June 22, 2011

Investments

Today everyone is talking about investments.  We are encouraged to make financial investments for our future.  There is another investment we need to make.

We need to invest into other people’s lives.  There is not greater investment than making a relationship investment into someone’s life.  We can get caught up in our own stuff and sometimes forget about investing into others.  If our agenda is to take care of ourselves at all cost; then it will cost us everything.  This is no greater investment than taking time to see that someone else is encouraged.  Trust me; there are folk right beside you now that really need you.  We all are in this together, so let’s live like it.  Take a minute and encourage, forgive, inspire those around you.  It only takes a moment to offer a word of encouragement to someone. 

Let’s start today making investments of the greatest return.  

June 15, 2011

Treating Others

The Golden Rule is; treat others like you want to be treated.  How about this take on it; treat others the way they want to be treated.  It really is the same as the Golden Rule.

How do you want to be treated? I believe we all want to be loved, appreciated, respected, and needed.  We just go about it in different ways. Some folk, the worse you treat them, they more they like it. Never really understood that one, but I have seen it too many times; so I know it’s true.  How we interpret love, appreciation and need are different I suppose.  The key to it is to know how others want to be treated.  We all want to be treated the same way; just in different means.  Take time to learn other people’s personality and how they desire to be treated.  This takes relationship with people. We have to set aside our own agenda when we establish relationships.  Treat others the way they want to be treated. It is a lifestyle not a holiday or occasional thing.

May 28, 2011

Love and Relationship

If you don’t have relationship with others; then others won’t trust or believe what you say.  The same is true if we don’t believe that God loves us, we won’t believe His Word for us.  

It is a basic truth in all of us; in that we won’t have faith in someone if we don’t believe they love us.  We all want to be loved, even the toughest acting person around, we all want to be loved.  If those around us don’t feel love from us, then they won’t believe anything positive and encouraging that we say to them.  Know that God does love you; He is love.  You can believe His Word toward you.  The real question comes when we look at each other.  Do we believe others and do others believe our words? Check your love and relationship levels.  My actions and words haven’t always demonstrated love and relationship, however, I am working diligently on changing that each day.  I only say the truth and what I really believe to you and others.  Let’s encourage each other and those around us.  Lift others up today with your love and relationship filled words.  

April 11, 2011

Mending Broken Relationships

Today is a day of restoration and reconciliation.  I know there is someone that you need to make things right with today.  Someone that was at one time very close to you, but due to some incident is now not close at all.

We all have had someone that was a close and good friend.  Someone who we could depend on to be there and them on us.  Someone that we could confide in and them in us.  Then it happened. Something caused a riff in the friendship.  A harsh word, a misunderstanding, a division of some type.  Now we avoid one another, refusing to speak, or going off on each other.  Either way, the friendship is no longer good or close.  Today is the day to change.  Whether it was something you did or they did, today let’s make things right.  With love, mercy, forgiveness and humility in our heart, mind and words we can do our part to restore and reconcile the relationship.   You take the blame if necessary, don’t let pride control you any longer.  Take the hit if need be.  Make peace with yourself and with them today.  No more manipulation or control between you and them.  Do your part today and have peace in your life.  God will honor what you do; when we do it for the right reason and do it right.  See how it will change your life today, rest and peace of mind is coming your way.   

April 10, 2011

Offense Will Come

No matter we do in life; offense will come.  It seems like today though folk get offended so much easier.  I believe it’s because of our low self esteem and so man insecurities.

We get offended so easy these days.  Someone can say or do the least little thing and we get hurt by it.  This in a large part is due to us having insecurities and a terrible self image of ourselves.  Then how we act when we get offended is unreal. We either shut down and half nothing to do with that person or we go off on them.  Why not attempt to make things right? Why not just let them know in a polite, loving way what was done and how we feel? It’s time we start mending relationships and not tearing them apart.  It’s time we come together and stop breaking camp.  When we drop our pride and start humbling ourselves we will see much better results. We may still get offended but it won’t have anything to stick to.  Another area I have to work on is not being hurt when someone cuts me out of their life. If I have offended you in any way I am deeply sorry, but I won’t hold on to it any longer.  If you have chosen to cut me out and not talk to me; then that’s the way it will be.  There is no more I can do but to apologize and attempt to mend things.  No more being help hostage by offense.  Take the high road and do the right thing today. Do your part to love and make things right with folk in your life.  Forgive those that have offended you and let that offense go.  Don’t give the enemy of offense anything to stick to in your life.  Be free of offense today!

April 1, 2011

Indecent Exposure

When we bring attention to other folks faults, issues & insecurities; we are only bringing attention to our own.  It is our own mess that makes us try to bring attention to other people’s mess. 

I have seen that as long as others can keep the spotlight on us and expose our weaknesses; then that enables them to stay in dark; their weak areas hidden.  I have come to the conclusion that it is okay with me if folk want to point out my issues and such.  I now know that it is better to be transparent.  A major characteristic of integrity is to be transparent.  I don’t want to have any more secrets in my life.  When we take this stance then we become more secure in who we are and we don’t have a need to expose others.  Not that we try to cover up other folk’s issues.  We don’t make excuses for ourselves or others, but we come to terms with our past mistakes.  We in turn, encourage others to work through their issues, insecurities, and faults.  We do strengthen them and stand with them.  Rather than pointing out their weaknesses we point out their strengths.  This is the position I have decided to take in my life.  I encourage you to do the same.  Let’s protect one another and strengthen one another. 

March 28, 2011

The Golden Rule

People will treat us the way they are often treated; not necessarily how they want to be treated.  If you have been hurt all your life; then chances are you will hurt others.  It is the way of life that you know.  

Every religion has some form of the Golden Rule; Treat others the way you want to be treated.  We can even take it to another level; treat others even better than you have been treated.  The only way we will be able to follow the Golden Rule is to love others. We will have to see people through eyes of love, compassion, mercy, and grace.  When we see that others have been hurt too, others have been done wrong also; we won’t be so quick to cut and treat them wrongly.  When we see through eyes of hope, encouragement, peace and forgiveness we won’t try to get even or get them before they get us.  We will begin to see and understand why we all are the way we are.  Life has a way of changing us and molding us into a bitter, resentful, no hope type of person.  We have to change our perspective and see folk from a loving perspective.  We have to see them from an accepting not a rejecting point of view.  We don’t know what someone else is feeling on the inside.  Rather than being critical of others actions; show them understanding and accept them.  Show interest in those that seem to have no hope in life any more.  When we show love, acceptance, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and hope we will receive the same.  We do reap what we sow; then we sow what we reap. Let’s make it a good harvest of sowing and reaping. 

March 22, 2011

Catch and Release

Catch and Release.  Catch and Release is a thing that some fishermen do when they catch a fish they put it back in the water and let it go.  Unfortunately some folk do this with people. They begin a friendship and then let the other person go.

We begin a relationship with someone and before you know it we let them go.  We catch and release people.  This ought not be the way we live our lives.  We need to catch and hold on to and treasure our friends.  We should protect our relationships.  There will be tough times, things said and done that hurt one another, but we have to love through those times.  Don’t just release folk because of some little something or another; not for anything.  Even if the friendship seems to be unrepairable; love can make it better and stronger than it ever was before.  Leave Catch and Release for when you are fishing, not when dealing with friends.  Make sure you have unconditional love in you so that you can give it those around you.  We can’t give something we don’t have.  You are loved, treasured, and protected today!

March 21, 2011

Love is a Bridge

How are you doing in that one relationship that is on your mind lately? Do you feel a division or separation with that person? Today is the day we make a difference in our relationships.

We were designed and created to be in relationships.  Good, healthy, strong and pure relationships.  You may be a position today where you’re in a relationship with your spouse, child, parent, co-worker, or a close friend seems to be beyond repair.  There seems to be no way the relationship can be make whole again.  No matter what has happened it is not too late.  I understand there are some relationships that may not need to be right now, but that doesn’t mean it will never be right.  The key to turning it all around is love.  Love that forgives and forgets. Love that is patient. Love that doesn’t keep score.  Even if you have been devastated in the past; unconditional love will heal that hurt.  It will be your protection from future hurts.  Unconditional love instead of walls is a much better protector of your heart.  It takes work, no doubt, but love will make it smoother than we ever thought it would be.  Let love be the mender of broken relationships. Take a step of faith today and let love build the bridge. 

March 18, 2011

Who's the Boss

What can be better than having love in your life? A big bank account without love won’t help you sleep at night. Having all you ever wanted but without love will leave you empty.

There are several things we could ask for in life that would make us happy, but without love as the foundation, the cornerstone; then we would still not be happy.  I am telling you the truth, I never realized the wholeness of love like I have here lately.  It affects every aspect of our life in a major way.  If I have everything but not love I am still lacking.  I may be the only one that is just getting some understanding on how love works.  Love really does affect every thing in our life.  We can’t have walls up if we have love operating in our life.  We can’t have unforgiveness if we have love as our guide.  We can’t have revenge in our heart if we have love running our life.  Love either wants to be our final say so or not at all.  It’s like having fresh water and salt water in the same place; you can’t the salt will affect it all.  So if you desire to love as your guide then all else has to go.  Pride has to go.  Having our way all the time has to go.  Man oh man I have to make so many changes, but love makes it possible and desirable.  Let love be the boss.