Trouble and Suffering

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."- 1 Thessalonians 5:16
When I painted my room a year and a half ago I wanted to write my favorite verse above my bed because it was a verse that I wanted to start living my life by. But, it wasn't until recently that I realized the real meaning behind this powerful verse. It seems like everyday I will get on Facebook and see someone talking about the horrible day they are having and wondering "why this would happen to them", and I will admit that some days that was often me posting that about my day. Recently I have realize another way to look at days like this. I came across an amazing verse in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 and after a little research I have a new out look on the hard times in my life. The verse reads, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
After reading that I realized that the reason why we have to go through weakness is because it provides the ideal opportunity for the display of Gods power in our lives. God uses these times to draw us closer to him and make us realize that he is the reason we are so blessed in our lives. I think we are so spoiled and use to the blessings that God provides us with that we complain about the times that everything doesn't go the way we want them to go. The truth is is that they should not go the way we want them to go but the way that God wants them to go.
It has seemed like to me that the easiest times to drift away from God are the times that everything is great in my life and I don't feel like I "need God" as much as I do other times. Its almost like we use God when we need him and blame all of the bad things in our life on him but don't give him the credit for the good in our lives. I think that is why God puts these handicaps in our lives to remind us and keep us in constant touch with our limitations. I thought for a long time that the reason God put these handicaps in our lives was to punish us for sinning against him and just kind of showing us who is in charge. But I think the opposite is true. Trouble and suffering are not always a punishment for sin but is a discipline that results in spiritual gain.
So instead of only drawing near to God when we need him we should, "Be joyful always" not allowing tough times to get us down but embracing them as a way to grow closer to God. We need to "Pray continually" so that we have a constant relationship with our Father and thank him everyday for the blessings he has giving us. And finally "Give thanks in ALL circumstances" not just the times where life is great but for provide us with these handicaps as an opportunity to draw closer to him. We should thank God everyday for allowing us an opportunity to live another day and for his most important gift of giving his Son to die for the forgiveness of our sins so that we can live forever with our Father in Heaven. So, as you go through the next few days and weeks try to keep this in mind and you will be surprised at how much happier you can be realizing that God has an ultimate plan for us and that God will always take care of his children!

Hope is Real. Help is Real.

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Asher Brown, a 13-year-old eighth grader at Hamilton Middle School outside Houston, shot himself in the head last week after being "bullied to death." And today 19-year-old Colton Tooley fired several shots at the University of Texas. Hearing this has me scratching my head, asking why... Why is it that a 13 year old kid would be so alone and so hurt by what other 13 year olds do that he has no choice but to take his own life. It saddens me that this happens so much in this country and so much in the last few years. While there is no way to reliably figure the exact ratio of attempted suicides to completed suicides, the National Institute of Mental Health believes that as many as 25 suicides are attempted for each one that is completed. That means that for this one 13 year old kid there are 25 others who are in the same place and have tried to take their own lives. There are 272 deaths a year by teens and kids just like Asher. If the statistic about 25 being attempted for every completed suicide that means that 6,800 kids feel the need to take their own life before they even get to live it. Something has to be done about this. This has gone on too long and everyone can help. Most kids who have suicidal thoughts said that they felt like nobody understood or cared. If there wasnt so much hate and everyone knew that they were cared about and mattered then this would not happen. We have become such a loathing, hateful society. As human beings we are capable of such enormous love and compassion, yet we choose to hate so freely. To tear down instead of build up. The truth is is that everyone can put a stop to this and make a difference in peoples lives and help people who are struggling. Im sure there were warning signs that went unnoticed and even if they were noticed they were only for "attention", well if someone is saying things for attention then THEY NEED ATTENTION. I mean I think we look at those people the wrong way. Sometimes they just need to know that they are loved and know that someone cares and that they will be missed. If you know someone that is suicidual you CAN make a difference and save their life. To Write Love On Her Arms has it right, To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.  TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. Dont think that you can make a difference. Together we can all put a stop to suicide and make a difference!
Hope is Real. Help is Real. Your story is important.

Cutting Yourself Short

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It seems like everyone has on part about them that they don't like. Whether its because of their physical appearance, a disability, or for no reason anyone, including themselves, knows. But the problem I have noticed that a few people around me have is they let it run their lives. People who dislike themselves may acknowledge they have positive attributes but any emotional impact they have simply gets blocked out. They do not allow themselves to be successful.
The thing that I have noticed about people in high school is a lot of people are in search of love and instead of actually finding love they set themselves up to be hurt more and lower their self-esteem. A lot of people when this happens will turn to the opposite sex because they want to feel wanted and think that having someone want them will make them feel special. In reality most people end up getting hurt worst and lower their standards and settle for lower than they deserve because they have been hurt so many times and they feel like thats the only option they have. Thats how abusive relationships happen is because the person getting abused feels like the deserve it and that this is their fault.
 In other words, if we want to like ourselves we have to earn our own respect. Luckily, doing this doesn't require that we become people of extraordinary physical attractiveness or accomplishment. It only requires we become people of extraordinary character, something anyone can do.
A simple thought experiment supports this notion: think right now of your favorite person and ask yourself, what is it about them that attracts you the most? Odds are it isn't their physical appearance or their accomplishments but rather their magnanimous spirit; the way they treat others. This is the key quality that makes people likable, even to ourselves.
The truth is, we are a much better person than we let ourselves believe. We cut ourselves short by settling for less than we deserve in life. If we just realized that we are special and we are a great person than we can live happier and healthier lives!

Taking Advantage of Life

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They tell you that you can be whatever you set your mind to, but that's not true. I can't write a symphony or throw a baseball ninety-five miles an hour. The truth is if you try your best and better than your best, and work yourself some more, then if your have luck on your side, then you can live life to the fullest and be all the good things God made you to be.
I remember being a little kid and not having a worry in the world. I played all day with my friends,
built forts, played hide and seek, and had snack time. I didn't have to worry about a thing in the world because I knew my parents would take care of me. I was completely happy and yet I couldn't wait to grow up. Now that I'm older I realize how much responsibility and worries I have in my life. Growing up is overrated and i think we focus to much on tomorrow and not on today and the moment. If i got in a fight with a friend this morning we would be best friends again this afternoon. I really think that we had the concept of life right as kids! Forgiveness, snacks, naps, building forts, and being carefree is what we should be doing. Just like we knew that our parents would take care of us we should realize that God will take care of us. If you have a chance learn a lesson from a young child on how to be happy with life. And always be the friend to someone that you would want them to be.
I know that not many people have the superhuman ability to play in the MLB or be a professional songwriter. But I also know that everyone has a gift and should take advantage of every opportunity that is set before him. We sometimes cut ourselves short by not living life to the fullest and not trying our best to make the best out of life!

When is nap time?

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Today was the first day of my senior year. Its all crazy to think about to know that this time next year I will be starting college and working toward making my dreams come true. I start this new year with a new principal and superintendent who have new rules... Some of the rules I personally dont like but I respect them for their rules and plan to make the best of my senior year. When thinking of pursuing my dreams and making the best of my future I decided to provide a few tips...

1. Figure out your dream. How can you achieve it if you don’t know what it is? If you hate your job and you want to change jobs, do some serious soul searching and figure out what your dream job would look like. Where would you be? What would your office look like? Who would you work with? What would you do? What would you wear to work? How often would you be working? What would you eat for lunch? Be as detailed as you possibly can. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll learn just by asking yourself these questions. Write down your answers, so you can reference them later.
2. Timing is everything. If you don’t know what to do, it’s probably not time yet. When the time is right to act, you’ll know. Which leads us to #4…
3. Listen to your intuition. You’d be surprised how brilliant your inner wisdom is. Your gut knows more than any other individual ever will.
4. Believe that your dream will come true. Visualize it. Richard Bach said, “You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.”
5. When the time comes to go after your dream, send doubters to time out. Chances are, you have all the criticism you can stand between your own two ears. Kindly inform well-meaning family members, friends, and co-workers that you’ve got plenty of self-critique happening already. What you need from them is faith in your ability to achieve your dreams- or silence. Which leads us to #7…
6. Gag your inner critic. This is the time to be your own best cheerleader. You won’t be able to eliminate that fearful voice of criticism within, but you can muffle it so it doesn’t drown out the stadium anthem music you hear when you dream big.
7. Make room in your life for your dream to come true.  Be careful what you wish for- because if you approach it right, it WILL come true. Then what? Build your life to hold space for your dream. Then when it comes true, you’ll be prepared.
8. Don’t be afraid to fly with eagles. You may have been living a sparrow kind of life, but if you’re dreaming big, you’re gonna be flying with eagles, baby! Let the eagles inspire you, but don’t let them make you feel small or unworthy. If I’d been afraid to fly with eagles, I wouldn’t have met Rachel. Dream big- FLY!
9. Work hard and stay focused. Few people who are living their big dream got lucky. Most worked to achieve their dreams.
10. Be gutsy and take risks. You may feel like you’ve jumped off a cliff and you’re free falling through outer space- and if you're living your dream, chances are, you are. Embrace it! The free fall is exciting, and you never know where you’re going to land. Jumping off the proverbial cliff means that anything can happen.“If you hold onto the handle, it’s easier to maintain the illusion of control. But it’s more fun if you let the wind carry you.” –Brian Andreas
11. Go with the flow. Once you’ve jumped off the cliff, ride whatever wave you land on. Quit fighting the current and just enjoy the ride. It’s how big dreams come true, when you finally quit fighting and let go.
12. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Grab the core of you, hold it close and keep it safe, but be willing to put the rest of you out there in the world. If someone rejects you, it’s not personal. Try again.
13. Nurture yourself. Get a massage, take personal days all to yourself, have lunch with a close friend, take a hike in nature, go on a retreat away from the family…whatever it takes to fill you up so that you’re overflowing and have more to give to your passion. It’ll serve you well when those doubters show up…

The Magic of Value-Based Happiness

It seems like every blog I write it has something to do about how we are not living life to the fullest. It seems like every person seems like they are not living life to the fullest. Sometimes we are so consumed with our daily lives that we forget to look at the larger picture of who we are and what we need to be happy. So it takes an extraordinary event such as a life-threatening illness, or the death of a loved one, to focus our attention on the meaning of our lives. Why is it that we have to have an event like this happen for us to value life and realize that we are not living it to the fullest?
We focus our lives so much on pleasure because we think that pleasure and doing what we like is what will make us happy. If everyone is chasing after the American dream and trying to gain all of the material things in life than why is it that it seems like everyone is unhappy? Its because we are chasing after "feel-good" happiness and it seems like the more we try to reach this the harder it is to come by.After you identify your most important desires, you need to find effective ways to satisfy them. There is a catch, however. Shortly after you satisfy a desire, it reasserts itself, motivating you to satisfy the desire all over again. The "feel-good" happiness is like a drug that takes more and more of it to get the same high. That is why we sometimes hit rock bottom, its not that things are going bad in our lives we are just not getting as much enjoyment out of the things in life we use to and we have no foundation for our happiness.
In order to achieve true happiness we need to focus on value-based happiness.  Value-based happiness is a sense that our lives have meaning and fulfill some larger purpose. It represents a spiritual source of satisfaction, coming from our deeper purpose and values. Since this form of happiness is not ruled by the feel-good high that we always work to maintain, there is no limit to how meaningful our lives can be. Value-based happiness is the great equalizer in life. You can find value-based happiness if you are rich or poor, smart or mentally challenged, athletic or clumsy, popular or socially awkward. Wealthy people are not necessarily happy, and poor people are not necessarily unhappy. Values, not pleasure, are what bring true happiness, and everybody has the potential to live in accordance with their values.

Why....

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Its a question that I think we all ask ourselves about things that go on in our lives. Why does bad things happen to good people? Why does it feel my life is falling apart? Its at this moment that a lot of people blame God wondering why this would be happening to you.. We ask ourselves this a lot of times when we lose someone that was close to us or was taken from us to soon. I know that I had a hard time when Jacob Williams left this earth and even Alex Brown when she passed away and I was filled with so much pain and sorrow. I know that several are feeling this same feeling with the recent loss of Michael Ybarra. I did not know Michael but i wish that i had because from what I have seen he was a great guy and he will be missed.
Its times like this that your faced with the feeling of not knowing what to do or where to turn. You find yourself sitting there crying and crying trying to figure out what to do. You pray to God and don't know what to pray because you miss this person so much but you know that it was Gods plan for it to happen this way. So what is it that we are suppose to do or say to God. I asked myself the same thing and was lead to Romans 8:26-27. "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts know the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."
Even though we are lost for words and trying to figure out what to do or think God hears our prayers and is with us. God is with us in the hard times and his plan will be revealed to us later in life. I know that even though both Jacob and Alex are not physically here on earth the impact they left behind has effected more people than they ever imagined. Jake taught all of us who knew him not only how to live life to the fullest but also how to die following God. Alex left and impact on all the people around us and even though she was killed in a car accident her story has saved hundreds of people and had an impact on their lives. I think that Michael is the same and his impact will be left with all those around him and Gods plan through all this pain will work out in the end. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the friends and family of Michael Ybarra. God bless and RIP Michael Ybarra!

Bringing Out The Michael Jordan In Us.

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Confidence... Even at an early age I remember always being taught to have it. I was always told that if I believed that I could do something, and worked hard enough anything was possible. But now I'm told that this is not always true. I can't write a symphony, or throw a fastball 95 mph. But even though there are certain things that we cant do I think that we constantly cut ourselves short. It seems like everyone is unhappy and constantly put themselves down because we have it set in our mind that we are not as good as we could be.

But where does this mindset come from? I think its because we live in a world that constantly tells us that we aren't athletic enough, pretty enough, thin enough, and just plain not good enough. People are constantly cutting us down to pick themselves up because they want to feel good about themselves. I think that we all could live a better life if we just changed the way we thought about ourselves and stopped tearing ourselves apart.

In 1982, in the NCAA national championship game North Carolina was led by a 19-year old Michael Jordan. With North Carolina trailing Georgetown 62-61 with 17 seconds left and Michael Jordan shoots a 16-foot jump shot that won the game and earned North Carolina the championship. That first game-winning shot was a turning point, Jordan pointed out in later years. It gave him the confidence that he could come through in the clutch. For the rest of his career when he needed to be the clutch player he came through because he had done it before and was calm in the intense situations. Michael Jordan became famous for this buzzer-beater shots and it all started with confidence and believing that he was able to make the shots because he had done it before.
I think that if we focused on all of the things we have done right in our lives and not the disappointments then we would live better and happier lives. By transforming our sense of self and telling our self that we have done it before and can do it again. We then will realize our ability and it will come through when it counts.
Failures can be as memorable as successes, and failure is always a possibility. But what separates world-class performers from the rest of us is the ability to put negative experiences behind them.

Life's Disappointments Started with Mom

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Disappointment is one of the first emotions we experience. One minute we are warm and safe, and then the next your being swatted on the behind, wiped down, handled by about have a dozen pairs of hands. So what do you do? You cry. You cry, and everyone laughs and claps, including YOUR MOTHER!!! You understand the world and it's disappointments right off the bat.
There are two types of disappointments. First, is disappointments we encounter everyday. Things like illness, death, a team we didn't want to be on, a friend who broke your trust, a test you should have passed, or our parents not letting us do something. Then there are disappointments of global proportions. The things you didn't ask for like world hunger, wars, and terrorist attacks. Of course some disappointments are brought about by our foolish mistakes and are consequences of our actions. These types of disappointments are easier to understand. But what about the other type of disappointments? The things we didn't ask for and the things that are harder to understand. How do we handle these things?
Dealing with things that we cant control is hard, and is even harder when we feel like we have to fix everything that has gone wrong. Whether it is losing a friend or not saying goodbye to a relative before they pass away there are somethings that we are left with that we are not able to fix. Sometimes temporary pain and disappointment is the price that we need to pay to open our lives to new possibilities and free ourselves from an impossible situations. Every situation is different and must be handled in accordance with its unique circumstances. Although it may sound like a cliché, there is truth to the saying that pain is sometimes the price that we must be willing to pay for growth.
I know that it's one thing to believe some of life's disappointments to be an opportunity and it's quite another to actually experience it that way. Life challenges are not inherently growth-producing. What determines whether or not they are is the attitude and inner resources that we meet those challenges with. All crises are potentially transformative in that they contain the seeds of new growth. Without disappointments there is no movement. Disappointment, or the desire to be free of them, often serves as a great motivator, but not always. Unless there is an ability to be present with the disappointment, and be informed and opened by it, the healing potential of emotional pain will be lost in a desire to escape suffering. It is the ability to move into and through disappointments with awareness that can make this process worthwhile and a learning experience.Sometimes we have to realize that we need to trust God and know that things will work out in the long run.

The Joys of Failure

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I have noticed that a lot of my blogs are really long so I'm going to give all of you people who read this a shorter blog this time. Everyone wants to be a winner and when we are young everyone gets a "trophy" for trying, but as we get older those rewards go away and we are taught to fear failure. Being taught to fear failure and not embracing it might not be the right thing to do in the long run. Because failure is sometimes an important step in creativity I thought that it would be a good thing for me to provide insight on.
All my life i have HATED losing and the thought of failing has left me being harder on myself when I have fallen short of my goal. I have cried after losing a playoff game, I have had to bring a report card home that wasn't what it should have been and I have made LOTS of mistakes. But now im starting to realize that I am the person I am today because of the failures and mistake I have made. Failure is an important part of creativity, risk-taking, and aiming high in my goals. If I'm not failing then i might not be trying hard enough. Some of life's most important lessons are taught through failure.
I think in order to be happy we must think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right in an atmosphere of growth. People get a boost from learning new skills,  and from experiences that provide an atmosphere for growth. However, while experiences and challenge bring happiness, along the way, they also bring frustration, insecurity, anger, and fear.... happiness doesn't always make us feel happy along the way.
I think that sometimes we spend so much time thinking and focusing on our past and thinking about what would have happen if we would have not had made the mistakes we had made. But I am glad that I have made the mistakes I have made because I know that I would not be anywhere near the person I am today if it wasnt for the mistakes I have made. I think that if we set our standards high and accept failure and think of it as a stepping stone to success than we will be happier with our lives. I know that this blog is not the length of previous ones but i think i got the message across, Im going to leave you with one of my favorite quotes.
“We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are.”-Calvin and Hobbes

Life and Death: What is it that scares you?!

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Most of my post have been about life and how I think most people are not living life to the fullest. But I was thinking the other day that most people instead of focusing on living life to the fullest they worry about avoid death. Whether it is the thought of non-existence or the uncertainty of what happens after we leave this earth we all have a fear of death. But I think there is a difference between thinking about it and letting it consume our thoughts. But worrying so much about it cant be healthy and hinders you from living a happy life. I think that instead we should try to live life with no regrets. Live life so that when it is over the people around us know that we lived life to the fullest and the way life should be lived.
Lots of people believe that if you want to live successful life you must have well paid job, big houses, expensive cars and wear new fashion clothes. But very few people understand that happy life is not what you have in your material world, it is how satisfied you are about what are you doing in your life. Because people are not going to remember everything you had, they are mainly going to remember the type of person you were. You can either be seen as the person who was trying to make it to the top and cut people down on the way up or, the person who was willing to do anything for other people. Which of these people is the one whose going to have more people at their funeral? Which one of these people is going to have more tears cried because they are gone. It goes back to past post about the impact you have on people. Power and wealth only bring happiness when used to serve others. The ultimate success is to live life in a way that will enable you to feel free of guilt when you reach the end of the journey. I think that the world tries to tell us the opposite and that is why we live in a broken world that is constantly looking for happiness. The truth is if we only lived life like we did when we were kids we would be a lot happier. When we were younger we didn't worry about what others thought, or if we had more money than our friends. We didn't worry about dying or happiness because we were happy. Our worst enemies were our siblings and not other countries, war was a card game and not something that effected our everyday live. There were not race issues because the only time we worried about race was when we were trying to beat our best friend around the slide and back. What happened to that way of thinking and all that happiness. We grew up. We couldn't wait to grow up because it looked awesome but now that we are older we waste our lives trying to find happiness in the wrong places. True happiness is in the hearts of children and can still be found there.

I leave you with this final thought. If you believe that you come into the world with nothing and that you'll leave with nothing, you can give away everything you own while you are alive. Give away not only your money, but also your time and energy. Using your resources to serve others is the surest way to find happiness and prosperity. The most difficult hurdle you will encounter on the road to happiness is the leap from self-centeredness-self-interest-to other-centeredness. So what is it that makes you fear death or make you feel your not living life as well as you should? Feel free to comment, I love to hear other peoples opinions.

Heroes

Hero- a person who performs extraordinary deeds for the benefit of others.(Wikipedia)
Since I was a child I have always known the technical definition of a hero as being a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. I always was inspired by stories of knights, supermen and courageous men and women who did wonderful things and changed the world around them and thought of them as heroes. Then as i got a little older it changed to professional athletes and athletes that were from my school that were older. But recently when thinking about this and thinking that since I was older I might be a little kids hero and not ever realize it. So i decided to think about what a hero was to me. I came up with this, A hero is someone who does what he is afraid to do. A hero has a mind of such a balance that no disturbances can shake his will, but follows the music of his heart. Self-trust is what makes a person a hero, for if he does not trust in his capabilities he will not achieve what he proposes to himself. A hero is someone who will stand up and make a difference, not expecting any rewards.
I remember in 2001 right after 9/11 the firefighters and police that stepped up on that day and risked their lives were seen as heroes. The nation was inspired by these people who started September 11th just like any other day and when they were called to step up for this country they did and went to bed that night heroes. A few months later there was a little dribbers team that instead of being the Heat, Lakers, Spurs, or Knicks like the teams usually were, they decided to be NYPD, and NYFD in honor of their heroes and every ones heroes. But now that the years have pasted the only time it seems like I here the term "hero" it is talking about men and women who have died in war or doing something noble but i don't think that that is completely right.
To some degree a lot of us are a hero to someone. Whether it is a brother or sister or even a kid at school that we played basketball with, we may have a huge impact on someone and be their hero. So on thinking about this it got me thinking about how i live my life. Everyday am I living my life the way that I would want someone to see me living it? I have tried to be a positive influence to people around me and brighten their day and live life the way that I would want someone that I care about to live it. So as I end this I want to leave you with a quote that I came up with that I posted on my Facebook. "They say never judge a book by its cover, but isn't the cover trying to sell u the book? Sometimes what someone sees of you in your worst moments could be the type of person they see you as."-Cale Bloskas... So how we live our lives everyday or just one day could be the way that someone sees us and sometimes that is not the way we want to be seen.

Loving God

Today as I was coming home from Dallas, thinking and preparing myself for camp next week, I was reading in my bible when a verse caught my eye. "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind.'-Matt. 22:37
As I was reading this, thoughts ran through my mind and I'm going to share a few of them with you. And if you're going to be out at camp this week or next you might hear them again. So this blog is going to be more spiritual and less philosophical than my usual blogs.
Matt. 22:34 is a familiar passage to many of us, but I think very few of us fully understand what it really means and can carry this verse out. Christ said in the verse that we not only have to love him, but also love him with everything we are. We have to focus our minds on God, since it is now your nature, because we are called to love him with our
minds .
I know that a lot of times thoughts cloud my mind that shouldn't and reflect on impure thoughts or ideas. But by doing that are we really loving God? No, God deserves our love and so we should concentrate on him. We have to let the words we say, the thoughts we think, and the feelings in our hearts glorify God to the best of our abilities. David addresses this subject in Psalms 19;14, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." David was a man after God's own heart and I think his verse shows us one example of why. Even though he didn't always do the right thing, David had the desire to glorify God. I think that we should allow this Psalm to be our prayer and philosophy this week, and the rest of our lives. Pray that the Holy Spirit will turn your thoughts toward God and that God will give you a love beyond human comprehension. And if you are like me sometimes you are discouraged because you don't know exactly what to pray or say to God in certain situations in our lives. One verse I have found that directly addresses this problem is Romans 8:26-27, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words can not express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance to God's will." So even though at times and situations in our lives when we don't know what to pray the Holy Spirit is able to translate our prayers to God so that he is able to see what in our hearts we are praying for.
But like I said just a few thoughts I was thinking about. I'm planning on doing a blog in the near future about heros in our lives and what makes someone a hero in our lives. I plan to write and post that one in about 2 weeks when I get home from camp.

June 11th

June 11, 2005: I was in Monte Vista, CO. I was on a youth group mission trip with my church and we had done this for several years. As everyone showed up to the church early in the morning we were informed to meet in the auditorium, not aware for what was about to hit us. Once everyone was there my dad, who was a sponsor on the trip, told us about the death of Jacob. It seemed like hours that we all just sat there crying, holding each other, and praying. It was one of the hardest days of my life, knowing that the person who truly taught me how to live life not matter what happens had taught me how to leave this world living life to the fullest. That was the first of only a few nights that I have actually cried myself to sleep.

I didn't know Jacob that well when he first got here but quickly heard stories and witnessed his amazing attitude quickly. One time he kept giving one of the teachers the wrong phone number so that she couldn't call his parents to tell them about him acting up in class. He was always making people laugh and even in the darkest times he was making everyone around him smile. The love that everyone in Anton had for him is unlike anything I have ever seen. When he was at school in a wheelchair I saw some of his friends pushing him around and making sure that he was as comfortable as possible. Jacob never was serious when you asked him questions and I only saw him serious and look scared once when I was sitting with my sister at a basketball and he was telling me about a trip to Houston. But after being diagnosed with cancer he still had the amazing joking attitude and maybe even had a more positive look on life. There are to many stories to tell about Jacob but one story that makes me smile was about one time when he was in the hospital. There was a nurse trying to put his IV in his arm and kept missing, instead of getting mad or something he simply asked the nurse if she should be doing this and that maybe she needed to be flipping burgers.

Jacob was an inspiration to everyone he encounter and changed every ones lives. He is the reason that I try to enjoy every moment of everyday and try to live life to the fullest. He overcame odds and did his best to prove all the doctors wrong. When the doctors told him he would never walk he told them he would walk the stage at graduation and he worked for that goal. Not only did Jacob walk the stage he walked down the rows of seat, up the stairs to the stage, across the stage, down the stairs and back out the door all on his own power. He not only met his goal but he proved the doctors wrong and proved that with God all things are possible. He knew that he could either hate life and be upset about what was going on in his life or he could do what he did and live life to the fullest and make sure that he takes advantage of everyday!

Even people who didn't know Jacob personally were touched by him. I remember our church giving him a "prayer pager" so that every time someone prayed for him they could leave their number and Jacob could know that people cared and were praying for him. It started as just the people locally praying for him and as his story spread there were people all over the nation praying for him. He and his family would even look up all the different area codes in amazement of what God can do and the good in people spread.

Jacob Williams is my hero and inspiration in life. He not only taught me how to live life to the fullest but to die with no regrets. I know that he is looking down on every single person that he influenced and seeing the impact that he had on my life and everyone elses. Everyone that knew him was lucky to have known him and I know that he has had the biggest impact on me that anyone ever has and has taught me a lesson on how to live life.

A few years ago i wrote a song about Jacob titled "Never Goodbye" it can be found on my Myspace page at www.myspace.com/calebloskas . There are two songs on there a funny one title the Oreo Song and then the song about Jacob titled Never Goodbye. The quality sucks on the song and my singing is horrible since I recorded this 2 years ago. So don't listen to the singing to closely. I know that my prayers are going out to the Williams family and everyone who was touched by his life as we remember and celebrate his life 5 years later. We love and miss you Jacob and out lives will never be the same!

Living Life To The Fullest

"It is crazy how certain little things can make you think about life. Make you realize that you might not be living your life to the fullest. And make you realize that you just need to live life because you never know when you won't be able to. Just look for the positive things in life and don't worry about the negative. Learn from mistakes, but never regret."-Cale Bloskas

I have posted this as my status on Facebook a few times in the last few months as different things in my life have reminded me of this. It might have been someone that i knew that died or maybe just thinking about how thankful I am that someone is in my life. I'm reminded every single day and sometimes several times in one day about just how short life is and how we never know how much time we have on this earth. Everyday I have a bracelet on that reads "Alex Marie Brown †12-29-91/11-10-09†". I'm constantly asked what my bracelet says and who Alex was and I am reminded and have the chance to tell them who she was. This just reminds me what I have to live life to the fullest and not take advantage of any opportunity. There has been a few people in my life that have made a huge impact in my life and died at an early age. This has left me to wonder if it really is true that the good really do die young...
I have always wanted more than anything to make an impact in peoples lives and when I'm gone to be remembered as a great person. I have always tried to never regret anything I have done because i honestly don't think I would be the person I am today if i would have not made the choices I have made. I have realized that everyone who is in my life is in it for a reason and the people that are not in my life are not meant to be there. I know of several people who have made a huge impact in my life and I know if they weren't in my life I would not be where I am today. I have a lot of interesting and crazy things happen to me and it seems like every week I have a new story of something that has happened to me that has inspired or humored me in someway. I will tell you about something that happened to me this past week at Op Camp.
As you might remember there is a kid that I talked about in an earlier blog about him being abused at home and how he told me about it last year at Op Camp. Well, this year I tried to make sure I was his counselor because I felt that I had a connection with him and thought I could make an impact in his life. It turns out that I spent a lot of one on one time with this kid over the week because of several experiences and ended up growing very close to him. This kid respected me and wanted to hang out with me as much as possible. For example, one morning I was putting up the flag as all the kids went into to eat and it took longer than it should have because I had a few difficulties. To my surprise when i came into the dining hall there was the kid I was talking about sitting on a bench waiting for me because he didn't want to eat or get in line without me. This inspired me and made me realize that I had in fact made an impact in a young kids life that is not as blessed as I am.
I was sent to this camp to make a difference in these kids life, but could it be that these kids were sent to the camp to also make an impact in my life? I honestly believe that everything happens for a reason and every person is in my life for a reason. People spend so much time worrying about little things in their life that we don't realize all the good we have in our lives. I think that if we focused on the good in life and the good in people in our lives we would live a much happier and fuller life!!! If everyone was not selfish, and actually thought about each other we could have a difference in the world. We live in a cutthroat world where you are suppose to do anything to be the best and look out for yourself. But i think that it should be the opposite and we should try to impact other peoples lives because we are in there life for a reason and they could end up having a bigger impact in our lives than we could ever expect. I have always believed that if i was faced with the chance to jump in front of a bullet for someone I would. Because not only would there be a better chance in both of us living because the chances of me only being injured would be greater but also, if I was to die i would be dying in the way that I would want to do it and be making a difference in several peoples lives and would die a hero.
I have been blessed with several people in my life that I have tried to be the best friend i could be. I have a friend who is abused that knows i will come pick them up anytime and have done it before. I have a friend who is slowly dying of a rare illness and I'm enjoying everyday as a gift that they are still in my life. And I have several friends who have been there when i needed them most and I have also been there for them. I would not change any of these people in my life for anything because of what I have been through because of them has taught me more than I would have ever learned on my own. I try to be the best person I can and be the best friend I can to the people in my life and I think that if the world had this mindset it would be a better world.
But some of the greatest leaders and thinkers that have walked the earth have thought this exact thing and it has not changed the world. But i believe that the world does not have to do this for me to have a better life. I think that if i try my best to do this I can make a difference not just in my life but in the lives of the people around me. I'm sorry if some of this blog jumps around i honestly just type what pops in the head as my hand hits the keys. Trust me this made a lot more sense in my head and sounded better. But that's okay maybe someone will benefit from this, please tell me any comments you have and God Bless!!!!

Be the change you want to see in the world

It has been an interesting and eventful weekend and gave me a lot of
time to do some thinking. As you can probably tell, when I think a
lot I write a blog and give y'all a look inside the head of Cale
Bloskas. So here it goes.
I dont that most people realize how fragile life really is. One small
thing can change your life or how look at life. One person can change
your life forever for better or worst. Which ever way it is changed
you cannot deny that this person has changed your life forever. It can
mean the world to someone just by you being there and caring.
Sometimes all we need is someone to be there and be your shoulder to
cry on. The person that is there when you need someone most will never
quite know how much that meant to you and how your life is changed
because of them.
Still sometimes we must goodbye to someone that we never thought would
be out of our life. We are left with two choices, focus on all the
wrong they have done to you or forgive them and focus on all the times
they were there. Hopefully we forget the wrong they have done and
focus on the times they were there. Act like the wrong they have done
you is written in the sand and let it wash away with the waves of
friendship and winds of life. But engrave the times they have been
there in a rock, always there to dwell on and no matter how much time
passes is never forgotten. Sometimes I feel that we are the exact
opposite and focus on the wrong and hold grudges. But if we do that we
could end up missing out on a great friendship and losing that person
forever.
We never know if we are going to be here tomorrow or if someone in
your life will be here. Why focus on the little things in life when we
should be living life to the fullest? I remember being a little kid
and not having a worry in the world. I played all day with my friends,
built forts, played hide and seek, and had snack time. I didn't have
to worry about a thing in the world because I knew my parents would
take care of me. I was completely happy and yet I couldn't wait to
grow up. Now that I'm older I realize how much responsiblity and
worries I have in my life. Growing up is overrated and i think we
focus to much on tomorrow and not on today and the moment. If i got in
a fight with a friend this morning we would be best friends again this
afternoon. I really think that we had the concept of life right as
kids! Forgiveness, snacks, naps, building forts, and being carefree is
what we should be doing. Just like we knew that our parents would take
care of us we should realize that God will take care of us.
I leave you with one last thought. As we start a new weeks let's work
on not focusing on the little things in life and focus on living life
to the fullest. If you have a chance learn a lesson from a young child
on how to be happy with life. And always be the friend to someone that
you would want them to be. Because of we lived our lives the way we
were taught as kids this world would be a much better place. We would
focus on the "golden rule" and treat others how we would want to be
treated. We would have a world full of happiness, peace, and the world
would be a better place. But in order to do that me must remember the
words of Mahama Gandhi. "Be the change you want to see in the world."

People that we encounter

"There are people who you never thought would be in your life but honestly care about you and are happy to be in your life. Then, there are people that you never thought would leave your life and now just try to tear you down. Sometimes you have begin with a new chapter in life and leave the old memory's behind. Because ...what good is a book if it doesn't have the chapter where everything ends up how it was suppose to?"-Cale Bloskas
This quote above was one of my facebook statuses over a month ago. People that had always been in my life and been there for me were not there anymore, and new friends were starting to take their spot. It made me realize that sometimes in life one door might close but there is always another one that opens. Sometimes we focus mainly on the one that is closing that we dont notice the open door right in front of us. Life has been compared to a book several times and I think that it is a very accurate comparison. In every book there are chapters that everything doesn't go as it is planned and should go. Sometimes there is a character that encounters hardship or something drastic happens. What good is a book if it does not have these ups and downs, in the same way, what good is life if it is not filled with excitement and trouble to overcome. In order to start a new chapter in our lives we have to accept our life as it is and close the current chapter to begin a new chapter and a fresh start. People that we might not want out of our lives could be gone but we have to realize that we are the people we are today because of those people. Instead of being upset and sad about not having this person anymore, I think we should be glad that this person was in our lives and focus on the positive impact they had on our lives. These people might not be in our lives but the memories will last forever.
Lately I have been thinking about the cycle of life, and this theory of one door closing and another one opening. I have come to realize and think about how this has been very correct in my life. I can remember countless times that something has happened and I thought it was the end of the world only to realize that something way better happened because of it. I think that this is true in a lot of peoples lives.
Another thing that I have been thinking about is how sometimes people say that only the good die young. This could be somewhat true. I know several people that come to mind that have had a positive impact in my life. Jacob Williams, a guy here from Anton that died a month after he graduated that show a lot of people not only how to live but also how to die. Alex Brown, her dieing in that car accident and the story her family is telling has prevented several other crashes like hers from happening. I think that I would be okay with dieing if i knew that more people would be saved because of it.
Finally the last thing that has been on my mind lately. A lot of people focus on the future and what could happen and don't enjoy the happiness that they could be enjoying right now. I think that we could all live better lives if we focused on the present and not on the past or future. If we only learned from our mistakes and didn't dwell in them, and take advantage of today and let tomorrow worry about itself.I'm sorry that I have not stayed on one topic but i felt like all of this could fit together and it has all been on my mind. And so I leave you with one of my favorite quotes and it is even painted in my room by Calvin and Hobbes, and is a quote i try to live by everyday.“We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are.”

Never judge A book by its cover

“We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think that yours is the only path.”- Paulo Coelho (Mystical author, one of Brazil's most successful novelists)
Lately I have been thinking a lot about how I look at other people and how a lot of times you may have no idea what someone could be dealing with in their life. I think that a lot of times we see someone or how they act and instantly judge them and think that we know all about them. In reality, someone could be dealing with something that we have not clue about and that could be the reason they do certain things. A lot of people in the world deal with some serious issues and pain, and sometimes I think we are quick to judge people and think that their is nothing wrong. The truth is, everyone has a "secret" and they have a reason they act the way they do. A person may be full of smiles but in reality be hurting and dying on the inside.
When thinking about this I am reminded of a kid last summer. Our church does a thing that we call Opportunity Camp. Op Camp is a camp that we try to get the kids in our community that would not usually have a chance to go to summer camp, and also to minister to these kids and offer them something that they may not usually get. Our teens at our church were the counselors and the adults did most of the cooking, teaching classes, crafts, and activities. I remember one kid that everyone was afraid of coming to the camp. We had a lot of his teachers warning us and making sure that we understood how much trouble this kid could be. Even us teens were worried about who would get this kid to be one of our campers. Because I don't want to use this kids name I will refer to him as Sam. Sam was known for causing trouble and their were quite a few stories about him doing very intense and disturbing things at school. After we got out to the camp I was informed that I was going to be one of Sam's counselors. At first I was very nervous and scared of what might happen and how I would handle this kid. To tell you the truth having Sam be one of my campers was probably one of the best things that could have happened to me and it opened my eyes to a lot of things. It turns out that Sam really just didn't like being locked up in a classroom and just wanted to be able to run around and be in nature. Sam loved lizards and all types of reptiles. There were several times at camp that we saw a snake, lizard, or frog and Sam wanted to catch it. Sam and I built a relationship really fast and started to have a lot of fun. One night i noticed that something was wrong with Sam and he started to act up a little bit. I took Sam to the side and we had a very good talk trying to figure out what was bothering him. After talking to Sam, I found out that Sam was abused at home by his mother and does not get the attention that he wants and deserves at home. That is why Sam always got in trouble, he did not know any other way to get the attention at home or at school other than him acting up and getting in trouble. Having this happen to me was a very eye -opening experience and made me realize that we are quick to assume that we know all about a kid when in reality it wasn't his fault that he acted the way he did. Sam just wanted the love and attention that every kid wants and didn't know any other way to get it.
In the last year, I have realized that a lot of things happen in peoples lives that I don't know about and probably will never have to encounter. I have come to realize that I am very lucky and need to do my best to try to understand why people act the way they do. I have been trying my best to be there for everyone who needs me and to build a trust with everyone around me. I have a friend who is 17 and has been abused since she was 6. I have known this girl for years and had no idea until this year of what was going on. I have done my best to try to protect her from being abused and she knows that anytime she needs to get away from the house she can call me. I have had to pick her up a few times and it makes me glad knowing that people trust me and I can make a difference in peoples lives. I leave you with a common quote that we hear everyday "Never judge a book by its cover." We never know what kind of stories and trials there might be inside. It might be a mystery, action, or love story but we can never be sure until we open the book up and give it a chance.

Mothers Day

Last night our family stayed up late watching old home videos. We watched all sorts of videos from the time my head bounced against the ice while ice skating, and even my older brothers Jr. high sports (which we had to relive because he had the remote). And there was one video that all of us kids and our parents remembered. It was Christmas eve of 1999. That was our favorite Christmas of all time and after watching the video we relived it and talked about what all of us remember about that Christmas season. That December our parents decided to make a rule that in order to open our gifts we had to do something really nice for a non-family member. I remember almost crying because my brother almost didn't get to open his present with a PlayStation in it because he didn't know the non-family member rule and had done something nice for me. In the video it shows me opening my Gameboy Color, the most popular gift that Christmas season. On the video it shows something that I had forgotten about and that was how hard my parents had worked to get the gift for me. The Gameboy Color was completely sold out here so my parents called a friend from an another state to see if she could get. After looking all over her area her boss ended up driving a far way to get the gift, who gave it to her, who flew down here (to see family for Christmas that lives here), and gave the gift to my parents. This act and determination showed me just how much my parents wanted me to be happy and the excitement and joy that I showed that Christmas eve was all worth it for them. It made me realize how much my parents have done for me over the years. They have always worked hard and tried to give me everything I could ever want and never have asked for anything in return. They worked hard that Christmas just to see the joy on my face and have worked all my life just for little joy in my life. It made me realize that a lot of us have taken advantage of what people do for us and don't appreciate all the people in our lives as much as we should. I know that I will be giving my mother an extra hug today and the same for my father next month. And I hope that not only today and fathers day I make sure that my parents realize how much they mean to me, but i make it my goal to try to show them everyday how much they mean to me and how thankful I am to have them!