FOCUS ON THE FUTURE, BUT ENJOY THE PRESENT

Hello Friends,

I recently realized that I was too focused on the future; so focused in fact, that I started neglecting the things in the present. Now don't get me wrong, it is important to have goals, and life requires that we have goals in order for our life to be a success, however, we should never be so focused on the future that we begin to ignore all of the blessings we have in the present.  Ecclesiastes 8:15 says - ".. A man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labor the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun."

We should always strive for perfection, but we should never let that focus distract us from the good things that are happening in our everyday lives. I found that in the past, all my focus was on reaching and exceeding my goals, this caused me to become especially upset when I would reach a roadblock. And might I add that roadblocks are healthy from time to time as they will help you build character, and they can help you become grateful for all the times that life goes well. 

I have met so many people who have been depressed in their everyday lives. The main sign of this is laziness. I have witnessed many people, who just sit around without truly enjoying the things God has given them. We are too quick to just waist time, when we should be reading, having wholesome conversations with people, conducting Bible studies, and doing little healthy things to treat ourselves. It is very important that we stay positive and stay productive at working toward our happiness.

Now after some thought and prayer, I am still focused on my goals, but my attention is also on the good things in my life. We all have things to be thankful for in our lives, such as: family, friends, hobbies, food, work, God's grace, etc. We just need to remember to be grateful and thankful for all that God has done for us, and to remember that we are blessed in both the present and the future.

God Bless,

Noah Brewster

TAKE CONTROL!!!

Hello Friends,

Something has had me quite perplexed lately. More and more I keep seeing people doing and saying things that can be harmful to themselves and to others around them. When I witness these things, I can't help but think these people either can't control themselves, or worse yet, that they just don't want to. 

Self control is key in sustaining a positive and healthy atmosphere. To further grasp this thought, let's look at what it means.  According to Wikipedia, Self Control is the ability to control one's emotions and desires, especially in difficult situations.  Now I understand it may be difficult to do this, especially if you are use to living a certain way, but it is very important that we control our thoughts and our actions in order to make a better future for ourselves and for others. Like Trainerbobonline.com states repeatedly - "You must TAKE CONTROL."

Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control." - Proverbs 25:28.

In this day and age so many people struggle with refraining from using bad language, making harmful jokes, thinking immoral thoughts, influencing people in a negative way, etc. Whether you are a Christian or not, I think you'd agree that we should always try to control ourselves.

I have had such a difficult time meeting quality people because they can't seem to stay morally upright and professional. This frustrates me because I care about everyone, and sometimes it seems like I care about them more than they seem to care about themselves. I guess this is probably how God feels, but nonetheless it should change.

I am going to continue to self evaluate my thoughts and actions, and I would ask that you do the same. To make a better future for ourselves, we need to take control and refrain from letting emotion and fleshly desires to dictate what we do.  I think this is a very reasonable, yet crucial thing to do.

God Bless