Positive Thought For The Week

One of the benefits of time is that it can give you perspective. We must all learn it's not only all right to place a value on yourself, but it's key to a healthy balanced life. If you don't acknowledge your worth, then who will? This season as you go about getting gifts for others don't forget to put something under the tree for your self. My positive thought for the week is this simple poem.

ME
I'm not the place you stop at on your way through.

I'm not the place you visit because you have nothing else better to do.

I'm not the place you check into while you are trying to decide is this some place you might want to reside.

I will not be a rest stop in your life while you are on your way to your final destination.

If I am your destiny, I will be the place you have searched for all your life.

The place you want to be most.

And if you had to choose a hundred times over, every time the choice would still be me.

For I am what you have searched for.

I am me.

Have a blessed. YMA

Positive Thought For The Week

Perspective

I was sitting around the other day thinking about all reasons why I had not accomplished more in my life. I was saying that at my age I should have accomplished more. I was busy beating my self up about all the things I thought I should have done by now. You know things like: I should be married by now. I should have moved into a bigger house. I should have gone to Europe. I should have lost that 20 pounds. I was having what some folks may call a glass half empty day. I hate those moments because I'm usually an up beat happy positive person. The truth of the matter is lately I have been wrestling with who I am really vs who I see my self as. The truth of the matter is even though there are many things I would still like to conquer there is nothing wrong with me because they have not happened yet. Every day God gives me breath. He gives me another opportunity to reach my dreams. I'm still here and I still have a chance to make them happen. It's also very important to understand that a life that is filled will real quality can only happen when you understand the power of perspective. Perspective is if I truly just wanted to be married, I would be married. But the truth is I didn't just want a ceremony I want a marriage. Marriage in the sense that God designed it for man. If I really wanted a bigger house, I'd be in it. Instead I choose not to try impress others and invested what I had into something else. Something that would give me greater dividends for my future. I could have lost the 20 pounds but I want to do it the healthy smart way. I'm not as small as I would like to be but I'm healthy, active and working towards that goal. The truth of the matter is you can spend every waking moment obsessing over the things you don't have or you can prayerfully move forward making every day count and enjoying what you do have. You are going to have some down moments. It's life, but take those moments as an opportunity to plan for your tomorrow. Make every moment count because some of these moments may never come again and so the next time you are tempted to focus to long on your half empty glass remember this be grateful that at least you have something to put in a glass.

Are You Afraid To Hope?

As I tried to think of what my first blog would be about, I kept getting a blank page in my head. I could not hear any thing. I couldn't feel any thing. I found my self at a loss for words and for those who know me you know that is a rarity. This week a friend shared with me a wonderful message about her faith to believe in something she had not even been seeking God for at the moment. She had a desire but she didn't feel she was at a place for that desire to come to past. She had a plan a good solid plan. She was content to work her plan until the time was right. Her plan was a nice safe plan, but how many folks know that sometimes life is not always what you plan and it's ok to hope for the impossible and step back and watch it manifest.

Some may say that is easier said then done. Some may be saying do you know what it is like to be hit with so much disappointment that very thought of hope becomes painful. Has the word hope become one of those 4 letter dirty words for you? Are you outwardly confessing faith but inwardly denying the power of faith and hope.

We have all had moments when the Assassin of Hope has put our dreams on his hit list killing our hope:
1) For the husband who after 5, 10, 15, 20 years of waiting has not manifested himself.
2) For better life for you and your kids and yet and still you are still on welfare and or are still in so much debt you can’t see how you will ever get out.
3) To conqueror your addictions to drugs, alcohol, food, low self esteem, etc.

Here is what I have discovered, disappointments will come whether you have the faith to hope or not. You are going to be in a much better place mentally, spiritually, and emotionally if you come terms with these simple facts. Sometimes things are not going to work out exactly the way you hoped. It stinks. It is sad. It’s not always fair. It is life and being afraid to hope won't stop life from happening. You should not live your life afraid to hope. Having hope gives you something to look forward to. Your fear, if you let it, will cause you to miss out on some of the best blessings in life.

I can’t promise you that you will never be disappointed because you hoped for something that didn’t happen. I can tell you this, if you are willing to roll the dice, know that some times it is going to work out just as you hoped. Sometimes it’s not going to turn out the way you hoped and every now and then it will turn out EVEN BETTER than you could even hope or imagine.

Signing Off For Now,
Y.Askew