Watch What You Let In

I write because I am imperfect, I write because someone needs to hear that whomever has held you back from what God has put in your heart to do, DO NOT let that stop you.  For the past couple years, I have been sort of lost in the mix of things … the world can corrupt you if you are not careful.  Do not let anyone’s harsh words or actions make you forget who you are in Christ, believe me, I am guilty of forgetting that I am a daughter of a King.  I have let people’s words (the world) get into my soul and poison the person who I once was.  The days are tough enough … let us build each other up, instead of treating people like pin cushions, after a while, people go numb and can’t feel the pricks anymore.  What a stale place to be.  We are not created to live like that, or be cruel people.

Do you remember the first time you became a believer, the time you were baptized, the time you were born again in the faith?  Do you remember the rush and how on fire you were to speak out to everyone about the goodness of Jesus?  Do not lose your fire because the devil is a liar. If your fire is dim, throw some wood on it, some lighter fluid, light a match, and reignite it! 

We as Jesus followers ARE supposed to strive to walk in his ways.  We try to live more like him, talk like him, of him, try to be model parents, or try to be the best husband/wife/son/daughter.  We are to LIVE a life where the non-believers see something inside us that turn them to be saved.  The difficulty of this is that … Jesus has a piece of character, we as humans, will never possess … Jesus was perfection. The point is, we can only make daily attempts and try our best to live life the way Jesus wants us to, yet we all sin, we fail, and sometimes we fail miserably, but the believer has something others do not, when we make mistakes … God does not see us, he sees Jesus standing in front of us … giving us strength to ask for forgiveness and try again, if we are blessed enough to get tomorrow. 

The WORLD will TEST you, watch out for demons who use words to tear us apart, words that darken our inner light, and words that harden our hearts.  Keep your eyes to the sky grabbing the Word of Light that will raise you, build you up, heal, and guide you on the right path.  In a cruel but beautiful world, watch what you say, and how you say it.   Make your words … positive and influential, be slow to speak, and do it with love. Remember … YOU are good enough, YOU are the daughter or son of a King. 

Lock Your Cage or Walk Out The Door

Today is the day I pick up where I left off from over a year ago.  This quote sent something perfect to my heart to write about.  This is all about the terrifying word FEAR.  So many things people miss and regret because he or she is too afraid to go forward ... I am guilty of that.  I have harbored resentment and a low level of hate in my soul for the past year and all it has done is kill my spirit. 

"You may be afraid to leave a bad situation, Do it Afraid, your life may depend on it."

As many of you all know how peaceful and carefree I was prior to giving up my life (family, friends, home, career, etc.) to step out of my cage (comfort zone) and run free.  I let my wild heart over-run my logical mind.  You ever had times where you wanted to experience things/life so bad you were willing to do anything to achieve it?  Sometimes that is a good thing, sometimes not so much.  I have somehow genetically inherited my mother's free spirit, self-reliant independence, and unfortunately my dads stubbornness to accept any form of good advice.  My whirlwind decision to drop everything, leave my life, and move across country on a whim ... eventually caught up to me.  I was unhappy in life so I thought change would cure that, I run, away from everything.  I suppose some of those cages in the above quote need to be locked down with a dead bolt. 

"You may be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, nothing grows there, Do it Afraid, or your life will stay the same."

If I would have viewed this quote 2 1/2 years ago, knowing what I know now, I would have locked my own cage.  I didn't realize that after making the decision to walk out of my wide open door, that I would come to realize that ... I really lost everything, most of all I missed my life line (the people in my life that let me shine brightly).  I exchanged that life, for one ... that has brought out the absolute worst in me, you grow with drastic change, or you crumble.  You let things go, or you let thoughts eat you alive.

"The most scary thing I can think of is Letting Go of Everything I lost, but it is just that, GONE. It will only come back better if I trust God to turn everything around, if you have lost faith.  Do it Afraid, your best days are not behind you, they are Standing in Front of You." Are you ready to move forward? ...

The reason I wrote this is because, for one, I miss writing, and someone told me I shouldn't because I am not perfect and until I could practice what I wrote, I had no business writing.  If you wait to be perfect ... nothing will ever happen.  What my point is ... If you have made a mistake in life, a rather large one, that you sacrificed so much for ... and in that time of suffering you changed someone's life for the better, God WILL NOT overlook that ... He did NOT forget about you.  If you just let go of everything that is gone, He will restore that.  If you have lost your faith, and find it hard to trust God, now is the time to look to the clouds and find your knees on the ground.

Finally taking my own advice ... Alice

Change Your Season, NOW!

 

This is a very empowering question, take this next bit as a wake up word of encouragement and praise.  Ask yourself, "Am I proud of who I have become?" Really think about it.  Think of all the positives about the struggles and trials you have been through, think of how it molded you into the person you are now.  Did you always take the right path in life, or did you veer off a few times, experiencing life lessons the hard way?

Guaranteed many of us have said ALL of the following comments at one point in life?  "Absolutely I am very proud of myself," "I guess I am proud of who I have become," "No I am not proud about who I have become."  I know I have.  Somethings I am very proud of, somethings absolutely not.  We all live, We all make mistakes ...

If you are the person who is saying "I am very satisfied and proud of the person I have become," good on you, keep pushing through, do not grow Prideful and Arrogant, stay Humble.  If you are the person who says, "I am not proud of the person I have become, or I do not like who I am," the only person who can change that is YOU ... YOU are the one standing in the way of changing for the good.  If you aren't proud of yourself right now, ask yourself, "How was I living when I was proud of who I was?"  Ask yourself, "What was I doing differently than I am right now that will change things?" Start correcting and start doing what was making your self-esteem rise, your self-confidence rise, and do what was making you proud of yourself. NOTICE I SAID "Do what was making you PROUD OF YOURSELF!!" Not if others were proud of you, that you are proud of you.

If you find yourself in a lull or a stand-still, use that time wisely to get a new vision of your next move. Go forward, focus on what is going to help you be the best you.  Sometimes you are your worst enemy, fight it!!! Remember, millions of people at times throughout life aren't proud of themselves, let alone like who they are ... but that lasts only a season, seasons change thank God. Change your season now ... don't wait.

Your Definition of Perfect only exists in Moments

I was messaging a good friend last night, someone I trust to give me a truthful answer ... My question was "If you could change one thing about who I am, what would that be?" His reply, "That is a serious question that I will not answer, as I am not in the changing game.  I want people to be who they are." That is the perfect answer to imperfect people.  "And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good."

My question has always been about people's acceptance of me, and I am sure I am NOT alone in this game.  I always ask, "If you could change me, what would you change," or "What is it about me that you like or dislike." Or when I am hurt, "What is wrong with me, why did they leave or pick someone else, what could I have done differently to change the outcome?" ... But why?  Do we all do this? 

"Was I not pretty enough, Was I not skinny enough, Was I not classy enough?" ... one question turns into a million and then you start doubting yourself, comparing yourself, and changing your whole outlook on yourself, just because ONE person decided you weren't who they wanted, or You weren't who they picked for a job position ... you get where I am going on this?  Rejection is tough, but sometimes necessary.  Rejection is a form of self-reflection.  When you get rejected, who doesn't question, the whys and what if's?  Even the strongest people question rejection.  But you have to be above it .. question it, process it, and rise above it, knowing that "And now that I don't have to be perfect, I can be good."

Are you perfect?  Do you have the perfect job, perfect home, perfect family, perfect body, perfect face, perfect personality?  Anyone who answers yes, they may well be living in their version of perfect ... but if anyone answers yes to believing they are perfect ... they are perfectly who they are, not perfect ... only one person holds that title, and if anyone other than God proclaims to be perfect, you can probably spot them from 5 miles away because their nose is so long.  Everyone has their own definition of what "perfect" means to them ... you can come pretty close to it, you can believe you live in it, but perfect only exists in moments. 

If you question what people think of you, If you ask "people" what they would change about who you are, STOP!! Maybe, just maybe, you should question YOU on what you don't like about yourself.  Then, change for you and not for anyone else!!!  We all have things we do not like about ourselves.  If someone rejects you for whatever reason, KNOW that that was not the right person for you or the right job, or whatever it is.  You will be right for the right person.  You will be the right choice for the right job position.  If you were rejected or weren't chosen, please know, that wasn't for you.  Do not doubt your abilities, qualities, or whatever it is you have to offer.  Believe in yourself, even when no one else does.  You are either your own best friend, or worst enemy ... Choose wisely.   

Thank God I wasn't sent here to be perfect, now I can be good, maybe even great ...

Build the Staircase Up and Out, Your Life Depends on it.

Pretty deep quote here.  I am positive hell is a place and I am certain hell is not empty, I do believe, it is running on a skeleton crew.  It isn't the devil that is amongst us, it is his tormented employees that do his dirty work, the demons.  They are spiritual killers and can gain control over the mind and body IF YOU LET THEM.  We ALL are in a battle to keep our mind and heart straight.  Some succeed and some fail and let the world destroy them.  So we fight to stay right with God. In the End, we all die but some of us do not have the courage to LIVE.  Not just survive, but Live Happily, Thankfully, like tomorrow isn't coming.

People claim to be fighting "their demons," whatever they may be. Some may claim they fight alcoholism, drug addiction, and guilt.  Some fight mental health disorders.  Maybe the alcoholic has a voice that whispers "Another one won't kill you, you have already lost everything, so why not have another." But in reality it did kill them (their mind, their health, their life).  The drug addicts silent voice "Just hit another line, it will kill the pain, it's an escape from reality." But this time was different, he escaped any reality on an accidental overdose.  What about the person suffering from Depression, all they want is to see the good but they cannot see past the bad to embrace the good, the voice says "Go ahead and pull the trigger, you will be fine in a second." But didn't think about how it would effect anyone who loved them.  What about the person struggling with being overweight and underweight, total opposites but the same outcome, when you cannot beat serious health issues, in the end, death. In the End, we all die but some of us do not have the courage to LIVE.  Do not be a statistic.

This quote is very accurate ... and very real ... people are so lost in the struggle, simple decisions are not clear.  The devil is the master of confusion, and he is a liar.  If you are feeling condemnation, know surely this is NOT from God.  You can feel convicted at times, but that is a safety net to do better, to change for the better.  Learn the difference.

Do Not let this world destroy you, Do Not let this world eat you from the inside out, Do Not let the world corrupt your spirit, or your life.  Fight it!  If you struggle from addiction of any kind, Do Not pick up what God told you to put down!!!  Leave it alone, walk away ... Whatever is bringing you down, leave it alone, walk away.  Fight to beat whatever you are going through.  If you are in deep depression or whatever it is, you already have a shovel to get that deep, so dig out some stairs and get out of there!! You have the Power to get past anything.  Find the Courage to Live Happily, Thankfully, like tomorrow isn't coming.  You Got this!  As hard as it seems at times, let the Good drown out the Bad ... FIGHT it!!! 

The Heart Struggles to Mind your Mind

Isn't it funny how the Heart feels and the Mind thinks?  They are like sibling rivalries, the Mind; is filled with wisdom and serves as the life warning system. The Heart; even though encaged, is wild and free roaming, chasing the high, the rush of feeling ... something.  The Mind is strong, realistic, and filled with reason.  The Heart also is strong, capable of forgiving, and allows a person to love.  The Heart pumps blood to the mind, as the Mind instructs the heart to do. 

The Heart is like a child, the Mind the parent.  The Mind teaches the heart lessons in life.  The Mind allows the Heart to make mistakes.  The Mind warns the Heart, hoping the Heart will prepare for heartache ... Even though the Heart knows and tries its hardest to prepare, the Heart still pushes forward hoping for the best, but in the end ... The Mind was right and the Heart is broken.

The Heart also teaches the Mind to store the bad experiences to serve as "red lights," so life doesn't get repeated.  The Heart needs the Mind like a driver needs GPS or MapQuest or the Heart will get off the right path, chasing temporary happiness, chasing the high ... The Mind screams "Slow Down, Fairytales to not exist."  The Heart hears what the Mind says, but is like a rebellious child, the Heart sneaks out of the cage and goes anyways ... The Heart doesn't care, it wants that high. The Heart wants to feel.

The Mind tries to keep the Heart in check ... However, the Mind loves the Heart ... The Heart of a Person is Beautiful if you let it roam free.  The Heart creates life, it beats ... It creates happiness, It creates Sorrow, It allows the rollercoaster.  If life wasn't lived/radiated from the Heart, If you didn't have Ups and Downs ... Your Heart & Mind would certainly die. Right?

Be Cautious of People on Pause

This has nothing to do with whether we are talking about a man or woman, this message is unisex, both can be clearly confused about life in general.  If you decide to go forward with a person who is lost in direction, be careful, be cautious, and guard your heart. 

The devil is the master of confusion, these people are on pause and "under construction."

Well, I suppose, we are all under construction, but some have built a house, destroyed it, and are beginning from ground zero all over again.  These people are daylight and darkness... they will take you on the rollercoaster high, then then change their navigational beacon without warning, leaving you with whiplash. Know that this is NOT YOUR FAULT, none of it ... NONE OF IT! 

Confusion is an awful place to be in ... It is like a mind fog, and if you are not careful, you will be in it as thick as a concrete maze.  You will sit at start, idling ... they will want to go forward, but are scared to make any step because they are afraid.  Afraid of failing again, afraid of making more mistakes, afraid to be hurt again ... Until they get their focus in the right direction, it is not a good idea to get involved, UNLESS you are a friend or are a counselor. 

For those that are confused with life ... there is an escape.  Prayer and good friends.  Remember things happen for a reason, sometimes you will NEVER know why things happened.  Just trust God has a plan for you, no matter how confused you are.  Be patient. If you are unsure about decision, pause and wait, if it is right, you will not be afraid.  Make sure you let what is behind you go before you go forward ... before you hurt everyone you come in contact with.