Be the Change no. 45

"Everyone chooses their level of involvement. We might share the same place BUT that does not mean we share the same space. Not everyone in the congregation is Christian."

Be the Change.

I and these blog posts are not going anywhere. They are a part of my journey and my testimony. They are a road map of my change over the past fourteen days. Going from someone afraid and struggling to someone that is filling with joy and hope. I am not anywhere near where I want to be BUT I am working on that every single day. Waking up and getting my focus on making myself better in mind, body, and spirits is a path that I walk alone with God, however, it is a walk I will continue to share because I think it needs be shared. I am not going to hide the change and the journey.

I am making some more progress through the book of Exodus and reading about the Israelites struggling with getting free. I think I struggle with getting free just like them. It is so easy to want to go back to the familiar ruts of routine that allow you to be a prisoner. The Israelites complained that they would have just stayed in Egypt as slaves rather than be free with Moses because life was a struggle in the wilderness. Life is always a struggle whether we are in bondage or in the wilderness struggling to get free. Getting free takes a lot of faith in the process, getting free takes changing your routine, getting free takes changing your life, and that is not easy for me and it wasn’t easy for the Israelites either. Their struggle, my struggle, your struggle is not unique. Getting free is a lot of work.

The great joy in getting free is knowing that it can happen. Through reading the Bible and trusting in God’s plan, I am seeing that freedom is not only a possibility BUT a requirement for my life. And I am working every day on maintaining that freedom. It’s not a one and done sort of thing. It’s a process that I have to work on daily. I get up every day and commit myself to the journey and I have to pause during the day to make sure I am still on the path and recommit myself throughout the day. The journey is a struggle BUT it is worth the change. The change is where I want to be.

So, I am not going anywhere in this space. I will be here as always posting about my journey and sharing the good news. I am here for your fellowship, your questions, your concerns, your kind words, your instruction, and all that you have to offer in return. I am going to keep giving what I can as I journey along with my change.

Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyBodyMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #BeTheChange

Personal Meditation no. 187

“There is a lot to be thankful for if you know how to look. There is a lot to be angry about if you fail to look correctly.”

Embrace the Within.

Driving back to the land of my birth always fills me with wonder and memory. I am glad to not live where I was born and it makes me wonder about how folks can live where they were born and not feel disconnected from it because everything holds a memory. When I drive into Smithsburg and Leitersburg and even Hagerstown, there are many wonderful memories that come back to me from my youth. After over twenty years of living away from the mountains, there are a lot of things I don’t really consider until I get back there. I am thankful for that time I spent there growing up and learning about life.

I am still growing up and learning about life. Learning is an important part of keeping your brain active and healthy. So, I am constantly reading and thinking about any number of ideas at one time. The main thing that is back on my foreground is the Bible and the teachings that are within. Over the past couple weeks I have dedicated myself to reading the whole thing from cover to cover with all the books that didn’t make it into the Western version as well. So far, I am in the book of Exodus and already getting a better chronological understanding of the stories I remember from my youth at Mount Pleasant church on the mountain. I might know the stories from when I was kid BUT I am reading the Bible from cover to cover because I want a better perspective now that I am an old man. I want to see what is going on in every part of the book and not just take other people’s word or teaching for it. I want to go straight to the source.

So, as I continue my study of the Bible you are going to see a lot more Biblical quotes and ideas because that is what I am filling my days in learning. I am done with all that I can learn from myself at this point. I have seen the ends of what my own work can get me and it has been quite substantial. I have worked on making myself prepared for the food shortages that are sure to come. I have worked on cleaning up my body and the food I use to fuel it. I have worked on exercising my brain and muscles daily in order to feel better. BUT the one thing that hasn’t received a lot of attention over the past fourteen days is my spiritual component. And that is where I want to focus now.

I am still waking up every day and working out my mind and muscles. I am still drinking water and eating whole foods. I am still reading and writing about those things I read, just now that is going to be primarily focused on one book, the Bible. I am thankful for getting this far on the journey on my own BUT I think it’s time to look for a little more help from within me. And as I continue this journey of mental, physical, and spiritual health, I look forward to seeing where it continues. I have a lot of good friends out there pointing in directions and giving me bread crumbs along the way BUT this is a journey I am taking alone with God. I am thankful for you accompanying me so far on that journey and invite you to continue to read along if you so choose.

Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyBodyMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #EmbracetheWithin