Don't worry about the future?

I think that we all worry about the future too much. We are afraid to get out of our beds because of our fears. I will be honest, I think about what will go bad.

Jacob had fears about the future so he used his cleverness instead of trusting in God.
God was teaching Jacob trust. It seems after Jacob's encounter with Esau went well because
God was faithful. The fear of Esau hating Jacob didn't happened so Jacob learned to trust in God.

God teaches me to trust in Him. I had an list of fears that I write down. I gave the list to God and God was steadfast. My fears were in vain. Jacob was settling down with God. Jacob's faith was getting solid. He made an place of residence for himself and his livestock in Sukkoth. Sukkoth means shelters. God can be our shelter if we allow Him to be.

Genesis 33:17,
Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.


We need to take life one day at an time and rely on the Lord. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our lives. This means that we need to pray and read the Bible. If we allow God to lead then we have the greatest life.

Jacob after he went to Sukkoth, he went to Shechem. God will provide for our needs. One of the biggest worries in life are based on money. People will make money their God.

Psalm 39:6,

Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.

God gave Jacob provision and Jacob honored God with God's money. All money doesn't belong to us but to God. I know that we have bills but God provided for us. Many people do not put God over their money and that is sad.

Genesis 33:18-20,
After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. For a hundred pieces of silver , he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. Then he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.

El Elohe Israel means El is the God of Israel. God is God over Israel. If you are not Jewish,
God can be your God. Jesus came to this earth so Jewish people can be forgiven if they repent from their sins and accept Jesus as the Messiah. The people that are non-Jews can know and follow Jesus, if they repent from their sins and follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Great video on YouTube!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbxZQZ_jl28

How to deal with difficult people?

We all have to deal with difficult people. There are some people that you can't relate to or talk to without getting in an fight with them. The bad news is that there will always be difficult people but you can overcome them with these steps.

1) Listen. Listening is the number one step in dealing with "unreasonable" people. Everyone wants to feel heard. No progress is can take place until the other person feels acknowledged. While listening focus on what the person is saying and not what your next words will be.

2) Stay calm. It is hard to stay calm when they are attacking you but remember to say calm.
Make to sure to breathe.

3) Don't judge. You do not know what the person is going through so they are must likely feeling
some type of fear.

4) Reflect respect and dignity towards the person. No matter what the person is saying or doing, never show contempt to that person. It is easy to say and hard to do.

5) Look for the hidden. What is this person trying to gain? What is this person trying to avoid?

6) Look for others around you who might be able to help you. If you are at work look for another co-worker or if it is an relationship talk to someone that is close to that person (remember kept what is said between you and that person).

7) Don't demand compliance. The person is angry and will have pride. The person may need to vent.

8) Saying "I understand" can make it worst so say "how can I understand you more."

9) Do not smile while you talk to them, they may think that you are mocking them. And also avoid humor and be serious.

10) Don't act defensively. It is natural to be defensive when someone is calling you out but do not defend yourself. The difficult person is not using logical and must likely feel bad for what they say in that moment.

11) Don't return anger with anger. It is natural to want your pound of flesh but don't.

12) Do not argue with the person. You will not win.

13) Keep extra room between you and that the difficult person. Use common sense when dealing with an angry person.

14) Saying "I am sorry" and "I will fix it will go a long way" to solve the issue.

15) Set limit and boundaries. I have different steps to calm down the difficult person but be also assertive if the person is crossing the line of decency.

16) Trust your instruct. There are times to keep talking and a time to leave the conversation.

17) One response does not fit all. You need to know who you are talking to.

18) Debrief. After you have dealt with the difficult person then talk to an friend that is not an gossip and will help you.

19) Discharge you stress. You need to something that will relax you. Dealing with an difficult situation is hard.

20) We us people lack wisdom and we lack common sense. When dealing with an difficult person, we need the help of the Lord to help us. Our sinful desire will make it worst but we must rely on the Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 3:1-8

My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
    and bring you peace and prosperity.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
    and nourishment to your bones.

Great video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to9fpnqRKmU

Trust! Trust!

We can have fears in life. The scariest moments is not scary movies but real life. When I am scared, the first action should be prayer. I like the history of the Bible. I can relate to Jacob.

Jacob tricked the birth-right from his brother. He feared Esau was coming back to pay back Jacob.
Esau was going to meet with Jacob. Jacob had his plan so that he would be safe. I know that he trusted in God but I believe that there were elements of relying on Jacob's wisdom.

Genesis 33:1-3 says, "Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

I believe that God was working in Esau's heart so Esau would have love towards Jacob.
God has an plan for you and me. We must keep going forward in faith that Jesus has an great plan for you.

Genesis 33:4, "But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him."

God wanted Jacob's faith to grow so Esau had an soft heart towards Jacob. Jacob so that the Lord was and is dependable.
Let's us fully trust in the Lord.

Genesis 33:5-9, "Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. 'Who are these with you?' he asked. Jacob answered, 'They are the children God has graciously given your servant.' Then the maidservant and their children approached and bowed down. Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down. Esau asked, 'What do you mean by all these droves I met?'  'To find favor in your eyes, my lord,' he said. But Esau said, 'I already have plenty, my brothers. Keep what you have for yourself.'

God can heal any bad situations. Esau could have been thinking about killing Jacob but God changed
Esau's heart.

Genesis 33:10-16, "No, please!' said Jacob. 'If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.' And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it. Then Esau said, 'Let us be our way; I'll accompany you.' But Jacob said to him, 'My lord knows that the children are tender and that  must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. So let my lord go ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.'
Esau said, 'Then let me leave some of  my men with you.' 'But why do that?' Jacob asked. 'Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.'
So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir." 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbxZQZ_jl28

The Momo Challenge and who is behind it and for mental health!

The newest issue that parents and the media are dealing with is the Momo Challenge.
Some hackers hacked into YouTube's kids video and put an scary video within an innocent kid's video. The video told the kids not to tell their parents and do something destructive to themselves or to someone else.

This makes people want to find out who is responsible for this fake challenge that can cause damage to kid's world wide. People do not like it when kids are being scared or people feeding lies to their children.

I am not an parent and I feel bad for parents. Social media is great but it is the wild west of information. There are information out there that kids should not know about. Parents need to know what is going on with their children's lives.

The person is behind the Momo Challenge is Satan. People say that they don't believe in Satan but why is their murder and this Momo Challenge. Satan want to harm people and cause fear among the parents and kids.

If you are an parent, kids or everyone else know that there is truth and lies. There is God and the devil. The devil has a few tricks and he is in control of this world. Jesus pointed this out in the gospels. Luke 4:5-8 says, The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, 'I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will be yours.' Jesus answered, 'It is written : 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only."
Jesus didn't rebuked Satan on the point. God is in control and he is more powerful than Satan.
1 John 4:4 says, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
If you are an believer in Jesus, you do not have to fear evil or Satan.

People wonder why Satan has the title deed of the earth. Adam had the title deed in the garden of Eden then Adam sinned so giving the deed to Satan (read Revelation 5).
The sad fact that sin entered the world and Satan is in control of this world with the permission of God is that the Momo Challenge occurs.

If you are an parent, this world is not your friend to you or your child. The parent and all adults needs to get right with the Lord. There are many lies in this world and we must know the truth in the Bible.
When lies and fears comes in our lives, we can depend on the Lord.  If you are an parent then know the truth and live it. Then tell it to your kid or to your  children. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train  a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
Parents should know that social media can be bad and use wisdom and ask the Lord to guide you in this area.

Satan does not want kids to obey their parents and the Momo Challenge promote the idea of not listening to the parents. Satan is pushing rejecting parent's wisdom because the Bible talks about children listening to their parents. Exodus 20:12 says, "Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

The Momo challenge is Satan's work. The best way to handle this situation to listen to the Lord and be led by the Bible's teaching. We need to accept truth and reject lies from Satan and the culture.
There are two camps in mankind. The people that have accepted Jesus or the people that have rejected Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

How to be postive?

I will be honest. We live in an ungrateful and crazy world that is getting more crazy.
We think that we deserve everything and we get the blessing and we keep on being ungrateful.
A person that is not thankful will have bad mental health.

Do you know someone that always is longing but never content. This person could have an million dollars and a big house but they are not happy. That person is not thankful.

I will confess an issue that I had before. I have an great family, health, and much more but
my heart was not content. I needed to think of blessings in life.

I made an list of what I was thankful for.  Here are somethings that was on my list.

1) I had an good family.
2) I had an good job.
3) I had money in the bank.
4) I had my health.
5) I had good friends.

I will mention an idea that will make people thankful. Many people want to be an relationship so they can share their lives with someone.
There is someone that is perfect that knows everything about and loves you.
When you are crying at night and need someone to talk to. There is someone that will hear your pain.
Are you curious about this person?

The person is Jesus. He is the perfect God that wants to know. I know that we are in Christmas Season now and do not just remember Jesus as an baby.

Hebrews 4:14-16

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Times of fear

Times of fear should be times of prayer: whatever causes fear should drives us to our knees, to our God.  Jacob had lately seen his guards angels, but in distress he applied to God, not to them; he knew they were fellow servants (Read Revelation 22:9).

There cannot be a better pattern for true prayer than this. Here is an thankful acknowledgement of former undeserved  favors; a humble confession of unworthiness; a plain statement of fear and distress; a full reference of the whole affair of the Lord and resting all his hope on the Lord.

The best way we can say to God in prayer, is what he has said to us. Thus he made the name of the Lord his strong tower and could not be safe. Jacob's fear did not make him sink into despair, nor did his prayer make him presume upon God's mercy, without the use of means.

God answers prayers by teaching us to order our affairs aright. To pacify Esau, Jacob sent him a present. We must not despair of reconciling ourselves to those most angry against us.

Genesis 32:9-23

9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”

17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” 21 So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.

Rest days

1. Decreased performance.

The telltale sign of overtraining is a lack of improved performance, despite an increase in training intensity or volume. Decreased agility, strength and endurance, such as slower reaction timesand reduced running speeds are all common signs of overtraining.

2. Increased perceived effort during workouts.

Not only can overtraining decrease performance, it can also make seemingly effortless workouts feel unusually difficult. A clear sign of this is an abnormally elevated heart rate during exercise or throughout the day. If you are experiencing OTS, you may find that it takes longer for your heart rate to return to normal after a workout.

3. Excessive fatigue.

A few days of fatigue or “heavy legs” is expected at times. But fatigue will accumulate in a body that never has a chance to fully recover from previous workouts. Further, chronic, negative energy expenditure leads to something called “low energy availability,” which means that the body is consistently pulling from its own energy stores (carbs, protein, fat). This can be the result of too much training or too little fueling.

4. Agitation and moodiness.

Overtraining significantly affects your stress hormones, including cortisol and epinephrine. This hormonal imbalance can cause mood swings, unusual irritability and an inability to concentrate.

5. Insomnia or restless sleep.

Sleep ideally provides the body time to rest and repair itself. But overproduction of stress hormones, as mentioned above, may not allow you to wind down or completely relax, making sleep much less effective (which compounds chronic fatigue and moodiness).

6. Loss of appetite.

A hormone imbalance can also affect hunger and satiety mechanisms. More training should stimulate more appetite, but the physiological exhaustion of OTS can actually lead to appetite suppression.

7. Chronic or nagging injuries.

Overused muscles and joints can cause constant aches or joint pain. Pain that does not subside in two weeks (or so) should be considered a notable injury. Overtraining taxes all of the body's systems and also makes it more difficult to ward off infections. Thus, frequent illnesses and upper-respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are signs as well. Medical complications may also include low bone mineral density and low testosterone.

8. Metabolic imbalances.

Long-term low energy availability may lead to nutrient deficiencies, such as iron deficiency anemia, which have the potential to harm both health and performance. Medical complications can also involve the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, endocrine, nervous or reproductive systems (e.g., menstrual cycle disturbances in women).

9. Psychological stress and/or depression.

Some people live for punishing workouts and grueling competitions. If this sounds like you, the inability to train or race (combined with an imbalance of hormones and lack of quality sleep) can significantly affect your psyche.

If you recognize these signs of overtraining in yourself, seek the help of a physician or other health professional to seek help. In some workout arenas, rhabdomyolysis is a right of passage, but it is important to understand that the kidneys shutting down is NOT the sign of an accomplished workout (but rather a sign of acute overtraining).

A better approach is to follow a periodized training program that includes both active recovery and complete rest. Rest can be frustrating, but recognize that a day or two spent on the foam roller is better than a day or two in a hospital bed. Recovery today not only allows for greater production tomorrow, but likely fewer missed training days over the next few months.

The list above is about over-training. I had been maxing out on weights with little rest for the last few months. My joints began to hurt so I listen to my body.

I took an week off from hard workouts and did light workouts with cardio. I began to felt better within days.

This is my second week from not lifting weights. I will be doing rubber band workouts, cardio, yoga and body-weight workout.

I will change my workout from the last few months. I will do more cross-training. Next year, I will do more reps with 50% of my max. This should help me and my joints.

Make sure that you do not over-train.