Getting his legs back.

I have been pretty busy lately and it has really been going well. It is nice to have things going well, isn't it? I have been reading several books that would be considered self-help books. They always make me sit and think about what I am doing and where I am at and how things are going.

The first book that I read is called "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge. What I got most from this is that men have dreams that they developed during childhood, but for some reason a lot of us have been wounded during our life causing us to lose those dreams and we are never fulfilled. Our legs get chopped off, so to speak, and most of us never get them back. This book helps you to discover the wounds and heal them allowing you to get your dreams back and move on. Of course this is the simplified version as it takes more than just reading to get back to where we need to be.. Thing is I am working on it and it is refreshing.

I also reread a second book called "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. This book talks about using the law of attraction to better your life. Releasing the negative thoughts and putting positive thoughts in our mind to attract the positive things that we want in our lives. Again, this is simplified but it really has a lot of good things to consider in order to change your life and make it what you want it to be. I am following up the reading of this book with a book titled "There is More to the Secret" by Ed Gunger who puts a more Christian side to the Secret. I am finding this very interesting and actually pretty helpful reading. I guess what is helping me is that I am putting more positive thoughts in my head and trying to direct my ways to what are good. I know the bad things are still out there and I can learn from them also in developing my life but to concentrate on and bring the positive things that I want into my thought patterns is helping me to be happier.

A few other things that I have done is to join a few journey groups. These are associated with my church. One is a all men group and we are able to hear a short talk that is designed to get us thinking about where we have been and where we want to be, developing us into the men that we should be. Then we get a chance to air out what is on our mind. We don't try to help each other during this. We are able to sit and listen or tell our story, helping us to band together. That way we know that we are not alone in our situations. Knowing that I am not the only one going through these things is very helpful. The second group is a singles group filled with people, men and women, that are single and of or about the same age as I am. This was a hard group for me to find but I am so glad I did. Being around others that have gone through divorce and so forth is pretty good because again, we share a lot of the same stories. We don't discuss our past but we have a study that we are following and as we are mostly going through or have gone through similar stories we have similar insight as to what the study is about. It is really a nice group to be part of specially when you don't have to worry about trying to hook up with anyone. Now I am sure some do hook up but that is not the reason for the group. We get to hear different thoughts from both sides or in some cases multiple sides. Its pretty refreshing actually.

My thoughts right now are pretty excited actually. I am looking forward to seeing where I am in a couple of months or in the next year. Seeing if I have gotten my legs back, becoming the man that I can be. Knowing that I can do this while hearing from and about others, developing my way from and through the help of others, not depending on myself alone to get through life. Of course knowing that God is right there all the time guiding my path as I go along.

being able to do all things.

Philippians 4:13 (New American Standard Bible)

I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me.

How many times have you seen this verse used as a favorite verse or a life's verse? Maybe it is your favorite verse during trying or difficult times. I have seen it used so many times I could not even count. But to what extent do we really believe this. Sure, we go through difficult times or look at tasks that we have been assigned and we say... "I can do all things", but do we really think it can be done.

I am sitting here watching the Star Wars Trilogy, (the original episodes IV, V, and VI), as Luke is going through his training with Yoda and his faith is so shallow. Yoda tells Luke he must feel the "force" around you and Luke states ... "you want the impossible". Then Yoda proceeds to lift the ship out of the swamp. What does Luke then say. " I don't believe it." Yoda's response, "That is why you fail." Luke tried and failed at doing it himself and became discouraged. He has seen the "force" work but for some reason he just can not commit himself to really believing it is there for him to use.

How many times do we fail when things get tough, or seem impossible? Though we use that verse (Philippians 4:13) we still do not believe it. Our faith becomes shallow. Not that we want to raise a car out of a swamp or move some other object. But we have things that come before us that are a challenge and are impossible to do on our own. We should believe that if Christ is with us and if there is any way possible for us to lift a car, stack some rocks, or whatever, that we will be able to do it.

Just as the "force" is in all objects, plants, animals and all around us so is our God. Now I know I am not exactly where I should be with my walk with God but I am trying to understand where I do need to be. I will fail and mess up, losing some of my belief at times, but I am going to keep on trying and moving forward. What we need to do with this verse is remember what follows I can do all things.... it is... through Christ, who strengthens me.

On my own there is nothing I can do. Sure I get up every day and do all sorts of things. Am I doing these on my own or is there a power out there helping me to do whatever. I have to believe that there is a God, Christ Jesus, who is allowing me to do anything and everything. Even those things that on the outside look impossible. I get down on myself lots of times when things don't go as I expect. Sometimes I try to do things that seem impossible and fail. We all do this but what we need to realize is that sometimes we just are not meant to do things at this precise moment. Maybe we need help from others or the time is just not right. It is all a matter of remembering who is really in charge of our daily lives. It is not us.

What am I trying to say in all this? I guess it is that no matter where we are in our lives we have a "force", (Christ), that is right there with us and if we depend on Him and on His strength to strengthen us we can do all things. We have heard the phrase, Let go and let God. I take letting go as realizing that I am not in charge of any situation so I need to let go of each and every one and stop trying to make things happen the way I want them to. Therefore I have to let God have His will and way in each and every situation because it is going to happen His way no matter what.