The line between failure and success is so fine that we are often on the line and do not know it. How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience, would have achieved success. A little more effort, and what seems hopeless failure, may turn to glorious success. – Elbert Hubbard
Tag Archives: hope
No Artist is Pleased
No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others. – Martha Graham
The Good Thing About Pain
The good thing about pain is that it breaks down the walls of your ego, tones back relentless ambitions, and forces you into the present – enhancing your awareness of and appreciation for all of the people in your life. As it is through and with these people, that you can once again experience moments of joy.
My Philosophy on Forgiveness
If it were up to me and me alone, I’d make you feel the pain and hurt you just as you’ve hurt me. But I know a route that starts with love and ends in love, just like a circle. It’s a healing route; life changing and fulfilling all the same. And so I choose to take with you, the path that Jesus took with me. It is the only path that works and my hope rests in its effectiveness.
I Have No Questions That God Chose Me
I have no questions that God chose me. How can I be so sure? Because I believe in Him and Jesus Christ as my Savior. I could not have come to this belief by my own free will. It can only be explained by the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace at work within me.
I am quite certain that He chose me because if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him. And it must be true in my case that He chose me before I was born, because He certainly would never have chosen me afterwards. And I know that He elected me for reasons unbeknownst to me, because I could never find any reason in myself why He should look upon me with such unconditional love.
The Amazing Capacity of Humans
We, as humans, have this amazing capacity to be reborn every day. We can sit at breakfast each morning and declare, “Today is a new day! What am I going to do and who am I going to be?” Talk about a breakfast of champions…
God – The Master Craftsman
This morning as I was walking my dog before work, I had a moment of clarity and awe that I want to now share with you.
The weather is getting warmer here and the birds were out in full force this morning. It occurred to me just how complex their way of being is. Together, they formed a cacophony of sounds which I can only assume were claims of territory. They all appeared to be staking out their domain in preparation for Spring.
God, who made us, also made these birds and formed the complex system by which they operate. How amazing! Knowing this, I wonder, how can we ever doubt God’s goodness and love?! It only takes a few short minutes of observing the birds to know that He is a master of detail.
This should put a lot into perspective when you really stop to consider it. As complex as He made the birds, He made us with that much more precision. And although this complexity contributes to much of our anxiety and confusion on Earth, it shouldn’t. It is this very complexity that should, instead, overwhelm us with wonder and direct out eyes in awe towards the Master Craftsman who created it all.
Each of us are beautifully and uniquely designed in our own right, by a God who cares deeply about every last detail of our lives, even the birds.
You Can’t Take Someone Down From Their Own Cross
It’s hard to see someone you love in pain. It’s an instinct of love, I think, to want to help the other. But who are we to say pain is a bad thing?
You can spend hours, days, weeks, or even years trying to help your loved one heal. But you have to protect yourself in the process because you alone, of course, cannot heal them. You can’t take someone down from their own cross.
A Personal Post on Love and Loss
Truth is, he is the love of my life. And that will never change. But he is the love of that life. No doubt in my mind he was the soul mate for that me. But when you lose someone who is the most important part of your life, your world changes. And so do you. Inevitably and irreversibly, you’re not the same person you were. And now I understand, there’s going to be another perfect person for the new me. Another love of my new life. And that person will in no way undermine his position in my heart.
Some people only get to live one life, but I’ve been given two. Perhaps, as we each navigate this world and our relationships, we can all see it as a new life each time we cycle round and round.
Finally, I realize there is no better way to honor him and our love then by embracing my new life and finding a new person to love. I am ready.
We’re Blessed
Most of us agree: we’re blessed. Our lives are full of good things like family, friendship, love, career, success, money, food, music, nature and on and on. But let us remember these good things for what they are: gifts. Rather than clinging to or obsessing over any of these gifts, may we instead cling to and become obsessed with the Giver of all good gifts.
