Child abuse, domestic violence, animal cruelty, global warming, global poverty, refugee camps, censorship, eating disorders, self esteem, physical health, mental health, spiritual health…pretty much you name it, people know. You only need to look at the recent KONY 2012 campaign online to know the power of mass movement in a particular direction. What is equally fascinating is how easily people discard such thoughts. People refuse to take individual action, and rather, focus their energy on swerving the political stance of those of authority and power.

It is good that important issues are becoming well known and it is great that people are starting to acknowledge the existence of circumstances worse than their own, but the short-lived nature of it confuses me. To be honest, I think it would be more worthwhile to take little steps, personally, to advocate change instead of the elaborate protests and online ‘rages’ that occur amongst society today (example: turn off air-conditioning instead of trying to change the means of the generation of electricity through the government)

Today’s post is inspired by a special friend of mine who has been through a lot of change lately. In fact, this seems to be a pattern in many people’s lives, including my own.

So how can we calm ourselves in these overwhelming times and learn to let go of the reins a bit?

First, we have to accept what is, knowing that we won’t feel this way forever and things will change soon enough. And then they’ll change again. And again.

Isn’t that the beauty of life? We can view the unknown from a place of fear or we can embrace it and feel excited about the future, knowing that there’s a reason we are going through whatever we are going through right now, and in the end it all works out for the greater good.

So instead of fighting and resisting, we learn to accept things as they are and imagine them as we’d like them to be.

We meditate.

We move – yoga, chi kung or a walk on the beach (whatever feels good to you).

We breathe, and I mean really breathe – full deep yogic breaths through the nostrils, right down into the belly.

We allow ourselves to get into the flow of life in this very moment and reach for a place of ease within ourselves.

What is the significance of worship style?

The significance of worship style affects many areas of Christian doctrine. The way in which corporate worship is structured provides much information regarding the local church’s ecclesiological views, eschatological views, views on salvation, grace, and the list goes on. This is why purposeful, planned liturgy is crucial when planning to gather together the body of Christ in order to remain obedient to the word of the Lord (Heb. 10:25), partake of the ordinances (1 Cor. 11:26), and declare the glory of the Lord (Ps. 29:2).
The significance of worship style firstly depicts a theology of salvation. If one enters into a Catholic Mass, the worship style encountered immediately demonstrates that the life, death, and resurrection of Christ is not entirely sufficient to impute righteousness and forgive sins and must be further admonished through the continued eating and drinking of Christ’s body (the Catholic view being transubstantiation), as well as the keeping of other sacraments as a means of grace, including reconciliation, holy orders, confirmation, etc.
Now, in Baptist churches the worship style, or liturgy, depicts an entirely different theology of salvation. When done well, the liturgy in a Baptist church will encompass the gospel entirely. Often, this is broken into four elements: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. When the service begins, the bride of Christ is called to rejoice in the Lord of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Mt. 22:32) who has kept his promise and has provided the perfect sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for sin (Rm. 3:24-26). Because we are so humbled by this ultimate act of love and mercy, we respond with humility, trusting in the grace of the Father through the confession (both vertical and horizontal) of our own idolatry (Jm. 5:16; Rm. 10:9). We then, full of the joy of the gospel that forgives and blesses us with the ability to forgive others (Mt. 6:14-15), rejoice by giving thanks through song, offering, testimony, etc. (It should be noted that the sermon should be the center of the service of which all other components should seek to orbit. The sermon can take place during any element of the service and should always be centered upon the gospel and nothing else). Lastly, the service should end with supplication, the body humbly asking of the Lord that He sustain them, refine them, admonish them, encourage them, and strengthen them (Num. 6:24-26).
The significance of worship style not only affects how the gospel is presented as shown above, but also how the church views itself. Many often believe that the significance of worship style comes down to musical choice, but the music chosen in a particular church demonstrates a more fundamental issue of what aim or result a corporate gathering should pursue. While a contemporary church may play only choruses, and a traditional church only hymns, the underlining inference is a testimony toward what they currently value most: tradition or relevance, entertainment or edification, in-reach or outreach. While these are not antithetical by nature, they are often made so through music style choices. The significance of worship style here comes to bear very sharply, often separating entire parts of the body from one another. This is a tragic turn for the worse and demands immediate action that space does not allow for here.
Clearly, the significance of worship style is not to be underestimated. The corporate gathering of the body is the most public and consistent testimony the local church possesses. Without careful planning and a purposeful focus upon the gospel when planning any corporate worship event, there is much that can be miscommunicated. While there is no such thing as a perfect service, this does not mean that we do not endeavor to plan and lead our congregations with gospel intentionality, gospel integrity, and gospel infrastructure. Let us magnify the Lord, allowing the gospel to inform our style, and never our style to deform the gospel.

There are more than 500,000 management consultants in the U.S. – more than 700,000 if you count the self-employed. And even more are on the way. So we thought it was worthwhile to ask a few questions about the industry. For instance: Where did management consultants come from? What do they actually do? And … does it work?

Six Habits of Highly Empathic People – Greater Good

If you think you’re hearing the word “empathy” everywhere, you’re right. It’s now on the lips of scientists and business leaders, education experts and political activists. But there is a vital question that few people ask: How can I expand my own empathic potential? Empathy is not just a way to extend the boundaries of your moral universe. According to new research, it’s a habit we can cultivate to improve the quality of our own lives.

7 Ways Job Searching Has Changed – US News – Money

If you haven’t searched for a job recently, you might be in for a rude shock the next time you do. The job search has changed dramatically, as the Internet and the economy have both altered how employers operate and what job seekers can expect.

Roth: Insider Trading Should Be Legalized – CNBC

I do want to clarify that my argument focuses on the legality of trading on insider information. It should be noted that I do also believe that those with access to information should ethically and morally respect confidentiality agreements and fiduciary duties with the companies where they are accessing the information, but that is a separate civil, not a criminal, matter.

Now, many will talk about how unfair the market is and how insider trading creates an uneven playing field and the laws protect the little guy, but in reality, doing away with insider trading as a crime benefits all market participants.

Managing online persona key to success – Financial Post

Managing online networks and presence is going to be an integral part of internships as well as full- time employment, and we make sure students know this

THREE DIMENSIONS OF INEQUALITY: GLOBAL, EDUCATIONAL/TECHNOLOGICAL, AND PLUTOCRATIC – Brad DeLong

And there is a third dimension, for the rise of the 0.01% produces not just a plutocratic over-class in the United States but a transnational global plutocratic over-class. How many of the bond purchases by the People’s Bank of China over the past generation will wind up in the hands of relatives of Chinese Communist Party leaders? How many of them will be living in Gestad or Monaco or Beverly Hills in ten or fifteen years ago? How is social democratic politics and equality of opportunity going to be attainable in the world of the future? We know that money speaks loudly in politics, but plutocracy seems to be acquiring so much money that speaks very loudly indeed.

Adjustment to a new role is influenced by how your supervisor makes you feel – Occupational Digest

Before every great employee, there was a new employee. Getting newcomers up to speed is crucial for organisations, so it’s useful to know how this is supported or disrupted. Competing models suggest the supervisor as the decisive factor in onboarding, or that newcomers themselves are the crucial agent. A new article focuses on the interplay between the two: how a supervisor makes you feel shapes your behaviours that can make or break those early days.

My parents live very close to me, like a 2 minute walk. So although we get to spend a lot of time together, I rarely sleep over. I love it. I get extremely pampered and so does Finley. The best part about it though is hearing/seeing my parents with my little boy. He really enjoys the time he spends there and usually wakes up asking to go over. My dad is his best friend. They have a great relationship and it warms my heart.  My dad also teaches Finn a lot of stuff and includes Finn, and all 8 of his grand kids in whatever job needs to be done.Last summer Finley learned how to build a deck, and boy oh boy does that kids take his work seriously.

There are moments where I just lay there ( because my parents let me do just that) with my eyes close and enjoy that warmth that comes with being somewhere familiar. I love laying on their couch and listening to the conversations Finley has with my parents. I hear so much love and affection in all of their interactions and I am instantly reminded of how grateful I am to be apart of such an amazing family. It is simple things like that that can be easy to lose sight of. I become more and more grateful for the time we have with one another as I know time can quietly slip by and one day be gone.

I am happy that my son has some amazing role models in his life. At 3 years old, he has an astounding sense of family and it’s importance. He is a wise soul that Finley, and I look forward to the knowledge and love he has to share as he grows. Although he will never be perfect, he will be one man I know will contribute to the greater good, and someone that I will continually be proud of – day after day. I would like to take credit for that all on my own, but I know not just my husband and I are responsible, that it has been a whole community of family that has helped him grow and develop into the wonderful person he is. I am glad that he has a bit of everyone in him. It makes me smile, not only is he perfectly my son, he is perfectly bits of everyone that I love.

Some “rights” that can never be rights:

1. The right to a job. No right can exist that violates the rights of another. As a job applicant can any job offered him, an employer can decline to hire an applicant. The right to a job would require forcing an employer to provide one.
2. The right to happiness. Individuals have the right to pursue happiness but not to secure it. There can be no right to psychological well-being.
3. The right to an education.  Education is a product of human effort, which must be remunerated. If it has the means, a nation may choose to provide public education and most wisely do, but it’s not a birthright of the individual. A person has the right to learn (rights to liberty and to pursue happiness) but no right to make others teach him.
4. The right to housing, food, clothing, shoes, internet access, or any other product or service that requires man hours to produce. These things are not found in nature. Like education, they must be paid for and, beyond security, nothing that must be paid for can be a right. Who is to pay? If not the beneficiary, then the money must be taken from others against their property rights.
5. There is no right to any particular or “reasonable” price for any product – not for sellers who want to receive more or buyers who want to pay less.
6. The right to a secure retirement. As with education, government may try to provide for it but it cannot be a right because it has a monetary cost. If your efforts don’t pay for it, someone else’s must.
7. The right to freedom from undesirable events. The right to life protects against the coercion of others, and government, but that’s all. No one can have a right to freedom from criticism, infidelity, or depression any more than he can have freedom from illness, hurricanes, or car accidents. What happens happens.
8. The right to fairness. When an individual’s rights get violated, the legal system exists to redress the injustice, but only if it was human caused. Other kinds of injustices are not that, but the results of poor decisions or misfortune.
9. The people’s “right to know” news about other people is not a right. It is the right to freedom of the press presented from the publisher’s side, a phrase invented to help justify the betraying of a subject to an audience in order to deliver what sells – titillating stories.
10.  Rights associated with race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual preference, intelligence, or income. If government favors individuals due to one of these group affiliations, it violates the right of the rest to equality before the law.

There are only Five Rights. The right to life protects individuals from intentional harm or fraud by another person or by government. The right to liberty permits a person to think, say, and do as he chooses. The right to property allows the individual to keep the fruits of his labor, enabling his freedom of choice. The right to pursue happiness lets a person seek pleasure as he defines it; it lets him to make choices disapprove of by others. The right to equality before the law gives each person the same guarantee of due process and preserves freedom by engaging self-interest: the laws we wish to live by limit how much we can restrain others.

The Five Rights are not subject to majority rule. They cannot be voted away. They are supreme. Put the individual first and no individual can be sacrificed. Put something else first, like “the greater good” or “national security,” and individuals can be sacrificed to that end. The State can impose restrictions, rescind options, and assign duties as it sees fit – practices that are incompatible with a system in which all individuals are permitted “to use their knowledge for their purposes,” the time-honored definition of liberty.

[adapted from The Five Rights of the Individual, by Philip Schuyler]

To follow Philip Schuyler on Twitter, click here.

Who was the first to die “in the name of conquest”?

Who was the first to die “in the name of progress”?

Who died “for the greater good”?

Who died “like a real man should”?

Who was the man who wasn’t content,

In sleeping on a king-sized bed?

Who was the man who wanted more,

And thought that life was just a bore?

Who was the man who conquered lands,

And terrorized others with his merry band?

Was it Alexander, Napoleon, men tempted by fate;

Men who were born, just to be great?

Since the beginning of time, many have suffered and died,

At the hands of men who didn’t care if they cried;

Just so long as they get their glory and fame,

And have their names in history books, or in frames.

Who are we to let them use us?

To let them abuse our misguided trust?

Are we as ignorant as we seem?

Is imminent death our only dream?

Are we destined to be shattered souls?

Shall our lifeless bodies be pecked by crows?

Is heaven just an illusion?

And Death our only salvation?

*Author’s note* I technically finished this poem in fourth year, but the idea was in my head as early as first year high school. When it comes to poetry, my style is simple: rhyme the last words. Though I do not strictly adhere to a syllabic meter, I would like to say that my poems do have a sort of rhythm, but that’s just me.

]]> http://mandalaofthemonth.com/2012/12/02/infinite-possibilities/ Mon, 03 Dec 2012 04:14:10 +0000 The Mandala Lady http://mandalaofthemonth.com/2012/12/02/infinite-possibilities/

December 2012 MotM

Download the December 2012 Mandala of the month

As the year comes to a close later this month, we’re being asked now to open up to the idea of infinite possibilities. We can continue with the same-old routine or we can look beyond to something even more for ourselves both individually and as a global community.

What kind of a world do we want to live in? What kind of bodies do we want to live in? What kind of community do we want to live in? What kind of home do we want to live in? Ponder beyond just the physical aspects of these questions, to answers that also incorporate our emotional, mental, and spiritual selves.

We may find it difficult to come up with ways to change our global existence when we ask “how can I…one human being…make a difference?” On an individual level, we can strive to be our best with everything we do each day. We can start by simply asking ourselves & answering questions like “am I doing _________ to the best of my ability?” or “is what I am about to for the greatest good of all, including myself?”. Imagine what this world would be like if we ALL lived this way? I know it would be amazing!

In our relationships (one-on-one, in groups, on the web), we can ask ourselves (and answer) “is what I am about to say or do divisive or does it make strides in uniting us?” or “am I truly listening to this person or am I already plotting what I’m going to say next.” We start by being fully present when interacting with others.

With the new year approaching and even more importantly, with the new 26,000 year cycle of the Mayan Calendar approaching (December 22, 2012), we need to stop doing/being/believing that which is failing to serve us any more, keeping us stuck in old patterns. Create new patterns of success, peace, love, joy, and creativity. For it is in these patterns that we can change our world for the better. Start with baby steps and work up to the bigger stuff.

Deep down we all want this…and we all know better . It’s time to move forward to avail ourselves of the world of infinite possibilities. We can do this!

Ponder this as you color this month’s mandala of the month.

Happy Coloring! Happy Holidays to all!

joyfully,

Maureen, The Mandala lady

www.facebook.com/TheMandalaLady

Be sure to download Section 12 of the 2012 Mandala of the Year.

As “the self-governed,” we Americans should admit that no citizen needs a semiautomatic weapon. Catholics ought to champion gun control because restrictions would promote life, as they do in the case of abortion, the death penalty and euthanasia.

…

In the weighing of rights, a gun-owner’s “freedom” ought not to trump all the societal benefits to be gained from limiting it. That view is no longer popular. Instead, gun ownership has increased; the National Rifle Association has become a more formidable political force; some states have expanded gun rights; and the portion of Americans who favor gun control has shrunk. Even support for the assault weapons ban is at a record low.

After a massacre, questions about the collective good are typically raised. Yet they are put aside once the gunman is portrayed as a lone actor among millions of law-abiding gun-owners, whose constitutional rights ought not be infringed because of one oddball’s misbehavior. Thus society allows individuals to build an armory, heedless of the rights of all Americans to live in safety.

Those who find legal limits intrusive and ineffective make comparisons to diminish the toll of gun violence; each year more people are killed by cars than by guns, they point out. Yet automobiles are not only licensed, but registration must pass from buyer to buyer; and every car owner must buy liability insurance. Society has a duty to hold car owners accountable, because cars can (and do) cause serious injury and death. That duty extends to gun owners as well.

Extreme individualism underlies the tendency to extend personal liberty at society’s expense. That attitude also distorts other public policy debates, like those over taxation and health care.

Until society’s preference for the unlimited exercise of individual rights over those of the common good is tempered, our nation will remain hostage to the gun lobby.

Thanksgiving wishes for my treasured readers:

May…

The faintest illumination allay all traces of gloom

A whispered word evoke cheer in your heart even amidst chaos

May…

Providence veer you fluidly from harm

A song renew your spirit

May…

Your blessings be bountiful enough to share

And giving elevate your essence

May…

Love lavish endless color across your days

While the gift of family and friendship provide safe harbor

May…

You know inner peace and hone this asset

Forever seeking

Passage to soulfulness…

According to the report, there is no such thing as homelessness in Cyprus. The terminology doesn’t exist in Cypriot’s minds or culture.  The report goes onto say that other people groups who immigrate to Cyprus may find it hard to find housing. But there are plenty of NGOs and other programs to help people find suitable housing.

In fact, crime is not an issue either.  (Remember my blogpost on “South African Food & Culture?”  I said that people leave their car doors open to run in and buy an item quickly. People keep telling stories of how they forget to lock their car doors or doors in their own homes at night. And when they go back home to their country in Europe, they have to change their mindsets to be more alert and aware of their surroundings.

So compare that to the U.S. If you begin to type the word “homelessness” in Google, the phrase “homelessness in America” will pop up second.  Right away, you know this is an ever-prevalent issue in the U.S. I am sure there are plenty of reasons why it’s such an issue in the U.S. and not in Cyprus.

I think that the U.S.’s mentality of one’s self is greater than the good of the whole (or at least family) rings so true.  In Cyprus, it’s quite the opposite. It makes me wonder if more U.S. citizens strive to help another fellow man, woman, or child for the greater good then what a difference it would make.

Don’t look back in time,
neither plan the future in your mind,
It’s the present, you have it bare,
just make a piece of heaven in here.

Don’t be happy, don’t be shy,
neither you laugh, nor you cry,
think ’bout greater good & share…
the lil’ drop of heaven in here.

Enlighten your mind, with the light of truth,
follow your conscience & use your youth.
It is a rare chance, if you realize…
making heaven on earth, if you are wise.
It is your soul that you need to care,
the gateway of heaven just lies
beneath there.

(Another piece of old (but younger at age) “me”)

But it does not have to be. What if it were something else? It is the epicenter of who I know that I am. It is as much of my identity as the calloused soles of my feet. If I changed this piece of me, who would I be? Would I even recognize the man in the mirror?

On the other hand, I’ve spent the majority of my young life searching for identity, and only recently have I become even remotely sure of myself. However, if I were to alter this one, pivotal aspect of my value system, it would not be the worst thing that ever happened to me–it would not be the death of me. Perhaps I could even improve myself. Besides, who am I even displaying this for? Do I put on the show for myself? To sleep better at night? Do I play the part for the audience? Those around me. Both the strangers and the friends. All for the image.

If I simply do it for the roar of the crowd, then why not change the part at will? Ah, but there’s the catch: who would trust such a man? Would you want to depend on a person that takes their identity so lightly? If he cares not for his own life, why should he care for yours? A valid question. But just in having this dialogue, I have given away the secret that I hide as well as possible: that I do, in fact, care.

Honestly, it’s not that I want to change or even that I will change. But I recognize that I cannot continue on my current path unless I either adjust my actions to fit my values, or my values to fit my actions. It does not help that I am inexplicably drawn towards this doorway. It seems to be my best option for the long run, out of all present possibilities. I will undoubtedly remain on this course. But there will always be that doubt. The ‘however’ of my mind. I fear that it may break me down the road. This is why I must change my heart. For the greater good.

You arrived at this point, in this place, at this time by every lesson learned, thought pondered, action taken and habit formed.

I’m so excited about today’s post because there is something in the air and it’s called “CHANGE”! Do you realize how responsible you are for CHANGE?? It doesn’t happen on it’s own… Do you have a situation and/or problem? Of course you do. What is the daily habit you’ve been keeping?  What have you been storing up in that brain of yours? Do you know which habits serve your greater good and which ones don’t? Listen to your spirit…BE quiet! Shhhh….

Let’s take a moment, right now, close your eyes and reflect on the circumstances you face or are facing at the moment…

I’m pretty sure you watched a long movie in that moment scrolling across your brain of whatever the biggest problem is that is happening right now in your life. Okay, stop. Write down or list what habits have been formed that co-relate to the circumstance and be honest with yourself…what have those habits produced? Listen folks, this could be anything…don’t hold back. If you confront something head on – you can overcome it. Don’t let it be bigger than your will to be all that you can be.

Confession is a good thing…not that you have to confess to the world, but if you speak to a friend or someone you can trust and get out those “icky” things that you hold so dear and are causing destruction in your life, I know, you will be relieved. Here is a scripture from the Bible, I John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I think this scripture is more for OUR RELIEF and forgiving ourselves more than the confession, it’s just the pivotal action point where we release the thought, action and/or habit that does not serve our greater good. God doesn’t want to embarass, condemn or make fun of us, but He knows when we confess then whatever has been holding us back or maybe it’s someone in your life has been holding something over your head that you’ve done, we let it go from us and we release it…we NO LONGER have it and the most important part of this is the forgiveness we give ourselves.

Okay, time to let it go! Release it.

So, you say, “I want to do this,” or “I want to be that,” or “This is what my calling is…” or “I know this is what I’m suppose to be doing, but don’t know where to start.”  Let me assure you that you start where you are right now. One of the pastors in my life (Pastor Casey Treat of Christian Faith Center – Seattle, WA) when I was in my twenties would always say something like this, “You can’t steer a bike unless the wheels are turning.”

Here are some ideas for you:

- Join a group of people that are currently successful in some part of your vision or goal. Be inspired by them and contribute your successes and tidbits on how you got somewhere or what you did in a certain situation that caused a successful outcome. “Without a vision, people perish.”…Proverbs 29:18

- Maybe you are in a group and it’s really not producing any results because it’s the WRONG group or maybe you just need to be quiet, alone (not isolated) and read books by authors that have become great “Thought Leaders” today or watch a certain program/video that will contribute to your new habits and actions.

-Go and get the training you need to do the things you desire to accomplish. If you don’t want to go back to school, there is a TON of information on-line.  Be careful and choose wisely. You can do it!

Here are some resources that I take part in and have caused me to evaluate my habits and what I should be doing:

marieforleo.com
earlytorise.com
Super Soul Sunday with Oprah Winfrey

(FYI, my girl, Marie, will be on the upcoming episode this Sunday, November 18th at 11am PST. (I can’t be there to watch it and I’m sad (I’ll have to watch it later), but will be spreading the good word, so YOU CAN if you have access.)

Join their newsletters and be inspired by their practices…it’s really good stuff and I know you will GROW and CHANGE!

Visit me at my website:  New Day Graphics

Follow me on:
Twitter – @newdaygraphics or @dawncarlton
LinkedIn (you’ll need my e-mail address to add me as a contact – dawn@newdaygraphics.com)
Google+
Facebook

Thank you for your support!

Related articles

• Positive People Attract People and Breed Successful Careers (personalbrandingblog.com)
• The Danger Of Keeping Secrets (psychologytoday.com)

Made Of Honor …

They are our heroes, our protectors, obliging missions few men venture.  Bravery unbound, friend to the warrior, challenger to adversaries.

They are our work mates.  Ready assistants to our tasks, eager supporters with our chores, unconditional co-workers to the completion of our duties.

They are our healers and restorers.  Bringing comfort when we’re sad.  Our hands, our legs, our eyes and ears.  A willing listener.  Warmth for our laps, our souls, and our hearts.

They are our family.  Our confidants in times of joy and in times of despair.  They are our shining stars on this planet, angels come to gladden our lives, to bring us delight, incentive, and comfort.

They are our friends, they are winners.  We are never alone with a dog by our side.  They gift us their innocence, simple and pure joy with their smiles.  They are exquisite athletes.  They are symbols of our skills as their teachers.

They are our courage, strength, and hope.  They are our miracles!

They are our proof that greater good does exist.  Love is their language, loyalty their guide, transcending their own culture to bring noble excellence to our humanity.  They help us reach beyond our human and humane potential.

They are our dogs … Made Of Honor

written and copyrighted by Denise Lukacs, The Pet Teacher

www.ThePetTeacher.com

Helping You & Your Dog Become A Better Team!

“To have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the life of each person with whom I interact…”

I stumbled across an old resume the other day and had to smile at this line typed beneath my “career objective.” Fortunately, I’m gainfully employed, but the words struck a chord.

How does one better the world? Smiles and friendly greetings? Common courtesies? Respect for all? Manners? Being a stalwart friend, coach, teacher, sibling, parent, mentor, etc? Donating to as many charities as financially feasible? Volunteering even when time is sparse? All of the above?

Sometimes how to contribute to the greater good overwhelms. Small gestures are surely cumulative, but it’s hard to step back and view the big picture when you’re standing in the middle.

When seeking our best selves, Abraham Maslow boldly proclaimed:

“What a man can be, he must be!”

I am blessed beyond measure, yet I still struggle to realize my true potential. So easy to get caught in a quagmire, clamoring after stuff and status that leaves one empty and unfulfilled. Besides, what do I have to offer that will make any difference??

My passion!

Writing has been my lifelong companion, as humbling as it is energizing. What comes out as chattering jumble in person, benefits from the trusty delete button. On good days, I can hardly keep pace, pecking frantically at my keyboard. On others, my words are few and crudely phrased. But I persevere because this is the “be” that I must.

I dream of touching hearts and inspiring minds, evoking deep thought and gratitude for the simplest things. And I will never give up my quest to generate a positive spark in this magical human experience called life….

1) most people want to do what’s right.
2) most people need or want something to believe in.
3) just about everyone loves a hero.

If you’re reading this you probably already know the assignment is to justify the existence of your favourite person, place or thing.

My favourite thing/persona is Doctor Who. Doctor Who is a television show made in the UK by the British Broadcasting Association aka the BBC. It’s science fiction and it’s been on since 1963. I think the reason why this programme has endured (as well as been endeared in the hearts of adults and children) for so long is because whether it’s 1963 or 2012 people want something to believe in, people love a hero, and people want to see the right thing being done.

The Doctor is just one man, he is alone, the last of his race (alien). Although his people vowed not to interfere with other cultures, he just can’t help himself from running to the rescue of people who need help and his favourite planet is, of course, Earth. I’ve watched doctor Who for 25 years that’s about half of his 11 incarnations (he’s a Timelord, they don’t die they regenerate into a new body).

No matter how many actors play the role of the Doctor I don’t get bothered by the change. You see, I love the show because it’s about achieving the greater good, doing the right thing, and really isn’t that all anyone of us aspires to do?

You can view clips on the show on YouTube. I highly recommend it!

Yeah…me too.

Ever been in a situation where no clear winner comes out on top?

Uh-huh.

I just shared with someone last night that life lessons suck sometimes.  Well, actually the good ones almost always do.  You know, the faith strengthening, love building, pride destroying, integrity testing lessons?  The tearin’ down walls, cleanin’ house, dyin’ to self and choosin’ to forgive kinda moments.  Yeah, those lessons.

Can I get an Amen?

Sigh…

Help me Lord.  Help me to have discernment.  Wisdom.  To love.  Ultimately, to see the greater good.  Because right now, right now I don’t.

In the movie Looper, Joe (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an assassin who takes care of people who are sent from the future to him to be disposed. However, there comes a glitch when he has to kill his future self that was sent back (played by Bruce Willis). Old Joe wants to correct the past by killing the Rainmaker (a person from his future who has growing control over everything and has Old Joe’s wife killed). Young Joe wants to preserve the life as he knows it so he must kill Old Joe. SPOILER ALERT: The Rainmaker turns out to be a child with extraordinary kinetic powers that are destructive with anger; he also is the son of Sara (played by Emily Blunt). Emily, determined to help her son move on the right track, gives up her life in the city to make that happen.

At the end, with Old Joe about to kill the boy’s mother in order to kill the boy, Young Joe realizes how this cycle of selfishness from himself and his older himself actually contribute to the deadly trail embarked by the Rainmaker. In order to stop this, he kills himself (which also kills off his old self).

Many people have demonstrated this level of sacrifice. Whether it’s war veterans to a father who’s willing to give his life for his child to Jesus himself, sacrifice of one’s desires is often needed for the greater good.

What are you selfishly holding on to right now?

Annoying isn’t it! Of course it is, after all we all want to be productive and feel like we’re contributing to some greater good. When we hit one of these obstacles we begin to feel like everything we just poured our heart and soul into was for nothing. We feel a sense of wasted time. We often become frustrated and angry, we may even cry out in desperation especially when it seems that our way has been salt and peppered with these disturbing signs all along our way.

What do we do? Stop, sit and wait, hoping that the road up ahead of us will be cleared of any debris so we can continue on? That’s what some of us do and the waiting turns into months, years or even decades while our dreams and life purpose gathers dust.

On the other hand, we could back track. That is we could back up, retrace our steps and try to discover where we went wrong. Perhaps we misread the map. We question ourselves wondering if we took a wrong turn. We may even wonder if our destination was right to begin with. So, we end up going around and around perhaps even in circles or worse yet finding ourselves right back at the same road block or dead end. We spend our energies on the wrong things and we worry, fret and become worn out.

Still, we could try another direction, perhaps we consider taking the right hand turn or maybe the left side would be better. We consider, which we like best and step out not knowing if this is the right way to get to where we wanted to go but we’re decisive and we’ve made up our mind, after all something is better than nothing or so we think. We may wander around and make a few missteps as we navigate this uncharted way but we keep telling ourselves we’re making progress. In the end, a luck few actually find their way and reach their destinations. However, for most they end up lost in a wilderness, starved for some satisfaction in life. They may even find themselves at another road block or dead end along the way and so they try another method to move past it.

But I ask – is there another alternative? Yes, the answer is to realize that the journey is not yours. What do I mean by that? I mean that what you thought was your dream, your purpose, your goal or your whatever is not yours! It’s someone else’s! “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself:” (Romans 14:7 kjv)

This one phrase in the bible has become quite famous and is quoted all around the world. Although many don’t know where it comes from, most understand that it means that we are connected to something larger than ourselves. For those who don’t know it’s source, they think that we are only connected to others around us and that we must live for the greater good of others. However, for those who realize that it is a saying that originates from God directly, we understand also that while yes we are connected to others we are first and foremost connected directly to God. We were both created by and redeemed by Him. Therefore we are not our own.

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1-Corinthians 6:20 kjv) You see this quote indicates that everything that makes us, well us, is in fact owned by God, both our physical body and our spiritual being.

He owns our body because he created it, gives it breath and life and sustains it’s function. Just try to make yourself grow an inch by yourself or try to exist without the air He’s provided, or better yet try to go on without your heart beating on it’s own. You see God owns your body. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1-Corinthians 6:19 kjv)

God also owns your spirit. Sure it was a wild one and it may have even got away for a while from God because you wanted to be “free”. But your so called “freedom” led you into doing things you thought you would never have done before. It has depraved, starved and destroyed things in your life. It has left you feeling empty, lonely and wanting more, but to come back to God your spirit needs to be purchased because your “freedom” in reality has actually been slavery to sin (just read Romans Chapter 6 for further clarification). “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed (bought back) with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” (1-Peter 1:15-19 kjv)

Therefore, if we are not our own, we are actually God’s when we ask Him to forgive us and to cleanse our hearts, then our journey also stops being ours but now is God’s. In other words we go where He leads, we eat what He feeds, we do what He wants us to do, it’s now all about Him and not about you!

So when we encounter a road block or a dead end in our life we should pause for a moment and reflect on the fact that it isn’t there to annoy us. Rather, it is God’s way of communicating to us that there may be danger up ahead or that we need to rethink our situation. Instead of reacting in our own will we should offer up a prayer and ask God what He wants us to do since it’s His journey anyway. There may be times He has us wait for the obstacle to be removed or the road to be repaired. Other times He may have us make a turn to the right or left but He will guide us and tell us specifically which way to go if we listen closely. “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21 kjv) Sometimes God may even have us back up and get things right in our lives before we proceed.

No matter what God’s plan is for our lives, we can rest assured that any road blocks or dead ends are only temporary and that they all serve a purpose in fulfilling that plan. I would encourage you today to re-examine your journey. If you have been living life thinking that it’s all about where you’re going then you may feel frustrated by the obstacles in your way, however if you understand that the journey is not yours anyway then you can trust the one who gives your life purpose and who also sees the map from a higher perspective. Also you can see the road blocks or dead ends not as obstacles but rather loving clues from your heavenly creator and redeemer!

God Bless – Rick

http://www.LivingThePromiseMinistries.com