Check It Out!

Hey everyone! Just a quick post to tell you all about a new blog I'm starting up! It's not replacing this one though so don't worry! My new blog is called A World of A Million Colors and is going to be dedicated to sharing my experiences as I travel and explore. Starting with my fast-coming trip to China this fall! Check it out at http://aworldofamillioncolors.blogspot.com

Looking and Seeing

When you look, do you see?

It can be so easy to misconstrue the two. Some may think they mean the same thing, but the truth is that they are two very different things. You can look at something every day of your life and never really see it.
Take a person for example. Through the hustle and bustle of our daily lives we watch people pass us by. Friends, family, acquaintances, strangers; all parading across the stage of life. We look at them, but how often do we take the time to really see them? to slow down and really get to know them, to see the light of their spirit.

They are more than just faces.

The complexity of humanity is never ending and beautiful. Our individuality brings the spice to life and we should continually be striving to see it. When we let those around us pass by without giving them a second thought we miss out on countless opportunities to grow and learn. We can't be blinded by our cares, our worries, or our prejudices.

So next time you're looking around at the world, take a moment, and just SEE.

-From My Heart to Yours

Freedom from Pain

The other day I was upset. Now, I make it a point in my life to always find the best in every situation and to find the joy in life no matter what, so when I'm upset I do my best to figure out why, and what I can do about it. Sometimes, the best medicine for the wounds of life are friends. :) One friend of mine in particular has helped me back up more times than I can remember. He talked with me and helped me to see the light again. Now I want to share with all of you the wise words he spoke to me that night mixed in with my personal take on them.
Pain is almost always connected to one of two sources: anger, or fear (or both). We feel pain because we either cannot let go of our malice towards a situation, or because we are afraid of inadequacy, rejection, the feelings that might come from facing certain problems, or any number of life's trials thrown our way.
There's is no easy way to free ourselves of pain, but there is a way. We need to face the things we fear, we need to accept our fear, realize it, then have the courage to deny it, and move forward despite the risks. If we are holding onto anger, we must learn the hardest lesson of life, to love. When we can allow ourselves to see the Light of Christ that lives in the spirit's of every son and daughter of God on earth, it is impossible to not let our anger go. For love and hatred cannot and will not ever reside in the same heart.
Pain is an inevitability. Life will hurt. Sometimes we're gonna get a brick to the face for no apparent reason. It's our job to pick ourselves back up, look the world in the eye and say, "I will not back down, I will not give up, and I WILL prevail."
Pain and sorrow only have as much power over us as we allow them to. We have the power to free ourselves from their grasp.
To all of those who are reading this I want you to know one thing: No matter who you are or what you do, you are NEVER alone. God will be forever by your side, all you have to do is reach out and take his hand. My heart is full of the love I have for all of you. It is a blessing every day of my life to be surrounded by brothers and sisters wherever I go. May you all find peace, and may you all feel the infinite and abounding Love of God in your lives.
-from my heart to yours

Perspective

What is perspective? What does it entail, and how do we acquire it? I've had many a long talk about this very subject. In my opinion to gain a good perspective on life is one of the most important things we can do. Perspective is the way we look at life. how we see people and how we interpret the things they do as well as the events that happen in our lives. It affects the way we interact with each other as well as the way we handle difficult situations. A person with a good perspective is able to see everyone they come across and appreciate their individuality and respect their differences. They are able to love people for being different rather than shun them. They learn from their differences. They are also able to gracefully traverse the trials of life, and learn and grow from them. So how do we gain perspective? The biggest suggestion I have is to meet people. The more different kinds of people you can befriend the more you learn. Even more importantly though is to get out of what you're used to. Travel, go someplace you've never been and see how different it is. Go to another country, make friends, appreciate their different culture. Then find the simialarities in everything around you that tie us all together into the great artwork that is humanity.
-From my heart to yours

Forever With Me

Loss comes in many forms. The most obvious of which is , of course, when a loved one passes away. But we feel loss in many other ways as well. Best friends drift apart, a couple breaks up, life gets in the way. Sometimes I look back and I think about all the people that have passed through my life. Some are still here, but there are those whose time with me was brief. Sometimes It makes me sad to think of those people who were so influential in my life, and who I have now drifted so far from. Then I remember that no matter how far away our lives take us, those people will always be with me. They are part of the intertwining fibers that make up the tapestry of who I am. They will always be with me because they are part of me. Each and every spirit that has touched mine has left it's print upon me. I would not be who I am today without them. God sends people to us for a reason, because there is something we are meant to learn. We must cherish every moment and every memory. Never mourn for those we have lost, for they live on forever within us.
-From my heart to yours

Every New Year Means a New Opportunity

Every New Year I like to take a moment and look back. Look back and remember all the things, good and bad, that have happened. If there's one thing I've learned in my life, it is that every single moment has an everlasting impact on who we are and on who we will become. Every day is a new opportunity.
Every year I pick something to focus on in my life. I don't mean the typical resolution. I mean something deeper, some vital part of who I am. This year I've chosen to focus on something that I think is one of the most vital parts of life: Love. I know it sounds cheesy, but I truly believe that if we can learn to love than we can do anything in this life. My New Year's resolution this year is to learn to truly love, and not only to love others but also to love myself. Love is unconditional pure and enduring, but its also unpredictable scary and sometimes a little crazy. But when we are able to open are hearts, look at someone and say, "I know you're not perfect, I know you will make mistakes, and I know that you may even hurt me some day, but I love you regardless", it is the most powerful thing in the world.
-From my heart to yours