Knowing when to call it…Putting God First

This morning, I found this article to which really got me thinking.  Conclusion: Money isn’t everything if you aren’t happy or satisfied with what you are doing.  Offensive lineman John Moffitt of the Denver Broncos has decided after season 3 to retire.  Money wasn’t everything to him to sacrifice his body for the name of the sport when the passion or happiness factor wasn’t there.  Smart man.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/offensive-lineman-john-moffitt-walks-away-nfl-says-211429267–nfl.html

How many times have you sucked it up and thought you were doing something that you WANTED to do?  How many times have you realized what you thought to have been a very rewarding decision and choice really wasn’t what you thought it was?  The fact is, life is really about making every decision count.  We make right decisions and we make wrong decision.  Life is about learning.  Life too must be lived ON purpose.  If you don’t live a life worth your passion, sanity, and one that is desired then maybe it is time to look at priorities.

I was always raised to put God first.  As human beings….as selfish human beings…we always try to do it our way.  We try to make everything about what we want to get out of life.  That is a little backwards in my opinion.  Life really isn’t about us anyways.  Sounds like a contradiction, ehh?  Let me explain.  God created each and everyone of us with a specific purpose and need in mind.  He didn’t intend for money to be everything.  He should be our everything.  It is through our relationship with God that we come to know the person He created.  We find out about our strengths and weaknesses and just how much we should be depending on God for our guidance in this journey.  We will not find our way by chasing what we think will make us happy.  We will never be fulfilled by putting ourselves first.

Here is a really amazing blog post by Joyce Meyer’s Ministries to which explains what I mean.  http://www.joycemeyer.org/articles/ea.aspx?article=putting_god_first_in_your_priorities

When you put God first, you start to notice things that maybe you wouldn’t have even glanced or thought twice about.  Take for an instance, walking around.  Have you seen the same street bum begging on the corner?  Have you ever really thought about why this individual is there?  Or what their story is?  Or do you consider yourself an elite individual with your clique of friends only.  You keep a tight reign and no one else can be let in to the “inner circle”.  News flash…there is always someone that is feeling left out.  Have you noticed that person lately?  Have you taken into consideration their feelings?  Have you decided to do anything about it?

When you put God first, you realize that He loves each and everyone of us as though we are the only person that existed.  He never abandons us and many times falls quiet as to test us.  When you feel that He is the furthest away–He is simply right around the corner.  I think for me, one of the hardest things to realize is that Jesus is in every single person.  He is!  Have you looked deeply into a strangers eyes?  Have you ever just felt this calm love?  Or maybe not….I guess that would be kind of weird, right?

I do feel that when I am having a rough day, He sends little angels to remind me “Hey goof…life is not all bad!  I am still right here walking this road with you!!”  It never seems to fail when things go array, I am always exactly where I need to be.  Whether it is for my benefit or the other persons.

When you put God first, perspective comes.  It is not right away or with ease to which that happens, but eventually it will come.  When you put God first, your passions meet obedience.  We are so narrow-minded as human beings as to think we can put limits on God’s love for us.  God can do anything.  TRULY.  God will guide us toward our passions and love if we simply ask and follow Him.  This is a hard thing for an extremely independent little woman to get through her thick skull.  I need to stop whining and just go bring everything directly to God.  God has always been there consistently.  Why do I always forget that?

http://pniridescent.com/2013/07/16/when-we-put-god-first/

This week has been a stressful week.  I put a lot of this stress on myself without realizing my load is nothing compared to others.  My cross to bear, is my cross.  I need to remember not to push my cross on others as I do not want to tip them.  I am grateful that others allow me to vent.  I am grateful that I have such a support group and cheerleading section making sure that I am still sane.  I am so grateful for the reminders God places in my life to which keeps me afloat.  But, I need to remember to know when to call it for my sake.  I needed to remember that God comes first and know to call it quits to me being selfish.  It’s God’s will not my own.  He will always provide as long as I am listening and obedient to Him.

Today I want to challenge each and every one of my readers, do you truly put God first?  Are you truly seeking Him and His plan for you in each decision?  Are you using your gifts to the best of your ability?  Just look at yourself reflectively today.  Be thankful for who you are today.  Be thankful for where you are at on your journey.  Be thankful for your support group.  Becoming is a hard long road of faith.  The end result will be well worth its while!

CatMan

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Love’s ups and downs

Love, like faith, cannot be based on a feeling for feelings come and go as they please. Love has to have something more sustaining rooting-in verse a high and low feeling. Love should be rooted-in truth. We should strive to love consistently across the board. This being said, it will help us to discern what is really love and what is infatuation.

Love is there even though it’s not expressed in a blatant fashion. Love can be tough. It’s hard to look honestly at a person and tell the truth to their face, but love stands for the truth. If a person gets mad at your honesty, that is their misunderstanding not yours.

Love shouldn’t be confused with feelings either because feelings indicate a fondness for a person, but love is more than that. Feelings are an indicator that love might be present….then careful discernment should occur.

Love is patient, love is kind….

❤ The CatMan

Restore faith in yourself…

–One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.– Lucille Ball  (LOVE HER BY THE WAY….)

Image from: http://www.hissandpop.com/celebrities/b/lucilleball/

I lOVE Lucy….no not the show, although I watched it frequently as a child.  Lucille Ball is one of my favorite all time actresses.  I think because I can relate with her uncanny timing, laughter, and “well poop” situations.  It never failed that she could always get herself in trouble.  But, the witty actress had a great humor and could get even the deepest ‘Negative Nancy’s’  to laugh.  Humor was a great way this star kept things light.  It never seemed to fail that she was going to find herself in a predicament and then you would  hear a  “LLLUUUUUUUUCCCCCCYYYYYYY” (of course) in a Cuban accent.   She never gave up on herself and never gave up faith to keep being a great actress.  She kept a great outlook along the way…

One very hard thing to understand is why things happen the way they do.  Why is it that good people have bad things happen?  Well that is just life.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig4jbcU9db0 .  So in order to “cope with life” we must keep things in their respective places with perspective.  Let’s not make anything a bigger deal than what it is and if we have a problem with someone or something let’s strive to get past it.  Holding on to those negative feelings or ideas will never ever do anything for you.

Today as we go through our life and coping, if our perspective is out of whack, then let’s shift our focus inward and see what is REALLY going on!  Normally when my perspective is off kilter, it is nothing the other person or thing has done at this point.  It is nine times out of ten my lack of understanding that is what causes it.  The initial bad thing happened.  OK it’s done and let it lie there.  No need to continue dragging the event out past the initial.  So then that needs to be filed away, but keep in mind if a certain person is always causing you grief it might behoove you to reexamine this relationship with them in regards to your own personal and mental health.

Next, when you feel life is shaking you from your very core, remember your values and believes.  If you have a solid foundation then stand up and stand firm!  Stand strong.  Nothing can harm you at this point in the game.  Finally, restore faith in yourself and like Lucille Ball said, “…it doesn’t pay to get discouraged”.  Stay positive and you will go far…

Step 1:  Keep everything in perspective.

Step 2: When something goes wrong, find a solution, don’t dwell on it and move on as quick as possible…

Step 3:  Stand firm in your values and believes.

Step 4:  Have faith in yourself and don’t get discouraged.

What can you do today to keep yourself in check?  Stay positive?

❤

“Misfits”

“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes…the ones who see things differently – they’re not fond of rules…You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things…they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”   –Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

Image from: http://www.powerfulintentions.org/profiles/blog/list?user=2q5sclh4yz1nl

What a great reminder that it is more than OK to be different!  Have courage and faith to stand firm in who you are.  Find out what your made of so you can capitalize on it!  OWN IT.  There is only one of you.  You have a great and awesome purpose here so don’t waste another moment in your pity party.  Go figure out what you have to offer people and this world and shoot for the moon!  Look where it got Steve Jobs…RIP.

❤ CatMan

 

You can’t teach compassion!

You can’t have a light without a dark to stick it in.
– Arlo Guthrie

Today I start with this quote.  I say this because I am sick of being in a funk.  Bad days….good days…its life!  Life is all about what you make of it.  Part of this funk includes a harsh realization of who my friends really are and whom of which I can depend on…which surprisingly enough are a TON.

Friends make everything better.  If they are sincerely your friend, they will be there with you in heart, soul, love, and in your life!  When they exit, they really aren’t leaving for good but just taking a vacation.  So many times we get bogged down with the everyday grind that it’s difficult to see the light.  Friends get you to refocus yourself back on the light.  They can untangle the mess your in and help you get back on track.

Isn’t it amazing how well things work out when we keep things in perspective?  That bad day we had three weeks ago doesn’t seem all that bad now.  You survived!  It is inevitable that you are going to have more bad days to come…can you survive those too?  YES!  Yes you can.  Keep yourself in check and support those in their efforts.  Be a friend.

There are different levels of friendship but a friend is a friend none the less.  Keep an open and understanding heart to all those who are in your life and even to those who aren’t.  Did you know that you can be a friend to a complete stranger?  Amazing isn’t it?!  Stay positive for yourself first and foremost.  Stay positive and strong for those around you.  Be kind to everyone…not just those who you consider friends.  I love this quote by Plato, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle”.  But, most of all have compassion toward all.

 

Aren't the hands of kindness so beautiful?

 

 

Everyone struggles with their life.  No one said life was going to be easy.  Doing the right thing, being there for someone even when it is inconvenient for you, loving someone even though they don’t love you back…these are all hard things to do but, if practiced often it helps keep things in perspective.  When practiced, you shift your whole outlook on humanity, yourself, others, your relationship with others…etc.

I cannot teach you to be positive.  I cannot teach you kindness.  I cannot teach you to be compassionate.  I can show you how to be positive, kind, and compassionate though!

 

Be an unexpected Angel...there's an element of surprise!

 

 

Reach out.  Be a friend to someone today.  They might really need someone’s kind words to help them thru their unheard battles.  They might just really need someone to listen or take interest in them.  Or maybe just a heartfelt encouraging note.  It doesn’t take much to be a friend.  It merely takes a simple act of love.  This is so fitting…http://www.actoflovefoundation.org/.

 

Expect nothing. Gain everything!