We often complain about not asking for the responsibilities we end up with. For instance: I love being a big brother! But, i never asked to be a roll model. My brothers and sisters ask me for advice all the time. I once looked at all the failures i have made as proof i shouldn be an advisor. But there is no substitute for experience. No matter how i look down on myself they will always look up to me. A small piece of success is giving them something to look at.

The Good Stuff

What's really good for your health.....Is friends. The ones you can share with(Not nuggets or t-shirts). the ones that care about you(not the ones that only call you when direct diposit is supposed to hit). The ones that Believe in you(not the ones that believe you are more sober than they are, and should drive).

I mean the friends whos judgement you can count on, when your's is clouded. The ones who are all about lifting you up, and are with you(THE WHOLE TIME YOU ARE DOWN) The friends that want the best for you(and not just so they can get some. The ones that are there for you wihtout hesitation or hate. the friends that I am thankful for are thankful for me to.

The Biggest Change

The biggest change I could ever make.... To stop internalizing my problems.  You know being a little more transparent, with the people who love me. Openness and Honesty is the key to meaningful relationships.

To Be Sure

How do we know when we are doing the right thing? How do we know when the path that we are taking, is "the ONE". I DON'T KNOW that's why I am asking you! Maybe it is the natural flow of things. When things just fall in line. I have a theory. Life isn't all about following commandments. I don't even think it is about doing the right thing! I believe it is about having and maintaing the "right" relationship with God. Life is all relational. You can gauge success in life by your meaningful relationships. Leave a legacy of love. that last line, I'm sure of.

Smiles All Around

This is the first Valentine's Day, that I have bought jewlery for my girls. Necklaces with a heart-shaped birthstone charm. They went CRAZY. kind of like if I hit every number on the powerball and the powerball #. I wasn't able to spend much time with them, but every minute counts to them(and to me)>

Now I could be wrong, but....

I guess learning to love starts with loving yourself. Knowing that you have self worth is a vital motivational tool. Knowing that God Loves us and has something (mission)that we ourselves should see as worth doing. That's where I am at. Working on the life application of what a "mission" is. Jesus tell us to "GO.." but the mission might be right here, right where we are. In the state we don't want to be in, At a job we don't want to work at, with people that we cant stand to be around, in a relationship that crashed three months ago, but we don't have the wisdom to crawl out from the wreckage. I found out that most of the people i don't like to be around are like me, one way or another. i have to be still enough to see how to deal with that person so that I can allow God to work on me. I have to stay in places I don't want to be, so that God can develop a spirit of perseverance in me

Later Than Never

So , Here I am thirty years old and finally getting thing under way. What things, well....Life in general. I mean growing up, all I knew is that I had to go out and GET. "Get" a Job. Get A car. Get a life. Now I have nothing that I went out and got. Every opportunity that I thought I created, I didn't actually create. I received so many gifts that I mishandled, because I didn't realize they were divine gifts. I just thought I was that good, and I deserved it. Boy, Was I greedy and naive.

i know in my heart, that God has always been with me, and I love him for that. Mostly because I have not always been the easiest guy to "always" be around (and I have a few ex-girlfriends that will high five me on that. Thank you God, for opening my eyes and ears.