Learning to Trust

One of the problems that I see in contemporary American society is that people in general seem to be losing the ability to trust one another.  In general, we distrust our legislative body (who has recently been giving us many reasons to do so).  We don't trust that strangers will help us and won't hurt us.  But most importantly, we are slowly losing the trust that we should have for our loved ones.

When we don't trust people, it can lead to many difficulties in a relationship.  Pointless arguments occur on a regular basis.  We tend to want to tag along with the loved one when they want to go somewhere without us, but most of all, we can let the level of distrust we feel take us out of our character.  This is not good, because who are you, if you don't have your character?

Also, it doesn't matter the kind of relationship.  It can be a platonic one or an intimate one, the result will still be the same.  If the breakdown of trust continues, then the relationship is on an inevitable path to destruction.  Someone will be hurt, if there is no trust. This hurt can be mental, emotional, or even physical.  What can we do if we find ourselves in a place where we don't trust someone that we love?  There are several Biblical verses that speak to this very thing.  One of them is Romans 12:19, which says, "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, and I will repay", saith the Lord. This verse provides specific instruction from God on how to deal with the mistrust that you feel for others.  The Bible also says in 1 Corinthians 4:5, "Therefore, judge nothing before the appointed time.  Wait until the Lord comes.  For what is done in the dark, he will bring to the light."  This is also explicit instruction from the Lord.  He tells us not to be judgmental and to wait on him to show us the truth.  As with all of God's words, they will come to fruition.  It's natural law and it never fails.

So the next time you find yourself, losing your character because you don't trust someone, remember just these two verses, and revel in the fact that the Lord our God will show you what you need to see.  Find the happiness and strength you need in the fact that he is going to set all things right for you. and expose any wrong doing that has taken a course against you.

Focus is a skill!

I used to think that subliminal messages were mostly bad.  I would watch television or read certain types of literature and find them all the time.  All I could see were "warning" and "statistical" messages that all seemed to be designed to control who we can become.  However, when I started to look for good messages, I found that they were just as abundant, if not more plentiful.

I had to focus on finding good messages though, in order to do it.  Before long it became super easy to do, so I focused on doing other things.  That work has led me to the point where I am able to write this message,  for you and for myself; on a sunny Monday morning, living a life that I love.  Earlier this morning, I thought about what it took to get me to this point.  I realized that my focus has gotten much better in the last few years that I have been on my life journey.  There are different levels of focus.  If you are conscious of your level of focus often, then you can feel the difference between being at the level when you can find a needle in a haystack, and the level that it takes to drink a glass of water.

Because we can practice using the levels of intensity of focus, it is indeed a learned skill.  The problem with many of us is that we won't consciously practice it.  Intensity of focus is what builds great cities and produces  great artists.  It's what pushes us forward into the future.  What we focus on is the determinant for if and how we will arrive in the future.  And if you focus hard enough, you can see that the future is always now. It would also be good to remember that all focus on something produces something, now or later.  If you skillfully use your focus to project evil, then surely you will see it.  If you use skilled focus to produce good, it will show itself as well.  So in this moment, now...start to practice on your skill of focus.  See what effects practicing it and using it skillfully can have on your life.