Hey Howdy hey: Something I believe in

This is not something I normally write about, but it is something I believe in.

I have recently been reading a book written by Christian writer Joel Olsteen "You Can, You Will". It got me thinking about my brother. I won't say his name, but he is actually now my last remaining brother out of nine kids in my family. We are down to four; two boys, two girls. My dad died when I was fourteen, so my older brothers are who I looked up to for guidance. And this one brother, well, I could do no right in his eyes. He has been very judgmental of our whole family.

I'm not going to go into everything about him, but it has taken me many years to realize that his judgment over me never mattered, but here is what does matter. Here are some words from the book: there will always be people who try to squeeze you into their molds and pressure you into being who they want to be. They may be good people. They may mean well. But the problem is they didn't breathe life into you. They didn't equip you or empower you. God did. If you're going to become the winner you were created to be, you need to have a boldness. The second quality of a winner is that you run your race the way you want to run it. You can't be insecure, and you can't worry about what everyone thinks. You can't try to keep everyone happy. If you change with every criticism and play up to people, trying to win their favor, you'll go through life letting people manipulate you and pressure you into their boxes. You have to accept the fact that you can't make everyone happy. You can't make everyone happy. You can't make everyone like you.

Even if you change and did everything they asked, some would still find fault like my brother. "You're not really free until you're free from trying to please everyone". You're respectful and kind, but you're not living to please people. You're living to please God. Every morning when you get up, you should search your heart. Know deep down that you are being true to who God called you to be. Then you won't have to look to the left or the right. Just stay focused on your goals. If people don't understand you that is okay. If some get upset because you don't fit into their mold, don't worry about it. If you lose a friend because you won't let that person control you, then you did not need them anyway. because that person was not a true friend. If people talk about you, being jealous, critical, and trying to make you look bad, don't let that change you. You don't need their approval when you have God's approval. If you will get free from what everyone else thinks and start being who you were created to be. You will rise to a new level. We spend too much time trying to impress people, wondering what they are going to think of us. Instead of running our races, we often make decisions based on superficial things.

I heard somebody say, at twenty-one years old we wonder what everyone thinks about us, and at forty years old we don't care what anybody thinks about us. Then at sixty we realize nobody was thinking about us. That is pretty much what that article said.

I know often it is easier said than done for me, but I know if I put God first in my life things seem to go much better for me.

I hope this will help a few folks out there.

God Bless,

Jim and Trooper Oly