change

"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley." - Robert Burns

No matter how well thought out, our plans can go astray. Your driving down the road of life, trying to look far enough ahead to avoid the potholes, speedbumps, and drunken drivers. You remembered to check the spare, carry some extra cash, and bought a map. You meet some friends along the way traveling the same path, or so they said, but you were careful to keep a watchful eye. You seemed to be moving fairly unabated, although your friends would sometimes waver, you kept them honest. You stayed vigilant, and hoped for the best, but planned for the worst. You and your friends managed to make a lot of progress despite some flats, blowouts, and a couple close calls. The time went by so quickly, it seems the good times are always that way. Your friends started changing, but it was gradual and hard to confirm. You started taking more initiative to lead. Although you managed to keep everyone moving down the same path, your travel slowed and became bumpy. The signs of impending failure kept nagging at you, but you didn't want to believe them. You were content with how things had been, and you became complacent. Then one day it all came to a head, your friend became your enemy, and he tried to force you off the edge of a cliff. But having planed for the worst, you managed to avoid it. He'd caught you off guard however, and you wound up hitting a tree. So here you find yourself, alive but broken. Do you seek revenge? NO, your better then that, you'll be the bigger man, what you reap you shall sow. Do you wallow in your pain? NO, the pain only makes you stronger, you push through it, you get back up, and you get back on the road.. because although you've been slowed, you'll never stop moving, until the day your Father calls you home.

You see change is inevitable, we don't always see it coming, but when it does, we must take action. We must not allow it to ever stop our progress, but take it in stride and know that a better day always lies ahead!

Everything in moderation

Remember when you used to poke fun of your sibling/s? What did your parents always tell you? Well, I know mine would always tell me, to 'look in the mirror,' before judging everyone else. It's not the action that they were referring to but the self reflection, on the type of person you are. Who are you to tell someone else how to eat healthy if all you do is eat junk? Who are you to judge others financial decisions when your $50,000 in debt. The bible referenced this behavior as not focusing on the speck in your brothers eye, and instead focus on the log in your own. ie Don't judge others on issues that you yourself are not successful in.

Unfortunately in todays society, not only do we focus on everyone else's failures, but we blame them for our own. Why do we no longer strive to live a life of INTEGRITY (taking responsibility for your actions and beliefs)? Every second of every day your making decisions, are you willing to be held accountable for them?

If when you look in the mirror, you see something you don't like, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Don't blame it on someone else; your parents, the government, fast-food, your job, your spouse, your kids, bad luck, bad genes, income, etc. Take responsibility for yourself, and do whatever is necessary to make it happen (as long as it's legal and ethical!).

Keep in mind that it won't be easy, and they'll probably be a lot of pain, sweat and tears involved, but what is Joy without sorrow? I'm not talking about Ying and Yang (the belief that good and evil must be balanced for there to be harmony), that goes against what the bible teaches. Evil is not a state, but an absence of Good. So also Sorrow is the absence of Joy, and thus in experiencing its absence, we can better appreciate the times of Joy.

Your key to success will involve practicing what the bible refers to as the "friuts of the spirit," this isn't some religious 'mumbo-jumbo,' but attribuites that if practiced will only lead to a more fufilling exsistence. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Lets use a practical example:
You look in the mirror, and realize your overweight.. whadda do?

Which "fruit of the spirit" would this fall under? How about SELF CONTROL? Your overweight because your intake is greater then your physical activity, and so you gain weight. How do you fix the problem? You change your habits and lifestyle. When you see that commercial for 3 Pizzas for $15 dollars, you don't pick up the phone. When there is someone at work every other day having a birtday party, you polietly decline the cake. When your depressed you don't eat everything in the kitchen cabinet. You TAKE CONTROL. You don't have to buy the latest fab diet, or go to the gym 20 times a day. You have to set a realistic goal, and take steps to make it happen. Lastly, you make friends with someone who is fit and healthy, and ask them for assistance. The same principals can be applied to any life senario.

How do you ensure others will follow? When someone asks you for assistance (in an area where you are sucessfull), you rise to the occassion.
Keep in mind though, If they ask you for assistance in an area that you are unsuccessfull, DON'T TRY TO HELP!