Valentines Day

It's been said that valentines day is just for girls, I can see how a guy could feel that way. I mean really, it's usually the guy who sends the flowers, buys the chocolate, makes the dinner reservations right. It's a lot of pressure......or is it? 

What would life be without someone to share the highs and lows, to tell how your day was, pat your head when your not feeling well... take it for granted do you?

  I've been watching couples argue and complain over the littlest of things and I wonder if they only knew how empty their lives would be without each other. You see, the things that are most important are usually the things that we see every day, the people that are already in our lives, not the one's we imagine might be. 

Maybe Valentine's day should be like Christmas, a celebration of God's greatest gift, someone to pick us up when we fall, forgive us our faults and love us unconditionally; not to different from the person that's been right there by your side all along is it.

My Birthday Wish for You..

Dear Friends and Family, I'm going to break with tradition and tell you my Birthday Wish.

43 years, that's how long I have been alive....43 years when I think about that number it seems surreal.
A part of me still feels like a child and a part of me feels like a Man and I have recently come to grips with the inescapable truth, the truth that has been hiding in the back of our minds, the inescapable truth that sooner or later we all have to confront.

My Life is moving to the otherside of the hourglass, more specifically I have realized how precious Life is and how lucky I am to have had 43 years of it.

Yesterday a race car driver died at 33, leaving behind a wife and two children, within the last few months I have had friends and family confront sickness and death. Conversely I have seen new Life born, miracles of recovery, hope and love in places there should be none.

This life is truly a miracle and a blessing and is not to be taken for granted not even for a second.

On this my 43rd Birthday My Wish for you is that you will never forget that you are guaranteed nothing in this life other than the moment you have right now.

That you are an original, and were created for more than you are. The people that you see everyday, one's you know, one's you don't, one's you like, one's you dislike. These people are not strangers, they are your Brothers and your Sisters and for every moment you withdraw from them, chastise them, speak ill of them... you are hurting your family.

There is but one race and that is the Human Race, There is but one Father and that is the Heavenly Father, There is no greater love than showing your Fathers Love to your family and by family I mean all of you.

This is my Wish for You..........

A Man's Destiny Part IV

Men, we learned that our first lesson is Understanding, who we are and what we created to do and be.

Lesson number II is acceptance of these things, and acknowledgement that we have a specific role to play and much to learn in how to play it..in essence we have to accept that we started without knowledge and understanding and as we grow we must seek out and accept guidance, wisdom and teaching from our earthly brothers and fathers and our pray for guidance from our Heavenly Father.

Without acceptance you become as a ship on the sea without a rudder, driven by the forces of nature and man, which will inevitably cast you upon the rocky shoals and tear your vessel apart. You must accept that you know nothing and seek out knowledge and wisdom, which in turn acts as food for the spirit and sustenance for the soul.

Everything that has happened now, has also happened before, everything you will think and experience has been thought and experienced a multitude of times by other men before you were even born.

Yes you are unique, there has never been another you before, as for your life's joy's and sorrows, your thoughts and struggles these are not exclusive to you they are in all men..... those before, those during and those to follow you.

Lesson II:  Acceptance
Accept who you are, what your responsiblities are, and what your role is on this Earth.

Please take the time and watch this short video

Author Steven Covey tells a similar story in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the vernacular of the story is called Shifting your Paradigm. In plain English it means be careful in judging things by their appearance, more often than not things are not what they appear to be.

Keep this in mind the next time you feel the urge to color a person , place or situation with your crayons, you just might be coloring with the wrong ones.

A man's destiny part III

 

OK, now that I have your attention let's take this thing called Manhood from the beginning, we were all boys once and we all have had some vastly different childhoods and some similar ones also. Some were not so great and some were pretty good. Here we are now.. We Are Men! OK well what are we supposed to do and become from here? Well depending on your age your thoughts regarding that question will vary to many extremes.

The first thing I can tell you for certain is that most of what your Father, Brother, Uncle, Friend, Boss or Mentor, all older and wiser than yourself have told you is True... Life is hard and life is not fair and to be a warrior in this world you will have no rest. Your enemy does not tire, he does not rest, he will be relentless in his attacks on you from the time you wake until the time you slumber and even then he will occupy your dreams.

Your shield and your sword are all you have to keep the beast at bay, do not be far from them for they will provide you and your family protection from the never ending attacks designed to make you falter to make fail in your responsibilities as a man.

Do not fear in your charge, do not fear in your duty, do not fail.... for this battle has gone on for centuries and it's outcome has already been determined...at its ending you will be Victorious.

Lesson number 1: Life is hard, Life is not fair, There will be seasons of sowing and there will be seasons of reaping, there will be times of pain and suffering and there will be times of joy and prosperity. These things will all come to pass in your lives my Brothers and you must Hold The Line! For if you do not you will fall in battle and your bones will be crushed into dust.. Do not fail in your charge, bind yourself with fellow brothers for a cord of many threades will hold strong, but a cord of one may unwind or break. This lesson is the first you must accept and take to your warrior hearts.

Your Brother Angeli.

A Man's Destiny part II

Men, I write these posts, sometimes based on my own experiences and sometimes based on something more, something I am called to do. They all have the same purpose to add a spark of thought, hope, wisdom, humility it doesn't matter what the spark is as long as it set a flame in motion.

My last blog received an unusually high response from you, my brothers, so I will go where I feel led and create a series of posts relating to this topic. The topic of regaining our place as Men and how, why and what it means to be a Man.

We are more than Conquers, We are more than Slaves, we are the embodiment of our creator and entrusted with duties that only we are capable of carrying out. There will be times that you want to give up, there will be obstacles that seem insurmountable, there will be times that you can go no further.

It is in these times that you must not rely upon your own strength but in the strength of your Father for his strength knows no bounds, has no limits...it is perpetual and everlasting and will carry you through the dark days ahead.

You were created for strength and created by strength..do not let doubt take this knowledge from you....

Rise up and take your place!

A man's destiny I

Men, have you felt that longing in your soul to retake that which has been given to you by God, that inexplicable feeling of emptiness and loss of purpose you feel is not what has been intended for you by your creator. You were created to be protectors, to be teachers, to be warriors in this world, against not what you think is the enemy..( Your Fellow Man. Your Brothers.)

But Rather to protect against the true enemy, the true deceiver of your hearts and minds. This battle will rage on till it's predetermined end and until that day we must.... I SAY WE MUST! Persevere through the temptation and loneliness and suffering that afflicts each of us. We are but Men and with that knowledge we are flawed by design, and rightfully so.. Which of us has earned the right to claim himself worthy.. Worthy of redemption... My Brothers I say to you, worry not redemption has been freely given to you already, all that is required is your acceptance.

Be Strong, Be Sober and Vigilant for your enemy the Deceiver lies in wait like a hungry Lion wanting to devour you.

Let your Hearts become Free and take your rightful place.. the place God designed you to be.........