Are you facing the wrong direction?

July 17, 2021

Many of the cartoons that we read in the newspapers or elsewhere carry more than just entertainment value with them. Cartoonists can be philosophers in their own right and many use their cartoons to deliver great life messages and advice. I recently stumbled upon a site with quotes derived from cartoons and saved a few of them for this blog. One that focused upon attitude from the cartoon “Ziggy” caught my attention –

“Just remember… if things look hopeless, maybe you’re facing the wrong direction!”— Ziggy

How true is that! Hopelessness means that you have turned away from your dreams and ambitions and are staring in the direction of despair. Hopelessness is a sense of abandonment, which means that even God is not there with you. But how can that be? In Matthew 28:20 Jesus said, “I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” If you cannot see Jesus there with you, maybe you are facing the wrong direction.

So, if Jesus is with us, how can we be hopeless? Perhaps we have turned away from Jesus and looked for solutions to our problems within ourselves. When the problems that we face are too large for us to resolve, what are we to do? Maybe you are facing the wrong direction.

The truth is that things are going to happen in life that we have no control over. What we do have control over is how we react to those things. Do we let the situations of life overcome us or do we find a way to go on with life? Maybe we are facing the wrong direction.

We do not have to understand why things happen nor is it up to us to find solutions for every problem that we face. Sometimes the only “solution” is to accept that something happened that you cannot control and move on. Maybe you are facing the wrong direction.

What are we to do about all these things? We can find the answer in the Bible – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

Is the peace that surpasses all understanding the answer or solution to all of life’s problems? No. But, it is the answer to how we react to those problems. That peace allows us to accept and deal with whatever life throws at us. If you find that you cannot be at peace and deal with life, perhaps you are facing the wrong direction.

Do not stare into the abyss of hopelessness and despair. Turn back to God in prayer and turn your life around. You’ve just been facing the wrong direction.

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Posted by Norm Werner

Where are you headed?

November 7, 2018

In today’s post to the Jack’s Winning Words blog this saying attributed to Buddha is used – “If you do not change direction, you may wind up where you are heading.” 

Renowned philosopher Yogi Berra had a different take on life’s direction – “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” 

Both quotes speak to the need for one to make decision’s in their life about the direction that they are headed in. Yogi’s point is that you shouldn’t just drift along in life and see where it takes you. Buddha is saying that you are in control of where you end up through new-way-forwardthe decisions that you make.

Yesterday’s election was labeled Decision 2018 by many of the network news organizations and the results of the elections saw the country make a conscious decision to change direction in Washington, at least in the House of Representatives and in many state houses, too.

Every now and then, everyone needs to pause and reflect on where they are headed and whether they need to or want to change direction. That moment of self-reflection can begin with the simple question, “Am I happy with my life?” Answering that simple question will not only force you to think about your current situation, but also about the direction in which you are headed. The questions, “If not, why not?” and “What do I need to change to be happy?” will come quickly to mind. If the answer to that initial question boredis yes, then give some thought to what it will take to maintain or even increase that happiness. In either case, the answers that you come up with will provide some new directions for you to pursue.

Remember that happiness in life is not a destination, but a journey; that journey may often require course corrections to get you back headed in the right direction. Where are you headed? What changes might you need to make to get closer to that goal today? Where do you look for help and direction? Ancient mariners learned to look to the heavens to find their directions. You, too, can look to Heaven for directions to get back on course. Pausing to woman-prayingstart each day with a prayer can help you reset your compass and get you started in the direction of happiness and contentment. I’ve found that the simple prayer, “Lord help me make good decisions today” helps me get off to a good start each day.

What is guiding your life? You can find the best guide through prayer.

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Posted by Norm Werner