Are you at the bottom? Are you so low, you can’t see any possible way out? Do you feel like your world is falling apart and there is no one around who can hear you scream inside? Are you around friends, but they can’t see you where you are? Is there no hope left? Is the flickering flame about to go out? Are others trying to help, but their advice is just all wrong? Down But Not Out!

Still, there is hope. You are reading this. Time hasn’t run out. Don’t find a permanent solution to a temporary problem! Suicide is not an option. It is a bad permanent decision for a temporary problem. What you are going through is temporary! I know, I’ve been there. We find ourselves in a hole thinking there is no way out. Our emotions lie to us. It is only a temporary thing, but it feels like it will never end. What if tomorrow things were going to change and it would be the major turning point in our lives that we had been waiting for so long, but the only problem was that we checked out of life the day before. That would be a catastrophe! Just one more day would have made a difference. The truth is we don’t know when, but if we give up, we are guaranteed to never make it.

Scripture says that there is nothing that can come against us that is not common to others. In other words, someone else has faced the same kinds of things we are going through. In my opinion, some find a way to make it through and others succumb to the pressure. I personally believe that the best place to come to in our lives is to come to the end of ourselves. Unless we come to this place, we don’t realize who we are.

When I was young, I thought I was invincible. I was very good in school and my grades reflected it and most of it came naturally. I didn’t have to study much. I was also very good with my hands. I came to a place of believing I could accomplish anything I set my hands to do. When I came to the end of myself, I couldn’t do a single thing right. Things that had come so easily before, were now beyond my grasp. We all have our weaknesses. It wasn’t until I came to this place that I was able to discover just how much I really depend on the Lord. Without Him, we can simply do nothing. If He forgets to give us our next breath, we simply die. If you don’t believe me, you still have a ways to go. We are the fortunate ones. Some people never experience the privilege of coming to the end of themselves. They think they are God’s gift to the earth. They live a life of emptiness, trying to fill a gaping whole inside with relationships and everything else that looks good within their sight. They’re the ones who live a life of misery and end up dead inside and lost for eternity. They have everything on this earth they need, yet they miss heaven in eternity. They gain the whole world, but in the end they lose their souls.

Let me tell you again, you are in a good place and if you make the right choices, it can become a turning point in your life. Later on, you will rejoice at having the opportunity to find out who your friends really are, what the real meaning in life is, and just Who the Lord really is. Ask Him to make Himself real to you. Pour out your heart to Him and then listen as He shares His with you. He cares for you more than you will ever know. He knows what is going to happen tomorrow and He knows your destiny. He created you for a specific time in creation, at a specific place on earth for a special purpose. If you choose to accept this destiny, you will be one of the most fulfilled people to walk the earth. A person who does what they were created to do are the happiest people in the world.

If you would like to know more about the Lord, please check out my other posts. I have archived them by title and a short summary for 2007 and 2008. If you find one you would like to comment on or share some encouragement, please do. Also, feel free to contact me on the Contact form. I have some encouraging wallpapers on the site. Feel free to use them on your computer to help keep your focus. I have a couple of the songs recorded that I’ve written in a flash jukebox. It is my hope that these words have brought you enough encouragement to make a difference and to help you overcome. Here’s to your bright future. Go for your destiny. I hope to see you there.

Joseph

Comments

What is victim mentality? I use this term to describe a victim of some traumatic event where being a victim becomes a way of life or habitual. This person believes that others owe them and cease to do things for themselves that could help them achieve victory. Once a person is caught in its web, how do they get out? How can we become an overcomer? How can we get healed and move on with our life? Victim Mentality!

This is a very difficult place to be. A person in this place can be surrounded by the enemy. First of all, a tragic event has happened. Please note that this can also effect an entire country, people, culture, family or individual. Anytime a traumatic event happens it opens a place for the enemy to come in and wreak havoc, not only on the victim but to those who are close and also to the perpetrator and then also to those who have witnessed the event. We see it all the time in the news. We see the hatred and rage that can develop if it is not handled correctly. We’ve also seen innocent people pulled in and hurt. It can all stop with one person, the victim. I am not saying that victims don’t have rights because they do. I am saying that it is not good to go beyond those rights and inflict more damage. Please hear what I am saying, it will bring freedom and healing.

By dwelling on being a victim, unforgiveness, and pain, one can propel themselves into a downward pattern. Unforgiveness is the fastest way to destroy a person’s life. Regardless of what happens to the perpetrators, the victim’s life is in danger. The scripture says that bitterness rots the bone. There are a lot of fragile bones in people these days. I am not saying that all of it has to do with bitterness, but it does warrant a look. Unforgiveness also leads to self-pity, which is the beginning of a lot of darkness. Self-pity attracts a lot of other things; anger, resentment, rage, finger pointing, retaliation, hatred, homicide, suicide, and I also am convinced mental illnesses. I am not a doctor and I am not attempting to make a diagnosis. I am merely pointing out things I have observed.

Traumatic events happen everyday to people just like you and me. Some are by innocent mistakes and others are done on purpose and premeditated. For the sake of this post, I don’t want to touch on rights and legalities, my purpose in writing is to help the victim overcome on a personal level. Forgiveness is something that is on a personal basis. It can release the victim from many years of pain and help speed up the healing process. When a person chooses unforgiveness, their focus in tuned in to the pain, the wrong done to them and the focus is always on the negative. This eats at the person and their attitude continues to spiral downward to death. One who asks the Lord to help them forgive begins the journey to healing and victory. They become free of the things that want to bring them down. They begin to focus on the positive and begin rebuilding their lives. If they choose to focus on helping others, their healing is even more rapid. People come around those who are trying to recover versus those who spew bitterness out of their mouths. Who would you rather be around? Would you like to be healed or do you want to hang on to the pain and misery? The choice is yours. No one can make choices for you. At the end of your life on earth, it is your choices that determine your place in eternity. We won’t be able to blame someone else. We’ve all heard the saying, “The devil made me do it.” No, the devil tempted you and you chose to give in to the temptation. Eve blamed it on the serpent, but God still held her responsible for her decision as well as Adam. It is our choices along the way that have made us what we have become.

Accidents happen to a lot of people, the question is whether we respond or react to them. If something has happened to you that is so terrible and you feel you can’t go on, please cry out to the Lord and ask Him for help. Send us an email through our form on our contact page if there is no one else and we will respond as soon as we can. If you find yourself in a place of unforgiveness, ask Him to help. Look at what He went through on the cross, yet He could still say, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing!” He took all of the sins we would ever commit upon His back and chose to forgive us in the midst of His agony and pain, so that we might one day be able to come to Him and be saved and totally forgiven. He weighed every choice in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before and I believe He saw each one of our faces and He knew it would be worth it. He made His choice to endure the cross before He felt any blows to His body. He didn’t deserve our hatred. He didn’t deserve to die on our behalf, but He did. No one deserves hell. He knew that, I know that and if you ever have a vision of hell, you will know that too. Even our worst enemies deserve a chance at forgiveness. What they do with it is up to them, but I wouldn’t want to be the reason they’d never have the chance to be changed. I would rather suffer a loss. Some of the people who opposed me the most, have become my friends and some of my friends have turned away. Only the Lord knows the heart.

I’ve been through a lot of pain in my life and I haven’t always responded the way I knew I should. The Lord is just and He will and can protect us. He also gives us the choice to forgive others so that His love can work through us to help others to see Him. We didn’t get what we deserved, for the scripture says that, “the soul who sins shall die” and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of the Lord.” There were times I had to ask Him to forgive others through me, because I hurt so deep inside. He did and then He healed me to where I could forgive them. He healed me and sent the darkness away. He helped me reach out to others and He healed them too. I had every right to hold on to unforgiveness and to demand restitution, but by doing things His way, He poured so many more blessings into my life than I could have ever imagined.

He is the reason for this web site. He is the reason I can write messages of encouragement. In most cases, I have been there. I have walked the miles, I have felt the pain and through it all I have overcome. I didn’t do it alone. He sent others to me to help me and He was always there for me. He will do the same for you. I am here today because He lives and I know Him personally. He has changed my life and I am forever grateful. I have experienced His mercy, grace, loving kindness, forgiveness, joy, peace, love and every other attribute that is His. I have seen a vision of hell and it is a horrid place and no human being deserves to spend eternity there.

It is my hope that this message has brought you hope. There is life after trauma and tragedy. It may take a while, but you can go on. I hope you reach out for His miraculous love and find a new way of life. There are many religions that claim to know the truth, but there is only one Who is the truth. Search for the truth with all of your heart and you will find it. You will know when you have, because your heart won’t be empty anymore. If I don’t meet you on this earth, I hope to see you in eternity with Him. Never give up. Against all hope, believe that while there is still breath, there is still a chance.

Joseph

Comments

The pendulum swings from one side to the other, from extreme to extreme. Only in the middle of its journey is the balance. The clock, with its pendulum, is sometimes representative of our lives. It can also represent an action against us with a counter reaction from us. The balance of this lies in our response to the action against us and not to simply to react to someone else. Response Versus Reaction!

I have lived many days swinging from reaction to reaction. When others would tell me I was wrong, I’d react and go to extremes to prove them wrong. I had to find a solid foundation that I could stand on without being swept off of my feet again. The ground always seemed to be shifting under my feet and I wasn’t stable. I soon began to challenge everything I heard. I so desired to know the truth. I wanted some stability in my life.

As I looked back on my life, my father leaving me as a small child was the major source of my instability. Second in line were little fairy tales told to me as a child by adults. I was a child and I hung on to what others were telling me as the truth. Later in school, others would mock me at such beliefs. This caused me to really want to know the truth. I didn’t like being mocked. What about you? Do you remember any of that?

My pendulum went all the way to the other side for a while as I searched and searched. I even searched through different churches and their personal beliefs and I found that a lot of times they really didn’t believe everything they said they did. So in this search, I began to wonder if I’d ever find the truth. There must be truth out there somewhere, this universe just didn’t come into reality in a random way. The odds of that happening are too great. So I continued on.

It wasn’t until recently that I really began to realize that this was the way a lot of churches were established. They were established on the swing of the pendulum. They were established by a reaction to a reaction against them. It reminds me of Israel when they were taking the promised land. There were some who wanted to settle on the outside of the promised land while others chose particular places inside. The more I meditated on this the more sad I became. Here is this awesome promised land, they finally made it and then most of them just settled for less than their inheritance. I can’t and will not do that. I refuse to settle for less than Father wants for me and my family and for you. This is my battle and this is my dream, that everyone may experience all that Father has for each of them.

Many truths have been established over the years by numerous men and women of God. Most of these have now become their own denomination or non-denomination. I don’t believe that this is the Lord’s best. I believe He wants us all to go on and I believe, that if some of these men and women of God were still alive today, they would be appalled that their group simply stopped and camped on their revelation instead of handing it on to the next generation to go further into the purposes of the Lord. The Lord doesn’t stand still. He moves on. Take a look at Israel. They camped for a while and then moved on. The Lord gives new revelations of His Word to His people so that He can fulfill His promises to us and our generation. There is an awesome book by John Crowder, “Miracle Workers, Reformers, and The New Mystics.” Don’t be moved by the word mystic, it simply refers to being spiritual. John goes back through the centuries up to the modern day and explores the different moves of the Lord.

We are people who like comfort and it is easy to camp out for a long time when we get comfortable. Thank the Lord that He gently tries to move us on. We have a choice, just like Israel we can stay in a certain place or we can pack up our lives and live from glory to glory and go on to ever increasing faith. Our faith is built in the same way as our muscles. The more we use it the stronger it becomes. I challenge you today, go beyond living in mediocrity by making a choice. Choose to live your life in balance and respond to His word instead of react. Respond to others with His love when they react against you. Let love be the reason for your choices. Choose to change your life today and start to live again. Fan the spark, that you feel in your heart right now, into a raging flame of His love. Let it consume you and then pour it out to others. Life Of Balance!

How will others see if we keep it all inside? Will they ridicule and mock us? Probably! Don’t take it personal. It is Jesus they are mocking and not us. They don’t understand and they don’t know, yet! But some will and it might be because of your example. How much is it worth to you to see one soul saved? Is there a price you can put on it? Is there anything that can be as bad as hell? I wouldn’t even wish it on my worst enemy, not when they can experience the glorious grace, mercy and love of the Lord. Most of us have seen videos of people throwing themselves off of buildings to their deaths and we wonder why? Why didn’t someone try to help them? Why didn’t they just talk to someone? What if they did and no one heard them? Are we listening? How far will we go to save them? I know I am not where I want to be, but I am on the journey. Each day I want to get closer, how about you? Will you make the choice to get up out of your hurts, fears, and pain and dare to receive the inheritance that is yours and then help others find theirs?

Today is my birthday and I wanted to give this gift of encouragement to you. I so desire to see you healed, delivered, free, and engulfed in the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why hold on to rags when you can have His riches? Take a step and check it out for yourself. My gift from you would be to see your smiling face in heaven, to hear that you took the challenge and you lived the rest of your life on a new and glorious journey. Whatever comes against you, respond with His love. If I don’t get to meet you here, I’ll see you there.

Joseph

Comments

In each country there are problems. The scenery is different, but people are still people. Each of our problems are unique and strangely similar to others. In desiring to live a good life we all struggle with opposing forces around us. Some live in the midst of war and battle while others live safe and secure. Each has their own problems to face. What will we do? How will we overcome? Courage To Succeed!

I realize that these posts are read in 24 different countries as of now and I will be adding a translator program to convert them to 10 different languages soon. How can I write something applicable to all who are reading? I live in the United States of America. We are loved by some and hated by others. Some say we are spoiled and greedy. Others call us names we won’t mention. If we are going to find our way in this world, we need to see beyond our differences. The Lord doesn’t see our country boundaries like we do. He sees people. His church includes people of all countries. He loves us all. We are His body and He wants us all to be joined together in His purpose. We must see beyond the veils of the flesh and into the heart. We all hurt. We all love. We all have passion and a desire to make a difference. I want to be a catalyst to help bring a spark to each and every heart that says, “Get up. You can do it. You can make it. You are not alone.” Scripture says that we have a great cloud of witnesses that has gone on before us, men and women of faith.

How can we encourage each other? I believe we can encourage each other even in the little things. We can pray for each other. We can share our stories. We can tell each other that tomorrow is a new day and it hasn’t been created yet. We can watch the sunrises and sunsets and know that the Lord is painting the sky just for us. We can hear the wind in the trees and know the trees are praising the Lord. We can hear the songs of the birds and know they are too. All of creation is waiting for the Lord’s people to take their rightful place. It doesn’t matter what country you live in, or what language you speak, if you are His then we are brothers and sisters. We are not alone. Your life matters and you can make a difference.

What is on your heart? What is your destiny? Do you know why you were created? Have you heard the Lord tell you what He wants you to do with your life? If not, why not? Have you asked Him? Take a look at the Questionnaire I put together on this web site. See how many of the questions you can answer and ask for guidance for the ones you can’t. Some are called to bring about a change to their whole country. Some are called to simply walk each day. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done or not done up to this point in our life. The Lord can wipe everything clean and we can start afresh. If you want to have the most amazing life there is, follow Jesus. Everyday can be an adventure. Life to me is new everyday. Each day I wake up and wonder what is going to happen. Who will I meet? What will I say? Will I meet a new friend? No matter what the challenge is, I eagerly wait in expectation to see how it will unfold. If you’re on the battlefield, can you see His wonders in the sky or somewhere around you? No matter what circumstance you find yourself in, ask Him to show you who He is. I was in London, England during the destruction of the World Trade Centers in New York. Aircraft to the US were grounded for weeks. I’d look out of my hotel window and I’d see these really short rainbows on the clouds. It made me feel like the Lord was holding me in His hands. I was over 5,000 miles from home, but I was at home in His love. Over the years, He has become more real to me than even my wife and children. Flesh and blood may fail me, but He never has and never will. Every time we are faced with a challenge and He comes through, it makes my faith in Him grow in leaps and bounds. I never knew my earthly father because he left when I was three. My heavenly Father knows me and loves me so much more than I can imagine and I love Him so deeply. I know that I am not perfect and have made and continue to make so many mistakes and then I have to realize that if He would have wanted me to be perfect, He would have made me a robot. He wants my love. I want His. His love is so awesome, so perfect, so complete, no wonder when someone finds it, they lay down their desires to fulfill His.

I could write books about my life and all the fears and obstacles I’ve faced. I’ve gone through three divorces with my mom, two personally and have now been married for thirteen years. My wife has gone through a traumatic injury on a printing press. Her thumb got caught in the rollers and it pulled her in to her arm pit, degloving her flesh and muscle. The doctors told her they would have to amputate but she refused. She has use of it today. She was in and out of mental institutions for seven years because of the trauma and finally the doctors gave up on her because they said the nerves in her brain were short circuiting because the mylon sheathing was deteriorating. Someone didn’t give up on her. The Lord lifted her up, out of the pit and totally healed her. There is a lot more to this story, but I wanted to share some of it to help encourage you. We all have our problems. We all have our ghosts and things we fear. We each have our own path to walk. We have been given the choice to choose life or death. We alone are responsible for our own choice. We have the privilege of helping others achieve their destiny. I hope I can somehow encourage you to go beyond where you are. Reach out beyond the pain and find healing, wholeness and the love of the Lord.

There are many ways to reach out to those around us. I chose to use the web because I know there are those who won’t go inside a church building but will venture out on the web. Fear separates us from others, but love brings us back. How do we find the help we need? It is closer than we think. The Lord loves you. Let Him.

If you would like to help, please send your comments to this post. Let me know if you want them to be kept private or would like them made public. For the safety of our readers, each comment is screened. We do receive a lot of spam and have put protocols in place to restrict it. You can also use our contact form to reach us directly for private communication. If you would like to become a part of this ministry, please let us know. You can also link to this post or send this link to others. Tell others of your story. Start your own blog. There are many ways to encourage others. I encourage you to reach out beyond where you are. As you help others, it will be multiplied back to you. That is simply the way the Lord operates. You can’t out give Him. Here’s to you. Here’s to your destiny. Here’s to His body all around this great planet. One day we will be joined hand in hand. One day we will meet each other face to face. One day His peace will rule this earth. Glory to the King of kings. If you would like us to share at a meeting, please use the form and provide the necessary information. Thank you for letting me share with you today. Have a blessed and overcoming life in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Joseph

Comments

What do you do when the love of your life says they want a divorce? What do you do? How do you cope with it and better yet, how do you go on? With some people divorce seems such a trivial thing. I haven’t been able to figure this out. If that person was really committed to the marriage, why didn’t it effect them the same way? I’ve been through several divorces with my mom and two personally and there are no easy answers. Surviving Divorce!

Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:8, 1Corinthians 6:16, and Ephesians 5:31 state similar things. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

How did I make it through my personal divorces, strictly by the grace of God. My first divorce tore me deep inside. As a child, I had determined never to go through a divorce. I thought I could do whatever it took to keep the marriage together. I remember sitting down with my lawyer and asking him what I had to do to keep the marriage together. He simply told me there was nothing I could do. I left his office totally devastated and depressed. My whole world was falling apart and there was nothing I could do to stop it. My precious daughters ages 3 and 1 1/2 were going to be separated from their father. My dad left when I was 3 and this was a blow to my hopes. I felt hopeless and powerless. I was totally devastated. When my second divorce happened it tore me even deeper than this. I felt like I was punch drunk and I simply didn’t know what to do next. I felt like a total failure and I wanted it to be all over.

In everything I’ve gone through, I’ve been fortunate to have had a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. He never left me, even in my deepest, darkest moments of despair. Over the years I have gained a lot of understanding from these experiences and I am now able to identify with others who are going through these same situations. Please know that sometimes things just happen. It doesn’t make you any less of a person. Father has given everyone the right to make their own choices. Everyone has ghosts in their closets. There are things we hide inside to protect ourselves. There are triggers that pop up from things that have happened to us in the past and then we react rather than respond. I could go on and on but the main thing is that we must go on. Take the time we need to find strength and healing. If you don’t know the Lord, this is a good time to start. If you do, know that you haven’t failed Him. He loves you so much. If you have made a mistake or a bunch of them, His forgiveness is yours for the asking and so is His healing touch. He is personal. You don’t have to be around others to experience His love, but it might help. He will meet you where you are. If you need someone to talk to, ask Him to put someone in your path and to show you who they are. Remember they are just human and they aren’t perfect, so don’t expect them to know everything. The Lord on the other hand is perfect and will help you through everything. Trust Him as you are around others.

I had a lot of people around me, but they couldn’t see me where I was. A lot of them had good advice, but the timing was off. Sometimes it just takes time to heal. Some miracles are instantaneous, but others develop over time. We don’t always know the outcome. Sometimes relationships can be healed and sometimes they can’t. Trust the Lord that He knows what is best and that He will help you to find your way. People make bad choices and others have to live through them. Let it strengthen you and not tear you down. The pain will lessen. It is possible to go on. The Lord will return more than was taken and cause everything to work for good. Don’t give up.

If you need help and want to write me, please use the contact form on this web site. I do not give out my email on this site because of all of the spam I receive daily, but if you would like me to reply, please use the form and I’ll give you my email address. I am the only one who gets the email. I’ll respond as soon as I can. My wife and I work to support ourselves and this ministry. We will do what we can to help. Just know that there is someone else who is for you. You can go on and you can make it. Dare to reach out. Dare to dream again. Dare to take it one step at a time. You are not alone. If it is possible, try to reach out and help others in some way. This will speed up your healing time. There is just something about giving to others that helps us so much more. Be encouraged. There is life at the end of divorce. Surviving Divorce!

Joseph

Comments

What is passion and purpose? Where does it come from and how can we use it to get us closer to our destiny? How can we grab on to our destiny and still be led by Holy Spirit? Are we driven by our compassion and purpose or His compassion and purpose? Sometimes we can do the right things and still be wrong, usually because of the motive of our heart. We can even speak the truth in certain situations and still be wrong because the timing was wrong. The walk of faith takes obedience rather than sacrifice. Passion & Purpose!

I think that one way to find out if we are operating in our compassion and purpose is to ascertain whether or not we are getting burned out in whatever it is that we are doing. If we are operating in our own desires, we will eventually burn out and get worn out. Whatever the Lord asks us to do, He will provide His anointing and strength. Sometimes we just plain need to get to the end of ourselves to see the difference. It’s okay and it is necessary. Are we going to do everything right? No! Is it going to get easier to hear His voice? Yes! How does a baby learn to walk? He watches others and then keeps trying until he gets it. The more he exercises his muscles and mind the better he gets. It’s the same with walking with the Lord. The more we practice, the better we get. Mistakes are just part of the learning process, they don’t mean failure. Failure is sitting down and giving up. With the Lord, we can’t fail unless we quit.

I just want to encourage you today to not get in a hurry and get all stressed out. If the Lord is in it, it can’t fail. It will come to pass. There will be peace in the midst of the storm. Don’t let the enemy get you all stirred up. Rest and regroup if you must. Keep on going. Keep on walking. Keep on believing. You will succeed no matter how many mistakes you made. I know, I’ve been a good example in making mistakes and I am still on my way. Have a great and wonderful day.

Joseph

Comments

Are we hindered or hampered by a nagging sin or problem that just doesn’t seem to go away? Maybe it is at a certain time of the day or we are in a certain atmosphere or place. Sometimes it can be random and every time it happens it gets us down. How could we have let that happen again? We should have known better. We should have seen it coming. Moving On!

I believe that some of these things are caused by familiar spirits and some of them are just habits. How do you break a habit? There are some who say to just simply start another habit, but this is not always beneficial. How about let’s get rid of the habit with nothing but peace, love, and freedom to replace it. This way we aren’t bound to something else.

What do these habits consist of? They include, but are not limited to the following: depression, anger, drug abuse, bad relationship behaviors, sexual immorality, overindulgence of food or certain foods in general. Most of the time we say, “I am not going to do that again,” only to find out it goes on and on and on.

One of the first things to do, if we can, is to determine the root cause. Why are we doing this? Could it simply be out of a judgment we made at some time in our past? Was there something that was done to us to cause this to reoccur? Did we watch something or witness something traumatic? Were we traumatized? Was it simply bowing to temptation that locked us into the cycle?

Don’t stay in the same place. Sometimes a physical move is necessary. Other times just simply getting out of your comfort zone and hanging out somewhere else will change things. Also, it can be a bad relationship or hanging out with a crowd bent on that way. If it was a judgment we made about someone else and now we are locked into it, we need to forgive them, ask the Lord to forgive us for judging and to release us from the judgment. Sin can open the door to the demonic realm, and in this case a spirit can be attached to the behavior giving it more power. This can be the case in addiction. No matter how hard the person tries to break the habit, there is a stronger force compelling them to continue. Again, we should ask the Lord for His help, find the root, repent and break the power of the spirit’s hold on our life.

Our lives are very complex. We are spiritual beings, we have a soul that is eternal and yet we live in a mortal physical body. Each person sees reality differently. We gather information with our senses and our mind processes it. Based on our knowledge and past, our mind tries to decipher that information and make an assessment. This assessment may be true and accurate or it may be clouded by our judgments, triggers from our past and things that have happened to us. Case in point: Have you ever had a person try to help you in a particular situation, but you reacted like they were going to hurt you or something similar to this? This reaction was not based on truth, however, due to a past occurrence or trigger, you simply reacted before you thought.

How do we move on? I believe we can move on from glory to glory as we lay things down before the Lord and let Him heal us. He knows the right time and when He shows us something we need to deal with it, find the truth about it and correct it. Once it is dealt with and we are healed, we can move on in freedom and strength. We can face our fears with His help and be strengthened to overcome and be victorious.

I once had many fears. I grew up without my dad. I didn’t have that structure to give me a sense of protection. I felt like things kept getting to me to harm me. It was a horrible place to be, but over time I was able to give each fear to Him and He was able to heal me. Perfect love casts out all fear. Fear is the opposite of love. There is no love in fear. A person who grows up in a family atmosphere of love, doesn’t have as much fear as someone who doesn’t. It is the parents love and support that provides a strong foundation for the child to grow. If the child doesn’t have this foundation, he will be unbalanced in these areas. This is why we have so much crime and some children are out of control. It all starts with the family and God’s love.

While Adam and Eve were enveloped in God’s love, they didn’t know fear. If you will take notice to the moment they disobeyed Him, not only did they feel naked, but when the Lord came to meet them they became afraid. Sin separated them from God (LOVE) and FEAR entered into their hearts. I personally believe fear is at the heart of all of our problems. God’s love (true love) is the answer to all of our problems. God’s love is not our definition of love, it is much more. His love contains affection, discipline, mercy, grace, truth, compassion, judgment, etc. It is a complete love. If we truly love someone, we will do what it takes to save them and keep them safe, this includes saying what needs to be said and not just making them feel good.

I hope this has helped you today. May you have a wonderful day and a great life.

Joseph

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The big D’s can shipwreck a successful journey and life. If the enemy can’t get us to quit, his next step is to distract us. There are so many things to do now-a-days. There are so many programs to become involved. A lot of these are even good. In discussing distractions though, it isn’t about good, rather we need to focus on what it best. Dangerous Distractions!

Galatians 5:7 “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.”

1 Corinthians 6:12 “Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything.”

1 Corinthians 10:23 “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive.”

Evidently, Paul thought this subject was very important. Here we have three examples of different scenarios. Please read each of the chapters and you will find some interesting tactics the enemy uses. A lot of politicians use these tactics as well. They give us just enough information to distract us from the real core of topics that really need attention, what do the people want to hear, rather than what do we need to do for this country. The whole election has become a political game based on greed. My faith and rest lie in this truth. The Lord knows the end from the beginning. We know the end of the story. He is the One who turns the hearts of kings and can turn any situation around for good. In short, He will have His way. He will take care of His people. Only His plan and purposes will succeed. Men can plot and plan until they are exhausted, but in the end the truth will prevail.

So how do we know if we are distracted? What are distractions? Distract, according to Merriam-Webster means, “to turn aside, to draw or direct (as one’s attention) to a different object or in different directions at the same time, to stir up or confuse with conflicting emotions or motives.” Do we find ourself in any of these situations? Is our mind still focused on our goal? Is everything we are doing, helping us get closer or are we finding ourself being distracted by other things and even other people?

This can be a difficult situation to analyze. There are so many good programs out there. There are a lot of band wagons to get on. We live in a society that is constantly on the go. We have emails and mobile phones that keep us in constant communication with others. Computers have helped us to do more, much faster and they continue to do so. The problem lies in the fact that we usually want to do more instead of take that time to rest, refocus, and redirect our lives.

What is important? Is it those few extra dollars that keep us away from our family or deprive us from spending quality time with the Lord? Is it entertainment or sports? Is it a good benefit that brings us recognition or the satisfaction of doing something good and feeling good about ourselves while it drains the energy out of us.

What is the truth? What is our purpose? Is any of it real? I used to wonder about these things as a teenager. It was then I met the Lord. The emptiness inside of my heart was filled with His love and it was then I knew there is truth. There is purpose to this life and it is real. I don’t know how to reach others except to write about that which I know. If you are wondering, if you really want to know check it out. It is not by accident you are reading this. You have to know personally if the Lord is real for yourself. I already know. Could it be that your heart is tugging at your thoughts right now? It is okay and it is safe. Find out what your purpose is and your destiny. Ask the Lord. I’ve put together a questionnaire on the web site if you’d like to check it out. I’ve also written other posts to help you out. If you’d like to contact me, please use the form on our contact page. There are four photo montage wallpapers I’ve created to help me keep my focus. You are welcome to use them on your desktop for free. Just click on the thumbs and they’ll open into a larger photo.

I have found that life is not about what we can take or do for ourselves, rather, it is about what we can do for and to help others. This brings us joy and it warms our heart. We always receive back more than we give. Giving cannot be measured in money just the same as wealth. Wealth has very little to do with how much monetary gain we have, but everything to do with who we are and our character. To find ourselves we must give ourselves away. The Lord said, “to find your life, you must lay it down.” Dare to lay down your life and find much more than you could ever imagine. Dare to live and be free.

Joseph

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Has something happened to you that is so bad, you can’t even see how you are going to make it through the day, let alone the rest of your life? Was it a violent act? Was it divorce, the loss of a loved one? Was it the loss of a job, or friendship, sickness or injury? What do you do? Traumatized!

Please keep in mind that most of what I share in my posts is from personal experience. The rest is from experiences others have shared with me. When we read a story or a post, it is sometimes difficult to catch the author’s feelings and emotions as they write. I want you to know that I care about you. It is the only reason I write. This web site wasn’t built to be a money maker, even though we have ways to bring in money to help support it and eventually we want to be able to help others beyond these words of encouragement. I created this site to help people like you and me. My biggest difficulty in writing is wanting to communicate correctly to help ease the pain and suffering of others and somehow offer some means of encouragement without adding to the pain.

I have gone through several different periods in my life of trauma, injury, divorce, job loss, and depression. I know what I have experienced and I have helped others go through some of the same thing and have seen the mighty miracles of the Lord’s love heal time and again. There is hope. There is a way. Just because one path is closed doesn’t mean that there isn’t a better one up ahead. Some of what I call my worst trials have actually saved my soul and life. Had I continued down the path I was on, my life might have been lost for good. The Lord used the bad things in my life to help me understand His love for me. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to me, but because of my choices or someone else’s, they did. Sometimes things just happen.

When we are in these situations, it is hard to hear words of encouragement. It seems like we are all alone, even though we can be in a crowd of friends. It is at these times we need to look deeper inside and take a look at where we are. Now that we are in a stopping place, it might be a good time to take a better look at where we were headed. All of a sudden our focus changes. Things that used to mean the world to us, now look like emptiness. What really matters any more? What is really real? And most of all, who is it that really cares about us? It was at these times I really found out who my friends were. I noticed that there were a lot fewer of them than I thought.

I’ve known about the Lord since I was real small, around the age of 4. It was during these times that I started reaching out to Him. “Lord, if You are really there, show me. I need to know You are real and that you care or there is no reason for me to go on.” Does this sound familiar? The first thing I felt was His presence. There was a warm feeling around me as if I wasn’t all alone anymore. Over a period of time this relationship grew. Sometimes I strayed away, but He always brought me back to Himself. Looking back over the years now, I can see how He walked with me all the way. He wanted me to Himself so that He could show me Who He was. I had so many fears and He took them one at a time and brought me to a place of love that shattered every one. Once He became real in each area, there wasn’t anything that could overpower me in that place again. With each step, I was getting more whole and healed. I look back at all of those areas of weakness and now I see that I am strong. It didn’t happen over night. It is a journey. We can’t know someone instantly. We really don’t know them well at all when everything is going good. It is mainly when things go bad that we find out who we really are as well as those around us. Find out who Jesus Christ is. Ask Him to show you. Start reading the Bible in the book of John and the Psalms. Go on a new journey. Listen for His voice. Hear the wind blowing in the trees and the birds singing their songs to him. All of creation praises Him every day. The sunrises and the sunsets are pictures from Him to us. Even the storms clean the air so that we can breathe fresh air.

If you don’t like this journey, you can always walk away, but if you never try it, you won’t ever know. Take a chance. What do you have to lose? Look at your life right now. What do you need? Where does it hurt? Let the God of creation heal your wounds and make you whole. Simply ask Him.

I noticed that the times I made the fastest changes and received the most healing was when I gave the most. I decided to find others who needed help. This helped me to get my mind off of my situation and the giving started bringing the healing. I was able to forgive others and myself as I made the choice to do so with the Lord’s help. Nothing is impossible! Today is day one. Tomorrow will get here soon enough. Look beyond yourself. Is there someone who needs a smile or an encouraging word. I know you do and I hope this has helped. Pass it on. Here’s to you. You do matter to me and especially to the Lord. Don’t give up. Keep on. Healing, wholeness, love, mercy and peace is yours for the taking.

Joseph

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Is there anything good in this life? Is your glass half empty or is it half full? What does it matter? This is the the main event. The eyes and heart you look through lead you down the path they choose. Glass half full or half empty?

We make hundreds of choices every day. Have you ever stopped and thought about it? We make a decision on whether to sleep in a few more minutes or get right up. What do we wear and why? In what sequence will we do everything this morning? The list goes on and on. Now, what has a major influence on each choice we make? It is our eyes and our heart. What is the mood we wake up in? Are we happy or are we depressed? What do our eyes see? What do our eyes want that we might not be able to obtain? Can you see where I am going with this?

Is your glass half empty or is it half full? The logical answer to this question is correct no matter which choice we make. However, the way we see the glass will influence every decision we make, either to take us down a path that is good or one that will add misery. Now, when we talk about this choice between glasses, we come to the realization that we need to make a choice previous to the one concerning the glasses. What are we going to focus on each day? Do we choose to look at the good things in each day and dwell on them or do we focus on all the bad that happened? If we make a choice to start focusing on the good in each day, when we are faced with the question about the glass, we find that the choice has already been made. IT IS HALF FULL. This means that we have an expectancy that the glass is going to get fuller. Someone who sees it half empty is already expecting it to be emptied.

Let’s focus on the glass half full scenario for this section. I wake up in the morning and it is raining and there is a hole in my roof and water is pouring in on the floor. The storm knocked over a tree and it landed on my car. How do I respond? If the glass is half full, the worst part of my day has already happened, so everything that happens from this point on must be good. I need some encouragement so I am going to get dressed and find out how the rest of this day is going to turn out great.

Now, let’s take the glass half empty scenario and use the sequence of events above for it. What do you think might be different? What do you think the outcome will be? What was the expectation from the beginning?

Can we see that choice impacts our attitudes? It is not about changing our attitudes. It is totally about the choices we make that lead us down the paths we choose to walk everyday. We need to make intelligent choices to get to the place we want to be.

The Lord simply says, “Choose Life! I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6 What choice will you make? I hope this makes sense. All of my life I’ve heard these words, “All you have to do is change your attitude.” Do you need to forgive someone? It is not about how you feel about it, it is simply a choice. If we make the choice, with His help, our attitude will line up with the choice.

Somehow we need to grasp this concept. If we can separate our emotions for just a moment, we can make the right choices. If something bad happens to us, let us not make a quick choice based on our reaction. If we can, let us wait until the heat of the moment passes and then make an intelligent decision.

I really hope this helps you. As I was writing this, I began to gain understanding. I make far fewer emotional choices now than I used to. As a result, I reap better rewards. Things happen. Life sometimes dumps on our doorstep. When it does, remember, greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world. Tomorrow will be different. One day at a time. The glass is half full. It is being filled.

My prayer for all of us is that we walk in His grace, mercy, peace and love. May we explore the depths of His love. May we know Him and walk with Him each and every day of our lives. May He guide our every step and lead us down the path of life.

Joseph

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