Feeling Very Blessed

I am going to take a moment to brag on my family. We have had a great Christmas and Holiday Season. I feel so blessed to have great family members on both sides and have every confidence that we will always be there for each other! God has certainly blessed us all and I am very thankful for every blessing. All I can say is, "My Cup Runneth Over!"

Fear: Man's Creature

Fear is a creature brought forth by man. It is a major factor in all our lives whether we want to believe it or not. It molds us, holds us, motivates us, drives us, and can even destroy us if we fail to keep it under control. It is not merely an emotion as most people think....it is a living being. Many of the ancient writings and texts suggest this. My Father recently ask me if I was afraid of him....what a question. I told him that I love and respect him; but I am not afraid of him. Sometimes love and respect can grow from fear....let me explain. My Father had 2 brothers in prison when my brothers and I were growing up and if we did anything that even remotely resembled a future criminal problem.....my Dad would beat it out of us with a belt!!! Now he did not realize at the time....the example set by his life was good enough to get our respect and love and reached far beyond what a belt would do....but, this was the way Fathers did back then. When I was young I feared many things....peers, opinions, sometimes bullies....but as I got older I played football, lifted weights, got into music and martial arts; and most of those fears faded away. This is not the type of fear I am writing about. I'm talking about the gripping fear of failure, of Death, of getting old and sick, of not being in control of yourself, of lost memories, lost loves, of losing yourself, losing loved ones, of losing everything you have in life, and the possibility of being killed before your time is up. The fear of images, dreams, and memories to horrible to bare. People fearing other people....what an awful thing to have to face. In the big cities, the high crime areas, and even in combat during a time of war. I never understood people living in a state of fear or panic....afraid to walk down a dark street, to be in a big crowd, or to venture out at night. I always believed that this type of Fear belonged to other people....weaker people; until I realized that it belongs to us all! You have to own something that you have created. I didn't think it could ever touch me; I was too brave and strong....and then it did! When it grabs onto you....You know that it's been there all along....waiting beneath the surfaces of everything you love and hold dear....and when you see it....it can make your skin crawl and your heart feel like it is going to stop. It can make you look at the person you once were and wonder....can I ever be that person again? All you can do is face it in battle and try to recover everything it has taken from you!!!