TUNING INTO THE WHISPERS OF YOUR ANGELS

 Hello everyone. Its blogger time again! I  feel very strong that I should write at this very moment but Im not sure what Im going to write. Sooo I will trust my inner gut feeling and just move forward with action and write whatever comes. I will write the Whispers of my Angels...

I do strongly and firmly believe that their are Angels among us and that they speak to us often, they whisper in our spiritual ears. "Whispers of Angels"...what a cool concept, that our God loves us so much the He has provided angels to help us in our everyday life. What an awesome God we serve that He is so concerned with the details of our lives that he provides real Angels to help us along the path of life. Our God is the Father of our spirits. He desires for us to return to His presence one day. This is why He provided a Savior (Jesus Christ) for us to look to and follow. For God so loved the world that He sent His Son to this earth to bleed and die for you and me. I know without any doubt that God and Jesus Christ live. They truly are involved in the very details of our lives. They really do have an army of Angels working with them to help you and me in this spiritual battle we call life. Again these words are just popping into my mind as I write them...these are "Whispers of angels"...I know they are real!

 
                                                       


I believe that it is our job to tap into the right frequency of the angels assigned to work with us. Yes I truly believe that we all have specific angels assigned to stay with us and to help us through life. These angels are communicating to our spiritual ears all the time. If we focus and tune in to the right station and frequency we can find a surpluss of guidance, joy and happiness. I know its true because I have read and heard  many testimonies and I have heard their whispers often. Its usually when Im striving to shut down my thoughts and just be still, or while Im exercising or even at this very moment as I write. I challenge you to put forth a real effort to tap into the whispers of your angels. You will hear the whispers, for they come as thoughts, feelings and impressions on the mind. We are so bombarded with information and things of this world that sometimes we lose contact with our own intuition, we lose contact with the HOLY SPIRIT. The Holy Ghost is a real personage of spirit. He is a member of the God head. He is a personage of spirit and for this reason He has the power to impress thoughts, feelings, guidance, knowledge  ,protection, joy, love , peace and other powerful influences directly to your spirit. We learn from the scriptures that angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost. They speak directly to your mind and heart as impressions, thoughts and feelings. They speak what Christ wants you to hear. They are real and they do speak to us!!! They can come in many different forms. I believe a perfect stranger or a friend or family member can be an angel to us.  In this writing I am speaking of spiritual entities.

                                                                    

 I can remember when I was on my mission for the church I belong to from 2000-2002 I was living in the hood, I mean the ghetto of Bridgeport Connecticut. At the time it was the murder capitol of the USA.  My companion and I were out walking the streets seeking someone that desired to learn of Christ. We came across this lady that had just had a very real experience with real Angels. As we stood there together in the street in front of the three story apartment building that she lived in she told us this story. She pointed to the top story of that apartment building to a bedroom window over 45 ft in the air and said that her three year old child had been playing in that window. Her child was leaning out the window and fell out of that window all the way to the ground!!! She told us how they just knew for sure that her child would be brain dead or paralyzed or dead. Then her eyes filled up with tears as she told us what her young child told her once they were in the Hospital. They couldnt figure out why their were not serious injuries. The Doctor said that their is no way that this child just fell from that high out of a window free falling and hit the concrete. That is simply not true the Doctor said. This child would be seriuosly injured.  Then it all begin to make more sence when the child told them "They carried me down, and laid me on the ground". "Who carried you down?" asked the mother. They carried me down, they were all dressed in white, there was two on each side of me and they carried me down and laid me on the ground". The tears continued to flow as she begin to tell us that ANGELS ARE REAL. She testified to us that angels saved her child that day. She knew her child was saved that day by real Angels. I knew she was telling the truth. I could feel that she was being honest and real. I will never forget that story and the testimony that she shared with me that day.

 I choose to believe that angels are among us. As the old country music group Alabama song goes, "I believe their are angels among us, sent down to us from somewhere up above, they come to you and me in our darkest hour, to teach us how to live. to teach us how to give, to guide us with a light of love." They along with the Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us as we strive to tune into their frequency of a still small voice not a loud voice but a voice that enters the inner most parts of our heart and soul. I know for me I get distracted in this world full of sooo much information and influences coming into our lives. I have to take a break from Facebook and TV and  find time to just be quiet and listen. I usually do this after Im done praying, or while Im jogging or walking. All of the great spiritual leaders in life teach us that prayer and meditation can be powerful avenues to a surpluss of inspiration, motivation, mental health and happiness. I am going to make it a point to do better and take more time away from Facebook, TV and the influx of information of this world and tap into the WHISPERS OF MY ANGELS.  

                                                               

So having said all that, How does all that relate to addiction recovery? It is my desire and hope that your faith in God and angels has increased.  It is by that same Faith that you can move forward to action and continue on the road of recovery.  It is by having faith in God, Angels and in your self that you can do all things. Honest effort coupled with sincere faith will move mountians! Thats right with Faith you and God will remove that mountian of addiction from your life. As your faith grows and you turn to your higher power, (for me that is God and Jesus Christ), you will be restored to complete spiritual health. I firmly believe that it is our spiritual health that is most important. When we take time to exercise our spiritual musceles we are able to refrain from our self destructive behaviors much easier. When we are spiritually strong we can stand strong in the face of any temptation. The temptations will still come but we will be strong enough to say no and go on about our lives. It has helped me tremendously to remember that when temptations come it is not only the opportunity to do wrong, but more importantly its the opportunity to do what is right. A great motto is to "Just do the next right thing".  STAY TRUE...STAY POSITIVE...STAY STRONG...STAY SOBER...LOVE LIFE!!!

Press onward and forward my friends, learn from your mistakes and others mistakes. They say a smart person will learn from his own mistakes but a wise person will learn from others mistakes. Focus on improvement not perfection. By small and simple means great things come to pass. Our God is an awesome God and He has great things in store for us. He desires to bless us with His richest of blessings. We must have Faith in Him and as the scriptures teach us we should trust that He is a rewarder of those that diligintly seek Him. He will bless us regardless in so many ways, but when we put forth honest effort to live rightously He blesses us even more. Obedience to Him opens up the windows of Heaven. He gave us commandments for our own protection. A good analogy is to think of His commandments kind of like traffic lights. If we didnt have traffic lights in the streets it would be crazy, chaotic and deadly. That is how His Commandments are, they are put in place for our protection because He loves us. They are not to just restrict us and boss us around  the commandments truly are given in His infinite wisdom for our own good. I challenge you to focus on the things of God and tune into the spiritual realm more and more. As you do I promise you will be granted greater self control and after all that is really the key to addiction recovery "Self control", If we are in complete control of ourselves we live in moderation and in harmony with Gods laws. I challenge you to take time out of your busy day and just be still and listen for the whispers of your angels. You will be inspired!  It takes real effort to stop our thoughts and tune into the higher frequency of the spiritual realm. YOU CAN DO IT! I promise you that you will begin to have more peace inside and more vision for your life. you will tap into the true source of all knowledge and power. Even the power of our God. He knows you by name, He and your angels are watching you, so be good for goodness sake!!!  
                                                                
                                                                    


My sweet sweet beautiful ,creative,and loving sister has a blog called http://thenotsoordinaryangels.blogspot.com
Yall go check it out. If you like my blog you will love her blog.
 If you feel the need to contact me you can email me at danielisatruesoldier@aol.com
Dont forget to BE ALL YOU CAN BE AS A TRUE SOLDIER IN GOD'S ARMY...STAY TRUE...STAY STRONG...STAY POSITIVE...STAY SOBER....LOVE LIFE!!!

                                                                       

MY NEPHEW TRAVIS ASHTON THE INSPIRATIONAL GOLFER

MY THOUGHTS: Hello world, Its blogger time again, its a new year and a new beginning. I am excited for this new year. I just know it will be a great one! I hope you are excited about your life. I hope you are doing what your passionate about and loving life. As you know my motto is BE ALL YOU CAN BE AS A TRUE SOLDIER IN GOD'S ARMY...STAY TRUE...STAY STRONG...STAY POSITIVE...STAY SOBER...LOVE LIFE!!!
I am loving my new sober lifestyle. It can be kinda boring sometimes, but I have learned to appreciate the peace and quiet. I love living a drama free lifestyle. It is amazing how many life problems go away just by staying clean and sober. I am so thankful for my second chance at life. I was so lost in my addiction that I was headed to death, prison or both!!! I feel soooo blessed to be free and alive and sober!! God is so much involved in the very details of our lives. He (God) will put you in a position to become sober. It might be prison, jail, rehab, or even death but at some point you will get sober! You might as well choose recovery today!  I believe that ALL THINGS DENOTE THAT GOD IS REAL, THE SUN, THE MOON, THE STARS. So many facts testify that God is real, human life is a true miracle. YOU ARE A MIRACLE...NEVER FORGET THAT..YOU ARE ONE OF A KIND...THEIR WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER YOU...YOU ARE A MIRACLE!!! My message to you today is keep on pressing forward with hope. Keep on pressing forward with a positive attitude. YOUR ATTITUDE WILL MAKE OR BREAK YOU!!!  

Today's blog post is all about my nephew Travis Ashton. My sister tells his whole story in detail on her blog http://thenotsoordinaryangels.blogspot.com  I highly recommend that you read and follow her blog. Travis' story is so inspiring! I just want to share today a little of Travis' story and how it relates to addiction and recovery in general. Travis' story is a powerful story of recovery! Here is the short version of Travis' story.....I was out serving a full time mission for my church from 2000-2002 and just before my mission was complete, my sister’s oldest son Travis was in a terrible car accident that caused a very severe traumatic brain injury. His accident left him in a coma and unconscious for many weeks. Once he awoke he was unable to use any part of his body. He could not hold his head up, sit up or move his arms or legs. He could not move his eyes or blink at will. He had a feeding tube, wore diapers, had a shunt in his head and was confined to a wheel chair. Through Travis’ determination, faith, hard work and countless hours of therapy, he has been blessed to overcome all of those things. Although he has an unusual gift to communicate with his spirit, his speech has yet to return. His right arm has had some movement come back, but he cannot use it functionally. Travis is a true soldier in God’s army and living proof that through hard work and dedication we can recover from just about anything! He has had to learn to do everything over again. Before his accident he was an all star baseball player, football player, basketball player, he was even a gifted pianist! Travis has had to relearn to walk and eat and use his left arm for everything even though he is right handed. Today Travis plays golf with me often and he hits the ball great using only his left arm!!!Travis stays positive and upbeat almost all of the time AND HE DOES IT WITHOUT ANY DRUGS OR ALCOHOL!!! He is an inspiration to us all. I figure if he can go through life sober than I dang sure can!!!

Here is a pic of Travis a few days before his accident

This is a few days after his accident.

I would like to propose a question to you. IS A HANDICAP A CURSE OR A BLESSING? I had to think about that for a moment, but I must tell you that Travis has been so much of a blessing in my life that I choose to say its a blessing.
I believe that their are many ways that we can be handicapped and addiction is definitely one of them. A lot of us become handicapped and get in the attitude of poor me, I'm a victim, I can never be the same. A lot of us will become bitter and angry and feel justified because life is just so dang hard. Travis' motto from the beginning has been "Whats Wrong with Hard?" It might be a long road to recovery but I'm thankful for the road! How many of us Have become bitter at life? We have a clear choice, we can become bitter or better! Travis inspires us all because he chooses to become better. Travis chooses to stay upbeat and positive even though he has every reason to be bitter and upset. Travis chooses to be a victor not a victim. He chooses to stay positive and appreciate what life has to offer, and I will mention again HE DOES IT ALL CLEAN AND SOBER!!! Travis is a TRUE SOLDIER IN GOD'S ARMY! He is a great example to all of us to keep on keeping on and never give up hope. Never think that you do not have the opportunity to change your attitude and change your life. WE DO RECOVER!! I choose to believe that we are not always addicts, we do recover!

My question to you today is are you a victim? Or are you a victor?  Are you choosing to have a bitter attitude towards the challenges you face in life or are you becoming better and stronger because of them? We can use the adversity in our lives as stepping stones to success. We can choose to be resilient and bounce back quickly when we fall down. I am inspired by Travis each and every day to be thankful for the blessings in my life. Travis helps me to realize that I should be thankful for my ability to speak and to walk and run and smell and hear and touch and feel! Travis helps me to appreciate many of the blessings in life that are so many times overlooked and under-appreciated.

 We are children of God and we all have great potential. Our souls are of great worth to our Father in Heaven. He loves us even when we are living in our addictions. He is rooting for us to choose recovery and tap into the power that comes from following Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has the power to restore you to complete spiritual health. He will restore you to complete spiritual health as you choose to humble yourself and follow Him. This life is a spiritual battle and Satan desires to kill steal and destroy our happiness and eternal reward. He uses drugs and all types of addiction as a powerful tool to drag us down to misery and hell. Once we realize that this spiritual battle is real we can choose to stay strong and stand firm in our sobriety. We can choose to exercise in every way each day to get stronger. When we are healthy we are happy and able to maintain a sober lifestyle much easier. It is my hope that today you are inspired on many different levels by TRAVIS ASHTON THE INSPIRATIONAL GOLFER.
Click HERE to watch Travis play golf:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWxlO2hpuG4

We would love to share your comments with Travis, so please comment here or on Facebook. Please like and share this post. You can always send me a private message by email danielisatruesoldier@aol.com   You can follow me on twitter @beatruesoldier  I also have a Facebook page called "Be a True Soldier in God's Army". Please go "like" the page and you can follow my blog that way also.  Thank you for reading and following my blog. I wish God's richest of blessings for you and your family!!! BE ALL YOU CAN BE AS A TRUE SOLDIER IN GOD'S ARMY...STAY TRUE...STAY POSITIVE...STAY STRONG...STAY SOBER...LOVE LIFE!!!  

LOVING THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART

MY THOUGHTS:  Its been a while...its blogger time again.  Each time I get a comment that someone has benefited from this blog it inspires me to keep writing. I even heard that one of my post was brought inside the Utah state prison to help inspire those guys in there. Thats why I do this yall. Please share this blog with anyone you know that struggles with addiction or that has a loved one that is dealing with an addict. You can always send me private messages at danielisatruesoldier@aol.com. I am seeking opportuinties to share my story anywhere by public speaking. If you know of someone or would like to hear my story please message me and we will make it happen. I plan on becoming a powerful motivational speaker. I am well on my way. Thanks for reading and sharing yall. I hope you are inspired and uplifted by this post....

 Well the weather outside is frightful, the lights are turned way down low, let it snow, let it snow...Its Christmas time and love is in the air. I love Christmas time because everyone seems a little more cheerful and happier. I love christmas time because I truly love my Savior Jesus Christ and He is the reason for the season. Christmas time reminds us that its better to give than to receive. Christmas time brings families together. Christmas time reminds us that Jesus Christ is a real person that actually lived on this earth.  Its just a wonderful time of year and it helps me to love life just a little bit more. Merry Christmas from Texas Yall!!!

The message that has been on my heart is to write about Loving the Lord. The Lord taught us in the Bible that the most important commandment is to LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, MIND, AND STRENGTH. As many of you know I have experienced many things in my life and I have grown to truly love the Lord with all my heart. Well its a work in progress. I love the Lord more and more each day that I choose to follow Him. I have noticed that as my love for the Lord grows my desires and behavior continues to change for the better. My heart continues to change. I am more compassionate with others. I have more patience with myself and others. I desire to be a better man each day because I love the Lord more and more all the time. Jesus Christ also said "IF YOU LOVE ME keep my commandments". My main point is that a true and sincere relationship with the Lord will change you from the inside out. As we come to know and appreciate the Lord we will be better happier people. I know its true because Im experiencing it. I know with all my heart that God lives and Jesus Christ knows ME, just as HE KNOWS AND LOVES YOU!  DO YOU LOVE HIM BACK?

You see I have experienced the very real misery and unhappiness that comes with drug and alcohol addiction. I have been homeless, jobless, and in such a spiritual prison that even jail was a relief from my miserable addicted lifestyle. I know what its like to turn away from the Lord and seek pleasure in worldly selfish ways. I thought happiness could come from money, cars , clothes, and just living for the moment. I discovered that its quite the opposite. Living for worldly pleasures creates a hole inside of our souls that never seem to get filled. Its a constant mary go round that never ends. When we live for worldly pleasure and seek happiness from money, cars , clothes, drugs, alcohol, gambling, shopping and meaningless sex we are really cheating our very own souls. We are being led very gradually and carefully down to misery and endless torment. This hole inside your soul will continue to grow deeper and deeper, it will continue to be empty and you will never be satisfied as long as you are seeking happiness in worldly things. A great American prohet once put it like this..."WICKEDNESS NEVER WAS HAPPINESS"  I KNOW THIS IS TRUE BECAUSE I HAVE LIVED IT!! I see it everyday in my everyday life dealing with everyday people. Do you have an empty hole in your heart and soul? Do you seek happiness and peace but cant seem to find it? The answer is in LOVING THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART!!! That Jesus guy really knew what He was talking about.

 As I sincerly humble myself and Love the Lord I experience greater understanding, and a very real inner peace and happiness that I never experienced when I was getting high on worldly things. The high that I have today is not as extreme or intense as the high I had when I was using drugs, but it is far better and so much more real and lasting. The high Im on today is a lasting high that is much sweeter, purer, and sustaining. The high Im on today is from the true source of peace and happiness. The high I was on before was from the source of misery, lies, and darkness. Today I choose to stand strong and sober as a TRUE SOLDIER IN GODS ARMY. I invite you to turn to our Lord and savior in your life with all your heart and experience this inner peace that I speak of. Please dont confuse what Im saying and think that Im saying that when you love the Lord life is all skittles and rainbows. Thats not what Im saying. I am saying that when you love the Lord with all your heart you will be granted the inner peace and strength to get through your trials and temptations. Life is a test. We are to learn of good and evil and choose one path or the other. Its our own free choice. I beg of you to choose to follow Christ. Choose to be a true soldier in Gods army today! Dont allow Satan to fool you and trick you with his brillliant evil designs. Learn to love Jesus and If you love Him than prove it by your actions. IF YOU LOVE HIM YOU WILL strive to KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. Focus on improvement not perfection.  We all fall short and fall down. He actually gives us weaknesses so we will humble ourselves and turn to Him, and as we do our weaknesses become our strengths. GODS PLAN IS REAL...JESUS CHRIST LIVES AND WILL RETURN TO THIS EARTH SOON. BE PREPARED!!

I promise you as you strive to Love the Lord with more sincerity and on a deeper level the hole inside of you will be filled with a peace that surpasses all understanding. AGAIN I KNOW FOR MYSELF ITS REAL AND TRUE BECAUSE I EXPERIENCE IT EVERYDAY. I truly hope I dont sound all preachy and holier than thou.. I am honestly and humbly just writing from my heart and following the inspiraion that comes to me.   I am far from any place to judge anyone. I do not judge others I am learning to see people not as we are but as we can become. We all have great worth and purpose. We all deserve and desire to be loved. This Christmas season and always let us love one another and learn to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, might, mind, and strenghth. Let this love be your motivator and motive for all you do. He will reward you for your honor and commitment with ETERNAL  rewards that we cant even imagine at this time...

UPLIFTING MOTIVATING QUOTES:




A QUOTE FROM MY BOOK:

 A change of heart is a process that takes time. This process takes place as you take these twelve steps, humble yourself, and turn to Jesus Christ with your whole heart. The secret is to include Jesus Christ in your life as much as possible. Jesus Christ is the one with the healing power.  Ezra Taft Benson described this process so beautifully when he said, “The Lord works from the inside out; the world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature….Yes, Christ changes men, and changed men can change the world. (in Gen. conf. report Oct. 1985, 5-6).

THANK YOU FOR READING....STAY STRONG...STAY SOBER...STAY POSITIVE...STAY TRUE...LOVE LIFE!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TEXAS YALL!!!!

HAPPINESS LIES WITHIN YOU!!!

MY THOUGHTS: Hello blogger world. im back again! Ive been super busy with school so I have not posted much. I was given this handout at school yesterday so I thought I would share it since we are all seeking happiness. Im sure many of you have seen this already but its good to be riminded that our happiness lies within our selves. I hope it helps you to find greater happiness.

15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy

 

 

Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. Give up your need to always be right

 There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. Give up your need for control

Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame

 Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk

 Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.
“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs

about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!
“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining

 Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism

Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. Give up your need to impress others

Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change

 Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels

 Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. Give up on your fears

Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses

Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. Give up the past

I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment

This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another,  attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations

Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves.  You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path.
With all my love,
Daniel

Remember that you are a miracle! Your life is a miracle in and of itself. You are loved. There is a real supreme being that is the creator of our souls. He lives and loves YOU!!!! and my motto as always....STAY TRUE....STAY POSITIVE....STAY STRONG....STAY SOBER....LOVE LIFE!!!
THANK YOU FOR READING...GOD BLESS YOU!!!! 

FREEDOM IS SACRED AND PRECIOUS

MY THOUGHTS: Hello my friends. I feel inspired today, so I must write and share!If any one desires to send a private message you can do so at danielisatruesoldier@aol.com.
 First I want to send a shout out to my nephew Cade Ashton. Hes a senior in HS and he spoke at our church today. The spirit was very strong as he spoke. He is such an example to everyone he knows because he doesnt just talk the talk, he actually walks the walk. What I mean is that he lives his life according to the standards of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and people take notice. They take enough notice to stop and ask him why he lives the way he lives, and he is able to answer because he has taken the time to study the scriptures and he knows and loves the Lord.  He is able to answer them by sharing his personal testimony in Jesus Christ. He lets his light shine bright by choosing to live righteosly when many of his friends around him choose to live much lower standards. I want him to know that he makes following the Lord seem awesome and cool because the light that is in him shines bright and his inner peace and happiness shine through. I know that following the Lords way IS THE AWESOME AND COOL THING TO DO!!! Thank you Cade Ashton for standing up today and speaking with confidence and sincerity. You should know that you make me and all those who know you want to be a better person and that my friend is COOL!!! I will also send a shout out to MR. Noah Bean...He is one of Cade's best friends, he also spoke in church today. He spoke of the love he has for his older brother who is out on a two yr mission inviting others to come unto Christ. He also spoke of his personal testimony in Jesus Christ. I want Noah to know that his example is powerful and he too makes it the cool thing to do to choose the right in all you do, and that my friend is COOL!!!  Mr Cade Ashton and Mr Noah Bean you are a true soldiers in Gods army, I love you both!!!! 

I also want to share a little about my day on Fri. Oct 18th. I was assigned to attend a training at the prison in Huntsville Texas. I am about to start a practicum at the prison in preperation to becoming a licensed chemical dependency counselor. I just want to say that just going into a prison helped me to appreciate my freedom. Im hoping to somehow get the message across that our freedom is very precious and sacred. Im hoping that somehow you will think about what it would be like to be locked up in a prison amd then somehow appreciate your frredom that much more. I know for me it helped me to appreciate my freedom and family on a deeper level. When we have something taken away from us all of the sudden it is that much more precious. I think we can learn to use our minds to appreciate what we have without having it taken away. I think my sisters blog thenotsoordinaryangels.blogspot.com does a good job at helping us realize that life is a gift and it is sacred and precious. I would reccomend that blog to everyone.
So while I was there in the prison surrounded by inmates in white jump suits I realized that we all make mistakes in life and can easily wind up in prison. The Captian spoke of a 26 yr old guy who was in his office the other day explaing that prison is no place for him. The Captain was explaining that somewhere along the way this young man lost his way and his choices landed him in prison. The Captain took the opportuinity to teach this young man that their is a better way and that he can change. That he can choose to cherish his freedom and live a full life outside of prison. I was reminded once again just how precious our freedom really is.
I attended my nephew Cade Ashtons HS football game Fri night and as I listened to the sounds of freedom and family I was overwhelmed with grattitude for my freedom. I will say that one who is lost in the world of addiction usually has three choices. One, they will continue in their addiction and wind up DEAD, or in PRISON. Or they can choose recovery and FREEDOM!!! These are your choices, choose wisely. I highly recomend recovery and freedom. Prison is full of misery and darkness and recovery is full of light and happiness. I have experienced both and I am a walking, living, breathing testimony that change is possible. If I can do it than so can you! Believe you can and your halfway there!! Cherish your freedom and family, it is a sacred and beautiful gift. CHOOSE THE RIGHT AND LET THE GOOD CONSIQUENCES FOLLOW...  CHOOSE FREEDOM OVER PRISON... CHOOSE LIGHT OVER DARKNESS... CHOOSE TO STAND TALL AS A TRUE SOLDIER IN GODS ARMY...STAY STRONG...STAY POSOITIVE...  LOVE LIFE!!!!

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:




FROM MY BOOK: "TRUE SOLDIERS IN GODS ARMY"......

One way you can learn to practice this principle of letting go and letting God lead the way in your life is to look at it like my friend Joe does. I asked Joe to write about his perspective of this step, and this is what he wrote, “Hi, I am Joe W. I am an addict. This step is one I have to do everyday. Sometimes I take this step ten- times a day or more. I look at this step like my life is a car. I can drive it or God our Father can drive, it’s my choice. I start every day off with a prayer and I climb into the back seat, and off we go, but before you know it I am driving and our Father is in the back seat. So I have to stop the car and trade places. There are days when all we do is trade back and forth. It is very hard for me to let someone else drive, but I realize I must have faith in our Father and let Him do all of the driving. I know if I will let Him drive, the road of life will be one of happiness and joy. I like to ask myself and others, “Who is driving today?” Be a true soldier in God’s army, and allow your Father in Heaven drive you down the road of life. You’re Friend, Joe.

So I ask you, “Who is driving you down the road of life?” Are you willing to let go of the wheel and let God drive you down the road of life? Put your trust in God. He is real; He will not lead you astray. God knows all things. He knows the beginning from the end! He knows what is best for you. Trust in God! It wasn’t until I was incarcerated that I sincerely decided to turn my will and life over to God. Once I began to rely on God’s higher powers, it was as if a large weight was lifted off of my shoulders. My burdens were truly lightened! I began to trust that no matter what happened to me God was going to grant me the guidance, strength, and protection I needed to get through. It is my hope and prayer that as you are reading this today that you will begin to trust in God to do the same for you. He will bless you according to your faith in Him. Just believe that God wants to help you, and push all doubt out of your mind. TRUST IN GOD! He will lift the weight off of your shoulders and your burdens will be much easier to bear. I know He will because He did it for me!!!

THANK YOU FOR READING, I HOPE YOU HAVE BEEN INSPIRED AND STRENGTHENED IN SOME WAY...STAY STRONG...STAY POSITIVE...AND LOVE LIFE!!!

TRUE HOPE & THE SHINY LITTLE DIME THAT SAVED ME.....

MY THOUGHTS: Greetings blogger world. I have not posted in a while and Its time I did. I have decided that Im not going to share my entire book on here, but I will continue to share parts of my book. I am hearing that many of you like to hear my personal story, so Im going to share with you a little about whats going on in my world currently.
I am enrolled in 15 hrs of colllege at Lone Star College here in Montgomery county Texas. I am having to relearn math wich is sooo fun, let me tell you. Ok that was sarcasim. Math is not that fun! It is rewarding to put forth the effort it takes to learn it. I mean when I do well on the test, it feels good.I feel like I accomplished something great when I do well on the test. I have made B's on all my test so far, so Im pleased with that. In every other class I have A's!!! I have made an A in every class so far, thats a miracle all by itself!!!
  On the 29th of this month I will have been clean and sober for 3 years! I will celebrate by doing something special for myself as well as by reaching out to another who is still lost in addiction. I have come a long way in my life. Well I should say that the Lord has blessed me tremendously since I started to include Him in my life. I give Him all the credit. I definitely recognize that the Lord has carried me through and blesses me with the strength necessary live a sober life. I started a routine of praying daily when I was in rehab. I continue to pray each day today and I feel stronger every day. Yes some days are better than others, but life was not meant to be happy always. If we didnt experience bad we wouldnt be able to recognize and appreciate the good. We all have good days and bad days! I live by the motto that our lives are 10% what happens to us and 90%  how we react to it. In other words our attitudes will make or break us. My motto is STAY STRONG, STAY POSITIVE, AND LOVE LIFE!!!
 I have also included physical exercise into my recovery. I exercise in some way 6 days a week. I get stronger every day in every way! In fact I tell my self out loud some days, "I am getting stronger every day in every way!" And I feel strengthened just by saying those words. I still have a dream to play golf at the highest level and I practice golf almost every day. This keeps me sane! Golf is my therapy! so what Im saying is that we need to find something that were passionate about in life and make time to do it. I am saying that we need to first get our own self together and then reach out to help others. Someone once said "One drowning man cant save another drowning man". This is why I work so hard to keep myself strong in every way. I also dont pretend that im perfect because Im far from it. I am in no place to judge anyone nor do I. I believe that every soul is of great worth.  I also tell my self sometimes, "Im far far from perfect, but Im ok". I think we all need to encourage ourselves every day. we need to tell ourselves positive things. We need to be our own cheer leader.
 I am also saying that this life is a battle, a spiritual battle. We need to be execising physicallly and spiritually. We exercise spiritually by praying and reading the scriptures and serving others. I specificly ask God to bless me with spiritual strength. We exercise physically by walking, running, lifting, swimming, ect... I am so much stronger and happier because of the exercise that I do daily. I try to run atleast 2 miles a day. I am sharing these things with you because these are the strategies that have worked for me and I know they will work for you too. I also am sharing these things because I have been informed that most people that read this blog love to hear aout my personal life.
So a quick story about me: The other day I was running my 2 mile run amd I started down a road Ive never ran before. I was running along when I saw a shiny dime on the road. I thought to my self "why dont you run back and pick up that dime?" Then I thought , " Oh its just a dime, you dont need that". Then I went a few more steps and the thought came more powerfully, "GO BACK AND PICK UP THAT DIME". I thought to my self "this is weird, maybe that dime is like some secret token to protect me in some way". I thought "Ok this is weird, but the thought had come again even stronger this time. So I turned and ran back to pick up the shiny dime. Then I continued to jog and about 100 yrds  down the road all the sudden this vicious looking female Pitt-Bull came running at me with full force!!! I saw another pitt-bull running at me from another angle!!! Oh my Lord, Im about to be attacked!!! One Pit-bull was yanked back by its own chain, luckily he was tied up. But the female Pitt was growling and was not on a chain. She was in attack mode!!! I have been around pitt-bulls my whole life, so I know that they can be extremly sweet, loyal, loving dogs. I also realize that they can be killers. Well, I immediately stopped running when her nose was headed for my crotch!!! All of the sudden she put her nose right up against the pocket that I had that shiny dime in and she calmed completly down!!! I spoke very sweet and calm tones to her and she stuck her nose in my crotch once again, but stayed calm. Then she put her nose again up against that shiny little dime... Now Im not forsure, but I cant help but think that turning around and picking up that shiny dime gave the Angels around me time to act. Im not forsure exactly what happened, but Im pretty dang sure that there was a higher power and angels of some sort protecting me from this vicious pitt-bull. I know dogs and I know something changed this dogs entire demeanor in a mattter of seconds, She went from attack mode to chill mode in a moment. Lets just say that Im grateful to have my konands still in tact...lol  Im pretty sure she was about to lock her jaws on my crotch!!! I feel that I was protected that day, and Im thankful for that. I choose a diffirent route on my run now too!! I hope that yall enjoy hearing about my life and that you are uplifted and encouraged in some way. I write this in hopes that someone somewhere will choose to live a better life and find true hope in their life. Faith, Hope, and Love are some good things He gave us and the greatest is love!! STAY STRONG, STAY POSITIVE, LOVE LIFE!!!

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT:


What is true Hope??? From TRUE SOLDIERS IN GOD'S ARMY:

In step 2 we begin to realize that Jesus Christ can and will deliver us from the spiritual prison that we call addiction. This step is about hope. What is hope? Hope is that feeling of confidence that we get inside that helps us look to the future with confidence and with a positive attitude. The attitude that we have as individuals is so important, because it will impact your life in so many ways and on so many levels. A man by the name of Charles Swindoll said it best when he said,   “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people will act a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude…I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes”

When you have a positive attitude then your recovery process will be so much easier and you will be much more willing to take action. Your attitude will make or break your recovery! When my nephew Travis was in the car accident and had a severe brain injury, he couldn’t walk, or eat, he had to start over in life. If anyone ever needed to have hope in life it was him. Henry B. Eyring wrote a letter to Travis about hope. In his letter he said, “Hope is a feeling of confidence that comes from faith in Jesus Christ that everything will work together for your good if you put your trust in Him.” As we learn what it means to be a true soldier in God’s army we will put our trust in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He is the only one that has the power to restore you to complete spiritual health.

HAVE HOPE MY FRIENDS....HAVE THAT FEELING OF CONFIDENCE THAT THIS LIFE ONLY LEADS TO A BETTER LIFE. HAVE THAT FEELING OF CONFIDENCE THAT YOUR SOUL IS SPECIAL TO A LOVING FATHER IN HEAVEN. HAVE THAT FEELING OF CONFIDENCE THAT YOUR LIFE IS FULL OF PURPOSE AND MEANING. YOU ARE A MIRACLE...YOUR LIFE IS A MIRACLE IN AND OF ITSELF.  STAY STRONG STAY POSITIVE AND MOST OF ALL LOVE LIFE!!!