Alternative Career Paths

What alternative career paths have you considered or are interested in?

All my life I knew I wanted to do something that would help people. In college, I chose psychology and criminal Justice as my career path. After I graduated with my criminal justice degree. If I wanted to get my psychology degree I would have to leave my children to continue my education. I couldn’t do it. So, I chose to stick close to home and raise my children.

Now that the children are raised and gone. If I had to consider a new career path. I would get my degree in the veterinary field. There is a huge demand for veterinarians in my area. Being that I live in a rural area, we have three veterinarian offices. But, that being said, they do not provide quality veterinary services. One you can never get a hold of, one has a reputation for unsafe surgeries, and other, I’m pretty sure it’s just in it for the money.

If you want quality care, for pets in my area, you either have to drive 70 miles, or basically become your pet’s doctor and head to your local farm store.

Filling The Hole In Your Soul

There’s nothing left to do, nothing more to say. The silent descends upon you with an oppressive force. really suffocating underneath the weight of a momentary, but seemingly eternal, nothingness.

Have you ever felt this way? That feeling of desolation, that feeling of a gaping hole inside you. If you’ve ever suffered from depression, despair, or loneliness, maybe you’ve wondered how feeling empty can be so painful.

A feeling that intensifies and so does your desire to seek relief. So what happens now, do you reach for the bottle of alcohol in your refrigerator, or that old bottle of prescription pain pills you have stuffed in the back of the cupboard, maybe the phone to call that “friend” for that sexual fix, all in an attempt to escape your old dark complexion -emptiness.

Emptiness that is a feeling of inner desolation: A complete absence of joy, hope, or satisfaction. When we experience emptiness it feels like we are plunged into an inner abyss which often results in addictive and escapist behavior.

I have to admit in an attempt to fill the hole in my soul, I’ve reached for the alcohol, prescription drugs, and the sexual endeavors. In order to feel better if just for a little while.

But there’s so much more to feeling empty than meets the eye. It’s a perplexing emotion that is closely linked with the process of spiritual awakening. I spent years and years trying to fill a hole that felt like a bottomless pit. trying to cope with the numbness of the emptiness each day is enough to trigger major inner life shifts.

Go to any doctor and I’ll try to diagnose you with a mental illness. Don’t get me wrong, while emptiness is sometimes caused by neurological chemical imbalances. I would dare to say that for most people, it goes far deeper than that.

When it comes to exploring, what is really causing emptiness, be careful. I’ve run into so many justifications which sound true, but in reality, they are just band-aid symptoms of much deeper issues. Band-aid symptoms like I don have enough money, my partner doesn’t love me anymore, I have no close friends. You have to dig deeper than that.

It’s pretty common to have “soul loss.” A condition of being disconnected from your soul. Whether it be trauma, abuse, childhood conditioning, or ego centered to living.

Soul loss manifests itself as the eternal sense that something is missing from our lives. It’s sometimes disguised as a perpetual search for happiness, which often results in misguided, futile and externally, focused pursuits. The obsession with money, fame, power, beauty, and the perfect relationship are all attempts to get back the things we thing we’ve lost. When all have done is lost contact with our soul.

This soul loss seems to be a modern epidemic of epic proportions these days. It’s symptoms manifest as low self-esteem, suicidal, depression, mental illness, physical illness, and rage. And in extreme circumstances, acts of violence, cruelty, and depravity.

When we lose touch with our soul, and are feeling empty, we will inevitably lose touch with our life purpose. What are you destined to create, or do? What does your heart crave to Express? How do you experience self-fulfillment? When you experience so loss you may think “who the hell knows.”

I think we are all brainwashed and conditioned to act certain ways. Since childhood, we are pressure to conform and fit into nice little boxes by our parents, teachers, and society. As adults, it seems to be the same story. We think that we are the ones using the accounting degree, finding a partner, getting a mortgage, and on and on… We listen to what everyone else tells us about who we should be ignored. We really are. Why is it that people experience break ups, job loss, death, and illness is socially accepted. But one more painful please come along like emptiness it feels like are left behind.

We can promise ourselves, but we will read more books, lose more weight, exercise, more often, eat, better foods, and invest in a more spiritual life. But yeah, we focus on external life, will I be accepted by…? We focus to changing the things on the outside, that people can see. When is the things that can’t be seen that need the most work.

We seem to forget, but Jesus works from the inside out. He’s more concerned with our heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 Solomon council his own son. “Keep your heart with all diligence, for of it proceeds the issues of life. As we grow up and develop, physically, the heart is the last thing on our minds. We are more concerned about our hair, our weight, our fashion, our muscles, and our accomplishments. The things we think make us worthy among our peers.

I find it ironic that we live in the most free country in the world, but many of us remain shackled inside, fettered by bad habits, addictions, and lifestyles. We are like flames bragging on marketplace about how free we are to do whatever we want.

In March 6:36-37, Jesus asks a very important question, What will it profit to gain the whole world, but lose your own soul? And what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Just like the famous Pharisee Nicodemus, who had a fame, education, status, money, and influence. He felt empty. Everything celebrated today everything experience with, every thing we have dabbled with, can leave us feeling empty inside, even if your thin and beautiful while doing it. Most people think these worldly things are enough to fill the hole in your hole. But it never works.

The rock truth is everyone has a hole in their soul. That hole is designed by God, he made us that way.

“For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of Him who suggested it, and hope that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God“ – Romans 8:20

Simply put, our Creator made us with a God-shaped hole that nothing except God can satisfy.

God made you with a hole in your soul, and only He can fill it. And that alone brings real change. We can try to fill it with alcohol, drugs, people, experiences, status, and fame, but nothing will truly satisfy you. Sex drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll just make the hole bigger.

The only way to fill the hole is to seek God, who made it in the first place. You can be forgiven for your past and find purpose in your life and that hole in your soul will be filled once and for all.

Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?

Have anyone ever told you that you are your own worst enemy? Chances are, you’ve heard this a few times in your life. Believers should have been taught to fight against Satan, he is the enemy of souls.

But what do you do when our problems stem from the inner you and not the enemy?

Proverbs 14:12 says that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but it’s end is the way of death.”

In other words, you are your own worst enemy. You can cause yourself more pain and trouble than 10 enemies. Your own soul can be a deadly danger in your life.

Do you judge yourself too much? Do you constantly sell yourself short? By doing so, you will only hold yourself back and never experience the value of your own potential.

Stop beating yourself up over every mistake you make. Over criticizing yourself will hold you back and dampen your confidence.

I tend to over analyze and over think everything before I make a move forward. I don’t like surprises, and want to be able to handle anything that pops up. But it causes me to over-worry and is like an exhausting merry-go-round as my solutions do a complete 180, which sometimes turn on themselves and paralyze my progress. While it’s human nature to contemplate solutions, then struggle between our minds and brains, and hearts. It’s in our best interest to shut down the over-analyzing, overthinking, and worry.

Do you assume too much? Making assumptions about situations can end in disaster. This happens when our brains acts to fill in the gaps by forming a presumption that is most often based on inaccurate facts.

One think I’ve learned is you cannot place your own standards or morals on everyone else. Each on of is different, and we tick differently. When dealing with others its important to rely on facts rather than assumptions before deciding on a course of action.

We may never know the full story of the other person. Wasting time and energy on a particular outcome when we do not have all the facts is exhausting.

When our time is used wisely, we won’t become our own worst enemy.

My Food Specialty

What food would you say is your specialty?

When to goes to cooking my main go to is good old dump-and-go meals. Either the classic casserole recipes or my sometimes go to freezer meals. Mainly meat and potatoes and a vegetable plates with bread on the side. Are my specialties. And I make a lot of fresh breads, A good ole comfort meal especially during the fall and winter months. It can’t be beat.

Traditional foods like Pogacsa which is lard and pork crackling biscuits. And a big bowl of Turos Csusza -pasta with cottage cheese is my all time favorite meal. But when I make this I have to make something different for the hubby, he does has not an acquired taste for Hungarian foods.

I also love to bake which I don’t think is a specialty. Every one always asks for my peanut butter cookies or my peanut butter fudge.

The Lion Of Judah —Jesus

Often, when we think of Jesus one of the images that comes to mind is “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” When we think of Jesus it’s hard to imagine He’s anything else. Tenderness, gentleness and maybe even submissive can come to mind.

While Jesus was all these things, there is another description of Jesus in the Bible that is the complete opposite of Him as a lamb. That description is “the Lion of Judah.” I think we see the importance of knowing Jesus as the lamb. I want to give you a few reasons we should know Jesus as the Lion of Judah.

What Does Lion Of Judah Mean?

In order to get an understanding of this phrase, there are two places in Scripture where the Lion and Judah are tired together.One is Genesis 49:9, and the other is in Revelation 5:5.

“Judah is a lion cub. From the prey, my son you have gone up. He stooped down, He crouched as a lion, as a lioness. Who will rouse Him up” – Genesis 49:9.

“One of the elders said to me, Don’t weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; He who opens the book and it’s seven seals” -Revelation 5:5

Consider the significance of the tribe of Judah. Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. The descendants of these sons formed the twelve tribes of Israel. A reference to the tribe of Judah is a reference to the human or natural lineage of Jesus.

Jesus was a descendant of Judah which included David, and Solomon, eventually making it’s all the way down to Joseph, Jesus’s earthly father (actually step-father if you want ti be technical).

In Genesis 49 Jacob calls his sons together and tells them what will happen to each of them in the days to come. When he gets to his son Judah where he proclaims:

“Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s son’s will bow down to you. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. “Like a lion he couches and lies down, like a lioness -who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. He will tether his donkey to a vine,his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk” – Genesis 48:8-12.

When you consider these verses, then a reference to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah points to the conquering, victorious king that he would descend from Judah’s linage. We know that the lion himself, God in human form, who is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The truth is important because it fulfills the promise and prophecy of God’s Word. It also gives us hope and confidence in the one who will ultimately be our deliverer.

5 Keys To A Godly Perspective

Have you ever had one of “those days” when everything just seems to go wrong?

You get up in the morning still tires from a less-than-perfect night sleep and you head to the coffee maker looking forward to that fresh brewed coffee to find that you didn’t quite have the pot on straight. So instead of having a fresh brewed cup of coffee you now have a counter full of coffee. On the way out the door you realize that you forgot to plug in the charger.

If you’ve had days like this, then it familiar.

Life is hard

Some days are full of aggravating circumstances, and others are just seemingly unbearable. Like that call you get from someone that a loved one has just passed away. Or that call from a good friend to hear they have cancer.

Having a heavenly perspective, trying as we might, it seems like the world works against us.

It circles back to an old-age question: why do bad things happen to good people?

Bad things happen period. The world we live in is fallen and broken, as well as the people in it. We all have trials and difficulties and have to endure painful things.

Jesus promised us we would face tribulation, but He also promised peace and commanded us to have courage that He is in control.

I don’t know about you but I’ve had to endure a lot of tribulation in my life. It’s in these times when we wonder if we will ever find peace,

It is possible to have peace but we must see His perspective in order to experience it.

Here are 5 keys to having a Godly perspective.

  • God is Good (Psalm 84:11)
  • Life is Hard (John 16:33)
  • God is Sovereign (Romans 8:28)
  • God is All-Wise (Romans 11:33-36
  • God is All-Powerful (Jeremiah 32:17)

For year’s I have slowly and quietly reviewed these five pillars. I read these verses often out loud. God is a very big God. I have learned whatever we ask for it has to line up with the will of Him, or it won’t happen.

Knowing this, my circumstances don’t change but my perspective on them has changed.

God has promised to take care of us, and when we remember who He is, refuse to worry, and follow His direction, and develop a plan to move forward boldly, then we are able to experience His peace and power.

Bad days happen and we will struggle but they don’t last forever and having the perspective that “this too shall pass,” can go a long way.

Historical Events

What major historical events do you remember?

The Cold War showed no sign of ending. Arms control advocates wanted a nuclear freeze agreement between Russia and the United States. The largest mass demonstration in American History.

In 1982 the United States experienced the worse recession since the Great Depression. By November of 1983 there were nine million people unemployed. Businesses closed, people lost their homes, farmers lost their land. I remember eating a lot of wild meat during this time. My parents having 5 hungry mouths to feed. The Reagonomnics was popular.

Reagan and many others believed that the spread of communism anywhere threatened freedom everywhere. As a result the Reagan administration was eager to provide financial and military aid to anti-communist governments and insurgences around the world.

In November 1986 the White House illegally sold arms to Iran in an effort to win the freedom of the U.S. hostages in Lebanon.

The Berlin Wall had long divided the German city into eastern, communist held half and a western democratic half was torn down by ecstatic crowds in 1889 two years later the Soviet Union collapsed.

I find it ironic that America was fighting against communism in the 1980’s and today, most young people in America are fighting for communism.

Communism is a political theory derived from Karl Marx, which advocates class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. Communism as well as socialism advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the government. Basically it kills the American Dream, No matter How hard a person works they will stay poor and everything is controlled by the government.

Taking Risks

What’s the biggest risk you’d like to take — but haven’t been able to?

Many of life‘s greatest achievement require going outside of your comfort zone. Whether it is overcoming shyness to perform on stage, or investing money to help a business grow.. Taking risks involve putting yourself out there. Which usually causes uneasiness of not knowing the outcome and potential failure.

Most people think of all the negative aspects ‘what if’s’ of a risk. But what if they think of the positives of the ‘what if’s.’

I would love to risk going on a missions trip, moving to another country. visiting far away places. I used to be the one who would do anything that I found of interest. I believed that if there was a will there was a way. I was a pretty free soul.

Today I just let God have the reigns. If He wants me to do something He will make a way and I will go. That’s what I plan on taking my biggest risks for. My biggest challenge is getting myself out of God’s way.

If I do it God’s way, then there’s no risk involved. Because He guides me.

How To Be Blessed By God

Plasm 1 gives us guidelines for being blessed, favored and multiplied by God. It’s a wisdom Psalm by David. It provides us with warnings that are important but usually misunderstood.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor sits in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Lord and in his word he meditates day and night” -Psalm 1:1-2

Being blessed of God means a person enjoys God’s favor, approval and empowerment. Here are a few guidelines for enjoying the full blessing’s of God.

1. Saturate

Saturate yourself with the word of God. Fill up your thoughts, attitude, and conversations with things that are found in God’s Word. Let His Word dwell in your goals, you interactions and your daily conversations. Mediation involves hearing, reflecting and readjusting our lifestyle in obedience to God’s perfect will for your life. Avoiding anything that distracts you from filling your thoughts with what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent, admirable or praise-worthy.

2. Situate

Situate yourself by the living word. Jesus said, “He who believed in me, from his inner most being will flow with living water” (John 7:38). When we mediate we are in communion with the Savior, Redeemer, Restorer and the Rebuilder. Spending time with God in His Word and prayer every morning before you walk out the frond door.

David wrote in Psalm 143:8, “Cause me ti hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walj, for I lift my soul to you.”

3. Satisfy

Satisfy yourself with God’s Word, His will and His way. It is not enough to merely think good thoughts but we find our greatest satisfaction completing His will for our lives through obedience to His will.

Jesus said in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me.” And Matthew 5:8 He said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied.

4. Seperate

Separate yourself from the world. In Psalm 1 David warns us not to sit walk or stand with the ungodly. In 2 Timothy 2:22-26, The Apostle Paul wrote, ‘Fless and evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart; but refuse foolish and ignorant questioning, knowing that they generate strife. The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle towards all, able to teach, patient in gentleness correcting who oppose him; perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth, and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to his will.

5. Sanctify

Sanctify yourself in the truth, Jesus said, “Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:7)). Let the Word of God cleanse your thoughts, your motives and your perceptions.

6. Submit

Submit yourself to God. This is a hard one for most people, I used to say I would submit to no one. But when we follow Jesus, we have to realize that we need to continually relinquish our rights to the Lord. Ask the Lord to help you readjust your heart, soul, strength and mind to place the Lord in all respects so you may bear fruit in everything you do. This will allow you to be strengthened will all-over according to His glorious might.

Colossians 1:9-11 says, For this cause, we almost, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding; that you may walk worthily of the Lord, to place Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, for all endurance and perseverance with Joy.”

7. Stand

Stand firmly on God’s promises. “Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of His who calls us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He had granted to us His precious promise in order that by them you might escape the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (2 Peter 1:3-4). Know and be firmly sure that His promises will not fail you until all of God’s work is complete in and through you.

8. Succeed

Succeed through the power of His Word His Spirit and His will. “For he will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. His leaf will not wither and whatever he does will prosper.” Psalm 1:5-6. The best way to succeed is to meditate on God’s Word for great growth in your obedience to His will. Then you can make your way prosperous and have good success.

9. See

When we see spiritual purposes in every situation, then every problem that we face can become an opportunity to draw upon the goodness if God. Instead of thinking that we ‘deserve’ utopia here on earth, the Lord allows spiritual maturity to overcome the hardships, dry times and disappointments of life. God allows those who meditate on His Word to have the mind of Christ. Ask the Lord to help you perceive life through the eyes of God’s perspective given to you by a Spirit-filled life.

“For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God’s Torah (Bible), neither indeed can it be. Those who are in the flesh can’t please God” – Romans 8:6-8

10. Stabilize

Stabilize yourself when you are worried, anxious or unsure about your direction. God told Isaiah, that “He will keep whoever’s steadfast in perfect peace because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 6:3) “In the world, you will have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world” -John 16:21-33

These are guidelines to being blessed, and favored by God these things will be multiplied if we are in obedience to them. It is also a warning that it is equally important but often misunderstood.

Isaac And Ishmael- The Abraham Covenant War

The Abraham Covenant

I’ve been think about what’s going on in Israel. Here’s what’s I’ve learned about Bible Prophecy on the issues plaguing Israel right now.

In Genesis 18, we read about Abraham and Sarah. Sarah is barren unable to have a child. Even though God promised Abraham that a son will be born to Sarah they doubt God’s promise. After Sarah begins to age she believes her time to have a son is over.

She tells Abraham that he should take her handmaiden Hagar and have a child. She tells Abraham to have sex with Hagar so he can have a son to carry on his legacy.

Hagar bore Abraham a son and named him Ishmael. The story goes on to say Sarah becomes jealous and cruel towards Hagar and Hagar runs away into the wilderness. However, a angel of the Lord meets her and tells her to return to Sarah, and God assures her that she, too, will be a mother of a great nation.

Just as Isaac was to have a great nation as Abraham’s son Ishmael. So what was the promised to Abraham In God’s covenant?

The 3 Aspects of the Abraham Covenant are:

1. Land

2. Lineage

3. Lord

God promised Hagar that her son would never be a slave. He would be free like a wild donkey that would roam the desert in her world. God was promising that He would bless Ishmael and his descendants and they would become Nomadic and free.

God’s promises to Isaac were a continuation of the covenant that God made with Abraham, Isaac’s father. God promised to be with asaac and bless him and his descendants the land of Cannan, and promised to multiply Isaac’s offspring as the stars of heaven and make them a blessing to all nations.

God had promised Ishmael and Isaac both Land and Lineage.

Ishmael is mentioned in the Bible as having settled in the land of Paran, the land lying between Cannan and the mountains of Sinai. His descendants lived in the territory between Havilah and Shur which are east of Egypt on the way to Assyria.

Isaac is mentioned in the Bible as having settled in Cannan, the eastern side of the Mediterranean sea, at that point south of Gaza and extending from there up the coastline as far north to Euphrates river and Sea of Galilee.

Today Iran and the Palestine‘s are fighting for, as well as the Israelites.

1. Land

2. Lineage

3. Lord

Both people are fighting over who gets the Land.

Both people want to destroy as many people in the opposite lineage as possible and rule over the rest.

Both people have different God’s – Different Religions. Both parties are fighting over which Lord will get victory in the end.

The beginning of World War III.

If you have read the Bible you know who will be victorious.

What I’m Most Proud Of

What are you most proud of in your life?

I am proud of how my children have grown up. But, It has nothing to do with achieving something extraordinary or special.

I taught my children with the intention that they would grow up and be successful adults. They have qualities and attitudes that will take them far in life.

My pride in my children has come from constantly teaching them to be respectful. Informed adults. Their morals are good and they have the guts to stand up for what the believe in without disrespecting anyone’s differing beliefs.

I gave them the tools that they need to make it in a crazy society, and achieve whole happy lives and to overcome challenges that come their way.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it“. – Proverbs 22:6

Being a good parent is not for the weak hearted. It’s hard work, and can even send us to tears. All the sacrifices we make for our children, That is what puts them on the road for a successful future.

What Have I Been Working Towards

What have you been working on?

I’ve been working on my health.

About 4 years ago I was walking down a friend’s driveway and stepped on a water meter covered, much to my surprise the cover was not bolted down, the water company workers had not secured it.it was. My foot slipped into a 5 foot hole clear up to my waist. It took 3 people to get me out.

Arriving at the hospital emergency room, my entire leg was scraped up and bleeding. The fall into the hole had damaged my knee.

I have been putting off get surgery on it for a while. But it has been affecting my health. I think back to when I could walk 2 miles a day. I’m lucky if I can walk to the neighbors house without excruciating pain in my knee.

I knew surgery was imminent. Today I’m recovering from knee surgery. I didn’t realize how painful it would be. But hopefully I will begin to build up my muscles again and be on the road to a healthier life.