Goals and Dreams

The Intention of Moving Forward in Life.

What do you wish today about your life? If you could have anything you wanted, what would it be? Maybe your dream is misty valleys and snow-capped peaks, with no-one around for miles. Perhaps it’s a beach shack on the water’s edge. Your dream might be a better paying, or more fulfilling job. You might think to have a few dollars in the bank, is your idea of security from which an idyllic life will flow. Dreams are different for everyone, but they’re all achievable, if only we know the steps that get us there.

Generally, in life we long to be more than we are and we do that through discontent. If you’re discontent with your lot in life, you’re in a great place, because that will catapult you forward. Then if you keep breathing and keep going, set goals and keep working towards them, you will move forward and see those goals eventuate.

In life we’re either moving forwards or backwards. There is no middle line. We’re making money or we’re spending money, living a joyous life, or not. We have good relationships or bad. There’s very little in between.

If we want to move forward in life, we have to be intentional about it. It doesn’t just come to us. We have to strive with diligence and discipline. Single minded determination. Some of us might get lucky, but most of us have to work towards what we want to see, if we wish to improve our lives. Aim to be the best in your field and never stop learning. 

If you want good health and wellbeing, what are you doing about it? We can’t help the body we’re born with, but we can work towards being the best version of ourselves. And it’s going to take effort.

It takes effort to eat healthily, rather than grab the next takeaway. It takes effort to exercise. It’s much easier to play on the computer, watch tv, or just sit and stare out the window. Anything worth having, you have to fight for, so fight for your health. Your body is the only one you have. Take care of it.

Relationships transform lives. Good or bad. People who aren’t good for you, will tear at the fabric of your soul. Don’t stand for it. You’re worth more. Hang out with people who make you feel good about who are, positive people, people who will lovingly (not nastily) push you to help you reach your dreams and aspirations.

Stand up for yourself (as long as it’s safe to do so. If it isn’t safe – leave!). Don’t waste your valuable time with someone who doesn’t respect who you are. If you’re dating a condescending, verbally or physically abusive person, it’s time to move on. It’s not going to get any better the longer you stay. If you’re married, try taking steps towards improving that marriage. You can go to a councillor, or read books on how to improve your marriage. It will take work on both sides, but if you start, perhaps your spouse will work with you.

I don’t advocate divorce. I’d prefer you to cover as much area as you can to making the marriage work, but if it’s unsafe, or you know it can’t work, maybe it’s time to think about separation. Relationships are not easy and I’m not going to tell you the best way to navigate them. You will have to sort that one out for yourself, because we’re all different and we all handle different situations in a myriad of ways and I can’t tell you what the right way for you is, particularly as I haven’t met you.

Value your time. The more time we waste, the less we enjoy our lives. You think sitting on the beach is idyllic and it is, for a day or two, or a week or two, then it gets boring. You need to value your time. Sure, have your holiday and enjoy it, but once back in your environment, make that environment count for something.

Your vocation, what you do for a living, shouldn’t make you feel unworthy. Nor should it be detrimental to your health. You’re going to spend a lot of time at work, make sure you’re doing something you love. That doesn’t mean quit your job today. Perhaps you can find what you love to do, take the necessary courses to get into the field of your dreams and then apply for that position. It will take effort to work and study on the side, but the reward of spending every day doing what you love, will be well worth it.

Time and money equals freedom or constraint. Without time and without money, we’re constrained in what we can do and accomplish. With time and money, we have freedom. Freedom to choose where we want to live, the kind of holidays we’d like to go on, the type of car we drive, how much time we spend at work and how much free time we have. And it all comes by taking control of our finances and our time.

Every time you save a wasted minute, is a minute you have to work towards your freedom. In working towards that freedom, try reading books on investing. It’s not as hard as you think, nor does it take as much money as you think. Then, when you have a savings plan up and running, you’ll know where to invest your money and you won’t be muddling around trying to work it out. And you do need a savings plan. There are plenty of books around, which will teach you how to save and how to budget. 

What would you like to see yourself doing? What are your dreams, your desires? What do you need to do, in order to see those dreams come to fruition? Break down what you need, into manageable steps. Take the necessary steps in the direction you wish to head and each day, you’ll make a little more progress towards freedom. Do a little every day and have a plan in place for the days you don’t feel like it, for the days you don’t have time, or just those times where procrastination takes hold. If you have your plans in place, nothing can stop you.

And if you happen to fail, don’t quit. Dust yourself off and have another go, for you see, failure isn’t the end. Failure is the step you take before success. So don’t ever quit. Keep working towards your dream, your desire, your goal and don’t stop until you reach it.

Learn how to manage the 7 F’s in life: Faith, family, finance, fun, fitness, future, friends and to that I would add one more - occupation. When you have all these balanced, your life will be much simpler and much more joyous. Isn’t that what we want at the end of the day? A joyous and simple life, full of good health, family, friends, fun and laughter.

If there was one more thing I could add here, it would be to get your spiritual life in order. You can have everything you desire in life, but what’s the point of gaining the whole world only to lose your spirit in the process. For me, that means Jesus and I can say without a doubt, Jesus has pulled me through more scrapes than I could have ever got through on my own. On the trying and difficult days, I’m glad I was able to pray to My Lord and Saviour. If you don’t know Jesus, maybe it’s time to get to know Him. Don’t be fooled by substitutes. There are many ways to enlightenment, but the way, the truth and the life only comes through Jesus.

 

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

 

Rainbow of Promise

How do we know if we are ‘the righteousness of God?’ A person is not righteous, simply because (s)he knows what’s right. Knowing the will of God does not make us righteous either, it merely increases our responsibility towards doing what’s right.

It’s not enough that the person be seen as outwardly reverent, but also that the inward, spiritual condition (authority) is reverent. Those who have the outward markings of spirituality but not the inward, are not the righteousness of Christ.

You see, you can go to church every day, but if once you leave, you do all the wrong things, you won’t produce good fruit and the bible states: ‘We will know them by their fruit.’

Being a physical descendant of Jacob, does not guarantee the blessings of God. To guarantee the blessings of God, one needs to demonstrate the faith of Abraham. Only then shall you be entitled to the name Israel.

There are Israelites who have rejected Jesus and as such, are not considered members of His church. Israel, the triumphant of God, are not even considered His unless they can demonstrate the faith of Abraham.

The Jewish people came to Christ through centuries of cultivation, whereas the Gentiles came to Christ via a direct intervention from God. Both had a personal encounter which transformed their lives. 

Having no personal relationship with Christ and being at enmity with other professing Christians, means only a fraction of members can actually be called Christian’s, be they Gentiles or Israelites. And, just because you don’t obey the word of God, doesn’t mean the word of God to be of no effect. God’s word is always in effect, regardless of whether you believe it or not.

We need to be reading God’s word. We need to be making new converts. We should be able to show good fruit. Your personal fruit from your own efforts; good relationships, a strong financial position (not necessarily riches, but enough to be somewhat comfortable). You should have peace, joy, good health, contentment; these are all good fruits in life.

Some of us are born into poverty, some with a disability, or disease, but this shouldn’t stop us from living a fulfilled life. We are here to overcome the obstacles in life, the ones we are born with and the ones we create along the way.

Good fruit multiplies. You multiply when your seed produces fruit and that fruit produces more fruit and so on and that’s what we should be aiming to do; multiply.

Our heavenly book of remembrance, written about so long ago tends to be ignored. We can read how life was throughout the centuries, for early biblical nations. We can see what happened to those who followed God and those who didn’t. This is what the bible is for. It’s for you to read, to see outcomes and to follow the biblical guidelines. It is history; events backed up by truth and yet we neglect it.

So why is it so hard for us to believe in God and in His promises? It’s right there before us and yet our faith is weak. Mostly our lack of faith is because it’s a growth process and it takes as long as it takes. God has all eternity. There is no rush. For us though, it feels like time is limited and often we don’t take the time we need to study the word of God, especially when the results appear to be slow in coming.

We grow in faith, as we step out in faith and have good success. Whenever we don’t see that success, our faith weakens. To have success in our faith we need to fully understand just who we are in Christ. We only get that understanding, when we spend time with God (reading His word, talking to Him in prayer), otherwise it’s all hit and miss. Sometimes we have success, sometimes we don’t.

We need to build up our faith, to make ourselves strong in the Lord, to fully know we have all power and authority. If we don’t fully know the power and authority we hold, satan (Those of you who are use to my written work, know I refuse to capitalize this gnat’s name.) knows and when he sees we have no power, he’s not afraid of us. Therefor he doesn’t listen to us. We need to be strong in the Lord, if we’re going to undertake His commission and see good success.

What is His commission? To feed the hungry, heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, make the lame walk, the deaf hear and the blind see. We are in a war and we’ve forgotten how to fight. We’ve forgotten who we are in Him. We’ve forgotten, because we’re not reading His word. We need to read his word, to take up the mantle of His office and to do the work He’s requiring of us, if we want to see good success.

The Kingdom works the same way now, as it did thousands of years ago. You can see it when you compare nations; those nations which follow Christ and those who don’t. The closer you get to God’s ways, the more He provides. The nations who struggle the most, financially, spiritually, relationally are the nations where Christianity is crushed, where the nations are ruled by dictators. And that’s what sets western religion apart.

No, not everyone from western nations are believer’s, but there’s enough of them to see the difference in God’s grace and mercy. Let the rainbow of God’s promises shine brightly in your life, for that is where the treasure of life is found. That’s where the abundance of God’s promises will bring forth the fruit you so desire.

 

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 #Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

 

 

Why this representation of death?

Why this representation of death?

Do you ever wonder about Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt? Why a pillar of salt? After all, as Christians we’re meant to be salt and light to the world. Not a pillar of salt, as a representation of death. There has to be something more to this passage, something I haven’t figured out yet. In Proverbs it says: It is to the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings (that’s us) to search out a matter. I shall search out (ponder) on it.

And then, can you believe it…Guess what my bible study is about today? Meditate, percolate - ponder. This, right after I had that thought on pondering.

I love it when that happens. It’s as if God’s speaking directly to me.

And so, I continued to ponder as the day unfolded…

If you look at pictures of Sodom and Gomora in that particular region there is a salt pillar, which looks to be a weathered person standing as a sentry over the dry and barren landscape. A landscape that’s still devoid of life today. I wonder if it isn’t there to show ‘Truth’ to the people of the nations?

The retribution, so to speak, in the image of this story shows a visual representation of what happens when we don’t listen to God as Lot’s wife didn’t. A factual and visual reminder of what it is to be the salt and light of the world, where Lot survived as he listened to God and did as the Lord commanded and to the resulting death of Lot’s wife, who momentarily wistfully looked behind her, going against the word of God.

Maye our bible is the equivalent to the traditional stories of Aboriginal dream time and their elements of truth, sprinkled with enhanced storytelling. Explanations of long forgotten mythology and legend from centuries past. Reminders of our ancestors and their way of life. That’s not to say the word of God has been embellished, for His word is truth, every jot and tittle of it. The folklore there, for all the world to read about.

The legend in which Lot’s wife who didn’t follow the leading of the Lord, did actually turn into a pillar of salt and where ‘strangely enough,’ salt pillars are still a substance of the territory today and so the story is remembered and perpetuated; a folklore carried unto the end of time.

Coincidence? I think not.

And while the pillar of salt may have formed after a seismic event, such as an earthquake, a fissure opening up, or volcanic eruption with fire and brimstone, the result is the same in the region; desolation, death and destruction. Brought about by an act of God, the bible tells us.

The resulting end of the story shows us nothing has recovered. Thousands and thousands of years later the area is still arid, parched and lifeless with its salt sentry, a reminder to all the world of the wrath of God for generations to come.

 

Note: Image saved from free stock photos and used with permission.

 

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

The Truth Is In The Shadows

               The Truth Is In The Shadows,

           in the deep niches of our searching.

Before I start, I am going to assume you know about the biblical characters, Samson, the strong man, the warrior of Israel and Samuel the Hebrew Prophet. I’m not going to write their stories in this small work, but if you don’t know these two men, you might like to read about them before you begin.

The truth is in the shadows, in the deep niches of our searching. We don’t always see it. We don’t often hear it. But it is there, if only we’d dig into the unfathomable and yet profound word of God. For He will reveal the truth, if we search for Him with our whole heart.

I come to Samson and Samuel today. They are an allegory for life, a parable, if you will. Samson the strong man of God and Samuel a prophet of the Lord. Both men used by God, in their own distinct and individual way. In the same way we are distinct and individual and will be used by God, if we allow it.

Samson and Samuel; both men set aside for the Lord’s work and both with different stories to tell. One went astray and the other followed his divine path.

Although Samson’s mother was not named, the bible does introduce her as barren of children, and although Samson’s mother had not prayed for a child, still, an angel of the Lord appeared and told her she will have a son.

Samuel’s mother, Hannah, prayed for a son. She hadn’t been able to fall pregnant and so like Samson’s mother, was also barren until God answered her prayer. Hannah told the Lord, if He answered her prayer and gave her a son, when the time was right, she would give her son back to the Lord and she kept her word. Hanna took Samuel to the priests and gave him up to be raised by them. Thus, Samuel stayed in the house of the Lord, and there he learned to follow the ways of God.

One mother prayed for her child, the other didn’t. One dedicated the life of her child to the Lord, the other didn’t. Samson’s parents did ask how to raise the child well, but there was no talk of dedicating him to the Lord’s work.

Samson became worldly, giving in to temptation in many areas of life and he didn’t follow the advice of his parents. Instead, he went against his parent’s wishes, and headed down twisted and dead end paths, until he became a prisoner, blind and weak.

Samuel, raised in a church environment, didn’t leave it, nor did he go astray. He lived a holy life all his days.

One man went on to have many troubles. The other went on to do great things for God and although eventually Samson’s hair grew long again and he regained his strength, it was much later in life and only after a lot of hardship. It was only then that Samson was finally able to be used by God.

Eventually Samson remembered his teachings and his full power was returned to him. He ended up doing a great thing for God, in killing many Philistine’s, as he razed the temple pillars to the ground, upon not only the Philistine’s, but also upon himself, dying in his last act. The sad part is, he could have been like Samuel, had he not strayed. He could have been doing great things for God his whole life, instead of going through years of hardship.

Now while this is the story of many of us, those who stray and those who stay, it also shows us, it’s never too late to turn back and do a great work for God.

Satan can’t penetrate a heart that’s saturated by scripture and fortified by faith. It’s in the battles of life, where you realize whether or not you’ve nurtured or neglected your faith. Your faith is constantly under attack. Your faith can only sustain you, for as long as you feed it. If your faith becomes weak, it’s often because it hasn’t been properly fed. It’s prayer and scripture which strengthen faith. Spending time with God and in God’s word, never fails to increase our belief in our great and wonderful God.

Samson neglected his faith. He didn’t spend time in church. Instead, he spent his time labouring in worldly ways. He drank and womanised, spent time in poor company, while behaving badly. Samuel on the other hand, stayed the course, remained in God’s house, constantly going about God’s work. If we want a victorious life, we should never neglect this important aspect of the story; stray and wander out of place and into hardship, or stay and receive the many blessings of God.

Does this story guarantee you a trouble-free life? If you follow the Lord, will you get the end of your life’s journey unscathed? No. This is a fallen world and Jesus said; in this world you will have trouble. We don’t need help it along though, or make it any worse through poor thoughts, poor choices and poor actions.

And if you wish to raise righteous children, perhaps you might consider these things; to raise your children in the bosom of the Lord, to dedicate them to the Lord’s work, that they may not stray, but live a life of joyful servitude to the One True God. Perhaps that’s a noble pursuit.

God knows, in this day and age, we must try to keep our faith at all costs, for evil awaits in the darkness, for the one who is not vigilant. The times are evil my friends. Be counted as one who waits on the Lord. Raise your family in God’s house. Encourage your friends to come along, for although we know not when the time is come, we do know this; the time is short.

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

alexandragrose@amazon.com