What the heck do you think you are doing? You're sitting there with this look on your face, whatever it might be and you are ready to read some inspirational statement, waiting to taste it like your favorite ice cream, what is it? Chocolate Mint or maybe Casanova's Cherry Vanilla. But instead you are getting an introduction fraught with questions, ice cream and a whole lot of nothing.

But wait a minute. Why not something inspirational? Here's something to think about. You're driving down an old desert road and there is nothing but cactus and gila monsters and the occasional old tire that somehow wedged itself in a small crevice by the side of the road. Does this place look inspirational? Some would say not, still others, the truly optimistic, would look at this place as if it is brimming with life and possibilities.

Imagine starting a casino in the middle of a place like this, but yet Las Vegas Casinos became a mammoth of the entertainment world.

Makes you think that if somebody can do something that eventually turned into something special like Las Vegas, then maybe you could take a tiny mustard seed and turn it into something great.

But first you have to grow beyond the limitations you set on yourself. You know, the ones you may not realize you have because you are so use to thinking them that they just become second nature. They are messages that play like some broken record every day and repeat themselves, until you do one thing, push the needle forward.

Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. NLT

That's right, in order for you to grow in a positive direction you have to push the needle of life forward. It makes me think of the phrase, "living in our comfort zone." We all want to be safe. We all want to feel comfortable. But yet the more we seek the calmness and unhectic surroundings of our comfort zone, the smaller it gets. Until we get to the point of thinking, "What the heck am I doing with my life, and how did I get to this point?" But the problem with even thinking about this statement, makes us go into the deep stalagmited caverns of our minds and find a lot of miserable negativity that just feeds upon itself.

We have all asked ourselves, many times in our lives, the question, "How did I get myself into this mess?" That is definitely the wrong question to ask because it brings out a lot of the painful memories that are on the surface there waiting to be called forward into our conscious minds. Instead ask the question, "How do I get myself out of this mess?" Still, more negative thoughts will occur in your brain, but at least there is hope that your mind will conger up something(s) that will give you an idea on how to proceed in a positive way.

Hosea 9:10 Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree, in its first season, I saw your ancestors. But they came to Baal-peor, and consecrated themselves to a thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved. NRSV

The interesting paradox here is that is easier to think about the negatives than it is to think about the positives, but yet it is the positives that we seek. It is easier to wallow in self-pity than it is to see hope, and love, and happiness. It is as if our minds somehow feel that the more negative we feel about ourselves, the somehow happier we will feel. Otherwise we wouldn't be having these life-sapping feelings. Our minds have somehow linked up pain with pleasure as if they have some meaningful relationship.

But yet the more positive we feel and the more hope permeate our lives, the happier we feel as a whole and the more successful we become. That is where God comes in. He can help us to become more successful.

But I ask you, why does the human race still seek negativity like it is a perfectly prepared filet mignon steak, or in the case of a vegetarian that perfect crookneck squash, that just sort of melts in their mouth? There must be reason why pain is so pleasurable?

It is because, drum roll please, we do not have Gods love in our hearts. Otherwise, we would feel many times more positive wonderful feelings in our lives. With God, all things are possible. No matter how down you are, God will help you.

Sometimes it feels better to do nothing and not live, than light the fire under our rear ends, and work to make a better, more fruitful life. Ah, so in order to feel better about ourselves, we have to work for it. But it is so much easier to get the remote, the bag of potato chips, the chili dogs, and the half gallon of ice cream, and eat it all in one sitting while channel surfing wishing some awesome show would present itself to the disheartened masses with something prophetic to say, that we will be inspired by enough to think about for a second or two and then get right back into that chip bag and grab more than we could possibly fit into our mouth and say, Naaaaaah!

Is that where you are today? If not, congratulations. If you are, then all I got to say is wake up fool. Pray to God for hope and help, because you need it. Give yourself to God and He will give you hope. Work at improving your life and that bag of chips will be something you will instead use to celebrate your victory in life, instead of your defeat.

Prayer: Dear Lord, give me the insight and understanding I need to get off the sofa of life, and help me get hope for a better new beginning, than the one I faced when I got up this morning. Help me to realize that something better is not just around the corner, but right here, in my heart, with you by my side. Thank you for your presence in my life, and I thank you for all your many blessings. Amen.

Benediction: Now, Lord, Bless us in our daily lives. Help us to smell the roses whenever possible, to shine our light on those less fortunate than us, and lead us in the path we should go. For you are the light that keeps our path well lit. Help us to follow it, until we meet you, in a land where milk and honey abound, a place where our most wonderful dreams are fulfilled. Amen.

Hi, my name is Bryan, a messenger of hope who would love to hear from you. God Bless.

© 2006 Bryan Hill