Live Honestly

Have Integrity

Its not always easy to do the right thing. We need to strive to be honest, have good morals and walk uprightly. Today when I was driving to the store, I went to park my car and bumped the car beside me in the parking lot. I got out of the car to see if I had any damage to my car or the other car. My car was good but I seen a long white scratch on the dark purple truck beside me. I thought , Oh, there’s no way I didn’t scratch his car, because it was the same spot I hit. I looked around to see if anyone was looking, trying to decide how to handle the situation. Truthfully, I wanted to leave and act like nothing happened! Then I thought to myself, I can’t leave, it’s not right. He was no where near his car, but I knew inside that I had to find the driver. There were plenty of other stores around, but knew he had to be close. I waited next to his car for to come back. I called my husband and told him what happened. I wondered if I should call the police, leave a note or sit and wait. I thought, it could be hours before he returns. I don’t want to sit here all day. I don’t want to report this to my insurance. So what should I do. I just wanted to crank my car and leave, but I knew it wouldn’t be honest. Despite knowing, God sees all. So I waited longer, deciding that I had to wait and tell the truth to the other driver. After about 20 minutes 2 guys come walking down the parking lot. They looked like they could be really get angry with me. I was afraid, but I approached them asking if it was there truck that I hit. Yes why, they said. I scratched your car. How, they replied. I told them that my car hit theirs when I pulled up. They looked down and said, it’s okay, it’s cheap paint. I was a little confused. Why were they so polite. I told them, I was willing to pay them to get it fixed. No, it’s okay, don’t worry about it, they answered. I was shocked that they refused my money, and gave me a pass.

It amazes me, that God gives us a pass sometimes. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our thoughts, but he forgives us. He knew my heart, and knew I was trying to be honest and so he helped me today. So I know without a doubt that God helps those that live honestly, and Godly.

So try to be honest. Tell the truth and it will work out.

The Bible says: That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more, 1 Thessalonians 4.12

Defeated or Victorious

Everyday life brings different things into your life that makes you want to throw up your hands and give up.  Whether you listen to those negative thoughts or overcome them is clearly up to you.  Every since I was young, I have had problems with my heart fluttering, racing and feeling like it was going to jump out of my chest.  Doctors couldn’t find a reason for many years until one doctor recently did a study on my heart rythmn and discovered that I had Atria Tachycardia.  In case you don’t know what that is, it is when the top part of the heart beats faster than the bottom portion.  So I finally had my answer.  The doctor said it wasn’t dangerous but it still made me feel tired. 

Now today something happened that changed.  I went to the doctor yesterday and was told to wear a heart monitor overnight.  The results today weren’t good.  The physician told me to go to a heart center that I went to three years ago.  The same doctors that told me that everything was fine. 

To get to my point, life isn’t always fair.  Life isn’t always a bed of roses.  We can choose to dwell on things that don’t look good for us or on things that try to weigh us down.  I made a decision that I will not let this bring me down.  I choose to use it as a teaching tool for others that are feeling defeated and overcome with grief.  Whether I live or die, I know that I have a perfect God that doesn’t make mistakes.  He is a God who knows exactly what he is doing.  Just because Job lost his entire family, cattle and worldly possessions, he choose to serve God.  I say Job was victorious.  I choose to be victorious no matter the outcome.  If I live, I will continue to serve God with my heart and not let a simple thing as my body bring me down.  If I die, I die victorious with a mansion that was prepared for me in Heaven.

Many people have died and the family grieves and blames God for taking their family away.  See if you are a Christian, death is victory.  We leave a body of flesh that is decaying and become a spiritual body full of life that will never die again.  I hope I have given you hope.  Hope that no matter your station in life, no matter what diseases you have, no matter what trials and tribulations that come your way, you are not alone. 

 

A Time of Reflection

There should come a point in everyone’s life, a time of reflection. A time to look back and do an examination of the things you have done, whether they be accomplishments, failures, good deeds, mistakes, experiences and so on. They teach you in nursing school that people usually come to this point, a time of reflection, when they are in their forties. I say that people should examine themselves daily. This world would be a better place if everyone examined themselves on a daily basis, looking over things they have done that day. Then, evaluating ways to have lived the day better.

I look at my past as not something that I want to re-live. I have come to a point in live where I have discovered something better. I have realized that things could have been better in my life, if I would have focused everyday on living for Christ and not for myself.

I want you to take a look at what things are important to you. Now, sit down and make an honest list of things you want in life and things that you love about your life. After you have made your list,  Now look at the things that are important to you and examine them. Why are they so important?

•  Does your list contain material possessions?
• Does your list contain your values?
• Does your list include your family?
• Does your list include God and your faith?
• Does your list include things that don’t really matter?

Now look at your list and see if there are things you would change.  If you are being truly honest, you would see that there are things that you can change,  things you can improve on, things that should matter, and things that shouldn’t.  If you die tomorrow, would your list change.  Would you be happy with the things that you hold most dear?  Or would you be the same self-confident, self involved person that you are.  Does your family mean anything to you?  Or, do you care more about possessions?  What truly makes you happy?

I hope that I have given you a reason to improve your life and a reason to reflect back.  You and only you can make a difference in the lives of others.  I see my list, I see changes that can be made and things I want to change.  What about you?

What Choice Do I have?

Everyday we are faced with decisions and we have to choose between one thing or another. The choice to go to college, the choice to go to work, the choice of getting married or the choice of what to do in life. The topic of choice has come up several times in the last few weeks and I thought I would address this since it seems to being weighing heavily on my mind. Why? Who knows. Today at church the preacher mentioned choices in life. A few weeks ago I wrote on making good decisions, which you can read by clicking the links below.

The thing is that one choice can be a very bad decision. One choice can be the difference in life or death. One choice can make all the difference. The country singer George Jones made a decision to quit drinking and change his life. In an interview he tells how he made the choice to accept Christ into his life.

Some might blame a choice they made on someone else. They might say, If my mother or my father didn’t make me go to college, I would have made a better choice in my career. Or if the weather was better than I would have gotten to work on time. See the choices we make affects everything in our life. If we knew it was raining, why didn’t we leave for work earlier. If we didn’t go to college, we might have made another dumb decision.

See no one can make choices for us. They might give us their opinion but the choice is up to us. One thing to think about when making a choice is:

1. Will I regret this later?
2. Will I be ashamed of this later on in life?
3. Am I choosing this decision because it is easier?
4. Am I choosing this because this is what others expect of me?
5. Is fear standing in my way of making a better decision?
6. Is this the best decision for me?

In the Wikipedia, online encyclopedia, it tells us that the definition of choice is “the mental process of judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one or more of them.”

 

Decisions Impact Our Lives

Life is short! You never realize how little time we have on this earth until one day you lose someone special to you. My husband and I recently lost a special friend that I had the pleasure of meeting in Texas. Earl had served with my husband in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm and then at Fort Hood. Chris and I had the opportunity of witnessing to him and his wife Bubbles by giving them preaching videos and by talking to them about the Bible. Years later when I caught back up with Bubbles and Earl on Facebook I learned that they were Christians. It gave me so much pleasure to see someone continue their service for the Lord through the years.

Earl had lost his life last Saturday in a car crash. I really don’t know all the details but I know he was laughing and playing with his daughter one day and the next day, he was gone. Earl was my husband’s age- 43. Such a young age to lose your life and I know Earl was healthy. His truly cared for his wife and daughter and for his nieces and nephews. He gave them pep talks about life and such. I don’t think there was anyone that could say too many bad things about him because he was a remarkable person.

The reason for this post is to not only pay tribute to a special person but to tell you that decisions that you make in this life are important. They impact every part of your life whether you want to accept that or not. Decisions regarding where you work, whom you marry, where you live, what you say and have said, impact your life and the life of others. One important decision impacted Earl’s life. That was the decision on whether he would accept Christ or not. A day has come and gone. No more time for decisions for him. No more time to rethink what he should have done and what he wished that he had done. A person only has one chance to make the right decision. Once in a vapor, my friend’s life is gone. Think about how short your life could be. What Decisions are you going to make today?

Fulfilling your Purpose in Life.

Do you know what your life’s purpose is?  Are you fulfilling your destiny?  This is something that everyone should ask themselves.  Every person on this earth has a destiny or purpose for their life.  The Answer is “How to find out what that is.”  There are steps a person can go through in their life that brings them closer to the realization of what they are destined to do.  Some people discover that truth early in life, some later on.  Some know what they were created for but choose not to obey.  Some know but don’t complete their life’s purpose because of fear.  It could be fear of failure, fear of letting others down, fear of having too much responsibility.  Yes, it is easy to say No and I give up.  Stress can affect everyone’s life and make it difficult to accomplish their end goal.  Some come near to the end of their life and reflect back on what if’s.  What if they had did something different.  What if they hadn’t let someone down.  What if they had gotten married to their childhood sweetheart.  What if they had became a missionary.  Think of it like this.  What will you ask yourself when you are on your deathbed?  Will you say to yourself that you accomplished everything that you wanted to.  Would you be happy and content with your life?  Or would there be regrets?  I don’t think anyone wants that.  So now is the time to do what you are purposed for.  Quit letting fear get in your way.  Determine in your mind that you are going to get that promotion.  That you are going to live a life that you are pleased with.  That you are not going to have regrets. So examine your life closely to find out what your purpose is. What are you good at and what is something that everyone else ask you about. Are you a teacher? Are you a preacher? Are you someone that helps others? Look at your knowledge base. Take notes. Ask questions. You will discover the truth. 

Good luck on your life’s journey and I hope you accomplish everything that you want in life.