I Believe

Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later. Ask God each day to give you the thoughts, words, and actions to help you along the way. Be to other’s virtues very kind; be to their faults, a little blind. Correction does much; encouragement does more. Healthy relationships require clear boundaries.

Hymns of praise remind us that God is as close as the sound of our voices singing together. If there is something in our life keeping us from hearing God, we should confront it. If we think something is mean and hurtful, think how the person on the receiving end feels. Immorality is “trending.” The negative consequences are becoming more and more prevalent.

Kids need a hero.There is no one more suited than a close, caring, and loving adult. Many young “gamers” choose video games over friendships. May we express God’s love to the people around us every day. Never wrestle with a pig. You both get all dirty and the pig likes it. No one is defeated until he or she starts blaming someone else. Nothing is of more importance for the public welfare than to form and train up youth in wisdom and virtue.

People are much more important than things. Sin (evil) has diminished the value of human life, but God’s love deems it priceless. The gift of eternal life is ours today. It includes God’s love, forgiveness, and new life. The way we live our lives is directly related to our established goals.

Tolerating what is destructive (wrong) does not make it constructive (right). We are called to love and serve others, but above that, we are called to love and serve God. We can do away with the negative thought only when we replace it with a positive thought. We can only make a first impression once! We have to move forward to have a chance to experience the victory. When we admit our wrongs, it is as if a weight is lifted from us. We can breathe again normally. Without taking chances in life, one is always left to wonder about what could have been.

Self-reflection is always a good exercise. What I believe is a work in progress, not limited to these statements and subject to change. What do YOU believe?