It is different for everyone because we are unique and therefore every situation tailored specifically to us. Sometimes it is going along with someone who was a bad influence to you in the past, or something as common as drug and alcohol addictions. Either way they are some kind of addiction that is in some way unhealthy for us. Even the simple things like an addiction to sugary or spicy foods.

What are addictions really? I do not think people think about it much, but an addiction is used in place of something you feel you are missing or to balance the negativity you are feeling. Every time I reach for an energy drink and “Hot Cheetos” it is not just because I think they taste good. The only times I really need them, or want them, is when I am dealing with something stressful. I may not even realized I am stressed until later when I see how much crap I have put into my system.

Because junk food is a habit of mine that I have always had, I got self conscious about the weight my body had accumulated and started throwing up everything I ate. I felt like I did not have to face my junk food addiction by purging it out of my system. The longer I did that the more it became my way of dealing with stress than just dealing with weight issues. Anytime I was really upset I would sit down and eat everything in front of me, then purge everything. I felt like I was releasing everything I had built up inside through doing that.

It has been awhile since I have engaged in such a thing, but it still haunts me. Whenever I am extremely upset and eat something or walk by the bathroom I think about it and sometimes yearn for the chance to do it. I know it is bad for me and the repercussions for doing it, so I am able to stay away from it but it is really hard. It seems so much easier than actually facing a problem and trying to work through it. It is also hard sometimes calling on God for His help when I need it. I go through those stages where I feel like I should not waste His time with such things when I should be able to take care of them myself. Plus I get feeling ashamed whenever falling back on an old habit.

You cannot be scared to ask for help or feel like you should do it all on your own. When we deal with addictions we are dealing with things that have been woven into our skin and have a hard time getting out. We need to be open and honest with not only ourselves, but with God as well.

Stressing over bills? It does not take a bad economy or good one even to stress over the bills getting paid. There is always going to be some kind of stress over payment at some point. Maybe you spent a little too much at Wal-Mart or the amount of one bill rose above what you use to pay so you are not prepared with the means this month. You cannot let it take over your mood, though. These things are always going to happen.

My father stresses big time over bill paying. He sets aside every Thursday morning to pay them. All week all he can think about it how he is going to pay everything. When Thursday morning comes he loads up on the coffee and starts freaking out before he even opens the bills or turns the computer on. He runs his hands through his hair so many times that its amazing you do not see huge clumps falling out. He is however graying at a rapid pace behind it.

Anyway, he will sit there screaming at the computer and throwing things around because he cannot quit fidgeting. He gets so stressed out thinking not everything will get paid. And you know what? Sometimes the bills get pushed back, or something else happens. He has actually paid the amount of one bill to another company without realizing it until a week later. That gets him in a tizzy. He freaks out and has a little breakdown before actually fixing the problem.

I am always telling him, “Dad, do not let it get you so stressed out. We will make it through like we always have.” He says he knows that but that he cannot quit the behaviors. It is scary to him thinking that he cannot always pay the bills. I understand that completely, but I do not see how one can let it ruin your day when it will work out eventually. So you were not able to pay the bills one month? You lived right? It is not the end of the world when bill paying day comes. It is only natural that you should feel a little wary, but to have almost have a panic attack every time you sit down to pay them is not healthy nor wise.

My grandparents are never happy about paying the bills, but they do it anyway. If there is something wrong my grandfather will sometimes throw a fit, but my grandmother always stays calm. Sometimes she will have a slight attitude towards the rest of the family, but she never lets it get the best of her. In a few hours she is okay. Paying bills is just a part of “everyday life” that we must deal with. And because it is something we are forced upon every month we should just except it for what it is and not let it ruin our mood. Life is too short to be spending on stress. Of course stress is always going to follow us, but we do not have to let it rule us, nor should we.

Morals and values are something that we need to uphold. A lot of us have some set of morals and values we live our lives by, usually determined by what we grew up on in the home and/or church. They are a good thing to have to limit ourselves from certain things, generally something negative. Peer pressure, whether a child or adult, follows us around trying to break us of them. We need to stay strong in what we believe in and stick with it as much as possible.

God knows we are going to step out of the “lines” drawn for us according to His word. It saddens Him, but He does not hate us for it. We should continually pray to help keep us accountable. When we feel we are backsliding from our morals and values we should ask for the strength to stay on the right path. It is never an easy road, but it is one worth traveling when the end result is heaven and eternal happiness.

Remember that God is always on your side and that he wants you to win the battle against all bad and evil things. We may lose some battles, but hey it’s the war that is important right? Of course! Keep your chin up and stick to what you believe even when pressured to go against it. Honestly it does not make you any “better” or “cooler” to people when you go against your morals and values. It is hard to trust someone when they turn from their beliefs so easily. How is a spouse supposed to know you will actually stay true to them when you are always saying you hate to drink yet do it at a party or some kind of family or business function?

A person who stands up for themselves, their faiths and beliefs, and so on can handle almost anything. Do not allow yourself the pressures of peers when what you believe is way more important. God will always be with you, as will your soul and everything you have weighing on it. People come in and out of our lives like seasons so wasting yourself on them is just a waste. Stay strong and you will be heavily rewarded! Not only by God, but also through yourself.

Holding in emotion is never a good thing to do. Now some may say that there are emotions we should never let control us, but I am not talking about controlling you. Never let emotion control you, it is a dangerous thing. When people rely on emotions to gauge their actions it usually results in something bad. Like a person who is depressed and gets drunk then extremely angry and allows themselves to fight everyone around them.

Most of those situations where something negative happens from an emotional stance are usually do to bottling up emotion. We get so full of it we just snap, sometimes giving into bad behaviors and even tempting us to end our lives. There are different extremes, but they all hold the same horrible values we need to stay away from.

The best choice of action is finding something unharmful to yourself and others that will help you let out that emotion. Whenever I am sad, angry, or just really upset about something I go outside for a walk or drive. If I am too upset I will forgo the drive and just go for a walk because I do not want to put anyone in danger, myself included. When I was in high school I used different means. One bad relationship after another, cutting myself with sharp plastic edges, taking too much Tylenol, drinking alcohol at school, and often bottling up things until I snapped and got into fights with the people I loved most.

I know that sounds like the typical teenager, but that carries on into adulthood quite often to many people. I graduated with fifty two students in my class and at least half if not three fourths of them are heavily into drugs now. Even though they claim life is better when in a crowd, they are still full of dramas and hurting on the inside. It is hard to see, since being such a small class we all knew each other pretty well. Sure, no one was perfect in high school, and are not expected to be much better. But a lot of them are able to confess that they went to drugs (and many other bad things) because they do not know how to deal with those things.

Trust in the Lord when you are struggling and ask Him for help. Let out your emotions, do not let them control you but release them slowly from your system. Go for a walk when you are upset, if you are angry tear up some paper or maybe punch a pillow a few times if you feel you absolutely cannot hold it in; and do not forget to keep prayer on hand. It is always there when you need it.

Do not regret today when we do not know what will happen tomorrow. Sometimes we are not careful when complaining about our day. We often times want to just give up on some thing or another because we had a bad day. Yes, you could have multiple bad days even and still be in the wrong for wanting to give in to defeat. We are never alone in our aspirations and hopes; many people have the same, or even a completely different goal but no matter what they still have the same general direction they want to go in – forward.

When something bad happens it is not the day’s fault. There is always going to be some kind of negative in our lives; but there is also always some kind of positive even when we feel like everything is crashing down around us. Hope and faith are the two key terms you need to remember when ugly things happen to you. We are not expected by anyone, even God, to have all the answers and be bright and bubbly when everything really sucks. That is just being dishonest with yourself and those around you.

Of course one of the best things to do when going through a difficult time is to pray. It is not only a great stress reliever because you are able to express everything you feel without being restricted to any thoughts and emotions, but it is also a great way of letting God into the situation. Since He has given us the freedom to choose what we do, He does not want to just jump into every situation. Now He is definitely there with you and will “jump in” when absolutely necessary; but just like when a child needs a band-aid and has been going through that stage where they want to do everything themselves, you sit back until they ask because they cannot seem to reach the box.

Keep in mind, however, that we are going to have to do some things on our own. We are not expected to always ask for help, and when we do it for every little thing we will one day be bombarded with some big personal trauma and we will be left to figure it out for ourselves. You just need to try to work through the problems sometimes instead of sitting back and throwing your hands up in the air. You may never see a good day when you are not expecting it or just waiting around for it suddenly appear. Ever person’s situation is different so I cannot tell you how to fix whatever problem you are dealing with. Just remember that there will always be good with the bad, keep prayer on hand and never be afraid to let the Lord in a little more (or a lot more), and try to stay positive while still being honest with both yourself and others.

On February 23, 2009, I fell undeniably in love. He was a stranger until that day when he held my hand and asked me if I would do him the honor of being his girlfriend. I had gotten out of a very bad relationship six months prior that had lasted over a year. It was somewhat hard taking that first step, but this guy made me want to. I could not explain why or how, but he had a hold on me like no other before. I thanked God nearly every night until the guy the broke up with me almost five months later.

I know it may seem silly to have fallen in love with someone I knew only for a short time and was with for a short time, it is still hard for me to imagine but alas it happened. He made me a cry a few times, but for the most part I was always smiling. More and more every day my thoughts were on him. It got to the point where my grades (I was a high school senior at the time) started to drop because I could not pay attention. All I could think about was seeing him and being wrapped in one of his numerous hugs! It was truly beautiful and I felt truly in love for the first time in my life.

It did get to the point where everything was crashing around me. I was about to graduate and my grades were lowering, my family was always getting upset at me, therefore causing many fights, my friends got tired of hearing about him and started worrying about their own lives so I was losing some of them one by one. But none of that mattered, because at the end of the day I still had my guy. He promised to whisk me away and we would live “happily ever after.” I glowed at the thought of it, and could not wait for the chance. I was actually prepared to leave everything behind just for him. Nothing else mattered as much as him.

That was bad enough, but the worst part about it was that I moved him to “number one” in my heart over EVERYTHING, including God. That is why everything else seemed to be crashing down. I was getting lost in thoughts of someone else and wishing for honeymoons and love that never came. I prepared myself to risk it all for this guy’s sake, but only one that truly loved me was someone else. It was God. He took risks for me, He loves me, and He would never forsaken me. And deep in my heart I knew that, but I wanted so badly for things to work out with my guy that I even consciously made the decision to put my faith and God on the backburner until I had the one thing I truly wanted completely secured in my life.

A few days or so after the 4th of July, that guy broke my heart. He called my friend telling him that he just felt the need to break up with me. He swore there was not another woman, that I will always be in his heart and he will always love me, but that his intentions were not pure and that he had to leave. (I found out a few months later that there was another girl) It tore my heart to shreds. I became a wreck, not eating for two weeks and losing ten pounds, crying day and night, feeling absolutely empty except for the ache in my heart. Everything reminded me of him, I could not even fully enjoy the days that my friends took me out for some fun. All I could think about was him.

For the first time in about two months while I had been with my guy, I prayed. Either to have him back or to have the pain eating at me to go away. I cannot imagine how hurt God must have been. Not only to see me hurting, but that I risked so much on someone who did not love me anywhere near the way God does. It is hard to imagine God’s love sometimes because it is so unconditional and in eternal abundance. He never quits us or forsakes us.

I think that God would be happy if we even put half the effort as I did to my guy into our relationships with God. Of course He would love for more, but He understands that we are only human and often times it is hard to balance our feelings for everyone. He also knows that it is hard for some of us to love because we have been hurt before, or just never felt it. Know that it is there, though. We may not understand it, but that is one of the beautiful things about “love.” It is complex while being both beautiful and potentially disastrous, yet something we crave in one way, shape, or form.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

God is our protector. We go through life often thinking that we are alone; but the whole time we have the strongest defense standing with us. We open our hearts to God so He can lie in us, even though he already does. Everything we are is due to Him, because He loves us and created us. All those little blessings we receive add up to a lifetime of blessings. Though we may feel alone and like nothing is going our way, we always have something going right.

I have seen many suffer, and many others take those sufferings and turn them into blessings. I have personally seen one of those painters that paints with their teeth, and guitarists that play with their toes. It is amazing what they can do, and they love doing it. They do not let their shortcomings stop them from doing what otherwise is considered impossible. It took a certain amount of faith in themselves to overcome what people call disadvantages. We as Christians should do the same in our walk with Christ. We have to have a great faith that we will be able to conquer any shortcomings with the Lord’s hands holding us up.

There are no limits for God, and as His children He wants us to feel the same. The things that we do not get are often times bad for us. Our lives are incredibly precious to God, and He knows what is best for us even if we cannot see it. We cannot see the future nor know how certain things will end or what they will grow into. God knows, and if we fight Him, thinking we know “better” then we may just find ourselves in a lot of trouble. The term “hitting rock bottom” would not just be a term but have some reality to it once tacked to your forehead as a wake up call.

Often times we will find ourselves in situations where we are lost and even afraid. God protects us from all of those things. When we get ourselves into dangerous holes where we are afraid that we will never see ourselves out, God will reach out Hand and bring us back to “normal” or sometimes even better. We cannot be afraid to cry out to Him. No matter what He will always hear our pleas.

He also forgives us of the wrongs we have committed and protects us from wrongs against us. He will heal any wounds inflicted in our battles even. Though He does not want us to fight, He knows we will. There will always be conflict, but that is not our fault nor His. Evil, the wicked, however you want to look at it, there is BAD out there and it will fight you. “World Peace” is a wonderful concept, but there will always be someone who wants world war.

The world is not a perfect place nor will it ever be. God gives us the choice to choose to which path we follow. Because of that, and the fact that the “wide road” is easier to follow, many go down that path. Not all people who are on that road are necessarily “evil” a majority of them are. Without the proper protection from the wicked we might either be drawn in or destroyed. God can protect us and does. But sometimes we have to ask Him. A lot about this religion is asking because everything is up to personal choice. We just have a hard time doing that. We need to realize that not everything is handed to us. A lot of what we do is done “on our own” but God does help. He is always behind the scenes and yearning for you to ask Him to lend a hand.

We are loved, safe and protected, forgiven, and blessed on a daily basis. Without God we would not be. So remember to be thankful. Also, keep God close in your heart and do not be afraid or forget to ask Him for help whenever you need it. Whether it be something small and “trivial” or something life changing, He will hear you and help in a way that is best for you. We may not always agree, but trust in Him. We are His forever, even if we “fail” Him; which with His mercy and forgiveness is forgiven and forgotten.

The first time I really remember struggling with finding my own purpose was when I was in the ninth grade. My life had taken a lot of turns. I was not sure about my faith, friendships, relationships with family members and significant others, or even my values anymore. Nothing was “black and white” but many different shades of grey.

Have you ever felt that way? Like nothing really made sense? Getting through the day was the toughest chore you had ever been assigned? What about feeling like you had no one to lean on? That was me. I mean do not get me wrong, but I still have my moments. That is all they are though, just moments instead of an entire year spent in such a messy state of mind.

“The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children..” – Psalm 103:8-17

That verse says a lot about God. I cannot help but wonder if I have heard it before and not realized what it meant. During my ninth grade year I turned from God. I started reading books on Wicca, got on Google and look up various other beliefs. I even became friends with someone who was a pronounced Satanist that went to rituals and everything. I shiver at the thought now, but it is true. At the time I was angry at God. I felt like nothing was going my way; I would pray and nothing would happen, I would try to talk to my friends but no one wanted to listen, I kept getting into various arguments with my family that led them to not even want to see me. I spent hours in my room, and outside trying to figure things out. I decided I would do whatever the heck I wanted without any remorse. HUGE mistake, but I was young and naïve.

The farther I got away from God, the farther into depression I got. I went to a Christian school so I spent every day arguing with my Bible teacher that God did not exist, that the Bible contradicted itself, and that pastors were full of crap. I even got a few of my other friends to follow my lead and get themselves into a “spiritual black hole.” It was not until I convinced myself to commit suicide that I had “hit rock bottom.”

I locked myself in my room. My grandmother was in the kitchen, making dinner. I lit a few candles and stared at the wall across from, crying. No sound came out of my mouth. I just sat there with tears streaming down my face. I searched my brain for almost an hour trying to figure out what reasons I had to live. Honestly, I could not think of any. I had turned from everything and everyone I ever loved.

I grabbed a knife my father had bought me at an Army Surplus store. It was really cool; bent blade like a saber, intricate artwork on the sheath and handle, and a blood groove on the blade. I held it for a while before taking it out of its sheath. I took a deep breath and decided this had to be my end. I had no purpose, therefore no reason to stay alive. Really weird how fast things happened. It felt like slow motion but it was not. I held it in the air like I had seen on television and started the plunge.

Last second… “Stop. Your life is precious.”

I heard those words loud and clear, even over the intense beating of my heart as I was about to take my life. It was not like anything I heard before. It was a voice without human quality. Not frightening nor soothing. I put my softball arm to the test throwing the knife across my room. It was within an inch of my skin when I propelled it away from. I hid the knife from site later on, but at that moment I turned into my pillow and began screaming. I knew it was God pulling me from my delusions of being alone and into the reality that I am loved and that my life is precious. I still did not understand how that could be, but I knew I had to find out and trust that I did have one. I kept asking Him why He would want me alive.

Two weeks later I got my answer. I said earlier that I felt like my friends had turned their backs on me, which was true, but that did not mean that I would turn my backs on them. I wanted them to live and thrive, and always wished them the best no matter what. I tore me apart when someone I considered a best friend told me he just wanted to end his life and gave me his final farewell. God was on his side too, because my friend actually listened to me that day. I screamed at him through messages on Myspace, telling him that his life was precious too and that though he felt alone he was truly loved.

I realized at that moment that life was worth living. That our purposes are all different and change in value. I do not think that I have fulfilled my purpose by any means. I do not believe any of us have for that matter. My purpose was not just to save my best friend’s life, but to love those I am surrounded by. I help in any way I can, and that is my way of “giving back” and “contributing” to the blessing of life that God has so mercifully bestowed upon me. It does not mean that every person has to do that, though. Like I said, it changes to fit everyone. We are like fingerprints, every one of them unique and a beautiful rarity to identity.

It is hard staying on the “righteous path.” We have one of those “God moments” where our hearts are so full of Him that we feel like we’re about to burst and on the edge of heaven already! It’s an amazing feeling; but its usually fleeting. We get caught up in the things of everyday life. Going to school, work, grocery store, repair shop, recitals and practices, etcetera. All those things stem into different things like worry about deadlines. We also get caught up in the dramas of life. A partner cheats, a kid breaks their leg, a paycheck got docked and bills went unpaid.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand..” -Isaiah 41:10

We forget that God is with us, making sure we’ll be okay. Sometimes we even blame Him for our transgressions. We cry and scream and fight Him, asking why He’d let us get so deep into our troubles. It is hard for us to realize that it is not His fault we are suffering; nor most of the time ours either. Remember that God doesn’t want us to suffer. We are his children, and a part of him and when we hurt so does He.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” – Psalm 23

Stay strong in the Lord. Do not let your sufferings cloud your feelings towards Him. Instead of asking why He lets you suffer, ask Him to help you get out of your sufferings. He does not “let” any of us suffer, because He loves us; but the wicked are cruel and are allowed their choices as are we. Take the path to glory, though it is a hard road to travel. The outcome will be all the better. And keep in mind that tomorrow is always a better day. Even if you’re still suffering then it just means you’re one more day closer to happiness!

It seems easy, stepping into the pool of water where believers are baptized. Or saying the Lord’s prayer, accepting Him into your heart. It becomes a trial when we realize that even though we’ve accepted His eternal love, we will suffer. We are told beforehand, but it really doesn’t seem plausible until we get sideswiped with some kind of catastrophe.

Sometimes it is really hard for us to realize that following the righteous path is not easy. It is a part of true faith – continuing to believe through every trial that crosses your path. God is our stronghold, though. We are never alone in our troubles, even when we don’t take the time to call on His name.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Psalm 3:5,6

We need a little help, and God is our best shot at getting it. Of course, He’ll put people in our paths sometimes as a physical representation of help, but other times He’ll give the strength to endure on your own. If we trust Him we will be guided; never alone for a second and continually held up by strong hands. Even when we feel incomplete and utterly weak.

The best choice when struggling and in need of help is to cry out to God. Either physically which sometimes relieves stress, or quietly. Prayer is always available throughout the day. Whether you are walking down the hall to ordering food in the drive thru, you can always pray and God will always hear you. Though sometimes the best prayer is when you are surrounded by silence and able to control your thoughts and actions is usually best so you can focus fully on Him, He does not require it.

God never takes what you say with a “grain of salt.” Your words are just as powerful as any human being. You will be heard, and loudly.

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” – Jeremiah 17:7

Confide and trust in the Lord, for He is strong and unconditionally loving. He will hear your plea and give you what help He knows is necessary. Sometimes it seems that we are not heard because we are left to do everything ourselves; but it is the will to do it and get it done that He has given us. After all, what kind of Father would He be if He did everything for us? Children have to learn how to do some things on their own. He is our guide and help when needed!