved past it and continued to grow, fail again and fail again - and push themselves forward until they succeeded.  If you can't see someone's succeed on the horizon, that just means they are continuing along in their journey towards what success looks like for them. And if you can't see it or if you don't want to believe in that person - that’s your own eyes deceiving you and holding you back. Isaiah 5:20: 20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! EVEN THE TWILIGHT ZONE WAS TEACHING US ABOUT OUR WORLD's DECEPTION:  There is an episode of the Twilight Zone where a woman is brought to the hospital to get her face fixed because she is the ugliest person in the world - compared to the rest of the people in the world who all have faces that clearly look like pigs. The moral of this episode in a twisted way is that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” BUT - what is the definition of beauty- of righteousness - of truth?  Our guidepost, our north star is the BIBLE that tells us what the truth is for LOVE, LIFE, HAPPINESS, and PEACE. If you use the bible to keep you on the right path, you will start to see the truth and be able to lift yourself from the negative thoughts and judgements of others towards creating a life of peace, joy and fulfillment.
This may sound cliche, naive, or even idealistic to anyone reading this who doesn’t believe this is even possible. That is usually the first thought you may have - skepticism - because you feel you need to protect yourself from being hurt about believing something that you don’t understand. That disbelief usually is when you haven't been able to find this for yourself. You may be too afraid to take that leap, to reach outside of what your circle of family or societal friendships know as their personal experience of what love and peace is. No one said it is going to be easy - the trek towards happiness usually is not easy, because we do not live in EDEN. We are separated from God. We were cast out because of the original sin. But - GOD always provides a way back to him. It is our choice to believe that path, to take it, and to find God again. He is waiting. What are you waiting for? Make those choices for yourself, and once you do, you will find your intended path. P.S. If you ever wonder how to fight against this upside-down world, it explains it very well in Ephesians 6:10-20 - how to put on the full armor of God to protect, defend and fight against the principalities of darkness.
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  What is love? Love is an action based on a conscious decision to value others. There is more to love than you think. - central church cambridge. When was the last time you heard 1 Corinthians 13? Probably at a wedding, or in a movie. But do you remember what those words mean and do you live your life valuing others in this way? We all have an opportunity to add more love in our lives, unlock the limitless possibilities from your heart in how you live your life everyday with love in it. If you truly think about the words in 1 Corinthians 13, you will realize the deep rooted meaning behind each and every one of them.  When God shares with us what love is, he explains that without love, he is nothing. This is a very strong statement to say - that Love is even more powerful than hope and faith. How can God say without love he is nothing? Because God IS love. Love is the foundation of all virtue. And with this article we hope to share how love is the north star we should all hope to live by. With that, we will bring ourselves closer to God. If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. - Corinthians 13: 1-3. WHAT LOVE IS - AND - WHAT LOVE IS NOT --> 1 Corinthians 13: 4  LOVE IS PATIENT
 LOVE IS KIND
 LOVE IS NOT ENVIOUS
 LOVE IS NOT BOASTFUL
 LOVE IS NOT ARROGANT
 LOVE IS NOT RUDE Let us be reminded of what rude is. In this world, we have become desensitized with rude behavior as normal expectancy, or as someone “expressing” themselves. This is far from Love:
It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. Corinthians 13: 4 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Corinthians 13: 13.  PRAYER Dear Lord,
I come before you, and ask for your guidance to bring love into my heart. I feel I am expressing myself in a loving way, thinking in a loving way, and providing and giving in a loving way. But if I am not, please come into my heart and show me how to love the way you want me to so that my relationships, the way I value others and the way I value myself lives up to your word. Amen.  What you’ll discover by reading this:
At the beginning of a new year, we reflect on our accomplishments and decide on the goals we want to achieve. This usually lasts for the first month and then most people tend to get back into the hamster wheel of life. But in the back of our minds, we ask ourselves
 CHOOSING THE RIGHT PATH in a world full of hardships So many of us make our own path - to find a job that makes money to pay our bills. And research has shown most people dislike the job they have but do it in order to make the money to pay bills.  Most of us have a dream. Maybe it’s to be an inventor, a dancer, a farmer, a small business owner - but when we see the struggles involved in the path to get there we fall back on our jobs and give up on our dreams. Those very God-given talents we dream about maybe the path God has in mind for us. The big mistake that people make is taking an easy way out:
There’s only one path to the right way.  God loves us so much that he gives us possibilities along the wrong path to get back on the right path - we just have to be open, humble, and willing to see those possibilities. The path God has for us, even though it’s a struggle, doesn’t require evil acts in order to progress or gain.  While the path the world offers involves endless evil choices to get ahead such as:
With God, even though it’s hard work, in the end, it pays off,
 HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT PATH Have faith that God will guide you to your purpose:
 HOW DO WE GET STARTED ON THE PATH GOD HAS FOR US? So how can we do it? How can we stay in the right frame of mind to make the best decisions for our life without letting temptations, frustrations, and worry change our path? Procrastination happens to all of us, but how did Jesus stay so disciplined with all that he was set out to do? Jesus constantly spoke with his father, and now we have Jesus and Father God to speak to. Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things in him who strengthens me  Jesus asks us to come to him and to give him our burdens. Pray to Jesus and ask him to take your burdens. We know it’s hard to ask for help and to even think of giving someone else your burdens, but Jesus welcomes this. He has already died for us, is ready, and has plenty of capacity to handle all of your burdens and all of the world’s sin, hurt, and pain. He waits for your prayer with open arms: Mathew 11:28-30 - Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Start with this prayer: Dear Lord, You say that your yoke is easy. I humble myself and ask that you take my burdens from me so that I may do your will and follow the path that you set before me. I ask this in your name, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.  HOW DO WE DISCIPLINE OURSELVES TO DO WHAT GOD WANTS US TO? Our Faith is the spark of motivation that gets us going with our purpose. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.  Have Confidence in the abilities God gave you:
Guess what?
God knows these affirmations are true about us more than we know this about ourselves. Have faith that God will guide you to your purpose. Have confidence in the abilities God gave you. Know that you ARE worthy of his love. God created you specifically, uniquely, and is waiting for you to reach out and have a conversation with him. So, what are you waiting for?   2020 was a trying year for all of us in our own ways. I’m sure we all feel thankful that 2020 is over. So many people were affected in so many ways whether it was losing a job, getting wages cut, or even losing a home. People lost loved ones or got sick themselves and that is not even talking about the lockdowns or emotional stress it put on us. But in all that, those that are reading this, that have food on the table, a roof over their head and people that care about them - - we are truly blessed. We should remind ourselves to thank God for what we do have. God told us that we should have a humble heart: .."if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 2020 was definitely a humbling year. So if our heart has been made humble, then let us show that to God and thank him that we are still here breathing. With this new year, we have an opportunity to be thankful to God for what we do have, and show him that thanks. Tell him: "Thank you Lord that I still have a roof over my head, I still have food, there are people that care about me, that I haven't caught CoVid, or that I am healthy and safe." WHO ARE YOU THANKING FOR YOUR BLESSINGS? We can thank our friends and family for helping us through tough times. We can thank our employer for being able to keep our jobs if we have kept them. We can thank our landlord for helping us out with rent if you experienced that.  Did you know that these acts of kindness represent God’s presence here on earth? When a moment touches someone’s heart to reach out and call you, tell you they love you, help you find a way to get through, that is God’s love in their heart. "All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 4:15 Of course it is good to thank each person in your life for making the choice they did to show you their love. We all have free will and they all decided to show you that love they felt calling in their heart. As long as you know where that love has come from. No man on earth we are thanking holds our salvation in their hands. Only God has the power to grant us salvation.  OUR GOOD DEEDS REFLECT GOD'S LOVE "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3: 15-17 Here's How You Can Get Started:
We can start off each day or end each night by saying a simple prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, and Father God, Thank you for any and all graces you bestowed upon me and my family this day and any day after. In Jesus Name, Amen.”   “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 You might be thinking - - yes, of course I’m comfortable speaking about Jesus and God - - OR - - you may feel restricted, and you are only comfortable speaking about your religious beliefs:
Believe in your faith enough to stand up for God and Jesus when it counts the most In this blog post you will learn:
 #1: OUR RIGHTS: It will be helpful to understand how God’s involvement in our lives has evolved overtime in our legal system and in our culture. This will empower us to realize the importance and responsibility we have to share God’s word with others. Society has worked hard to suppress God in our lives. For example:
You may be thinking all of this logically makes sense. After all, you don’t want to push your belief on anyone. If someone doesn’t believe in the bible, how can they swear on it to tell the truth? How can we ask a child to say “One nation under God” when we don’t want to force God on them?  Our society praises this kind of religious tolerance, or lack thereof. What this is saying is either one of two things:
It is important now more than ever to understand that we as Christians have the freedom to speak boldly and be assured in our faith through compassion, patience and understanding. God doesn’t force himself on anyone. God wants you to come to him on your own, and he will use people, places and his word to help guide you towards his truth. If you are someone who believes in God and Jesus, you are part of God’s plan to help those around you to find the truth you were able to uncover. A human being’s rights to publicly express their faith or religious belief is a fundamental understanding that will empower you to be comfortable to speak up when it’s needed.  Let’s understand the intent of Separation of Church and State. It does not mean “hide your faith outside of your Church, or place of worship”. It means you have a right to express yourself freely through the guarantees of religious liberty that Thomas Jefferson fought for us all to have in the first amendment. Unfortunately, our society has mis-interpreted this to mean you should not mix religious activities with public or state activities. The intent of the First Amendment of the Constitution is meant to help “reinforce the legal right of a free people to freely live their faith, even in public; without fear of government coercion. Free exercise means you may have faith and you may live it. The Separation of church and state doesn’t shut down our debates over religion in the public square; it guarantees the freedom for us to respectfully have those debates...Faith is worth talking about in many places in American culture” - - Thomas Jefferson said that The Constitution would “restore to man all his natural rights”. Intolerance of another person’s faith is a personal choice, not a legal requirement.” - Time.com, The real meaning of the Separation of Church and State.  One thing is certain - - as Christians, we have a responsibility to educate the importance of having God in our lives. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms'' - Peter 4:10. It is in our service that all will see God’s grace in action as we demonstrate our faith. So now that you have a comfort level about expressing your belief of God and Jesus freely through our constitutional rights, let’s talk about how important this is.  #2: IMPORTANCE OF GOD IN OUR LIVES Here is an example of how important it is to have God in our lives. According to a recent Pew Research Study from Spring 2019 Global Attitudes Survey Q30 - - Countries with higher purchasing power are less likely to tie belief in God to morality. Those with higher income are also less likely to see belief in God as necessary.  This shows us how money separates us even further from God. When we put value on MONEY and THINGS, we lose sight of the importance of how God can positively shape our morals and values. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timonthy 6:10 Whereas, if we put people before things, we will have a higher expectation of our morals, shaped by God’s guidance for us: “a new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another.” John 13:34 Now that we understand the importance of God in our lives, let’s review when the right time and place is to speak about God and Jesus. “If God is for us, who could be against us.” Romans 8:31 #3: When is the right time and place to speak about God and Jesus? To understand the right time and place, we will start by asking a few questions detailed below. These questions are meant to help you learn about your current decision making. The way you answer them today, may not be how you act in the situation. Once you learn more about yourself from these questions. Remember how you may WANT to answer, versus what you may ACTUALLY do. Take this to heart, and know how much you can truly make a difference in someone's life - - especially when you have God on your side to help guide you and direct your steps. Statistics are included under each question to give you an idea of the probability you may witness the situation. This will show the significant likelihood of occurrence for each scenario, which offers multiple moments to not only help someone else, but build your character as a warrior for God.  4 Questions:
It’s not to say that you are to talk about your belief in Jesus and God all the time, everyday with everybody - it’s to say that in those specific moments of conflict are moments of opportunity. An opportunity to represent God’s love in this world. God puts you in those moments to test your faith. The ones that walk away are the ones that fail.  Choose to stand strong in your faith, just as you choose to know God and Jesus. Be the warrior he chose you to be, through grace, compassion and understanding, knowing that God and Jesus are always with you.  While it is not our battle to fight, it is our responsibility to defend and live the word. As it says in Ephesians 6:10-6:20, we need to put on the full armor of God when we have these healthy debates - - “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Now that you have your armour on, and you are ready to share God’s word, how do you do it? #4: How to defend God’s word in the world we live in today  Your courage to speak about God’s love through his word, helps to bring God’s word to life. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 We have to understand God’s word in order to speak about it with others, and help to change people’s hearts.  The way you express God’s word can help to be a voice of truth, justice and hope - it can resuscitate a life and help the heart to beat again.  “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” Timothy 2:24-26 We are all connected to God and Jesus through our spirit. Everyone, from Christians, to Muslims, to Jews, to Republicans or Democrats, the religion or political belief is an added layer to the spirit that we all have. So when we speak of Jesus or of God, we all feel something:
 Speaking about it can help to bring understanding to the confused, and clarity to those that are uncomfortable or angry. God has given us the tools we need right in the bible to chip away at the chains that shackle most.  As the Lord says in Jeremiah 23:29: - - “Is not My word like fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?” The word is our sword and our light, that breaks the lies and brings peace where there is darkness. So lean on the word whenever you need to. Some people will be reminded of God’s love. They will be resuscitated and start to speak about it to others. And some may take longer to understand. That’s where our patience and understanding comes in, and we continue our good works.  God’s word is the bridge, the translator, and the bandage that heals to bring us back together again with our father - - Back to the Garden of Eden (Zion), to our relationship with God, through his son Jesus. What was started in the beginning will come back again in the end, as initially intended. And through the journey, we can each help one another to get there.
Do you agree?  Did you know that in just the past few weeks there’s been a spike of Americans seeking God? 55% more Americans are praying more often, and reaching for purpose and meaning through religion during COVID-19. (reference: the latest gallup pole) “Internet searches for the topic of prayer surged..(during COVID-19), surpassing all other major (searched) events that otherwise instigate intensified demand for prayer, such as Christmas, Easter and Ramadan.” - Jeanet Sinding Bentzen, associate professor in economics from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), CEPR, and director of the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics & Culture  Here are a few more stats to show the incredible turn towards God and faith during times of crisis: % increase of the U.S population that turned to prayer during crisis:
It’s incredible that so many more people are seeking God. We understand when we are affected by tragedy, we seek a higher being, reach for our unique rich heritage, faith and hope, and draw strength from our family and community. Just remember this -- God is always waiting for us. But…. we want to ask you all one thing... Why do so many of us wait until a tragedy to seek God?  What’s sad is, most of us reset our priorities back to what society deems important shortly after a crisis is over. We forget what we knew was important when times were bad. For example, for the first 3 weeks after September 11th, religious attendance increased by 6%. Then, 4 weeks later, flat lined back to what it was before the crisis. Why? Does that mean that once a crisis is over worldly things become the priority again? Why are factors of social conditioning the new measuring stick of our worth? God knows your true worth - no matter what is happening around you, or what the new trend is. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." [John 3:16] You see, why is that during a crisis we realize what is most important:  So is this the only time when we turn to God, to remind God we exist, we are here, and please remember me God? - ME - a human being. - I want to be valued as ME. - I want to be loved as ME, - you love me for ME - right God? Then, when things are good, are running smoothly, there is no need to talk to God right? NO… We are missing God in our lives. God wants to have a relationship with us everyday, not just when we need him most. We can’t have God part time. God wants a full time relationship with us. He wants to celebrate our successes too. He’s not there to only hear when there is sorrow. He deserves the praise for all the good that we have. But -- why should it take tragedy for us to be this way? God wants us to naturally be this way each day. “Love one another as I have loved you”[John 13:34]. This is not meant for just when there is hardship, or during struggles. This was meant to be a choice we make every single day. When God created man and women in his image, that is our soul -- our attachment to God. “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” [Genesis 1:27] When we allow our soul to have quiet time to ponder what’s happening in the world and think about others, we start to want to reach out and care about helping those we love, and those we don’t even know.  Yes, there are bad people out there. Yes, there are people who will take advantage of it. BUT, there's so many more good people who won’t, and that outweighs the potential circumstance. If 10 people take advantage of our kindness, while 100 people don’t, it's worth it for those 100 people who seek it, and need it. Why should those 10 people block the blessing for those 100 that are caring?  Remember - we are all made in God’s image. Most people recognize this in their own way, and have a natural goodness inside, which is God’s light reflected in our soul. Even physically we have fleshly attributes that demonstrate the inherent nature of God in our souls. You see, our bodies are wired to be kind to each other. When we are kind to others, our bodies release a chemical called ‘serotonin’ which activates a reward circuit in our brains that results in a happy feeling.  Also - - the genes that are impacted by that kindness are coded for immune function and inflammation which helps us recover from disease faster, and may even lengthen our life. God made us this way! He made us, to be kind to one another, designed to encourage kind acts, which in turn increases our levels of happiness and our life expectancy. This is just a sliver of the genius demonstrated by our creator and what a blessing this is! Even in Proverbs, we are reminded of this: “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart” (Proverbs 15:30) Imagine if we could take the energy that we put together through caring and love during a crisis, and reach out to each other and to God daily in this way. No matter what is happening in the world - Good or Bad, what an incredible world this could be. Instead of taking a pandemic or plague for us to come together, to recognize the people we never cared to speak to, and try and be there for each other.  WHY?
and he wants only what’s best for us, and will not guide us down the wrong path.  You can start to find this guidance in his word, by reading the bible. Learn how God helps and protects those that reach out to him, that want a relationship with him. Did you know everything that has ever happened in the world has been experienced before in one way or another in the bible? There is so much knowledge waiting for you to help bring understanding, which will give you strength, which will give you peace in your life. Just try it. Want to know what LIFE WITH GOD is like? - learn more here  “Here is the quiet time you have needed to speak with me and pray. Do not waste it on frivolities.” ~Jesus This is the first time in a long time, that the world population has come to somewhat of a standstill as we all self-quarantine to help reduce the spread of a virus that has affected all of us in different ways. Whether we are alone, with a loved one, with family or friends, there is one thing we all have - - a mass opportunity to sit and think about what decisions we have made in our lives, and the path we have chosen. At this time, we have time. We have an opportunity that we may not have once we get back to the way our lives were, to reach out, get to know God, and find out what path our lives should be on. This may be the only chance we get to build that relationship with him. We have so much in our day to day lives that usually blocks our mind from hearing him:
There’s always something that is filling our minds, distracting us, that how can we make room for God and hear what he has to say to us? Maybe that’s why we don’t hear him at all? And how can we be guided if we’re not listening? This is the time to be guided. By now, some tasks on your daily list aren’t there anymore, and most likely won’t be for some time. Now is your moment to add God to your list. Seek God out. Ask him those questions you have always wanted to ask. Have that 1:1 time with God, and speak to him. Then, take a moment in silence to listen to his answers for you. The word is truth, and it says “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13. You’ve heard others say “Be human, create relationships, show compassion during this time.” We are reminding you to also seek to have a relationship with God. Add God to your list of people to reach out to and have a conversation with. No one on this earth holds your salvation and will direct you the way God will. If you haven’t heard his words before, now is the best time, in your silence, in your moments of “what should I do now?” to dedicate just a few minutes to seek him out - - and then listen. His direction is one hundred times better than how we could direct our own lives. God doesn’t want us to suffer. He doesn’t want us to go through hardships. He only wants love and peace. Who knows, when this is all over, your life may take an incredible direction that brings you so much peace, love, tranquility and prosperity. Why not try it? What do you have to lose? Start that conversation today. God is waiting…  “Dear Lord, I am here. I am reaching
out to you. I have so many questions for you, but first I want to know if you are there? I want to know you. I want to have a relationship with you. I want to have the faith and understanding to believe that you are taking care of me, and that you love me. Please help me to hear your words. I have heard people say they can hear you, that you are listening and you speak to them. I want to have that relationship with you too. May the holy spirit come over my ears, and give me the ability to hear your guidance. I ask this in your name, amen.”  We have experienced tragedy to us, our friends, to our family, which was not easy for us to understand, and of course we’ve questioned why. We’ve asked God why - This is why we felt we needed to write this blog, to help explain what we’ve learned through God’s word, and our own experiences. There is much to talk about with this topic, and this will only be a part of what we feel is important to share to start the conversation. We hope if you’re reading this, it helps you, as it has helped us.  We Make Our Own Decisions (God gave us free will) When you’re a child, growing up, you learn right from wrong from your parents guidance, or a mentor, neighbor or friend - Ex: If you touch fire, it will burn. If you touch a sharp object you will get hurt. You choose to listen to the guidance you are given, and not go near the oven or touch the sharp object to keep yourself out of harm's way. As we become adults, those choices multiply. And without God and his proper guidance in our lives, the temptations of this world can distract us from making the right decision. If we make a wrong decision, it not only can affect ourselves, but it can affect other people emotionally or physically.  Examples: 1 - The decision to cheat: a husband or wife decides to cheat on their spouse. This will affect the entire family. Not only does the spouse lose trust, but so do the children, and family. The children may also have a hard time trusting their own relationships as they get older. This one decision has now affected many lives, and could have been avoided.  2 - The decision to drink and drive: This choice can affect many people. If the person gets caught it affects their relationships with family, friends and possibly their career. If the person gets into an accident, it will also affect the other family. And if ‘God Forbid’ someone is killed from that accident, then a family is now affected for the rest of their lives from that one decision.  When we choose to not do the right thing: People that choose bad decisions in their life are not inherently evil, they just choose to not do the right thing. We are not saying there are no evil people in the world, because unfortunately there are, we are saying that good people - can make bad decisions. Why? - As human beings, we find ourselves wanting to take the “easy way out”, because it doesn’t require as much effort. That’s where the internal battle begins between our own human comforts, vs. the “right thing to do”. For example, it’s much harder to speak up or stick up for someone that you see is being hurt or bullied, because you yourself can get hurt if you choose to intervene, versus, just avoiding the conflict, and walking away. “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13. God is not saying to sacrifice your life, but what he is saying is, sometimes it’s harder to make the right decision out of love and self sacrifice, than to have your own wants and comforts to take priority over others. Let's use the two scenarios mentioned earlier:
 Why Doesn’t God Stop It from happening? You could start to blame God for a decision that was made by a human being. You may then ask “Why didn’t God stop the bad decision from being made, knowing it would cause harm to others?” We believe God tries to stop us all from making the wrong decisions - But - it is our choice not to listen, because we were given free will.  What Does Free Will Have To Do With It? Imagine if our parents made every decision for us as we grew up. Eventually we would feel smothered, and the first chance we get, we would leave, to be on our own, without them. Some children would even be resentful, and purposefully make bad decisions knowing it would hurt their parents, just to be vengeful for all the years they were hurt. God doesn't want us to resent him, which is why God will not make the decisions for us. He will not force his hand on us to take his path for us. He can and has guided us along the way, to try and remind us of compassion, love, kindness, and empathy. He does this through our own consciousness, and by the people he brings into our lives.  How does God help guide us to make the right decision? Do you ever hear your conscious ask you “is this right? Should I be doing this?”, but you do it anyway? Has anyone ever tried to stop you from making a poor decision you are about to make? Have you ever felt in your heart that what you’re about to do is not right, and things happen to cause you not to get to your destination or take the action you were uncertain of? How can you explain it? Is it just a coincidence? NO - These are all ways God intercedes to try and stop us from making bad decisions. But we still have the ultimate choice, and can still find a way to do the wrong thing. This is why it is so important to keep our relationship strong with God - so that when he speaks to our hearts, we know it’s his voice. The stronger our relationship with God, the more likely our choices will be influenced through him, keeping us from harm's way, while becoming an example for others, inspiring strength in others to do the same.  Why should we do what God wants? “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. - Jeremiah 29:11 God does not want us to have hard times. Because of our free will, when we make bad decisions, we put ourselves in bad circumstances. Although, God will always be there for us. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” - Corinthians 10:13 How are we held accountable for our free will - our decisions? God loves us so much that he doesn’t want us to suffer in Hell. He wants us to be with him in Heaven. And so the suffering we endure here on Earth, is to help us avoid eternal suffering in Hell. Heaven doesn’t have any free passes. You either do God’s will and fulfill his purpose for you on this earth, or you do your own will and you suffer the consequences. If other people have to suffer the consequences for your wrong doing, then you may wind up suffering the consequences at a later time in your life, especially if you do nothing to ask for forgiveness for the wrongs you committed against those people.  Is Heaven Real?
In the end, our judgement against others, our lack of compassion, or our avoidance to help others goes against what God wants us to do, and he has made it so simple for us to remember which is: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another…. Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 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? 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. You know the way to the place where I am going” - John 14: 1-4 We all want to believe there is a God, and a Heaven for us to call “home” after we leave this Earth. If you read the word of God, you will know there is. And to get there, just continue to build your relationship with God, and trust in his decision for your life. For who can you trust more than man, than the one true God, who has all patience and love for you, waiting for you to come back to him.  Our 10 year old niece just started school this week. She said "I need to get good grades in school, then I can get into a good college and then I can get a good job, and then have money to eat. If I can't eat, I'll die" Well, she has the right idea! - We have to work hard in school, to get a good education, to have a good career, to have an easier life financially. Sometimes our path can be a little less traditional, but as long as it's through God's will, we will receive everything we need.  Anything we do, even starting out as a child, we have to be good in order to get dessert, do our homework in order to play with our friends. These are the simple things our parents ask of us. God is our father, and Jesus is our brother. If it works the same way with them, we can't expect to not strive to live a righteous lifestyle and then pray and ask for things and have them dropped on our doorstep. God is not a genie. If life doesn't work that way here on earth, then why would we think it works that way in heaven with prayer? Then how does it work? Matthew 7:8 says "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened" God wants to give us everything that will help us live the best life possible, but our asks must be in line with God's will for us. 1 John 5:14 'If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." Matthew 21:22 "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Of course God wants to give us everything that will help us live the best life possible, but our asks must be in line with God's will for us. Even with these conditions, God's will for us will never disappoint us. Having faith that God's will for us is the best plan for our life is the first step. If we have done nothing for his people, and have lived our lives selfishly, how can we ask for help with anything in our lives? If your child (or when you were a child) were constantly fighting, getting in trouble in school, not doing chores or homework, and then went to your parents and said "I want an x-box, or more allowance, etc." Your parents wouldn't get those things for you, because you're not acting the way they expect you to act. These are the lessons we learn as we grow up. God is our ultimate Father. He expects the best from us and longs to help us, but it is all based on our free will. Know that sometimes there are beautiful life events that honor him, such as a marriage or a child. Sometimes they can be difficult for us - such as a failure that humbles us or a physical weakness or personal loss that makes us more dependent on him. But the outcome of God's will for us, no matter how challenging it may seem in the short term, has a greater, larger purpose for our good and for the good of others. EXAMPLES OF GOD's AWESOME PLANS - MORE THAN YOU COULD IMAGINE - THROUGH ADVERSITY: and he has that waiting for you too (see prayer at the end)  Joseph: vision of his family bowing before him - it meant he would be divinely placed to save Isreal as a family and future nation. His siblings mis-interpreted his dream which caused envy and jealousy, tried to kill him and then sold him into slavery. He found a nice job, and worked for a man who's ambitious wife requested his attention. After Joseph rejected her, the wife charged him with sexual harassment and he was wrongfully put in Jail. Joseph interpreted the Pharaoh's dream, and then was put in charge of his palace, and all his people would respect Joseph's orders.  The man who created the Make A Wish Foundation, had an abusive mother, and very hard childhood. The challenges he went through as a child, shaped his heart and prepared him for his purpose to create the world's leading children's charity in the world, in over 50 countries, with over 32,000 volunteers, with over 334,000 wishes granted. ASK GOD WHAT HIS WILL IS FOR YOU, and he will show you. God is waiting for you, eager to show you and give you his love.
Psalm: 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you" YES you are THAT special! We are all are. God has given each and everyone of us unique gifts to help make this world brighter, and more filled with his love. PRAYER: Dear Lord, I come to you to ask you what your will is for me in my life? Guide me in the path that you have chosen for me. Allow me to be the beacon of your light and your love here on this earth. I know I call out to you when I am in need, or lost, or in search of what I think is the right path in this life. I ask you Lord to please put me on the right path, if the one I am currently on is not in your will, please let me know. I am learning that your will for me is THE ultimate path for my life. You have created me, and put hopes and dreams in my heart that I have come to forget, or think are no longer possible. I pray for you to reignite my belief, my faith, the light in my soul, so that I may continue to grow in your will and your love. With these asks, I know you will strengthen me to help those around me. I claim victory in my ask with you. May the blood of Jesus protect my words to you, and help me to see your countenance in me. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.   Life is like a game of chess. Without God, you can take a pawn and change it into any color, yet it is still the same pawn, making the same moves. But… if you take that same pawn and turn it into a Queen, imagine how the game changes. That is life with God. How you live now, in this moment, will either help bring light to the world or it will not. It’s up to you to make each moment count. You can live your life as a pawn in this world, and be moved one square at a time, following others around, only taking steps when others say it’s ok, or when you feel it’s acceptable or when you think no one will notice, or when you think it will bring you closer to the next “acceptable place” in society - and in the process take the chance of losing yourself because you can only move one step at a time - Each day we move a step and we think, “is this what God wants us to do”? And we make our lives so much more difficult moving one step at a time. OR.....You can live your life as the royalty you are. You can have faith in God that he will help you become that Queen piece in the game who believes in their self worth - because you know, and have the faith that you are a part of God, that you are a child of God, and have that light inside of you - that you can make each move with strength because you have God in your life. What God does is, through his will and guidance, he allows us to move multiple steps to get to where we need to be. He fills the board game with just the right amount of pieces which are people or events that help propel us to where he wants us to be - all to protect the King. Romans 8:17 - Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.  Why the Queen? Chess is logical and strategic. As you’re moving these pieces around, each piece has its’ own function, but the Queen can move anywhere and do anything on the board. (within the games’ guidelines, which we talk about below) So if we look at ourselves as that Queen piece that God is guiding anywhere he needs to guide us to, then we will have the ability, through God’s will, to move anywhere we need to fulfill the purpose God has for us. The process of the Queen moving anywhere is to protect the King at all times - Jesus Christ. In other words, bring God’s message to those who don’t believe, or even to those who do believe.  Where Do You Begin? (Or Re-Start Wherever You Are In Your Life? - it’s never too late) You may be thinking that you want to believe this, but you don’t understand how to even begin to think this way, or apply this to your life. We’re about to explain that to you…. If you are religious or not, in your 20’s or your 80’s, this should help you take the first step that you know your heart wants to try - because you’ve read this far, and because you’re here. Thank you for making that choice. Where To Start: We will start by explaining our basic human needs and how we can tap into these proven scientific human needs to help jump start or revive your life towards a more fulfilling, peaceful life with God. Then we will explain the analogy of a game, how it applies to our lives and most importantly, we will then show you how God can and will help you through. Each section you are about to read will help inform the next section. We hope you walk away from this article with a clarity about how God is there for you - especially during the hurtful or hard times. If you are willing to follow God’s path for you, while it may be difficult, the destination is more rewarding than you can imagine.  RULES OF THE GAME Whose Rules Are You Playing By? Rules shmules. Who cares about rules right!? Actually, every human being needs the rules of the game, even if you think you don’t, or even if you’re instinctual thought right now was “rules, I was born to break them” - well, that is just a conditioned belief to make you feel that if you break the rules, that means you are strong and independent - when in fact, did you know that your primal human need is to have rules? - because - clear rules, or goals, allow us to know whether or not we are making progress - and progress provides us with a reward. For example: Why We Need Rules (Based On Evolution)  Evolution shows us that we are fundamentally in search of experiencing pleasure and/or avoiding pain with each activity we chose to do. For example, when you are hungry, you eat and your body rewards you with dopamine to encourage you to repeat the same behavior next time you are hungry. With emotional needs, such as gaining acceptance from others, this is where we need a little more guidance, because, without any guidance, it would be up to our own perception of our own progress. An example would be actually knowing you have won a car, and “thinking” you have won a car. Both will trigger dopamine in your body to give you the same physical pleasurable reward, until you want to drive the car that you don’t have. So you can see that rules are important to help us keep boundaries between knowing what is right and wrong. With all of the options and distractions we are offered, it can be very difficult to know what the right thing is to do that will give us the most reward in the end. We want to do the right thing and become the Hero in the end of every game. This is why it is most important to have a relationship with God - because God’s rules or guidelines for you help elevate you above the noise so that you can be guided righteously towards your unique purpose. There Are 3 Sets Of Rules You Can Play By In This Life: 1 - YOUR OWN - (living a life self absorbed) 2 - THIS WORLDs - (living a life on what others want of you) 3 - GODs - (living the life God designed for you to live)  YOUR OWN RULES: Background: This is when you live your life with a focus on your own self gain. Each relationship or interaction you have focuses on what you can get from it. For example:
In that process, sometimes you stab other people in the back, you step on people’s toes, and you may even lie to gain the things you want. This false sense of fulfillment or self gratification, creates a cynical part of you that thinks that everyone else will try to do the same thing to you. “If I’m willing to do this to get to where I am, than that means other people are going to be willing to do it to me.” - and how could you have true peace in your life when you’re always feeling like you need to look over your shoulder to see who the next person is going to be that might stab you in the back? In the end, when you gain those things, you don’t feel the emotional reward in your heart, because of the way you did it. Physically, the body does not produce the neurochemical dopamine that gives you a feeling of fulfillment which naturally occurs when you establish genuine, positive relationships. Instead, you are hooked on the adrenaline - the rush of getting away with something for own self gain. You don’t believe that this feeling of fulfillment from good deeds even exists, or that you deserve it, so you continue down the path of getting that quick adrenaline rush, even if for a small moment in time, it feels ‘good enough’ to you. Don’t be blinded...there is a way to break that cycle. You know you’ve seen good people gaining many blessings for doing the right thing - you choose not to acknowledge there is another way. By following God’s way and making moves through God’s will for you, he will put people in your life that will truly help you, and not try to gain from you or stab you in the back. God will give you the gift of discernment to tell the difference between who is there to genuinely help you vs. those that want to gain from you. Matthew 7:7-8: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened  THIS WORLD’S RULES: Background: In this world, we have our choices - usually worldly thoughts are our options under these rules - that can only help us one step at a time. These worldly desires usually are:
When you start to follow the expectations of others, another person’s path and try to do the same thing they are doing, you’re not becoming who you are supposed to be. So you lose yourself in the process.... When....God has a purpose for you - not to be someone else, but to be yourself, and he has a path for you, individually. Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Look at the statistics of wealthy people that are unhappy. "research shows that giving to others leads to greater happiness than spending on oneself. The one factor that makes some of them happier than their equally wealthy peers comes as no surprise -- making the money themselves instead of inheriting or marrying into it." - Inc.com Harvard Study They gain every ‘thing’ but the one thing they don’t have is God. That’s when you realize you’re just a pawn, giving or taking favors from people that have hidden agendas, all to get what you think you need. And always wondering when you will hear “checkmate” meaning, you will feel the need to stay on your toes if you will get fired, or have enough money to take care of what you currently have, or if your friends or family truly care about you. When you follow the path God has for you, you’ll find other like minded people who care from the heart, and you don’t worry about checkmate anymore, in fact you enjoy being a part of the board of players because you are royalty in God’s eyes, and you know each move you make will be in good hands, in God’s hands. Isaiah 41:10: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand  GOD’s WAY: Background: God’s way,or God’s word (in the bible) provides all of the guidelines you will need to receive the pleasure and fulfillment we are looking for. Every move we make in our life can be based on things we want to do - or what God has in store for us. A lot of times we find that when we do things for our own self gain, most times it doesn’t turn out the way we expect it to, and sometimes it can lead us down a really bad path. But when we start to follow the moves that God has for us, we start to look and say ‘Wow, I can’t believe these things are happening”, and we see things falling into place that we would never expect to happen. Psalm 119:105 - Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. After all, you don’t play a game in the dark. Here are some of the guidelines God’s will and love for you provides. When you have faith in God, and trust in him for your life’s purpose, he will provide all of these aspects to work in your favor:  11 Opportunities You Are Given By Choosing God’s Way: (many more can be found in the bible as you read and learn the word of God) 1. Minimize the impact of the element of Chance With God providing you guidance, you can trust in his will to prevail. Proverbs 19:21: Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 16:33 We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall.  2. Become Less Self Absorbed: When we concentrate fully on an activity there is no room for self-reflection. All of our attention is used to perform the activity. Afterwards, we can look at ourselves and notice we have grown from the experience - our mind has been enriched with new skills and new accomplishments  3. Develop The Right Skills: Helping you to develop skills that teach your opposition and outmaneuver them when needed.  4. Goals Are Set At A High Level where we need to invest our skills to reach the goal - otherwise the goal will become meaningless. God has the most faith in us.  5. Receive Well Needed Feedback Along The Way by how others are impacted, improved or helped from your God given talents and purpose  6. All Progress Needs To Come From Our Free Will - If we feel forced to do an action to progress, then we become less involved in the task. Each decision we make for and with God, must be from our own free will to do so. The more challenging a task, the more we focus. If it were easy, and repetitive, then human nature has shown us, we would not want to continue with it. God is the master planner, and knows exactly what we need to help us grow, learn and contribute - righteously. And want to continue along on his path.  7. Using Enemies For Good - What’s amazing about playing the game in God’s rules is your opponents who are trying to beat you, even if they are not playing by God’ rules, God has the ability to use your enemies to help you win. Romans 8:28: And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  8. It’s Not About Having Control, or having a feeling of control, but rather the confidence that you are developing such a great skill that the risk of failure is dissipating - through the faith of God and in the process brings more peace.  9. Our Perception Of Time Becomes Altered because while we concentrate fully on the purpose God has at hand for us, it doesn’t feel mundane - it makes our days feel like hours, and our hours feel like minutes.  10. Not Knowing All Of The Moves Or Even The Outcome - While Maintaining The Faith That It Will Be The Right One For You - we have a desire to understand and seek new knowledge, which is why we enjoy hearing new stories, reading the news and watching movies. We also want to know every move and see our future. BUT….
In this same way, we are receiving guidance from God, but he can not reveal the entire picture to us. God will give us just enough of what we need to bring us through each stage of our development towards our purpose, to keep us moving on the right track.  11. God’s Timing Is In Your Favor- In that same process, each person has a certain talent or purpose that they like or they think they want to do, and that doesn’t happen without educating and practicing and learning along the way. If we didn’t learn a new game, if we sat down with people who are already playing a game and didn’t know how the game worked, we would have to sit and understand how the basics worked in the game. If we didn’t understand the basics it would be uncomfortable for us to start where the others were at, so we wouldn’t want to play, and possibly miss out on learning a new skill and new activity. Each of us is built differently - some of us enjoy handling multiple challenges at once, while others don’t want new challenges until we have conquered the first challenge. You’ve heard of the phrase “God doesn’t give us more than we can handle”. God knows exactly what we need, and how we need it. As long as you trust in him, he will show you this. Psalm 37:23 - The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him. Psalm: 16:11 - You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  With all of this - remember…. Winning is NOT the purpose. Living In God’s Will IS. There is much more to winning that makes competition an important socializing experience. There is teamwork, cooperation, commitment to others, respect for your opponent, and, learning to play by God’s word and will for you. You may want to break those rules, to ensure your own victory, to “get ahead” during the course of the game. Losing is only temporary and not all encompassing. You’ve heard the phrase; “It’s not whether you win or lose it’s how you play the game”. You will learn more about your peers, your colleagues, your family and friends, playing skillfully with the rules, observing, listening and discerning your next move. If you are preoccupied with your own win, with coming up with schemes and ways you can skip a step, or break the rules, than you miss out on learning who is around you to help or to hurt you. Once you get to that next spot, you may be surprised to see who is waiting for you, to drag you down, or to question your arrival. Let God help you. You have ambitions and desires purposefully planted in your heart by God. Why do you think every person in this world has a different hope, a different passion? Just like a fingerprint, God has planted in your heart what your purpose is and if you let God know that you will trust in him, he will help you make all the right(eous) moves throughout the game, to help others - while helping yourself.  Ask God: “God, I know my heart wants to understand you, and know you, but I don’t know where to begin. I ask you with this prayer, to please help me get closer to you. Help me to believe that I deserve your love and your guidance in this life. I want to believe that I am royalty in your eyes, and I want to be able to live the life you have created for me. Please give me the guidance to show me the way Lord. I am grateful for all of the blessings you have given me, and I thank you for your love and faith in me. Please help me to release my worry and anxiety unto you. Lift my burdens that I may have a clear mind to hear your guidance. Please show me how to be closer to you Lord. - Amen”
STOP - listen in silence - still your thoughts - and wait to hear him to answer you. Take at least 10 minutes to breathe in silence, and wait to hear the guidance in your heart. Philippians 4:6-4:7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. |