Hope

Where Does One Go To Find Hope?

 If you look closely at the picture you will see the word HOPE written in the sand.  Or do you?  At first glance, you instinctively know that the photographer was trying to capture the essence of the word hope.  But yet the photographer did not completely capture "HOPE" in the frame.  Part of the word is fleeting.
 

When a person's heart is crying for help that person is in desperate need of hope.  When that person does not have a relationship with God they will not first look to the Bible for their answers.  Because that person does not have access to a personal relationship with God and His wisdom, then that person can never have genuine hope. 

Filling one's life with self-help books, counseling, resources, advice, etc and NEVER going to the Author of hope is like an incomplete picture.  Sure, each of those things can alleviate some of the pain and anguish that a person is feeling, but they will never allow a person to know and experience genuine hope. 

My hope is in the Lord Who gave Himself for me!

Do you know the One who can offer true hope?  If not, please seek out someone today who can show you how to begin a personal relationship with God.  If you don't know anyone who has a personal relationship with God, then please contact me.  I would be more than happy to show you my Lord and what he has done, not only for me but for you too!

The Emperor's New Clothes

Be Real

I am sure that you have probably heard the story of The Emperor's New Clothes written by Hans Christian Andersen.  If you have not heard the story or simply forget what it is about, click this link http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheEmperorsNewClothes_e.html to read the story before you read this entry.

Lately I have been thinking about how we, as human beings, can very easily find ourselves pretending to be something we are not.  In a sense we are like that emperor, putting on invisible clothing (a facade).  We think that this impresses others.  We know it is not real, yet we talk ourselves into continued living in this manner.  

Why do we do this?  There are many reasons.  Some people are just people-pleasers.  When that person realizes that he/she does not live up to another person's ideal, they simply pretend to be something they are not in order to feel accepted.  But is this true acceptance?

Other people may be ashamed of something in their life.  Rather than dealing with that issue, that person pretends it does not exist; hides it by putting on an invisible garment.  All the while that person feels the shame in the pit of their being and never comes to the point of working on that area or accepting that part of who they are.  

There are many other reasons that people chose to put on the invisible garment.  The reason is not really what is important.  What is really important is what happens when people choose to live a life dressed in invisible clothing. 

Initially, the person repeats the lie or acts differently.  Eventually they come to believe the lie.  The facade becomes a way of life.  Essentially, that person becomes just like the emperor, walking around in their underwear, but so certain that they are dressed in the finest clothing that money can buy. 

The lie/facade becomes so much a part of their life that they overlook the confusion of those who know them.  Just like the emperor shrugged off the child who pointed out that he did not have any clothes on, so to this person living a lie will disregard the confusion and sometimes even the hurt of those who know them so well.

Sometimes the facade is so ingrained that even when the person is exposed they feel obligated to continue on promoting the lie.  This is what the emperor did when he insisted on finishing out the parade, even when he knew that he was not wearing any clothes.

Pride takes over and instead of admitting that it was a lie, the person digs in deeper.  The person becomes unwilling to change.  I wonder if this is because the person has begun to belief the lie to be true or if they are just to ashamed to admit that it was a lie.  Either way, pride often ends up winning.

In the end, the person living the lie/facade ends up being revealed for what he/she truly is.  Just as the people of the kingdom saw through the Emperor's clothes, friends and relatives will see through the act that the person is putting on.  Even if the person never stops living the lie, those who know the person will come to realize his/her true nature.  

It would have been much better to accept who you are or to not worry about what others think than to chose to put on those invisible clothes.  You may be afraid of not being accepted or of being embarrassed, but facing those fears is much better that facing people who you love and having to admit that you have been living a lie.

My challenge for everyone is to be real.  Don't be afraid to be who you are.  No one is perfect.  We are all works in progress.  God made everyone unique.  Strive to live your life for Him, embracing that fact that He made you to be who you are.  

If there is an area where you struggle, give it to God.  Trust Him to help you conquer that area.  face that problem, trial, or imperfection, knowing that you will overcome when you put your trust in the Lord.  Don't be afraid to be who you are.  After all, God loves you with an everlasting love.  That should mean more to you than the approval of any man, woman, or child.  

 

Sadness

Why am I feeling sad?

Sadness is a normal human emotion.  Sadness often accompanies a loss.  So if you have lost a relationship, a loved one, your health, a job, etc. and you feel sad, then KNOW that  you are not alone.

What should you do when you are feeling sad?

1)  Set aside some time to reflect on why you are feeling sad.  Did you experience a job loss?  Did you lose a good friend to cancer?  Did you fail at something?  Was there an unhappy event?  

You may find that it is easy to figure out the cause of your sadness.  But then again, there are those times that it can take a while to figure out everything that went into making you feel sad. Know that pinpointing the cause of your sadness does not always have to come easy. Keep on reflecting on what is driving your sadness. 

 

 

2)  After reflecting on why you are sad, think about whether or not this sadness is telling you that you need to do something.  It may be that you need to respond in a different manner to a particular person or situation.  Remember not to simply trust in what your heart is telling you.  Seek out the counsel of friends and the Bible if you are unsure of what you should do next.  

You may need to change something in your life.  If that is the case, don't be afraid to make that change.  Most people fear change, do not let that fear stop you from doing what you need to do!

3)  Don't try to be strong or brave by suppressing your feeling of sadness.  Suppressing those feelings will only lead to a worse situation.   It is much better to deal with your sadness now than after it has dug in and magnified itself.

 Suppressing your feelings is kind of like slapping a band-aid over a wound that has not been cleaned.  The germs (feelings) will fester and the end result will not be pretty.  

4)  If you feel like crying, then cry.  Don't hold the tears back.  After you have had a good cry, notice that often things do not seem so bleak.  

A good cry can often bring a sense of relief .  After a good cry, you may be able to look at the situation optimistically.  Allowing time to be sad and cry can often lead to a happier mood - one where the happiness is realized.

 

5)  Be certain that the sadness you are feeling is not depression.  If you suspect that you are experiencing depression, get help right away.  Do not allow yourself to flounder under the bondage of depression.  

Do you know the signs of depression?

If not, here are some symptoms that a depressed person may be experiencing.

• difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
• fatigue and decreased energy
• feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
• feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
• preoccupation with problems and failures can be a sign of depressed feelings
• insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
• irritability, restlessness
• Self-criticism, self-blame, self-loathing is often a signs of depression
• loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
• withdrawal from people
• overeating or appetite loss
• persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment
• persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings
• thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts

Are you feeling sad today?  If so then know that you are not alone.  Try some of the tips above and feel free to post anything else that you do. 

Are you or a friend of yours exhibiting signs of depression?  If so, then I beg of you to get help for yourself or your friend.  Depression is very serious and needs to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Sinus Infection

Oh, my face is going to explode!

Have you ever had a sinus infection that left you in so much pain that you thought you would not make it through the night? I have and let me tell you that I did not think that I would be able to endure the agony. However, I did recover, but not without a trip to the doctor and the right medications. 

 "What in the world does a sinus infection have to do with hope?" Well, everything! My sinus infection helped me to see exactly what happens when we are in a trial and what we need to do in order to have genuine hope.

When my sinus infection began I had some very minor symptoms. I was sneezing occasionally and thought that it was from something in the air. Then I had a minor cough and my throat began to hurt. I thought I just needed to drink some hot tea, get some sleep, use a humidifier, and take an over the counter medicine. After all these thing will help!  I continued to go on with my life thinking I was fine. 

Things did not improve, but I kept thinking that if I just kept adding the medicine , the humidifier, and the hot tea it would eventually get better. It did not get better though! One night I went to bed and woke up crying because my face felt like it was going to explode.  That was when I realized that I waited too long to get help and that I was faced with hours before I would be able to call the doctor. I honestly did not think I was going to make it throughout the night!

That night as I was in my bed I could not fall asleep because I hurt so badly. I could not move because when I tried to move I hurt even worse. I felt paralyzed and I just wanted the pain to go away. It hurt so badly that I wanted to go to the Emergency Room, which probably would have been a great idea, except for the medical bill that would have followed.  

In the morning I saw my doctor and she diagnosed me with a sinus infection. I don't usually get sick so she explained to me why my face hurt so badly. When the sinus cavity is inflamed it creates pressure on your ear, your eye, and even on the nerves of your teeth. This pressure often creates intense pain. I find it interesting that those parts of the body are so interconnected that they all experience pain from the inflamation that is centrally located in the sinus cavity. Is this not just like ourself? We cannot compartmentalize our problems as they too effect every area of our life. 

In order to remedy the situation my doctor prescribed me an antibiotic and a steroid. I needed both in order to experience relief.  She advised me that I would not feel instant relief but that it would take about 2-3 days for the pain to get better. I am happy to report that my face is not throbbing.  There is still some pain, especially when I overdo it. However I am on the mend.

What I learned from this experience is that it is a perfect example of how we often approach problems in our life. At first we are prone to deny them. We hope that they will go away on their own. We do that until we cannot ignore the situation any more. 

Once we acknowledge there is a problem, we tend to throw quick fixes at the situation. For example, we will go out and buy a self-help book looking for a nugget of truth to help us out of our situation. Sometimes we try to mask the problem by filling our lives with excitement. We do this by partying, scheduling our lives with entertainment, watching tv and living our life through the television, drinking, shopping, and so many other things.

For a time we might think that this approach is working, but just like that sinus infection, the trouble is only brewing under the surface. There will come a time when the situation explodes and the problem will be much bigger than it was initially. 

When the situation explodes, it is precicely at that point that we are faced with a choice. That choice is to do nothing and go on as we are or to seek help. In the case of life problems we need to seek help, not from a medical doctor, but from the Great Physician. God is that Great Physician. He has laid out a plan for us, a plan full of hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

God wants us to come to Him for advice and "medicine".  First we need to go to Him in prayer and then seek advice in His Word.  In prayer we can lay our burdens on Him and He will not only pick up those burdens, but He will also either give us strength or carry us through. 

In the Bible, God offers a blueprint of how we should live. However, it is not enough to just read the Bible. We also need to act on what we read. For instance, we are told that in the multitude of counselors there is safety. (Proverbs 14:4) We cannot keep that solely as head knowledge. That would be like going to the doctor and getting a prescription but leaving it on the counter and never taking the pills. We need to seek out those counselors, just like we need to take our pills. This requires action on our part. If we do not apply His Word, we will never see the fruit that will come from it.

We also need to continue to follow through. My sinus infection was not cured instantly. It took a couple of days to get better. That is how it is with our problems and trials. They will not be fixed as soon as we fall on our knees before God and start applying His concepts. It will take some time and continued action on our part. Keep perserveering and you will be rewarded.

We all have seen the warning on that prescription bottle - "Finish all medication unless otherwise directed by prescriber."  Yet, how many times do people start to feel better and think, "I don't need to finish that prescription."  They stop taking the medicine and more often than not the symptoms return, sometimes even worse than they were in the first place.  Don't be like that person when dealing with life's problems. Keep on trusting God, praying, seeking His counsel, and acting on it. Only then will we become who God wants us to be and only then will we have genuine hope!

 

Are you experiencing a "sinus infection" moment in your life?  If so, seek out the face of the Great Physician. When you feel like you can't make it through another day, He will gently lift you up and carry you through. Read His Word.  Learn what His solutions are for life's problems.  Don't stop there, apply that knowledge and start living what you know to be truth.

If you have gone through a difficult circumstance, encourage someone else who may be going through a similar situation. God will use you to to help ease that person's burden and you will be living out the commandment to bear one another's burden. In the end you may be the one God has chosen to help another person. 

My Philosophy

My Philosophy -It is Important!

 
 
As a Christian, my life philosophy will ultimately be based on the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ.  Since that is the case, I do believe that genuine hope comes from having a personal relationship with God.  But what does that mean and how can a person have a personal relationship with God? 



It means realizing that I am a sinner and that the penalty of my sin is death, both physical and eternal separation from God.  It means confessing my sin and believing that Jesus Christ is the Godman, who came to Earth, lived a perfect life and died on the cross to pay the penalty of my sin.  It means asking Him to forgive me of my sin and to be my Lord and Savior.  It means having a personal relationship with the God who loved me so much that he sent his one and only son to die on the cross to pay for my sin.


If you do not have a personal relationship with God and would like to know more, please contact me and I would be more than happy to show you God and what He has done for you too!