Simple is the new black!

Hello All! Today's PROOF comes from my days of making a bologna sandwich difficult! I remember how everything had to be long and drawn out. I used to tell people things by convincing them through long drawn out repetitive speeches that what I was saying was the thing they needed to know or do. Other times I would think so much about something that had a truly simple solution but instead it would paralyze me! I would think myself right into stuck. I would think of all the angles of some proposed thought, idea or action and get so confused; that fear of failure would take hold and I wouldn't be able to do anything! The point is everything was a chore and not just for me! Those around me would be either lost, confused or most often, ANNOYED!

After working on myself and developing this new found relationship of intimacy with God; I learned that nothing in God's world and will is complicated! He doesn't put too hard of terms on those that seek him. Seek him, hmmm, that is the key! I just have to seek him through prayer and meditation! I go to him with prayers that ask for the removal of specific issues that plagued me for years and this way a clear channel will be there for me to receive his guidance. The guidance of what he wants from me and for me! He will even lay the steps out before me so that I will have a simple plan which if I leave it alone, will be precise and effective! Notice the difference from the prior version of me! This version wants nothing to do with the plan and the coercion of said plans or of others! The only plan I have in mind is God's plan, and I do what is put in front of me each day so that I may keep it simple and not veer from the plan. How do I know it is the plan? That's easy! I just do what is right, correct and good as it relates to the tasks of the day as they reveal themselves, and then I know I am in God's will. How because he simply wants me to do good not bad and right not wrong! That is his will for me in all things! God Bless You ALL!

Self care shouldn't be rare!

Hello ALL! Today's proof comes to you in the form of self care! For my young life and early adulthood I thought self care was maybe sitting back with a beer on the porch by the pool. This always ended up drunk and eventually high somewhere! Then there were the early spring days when the weather would turn nice and I would go to a park and smoke weed to get peace and usher in the wonderful days ahead which always turned to hard drugs and drinking to come down from the horrid high. Obviously, my idea of taking care of myself was skewed to say the least. Then when I got sober self care turned into going to meetings, working with others, prayer and meditation of some form.

Now as I move forward to now, those three things are still very evident but I do them for different reasons. I no longer go to meetings with the intention of getting what I need. I attend now to see who I can help and share with, and of course, if I get something to use I will most certainly take it! This brings me closer to God and my fellow man which makes me happy and peaceful which is taking care of myself! In addition when I help others today I don't do it to just stay sober, I do it to help folks find God and grow his kingdom which brings a sense of happiness and peace that no joint on a sunny day could ever provide! This brings me closer to God and i get to see my value in his reflection! That is self care! Now, I don't pray just to stay sober. Today, I pray and meditate to clear out all the selfishness possible, so that I may be an open channel for and to God! This is so I may serve him and his kids in a way that glorifies him! This brings joy to my heart knowing I am close to his heart and that brings peace and happiness to my heart! As you can see; all of this brings happiness and joy to my heart which is provided by God. I get closer and closer to his vision for me each and every day I do this. I do these things daily so that I don't have to have days where I feel anxious, scared or emotionally exhausted. Even on days when I don't do all of these things together and I get a little anxious, I turn to God and ask for peace and boom, it comes! Why? Because I do these things most everyday, and I see God bring peace, happiness and strength to my heart, mind, body and spirit, over and over, and my faith grows. Then the idea of summoning help for anything, right here and right now, is not only fathomable, it is expected. He told me his yolk was light and to cast my burdens on him. He said this as a message of self care. When we can't, he can, and we just need to let him. The alternative, all that insanity I mentioned earlier, and I have no interest in it! Truth is, if there is anything even remotely close to me that can take away from the health of my heart, mind, body or spirit; I instantly turn the other way! For instance, I have been single for a long time. I have had opportunities because they had multiple traits of past ex's. I turned away kindly and moved on. I have learned through experience what those traits generally provide and that robbed me of my peace in the past and my peace is priceless. I would stay single forever if it was required to keep my peace. Yes, there may be certain things sacrificed but my peace and happiness aren't going to be! This is self care!

Now attach that thinking to any area of your life and watch how easy life gets. You will find that difficulties will become much less strenuous and you will rebound quickly! I love a lot of people because I love God and he has put his love for others in my heart. That doesn't mean I have to love in a way that will hurt me or anyone. 99% of the time you will be hard pressed to get me angry or argue with you. The reason for this is I want to stay happy and peaceful, and again, that is self care! The kicker is this. If you need anything I can help with, I have your back in any way I can, and you don't even have to like me. Your God's kid and helping any one of God's kids brings me close to God, and that brings peace and happiness! You may have notice that I have said peace and happiness many times this evening! Well, if I am peaceful and happy, then I must be good at taking care of myself, and that means I have spent a lot of time submitting to a power way smarter and greater than I. I do this because he provides that peace and that happiness which I could never earn. I can only receive it through his amazing grace and mercy. He said give me your burden and so I do, and everyday, he makes my yolk lite! Upshot, Go to God all day and everyday and watch your faith Grow and suddenly peace and happiness are no longer an option! They become the norm! Have at it my friends, I promise you will never be disappointed. All he asks from us is the consistent effort to seek and do his will for us! God Bless you ALL!

When I am the Problem God is the answer!

Hello All! Today's PROOF comes in the form of being real with ourselves. I know that no matter what is happening, if I am feeling disturbed, I have a part in that! I can be annoyed that someone didn't include me in something and make it personal by saying to myself they don't like me and that must mean I am unworthy of their attention. So why am I the problem in this scenario? Well, maybe they did a couples thing and didn't want me to feel uncomfortable or maybe they forgot or maybe they only had enough room for so many people! The point is I can turn it into a personal attack on my heart when in reality it is me being insecure or in need of attention or complete self demoralization etc etc etc! That is how I used to take something innocent and not even remotely about me and turn it into something those folks don't deserve to have put on them! I would get angry, resentful, hurt and take it out on myself in terrible ways. But, I said I used to do these things! Today when I walk in a room and two people are across the room talking and look back at me when they see me come in and stop talking and then go back to quietly speaking; I know it's not that they were talking about me and stopped. It is because they heard me come in and it caught their attention and then went back talking amongst themselves! Today I see them and wave and when they are done I say hello! Today, even if I wasn't invited to something because someone that is coming doesn't like me, I can be ok with knowing not all of us are for all of us. I am not less than anymore and they aren't either.

This fundamental change came through discovering God and developing an intimate relationship with him! This allowed me to see that I am his worthwhile child and if I am worthwhile to him, I certainly can be to me! So if I know I am worthwhile and I love myself because the almighty God does, then nothing can ever make me doubt myself and my worth ever again. This is how I have learned to live and let live and love my neighbor as my Father would want me to. Since I have been practicing this way of LIFE, I no longer have those moments of wondering why someone isn't this that or the other with me. The reality is I am invited pretty much everywhere. I have so many people who say they are my friend and love me it is mind boggling; considering where I came from! I couldn't trust a soul for most of my LIFE and as a result I couldn't be trusted. Now I trust humans to be just that human! Flaws and all we are all still worthwhile children of God. So when you are feeling insecure or hurt or resentful; take a deep breath and get with God. Then ask for direction and peace regarding the situation and then go put your hand out to everyone you see and say hello, How are you? Then they will share with you and then suddenly they will ask you and bam, a friendship develops as they see who you are and you see who they are. Suddenly it becomes clear that we are just trying to do our best. Then we will be able to be supportive of each other and realize that we are all worthwhile children of God just trying to find our way through this life with a sense of Grace and dignity! Love you and God BLESS YOU ALL!