Life isn’t about keeping score.
It’s not about how many friends you have
Or how accepted you are.
Not about if you have plans this weekend or if you’re alone.
It isn’t about who you’re dating, who you used to date, how
many people you’ve dated, or if you haven’t been with anyone at all.
It isn’t about who you have kissed,

IT’S NOT ABOUT SEX.

It isn’t about who your family is or how much money they have
Or what kind of car you drive.
Or where you are sent to school.
It’s not about how beautiful or ugly you are.
Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on, or what kind of music you listen to.
It’s not about if your hair is blonde, red, black, or brown
Or if your skin is too light or too dark.
Not about what grades you get, how smart you are, how smart everybody else thinks you are, or how smart standardized tests say you are.
It’s not about what clubs you’re in or how good you are at “your” sport.
It’s not about representing your whole being on a piece of paper and seeing who will “accept the written you.”

LIFE JUST ISN’T.

But, life is about who you love and who you hurt.
It’s about who you make happy or unhappy purposefully.
It’s about keeping or betraying trust.
It’s about friendship, used as a sanctity or a weapon.
It’s about what you say and mean, maybe hurtful, maybe
heartening. About starting rumors and contributing to petty gossip.
It’s about what judgments you pass and why. And who your judgments are spread to.
It’s about who you’ve ignored with full control and intention.
It’s about jealousy, fear, ignorance, and revenge.
It’s about carrying inner hate and love, letting it grow, and spreading it.
But most of all, it’s about using your life to touch or poison other people’s hearts in such a way that could have never occurred alone.
Only you choose the way those hearts are affected, and those choices are what life’s all about.

_____________________________
Living. Laughing. Learning. Loving.

This made so much sense. While I don’t believe that God “gives” us our problems (I truly believe we all do just fine creating problems for ourselves), I still think this entry holds so much wisdom.

Why God Gives Us Problems?

LIFE IS A SERIES OF PROBLEM-SOLVING OPPORTUNITIES.
1. God uses problems to DIRECT you.
2. God uses problems to INSPECT you.
3. God uses problems to CORRECT you.
4. God uses problems to PROTECT you.
5. God uses problems to PERFECT you.

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you-depending on
how you respond to them.
Unfortunately most people fail to see how God wants to use problems
for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent
their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.

Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:

1. GOD uses problems to DIRECT you.
Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving.
Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change.
Is God trying to get your attention?
“Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.” Proverbs 20:30

2. GOD uses problems to INSPECT you.
People are like tea bags … if you want to know what’s inside them,
just drop them into hot water! Has God ever tested your faith with a problem?
What do problems reveal about you?
“When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know
that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.” James 1:2-3

3. GOD uses problems to CORRECT you.
Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure.
It’s likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove.
But you probably learned by being burned.
Sometimes we only learn the value of something … health, money, a relationship…
by losing it. “It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it
taught me to pay attention to your laws.” Psalm 119:71-72

4. GOD uses problems to PROTECT you.
A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you
from being harmed by something more serious.
Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that
his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem, but it saved
him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management’s
actions were eventually discovered.
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” Genesis 50:20

5. GOD uses problems to PERFECT you.
Problems, when responded to correctly,are character builders.
God is far more interested in your character than our comfort.
Your relationship to God and your character are the only two
things you’re going to take with you into eternity. “We can rejoice when
we run into problems … they help us learn to be patient. And patience
develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time
we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.” Romans 5:3-4

_____________________________
Living. Laughing. Learning. Loving.

Wow! Talk about filling my mind with too much. LOL! I;m in a really contemplative mood right now. Don’t get me wrong. My mind is always thinking about all kinds of things and situations and troubles and whatnot. But, like within the past few days, so many instances of misfortune that others are or have experienced has got me in a really contemplative mood.

So here’s my random thoughts. Heehee!

Be happy. Be happy for all that you have and even all that you don’t have. All the hardships, all the setbacks, all the drama….if to serve no other purpose…they still serve as lessons learned and they still serve the purpose of making you stronger. So be happy! You are alive, you are loved, you are you! No one can beat that.

Be real. Why fake the funk when you can be yourself? Why make it like your doing so awesome when really you are in a lot of pain. Or vice-versa, why make it like your life is so bad or you’ve been done wrong to so badly when really, you’ve got it made compared to many people who are truly hurting and struggling. Be real. Tell people how you feel. If you don’t like them, tell them. Just be civil and human about it. Tell those you love how much they mean to you and why? Make them feel all the love you have in you.

Give thanks. Give thanks that you ate today. Give thanks that you were able to get from one place to the next (even if only by bus). Give thanks that you have a roof over your head. Shoot, give thanks you’re able to afford getting on the internet to read this. Give and be thankful for all that has been given to you and don’t take advantage of those who have helped you out. Work for what you have! I know because I feel useless and helpless not working. LOL!

Give love and accept love. If someone is expressing their apologies, accept it. Do you know how much it takes out of a person to do that? I do! So don’t turn people away if they are coming to you on bended knees. If you’re Catholic there’s this saying that goes something like, “What you do to the least of my people, you are doing to me.” Strong!!! So stop hiding all the love you have to offer and make amends. Accept the love. And give the love too. If you’ve hurt someone and somehow turned it around to make it the other way around, change that. Make it right. Give your love to those who need and want it. Hug your children. Look into the eyes of your spouse and express you love. Call your Mom. Spend time with a friend. LOVE!

Ok, I’m done for now. I have so much more on my mind but it’s time to take my own words and live it. I’m going to spend some quiet and quality time with my familia. Hope you do the same. I know each and every one of you has it in you to put aside your hurt and anger and whatever has been holding you back. Make things right, start things over, change the way you think.

Much, MUCH love to everyone and anyone who takes the time to read this. I hope your day and your life is as fulfilled and whole as mine is. Take care everyone!

_____________________________
Living. Laughing. Learning. Loving.