When we look at the world we view it based upon our past experiences. Each person views the world differentlly. We each contain just a small piece of The Truth. Who sees the world as it really is?

We are really silly with our concept of "vacation". When we travel to "get away", we are going to a place that is perhaps considered mundane by the locals. We travel to another person's everyday life. There are people who would, if living our life, likely call it a vacation even though we think it is stressful.

Imagine a life lived free from fear and anxiety. Imagine all the possibilities that open out before you when you cast apprehensions and second guessing aside and follow your dreams and the plan that you have for your life. Imagine a life lived in complete freedom, joy, and abandon, accepting all that happens to you as the will of God. Good or bad, and dealing with it to the best of your abilities knowing that you can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens you. Imagine a life lived without hatred or animosity towards anyone. A life lived in love, and peace with all people even with those who disagree with you.

How much could you do in a life lived this way? Imagine all the close friends you would have and the activities you would do together. Imagine being the leader of a club you started. You could have plans to go on trips together with your friends. Chasing your dreams with courage, not allowing doubt and anxiety to hold you down or restrict you. That is what fear and anxiety do, they restrict you. They bind your true personality from showing through. Stopping up the wellspring of life that flows forth from your heart. They cast a dark and fearful cloud over your life and block out many rays of the sunshine of faith, hope, and love. Life is so much brighter when we can truly be ourselves. When we are true to ourselves, true to others, true to what we believe, passionately living and going for what we desire, this is a life that is not a waste. This is a life that inspires others to do the same. Anyone can live this way if they choose to. What is the worst that can happen? I would rather live my life in freedom, trusting "factor-x" completely to God, than to live always worrying about what CAN or MIGHT happen. For then, looking back over our lives we see that we truly haven't lived at all. We would have gone through life reluctantly, just going through the motions, not truly being all that we can be, but following the dictates and the demands of others. We would have no voice and the world would miss out on hearing us. The world would miss out on our unique personalities. By living a suppresed life, we starve ourselves and others from the works that God wishes to do through and for us. We hinder God, not merely ourselves. How can we answer to God for hindering his work? How can we answer to him for not allowing perfect love, and child-like trust to cast out fear? How can we answer to our heavenly father who loves us so much and desires so much for us and for others if we stop him from giving anything to us or to others through us. We are like a stopped up vessel, a burnt out flashlight, a tree that bears no fruit. We are an eye sore, a mundane nobody, a weak and restrained indivitual, apprehensive, and selfish. I would rather live freely come what may as a result, than to be silent, for this is a living death. There are no boundaries or restrictions, we should cast off the weight and sin that so easily besets us since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, so many saints and angels urging us on to do God's work, so many people surrounding us hungry for what only we can give to them. We need to learn to live life for more than ourselves. We should know that our actions affect many people and not just ourselves.

Love is contageous, laughter is as well. Unfortunately, so is negativity, fear, hatred and apprehension. Life is a stage and we are the actors, and the crowd is full of those waiting to recieve what only we can deliver. Everyday we pass by people bound in chains, in pain, hurting, in darkness. When was the last time we saw someone who inspired us. Do we remember how sweet it was? Do we remember the light that shined through that person onto our hearts, filling us with hope? We each have that special quality as well. We cannot let ourselves be restricted by ourselves or anything else. We have an immense power within us, the spirit of God, the holy spirit which has no limits, no restrictions, it gives us power and shines the light and love of God upon us and onto others through us. We can release this power by accepting it and rejoicing in it, living our lives like a sparkling vibrancy of light and love that bursts through all darkness and lights up the hearts and souls that it reaches. Freedom is a choice. Love is a choice. Life is a precious gift. Lets make use of this gift in the way it was meant to be used, for the glory and celebration and worship of God! That men might see our good works and praise our father who is in heaven. That thier lives may be transformed by the light of love and the glory of the holy spirit, and be empowered to live thier life in the glorious freedom that God grants to all that live their lives for his glory. We are stars! LET US SHINE!