LOVE

Every single person is born with the exact same innate ability, none of us are exempt from this gift.  We are all given it in abundance and all parents especially reap the great benefits and rewards of this gift given at our birth.

The gift we are all given is that of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!  Children joyfully share this gift with all they come in contact with.  Even as small children, when nurtured, this gift grows abundantly and limitless, when not nurtured, this gift dies quickly.

A small child is able to do what few if any adults can do, they separate the deed from the doer.  If a child doesn’t like the meal prepared for them they will refuse to eat it, it does not impact their love for their mother or father preparing that meal.  A child does not base their love, nor withhold their love based upon a parents status, employment, education, wealth, physical appearance, nor any other reason.

A child simply loves, without conditions.

Sadly as we grow we lose this ability to love unconditionally.  We replace unconditional love with that of unconditional judgement.  We apply conditions to those we love based largely upon what we want them to be.  Many times as adults we stop loving another person because they will not be or do what we desire them to be.

This conditional love is in direct conflict and opposition to the true nature of love we are born with.

We can learn much from children, learning to love as a child loves will improve every relationship in our lives.

Winds of Change

The one constant in life that we all deal with is Change.  Change for some creates anxiety, fear and frustration, while for others it brings opportunity and growth.  How we face change in our lives determines how successful we will be in handling the newness that change brings.

Throughout my life, change has been a constant companion and something that I have grown accustomed to dealing with.  Changes in work, home, family, school, relationships, health and dreams are just some of the many types I have learned to embrace over the years.  For others in my life, change is not as common and therefore can cause extreme anxiety and confusion as they learn to manage the changes in life that are presented.

As my wife and I embark into a time of great change, we are grateful for the wisdom we have both learned throughout our lives and the ability we have developed to handle change as it comes.  We view this time as one of opportunity and growth, one where our family will undoubtedly benefit.

Change brings a rebirth, a newness to many things.  It provides an opportunity to gain greater wisdom and perspective in life.  Embracing change allows peace in our lives instead of anxiety and confusion.   It allows us to think clearly and manage the change effectively and beneficially.

Much as with anything in life, our attitudes with which we approach anything has a great impact on the outcome and in the end our own peace and happiness.

Change equals opportunity.

The Service of an Open Door

Do you advocate for people?  Do you help others find success even when there is nothing for you to gain from helping?  How often do you open a door for someone just to open it?  Do you passively or actively look for ways to help someone?

Many people feel like they will help others, oftentimes they will provide acts of service that can help someone in a time of need. I question how many of us will truly open doors for the success of another.  We find great satisfaction in the moments of help and service, mowing lawns, helping someone move, feeding a family in a time of need, etc..

There is an old saying often attributed to Confucius that says,

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

I would argue that the same concept holds true in helping others.  If we serve them in ways that will open doors and help create a successful future then we are performing a greater act of service than we could ever do by the traditional acts of service such as making a dinner for the sick.  While these acts are wonderful and oftentimes needed, how many of us can truly help change someones life through service?  How many of us confuse a random act of kindness for that of service?

We all know people, we can all open doors for others.  The only question that remains is are we willing?

Image:  Clipart

Relics of Yesterday

HONOR; TRUST; INTEGRITY;
Relics of yesterday
Distrust and public scandal
Engulf us everyday
Apathy of our people
Politicians corrupt with greed
Destruction of a nation
And warnings failed to heed
A world so torn asunder
Through politics and sin
A division in a nation
Despair that we live in
Now two roads left before us
Or hope or endless woe
Embrace our founding doctrines
Or history’s footnote we will sow

Image: Skye Ryan-Evans

Overcoming

My life has been somewhat rather challenging, many obstacles that I never dreamt that I would ever encounter in life as a young man.  I have quietly rebuilt my life no less than 4 times from the ground up.  Choices of others have continually and directly impacted my life.  While I am able to see clearly that these choices have created difficulties for me at times throughout my life and without the choices made by others I would never have faced the overwhelming challenges I have.

Hindsight creates a unique perspective.  Without these challenges that I have endured I would not be the man I am today.  I know this to be true.  I also know that one key characteristic in my life that has defined who I have become and prevented utter destruction of my soul is that I have never allowed anyone and their choices the create a stumbling block of blame for where I am in life.  Each time that I have stepped up after being beaten down I have risen stronger, higher and with more determination than ever to be the one controlling my life.

Never have I let anyone dictate what I would and would not accomplish.   I have experienced decades of of attacks from others whom by their choices they meant to destroy my life and future.  From an ex wife to employees committing fraud, Each time that I rose above the obstacles created I have experienced a renewed effort at times by others to tear me back down in an attempt to keep me there.  There have been many who know of many of these struggles who have often commented that it would have destroyed them.  I beg to differ, for what doesn’t destroy always makes us stronger.  It is ALWAYS our choice in what we let destroy us.  No one else can ever make that choice for us.

As each of us will certainly encounter severe struggles, disappointments, heartaches and roadblocks in our lives, some created by our own choices, others created from the choices of others, we alone make the choice of where we allow them to take us.

Many times the urge to blame others for our own misfortunes exist, sometimes rightfully and justly so.  It is when we give into this urge and blame other people, government, religion, circumstances or other,  for our current circumstances in life that we surrender our will to their desire for us.   We abandon our own self each time we pass blame.

It is only through faith,  determination and belief in oneself that someone is able to rebuild a life, a career and family when others choices are involved.  For my choices to let certain people into my life in the first place added to my own heartache.  Taking responsibility for my own choices, my own life and staying determined to not be kept down.  Anyone can rise above any obstacle placed before them, it starts by faith and believing on yourself!

How Can Anyone not Believe?

The changing of the seasons, so perfect and so grand

Winter, spring, summer and fall, they all sweep across this land

Growing trees reach skyward, the hummingbirds and the bees,

A perfect picture in nature, how can anyone not believe?

Look upon the oceans, across the mighty sea

The beauty of each sunset, how can anyone not believe?

To perfect to just happen, proves that God created this earth

For man to come and live one, with the miracle we call birth

LIfe in all its glory, a gift from God above

Within each and every person is God’s eternal love

A Fathers Heartache, When others choices change the life we planned.

jisbell22

 

My experiences as a father have been much different than I ever thought that it would be.   I never fully understood the impact of others decisions and how those decisions would directly affect my opportunities with my children, nor how that would dictate the time I could spend being a dad.

As a young man I always knew that my children would be the center point and primary focus of my life.  I have always loved plaiying with kids.  I would look forward to the day when I could coach my kids in sports.  I knew that I would be there every step of their lives.  

When my children were born I would stay up to take care of them.   I would read to them every single night.  I couldn’t wait for morning to come so I could hold them.   Before I would leave for work I would hug them…

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Tests

You have been traveling down this rocky road

pondering your life and this heavy load

You keep asking yourself, What have I done?

What can I do and where can I run?

How much longer can one walk alone?

No greater challenge, have you ever known.

This life is a struggle each day that you live

You’ve spent all your strength, with nothing to give

Yet each day you rise, and continue along

For these tests in life, have made you so strong!

SMILE

Smile today

Be someone’s friend

Tidings of happiness

to others do send

Remember a smile

Brightens others days

Lift others burdens

Along the way

So laugh each day

and smile for all to see

From the cares of this world

Set others free

Oh how your smile

Can lift others hearts

Make each day wonderful

With a smile do start

I Took Your Pain

So many tears, and so much pain

At time life seems like a runaway train

But know dear child, I am here with you

The pain you feel, I have felt it too

One dark night, in a garden far away

I felt your pain, as I knelt to pray

Then once again, upon a cross on a hill

I took your pain so that you can heal

Know my dear child, that you are loved

By your Father in Heaven, who is up above