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Here are 12 things I have not yet done in my life. Now let's see what are some things you have not yet done. 1- I've never been to Australia or Alaska, but one day I hope too. 2- I've traveled outside of the country. But never lived outside the country.
3- I've never have been close to dying, at least not that I know of. 4- I've never been arrested for anything. 5- I've never eaten caviar, and sure don't want to start now!! 6- I've never been a politician. But would like to, there are a lot of things I would LOVE to change!!!!
7- I've never eaten snails! Hey I may be crazy at times, but I'm not stupid. 8- I've never traveled by train. Keep wanting to, but a plane is faster. Oh well one day maybe.
9- Ive never had a broken bone plenty of sprains and trons, and that's to much.
10- I've never bungee jumped, and never will unless I have a death wish or I am TOTALLY out of my mind!!!
11- I've never killed anyone...but wooo my gosh!!!!!!....It sure came close a few times. 12- I have never been on a trip by myself, and as long as there's someone/someones that goes with me, I probably never will...
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Posted On 03/07/2007 07:39:01
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What would you do if for every moment you were truly happy there would be 10 moments of sadness? I would ask myself, why did I spend those 10 moments in sadness worrying about something that never happened, or wondering if those 10 moments would have been my last. What would you do if your best friend died tomorrow and you never got to tell them how you felt? I would regret it for the rest of my life. So, I just wanted to say, even if I never talk to you again in my lifetime, I want you to know you are special to me! You have made a difference in my life! Your words and encouragement have met more to me then you can every imagine! I look up to you, respect you, and truly cherish you as a friend. Thank You for choosing me as your friend.  Love You, Jaime
No Matter how successful you are, we all face challenges, struggles, and times when things don't go our way. When calamities occur, some people immediately think they have done something wrong, that God must surely be punishing them. They don't understand that God has a divine purpose for every challenge that comes into there life. He doesn't send the problems, but sometimes He allows us to go through them. The Bible says temptations, trials, and difficulties must come, because if we are to strengthen our spiritual muscles and grow stronger, we must have adversities to overcome and resist the attacks. As odd as this may seem, the trials can be beneficial. It's in the tough and darkest times of our life that we find out what we're really made of. The pressure exposes things that we need to deal with -- things such as wrong attitudes, wrong motives, areas where we're compromising. The Scripture says, "Don't be amazed at the fiery ordeal that's taking place to test your quality as though something strange was happening." The trial is intended to test our quality, to test our character, to test our faith. We shouldn't think it's a big deal when we go through these tough times. All through life, we face various test, and even though we may not enjoy them, God will use those trials to refine us, to cleanse and purify us. He's trying to shape us into the person He wants us to be. So if we'll learn to cooperate with God and not be quick to correct the areas that He brings to light, then we'll pass that test then He will be able to promote us to a new level He has for us. This past 4 years I've discovered more that in the my struggles of life, God is more interested in changing me than He is in changing my circumstances. I'm not saying that God won't change the circumstances. Certainly, He can, and often does. But most of the time, I'm tested in the areas where I am the weakest. You've probably found something similar to be true. If you have a problem with jealousy, doesn't it seem as though everybody you meet has more or better material possessions than you do. You notice that your best friend wears a brand-new outfit every time you turn around. The person you work next to, who makes half as much money as you do comes driving up in a brand-new car. Your long lost relative calls to tell you that she just won the lottery! Now, are you going to pass the test? Are you going to keep a good attitude and rejoice with those who rejoice and be sincerely happy for them? Or are you going to get all negative and bitter and say, "God, I work harder then they do. Nothing good ever happens to me. I go to church every Sunday. Why can't I get a new car?" That's a test of our faith. That's God bringing to light impurities in our character. That's God trying to refine us. And when we learn to work with God, and let go of all that jealousy, we'll be amazed at the blessing, favor, and victory that will come into our life. God deliberately uses situations in our life so that we can recognize the problems in our lives and learn to deal with it. He's working something out of us so He can work something in us, to rise us to a new level and be the person He really wants us to be. God will use people in our lives to reveal areas where we need to change. God may have purposely arranged for you to be in close proximity to that person who grates against you, He may be trying to teach you how to love your enemies, Or, He may be trying to toughen you up a little and teach you to have some endurance, to not run from everything that is hard, uncomfortable, or inconvenient. God is not going to change anyone or anything we're dealing with until He first changes us. We have to quit complaining, and instead start taking a good look on the inside, then start working with God to change us, then God will change those other people. Examine you own heart and see if there are attitudes and motives that you need to change. God often allows us to go through situations, to draw out those impurities in our character. And we can rebuke until "rebuke" wears out. We can pray, we can resist, we can loose, we can bind, we can sing and shout, we can do it all, but it's not going to do us any good! God is far more interested in changing us than He is in changing the circumstances. And the sooner we'll learn to cooperate with God, the sooner we'll get out of that mess. The quicker we learn the lesson and start dealing with those bad attitudes and start ruling over our emotions, the quicker we will go to that next level God has for us in our spiritual journey. We first must recognize the refining purpose of trials. We can't run from everything that's hard in our lives. God is trying to show us who and what we can be and learn from our circumstances. Perhaps you are in a trial, and you're praying for God to deliver you out of that situation. And that sure is a legitimate prayer, but maybe you're missing the point of why you were allowed to go through this trying time. We have to recognize that God wants to do a work in us. He's molding, and refining us. But we get so busy trying to evade the difficulty, the work is not being done. Maybe we're focused on all the circumstances and all the people around us that we haven't taken time to look deep inside and deal with the issues God is bringing to light. Perhaps you get worried and full of fear when important things don't go your way. Have you ever thought that God may be allowing those events to teach you to trust Him and to see if you will stay peaceful and calm in the midst of the storm? Maybe He's allowing some of that to teach you how to rule over your emotions. He may be trying to toughen you up, to help you develop some backbone and stability. "We often pray, God, if You will change my circumstances, then I'll change." No, it works the other way around. We have to be willing to change our attitudes and deal with those issues God brings up; then God will change those circumstances. God loves us far too much to allow us to go through life in mediocrity. He will often permit pressure to be applied to our life, to test us, and only when we past those test will we advance. He will put people and circumstances in our path that grate on us like sandpaper, but He will use them to rub off our rough edges. We may not always like it; we may not understand it, we may want to run from it, we may even resist it. But God is going to keep bringing up the issue, again and again, until we pass the test. The Bible says "We are [God's] workmanship." That means we are a work in progress, not a finished project. One way or the other, God is going to get His way. Now, Either we can learn the hard way, and fight, deny, get anger or we can come to our senses and say Okay, God, I'll do it Your way you know what your doing. You know what is best for me, even when I don't understand it now. I'll be calm; I'll be patient. So when those struggles of every day life come our way. We need to look deep inside and be quick to change. Be willing to deal with any issues that God brings up. Work with God in the refining process rather than fighting against Him. The Scripture says that God is the potter and we are the clay. Clay works best when it is pliable, malleable, and mold able. But if we are hard, crusty, and set in our own ways, God will have to pound away on that old, hard clay to get out the lumps. Certainly, none of us enjoy going through struggles, but we have to understand that our struggles may be an opportunity for advancement and promotion. The very thing that we are fighting against so tenaciously may be the springboard that catapults us to that new level of excellence that God so wants us to have. Our challenges may become our greatest assets. Perhaps like my adversity, yours was dropped in your path for a purpose. Perhaps it was there to challenge you, to strengthen you, to sharpen you, to keep you fresh, to keep you alive, active and growing. I don't quite understand my situation or why it happen, but God does, and He's going to use this situation to deliver His awesome plan He has for my life although it may not be as I planed. I know that God's ways are far more better then I could ever dream, hope, or imagine it could be. Granted, those adversity we are facing could very well be something that God is using to push and challenge us to do and be our best that we can be. The trial is a test of our faith, character, and endurance. So we can't give up, we can't quit. We can't whine and complain, saying God, why is all this happening to me.? Instead, we need to stand strong and fight the good fight of faith. God is giving us opportunity for promotion. It's the struggle that gives us the strength. Without opposition or resistance, there is no potential for progress. Without the resistance of air, an eagle can't soar. Without the resistance of water, a ship can't float. Without the resistance of gravity, you and I can't even walk. Yet our human tendency is to want everything easily. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts; there's no easy way to mature physically, emotionally, or spiritually. We must remain determined and work with God. The Bible says, "Work out your own salvation." Salvation is more than a onetime prayer. It is constantly working with God, dealing with the issues He brings up and keeping a good attitude, fighting through until we win the victory. God never promised that we wouldn't have adversity and challenges in life. He's word says the opposite, "Be truly glad!....These trials or only to test your faith, to see whether or not it is strong and pure." So if our faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fiery trials, it will bring us much praise, glory and honor on the day of His return. When we go though difficult times, and we will. We need to make sure we pass the test. We can't be stubborn and hardheaded. We need to recognize that God is refining us knocking off some of the rough edges. So we' need to stand strong and fight. God has called each of us to be the champions; we are destined to win. If we'll work with God and keep a good attitude, then no matter what comes against us, the Bible says that all things -- not just the good things in life, but all things -- will work together for good.
Living everyday is not always easy; in fact sometimes it's downright difficult. You may be experiencing some sort of adversity in your life today; you may not be exactly where you want to be physically, emotionally, intellectually, or even spiritually. Someone close to you may be hard to get along with. Or maybe you have other obstacles in your path. Regardless of what's going on in your life, even if it is hard right now, don't use that as an excuse to live in discouragement and despair. We have to understand the tough times of life cause us to grow; that's when our faith is really stretched. That's when God is doing a work in us. It may be uncomfortable. We may not like it, but if we can keep the right attitude, God has promised He'll use that difficulty for our good. He'll use if for our advantage. If God were to remove the adversity in our life, we wouldn't be prepared for what He has in store for us next. I know from experiences that it can be hard to understand, we think, God, why am I still in this situation? God, why did this happen? God why am I still having these difficulties? Or God, why do I have to work around these people that don't understand? That's the wrong approach. Our attitude should be, God I may not understand this, but I know You're in complete control of my life, and You have me here for a reason. This situation may not be good, but I know You will work it for my good. I know I'm growing, and I going to come out of this someway somehow stronger, happier, healthier, and better off than I was before. You have me exactly where You want me to be, so I'm going to stay filled with faith. I'm going to stay full of joy and keep pressing forward, knowing that You will use these difficulties to my advantage. -- Our faith is similar to a muscle. It grows stronger through resistance.It is exercised when it's being stretched, when it's being pushed. That's why God doesn't usually deliver us from our adversity's overnight. He doesn't remove us from every uncomfortable situation in a split second. But it's those times, He uses to build our "spiritual muscles." I know there are some people that live in despair and disappointments all because there circumstances are not exactly what they desire them to be, or unless everything is not going their way, everybody is not treating them right, and they are immune from experiencing discomfort. People like that are probably never going to be happy! Besides, that's a very shallow way to live. If you lose your joy every time something negative happens to you, then the enemy will continue to attack. He'll make sure you'll always have somebody in your life who irritates you, or some situation that's going to keep your sour. But don't make the mistake and give the enemy a foot-hold to stand on. Psalm 37:23 says"If God is directing our steps, we can be confident that He is aware of our circumstances." You may be saying: Nothing is going my way, why am I not being healed, why did this happen to me. I remember when I went back to work, everyone was on edge, they shyed away, they stared, and I understood and expected that. Now, here was my chance to shine, and to show everyone that God was the one that got me through the rough days, God was the one that allowed me to come back, and have a life after a traumatic trauma. I thought, wow! Here was a chance to give God the glory and to show all these people that when God allows me to walk again, they will have no choice but to believe in the power of God! That alone gives me the courage and strength to go on. So, if we don't learn to be happy where we are now, how can we be happy in the next step God has for us. You may be dealing with difficult circumstances and may have a thousand reason why you could be unhappy, but don't slip into that trap. Choose to enjoy each day that God gives you in spite of your circumstances. Everyday you live with a negative attitude, dominated by your discouragements, is a day you've wasted. And what a shame to waste what God has given us! The adversities are simply a test of our faith. Perhaps God wants to see how we will treat other people when we are not being treated well. He may want to see how we are going to respond if we don't get the promotion we were hoping for. What kind of attitude are we going to have if our prayers aren't answered as quickly as we would like? In the tough times, our characters develops. Something happens on the inside; God is causing us to grow. If He delivered us instantaneously from every problem, we would never need faith. Besides, we would never develop into the persons He really wants us to be. Romans 8:28 says"God causes all things to work together for good for them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." You may be in a difficult situation today. You may be in a hard place in your marriage or on the job; maybe you are in a hard place in your finances. Granted guys, there are and will always be times when we can't understand what we're going through or why, but we must never forget and always believe that In God's perfect right timing. He's going to bring some kind of good out of it. "God will not allow difficulty to come into our life unless He had a purpose for it."
Hi my name is Jaime, and this is my story of how God toke something bad that happen in my life, and then revealed His awesome power and love through that experience. On October 15, 2002 my life was altered permanently and turn upside down from something I never expected or dreamed would happen. A car accident that would change my life forever. My life and dreams I had were on a roll to becoming what I hoped for. But on that day God had the same dreams, just another plan of using them. When I woke up in the hospital and was told I broke my T-12 vertebrae, and had a slim to no chance that I would ever walk again. Ooooh man! At first I wanted to die! I was hurt and devastated, then confused and frustrated. Then I became very angry not only with the ones I loved, but also with God. I started falling into that trap of feeling sorry for myself, feeling worthless and useless. I was screaming, shouting, crying, and saying things like God how could you allow this to happen?! Why did you allow this happen especially now?! You don't understand God, you know I'm the kind of person that has to be doing something that involves running and walking, not sitting and rolling! You made me that way! I had dreams, I had hopes, and now my life will never be the same again! What am I supposed to do now God?! How was I ever going to be-able to do those things I love again? But do you think that helped, did any good, or even shocked God? Oh sure all the shouting and screaming might have helped for a little while, but that got old real fast. A good friend told me "If one dream dies, dream another dream. If one path has been altered take another path." What he was saying was even though my life has change somewhat, it doesn't have to end there, I just have to pursue another way of doing it. I just needed to redirect that path and improvise somethings. See God can take a nugget of truth, a word. He took someones voice and spoke to me, and through there voice; He's starting to revel His awesome plan for my life. He has given me hope that I can latch onto and begin to dream new dreams, to walk through doors that only God has for me. He wants to build my life upon a solid fountain. You know how everyone of us are different? We have different situations, different circumstances, and different personalities. God doesn't speak to us all the same. He speaks to us individually and uniquely, and we have to understand that God wants our voices to be heard. Now it's my time to stir up those other gifts and dreams of God within myself and my heart. Because if I'm ever going to make it through this life, If I'm ever going to see those hopes and dreams come alive once again; even in times of difficulty, when things look hard, and I can't even understand why it's going on or when it's ever going to end. I can guaranty that when I reach down on the inside and ask God to stir up those hopes and dreams of what I learned, what I remembered, and what I've experienced as I've walked through the journey with Him. And now, as I'm starting a new journey. I can have the joy and victory come alive once again! This time liked I never imagined could be possible! But, to see that happen, I have to pursue those dreams and face those fears and uncertainties, and become fearless. Have you every read a verse in the Bible or heard something that you just knew it was for you? Now as a result of God using my family, my friends, my therapist, and those I've met that faced and successfully succeeded the same challenges I was about to face. The ones that never gave up on me, constantly telling me never say never! He's using there voices to let me know I did not have to give up running, give up playing ball, and doing the things I loved. No way! Instead I've learned to run in a wheelchair, I've learned to play ball sitting down, but those were not so hard to relearn again. Skiing, now that was a little more of a challenge. In rehab my therapist talked about me skiing a different way by sitting down. At first I refused. I thought how was this even possible to ski sitting down. Then my friends reminded me that with God all things are possible. Oh boy did I eat those words. I know it can be done, and I was determined to get back on skies! Because if my friends knew I can do it, then I wasn't going to let the devil tell me I couldn't do it. I just had to shake that can't mentality, and get back on the horse. You know the old saying where thers's a will there's a way. I did learn to ski seating down. But the most remarkable thing I've learned, was I found myself without even knowing it. Speaking words of encouragement and confidence in helping others that were faced with the same challenges. I even found myself doing more things sitting then I did standing, excepting it instead of regretting it. Now, of course I still have days I wish it didn't happen, but there now far and few apart. I now believe it's a start of a new beginning, a new dream, and new hopes of what God has for me. He also has intended for you and I to be-able to help others to never say never, to never give up on there hopes and dreams. But we need to push and persevere in all that we do. God is very personally and faithful, and when we need Him, He'll be there. So when we hear His voice that's when we draw strength, that's when we draw courage to go on. We have so much to be grateful for, and I think one of the keys to getting us on the road to recovery, it's one of the keys to get us to the place God has for us, is to simply to be grateful. Because a grateful heart is a incredible heart. Remember as long as were yoked together with GOD, there is nothing to strong for HIM.
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