When you walk through a storm...

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 As the old Rogers and Hammerstein song goes, "When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high, and don't be afraid of the dark."  Well today I want to encourage you to do just that, as many, many, many people find themselves in a storm these days, and what appears to be darkness is what is scaring the ever living daylights out of many.  I'm here to tell you that you have nothing to fear, and it's time that we all begin to hold our heads up high, and never be afraid of the dark.  Let's begin.

No matter what the circumstances one may find themselves in, it's important to note that each situation is a learning situation, as much as you hate me saying that.  I was having a discussion with an acquaintance yesterday and this very subject came up.  He wasn't at all wanting to hear my response, but how can you argue with the fact that no matter what we go through, we will learn something from it.  Well unless you simply fight it tooth and nail, and you refuse to see things for what they are, and what they aren't.  Remember that most of what we perceive as real is only an illusion, created with our mind, our thoughts, and what appears to be death and destruction, is really building blocks for what awaits us, which is wonderful to say the least.  I know how difficult it is to remember this fact when you're tossed about by the storms round us, but failure to realize your significance is what ultimately keeps you in the grips of the storm, and this can only lead to distress beyond imagination,

The one question that comes to mind is how do you rise above the storm?  Well the answer is simple, but it all begins with how you see things, how you believe, and whether or not what you perceive to be in front of you is actually in front of you.  We as humans often make things out to be worse than they are. We formulate thoughts and feelings base on what we see, and instead of depending on the truth that resides inside each of us, we accept what we see, and take it as truth.  We need to understand that troubles that seem to be real are still only illusions.  Now I get how crazy this may sound, but not everything that goes bump in the night is meant to destroy us, or get us worried, or even, dare I say it, loose sleep over it.  We've all heard the term make a mountain out of a mole hill.  Why is it that there are people who will blow things up way out of proportion?  If something happens without notice, it is somehow the end of all civilization as we know it.  Now I know that sounds dramatic, but let's be real for just a moment.  We all know people who are always running around saying the sky is falling.  No matter what is happening it somehow has to be catastrophic, and there's nothing in this world that will stop what is coming, or what is happening.  We've seen this happen time and time again, and we find ourselves asking this one question:  Are you an idiot?  Why are you the only one who seems to be going through the very same thing time and time again?  Why does this little black thunder cloud just occupy the space above you, and no one else?  Why in tarnation can you not see good, and only bad?  Well the answer to all these questions is that this person refuses to see who and what they are, why they are here in the first place, and the fact that growth comes from experience, and experience is only going to happen, like everyday of your life, duh!!

When we refuse to learn from our experiences, from our mistakes, from our everyday actions, we are doomed to repeat things over and over again until we finally learn what we were supposed to learn in the first place.  I know it seems like I am going over the same thing time and time again, but I'm trying to get you to see that storms are not bad, they are really, really good, if you will see the significance of them being in front of you.  The reason it should be simple to hold your head up when you're in the middle of the storm is because you are good enough, strong enough, smart enough to get through it.  Remember you are never going to be put into a situation where you do not have what you need to get out of a situation.

There's a very old saying that people never plan to fail, they simply fail to plan.  If you had a crystal ball that was able to tell you everything in advance do you think it would change what you might or might not do in any situation?  If you had all the answers right now, if you knew the outcome to everything in your life, would there be any storm that would worry you?  Come on you can say it, the answer is no.  No you would not be worried, no you would not be scared, and no, you would not care about much of anything.  Why?  Because you already knew the outcome.  Well, let me ask you this: don't we already know the outcome?  Don't we realize that when all the dust settles we will be victorious?  This is why you can hold you head up high in the middle of the storm.  This is why you need not be afraid of the dark.  We win, we win, we win!!  

I've been through a ton of crap over the last three years.  To be totally truthful, there have been days when I just wanted to say"F" it.  I cannot sit here and tell you that I am immune to the challenges of life.  I can't sit here and tell you that I am perfect in regards to how I handle difficult situations.  I am after all just as human as each of you.  But what I have done is look past what my eyes might be seeing, and instead look into my soul, my spirit, my true essence, and see what is really truth, and not just illusion.  No matter what has transpired over the last three or so years in my life, I know deep inside that I am still me.  I am still perfect in my design.  I am that I am, and I will complete those things that have been ordained for me to complete since the beginning of time.  

When it comes down to it, failure is not an option.  This is not some "Rah Rah" moment where we all stand up and cheer as a way of getting past obstacles.  This is a moment where you individually have to realize who you are.  This is the moment where you have to accept your greatness.  It is only knowing your significance that is going to allow you to ride out the storm.  I will never tell you that storms are gone forever.  As long as we are part of this human existence, we are going to be face to face with storms.  It's how you handle these storms that is going to separate you from those who choose to be buffeted by them, and not get out in front of them, and those who simply hold their head up high, and are no longer afraid of the dark.  

Take some time and reflect on what I am saying.  Take some time to accept your greatness.  Take some time and realize that illusions may seem real, but they will only be real to the degree that you allow them to be.  Don't allow things to control you, you need to begin to control them.  Watch what you say, watch what you think, and watch what you are feeling.  I know people will say they cannot control what they think or feel, but you can, and you need to.  When tossed about, go to your happy place, and we all have them, but go to you happy place and put the thoughts of the storm right out of your mind.  Your happy place might be just having time with your pets.  When I am with my two dogs I'm not thinking about the crap going on around me, I'm thinking about them on my lap, giving me kisses, and how very much I love them.  Hell, if you're going through a storm grab your pets and forget bout life for just a few short moments. Trust me the storm will not seems big.  

We control what is happening, and we are not controlled by what might be happening around us. It's all how you look at things, but let me encourage you to start looking at things the right way, and not just the "human" way.  Look past the storms and know that they are nothing more than an opportunity to get closer to the real you, the authentic you, the you that God created, and the you that never ever has to be afraid of the dark.

The Secret of the Tomb.

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Happy Resurrection Sunday to one and all.  Today in most Christian circles people all over the world are celebrating the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Although this is a very significant event, the resurrection of Christ is not what I want to focus in on today, as important as it is, rather I want to talk about the significance of who Christ was, and why it is so very important to each of us.  I'm not here to push one belief over another.  I will let you handle that on your own.  What I want to do today is talk about the example that Christ left for all of us, and why it is imperative that you begin to operate as Christ operated while he was on this earthly plane. 

There is a tendency out there to, albeit from good intentions, to elevate Christ to a level of superhuman.  I will not disagree with that, but what I will say is that he was sent here as an example.  If we see Christ as superhuman, then why are we not seeing ourselves as superhuman as well.  Christ was born to a women just as each of us was.  Christ was created by God just as each of us was.  Christ walked the earth, just as each of us do each day of our lives.  So if Christ was superhuman, why can't we accept the fact that we are just as superhuman as he was? The bible tells us that "Greater works" will be done by us.  Well if that's the case, and I believe it to be true, why aren't we operating in those "Greater Gifts"?  Why have we allowed ourselves to fall into a position of just living, and not living to our full potential?  The reason for that is because we don't believe.  We don't believe we have been endowed with power from on high.  We don't believe we have been created to create.  I'm not saying any of this to shame us, but rather to open ourselves up to what is truth, and to what we are supposed to be.  

Jesus was an example of a totally illuminated being.  He walked on water, raise people from the dead, turned water into wine.  How many people do you know who have done any of that since Christ's time here on earth?  There might be some evidence of people doing a few things that we call miraculous, but it certainly isn't anything that happens each day, and yet it should be happening each day.  We are entering a period of awakening, and I truly believe that this time of awakening is here to get us to the point of fully embracing who and what we are.  Anything short of this, and we will always be wondering why things are happening as they are happening.  

I can't sit here and tell you that I have reached a point in my life where I am operating as Christ operated.  Had it been so I would have gladly reached over to my brother at the time of his passing and ripped the cancer from his body.  Was it a lack of faith on my part?  It could very well have been.  It also may have been that I realized that I cannot add a second to persons life outside of what God had designed for that person.  That being said, there are things we do not do because we simply do not believe them to be in our power, when in fact they are all in our power.  

Christ was quite the controversial person of his day, and we will be equally controversial if we begin to walk and operate like Christ.  I'm not sure why the world could not accept the things that Christ did, but I'm quite sure the same thing would be true of us today if we begin to operate like him.  Sadly we have been conditioned to believe our limits, when in fact we are anything but limited, and should operate without limits.  So here's my question of the day:  If Christ is our example of how to live, if he has shown us how to operate, why is there still lack in this world?  Why is there still illiteracy? Famine? War?  We have these things because we have not fully evolved into what we were created to be.  We have not accepted our true nature.  We have been sold a bill of goods that simply isn't the truth.  I'm not sure we are ever going to get to a point where every person on the earth will be who they were ordained to be, but I certainly can hope for it, pray for it, and believe for it.  

Each Easter Sunday Christians from all over the world celebrate the mystery of the tomb.  Each Christian celebrates the significance of Christs death and resurrection.  How much more alive would we be if we simply operated like Christ, was illuminated like Christ, and did those things that Christ did?  I challenge each of you today to put away stories of the past, and begin to operate in the present.  Yes we are entering a period of awakening, and this is for the sole purpose of stepping out into those things that have always been, and will always be.  We are eternal beings just as Christ is an eternal being.  We are superhuman just as Christ is superhuman.  Our true essence is spirit, and those who have died and left this earthly plane are just as alive now as they were before.  We have operate in spirit. 

I may not operate in the gifting you have, just as you may never operate in my gifting.  I am so blessed to be able to write.  I know it comes directly from God, and I have finally come to realize that only I can do what I do, as you are the only one who can do what you were created to do.  We are the total sum of our parts, and the world needs what you have, and what you were created to do.  Greater works means just that, greater works.  I'm all about seeing greater works, and I hope you are right there with me.  We have allowed others to control us for too long, and the time has come for us to step out into those things that were promised to us.  

As we celebrate Easter take a moment to reflect on what I have written today, and ask yourself this very simple question: do I believe?  Do you believe what Christ said, or is it just a story that has been passed down through the generations?  Can you accept the importance of you?  Will you begin to accept that you are indeed superhuman, and have all you need to do some pretty incredible things?  I for one want to do more.  I for one want to see more.  I desire to operate fully in what I was created to operate in, and that I believe is some pretty amazing stuff.  The time has come to step out and be Christ.  That is not blasphemy, that is what we were created for.  God is not a respecter of people.  What he does for one, he does for all.  What he placed into one, he placed into all.  Until such time as we begin to accept this truth, we will always be one step behind, wondering why, and not seeing the results we truly dream of seeing.  It is time to awaken.  It is time to step out of the tomb that man has placed us in, and it is time for our own resurrection.  Believe, believe, believe, that is the only way you are ever going to be where you were always intended to be.  Happy Easter to one and all.

 

Is it ever too Late? The answer might surprise you.

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 Here we are talking about time, and I'm about two hours late getting started on this week's blog.  It just goes to show that time is an illusion.  Speaking of illusion, that's exactly what I want to discuss today, and how far too often we allow time to dictate virtually everything in our life.  When we get done with todays lesson I hope you will walk away with a new understanding of time, and just how unimportant it is in each of our lives.  Let's get started and see where this takes us.

I can't tell you how many times people will ask me about their destiny, and if in fact they have discovered it, and have completed it.  The simple answer is this:  if you are upright and breathing, you have not completed the task you were sent here to complete.  When the time comes that you have in fact completed all those things you were destined to complete, you will simply move on to your next adventure, whatever that might be.  It sounds bizarre, but it is truth.  Time comes into play when we look at things, and most of the time base our success or failure on some dreamt up timeline, that in reality, has no real reality.  

Throughout our life we have been exposed to comments about time.  Someone needs to be a millionaire by the time they are 30.  Kids need to come by 25 because biological clocks are ticking.  The first thing one has to understand is that time is man made.  It is as Einstein said an illusion.  Now we base our lives on 24 hour days.  We know that a year has 365 days in it, and one never knows how many of those years will be allotted to us.  We spend so much time worried about this timeline, that we never really look at what we were sent here to do, and we spin our wheels which does nothing but waste what limited time we do have.  I'm not saying this to bring you down, I'm saying this to free you from the captivity that time has put us in.  If one would focus on the dream, and not on when or where, you just might step out into your destiny sooner than later.  That being said, you will achieve your destiny in the perfect time as was preordained.

Ever hear someone echo the words, "Oh it's too late for that"?  My question is always, too late for what?  Too late to step out and do something you have always wanted to do?  Too late to tell those closest to you that you love them?  Too late to begin again, and do it right this time?  It's never too late, and the sooner you realize that you operate in the perfection of the universe the sooner you will realize that every lesson, every success, every failure was placed in you to get you to where you are supposed to be.  It always amazes me when someone will accept the perfection of all things, yet they will doubt the perfection of what is going on in this moment.  Either you believe, or you don't, it's that simple.  

There are people who will waste time, there's no doubt.  But those that waste time are doing it because they really haven't bought into the concept of destiny, and they certainly haven't accepted their own destiny.  We can get wrapped around the wagon wheel if we focus only on time, and not on what is really in our heart to do.  It is so sad when someone gives up before they ever start because they feel they will never have the time to get things done that they want to get done.  Those who feel this way have bought into the false concept of time, and they have allowed time to control them, dictate their actions, and this is a monumental mistake.

When my identical twin brother died not long ago it would have been so simple to believe that he left too early.  Yes we miss him, but the reality of it all, is that he completed what he was supposed to complete in this lifetime.  We could spend hour on top of hour trying to figure out why this happened, but how much better to realize that during his time on this planet he must have completed his task with perfection, because there was nothing else left for him to do.  Maybe I see things like this because I don't want to think he left anything undone, but as heartless as some might think I am, I rejoice that he was successful in fulfilling his destiny.

When we understand that time is not part of the equation when it comes to destiny, when we begin to see things differently and not the way others expect us to see things, then and only then will you be free to go after all that is inside you, and not worry about whether it happens today, tomorrow, or even 20 years from now. It is never too late to step out into your destiny, and when you are about to take your final breath you will have no regrets in what you did during this life.

I'm not sure who came up with the concept of time, but just for a moment let's pretend that time, as we know it, did not exist.  Let's forget about what time we go to lunch, what time we go to bed.  Let's forget about what day of the week it is, or whether we are in spring or autumn. Does the hour of a day, or day of the week have any thing to do with your destiny?  If you never knew the days of the week does that mean you will never know your destiny?  It just doesn't matter, and the sooner we realize that time does not matter the sooner we can get on with what we were designed to do, and sent here to do.  I fully understand how difficult it is to take time out of the equation, but the sooner you make it a mute point, the sooner you can move forward released from expectations that really mean nothing at all.  

The answer to the question as to whether it is too late to do something, or start something, or even dream something is no, it's never too late.  When you remove the constraints of time in your life, you also remove many limiting beliefs.  When you remove time from your thoughts, you release unto yourself a freedom that few experience, but it is this freedom that will make it possible for you to look past failure, look past hurt, and see only beauty, light, and love.  

When the end comes we all need to embrace the fact that we have completed everything we were supposed to complete.  When time ceases to dictate your moves, your thoughts, your dreams, and ambitions, then and only then will you be free to be the person you were destined to be.  Time in respect to destiny is an illusion, and the sooner you can accept this very big truth, the sooner you will begin to see things as they need to be.  

Contentment: hard to find for so many, for so long, and it doesn't have to be this way.

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 Imagine just sitting on the beach, sipping an adult beverage, and soaking up the sun.  Maybe your idea of a moment of contentment is simply sitting around with your dog and relaxing.  No matter what brings you contentment, the question I have for you this morning is this: are you allowing yourself to fall into moments of contentment, or are you always searching for it, and for whatever reason unable to find it?  I want to encourage you today to set aside worry, set aside doubt, and simply be in that space called contentment.

We as humans have things that need to be done each and every day.  Some of these things are less than joyful to do, and yet we force ourselves to do them as they are a necessity.  We have to work to pay the bills.  We have to do things that given the option to do something else we would jump at the chance.  What I want you to do is simply find contentment in what you are doing, and in doing this realize that there is a reason for everything in life.  If I told you that you could be doing anything right now without regard to cost, distance, time, what would you choose to be doing?  Now like the picture, I would love be on a tropical beach just taking in the sun.  I'm not much for water activity, but yep, a chair on the beach sounds just about perfect.  Now most people would not think this possible, but once again, without regard to time, money, responsibilities, what would you be doing?  Contentment is simply accepting where you are at, and loving what is going on in the moment.  When we can find the joy in things, we are creating more joy.  If on the other hand everything you touch is misery, then what do you think you are about to bring into your situation?  Remember, we were created to create, good, bad, or indifferent.  

Contentment is not the easiest thing to find simply because we are bombarded by every day things, quite frankly every day.  Our focus is normally on what we are doing, and what we are doing is not always in alignment with what we truly want.  Quite the predicament  wouldn't you say?  Well I have a suggestion, and as difficult as it may be to do what I am going to recommend, if you choose to do it, sooner or later you will find contentment, and then life changes in a major way.  Here's my suggestion: stop fighting things, and realize that all things are lessons.  Lessons take us to the next level, and getting to the next level is what will allow you to find the contentment in life.  I love nothing more than coming home from my office knowing that I get to spend the next few hours with my two dogs.  I find contentment knowing that they will be wagging their tails when I walk in the door, and they know that they for the most part will have my undivided attention.  They bring me love, they bring me joy, and they just want to sit on my lap and be close to me.  In my world that's a pretty good thing.  

Most people have goals in life.  The problem arises when those goals consume you, and you never allow yourself the time to relax and simply smell the roses. I was taking with my best friend last night, she from Washington DC, me in Texas, we were sharing a bottle of wine long distance, and just chatting.  I was explaining some of the things I was feeling, and she, as she normally does hit the nail on the head.  I've always been pretty tough on myself in terms of what I expected, and she reminded me to stop doing that.  When we start beating ourselves up for what we are doing, or in some cases what we are not doing, we are not allowing contentment to surround us, and when that happens that space that is supposed to be filled with contentment is now filled with chaos.  Now given the option of living in chaos or living in contentment, which one makes more sense?  

Contentment can only come to you when you realize who you are, what you are, and why you are here in the first place.  I know I sound like a broken record but we really do have to understand the significance of our design, the perfection of that design, and the perfection of our being here in this moment.  Most people who are walking about with out contentment in their life are the very same people who haven't a clue as to the real them.  The gifts and callings of God are without repentance, that means that our Creator doesn't make mistakes, and you being here is no mistake.  Certainly there are things that happen in life that are not always pleasant, not always joyful, but if you can find the joy in all things, you will find the opportunity to live in contentment.  

This world we live in has been in absolute turmoil over the last few years.  We have seen people go over the edge.  In many ways the phrase "only the strong survive" is fairly accurate.  The question often arises of how do we find contentment in the chaos?  How do we find joy or peace in the midst of pain and suffering?  We first must accept our greatness.  We must understand not with standing what may be going on around us, that we are not defined by it.  Far too many people have accepted as truth what they see in the papers or on television.  Too many people have not been able to see through the fog, and have stopped any forward progress because that fog is so thick.  Well truth be told that fog is nothing more than a smoke screen sent to get people to look away from what is really real.  I know this must sound crazy to some but we really do have the ability to simply walk past the darkness, slip away from the confusion, and set aside fear and doubt.  It is the darkness, the confusion, and the fear and doubt that will kill a vision, a stifle a dream.  

Contentment is simply this: knowing that you have been equipped with all you need to live the life you were always intended to live, experiencing the joy of life, a joy mind you, that is far bigger, more intense, and meant for you.  Contentment may be a beach, it may be a sofa with dogs, it may be book beside a fire place sipping a hot tea at night.  Contentment may start out as little things, but little tings can and will grow into bigger things.  Heck, if I had a bunch of little things that bring me contentment, don't they add up to a huge big thing?  Find the joy of little things, and let it grow for you.  Trust me, there is joy all around if you will simply allow it to be so.  Contentment is something we all need, and it is something we need to accept for ourselves.