Coming Out of the Dark!

Hello Friends,

I know I've been gone for quite some time now, but hey ... we ALL have lives to live. Basically, I have been dealing with the pressures and stresses of the times the same as many of you. For some reason, there's a belief that those who have the heart and or talent to be more vocal than others must have everything going right in their lives. Let me tell you that nothing can be farther from the truth! If nothing else, those who face their fears and take a stand before the universe are the ones the universe actually comes after the most.

As I bring 2008 to a close; and I reflect on all that this year has put me through, I find myself to be a stronger man because I have survived it. I have taken on the responsibilty of being a motivator, a postive influence in people's lives ... an "Investor in the Human Spirit!" Unfortunately, in accepting such a great responsibility, the hardest obstacle to overcome is facing and overcoming my own demons. "There can be no testimony without a TEST!"

Anyway, I got my blog stat reports for the past couple of weeks and have watched my numbers slowly drop. That tells me that I have not been paying proper attention to YOU my readers. I understand that you may look to me for an encouraging word, and it's my responsibility to provide that for you. WELL ... it's time for me to step my game up!

Honestly, I have also been spending a lot of time doing some networking on Facebook. I have also been doing a lot of "mini-venting" by way of posting short quotes or thoughts that bore deeper meanings. Those quotes were accepted by different people in different ways. Some people were motivated. Some people thought I was being cruel. To those who were motivated, keep digging in and fighting harder. To those who were offended ... I'm not going to apologize for striking an uncomfortable nerve. Just learn to dig deeper and fight harder.

I'm going to focus on making sure there is something here for you to draw from at least twice a week. I ask that you forgive me for my absence, and have faith in my return! Here are some thoughts to keep you focused until we meet again!

"Some things ... MOST things that people 'leave in God's' hands, He gives right back to them for them to work out for themselves."

So many of my challenges for this year are close to being far behind me! God is great and will truly put no more on us than we can bear, but you must understand this ... God (or whatever you deem your higher power to be) will see you through, but you are the one who must work through it. There's a saying that goes "an idle man is the devil's playground." When you're just sitting around doing nothing, the devil is just having his way with you. He's making it seem to feel so good just sitting there doing nothing. Notice, I said "seem to" because nothing and no one ever gets better by nothing being done towards the goal of getting better.

We are like mice in a maze. God knows our destinations, but the twists and turns that we take to get to that destination - those are OUR decisions. Whether we find walls blocking our way or the path continues to open and unfold before us, that's beased on the decisions and choices that WE MAKE.

The "maze" that has been known to me as "2008" is coming to a close. I am just a few weeks away from a whole lot of new opportunities, but at the same time, I also know that there are challenges on the horizon. You can't step your game up and NOT expect there to be new challenges waiting for you! "Coming out of the dark" allows us to see the challenges ahead. "Coming out of the dark" stronger allows us to be able to face and overcome those challenges.

"Let's Play!"