CORNY FB WALL MESSAGES:

Sometimes you just have to ask why are Facebook walls draped with so much self-help, motivational- pep talk-type positive messages directed towards people? Why is the self-help section In every book store SOOOO huge???



I'm not asking why these things exist, I'm asking why are they so prevalent and take up so much room in our lives???



Have you ever noticed that MOST of these messages ARE NOT new ideas or new philosophies but simply REMINDERS of things and concepts we already know and understand?



So why do we have to continually be reminded about the same ol things day to day, to day, to day in order to cope.. etc. ????



Things like, "When you fall down, if you can look up, you can get up".... by Wes Brown (one of my personal favorites).



Or .... "If you think positive, you'll be positive".



In the early 90's I was very much into a lot of motivational speakers like We Brown, Napoleon Hill, Wayne Dyer, etc.





These are simply "perspectives" that we already knew but somehow needed to be reminded of in order to alter our current state of mind from negative to positive. Perhaps b/c of the situation or frustration or dilemma we're currently in.. we're not able to re-focus back to a state of mind that we should have been in to begin with.



So if we would have been in that state of mind to begin with (positive), we probably would not have had to be reminded to go back to that "positive" state of mind. ...hmmm? Ever consider that?



But the problem is #1 why do we have to continually be reminded, and re-reminded over and over again to get back to these "positive" perspectives? As we know, we have to deal w/ dilemmas every single day. And as soon as one dilemma seems to disappear, we learn that tomorrow brings 3 more dilemmas in life. Isn't this true?



So why can't we stay in that positive state of mind knowing fully well that problems, frustrations and issues are such a normal part of life??



Or is it that even with all the self-help, positive thinking and pep talk we read and receive,.... it's still not enough? So then although we hear all those positive messages... we turn around and say.... "yeah, yeah, I know, I know".... but the issues and the problems are MORE than these "would be" motivational antidotes.



I believe that this is the case. Although we all like and appreciate all those pep-talk, positive and self-help motivational messages... it's just NOT ENOUGH for us as humans.

It's one thing to HEAR them and another thing to LIVE them.

It would be ultra-difficult to know WHY this is the case but for ONE REASON.

... Because these are EMPTY PROMISES. They're good messages but empty promises. To me, a promise is anything that is suppose to achieve and sustain that which was sought after. And in most cases, these messages make us feel good but then by the end of the day if not, 5 mins later, we feel empty again.



These positive messages, although they tickle the consciousness, they do little to penetrate the individual soul. And now you're thinking this sounds a little too "SUPERNATURAL"..... It's because it is! IT'S SPIRITUAL.



As you know, many people can't tap in to real Spirituality. The Bible teaches that true spirituality can only be attained by a personal relationship with God, Jesus Christ.



So although the Bible doesn't teach that we're supposed to live in bliss here on earth before He returns, it does teach something that NO empty motivational message can ever do for us.



It teaches that God promises to be there with us if we truly love him.



"All things work together for good to those who love God". - Romans 8:28



"Seek first the kingdom of heaven and all its righteousness and everything else will be added unto you". - Matt. 6:33



"That where your treasures are .... your heart will be also". - Matt. 6:21



"If anyone thirst let them come to me"! - John 7:37




So here we see that whatever we desire the most will motivate where we derive our happiness from.



If one's happiness is derived from a strong desire for power then nothing on earth, not even the most awesome motivational messages will satisfy the soul because it's that one thing we're stuck on that's keeping us from appreciating life.



If we're lonely and only the "perfect man or woman we seek" is where we derive our happiness from... then we can't move on until we find that person we desire.

Sometimes what we desire for ourselves isn't what a perfect God would want for His child.

God doesn't operate on the limitations of time but we do... and we can't see the end from the beginning like God can. God says


" I'm the beginning and the end ". - Rev. 22:13.



So we see that we have to continually pop the empty calories of self-help, motivational pep talk messages but it will never edify the soul..... because only a TRUE relationship with Christ will get us to stop searching. You can only stop searching when you've FOUND the Truth. The Bible teaches .... "And you will KNOW the Truth and the Truth will set you free". Jesus said....



" I AM the TRUTH, the way and the life...." - John 14:6



One can only be set free by FINDING and then KNOWING the Truth and Jesus is the Truth.


Now we see that there's a big diff. between positive messages that have NO substance to them and promises of God that HAVE substance, foundation, Truth to them.



A major difference.



And although bliss is never promised while on earth..... "Jesus said ...


" I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” -   John 16:33



From now on... let a TRUE relationship with Christ be the foundation of our motivation to go through life. Not some empty words that are candy-coated around OUR OWN HUMAN limitations. Our strength within doesn't even exist apart from God. Instead, let the constant need of those empty positive messages be a proof to us that we obviously need MORE to hold on to. Strength only comes from within.... IF we have Christ w/in us.



Consider these scripture verses....



"Apart from me, you can do nothing" ... - John 15:5

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" ... - Phil 4:13

"Ask anything in my name and you shall receive".... - John 14:14



:)

To God be the glory always, amen!

COLORADO SHOOTING (AGAIN)

70 people shot, 12 people dead in that Colorado movie theatre.




And still people are in the media trying to shift blame away from our violent gun-happy, shoot 'em up culture!



Ironically, it was said that two new violent action movies were postponed from coming out this weekend because of this Colorado incident.



Still therapists and many people in the acting world say that statistics can't demonstrate a correlation between many years of violent movies, video games and music to weak-minded individuals who just happen to snap, and turn violent out of nowhere.



I guess in this case, it was a coincidence that this young dude was rumored to have been obsessed with the Batman movie.



In the courts, mental illness is usually ruled out whenever premeditation is established. In this case, you can't mount up a small army-like arsenal of firearms, setup a master plan of of mass murder in a movie theatre and boobie-trap your own apartment, and not find premeditation.



Not far from the shootings, I believe is where the 24 year old man, James Holmes purchased his murder weapons. In Colorado, there is very little restriction from purchasing sling shots, hunting equipment and mass murder weaponry that should only be used by our nation's military.



When I think about how more advanced in military weaponry our average thugs are in comparison to our past military personnel who have protected our freedom in past wars, I truly freak out.   What a shame that this creep, holmes' grandfather was said to be a decorated Lt. Col. who served in the Okinawa campaign during World War II, and retired in 1963.  His murderer grandson used more advanced military weapons to attack and kill the people his grandfather risked his life for in WW II.



And how ANY justification can be found for owning a flame thrower or a 50 caliber machine gun... words can't express! But you can actually purchase these in some states.



None of this should shock people but it should really anger us b/c there's a huge section of the American people that are stubbornly blind. How can anyone say that violence is not on the rise? How can people not see that our society is taking a very obvious nose dive into hellish depravity?



The saturation of mounting accounts in the news of elder abuse, child abuse, spousal abuse, murder-suicides, pedophiles, robberies, terrorism, mass murder, drug cartel related murders, narcotics overdose deaths, etc, etc.



When citizens can literally see what's going on in their streets, read their newspapers for themselves, etc. Someone will always come around and say that violent crime is down by some percentage...



I say, "Don't believe the hype"!


And for those people who defend the notion of a small percentage of people who snap after being influenced by violent media... we have to remember that the individual's goal is to "take out" as many as possible in one sitting!  In this case for example, we're talking 70 families that are now affected by this violent trauma to their lives!  That doesn't add up to small numbers to me.


Where else do young people not involved in anti-government militias or military training learn how to strap-up and execute a mass murder like this? Could it be the plethora of mass murder simulation video games young dudes are exposed to.. or perhaps all those bloody and gory movies that keep coming out?... nawwww! It can't be!



Then what could it be????.... It's not mental illness.... It's not the anger, evil and mass murder in today's movies... then what could it be? 



Truth is common sense ALWAYS defeats statistics. Because you can't rely on statistics. Stats can be biased ... but when you're honest and you have just a humble amount of common sense, you don't need the blind to show you the way or the truth.



Things are bad and the Bible teaches that in the "last days", they're expected to get worst. Question is.... are these the last days?



"... And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

- Matthew 24:12