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.

Boot Straps, time to pull yourself up

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 Most everyone has been put through the wringer over the last couple of years, and although it has not been the best of times, it sure has given us the opportunity to adhere to the adage of pulling ourselves up by the boot straps and forging ahead. What I want to do today is simply provide some additional encouragement, and let's face it, everyone needs encouragement from time to time.

I sat down to write this morning, and although I thought I knew what I was going to write about, the title I had in my head just  one day ago would not come back to me, and that always means I was suppose to head in a different direction.  So here we are, and here we will find ourselves on another journey of discovery.  I want to add a note here, not as a statement that I think I have all the answers, I do not.  But rather a statement that says I desire to provide whatever insight I have to aid you in your journey of discovery.  We were never meant to have to deal with many of the issues we deal with, but alas we find ourselves doing just that, dealing with what seems like impossible issues almost daily.  Many are tired, many are discouraged, and many have simply given up.  The encouragement I want to give you today is nothing more than telling you that no matter what one might be going through, there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow with your name on it.

I have had struggles in my life.  Some tiny in comparison to what others have gone through, but to me they were monumental, and I had to learn to set aside emotions, set aside thoughts of failure, and instead hold fast to what I know as truth, we are creative beings.  We have been given immense power, and the sooner we accept that, the sooner we learn to use it, the sooner we will not longer need those boot straps to pull up on when it comes to getting through difficult situations.  We have been fed a line of BS since we were little about what we could and could not do.  I know I've written about this numerous times in the past, but repeating something over and over again is what some need to finally get it into them.  I cannot stress the importance of coming to a complete understanding of your true essence.  I cannot stress enough the absolute necessity of realizing the significance of your being.  When one can touch, accept, and know the truth of their creation, they then will be on that path of enlightenment. Some people still do not understand enlightenment. To many people it is that impossible journey.  It is the unanswered question.  It is the mystery that many feel they will never comprehend until it is too late.  Believe it or not, there are some who will run away from enlightenment because it would force them to decide.  Decide if they are going to go all in, or will they simply sit back and let things happen as they happen.  Now sitting back and watching is what many, many people do, and they become reactionary verses proactive.  It doesn't make it right or wrong, as we all have a preference.  What it does though is make it almost impossible for someone to ever get to their true place in life.  

When we were created, do you think God's intention was to put us here simply to be tested in every manner known to man?  Do you think that your creation was nothing more than an opportunity for God to say "let me laugh at you", and "I really want to see you squirm"?  That's not how God operates, yet we find many who really believe this to be the truth about life.  My friends, we have to get cemented in the knowledge of our true essence.  We have to accept the perfection of our design, the significance of our being here, and the hold fast to the knowledge that we are not just mortal.  How many people do you know who have gotten to a place in life where they are creating?  How many people do you know who are able to walk on water, turn water into wine, or raise someone from the grasp of death?  My guess the number would be zero, and yet we have all those abilities in us.  If we have the ability to raise someone from the dead, wouldn't it be easy to keep ourselves out of situations that are contrary to our nature?  Let me put it this way:  if you were a weight lifter and you just picked up and pressed 400 pounds.  If all you had on the next life was twenty-five pounds, how much easier would it be?  Well the same can be said when we look at what we are, what we were created to do, and what we face each day.  When you grasp your abilities, when you accept your greatness, when you walk in that I Am presence, all things seem to be a little easier to get through.  

Pulling yourself up by the boot straps is nothing more than understanding who and what you are.  Pulling yourself up by the boot straps is nothing more than not accepting limitations that have been placed on you by others.  Pulling yourself up by your boot straps is nothing more than acknowledging I am that I am.  If I had the ability to flip a switch and instantly awaken every human on this planet, I would do that.  There is so much that we should be doing in this life, and yet many never get to that place because they are fighting battles that they were never intended to fight.  If I spend a life time getting past what others are telling me I can't do, or shouldn't do, that is just time wasted, and I'll never get to doing what I was sent here to do.  Pulling one's self up by the boot straps is accepting greatness, creative ability, and more than anything, accepting your calling.

I want to encourage you this morning to begin to walk in your true essence.  I want you to begin to accept your greatness.  I simply want you to forget about all the do's and don's, and simply be what you were always intended to be.  We are fast approaching critical mass in regards to where this thing we call life is heading.  It may seem overly dramatic, but we must come to grips with our purpose, our destiny.  Anything shy of this, only causes us to doubt, to stumble, to be less than we are.  No one benefits when we are not being rue to self, and being true to self is as simple as accepting you.  

So here's the question: will you continue to simply go with the flow, or will you pull yourself up by the boot straps and declare I am that I am?  Will you accept greatness, creativity, and more than anything else, will you accept your perfection?  Trust me, as tough as it may seem to get where you are supposed to be, it is far more difficult wither away to nothingness because the world has made you feel like you are nothing. You are anything but nothing, and once you accept this truth, then the boot straps you pull up on will never fall away again.

Going Round the Mountain, Again.....

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 Whether it's going around the mountain again, or Robinhood's Barn, or simply repeating what has become an excruciating exercise in futility, there is one thing we need to recognize; we've all been there, and we will undoubtedly be there again.  What I want to do today is encourage you to never give up, never give in, and never, ever doubt what your destiny is.  Believe it or not I am writing this today just as much for me as for any of you.  There are struggles that each of us have that for some unknown reason seem almost impossible to tackle, let alone explain.  If you find yourself incapable of explaining your current position, how you got there, the why's and how's, then almost for certain, you are going to be going round the mountain one more time.  Lessons come to us to teach, to prepare us,  and to open our eyes to reality.  Now reality is sometimes a difficult thing to grasp, but sooner or later clarity will come to you, and your journey around the mountain will finally come to an end.

As humans we often question things, and for some unknown reason never expect to get an answer to our question.  This may stem from the fact that we have indeed been going around the mountain for what seems like a lifetime.  The question so many people ask is why.  Why am I going through this ordeal again?  Why do things have to be this way?  What do I do when I don't know what to do?  All questions each of us have asked at one point in time or another, and the very same questions you will be asking yourself the next time you make a pass around the mountain.  Failure is never fatal, it is simply a bump in the road.  Failure is often not pleasant, but it is a valuable tool in teaching us the better way, the perfect way, the way that will take you to the peak for that glorious view of all things.

I fully understand the torment that can come from situations.  The unanswered questions, and the desire to have those questions answered in a way that we know that we know we are going to make it.  I cannot put myself in your shoes, but I can empathize with you as I have had my own struggles, struggles that seemed almost impossible, and more painful than words can describe.  Faith tells us to see things as though they are, even in the absence of actually seeing the results you seek.  Displaying faith in the face of struggles is difficult, it is maddening at times, and to be honest is causes one to feel lost and all alone.  Trust me, I have had many an opportunity in life to feel the loneliness aspect of life, and man oh man, it sucks to be brutally honest.  As I write this today, I am struggling with a few situations that quite frankly have me feeling totally alone.  Struggles are never easy, they never come at a time when you are really prepared for them, but you have to believe that they are there to teach us a lesson, and that lesson is what will get us to the place in life we need to be.  I've  never met a single person who will say they have not gone through struggles in their life.  Oh sure there are those who will portray themselves as superheroes, but this facade is nothing more than a smoke screen that will allow them to not actually own what they are going through, and because of that will no doubt be required to go around the mountain one more time.

If you are feeling stressed, feeling alone, feeling like you haven't a clue as to what the next step should be, just own that.  Thinking that we can hide our true feelings to God is simply idiotic.  The sooner we can own things, the sooner we can correct our course,  the sooner we can continue on with our journey, void of going around the mountain again.  Masking what you are truly feeling is never going to be of help to you.  Look at it this way.  If you have ever tried to paint a room, normally you scrape, and scrape for what seems like an eternity because with each layer of paint you remove, you uncover a different color below it.  What you thought was going to be a simple task of removing one layer, has now become a major project removing numerous layers.  Problems come when we try to circumvent the process and instead of removing all the layers, we try to simply do the top one.  Trust me, the finished product is never going to be what it could have been, and you and I both know it.  Shortcuts when it comes to learning things is never the answer, and I know many of you do not want to hear that.  

There are no shortcuts when it comes to going around a mountain.  There are no shortcuts when it comes to learning.  There are no shortcuts when it comes to walking in, and understanding your destiny.  Things take time, and sometimes as much as we want it now, we need to recognize the perfection of the universe and things will happen when they were intended to happen.  That brings me to a very important part: stop questioning the lessons you are going through.  If it wasn't necessary to go through something, you would not be going through it.  Once again you either believe in the perfection of you, your design, your creation, and the perfection of the universe, or you don't.  Trust me, you can tell someone who believes in the perfection I speak of, and those that don't.  Those who can't accept going around the mountain, maybe for the tenth time, are the ones who have never truly believed in their perfection.  I know that may sound strange, but truth is truth.  There are plenty of people who simply try to do everything outside of God's plan, away from what was meant to be, and try to circumvent the need to go around the mountain again.

I wish I could tell you that struggles will never try to attach themselves to you in the future. Oh I can say it, but I would be doing each and everyone of you a grave disservice.  What I can tell you is that each step we take, every course correction we make, has a reason behind it.  We may not know or fully understand the reason at first, but rest assured it will be brought out into the light in due time.  So many people will struggle, and struggle, and struggle with things because they won't take the time to simply allow God to direct their steps.  Don't you know there are people who feel they have all the answers?  I for one do not have all the answers, but I am willing to walk things out, learn from situations, and know that no motion, either forward or backward is lost motion.  Set-backs will happen. Failure is sure to come to each of us once or twice in life.  One step forward, two steps back does not spell failure.  

I've been knocked down, dragged about, gone through things that I could not explain, and things that I certainly didn't want.  Once the dust settled I was able to see the wisdom in all of it, even if it hurt at times.  Today I want you to decide to accept certain things, and realize that in accepting certain challenges, certain hurts, and suffering, that through it all you are gaining wisdom, knowledge, and what is probably the most important thing, faith.  Faith that says you've got this.  Faith that says you are not alone.  Faith that says no matter the time, the length, or how big the mountain is, you will conquer it.  We only fail when we give up.. We only fail when we stop seeing the true us.  That which is intended to happen will happen.  You have been given the power, the wisdom, and the fortitude to get through it.  It's time to start believing that, and walking in truth, in power, and in your destiny.

Where Angels Tread

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 Some believe, some don't.  Some have seen, some have not.  They come in all sizes, all shapes, all colors, and in every part of the universe.  To some they are mysteries, to others just a myth.  To me, they are very real, very loving, and they bring me comfort just knowing they are around me 100 percent of the time.  Our angels, your angels, are gifts from our creator.  They are not simply beings floating around the heavens, they are in fact helpers, comforters, protectors.  What I want to do today is encourage you to reach out and start a conversation with your angels.  I want you to have a relationship with them, knowing every aspect of their being. 

People have often asked questions about these wonderful creations.  How many angles can fit on the head of a pin? Is there an angel that gets its wings every time a bell rings? Will we ever know the truth when it comes to angels?  Let's dig down deep today, and in answering the many questions that surround the existence of angels, maybe we'll be able to identify the importance of angles, and even more importantly, why they exist in the first place.

Like you and I, angels have been around since the creation of time.  They have the ability to be in multiple places at the same time.  The can travel at the speed of thought, and they have no limits in terms of what they can do, and when they can do it.  That being said, angels have always been, and will always be subservient to us.  They will never infringe on our free will, but they will guide us, educate us, and otherwise support us, if we give them liberty to do so.  There are several classifications of angels.  We know of the Arch Angels, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Meteron.  There are the little fat cherubs shooting arrows to bring lovers together.  There are warriors, guides, teachers, and worshippers.  They come in all sizes, all shapes, and as scripture tells us, they come to us in the form of man, having entertained them without our knowing it.  

One of the most remarkable things about angels is that they have seen the face of God, worshipped God, and carry the light of God around with them.  As a child growing up I was always fascinated with angels, always wanted a set of wings, allowing me to soar about everywhere I wanted to go.  Admit it, there's something so cool about a huge set of angelic wings, well at least cool to me.  I have never come face to face with an angel, at least not that I know of, but I have been the recipient of angelic assistance throughout my life.  Some of these actions have been small in comparison to what other's might have experienced, yet I still know that assistance was provided to me.  The key to anything dealing with angels is realizing that we have to allow them to operate in our life.  We have to task them, and in the absence of releasing them to do our will, they will simply sit back and watch things happen, good, bad, or indifferent.  There seems to be a reluctance on many peoples's part to activate or move their angels to action.  God the Creator has given us charge over the angels.  What does this mean?  It means that we need to be mindful of what we ask them to do, or in some cases what we fail to ask them to do.  Remember free will.  

There have been volumes, and volumes of pages written about angels.  Theologians have speculated that based on the numbers presented in the bible, legion upon legion, that every single person on the face of the earth has approximately Ten Thousand Angles assigned to them.  Now the skeptic would discount this fact, but one angel, or ten thousand can still be, and can still do what we need them to do.  

What amazes me are the people who doubt the existence of angels, but then again, there are people who doubt the existence of God, so to each his own.  I personally look forward to communicating with my angels. And yes, we can communicate with our angels.  The ones who doubt this, are the very same people who deny the existence of these heavenly beings, and they are also the ones who will cry out for help when they find themselves in dire straights.  Have you ever asked your angels what their name is?  I think the average person would have to answer "No" to that question.  And why is that?  Most people don't seem to think that angels have any specific part to play in their life other than to be a "Guardian" to them, but out of sight, out of mind.  If your angels are out of sight and out of mind, then you are missing out on one of the greatest, if not the greatest gift ever given to you.  When you meet a stranger or would-be friend isn't the first things you exchange besides a greeting, their name?  It's kind of weird to be hanging out with a new acquaintance never knowing the name they go by.  And yet, many go a lifetime without ever knowing a single name, to a single angel, whose only roll is to do what you direct them to do.  

The purpose of this blog today is not to describe every aspect of angels to you.  There are so many different personality traits, physical traits, that there are not enough pages in the world to write it.  The purpose of today's blog is to simply get you to acknowledge the existence of angels, accept the assistance they were created to provide, and know that we can talk to them at anytime, on any day.  Once again God's word says that he has given us charge over angels.  If I have given you authority over something, doesn't that mean that you direct what is going to happen?  If I have given you authority over something, doesn't that mean that you dictate every aspect of the outcome?  Maybe it's time to grow a set and start directing your heavenly beings.  Maybe it's time to ask and receive, believing that you have been granted authority to set loose the legion of angles assigned to you.  

Your angels are God's gift to you.  If I give you a gift, and you never open it, is that gift doing you any good?  Don't ever think you are in this thing we call life alone.  You have legions of angels working on your behalf, whether you see them or not.  I'd love to see my angels face to face.  But in the absence of seeing, I still believe they are all around me doing what angels have been asked to do since the beginning of time.  Take your angels for a spin, and see where your adventures take you.

The Rise of the Pheonix

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From out of the flames it rose. From out of the flames it lifted away from defeat.   From out of the flames the Phoenix escaped what others could only think of as impossible.  Today I want you to imagine escaping all that has trapped you.  Today I want to see you being set free from the expectations of others, and instead head toward those things that  have always intended been for you, promised to you, and what has always been in your heart to do.  There are days when encouragement is needed, when we simply need to be reminded that no mater what may be going on around us, we are triumphant in all things.  

The first thing that needs to be acknowledged when we talk about escape, about being loosed from dire situations, is that we were never intended to be in those situations in the first place.  Most of us have found ourselves there because we did not stand fast to what is real.  As hard as it may be to understand, to even believe, much of what we go through, the trials, the hardships, is nothing more than an illusion.  Don't get me wrong, we do live through trying times.  Things do happen that we wish hadn't, but in reality we often lock ourselves into situations because we've been conditioned to believe that we need to stay there and experience all the pain that comes with it.  I've said many times before, we need to rid ourselves of the conditioning we have been put through, and instead walk in what we truly know.  The only way to escape the flames of what is going on all around us, is to realize, and believe, that those flames are really nothing more than an illusion.  

Learning is not always easy.  Life's lessons often lead us to asking the why question.  Why did this happen, or why did that happen.  We can spend what seems like an eternity wondering why.  Instead of wondering why something has happened, why not see it as the opportunity to learn from it all.  I can't tell you how many lessons I have gone through in my life.  Some of these lessons have made me wonder is life really worth living.  Some lessons have brought joy, some have brought sadness, but more than anything, they have always brought a certain amount of clarity.  Clarity comes when we allow it to come, and not fight it.  I was unsure if I wanted to write about this topic this morning, not because it is controversial, but rather it is so far reaching I wasn't sure I could narrow it down to a level where it was concise, yet also edifying. 

Often when we are trying to encourage someone we are also bringing back thoughts and memories of things that one would rather forget.  It's kind of a double edged sword, kind of like pain heals, but healing is often painful if you know what I mean.  In order for the Pheonix to rise from the flames, it had to go through the flames.  Now you and I can both agree that going through a lousy situation is not what we want, but if looked at the proper way, it is a teaching event.  I fully understand, or at least I believe I fully understand, that going through a lesson is not always easy, and as cliche as it sounds, it is worth it if in the end we end up where we were intended to be.  I know that so many are tired hearing about intention, about learning this or learning that.  I understand that pain sucks, and situations that we go through are not always a picnic in the park.  That being said, we need to realize that we are always going to be learning lessons, so we might as well take a stance and say "I will learn this lesson the right way the first time."  

Let me encourage you with this:  as horrific, as lousy, as utterly demoralizing some of the lessons we go through are, they ultimately will bring you strength, bring you courage, and bring you an understanding of just how powerful and amazing you are. People will often say that those things that do not kill you, will ultimately make you stronger.  Most of the people who say this have come through the wringer, and lived to tell about it.  Those who don't believe this are either going through a trial at the moment, or have decided that they want off the wheel, as they are simply tired of just going round and round.  

Trials come and go.  Victories fade after a while as other trials comes and blur things out.  There is no simple formula for getting through things.  Each will have to decide what to do, where to go, and in some cases, is it worth it?  I believe it is always worth fighting for things, but you are the only one who can decide when it's time to fight or time to give up.  The Pheonix is going to come out from the flames, but that does mean you're right smack dab in the middle of the flames also.  That's OK, because you have all you need to overcome all things.

I know that many are tired right now.  Tired of the battles, tired of the constant fighting, and fighting, and fighting, and what seems like a never ending cascade of just shitty situations facing you.  You are not alone in the battle, and if it's any consolation, you're in some pretty good company when it comes to overcomes.  If you look back at history, it is laced with examples of those who have overcome, those who have survived, those who have lived to fight another day.  History does repeat itself, but often with different participants, but hopefully with different outcomes.  We can learn from the past, learn from others, and if we take the good, and forget the bad, we will ultimately rise above it all and escape out of the flames like the Pheonix.   

I encourage you to relax, take a deep breath, and simply have faith that what you are going through has a purpose.  What you are going through is positioning you to be where you need to be, in order to do the things that you need to be doing.  I know, sucks sometimes, but when all is said and done, you are going to  be so thankful that you didn't give up.  Believe, trust, have faith, and you will see all those things that were meant for you.