Life Is Only A Test

If you live long enough you will find that some problems that you may come across seem impossible to handle or solves.When the bills pile up or when we are buried in debt, our spouses are being unfaithful or our children are being ungrateful or rebellious those problems within themselves can make life seem unbearable.When going through this, all that most of us can do is throw our hands up in the air and then cry. Just dealing with the everyday daily stresses, that may come our way from the outside world and it can be equally difficult, when most of the problems we face are at home. This reminds me of  an old saying my late grandmother would say."If there is stress , pain or confusion at your home then in reality its not a home". She would go on to say ,"Baby, your home should always be peaceful, a place where you can escape the troubles of the outside world.Or like my father would say , Son your home should be your castle, a place of peace, relaxation or tranquility. The easy thing to do is to  give up or let our minds be corrupted (by the devil or the outside world) in to doing something we may may regret or instead some could be presuaded into doing something so unspeakable that it  would only guarantee your ticket too hell or jail.

The only way a person can be successful while going through hard times, is not to think so much and then pray. The reason why a person should never try to think their way out of problem or  trouble is because that is when the devil can corrupt the mind and the soul. He wants you to think about your troubles, because he knows the more you think the easier it will be for you to make a mistake. Its been said when people are suffering, that is when they become desperate or prone to  make mistakes. These mistakes can cause a person to be in worse shape than when they started.When in doubt one must always put all their troubles, pain and suffering in the hands of the Lord. Thats why I am advising anyone that is blessed enough to read to read this blog to resist the devil! Don't give up, because your life is not over and its only a test. God our Father in Heaven wants you to believe in him again and wants to restore your faith.What you are going through is only a storm,you are not alone, it will soon past.Why you may ask?Because there is only thing that last forever and that is God. Good things are on the horizon and blessings shall pour down from Heaven above. God loves you, he  really understands what you are going through and he has not forgotten about you. No matter what, do not harm the people who have wronged you and understand this revenge is not an option. Neither is killing yourself or others because it isn't something that pleases God. Also don't try to drown your sorrows by taking drugs or drinking alcohol, because doing so will only bring more pain, sorrow or destruction into your life.

 Even if you feel unworthy of being in  presence of God, get on your knees then pray.Tell him about your troubles, submit yourself only to him, believe that he is able and then leave it in his hands. Yes, you may be hurting now, maybe in need money to survive, you may feel stressed out or lost and at times life may be hard. But its not over, stop worrying because and its only a test. If you believe in him , then know this that God  isn't a God that lies. To those who are having problems or troubles in their lives and that are in need of a special prayer. I offer you this prayer;" Lord, I humble myself before you.  My life is not pleasing to me, therefore I know that it displeases you. Please forgive me for my sins and remove this curse that causes me harm. I submit and give myself to you O Lord. For I know in your hand I shall be made new. Mold me and change me. Make me into something or someone that you may be proud of. Although the changes you may make to my life may hurt at first, but I know in my heart that they are  necessary, in order to please you and too receive my blessings. I trust you, I believe that only you can change my life for a lifetime. Thank you in advance in Jesus name. Amen!"

May God bless and keep you safe from harm,

Charles

---

Acts 14:17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

Putting Self On The Side

Most of the time, people of the world  seem to think only of themselves. Living in a world where there are so many single or independent people most tend to think of only what is best for them and not for others. What most of those people don't  realize that if they have a family, children or a spouse, that sometimes thinking selfishly can hurt the people they love. What do I mean by this? Sometimes some people let what happened to them in their past effect their future. Many of us allow our past hurts or pains effect our thought process and our way of living.  That  might serve our own purpose by protecting ourselves , but in the end it ends up hurting the people we love especially our children.  My mother used to always say to me or my other siblings that sometimes she had to put her own desires ,wants or needs , to the side in order too  keep our family together. Now that I am living on my own raising my son alone, I now see what she meant.

 I know my mother had to do a lot of sacrificing raising a family of six. She had to put herself on the side so that her family and her husband needs were met. I  now realize as a man, that what my child may need or want  may sometime comes before my needs. Even if I am not happy with my family members or his mother I have to put my feelings on the shelf and do whats best for him.
To anyone who reads this, understand this, life is only a test. Its a test of your faith, it will test you as a parent, it will also test you as a man or a woman, it will test you as a Christan, it will test you as a friend and it also test you as a husband or wife. To be good at any of these things you have to be a very unselfish and a very forgiving person. You have to not only love yourself, but you have to love your family, spouse, church and friends more. You have to sometimes put your own desires on the side,  in order to keep what you have. Yes, doing this is very hard and it comes with great sacrifice, but its nothing compared to what Jesus Christ had to do when he sacrificed himself on the cross for our sins. Real men or real woman, do what right or whats necessary  and not whats popular. Real men or real woman take care of home first and  then themselves latter. Real men or real women work hard to save their marriages, families and friendship's. They don't go out into the streets seeking pleasure, they instead try to work things out with their spouses or mates . People who do whats right and whats pleasing to God, many times have to put their own feelings, desires or wants on the side, in order to do whats best for their families. Doing the right thing is not easy and neither is going to Heaven. Sometimes we have separate ourselves from the world and do whats pleasing to God.  If you are having a hard time with your children, family member, friend or spouse, try putting your feelings to the side.Then stop thinking or reacting, then pray tell God that you need him and allow him to change your life for the better .
Have a blessed day,
Charles

Philemon 1:7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

Learning Life The Hard Way

Both as children and as adults we are often given advice, some bad but most of it good and its really depends on how the individual or how person that it is given too  interpret the advise given. But as an adult I was always told free good advice is like free money, if you use or spend the money wisely then its not wasted. But in turn if you do not take advantage of the advice or money given to you then its wasted.That is what I like to call living life the easy way  or learning to live  life the hard way.  I remember as a child when I used to make both my father and mother  very angry. They would always say, son you could have it the easy way or the hard way. Its really up to you which direction you take your life. Then they would go on to say you either live by the rules or suffer the consequence's for your actions. At that time I thought that both my mother and father were very mean people. Why you may ask? Well as you know as a child we always thought we knew a little bit more than our parents. As children and sometimes as adults we always over look a very important fact; which is that they are older; been through what we have or going to go through; they have experience life; been to school and graduated. But for some reason we always seem to think we know better than someone older and wiser than we are .When I look back I laugh to myself, because I can just hear my father in my head saying these exact things to me as I now say to my own children. My father would say ," Son wait until ,you get your own children then you will see, that I am not as mean as you may think or say I am". I am only trying to protect you and prepare you for the outside world. He would go on to say, what you have been through or what ever you might be experiencing, I been there and done that. He would say ," I been through the fire and survived, by God grace". If you just listen to me and heed my warnings my experiences will save you , then  you can avoid  all of the bad experience's or heartaches that I have experienced in my lifetime. After my father got through preaching, then he would look at me and say, "Son ,you are hard headed and you think you know it all".  I just pray that you live to preach to your children and to others what you could have avoided if you just listen.
 As I think back on my life I wish I took advantage of both my mothers, fathers, grandmothers, friends and other peoples very wise advice and counsel. I know my life would be so different now and I probably would have accomplished much more than I have today. All of us at one time or another would love to go back in time or in the past and  change certain aspects of our life.  I have said this to myself and others ot others many times." If  I could go back in time I would do this or I would do that". But as we all know there is nothing we can do to change our past,once its done it over and  all we have is control over is today . We can change who we are today and we can start listening to that good advice now. If you are reading this journal, please take my advice,listen when someone is talking to you and even if you may think , that you know more than someone else. Try to understand what they are talking about and where they are coming from . Because the advice you are getting free of charge could either change, save or enlighten your life for a life time. Remember this  old bible verse, "A wise man changes, but a fool remains the same".

Have a blessed weekend,
Charles
1 Corinthians 11:32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world

What Happen To Our Role Models?

As I look around at today's youth, a bad feeling comes over me . When I see young men or young women dressing or expressing themselves in ways that would make our fore fathers turn over in their graves. To me its very sad to see our children, especially our young men or women expose themselves openly in public. Its sad to see our young men walking around with their pants hanging off of them and what's really sad they don't seem to know, understand or care what this really symbolizes or means . Its sad to see our young men dressing that way especially the fathers . Picture this if you would; a young father walking into a store with his two beautiful children. One happens to be a girl and the other a boy. This seems like a normal occurrence, but what makes this different is the fathers appearance. To further explain, well this young proud father , pants are hanging off of him, with both of his ears pierced, but also his nose, tongue and lip. If you saw this all you can say is, what a site to behold and its very embarrassing. Another thing that is really disturbing is seeing our young women really exposing themselves. Its not only sad to see women disrespecting themselves, but doing so in public is especially disturbing. To see a young woman today is almost like looking into a porn magazine. Most young women today dress with so little clothing, that they leave nothing for a man to wonder about or desire. Its also very sad to see the young women dressing that way especially in church or our malls. Today's children or young adults don't have much respect for themselves or others .It makes you question, Who are they following or what has happen to Americas Role models? What happen to our children parents or grandparents ? When I look at the older adults sometimes its hard to figure out who is the adult or who is the child. Some adults that are in their forties and even their fifties dress like teenagers. When I see this its no wonder why our children are lost, because even some of today's adults don't respect themselves. It sad to see our grandfathers or grandmothers dressing or acting like the children they are suppose to be raising . Don't most adults know, even if they don't like it or not they are our children's role models? Don't most of us realize is that our children or our young adults emulate or copy us? What happen to both men and women's pride? I remember not so long ago, that it was an honor to become a man or a woman. My father would stress to me and my brothers everyday why it was so important to be a man. He would say to us God created you , in a male image, because you are the apple of his eye. You sons are a representation of his very first creation. God gave Adam the right to name and rule over all that he created . Then out of Adam he created Eve, that is why as long as you live you should never disrespect a woman. Because she was created out of man for man. So if you ever disrespect a woman, you are in fact disrespecting yourself.

As an adult and a father I don't want my children to follow the worldly role models. The reasons why I don't want them following them , is because most of people they look up too are severally flawed. Its hard to imagine a child or a young adult emulating or copying today's so called successful people. Even the ones in the ministry are not ones for our children or adults to follow. The reason why I say this is because they so easily embrace worldly lifestyles. To many ministers, politicians, entertainers, actors, lawyers and others embrace lifestyles that are not pleasing to God. Then many of them wonder why many of their lives are in shambles despite their incomes. As I struggle as a single parent raising my son, I find myself in a constant battle. Why you ask? Well because of the people that he follows or admires. Yes, my son sees me as a hard working, christian man that carries himself in a respectable manner, but when he looks into the world he sees many people glorifying being bad or sinful. In the world we live in today, there are very few people that lead or become real leaders. Even parents follow the way of the world and forget the traditions that were past on to them, by their past generations. The questions I have to all that are blessed to read this; What happen to the people that our children can look up too and follow? What happen to both men or women's pride? It used to be a proud tradition, becoming a man or a woman. But now our world and especially our children are confused. It seems very few want to be what God created them to be and none want to be what our ancestors envisioned us to be. We now live in a time world where a generation of Gods people are lost. America and the world needs real leaders, parents, role models, people of God. Wake up world! God is not pleased ! Our children and our young adults need you. Become what America and the world thought was lost, become a role model. Someone that all can love or admire . And when God our Father in Heaven looks down on his creations or his children he can do so with a smile that would light up the Earth and the Heavens above.

May God bless you all,

Charles
Ezekiel 33:11 Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?'

---

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.

Mutual Respect

As I have grown and matured over the years,been through many  failed relationships . Being that I hate being a failure at anything, I began to study other cultures and talk to people that have been in their marriages for over twenty plus years. To do this I have interviewed many couples who have been married  twenty plus years,studied couples from different countries and studied different cultures. By doing this I was able to put all the myth's behind me and I have learn a few things too, that may help me with my future relationship and also help others. I hope that who may read this does so with an open mind, heart and door, because it will be both a learning experience and a blessing to you, if you get the full understanding of it.

If you have been in a relationship, most people would tell you , that if you really want your relationship to last you have to have both trust and faith in it for it to last. I would hear people say, if you do not have trust, then you have nothing or if you do not have faith in your husband or wife then you have nothing. Well these sayings are both true and false. From my studies I have learn that both are over- rated and are not the real foundations of a relationship. You may ask, "well what is the real foundation of a relationship"? Then  would say that every foundation when it comes to a relationship, marriage friendship, family and being a parent has to start with your love of God,then your love for the other people involved. The second part of every friendship, relationship, being a parent or family member, is mutual respect. Without mutual respect, there is no way you can love someone, trust them and you can never have faith in them. That's is why it is very important that you respect the people you are involved with. But since this is a subject that I can write a book about, I'll only cover the relationship and marriage part. My mother used to say respect your elders and always respect others. Then she would also say if you do not respect yourself, there is no way others can respect you. That means you first have to love yourself, respect yourself, then be able to make yourself happy, before you can expect the same from others.
The bible says a lot about respect when it comes to marriages and this is one of them. (Ephesians 5:33 However , each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself and the wife must respect her husband.) All the married people that I have talked to and all the studying I have done there was two things always constant and said. It was the love the both shared for each other and the mutual respect that they both kept for each other. They respected the other for who they were and never tried to change them to suit themselves. They would also say that they would never embarrass their spouse in public, because doing so who not only disshonor their spouse but themselves. After all your spouse is a direct reflection of yourself. It seems these days, people do not keep their affairs private or behind close doors. This is something I always respected from both of my parents. They never argued in front of the children and they always kept the problems to themselves. As my mother would say, what happens in this house stays in the house and if anybody has a problem, then it should be dicussed between family members.My mother and father never tried to change who they were and always let their induviduality come through. They loved each other  the way they were and respected each other  enough to know that their love and faith in God, then each other would make their marriage last a lifetime. So if you have honor, if you have faith in God, if you have love then with all of this, then you should have respect for the other person for who they are. In turn with Gods blessing  your marriage, friendship and relationship will  last a lifetime.
Have a blessed night,
Charles
Proverbs 13:13
He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded.

Revenge & Vengeance

Are you angry with your spouse, husband, wife , relative, family member , friend or a complete stranger? Have any of these people hurt you or  did something that you have a hard time forgiving and you want to get revenge. You want to get back at them for the pain they caused you and you are tired of being hurt, lied too, cheated on, beat on, abandoned or taken for granted. Sometimes when people  hurt you, so bad that you wish  something bad would happen to them, so in turn they would know how it feels to be hurt .  Then they would understand  or realize what it feels like to go through so much pain. Then you loose your mind with anger and allow the Devil to use you, your friends and others to help you plan out a way to get your revenge. Then finally the plan happens, you end up hurting them and at the same time you hurt yourself in the process. Doing this not only embarrasses you, but it also hurts your integrity. This is why we should not take matters in to our own hands and why there are laws in place both by man and by God himself when it comes to matters like this. Its also a sin to seek vengeance, because in the bible God clearly ,"Says vengeance is mine".(Romans 12:19-20 Do not take revenge my friend, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord. (20) On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be over come by evil, but over come evil with good.) This is Gods law and I do not have to remind you of mans law. Even if you happen to have a spouse that has abused you, a friend that has wronged you or a family member that has hurt you, its best to leave those problems or issues in the hands of professionals. Like my father would always say, that is why they make lawyers or police.

When I think about the mistakes I have made being angry, I have to ask myself," Is it really worth it"? If you are like me, you are wishing you could go back in time and change what you did. Often we regret being dragged into drama, stress or pain. To me it takes to much energy to get angry, fuss or fight and its never really worth it. What I realize is sometimes the people that hurt you the most enjoy it more when they drag you into a fight or disagreement., that is when you should question yourself when seeking vengeance or revenge.Lets face it some people get off  or are turned on by getting involved in drama or messy situations.I see these people all the time and it seems that's all they live for. But if you are like me, you really do not have time for people that are so immature or have no real lives of their own. What I have  done to avoid these type of people, is pray and removed them out of my life. So take my advice , think things out , cool down before you act and always pray that God can deliver you from this pain.
We all  should always trust God with all our problems , even the ones we think we should take care of  ourselves. Why? Because we are human, we will make mistakes and eventually we will mess it up or  make matters  worse. Handling problems with Gods help , is the only way to go. Because if God has his way, the way you have been hurt, wronged, lied to, cheated on or  other bad things, will be handled in a perfect way, then it will be a  thousand times worse for the person or persons  that have wronged you. The old saying is ,"What comes  around  goes around ". In time what someone did to you will come back to them, then they will be wondering "What did I do to deserve this? That is when God says Vengeance is mine!
Have a wonderful and blessed night.
Charles
Leviticus 19:18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

Love Is!

There is a verse in the bible that I really like and its hanging on the wall in my bathroom that I view every morning. 1 Corinthians 13:13," Now these things remain,Hope, Faith and Love". "But the greatest of these is Love". This verse is very important to me, because it tells me what our Father in heaven felt about love and his love for us. Being a person of faith and understanding it help me realize a few facts when it comes to loving someone. A lot of us want things to be perfect and in this age of instant messages, computers, apps or television and most people seem to live by the way of the world. What do I mean by that? Well everyone is watching T.V. on social media and getting advice from friends on how to raise children. Without, looking at the real source the bible to get their advice.
It took me a while to understand what love really meant and I know that there are millions of people that really don't understand the meaning of the word called love. I did a little research then read the bible and got an understanding from God to what love really is and how God wants us to .

Love is patience and kind without combining the both you can't possibly love a person right. Because there will be ups and downs. There will be times that the person you love disappoints you, hurts you, lies to you and does things you do not like. That's where the patience and understanding comes from. From my reading of the bible, my understanding was that God knew we were sinners and despite our sins he had enough love , patience and understanding to give us a chance at going to heaven. Because its not what you are now that counts its what you may become in the future. That's why when you love someone you have to have all these qualities to raise your children and to have a successful marriage.
You can not have a successful marriage and have raised great children over night, those things take times. Everyone wants to be happy right now, they want their mate and children to be perfect. Without realizing we live in a imperfect world and most things take time. Rome was not built in a day, the world was created in 7 days and great civilizations take life times to build.
If you really love the person, your children and your mate. Then you have to have patience and understanding. Patience to let them learn and grow. Understanding to let them grow at their own pace and to let them also learn to grow up as children to become responsible adults. Also have understanding as a husband or a wife to know that it takes time to have a good marriage. Sometimes its takes 5 years and most of the time it takes longer. Most successful marriages , the one that have lasted over 15 years, from my talks with those people who have been married that long, it took about 7 years before they got a clear understanding on what each other wanted and needed from each other.
But if you really love your mate, your children and your friends. You will have patience with them, then you will have understanding and then the forgiveness in your heart to know that they are only growing in to the person that the were meant to be in the future. If you have children and you want them to be successful, know this one day they will be what you hoped they will be. Just forgive them for their sins, because as Jesus said forgive them father because they know not what they do. If you taught them well, loved them, provided for them and understood your children. Then you would know in time they will be successful adults . If you have a husband or a wife, please be forgiving, understanding and patient. Because in time they will become great husbands and great wives. They do not know you and you do not know them. But in time you both will grow together, have the same habits, same ideals, be on one accord, equally yoked and have a wonderful marriage. If you have the understanding that its takes time and anything worth having is worth fighting for. Try it Gods way and the you will truly know what, Love Is!
Have a blessed night,
Charles
1 Corinthians 13:3-5 Love
…3 If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.…

Under God's Care

Everyone knows that we live in a very stressful world. We live in a world where there is a lot of crime, unemployment, high divorce rates and homeless people are on just about every corner. Planes are crashing, nations are at war, criminals are preying on our children and corrupt politicians or police officers are everywhere. Husbands are killing their wives and parents leave their children or pets unattended in hot automobiles. Even the strongest Christian's or some of the most powerful people in very high positions can be brought to tears because when these things occur even they are helpless to stop it. It comes a time in every-ones life when you just need someone to talk too and someone just to care. You just want someone to listen to your problems and understand what you are going through. But when you try to go to reach out to your family or your friends, they just simply turn their back on you,because they happen to have problems of their own. You feel heart broken, because your spouse or mate does not understand or  because they don't seem to care. Then you find yourself alone, without someone to talk to or without someone who cares. You are lonely, confused, stressed and face full of tears. Then something comes to your mind and makes you reach out to the only one you know , that without a doubt can help you. Then you may get the urge to say, Lord please help me Mighty Father, Jesus please save me! I have no where else to turn and I need you! I need to be under your care, will you please protect me, provide for me and take away my pain?

 My mother had and old saying, "you are only as good as the company you keep". She would also say if you surround yourself with positive,successful and God fearing people, then you may end up being successful. But if you surround yourself with evil negative, complaining and unsuccessful people chances are you will fail or will end up being the same. My mother used to always say stay away from negative people, because they will corrupt your heart or mind and influence your decisions. My father used to always say, birds of a feather always flock together. What, he meant by this statement is if you hang with people who commit crimes,people who do the wrong things and negative people who only think that way, then there is a good chance that you may end up just like them. Have you ever wondered why couples look alike and act alike after time? The real reason for that is if you are with someone, for a length of time, you will in time pick up some of their good or bad habits. After time you like what they like and you dislike what they dislike. This can have both a positive or negative effect on your life. That's why I am advising anyone who is blessed to read this to only commit or follow those who are positive, God fearing men or women of God.

Staying away from people that are negative is easier said than done. Because if those negative people happen to be family members or spouse, you seem almost obligated to see them. For those people you must pray and ask God to give you patience when you visit them. But for others like negative friends or co-workers those are the people that you do have control. You must stay way from them , because if not their negativity will rub off on you.But, if that fails you could always look up to the heavens, because being in Gods care is the best care a person can be in. Being in Gods care will have a positive influence on your life and God is never negative.When the world says you can't, God always says you can and when you need some help, advice or someone to care God is always there to support you. Remember this through God all things are possible and God is good all the time. When you need someone to care for you in your time of need, try being in Gods care. Because Gods care, wisdom and love is perfect. He will never leave you and he will always be there to listen in your time of need. No matter what has happen in the world today, its always better to be Under Gods' Care.
Have a blessed night,
Charles
Philippians 4:8
Whatever things are true, lovable, well spoken of,whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is,continue considering these things.

My Journey Toward Christ

Since I was old enough to remember, I always knew about God but never had a real relationship with him. My mother and father used to take my siblings and I to church every Sunday. I grew up and was raised as a Catholic. It seems that both my mother and father wasn't quite comfortable with that choice , because they often switch religions on us.(One day Catholic, the next day Baptist and the next Jehovah witnesses) I remember one day some Jehovah witnesses came over, then a few weeks after that we were attending their church. I think both my mother and father were trying to find a church that they felt they could get the true meaning of God from. When the time came for me to be on my own, I used to go to church sparingly. I used my new found freedom from my parents, to explore the world. My life then was about having fun and chasing the women. When ever I had the opportunity to attend church, I would do almost anything to avoid going. I remember one day after a long day at work I over heard some co-workers of mine talking about God. They had their bibles on their desk, talking about how good God has been to them. To me at that time it was strange talk and I wondered to myself, how could anybody be so deep into religion .
It wasn't until one day I fell on hard times that I started my long road toward Jesus. I remember shortly after Hurricane Andrew arrived ,that I lost my job and had to move back home with my parents. It was my very first failure and I was very disappointed in myself. I never thought that I could loose my job and it was embarrassing to me to have to move back in with my parents. I was so proud then and I didn't like asking anybody for help. I remember my mother looking at me asking me this question, What wrong baby? I replied nothing! Then she looked at me under her glasses and said," Chucky, you better stop being so proud"! We all fall on hard sometimes, you just have dust yourself off and get back up again. There is nothing wrong with a person asking for help, besides that we are family. When you feel troubled all you have to do is pray. Ask God to forgive you and he will make a way out of nothing. I looked at my mother with a puzzled look in my eyes and she said Chucky you do know who your father is do you? I said ,"Yes mom, of course I do he raised me". Then she looked at me and said "I am not talking about your birth father, I am talking about our Father, the one that created us all". God and his son Jesus"! Even after that talk I still didn't have a relationship with God and didn't really know who he was or what he was all about. But I did as my mother said I dusted myself off then got back up again.
Over the years, I attended different churches. The reason for me going to those churches were because the women I dated attended them and I was trying to impress them. I remember after service one day after church an older lady walk up to my girlfriend and I , then asked her was I a Pastor. She looked at me and laughed. She went on to say " him a Pastor? He is the biggest sinner there is! I was so mad and embarrassed, but she was telling the truth. Then that old lady looked at me and said," God has a plan and purpose for your life". I see great things in you and one day you will become something great! I said to her are you sure me? Why would you say that? She just smile and said," Because I know and God told me so". I didn't know then, but I know now that she planted a seed and it began to grow. After that conversation I paid attention to what the Pastors said in church more, then looked for myself the true meaning of God. I prayed and things good things started to happen in my life. Almost ever thing I prayed for came to past and God started to bless me. But it wasn't until my biggest failure(My divorce) that my relationship with God our Father began to grow.
I remember a prayer that I prayed one night on my knees to God. I asked him to send me a wife and I will give up all my sinful ways. Then shortly after that I met, what I thought  was  the woman of my dreams. We got married and I moved to the state that she lived in. We attended church together every Sunday and I was even  thinking about becoming a deacon because I enjoyed serving God so much. Life was good and God was blessing our marriage financially. Even though our marriage wasn't an perfect one, it was a good one, so I thought. One day after Christmas my wife came home with a strange look on her face. Me being the type of man I was, I asked her what was wrong. She went to say she didn't love me anymore and she wanted a divorce. She asked me to move out and to take my son with me. I was crushed and my heart broken! When I asked her why? Then she went on to say, this marriage is not what I expected it to be and its all about money and things.( I found out latter that she had another man) I told her that I would do anything to save our marriage, but she wouldn't even give our marriage a chance. I prayed and asked God for help. I even went to her parents (which loved me) for help, but nothing worked. So I moved out with my son with a broken heart. I prayed everyday and asked God for strength. Because I needed it more then, because I was now raising my son on my own. It was hard going through a divorce, but God got me through it and shortly after that I gave my life to Christ. Without God in my life at that time I would have been lost . He kept me humble and sane . I smiled even when times were hard, because I knew that some how he would make a way for my son and I. He delivered me, then taught me how to be a father and a better man. I could have become bitter, but my journey toward Christ saved me. Now I am living my life for Christ and I wouldn't change a thing. To the person or persons that are reading my true life testimony, I have this to say, if you give your life to Jesus your life will never be the same again.
Have a blessed Sunday,
Charles
Matthew 28:19 Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Its Not About You Its About Jesus

When people look at the world they see different things. Some see race, color, height or weight , while  others see money, power, opportunity, pleasure or pain. A lot of things most people look at they tend to values it by the way it looks, the way it feels and some by the way it may seem. When man or woman looks at the world most of their decisions are based off of what they see or hear . Even though my mother used to always tell me, " To believe only half of what I see and nothing that I hear ". It took me sometimes to really understand what my mother meant by this last statement. My father broke it down to me even more since I was one of those people that believe just because I heard , read or saw something , it was indeed fact. He would say son, just because something looks good or even seems good doesn't make it good. He would say research it more and learn for yourself if it is  indeed fact. To those that I  kind of lost  with this last statement, let me explain. Sometimes we often judge things based off of what we hear or what we see. We can think a man or woman is a good person, because of their appearance or because of their positions, when in fact its just the complete opposite. That is why God says's in his word to never trust man and only put our faith in him. What I have found that both man or woman fall in love with people, just because of who the appear to be.To those people you could be missing your blessings. Because its not what they have or even what they look like that makes them a good person. There are even those who fall in love with themselves and feel that what they are or who the have become is only because of themselves.These people let their own looks determine who they are, without realizing that God gave them the beauty and God can take it away. It makes one wonder, what does God see when he looks at man? Is he happy or pleased? Is he happy with men or women of God putting themselves before God? To those who may be stunned by these last questions, I challenge you to open your mind and think a little, while I ask you these questions. Have you ever driven your car and seen the billboards with Pastors, Priest faces on them advertising their church? Even those who are not in the positions of priesthood, have their faces plastered all over billboards advertising themselves , like it was them that got them where they are today. Doesn't it make you wonder why so many fail or have fallen? Well ,just maybe they have failed  because they have forgotten about God. Yes even those who preach the word, put themselves before the word and to those who do God is not pleased. That is why people of God, Gods children, should study the word for themselves and not fall in love with man. God word is his word and those who profit from it should use their profits to help Gods people. Even to some of us who fall in love with ourselves, should realize that without God we are nothing. Nothing we do cannot be done without God breath that sustains us. Its a blessing just to be living and our Father in Heaven deserves the praise. Our time on Earth in not for ourselves, even though God wants us to enjoy life while we live it. It about him and those who acknowledge that very important  fact will be with God and his son Jesus in Heaven. If you happen to be blessed enough to read this, I leave you with this very important fact, while you are living your life. Its not about you, its about God. Give him the glory for your success. Give him the praise for your material  possessions.Shout glory to Jesus every time you  have been blessed! Even when times are hard always give our Father in Heaven both the glory and the  praise. Because without him we are nothing and its not about us, its about God and his son  Jesus.
Have a blessed weekend,
Charles
2 Chronicles 9:6 However, I believed not their words, until I came, and my eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me: for you exceed the fame that I heard.