Do you believe in the devil? Do you believe in God? There have been so many miracles and answered prayers in my life that they leave no room for any doubt in my mind about the existence of God. But the belief in heaven and God, does not necessarily and naturally lead to the belief in the devil and a hell. I do not like to think of that much. But, at times there seems to be a pervasive evil spirit in the world. A spirit that permits and even facilitates acts of pure darkness. There is so much evidence of this evil’s existence: Adolf Hitler, Jozef Stalin, Moammar Gaddafi, Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Irma Grese, and Katherine Knight to name a few. Evil exists.
Personally, I have seen evil. I can think back into my memory and recall with perfect clarity the cold lightless look from the eyes of tall silent man possessed by an evil soul. It was horrifying. It filled me with fear; I have no idea where this man is now. I pray that he is in custody somewhere in a place where he cannot harm anyone else. Have you ever met someone and you instantly knew that that particular person was trouble? Have your instincts sent off internal alarms warning you to get away quickly? To not engage? This is definitely your soul’s reaction to an evil spirit, if not the devil himself. But do not fear evil… because nothing can exist unless God allows it. And if God allowed it, know it has a purpose. So what can we do when we see such horror and evil in the world? Take that evil in whatever form it takes and learn from it what you can.
In the presence of selfishness learn charity and patience.
In the presence of greed learn generosity, kindness, bravery, and brotherhood.
In the presence of intimidation and fear learn courage.
In the presence of lies learn honesty.
In the presence of conceit learn humility.
In the presence of sadness learn to lean on your faith in God and hope.
In the presence of hate learn love.
Dig deep. There is a well of hope in the world. When we rise from the ashes, whether big or small, international or local, we are amazing.
Arab Spring
Sixth-Grade Scout Saves a Life
Nick Headrick: Rescued in the nick of time
Story of Never Giving Up On Life: Aron Lee Ralston
Evil doesn’t just go after certain people. It tempts and haunts everyone. In almost any situation you can feel the tenticles of an evil soul intruding on your thoughts. Telling you to take the easy way out. Convincing you to be lazy or selfish. Telling you to give up. Telling you there is no hope. There is a way to defeat this evil.
Mindfulness is the key. Cultivate organized thinking and purposeful meditation versus simply replaying old negative and useless thought patterns. Each thought can be a prayer.
There can be no void in your thoughts for a significant amount of time – fill the empty spaces with prayer, faith, hope, love, courage, passion, friendship, and gentleness toward yourself and the world.
Every minute of every day, insist on living in an awareness of God’s omnipresence, the good things in your life, your hopes and dreams, beautiful memories.
If you fill your life with faith, there is no room for the devil and he can have no dominion over you. Fill your heart with God’s love, and know that no matter what trials you face, you can overcome them without succumbing to dark and fearful thoughts.
No matter what…
In your light you can face any dark and say, “Do your worst”
“Bring it on”
“In your face”
“Is that all you got?”
My faith is bigger than these tumors!
My faith is stronger than this chronic illness!
My God is more powerful than this company that beats me down!
The love of God and my faith in Him is richer than Wall Street!
Whatever breaks your heart, let your faith mend it.
Hold fast… stay the course. Pray. Reach out to family, brothers, and sisters in faith, whatever faith that may be, and know that the universe is God’s domain. God is love.
All the world is full of suffering.
It is also full of overcoming.
-Helen Keller
Keep in mind, at all times,
that we grow the most
from our greatest suffering.
As we go through it, it hurts.
But as we move through it, it also heals.
When a jug of water falls
to the floor and cracks,
what was hidden within begins to pour out.
When life sends you one of its curves,
remember that it has come
to help crack you open
so that all the love, power and potential
that have been slumbering within you
can be poured into the world outside you.
And, like a fractured bone,
we do become stronger in the broken places.
-Robin Sharma
To Homer
BY JOHN KEATS
Standing aloof in giant ignorance,
Of thee I hear and of the Cyclades,
As one who sits ashore and longs perchance
To visit dolphin-coral in deep seas.
So thou wast blind;—but then the veil was rent,
For Jove uncurtain'd Heaven to let thee live,
And Neptune made for thee a spumy tent,
And Pan made sing for thee his forest-hive;
Aye on the shores of darkness there is light,
And precipices show untrodden green,
There is a budding morrow in midnight,
There is a triple sight in blindness keen;
Such seeing hadst thou, as it once befel
To Dian, Queen of Earth, and Heaven, and Hell.
Have an awesome Monday!
- True
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