Security is a kind of death

Security is a kind of death – Tennessee Williams

I believe we all block God’s direction for our lives due to our secure lives and fear of change. I believe that most of us, myself included, do not change due to our lives as we are living them are secure, comfortable, and manageable. I also believe that God wants more for each of us and because of our free will we refuse to follow his path. We fear cahnge more than a wasted life. That due to our secure existence we keep doing the same thing everyday and don’t even question the hamster wheel we are running on. We keep going through the motions of surviving the best we know how and don't even know why. Like a hamster on a wheel a lot of effort, but that effort doesn't get us anywhere. We wake up one day and we are old and realize that our lives are over and question what we did with the most precious gift God has given us - our life.

I’m not criticizing anyone, I just feel that in my heart God has a plan for me, it could be small or it could be large, but God does have a plan. I feel that it is my responsibility to open my heart up to God’s plan and live my destiny. To move confidently in God's directed story of my life.

But before I go further I also believe that it is my responsibility to care for those who God has entrusted in my care, my wife and my children. Following God’s plan doesn’t give me the right to quit my job and not care for my family. It doesn’t give me the right not to pay my bills and or disobey the laws of our government.

I believe that if you follow God’s plan for you life, you and your loved ones will be cared for along that wonderful journey of a live well lived.

How can I find out what God’s plan is for my life? I believe the following things must be done in order to know what direction we must travel in our lives to live God’s destiny for his children.

1) Believe that God has a plan and that God loves his children
2) Pray, read the bible, meditate, and listen for God’s direction

If we have faith and make the first step for God, I believe like doing anything in life with practice comes proficiency. I also believe that God can speak to us through many different ways;

1) Chance meeting
2) Television shows
3) Church sermon
4) Individuals in our lives
5) Articles we read
6) Gut feelings
7) Ideas

All of the signs are probable around us all the time, but we have not opened our hearts to hear and receive God’s direction. I plan on moving out of my comfort zone and pray for faith and direction in my life. Once my heart knows God’s plan, I will pray that my head listens to my heart, and finally that my feet move in that direction.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all – Helen Keller

Bobcat

I got to enjoy a fun filled weekend with my family camping. This was primitive tent camping. It was for my oldest son's tiger scout camping with pack 31. What a great time, there was an olympic style game for the scouts, great food, and socializing for all the other family members.

At the olypmic games my son's team did very well and ended up placing first and winning the gold medal. He was very excited and in some of the events, even thought he was the youngest member of the team, he actually had the high score for his team in certain events. This whole process really impressed me by how the kids in the cub scouts worked together and how some of the older members showed very good leadership and helped the younger kids.

Also, at this weekend camping trip, my son was awarded the Bobcat patch, it is the first ranking that a cub scout obtains. They had a ceremony with a real stuffed Bobcat and they also painted the boys face with two colors of paint. I believe the colors were blue and gold. The first stood for honesty and purity and the second stood for doing what is right. I don't know if that is exactly correct, but it is close.

My whole family has a greater appreciation for the cub scouts and we all look forward to many more memorial moments with my son in the cub scouts.

Moral Compass

In the 2008 election for presidency, I believe you should vote with your morals and not with your mind. I believe that our minds can be tricked by the latest brainwashing and or by the double talk of career politicians. But our moral compass is unchanging, it does not get blown around by the hot air coming from politicians mouths when they speak. It is your values that matter most, not the easy road, but the high road. Don't be deceived by false promises and comfortable lies that they candidiates repeatedly tell us during their sound bits.

McCain and Obama both will say and do about anything to get elected. Neither of them really taking a stand for what they truly believe, but both trying to get the middle of the pack votes and win. I think that both candidates are more alike then different and that the one item that matters to me the most is abortion.

Both candidates have week stances on abortion, but at least with McCain we have some chance of stopping this morally wrong act. I don't pretend to take the high road and I certainly don't pretend to have lived a righteous life. On the contrary I have lived a morally corrupt life, that is before I accepted Jesus Christ as my lord and savior.

Now I have the Holy Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide me in my life. They are unwavering compasses that will show anyone how to live, and how to travel through this journey we call life. So, I must vote for McCain because of the abortion issue along with other character issues associated with Obama. I believe that both will enlarge government and both will increase our taxes, but with McCain we have a chance of stopping abortion and I believe he has shown higher character over a longer period of time.

I will vote for McCain and I hope you pray and vote what your moral compass is telling you.

God Bless the USA

Dream Big

I have been worried lately that I have forgot how to dream big. How to look to the stars and decide I'm going to touch one, how to let my imagination run free and be unhindered by life's rules. To look towards the future with anticipation and eagerness that only hope and mystery of the future brings.

I have been praying on this lately and I feel that I lack faith. That I lack faith in Jesus Christ and his ability to do anything as long as I have faith as small as a mustard seed. This sounds easy, but to have faith one must be able to walk outside their comfort area without any guarantees and plod forward knowing God's will, will be done. To have the courage to step out of the boat and onto the crashing waves and walk to Jesus.

I shall pray and fill my heart with big God plans and then move forward through faith that His plan will be done. Move forward that a life of purpose and meaning is not only possible, but it is mandatory for all followers of Jesus Christ. I shall - Dream Big - Live Big - Love Big

Childrens Examples

I have had the privilege to watch my youngest daughter reading to her younger brothers. She was not asked to do this, she just did this kind act out of love for her brothers. The two younger brothers ages 4 and 6 sat quietly and listened as my 9 year old daughter sped read them several books. She is a very good reader and has a tendency of reading at a very fast pace. The picture of them reading and listening together was truly a gift from God.

Giving of yourself for others and not expecting anything in return is an act of love. To do a kind act just for the sake of helping others is true love. If only I can do more acts of kindness and do selfless things for others, then I will be showing love for my neighbors.

It's easy to love God, but it is not as easy to lose oneself for others. This reminds me of the following passage:

Matthew 18:3 NIV

" I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

I hope I do acts of love every day for others and learn to love like little children.