"It's the thought that counts."

A phrase we often hear or say to bring comfort when our actions seem to have fallen short of the goal toward which we were striving. But what are thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and feelings in the absence of action? Shouldn't we instead say "It's the effort that counts"?

Thoughts are nothing until an attempt is made to bring that idea, a strange formation of the human mind, into reality. Once that attempt is made, thought gains worth and demands recognition as having "counted for something."

Do not allow your thoughts to be futile and meaningless, but instead venture to make them known through your actions.

Sick

A young girl sits, arms gently crossed with her face tilted upward showing bemused visage. Her fingertips move lightly across her pale skin, playing out a melody only she can hear.

Blind eyes turn toward the danger of her beauty. Overlooked are the ugly truths of the soul as pleasantries and entertainment are longed for.

Corrupt sickness rots her body outward from the core. Debilitating, crippling, confining. The screams released do nothing to quiet the flames so she catches her breath to quell the noise.

Death's hands fold and patiently wait as her mouth moves silently and her mind screams without sounding alarm. Her face a portrait of feigned indifference; strong beauty that gives no inclination to the putrid flesh that lies beneath.

At Liberty

For the first time in 8 years, I have found myself between jobs. In the market. Without a job. Jobless. Unemployed. And I think I like it.

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Ah, and so the call for independence requires me to find a job and pay my own bills.

Proverbs 16:9

I don't know what is going on or what will happen at the end of this 40 day fast.
What I want isn't a passive "Is this what you want for me, God?"
I want this. I want it for me. Why can't it be a part of my life as I serve you? I have hope. I have faith. You take away everything that I want and replace it with what YOU want. Yes, I want what you want but why can't I still have what I want, too??

"A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure." - Proverbs 16:9

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN??

Obesity

We talk openly about the health problems associated with smoking and excessive drinking. Well, I'm tired of obesity and the health problems that go hand-in-hand with it. Let's call it what it is: an undisciplined hunger drive that oftentimes becomes life-threatening.

You're ruining your children's lives when you let them become overweight as kids. Encourage them to make healthy choices in their eating habits or just do it for them if they are unable to do so themselves. Kick them out of the house and get them involved in physical activities. Take a walk with them. A bike ride. I'm tired of seeing overweight kids who will turn into overweight adults with a wide variety of health problems stemming from their weight problems.

Overweight parents don't set good examples for young children. Get off your butt, get away from the unhealthy foods, and start setting a good example for your children by exercising and making healthy choices in your eating habits. Don't expect them to improve their lifestyles if you aren't working hard to make the changes in yours.

http://geoparent/. com/health/wellness/familyfitness. htm

Time

60 seconds in a minute. 60 minutes in an hour. 24 hours in a day. 7 days in a week. 52 weeks in a year. 79 years in the average lifetime.

We have so much time and we spend the majority of this time following daily routines. Day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year. Think about all of the things that consume your time, your energy, your everyday life.

Now ask yourself, what of all of this really matters?

Keep in mind, sometimes what really matters isn't necessarily what you're doing, but how you're doing it.

Failed attempts to try

Why do we choose not to try some things?

There are instances in our lives when we look at what we can choose to do or choose not to do. We weigh the possible outcomes that will result from our attempts or lack of attempts. When we choose not to try our hand at a task, do we make this decision based on a fear of failing? Or do we not even try because we fear that we may actually succeed? Perhaps we are so unsure of how we will handle success that we choose to not try at all.

Other times we choose to make the attempt. But why? Are we really trying to succeed? Common sense tells me that, yes, an attempt at something is an attempt to succeed at that something. But some recent attempts promt me to ask, are we really looking to fail?

Following the Leader

"Now the mind of the flesh is death from sin, both here and hereafter. But the mind of the Spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:6



How many times have we found ourselves so torn between two choices when both choices seem like the right one to choose? How are we to know in which direction we should go when both paths look like the right direction? God gives peace with His desires if His desires are what we seek. If we are holding on to our desires and reaching for the desires of God, we will not be at peace. We need to let go of what we want and then His desires will become our greatest desire and we will be satisfied.



"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

3 Rights of Love

3 rights of love:
1) Right person.
2) Right place.
3) Right time.
So often love is offered to us in one right or another but rarely do all three rights coincide.
Are we doing something wrong if we choose to wait until all three rights intersect before we plant a seed of love? Is it really fair to anyone if we take a chance at love with the wrong person? In the wrong place? At the wrong time? Are we really giving love a chance to blossom or are we just setting the stage for failure?

II Peter 1:5-8

"Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perserverance; and to perserverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." II Peter 1:5-8 NIV

Sometimes the things that cause us to become unglued and tear apart are the same things that give us strength, freedom, and wisdom. Life's experiences do not always bring happiness but we can still have joy even in the most diffucult of times because every experience is just one more in a lifetime of experiences.

a change in time

Pain lessens, wounds heal, senses dull, feelings fade. Can anyone, after 20 years, still feel the pain of a single event just as significantly as they felt that pain in the few days or weeks following the event? I don't presume that we can all look forward to no longer feeling painful emotions, but I think it's safe to say that time can make such things more bearable. Our senses just become desensitized to the stimuli. Sure, we can always feel pain to some extent when faced with another triggering event but I don't think we can ever experience that specific pain or feeling once the initial event has passed. And for that, we should be thankful.