“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
~Mark 8:36

Where to begin? We all have stories and struggles as well as triumphs and they are all uniquely our own. Our experiences can be similar but make no mistake no two are exactly the same. Don’t get me wrong we can be empathetic with one another because our emotions have a common denominator, we are human beings created by God and with purpose. Even those individuals that we do not feel or experience a commonality with, we can and should be sympathetic towards their struggles. I am finding that there are so many struggles around me and even if I choose to dismiss them, that does not make them go away. I am learning that I have the power to choose, choose to not get so tied up in knots over things that are out of my control. I may have concerns and even then I can choose whether or not those concerns control me or guide me. Complaining, ranting and raving serves no purpose except to keep me miserable and fighting a battle that I sincerely have no claims to except my personal opinions. If a particular issues bothers me to the point of controlling me and/or separates me from others serves no one. Passions and convictions absolutely have a place in our society and our world and respect should be absolutes, acceptance is not a guaranteed; however, it is fabulously appreciated when extended. There is space for agreeing to disagree and there’s even more room for compromises. Democracy and diplomacy. My fears are that we have not and are not learning from history and the lessons and of horrific outcomes of actions and inactions. I often find it relatively easy to imagine myself in someone else’s place or situation but to actually be their specific circumstances, this serves to me more of a challenge. Why you might be asking…my reactions or recourse is drawn from my own experiences, and although they are and can be similar they are not an exact duplicate of emotions and in some cases are not even comparable to the other persons experiences. We have all said to someone, “I know exactly what you mean!” we probably did it today! I don’t say this pointing fingers, we are all human and we are all predisposed with at least one trait, selfishness. Some people handle this better than others and some feed on it more than others. At times, it seems we have a tendency to see the world and the people around us through our own limited narrow view, as limiting as a child’s viewfinder. We are constantly looking at the same images and are conditioned to see “our truth” and that can be as misguided as fools gold. It’s shiny and gold but holds no value. I once had someone very dear to me tell me that just because someone tells you something is true, does not make it so. The lesson I learned was that we must find some truths on our own and not just take someone else’s words for it. Another great lesson I learned was from a coach while I was as in college and that is this, “practice does not make one perfect.” “Only perfect practice makes one perfect.” If you practiced shooting free throws in front of the designed line and make all the baskets but in the game when you must stand behind the line and always miss, what have you gained? The best lesson learned here is this; there are always rules that must be followed. The reality that I am mind-fully trying to grasp is that not everyone is going to like me, not everyone is going to share my beliefs, not everyone is going to share my political views, not everyone is going to share my economic opinions…and it’s ok. I have several people in my life that I want to like me, respect me and appreciate me but there’s only one that is most valuable. God because all that I am is because of Him, I am not worthy of anything but Jesus loved me so much He died for me. Perspective note to self…this world is temporary, my permanent home is in Heaven with God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit.
~Blessings and Peace~

Mindful quotes:
“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all.” ~These words have also been credited to Alice Roosevelt Longworth who was the daughter of President Teddy Roosevelt and a long-time Washington socialite known for adroit remarks.

 

My anticipation is greater than the arrival of my reality. The imagery drawn in my thoughts are sweeter than my current state of affairs. My longings are filled with sweet cravings and satisfaction; these quickly fade as a parchment being met by a flame. A pretty box wrapped in beautiful paper, decorated with delicate ribbons and bows, excitement fills me as I gently untie the bows and carefully peel back the paper, when at last I slowly open the box…it reveals nothing, it is empty. An empty box, I am bewildered and disappointed, my eyes no longer can hold the tears quickly multiplying, tears begin to form and rush down my cheek as if it were raging rapids. All of a sudden, the tears stop and the flood gates close. Calmness returns as if nothing had even happened and all things resume, the thoughts of longing are quickly filed and perfectly tucked away. Knowing they will return again and this cycle will again be activated and after a short battle of wills is exhausted, a war I know I will lose and yet I continue to fight. My hope is that someday this cycle of fear, shame, and disappointment will be extinguished by truth and clarity with an honest sincere reality.

Perhaps what I seek can’t be found in the box at all, could I be the gift? Am I the pretty paper and delicate bows and ribbons? Just perhaps the contents I can choose and place them in the box myself, gathering treasures that are all of my choosing~

~C.A.Robinson
June 09, 2017
2:25pm

Isaiah 64:8 “Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
Matthew 10:29-31 “What is the price of two sparrows–one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.”
Psalm 139:2-4 “You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD.”

~Blessings and Peace~

 

Most of us have either met or know of someone trying to be somebody. The girl or boy who tries really hard to be liked by others and to be invited and included to do things. They most likely try to please others, even mimic behaviors and to develop the same hobbies and interests of those they want to like them.  I, for one think there’s more to these stories than meets the eye. All too often people feel left out or they feel invisible and even worse ridiculed when they are noticed.  Most notably for no other reason than being different. All humans have the capacity to be cruel and vicious as well as the capacity to love and show kindness.  In the cases of cruelty,  it truly has more to do with the accusers inadequacies than of the accused. Those individuals who always find faults in others rarely ever recognize the truth staring back at them in a mirror or hear the cruelty in their words in their own ears. Just because people are different doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with them. I’m not sure why it is we assume people are the way they are simply by choice. Sometimes life doesn’t give you choices! Sometimes things happen to us for no other reason than people want to hurt one another. When treating others with negativity because of their circumstances only proves that we have no compassion or desire to see others succeed in life. How one reacts and moves forward when faced with these obstacles is the choice we need to concentrate on. Life is not fair and no one ever said it would be. Ancestry and genetics along with social, environmental and economical challenges all play a role in our development and growth from childhood to adolescents to youth into adulthood. If there’s a single thing I’ve learned in life so far it is this…”Just because someone tells you something is true, does not mean it is true!” If someone says you’re not pretty, this only means that the person saying it has limited abilities to recognize pretty, we are all pretty/beautiful in ways that only a few will ever truly be able to see. Here’s a truth I know and believe with all my heart, we are all created by God with each of us having our own purpose and that God loves us unconditionally.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Psalm 139:13-16 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Ephesians 3:17-19 “…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

I know that my words will not change things for anyone struggling or those wanting to made a difference in the world or in just a single person and I am completely OK with that because I know that God holds the power and truth and He is the one I want you to believe in and to trust in, He promises to always be with you~ALWAYS! Hebrews 13:5 “…Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
~Blessings and Peace~

I’ve not only heard this phrase many times in my life but have actually uttered the words myself. As I mature more and gain more life experiences the truth I have discovered is this…change is singular, one person at a time and the domino effect can take place but if that one first person never steps forward we remain stuck and even worse the chaos around us grows. Hate can be changed by a single kind act, followed by another and so on; hunger can be stopped by feeding one person in need followed by another person doing so by your example; our phobias keep us from seeing others as we are…human-beings with needs, wants and desires. Now, with all that being said I am not so naive to believe everyone believes or sees the world so simplistic, our world (yes WORLD) not any specific place or country holds the monopoly on “bad things.” I also don’t have any magic wand to instantly make everything and everyone better, what I can do is pray, I can be a means to an end by being an example of love, acceptance and respect; I can hold my tongue when someone offends me or cuts me off-thinking what if they are just having a bad day or just received some terrible news; I can let a car merge onto the interstate even when I’m rushed, courtesy…none of us know with any accuracy what another individual is going through at any given time. What I am saying is…actions reap reactions. It’s not cool to be rude and one can address such behavior without being rude in return. If someone is rude, the emotional response most get is not how “rude” someone is being, rather it is pain, painful, hurt feelings, feeling less than a person then asking ourselves “what is wrong with me, why don’t people like me” it becomes an infliction we think is deserved, it is internalized and that is total “B#LL$hit” that my not be the most “Christian” word to be used but it is definitely “DUNG!” One lesson in life I have experienced is that when someone is putting me down or me putting them down it has more to do with the person speaking than the one receiving. We, humans as a whole don’t do a very good job at taking responsibility for our own “gunk” a word I often use in describing unpleasant things going on in my life. I also use that word to describe things that were not my fault and the responsibility is not mine to take and find healthy ways to dispose the “gunk” as it is not mine to own. And I am learning that I have some responsibility in how long I let the gunk continue in my life. To be fair, some individuals do exceptional with their emotions and I applaud them and they probably were raised by individuals who nurtured their emotions, not all of us have had this advantage and some of us feel blessed for the adversity and challenges in life because those life lessons would not have been as beneficial if given under any other circumstances. Life is a series of experiences, we find things we like and some we don’t…which is nether right or wrong; good or bad. There’s so many choices in the world and we need to find what fits for each of us. For all of us that are believers and trust in God, we are all uniquely created and have a purpose. That in itself is shouting diversity. The word diversity is derived from the word “diverse” meaning (differing from one another) and diversity means (the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc…). I cannot speak for anyone but myself and my experience of the use of the word “Diverse or Diversity” it is used to separate instead of bringing things or people together. Diversity is not merely a race issue, or a LGBTQ issue (my apologies if I left anyone out of the acronym. I did consult Google. With that being said it is also not a stage for religious beliefs. I’m a Christian, I don’t hate other religions that are different from mine, it’s not my place, it is God’s! Why can’t we just respect one another and agree to disagree. I say that with one clarifying statement, all life is sacred. The church I attend has another church directly across the street, I am do not feel oppressed or angry that some choose to attend that church versus mine, people need community and have different needs to grow spiritually, even more than that people need to feel wanted, appreciated, respected and loved, LOVED above all! I recently read that churches across the nation are showing signs of decline in attendance for a vast array of reasons, they all seem to be valid and right at the time, myself included. There’s just not enough time get all the things done that need to be done every week, job responsibilities, children activities, family responsibilities, the yard work, and the list can go on and on. All these things are just things; eternal life is what’s important, where we are going to spend eternity and I for one, want to be in Heaven. I honestly believe that none of my accomplishments here in earth will mean anything compared to being in the very presence of God! I do; however, believe that being good and kind to one another here on earth is a trait that God wants us to excel in and to teach it to all the generations to come. It’s easy to hate; it’s convenient to dismiss; it’s easy to turn away from pain and poverty … It takes work, dedication, bravery, stamina and selflessness to rise above and change things one person at a time, one day at a time, one simple act of kindness and love at a time. One of my favorite bible verses is Esther 4:14 “…Perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created…”. When we encounter people who are different from us or believe differently the two things that will absolutely made a difference is to first pray for them, secondly, love them by example and living the life you say you have and want. Actions! Prayer is the most powerful asset we have here on earth, God wants to hear from us everyday, every hour of each day. God loves us and misses us when we forget to include Him in our lives.

Psalm 139:13-14 “You alone created my inner being. You knitted me together inside my mother. I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.”

Jeremiah 1:4-5 “The LORD gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

~Blessings and Peace~