Being Disconnected from God

I was outside a moment ago and heard God tell me I need to write in my blog right now, before I put it off and forget to do it.

This might be more stream of consciousness writing than it is properly formatted, but I want to get my thoughts down.

One thing I've really discovered in the last couple of weeks is when you're disconnected from God, the devil is powerful.  He tempts you with things that seem fun and exciting and earthly pleasures that most humans (by themselves) wouldn't deny.  I'm not going to lie, they are "fun", but they're so wrong on many levels and they destroy lives.

Mind altering substances and sex can ruin lives.  It does ruin lives.  Think about how many people are in prison/jail because of using those substances and making poor decisions?  I've been there many times (unfortunately) and it's no place a person should be.  I'd guess that's 75% of incarcerated people.

Besides getting in trouble with the law, how many jobs have been lost?  Families fell apart?  Bankruptcy and financial ruin?

Most importantly, how many suicides/accidents could have been prevented?

I could (and will at some point) go into all the trouble it's caused me, but this post is greater than just my struggles.  I'm writing so I think about how I can help come up with a way to help people find Christianity.  How do we help people who made wrong decisions in the past get their life back on track?  There has to be work on the part of each individual, but we have to be willing to help too. 

I've seen far to much hopelessness and despair on the streets and in jail and homeless shelters.  I've seen people who genuinely want to change and be different, but get discouraged because they can't see light - a way out.

I get it.  Far more than most people ever will (thank God others won't get it on my level) and I need to help find a solution.  Far to many "lost" lives and people are happening because of their lack of connection with God.

I adamantly believe I was put on this earth to help, lead and inspire people.  I need to figure out what specific way that is, so I can start doing it effectively.  It will be doing God and my fellow humans a disservice if I succumb to my mental defects and sickness and don't rise up out of this situation to help others.  I'll need a lot of help from a lot of other people to make huge changes, but I have to BE BIG - say big prayers, dream big dreams, set big goals and most importantly, be blessed and know that God can accomplish anything.  I want to use the gifts he's given me to have him work through me to make a BIG difference.

What I've Learned in 2018

God is good, all the time. 

Sometimes it's hard to see and it's very easy to get into a dark spot mentally and not see light at the end of the tunnel, but we have to remember he's in charge and all of the pain we go through is for a reason in the end.  He's in control and he's already written our story.  He knows how this ends already, but we need to hang in there and glorify him in all ways we can.

Be Grateful, all the time.

I still have air to breathe.  My eyes and ears work, as do my legs.  I can still give and receive love and kindness.  I have a mother that is literally a saint and a brother who would die for me.  In addition, I'm blessed with some really awesome people who would be there in a minute, if I needed them.  I may not have a lot of "family", but I'm connected to a lot of people who love like family.

Tell each one of them how much you love them and how they help you.  It's important for each person to know the impact they have on your life.

- Mom is kind, patient (beyond belief), loyal, eternally loving, kicks me in the butt when I need it, sensitive when I need that, tremendous listener and always trying to get me to be the best James William Moore I can be

- Tom is loyal, inspiring, patient (also beyond belief), ass kicker, understanding, forgiving, gives me an outlet to talk about stuff that doesn't matter and ALWAYS in my corner - especially when I don't deserve it

- Todd is a role model, a leader, inspirational, authentic, extremely committed, driven, great listener, gives tremendous advice (provides what's needed), loyal, dependable and a great teacher

- Mike is a great listener, always available when I need him, gives great advice, provides what's needed in each moment, a role model (shows me it can be done), extremely caring

- Brandon is a great listener, extremely caring, emotionally supportive, reliable and consistent, provides what's needed, reminds me to trust in God & accepts my flaws

- Paul is inspirational, a leader, a teacher, great listener, provides spot on advice (in each situation), checks in because he cares about me as a person, inviting, warm, caring and exceptionally encouraging

That's just the people that came to mind in 2 seconds.  I have several others too that would do anything I needed but I shut them out, because I isolate myself and live in my head.  I let my mind run wild in the wrong direction far to often.  As Joel says, if you're gonna let your mind go wild, let it go in the direction of abundance/surplus and what's possible

Say the serenity prayer several times a day and stay in faith.  What's impossible for me isn't close to impossible for God.  He turned water into wine, pulled water from a rock and created all of this.

He's blessed me with way more than I deserve and I am eternally grateful for that.  Also, he'll give me the strength I need to get through these challenging times and come out far stronger and better on the other side.  Faith is REALLY tough in the middle, but it's necessary.  When you hang in there, you'll be rewarded with two, three, five or ten times what you should get.  Also, I need to remember to sit still and know that he is God.

Also, I really believed God called me to write this tonight, because I've not written in this blog for over 6 1/2 years.  Let's make it a trend going forward.

The America I Want

This is a pivotal election we have coming up in November. It will decide the course of America the next for years (which is always the case), but it could also decide our long-term sustainability as a powerful country. America was founded on a set of principals unlike any other country before it. The U.S. Constitution laid the foundation for what America became. Now, we are interpreting it in vastly different ways than it was intended to be so we can get desired outcomes. That seems very manipulative to me and very dishonest. Is that a country you want to live in? The people who wrote the Constitution knew that this would be the framework for our country moving forward, so they were very specific and yet a little vague at the same time. I think it's clear what they meant by each amendment and it's not how it's being interpreted now. Why are we not taking a stand for this?

Something I've learned recently is that if you really care about someone or something, you should take a stand for it. Don't tolerate anything that's not acceptable to you. This applies to this situation for me. Why are we allowing the media to use misleading information that blatantly slants its views in favor of Obama? Why are people not looking at facts and statistics and doing their own research? I know he's a spin master, but it's not hard to see what his vision for America is. It's not what we are founded on and it's not anything I want any part of.

The upcoming presidential election is very simple: do you favor capitalism and people deciding their own futures, or do you favor the government controlling everything. If you think that government should be made up of people elected by our people who act in the best interest of our people then why would you vote for Obama? I know there are other issues that are important to individuals, but this election should not be about abortion, guns, gay rights, or anything other than what you governments role should be.

People's creativity, ingenuity, passion, innovation, drive, leadership, good fortune, and inspiration made them successful. That's the whole basis of capitalism. The government doesn't "allow" people to be successful Mr. President. Government shouldn't be separate from the people, unless you tyranny. If you want to keep stripping liberties outlined in the Constitution and making people more dependent on the government the vote for him. If you want to erase the middle class and make this a divided country, then go ahead and vote for Obama. He's not for the middle class at all. He wants a few elite people, so they can be the evil villains and a whole bunch of peasants, totally dependent on the government for everything. He believes that since the government prints the money it's inherently theirs and when we make money we should give most of it back to the government because they know much better ways to spend it than the people do. Also, only the Federal Government matters don't worry about state government at all. They're unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. The federal government should control everything and decide what's best for us.

Is that any fucking place you want to live? I don't and I won't tolerate it. It's absurd and ludicrous. It's wrong on so many levels and people are permitting it. Please look into what's really going on and how these policies that are in place will affect our future. Also, look into the possibilities that exist when we elect Mitt Romney. North America has enough natural gas to be self-sufficient in 5 years. If that happens, we can substantially reduce costs of manufacturing and bring a lot more jobs back to America that went overseas. Mitt Romney represents what America was built on and job creation so that it continues. Obama represents an ideal that the federal government controls everything and decides what's best for you and me. The choice is yours and I implore you to choose wisely as the future of America is at stake.

Being Thankful

Today I'm choosing to express my gratitutde for all of the awesome things in my life.  I'm going through a lot of change right now and by next Friday I intend to have decisions made.  It's a very stressful, exciting, scary, and uncertain time and I'm choosing to focus on all of the amazing gifts I receive from others every day.  I woke up this morning and am typing this right now, so I'm on this earth still.  I took a shower and have clean clothes to wear.  I have a family that loves me dearly.  I am blessed to have some incredibly giving and loving friends.  Recently (although it feel like forever ago) I committed to a relationship with the most incredible person I know.  There are things I'd like to fix or at least have them be different, but I am blessed in so many ways it's remarkable.  I just moved myself to tears thinking about.  I encourage you to do the same today.  Make sure the ones you love know that you love them.  You cannot over-express love and gratitude.  The most powerful feeling I have experienced is when people share with me the impact I've made on their life.  Please share that with others.

With Love,
J.W.

July 10, 2012

I said last night that changes will be made today.  I was intentional about that and I am still today.  I don't have control over something things I'd like to see change, but I do have control over my life and I need to do some things differently.  A lot of stuff I do can be eliminated and it would help me tremendously.  There are positive ways to relieve stress and I will start doing those things.  I'm going to eliminate things that inhibit me in some form or fashion.  They're silly to do and I don't need them in my life.  Not cutting out fun but I am going to behave and act in different ways.  I have a huge responsibility to my loved ones and myself to make sure I'm around for a long time.  I used to not worry about that, but that's such a selfish way to think about it.  Everything I do and do not do impacts people in my life in positive or negative ways.  I've volunteered for this responsibility and I need to leave up to all that comes with it.  I'm really looking forward to it.

Life

What do you want out of life?  When you're time here is over, how do you want others to remember you?  What legacy are you leaving?  What did you do to impact this world?  What did you experience?  What would you have done differently?

It seems clear to me as I write this that I want to take a ton of chances and risk what I have for what I can have.  I want to love everyone I choose to as deeply as possible.  I want to have as much fun with the people I love as possible in this short time I'm allotted.  Whatever living life to the fullest means to you, I encourage you to do that.  When I look back when my time on earth has passed I want to say that I loved and gave to others as much as possible.  I want to say that I took stands and chances.  I learned as much as possible and passed on that knowledge to others.  I inspired and influenced others to be the best they can be.  I was the best husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend I could have been. 

Time here is short so I'm going to make the most out of it I can every minute I'm here.  I won't waste time on things that don't matter and I will spend every minute I can with loved ones.  I'm super excited about the possibilities I will create and what that looks like. 

Leadership

I recently read a leadership book that really hit home with me.  There are many great points in there and I'm sure I will write a post about this book, but today's is focused on leadership.  How do we lead in our day to day life?  We are all volunteering for the leadership positions we hold (i.e. boss, husband, father, friend, etc...) so no one is forcing us to do this.  What comes with leadership is incredible responsibility.  This is a great thing, not some weight that ties us down or holds us back.  We get to influence others and impact their lives in a positive and uplifting manner every day.  Tomorrow might not come, so let's make the most of today and every moment of it.

The two primary positions to lead from are power and authority.  Power would be when you force someone to do something based on your seniority or superiority to them.  Authority is when you influence them to take action based solely on your beliefs and the rapport you've built with them.  Which sounds better to you?  Both can achieve the desired outcome, but one of these builds and sustains relationships.  You can lead from authority at any time and in any situation.  You do not need to be in charge or superior to them, in fact, you could be a subordinate and lead from authority. 

The best influencers the world has ever seen have all lead from authority, not power.  People will be moved to do whatever it takes and then some for the cause when we lead from authority.  Jesus never once lead from a position of power because he had none (in terms of rank and file), yet 1/3 of the world identifies themselves as Christian and two of the major holidays in the U.S. are based on his life and our linear timeline is based on his lifetime as well.  I would say he was able to influence people.  We can all choose which method is best for us and at times both will be necessary and I would encourage you to lead from authority when you intend to accomplish monumental feats.