Things seem overwhelming, feel as if you're swerving in and out of traffic close to crashing. Thinking you have or need to have control over everything, will stuff your mind full of nonsense. Believing you have control over how you think, will give you a strong sense of power. Everything isn't going to happen just like you would like, the sooner you accept that reality, the sooner you will focus on what you can do and what you can control, that makes good sense. Realizing the sense in controlling what you can control, helps manage and master your emotions. Being able to discern whether to show or hold your emotions during circumstances, gives evidence that there's a logical and objective purpose to your response. This response decides- "NOW"makes the most sense. This narrow opportunity window encourages us not to dig up the past or push ahead to the future, but to process the present. Finding sense in doing what you can do "now", builds good thoughts, stable emotions, and a strong desire to make the most of moment. Discover the sense of power in "NOW", sets you free to experience greater things than you expected. Live simple, live NOW! Unpack the nonsense to find some sense in it.

What sort of nonsense do you need to unpack?

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Life is full of challenges and struggles, the more efficient you become in making adjustments and adapting with a positive outlook, the more resilient and resourceful your life will be. One sure way to unpack some anxiety is to focus on the well-being of others and not your wealth-being. Strive for personal development not personal debt. Live a life that's productive, reliable, and dependable in inspiring others to a life of well-being over wealth-being. Make life's challenges and struggles worth more than some temporal materialistic possession, make them a personal development tool. Alter your attitude, unpack some clutter, and change the world. JFH

Living with an overloaded heart and mind can kill you, literally. When feeling frustrated and defeated, take time to stop and breathe. To much on your plate, caught in other peoples crossfire, mistakes slowing your progress, comparing yourself to others, fear a change coming, facing a difficult decision, having negative thoughts? Take time to breathe? Focus on embracing what's before you instead of expecting what's before you to all of a sudden change. Taking time to breathe and delighting in the moment provides productive steps toward unpacking some of the dead weight you're carting around. Finding a place to sit quietly for 20 minutes each day makes one more productive. Take time to know you're alive, take a deep breath and clear the clutter. Only you know what's most important to you, so do something about it.

Unpack and enjoy the day. JFH

"Beyond Words" Just because someone celebrates Christmas doesn't mean they understand what CHRISTMAS really means. This year go beyond words, don't just celebrate a day set aside, celebrate the Savior who died and is alive for evermore. Look for ways to help others see beyond words, to see the real reason for celebrating CHRISTMAS. Be creative and sincere, love and laugh, give and assist. Realize those who feel rejected and out of place, those who feel worthless and undone, those who don't fit in, and those who are not like us, they need to know CHRISTMAS is for them. CHRISTMAS is for everyone, the message of Gods grace reaches beyond words. Show people CHRISTMAS this year, show them Jesus because of who you are, not just what you do on one day a year. A smile, a hug, some tears, and lots of unconditional love. Joy, happiness, and forgiveness. These go beyond words, will you reach out and show the celebration of CHRISTMAS this year? Will you restore that relationship, that friendship, will you restore your faith in Christ, or maybe start your faith in Christ? This can be a CHRISTMAS beyond words, if you want it to be. "The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people. When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has happened which the Lord has told us about.” (‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭10, 15‬ NCV)" Let the world see who we celebrate because of CHRISTMAS!

Gods Word is always relevant to life, the big question remains the same. Will you be "willing" and "ready" to believe, and apply Gods truth to "your" life? This past week I heard several people mention those who knew a ton of scripture but lived like the world. Application of Gods Word is grossly neglected in many lives today. To many base their bible study on their interpretation of what Gods Word says and what Gods Word means. Bible study is more than stopping here, more than ending the conversation based on personal interpretation. When one gains understanding of what Gods Word says to them, and what Gods Word means to them, the life changing choice of applying it to ones life is before them. Someone has said that "Interpretation without application is abortion." Thats a very strong statement of truth. To grow as a Christian one must apply Gods Word with their heart, not their head. Gods Word teaches life, Gods Word shows us the true right of all things. Gods Word shows us where we are wrong (reproof), Gods Word shows us how to get it right (correction), and Gods Word trains us in righteousness so we develop the discipline to live right. Application becomes real when you are convicted of a truth and you respond by faith with obedience. Gods Word is more than a bunch of information to talk about or pass along, Gods Word is for big time transformation. "You carefully study the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. They do in fact tell about me, but you refuse to come to me to have that life. (‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭39-40‬ NCV)" "And this is eternal life: that people know you, the only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One you sent. (‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭3‬ NCV)" Be responsible with your application of Gods Word. 

"Truth Inside" To think what you think without influence of environment or appearances is to think the truth within your mind. Our mind often falls prey to the external influence of untruths while the internal truths fight for attention. To think and process internal truth regardless of the environment and appearances takes a tremendous amount of personal labor, and also requires the expenditure of more heart, mind, and physical energy than any other task you'll ever tackle. Most, often forget the mind can save you from being physically drained or worn out. This saying can be true, if we want it to be: "let the brain control work, not work control the brain." As I read and study the life of Christ, it's more vivid today than ever before, the mind of Christ was absolutely in control of every thought, word, and action. Are we learning anything as we read and study Gods Word? Have we allowed the external to overtake the truth inside? To be Christ-like is to learn and repeat His life, what are we thinking? Are we reading and learning about Christ? Have we become so dependent on appearances and environment, that we can't think the truth in our mind? If you're thinking is dictated by the external and appearances, how will you ever find or know the truth? "So prepare your minds for service and have self-control. All your hope should be for the gift of grace that will be yours when Jesus Christ is shown to you. (‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬ NCV)" "“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been able to teach him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭16‬ NCV)" True or False?

"Thankful Now" No better time than now to be thankful. So many are waiting for their boat to come in or for a bigger and better opportunity. We can experience but we cannot predict or control the events that happen in every day life. We should learn to recognize between those things we can control and those we cannot. Once these are recognized, we can focus on meaningful and thankful times instead of wasting time trying to control what we cannot. Today is an awesome day to make a new start, a new commitment, to always be thankful now. There is never a better time than the present to step up and step out in faith and stop talking about what you might do. Don't wait for perfect conditions, they'll never come. It's true that some days seem better than others, and sometime things just don't seem well at all. But today is today, what else do you have? Take a risk and be super thankful now, for today, for faith, for family, for food, for fun, and for freedom. Stop waiting till the time is right, the perfect time is now, it begins today, it begins now. It's time to serve, time to witness, and it's time to be thankful, NOW! Take a risk, be diligent in being thankful always. "If clouds are full of rain, they will shower on the earth. A tree can fall to the north or south, but it will stay where it falls. Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds; those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops. Plant early in the morning, and work until evening, because you don’t know if this or that will succeed. They might both do well. (‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭11‬:‭3-4, 6‬ NCV)" Let this Thanksgiving be a launch pad for everyday thankfulness!

One of the main reasons people have no hope is because they have no purpose. Most have no purpose because they never accept responsibility for who they are, much less who they can be. Unless a person taps into their God designed service, the all important purpose of life continues to elude them. Having no sense of purpose creates a life of complaining, blaming, explaining, and bitterness. These folks always find excuses, it's the environment, it's the conditions, it's the situations, it's always something or someone. Because they live in despair and discouragement, they lose sight of all their capabilities and dreams. There is a door to recovery, a place you can find value and purpose in life; it's called "Helping Others". There's some crazy good stuff that happens when you help people. When you help heal the scars of others, your own scars heal. When you help others, you help yourself. Once you believe in helping others, once you take the risk to help, you stop being consumed by your own excuses. When you become willing to be a fountain of help and hope to others, what you draw up from this well, will help make you stronger and better every time you give it away. When you value the life of others by serving and helping them, you find and "release your value". To find and experience value and purpose, your greatest purpose must be the value of helping and serving others.
“This is the kind of fast day I’m after:to break the chains of injustice,get rid of exploitation in the workplace,free the oppressed,cancel debts.What I’m interested in seeing you do is:sharing your food with the hungry,inviting the homeless poor into your homes,putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,being available to your own families.Do this and the lights will turn on,and your lives will turn around at once.Your righteousness will pave your way.The God of glory will secure your passage.Then when you pray, God will answer.You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’If you get rid of unfair practices,quit blaming victims,quit gossiping about other people’s sins,If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.I will always show you where to go.I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—firm muscles, strong bones.You’ll be like a well-watered garden,a gurgling spring that never runs dry." Isaiah 58:6-11 Help others TO FIND AND  "RELEASE YOUR VALUE".

God gives an amazing peace to those who trust in Him. In a world filled with worry, knowing God gives the assurance that ultimately everything is good, it may not feel good or seem good, but with God it's all good. The hope Gods peace gives isn't a fantasy, it's a hope that creates a belief deep inside that knows there's always a way out, always a way to gain stability, always a way to get back to a balanced walk of life. This hope directs our faith with purpose in every situation. To look and see meaning when the situation says it's meaningless. To look and see gratitude when the situation says its grim. To look and see safety when the situation says suffering. Resilient hope creates a vision to see love when hate shows up, to see beauty in a mess, and to see the positive in opposition. Know that we live in a messed up, imperfect, sinful, and chaotic world, but confident that we will strengthen the weak, challenge the complacent, rescue the lost, and see the potential in people, not just the problem. Resilient hope creates an environment of safety and assurance in a difficult and misunderstood world. When pressure situations arrive, resilient hope never allows the pressure to get between the person and God. Resilient hope says pressure situations pushes them closer to God and God closer to them. Don't let the pressure of situations push you away from God, manage the pressure flow. "because he was teaching his followers. He said to them, “The Son of Man will be handed over to people, and they will kill him. After three days, he will rise from the dead.” But the followers did not understand what Jesus meant, and they were afraid to ask him. (‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭31-32‬ NCV)" I will rise, no matter what takes place. Don't be afraid to ask if you don't understand.