"Life is a series of problems."

A while back I was really struggling with trying to figure out what my purpose in life is. I really felt a need to know what it was so I could aggressively work towards it.  A few of my friends consoled me and we discussed my dilemma at the time, but  I never did have a big epiphany.  The immediate need came and went as I was bombarded with more pressing issues at hand(see below).  This morning my friend came across the below message and forwarded it to me as he recalled our earlier conversations. I am not one to forward e-mails and I don't read 99.9% of the e-mails that are forwarded to me, but this one is worth reading. He has some very valid points.

According to Rick Warren, the author of "Purpose Drive Life," Our purpose in life is to prepare for Eternity. Life doesn't end when our bodies cease to exist, instead we take on a different form in a way and our spirit, the thing that makes up who we are, goes on living with God. Rick goes on to say: "Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.   The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.   We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.."

I like what Rick said. To me it makes sense.  My life is the epitome of a person who's life is a series of problems/challenges/growing experiences. I am continually in one, coming out of one, and jumping into a new one. It is never ending. It's like a roller coaster ride that has no off switch.  For a long time my life was a Carousel and I was really missing the roller coaster ride. Now I'm looking forward to a carousel ride.  After a grueling weekend with my mother and another houseguest my brain is fried. The first house guest arrived Friday night and the next arrived Saturday Morning. (To add to it I had to go down to my house and feed the dogs since my ex was out of town and I was also hoping to get the rest of my stuff moved out of the house.) By Saturday night I was emotionally drained, to the point of I came home and passed out, leaving the house guests to entertain themselves.  I didn't even say goodnight, I just disappeared, I do feel a little bad about that, but emotionally I just couldn't socialize any more.  By Sunday afternoon I lacked any feeling or thought and I'm still recovering.  

It wasn't the house guests per say that made for a grueling weekend it was more how I deal or don't deal with stress.  So much has been happening/changing in my life lately.  In addition I'm not one who is good at just letting comments just slide off my back. I seem to be one of those that unfortunately takes everything so personally.  That is something I need to work on, along with the other million things on my character building list.  I think the thing that the weekend so tough was  I came to the deep realization that I can't move on in my life till I get those finally divorce papers in hand so I can get my name off the loan to the house.  And I am seriously freaked out that if I make one wrong move that I won't be able to get my name off the loan and I will be in-debt for the rest of my life, paying for a house that I don't want any connection to.  Maybe I'm seriously paranoid for no reason, but I know there are many vindictive people out there, naming my cousin for one that hates me and I am afraid she will talk to my ex and really screw me.  I don't see my ex as vindictive, but he may talk to some people that are and they may convince him to do something to really screw me.  The thing is we have a huge line of credit open on the house and either of us can easily access it. Actually him more then me, since I left all the info about it in the house.  So, I'm really trusting him that he won't draw on it, making it impossible for me to take my name off the loan for the house. I wish those divorce papers would get here so I can get my name off the house and can stop stressing about this. 

For the past few months I have been very successful at burying these concerns by occupying myself with friends, watching lots of tv and movies and living wild single life. There have been a couple of friends in particular that have been very good at keeping my mind off these issues and I thank them for this.  In the back of my mind I know there really isn't any sense of stressing about these issues everyday because there is nothing I can really do with the exception of kissing my ex's ass to make sure I keep on his good side in hopes that he will see me in a good light and not follow his friends advice to screw me.  I have learned that life is a game and I think I've done a pretty good job at playing it.  I'm hoping that having these house guests over this weekend and the events of late, have not compromised my hard work of playing nice and keeping myself in a good light in my ex's eye.  

Having all these house guest this weekend brought all these things back to light and has gotten me all worked up again.  And the reality is I really can't bury this stuff, it needs to be taken care of so I can have some closure.  I am hoping to have this stress lifted from me soon.  Today once again marks week five on the divorce papers. According to the courts it takes approximately 6 weeks for them to be returned with either a yea or nay that they have either been returned or are finalized.  I'm really hoping that this time they go through and my divorce was final as of July 4th, 2010.  Soon as I have the papers in hand we can fill out the paperwork to get my name off the loan, then the deed and then and only then will I be able to breathe a sigh of relief.  At that time I'd really love to take a ride on a carousel for a little while before I move into my next adventure. 

RICK WARREN'S MESSAGE

  

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren,  'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California . In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:   

People ask me, What is the purpose of life?   

And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.   One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.  

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity..   We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.  

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.   The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.   We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness..   

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.   I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.   

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.  

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.   And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:   

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.   We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.   You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.   

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.   

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.  

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.  

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.  

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.  

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.  

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?   

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?  

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.   

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.   

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.   

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.   

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.   

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.   

Every moment, THANK GOD..   

  

God's Blessings 

HE ARRIVED THIS MORNING, WE HAD PRAYER; SPENT SOME TIME JUST TALKING, AND HE HELD ME FOR AWHILE BECAUSE I WAS HAVING A BAD MORNING.. THEN, HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO YOUR PLACE.