10 Things I Have Learned:

Top Ten Things I have learned in my life:

1. Faith is a step in darkness that brightens my life. Everyone has the same amount of faith; however everyone invests in it differently.

2. Two ears are better to listen with than a tongue that plugs them. Words are like nails to the soul. You can take them back, but the hurt (holes) is still there.

3. A Christian must be without stones in order to help others. Digging a grave is holding onto grievances that buries my true being. A gift of forgiveness is the best present to open for myself to live today.

4. Raising a child the way God designed them and not the blueprint I drew for them.

5. Open minds are healthy minds and a coin has two sides like someone’s story. Looking through a prism presents different ways of looking at things. Never burn a bridge because you may have to cross back over it.

6. “Letting go” will reap more than you can if you kept it. (Relationships)

7. Love is a choice not an emotion. God is love. God never changes. Love never changes. Feelings change. Therefore, love is a choice and not a feeling or emotion.

8. Quiet reflection feeds my soul and provides a peace that passes my understanding.

9. Happiness is a hidden treasure only to be found inside of me. Attitude can control me unless I learn to control it.

10. I can only please one human person: me. I can only please one being: Him.

     This is merely the hem of things I have learned in my life. I have found my life is like wine. It ages in time. It comes out intoxicating in learning about life. There is a spiritual journey I am still walking. One important aspect to my learning is my acknowledgement of one who leads me. My confidence and trust in Him must always develop.

     Someone told me my faith is like a mountain. Sometimes, I feel my faith is a mountain, and sometimes I don’t. It seems my faith is a mountain when it goes my way. My faith is not a mountain when I fear I can’t have my way. This is what keeps me humble in knowing I have to depend on Him to get me where He wants. His ways are better than mine.

     Being laid off from work is never easy. The daunting task of searching for other places to earn a living seems like a river of mud. It always stuck, slipping, and not getting anywhere. There were three job offers that came my way sometime ago:

1. Working as a mental health technician. (Something I want to do as a counselor)

2. Working as a recruiter for a college.

3. Taking a temp job with no promise of being permanent.

     I find it interesting when I doubted of getting a job because of the economy. I stressed and it dawned on me that it feels unnatural to be in the darkness of my life. I prayed it's in your hands. I will take the temp job.

     I could have taken the first job and done things my way, and what I wanted. I could have taken the second job and been easily set financially, but my family would have suffered. Both jobs were good, but it was dependent upon my doing and not His.
    
     I took the temp job as a testing of His will. Three months later I was hired on permanently. I am not able to go into details, but can let you know it is better than the first two and it is similar to a job working at Google and able to practice my Christianity. I don’t have a boss that micro manages me. I am able to relax. If I chose the other because it was something permanent I would have not received such a reward from Him.
    
     The most important thing I have learned. I must rely on Him and not on my own understanding. When I step out in faith and trust Him, then I am able to do more through Him than I could if I did it alone.

     I hope this is something I can pay it forward to you as you read this. I pray it inspires you to know the power of Him who calls us. My life is at peace even when I have storms that rain. Instead of being afraid, I capture the rain, and see the rainbow of His promise. He takes care of me.