Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Head Up

This blog is taking a somewhat new direction, one that is onward and upward with a particular emphasis on the positive and, as the name suggests, keeping a head up and eyes forward. These are not new ideas, but hopefully can be a reminder to focus on the good and the positive in this world, with some thoughts that have occurred to me. It's easy nowadays for despair, disappointment, envy and frustration and regret to drag a head down, but replacing those with hope, fulfillment, gratitude and focus will prop that head right and keep your eyes forward where they belong. Forward is where the opportunities are. Look back just long enough to see how something might have been done better, and apply the lessons learned to the most important path: the one in front of you. Keeping a head up and eyes forward also lets you see obstacles before you are right on top of them. Not that it's anything new, but you can't change circumstances. What you can change is your thinking, specifically your attitude about the circumstances and how you deal with them, and trying to adjust better and live smarter. The focus needs to be on opportunities, whether it's opportunities to work, make the world a better place, give joy to someone else, even if briefly, or help someone else. Always be on the lookout for needs in this world to fill. By staying focused on the positive, and by the way, keeping yourself and your skills relevant, you don't have time to be downcast, disappointed, frustrated, which leads to anger, or envious of others.

Trust God for He is with us

"If God Be For Us, Who Is Against Us?" Romans 8:31 Fear can shape our lives as much as anything. It is a fog that clouds our way, blinding us to what lies ahead. It is a shackle paralyzing us before it turns us in a direction we wish we hadn't taken. Fear gives nothing and takes everything. Its grip can seem overwhelming to bear. Fear will tighten the loose grip of caution to the point where you are stuck on the curb forever after you've looked both ways before crossing the street, as author Neale Donald Walsch would say. Caution can guide, fear will crush your dreams and leave you looking back at a life littered with "If only I hads." Trust in God. He will provide what he knows you need in his time. It is easy to get impatient with God's timing, but our human timing is nowhere close to His, and his plan for our lives is perfect. We need to trust in it, though it can be very hard. Pray each day for God's grace and protection and He will give it to you through our risen Lord Jesus Christ. He is always indeed for us.