The Race is not for the Swift!! Self-Esteem Included!!

This is an interpretation of Ecclesiastes 9:11. The Bible verse means that we have to persevere and go through personal trials and tribulations for Jesus Christ sake. I say this is simply because it gives me an opportunity to do what I want in Jesus name. What is the definition of the word opportunity? The answer to this question is a chance for advancement and improvement. This also means that I have to maintain my faith in God; in spite of any problems that are in my way as far as obstacles are concerned.

This Bible verse also pertains to everyone. I know for me personally, I have to maintain myself in terms of dealing with my personal stress that is present in my personal life. My caretakers, family members, and friends have always motivated me to do anything that in a positive manner. For Example, when it comes to receiving an education, it is important for me to have a game plan or a plan of action in advance.

Next, I want to say that this Bible verse is not for those who are rich in power or might. This verse pertains to those who have been oppressed, or those who are low in spirit. In a way, it reminds me of one of the Bible verses in the Beatitudes in the New Testament. This Bible verse also gives me a sense of faith and hope in God. I want to say that I was a person who had a very low self-esteem. I did not even have any form of confidence in myself. I became more of a reactive person rather than proactive.

Further, I want to inform everyone that King Solomon had encouraged everyone to have faith in God. The race is not for the swift reminds of the race between the tortoise and the hare. The hare did not win the race because he was overconfident. He ended up taking a break, while the tortoise walked slowly, and he took his time. Therefore, the tortoise won the race. This means that we should not give up whatsoever. God is always there for all of us.

Moreover, I want to say that in the United States, there is a class society. There is the wealthy, middle class, and the poor. I know for me personally, I grew up poor. I am the oldest of my mother’s 9 children. However, one of my siblings passed away on June 2, 2017. My sister died from a rare blood disease. My nieces and nephews lost their mother. My oldest nephew and I paid for my sister’s funeral. I have a lot of respect for him. He made a conscious decision to use of his money to pay for his mother’s funeral. To all of my family members and friends, I really love all of you.

What Does the Bible say about Self-Esteem?

What does the Bible say about self-esteem?

Self-esteem has to do with how we think about ourselves and how we value ourselves. One definition of self-esteem is a person’s overall subjective emotional evaluation of his or her own worth. Therefore, someone with low self-esteem considers themselves to be worth little, whereas someone with high self-esteem considers themselves to have great worth. Much of the world derives their self-esteem from categories such as wealth, appearance, strength, occupation, popularity, celebrity, and relationships. Inevitably, the self-esteem of these individuals rises and falls based on how they are doing in these categories, especially in comparison to others. But what does the Bible say about self-esteem? How are we to determine our worth? What is the true source of our worth?

The terms self-worth and self-esteem do not appear in the pages of Scripture. Self-worth, when understood as worth DERIVED from the self, as opposed to the opinion we have of ourselves, is a bit of a misnomer. In order to have any self-worth (independent from God), we would have to be self-made, which is impossible. In order to create yourself, you would need to exist already. If you existed already, you would not need to create yourself. Not only is self-creation a logical impossibility, we have the testimony of God’s word to refute it. We are, in fact, made by God and in the image of God, and this truth is the basis of our worth. We can say with David, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well” (Psalm 139:13–14). The fact that we are made in the image of the only eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise God could easily become a temptation to pride. This is why we must always remember that our creation, our continued existence and our worth, lies not in ourselves, but in the powerful working of God (Genesis 1:27; Acts 17:28; Hebrews 1:3).

If we are made in the image of God, why do so many people struggle with the issue of their worth? The answer can be summed up in two words—the fall. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the image of God in them became shattered and marred. Whereas they once walked naked in the garden without s

Is it True That God knows How Long We Will Live?

This is an essay that will focus on the importance of how long man will live. I would like to start things off by asking a question. Is it true that God knows how long we will live? The answer to this question is not very easy to respond. However, according to Psalms 139:16 it says your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed. And in your book, they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

Next, I did not know that God knows how long we are going to live according to His word. This is very unusual because I thought that if we take care of ourselves and modify our lifestyle, we can live long on earth. Jeremiah 29:11 says for I know the plans that I have toward you. Plans to prosper and a purpose. Some translations states that for I knows the thoughts that I have towards you, plans to prosper and a purpose. I really did not take things seriously regarding my life until May 2, 1990. I started praying to God for a complete change in my personal life.

Further, I want to inform all of you that it was not very easy for me growing up in Dayton, Ohio. This is because I used to get beaten up by my sister, and other kids in school. I know that I fought everyone for 28 years. I even fought myself. I just did not realize that the Bible has over 6,000 promises that are very true. Anyway, I did not even know that God knows when we are going to see Him personally.

Psalms 56:8 says; You number my wanderings, put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in your book? This means that God knows exactly what we are doing at all times. This also means that God knows where we are going and when we rise in the morning. He even knows the people that we are going to be with today. God even knows so much about us that we cannot even understand it. Job 27:3 says; As long as my breath is in me, and the breath of God in my nostrils. Honestly, the things that we have as far as possessions are concerned, are worldly. The air that we breathe does not belong to us. God Bless You!! Thank You for reading my essay.

You’re considered a….

Reporter (The Logical Storyteller)

https://player.vimeo.com/video/440323444?muted=0&autoplay=1When it comes to storytelling, you know how to get straight to the facts. Emotional speaking to you is unnecessary. You’re analytical and tend to focus only on the important details. Your focus isn’t on how people feel about what you’re saying, but rather giving them what you feel they need to hear.

Strengths: Analytical; focused; facts driven; detail-oriented; thorough; concise.

Weaknesses: Can sometimes struggle with making an emotional connection with your audience; your message has a tendency to fall flat.

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The 5 Types of Storytellers

Reporter (The Logical Storyteller)

When it comes to storytelling, you know how to get straight to the facts. Emotional speaking to you is unnecessary. You’re analytical and tend to focus only on the important details. Your focus isn’t on how people feel about what you’re saying, but rather giving them what you feel they need to hear.

Strengths: Analytical; focused; facts driven; detail-oriented; thorough; concise.

Weaknesses: Can sometimes struggle with making an emotional connection with your audience; your message has a tendency to fall flat.

Juggler (The Accidental Storyteller)

You tend to be more free in the way you communicate, and you mainly only speak what comes to mind. Matter-of-fact, you don’t actually consider yourself to be a “storyteller.” For you, storytelling is simply a means to an end to get your thoughts across as opposed to something you’re intentionally trying to do.
Strengths: Comfortable with communicating; don’t overthink.
Weaknesses: When you communicate you sometimes tend to lack an aim, so you hit a lot of “dead ends” and oftentimes struggle to convey your message. (Think of the person at the party that talks in circles.)

Marketer (The Open Loop Storyteller)

You love to start telling a story, however, you’ve been known to leave the story unfinished because just as you get into telling one story another story comes to mind.  As a result, you find yourself unable to finish the original story you started which leaves your audience feeling incomplete.
Characteristics: Great at starting stories and grabbing the audience’s attention.
Weaknesses: Tend to get lost in your own story; sometimes find yourself talking on and on.

Evangelist (The Heart-centered Storyteller)

You’re a passionate person who speaks straight from the heart. Your main goal when you tell a story is your audience “feeling” you and genuinely connecting with what you have to say. With that, your stories can oftentimes run long and you start to lose your audience.

Characteristics: Speaks from the heart; passionate speaker; connects emotionally.
Weaknesses: Lacks structure; able to take your audience on a journey but you wound up getting lost.

Influencer (The Master Storyteller)

So, When it comes to storytelling, you have a strategic goal in mind. You only share details that add value to your story and provokes engagement from your audience; you don’t see emotional connection as the end goal when you tell a story, but rather a means to the end; you skillfully pull out stories like a green beret pulls out weapons. Simply put, you have mastered the art of storytelling.
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Faith does not come from ignorance.  Faith is based on what we know.  Before we will trust others with something precious to us, we first try to find out if they are trustworthy.  This father was asking that he might come to know God in such a dimension that he could trust Him to cure his son.

His son had been possessed by an evil spirit since early childhood.  The father did not know Jesus well, but he had heard and seen enough to convince him that if there was any hope for his son, it lay with Jesus. In desperation he cried out to Jesus for help. Jesus response was to heal his son. The desperate father had correctly gone to Jesus with his problem even though he was struggling with his faith. When you are struggling to believe, that is not the time to avoid Christ or to be ashamed of your struggle. You will never increase your faith by not going to Jesus! Rather, Jesus wants to help you with your belief. He can not only meet your need, but He will also give you faith to trust Him to provide for you. If you are struggling to believe that God can take care of your need, it is because you don’t know Him as He wants you to. Go to Him and allow Him to convince you of His ability to meet every need you will ever face.

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Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord. How are you doing today? Fine, I hope. I would like to mention that we are all involved in Spiritual Warfare in one way or another. Ephesians 6:12 says for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this age and against spiritual host of wickedness in the Heavenly Places.

Further, I would like to say that I have a broken spirit right now. However, this has a whole lot to do with our disobedience to God’s word. I have been hearing voices for the past 12 years now. Moreover, when it pertains to my situation, I would like to admit that the voices that I hear each day and night are a demonic spirit
I am not saying that I belong to Satan
and other forms of evil and wickedness. I hear voices because of a brain injury that I sustained on November 8, 2008. Therefore I could hardly walk because my right side of my body was swollen and numb. Currently, I am getting better throughout this year. Even though I had COVID-19 earlier this year 2021. I would like for all of you to please keep me in your prayers and thoughts.

Finally, when it pertains to Ephesians 6:12, I would like to say that I do not have any enemies right now. I realize that I was my own worse enemy. I have faith in God. It is that I have made some mistakes by consulting with mediums and psychics in the past. I no longer consulting with mediums and psychics anymore. I feel really good about having Jesus Christ as my personal savior. The voices that I hear are caused by a brain injury. I have repented of all of my sins.

The Human Tongue is a fire by itself.  It cannot be tamed.  By Anthony Joseph Hopkins August 25, 2021

      The Human tongue is a little member; and boast great things.  Behold how great a matter a little fire is kindled!!  The tongue is a fire a world of iniquity: so is the tongue.  The tongue defiles the body.  The tongue is capable of doing a lot of damage to anyone who is present.  Everything that the tongue says, it is very dangerous.

      The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.  The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, reptiles, and sea creatures can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue.  It is a restless evil, full of poison.  The human tongue is so lethal that it cuts like a sword.  However, man can control his or her actions before acting out violently.

      Therefore, the tongue is a fire that is very difficult to extinguish.  Let us examine our feelings and emotions before the actual eruption of a very dangerous fire. 

      The tongue cannot become extinguished by any means.  Blessings and cursing that comes out of the same mouth.  This is not supposed to take place inside of the earth itself.  However. I understand that living inside of Planet Earth is dangerous.  In most cases, we are in peril right now as we speak.

Proverbs 21:23, and What it means to all People.  By Anthony Joseph Hopkins August 23, 2021

      Proverbs 21:23 says Whoso keeps his mouth and tongue and keeps his soul from troubles.  What does this mean?  In a way, it means that we must keep to ourselves, and definitely stay out of trouble.  In a way, it means mind your business.

 I understand that people do not like getting into trouble.  However, this Bible verse is for those who like to gossip.  In a way it means that we must keep our mouths shut especially when it comes to other people.  I know that I used to get into fist fights because of the things that I had done wrong to other people.

Next, I want to say that I used to get beaten up because of the things that I said out of my mouth.  This is simply because I used to use vulgarity towards others.  I know that when I was a child, I used to get into trouble by cursing at other people.

Further, I want to say that I have changed a whole lot.  I used to be a disrespectful person.  I used to be a person who used vulgarity on a daily basis.  I want to inform everyone that God has changed me for the better.  For Example, I attended church on a regular basis.  My parents thought that I started rebelling at an early age.

 This is simply because I used to hang around my friends, and I started drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana.  I engaged in this behavior for 18 years.  From 1972 to 1990; I did my own thing.  I was involved in street gangs at an early age.  I was using vulgarity all of the time. 

Why did I talk like that? It is because I used to get a rush at getting into trouble.  I was the oldest child out of 9 children.  I will admit that I did not know any better.  I was only acting out.  I am a very humble person right now.  I am a person who has a lot of common sense.

My parents used to pray for me.  My grandmother used to take me to her church from the time that I was 5 years old.  I remember when I attended church, I started listening to the Pastor at the church because I always wanted to become a Pastor.  However, I graduated with my high school diploma back on June 10, 1986.  This is because I got into trouble all of the time in high school.  9 years later, I graduated from the University of Toledo with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Social Work.

​ 

Currently, I am a Writer.  I want to say that God has saved me from myself.  This is simply because I literally almost killed myself on February 13, 2010.  God has been working patiently with me.  God has given me a second chance at life.  I feel much better right now.  I know that God loves me.  God loves me for the person that I am.  During the past 7 years, I started attending Fort McKinley United Methodist Church in Dayton, Ohio.  I have been a Born-again Christian as soon as I got baptized on February 15, 2015.  My life has changed for the better. Finally, I feel much better right now.  I am a brand-new person because God has stopped me from using vulgarity.  God has removed the desire from me to use bad language.  My mouth is completely shut from using bad language and God has given me another chance at life again.

Proverbs 21:23, and What it means to all People.  By Anthony Joseph Hopkins August 23, 2021

      Proverbs 21:23 says Whoso keeps his mouth and tongue and keeps his soul from troubles.  What does this mean?  In a way, it means that we must keep to ourselves, and definitely stay out of trouble.  In a way, it means mind your business.

 I understand that people do not like getting into trouble.  However, this Bible verse is for those who like to gossip.  In a way it means that we must keep our mouths shut especially when it comes to other people.  I know that I used to get into fist fights because of the things that I had done wrong to other people.

Next, I want to say that I used to get beaten up because of the things that I said out of my mouth.  This is simply because I used to use vulgarity towards others.  I know that when I was a child, I used to get into trouble by cursing at other people.

Further, I want to say that I have changed a whole lot.  I used to be a disrespectful person.  I used to be a person who used vulgarity on a daily basis.  I want to inform everyone that God has changed me for the better.  For Example, I attended church on a regular basis.  My parents thought that I started rebelling at an early age.

 This is simply because I used to hang around my friends, and I started drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana.  I engaged in this behavior for 18 years.  From 1972 to 1990; I did my own thing.  I was involved in street gangs at an early age.  I was using vulgarity all of the time. 

Why did I talk like that? It is because I used to get a rush at getting into trouble.  I was the oldest child out of 9 children.  I will admit that I did not know any better.  I was only acting out.  I am a very humble person right now.  I am a person who has a lot of common sense.

My parents used to pray for me.  My grandmother used to take me to her church from the time that I was 5 years old.  I remember when I attended church, I started listening to the Pastor at the church because I always wanted to become a Pastor.  However, I graduated with my high school diploma back on June 10, 1986.  This is because I got into trouble all of the time in high school.  9 years later, I graduated from the University of Toledo with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Social Work.

​ 

Currently, I am a Writer.  I want to say that God has saved me from myself.  This is simply because I literally almost killed myself on February 13, 2010.  God has been working patiently with me.  God has given me a second chance at life.  I feel much better right now.  I know that God loves me.  God loves me for the person that I am.  During the past 7 years, I started attending Fort McKinley United Methodist Church in Dayton, Ohio.  I have been a Born-again Christian as soon as I got baptized on February 15, 2015.  My life has changed for the better. Finally, I feel much better right now.  I am a brand-new person because God has stopped me from using vulgarity.  God has removed the desire from me to use bad language.  My mouth is completely shut from using bad language and God has given me another chance at life again.

 This is an essay that will focus on the 5 Types of Self. First, the spiritual Self will be discussed to give everyone an understanding of how things were created. Let’s begin; The Spiritual Self has a lot to do with what was created from the beginning of time. In John 1:1 says in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. When God created the Heaven’s and the earth, it was spoken in advance. However, mankind did not come into existence until everything else was created. In Genesis 1:26-27 says: let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the

�. Genesis 1:27 says so God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them. Therefore, everything that was created was spoken by God, and it was creation. The spiritual self  starts and ends with God. The spiritual self is the beginning of creation and the end as soon as the Earth ceases all things.

2nd Peter 3:10 says but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat: both the earth and the words that are in it will be burnt up before the Earth is destroyed Jesus Christ will left Grace’s Christ will return to the Earth and everyone will see him.

      Jeremiah 1:5 says before I formed you inside of the womb I knew you -; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the Nations. The spiritual self will last forever. As far as the physical self is concerned,  according to Genesis 2:7 says and the Lord God formed man of the Dust of the ground and breathed into the nostrils the Breath of Life, space and Man became a living being. Genesis 2:18 says and the Lord God says it is not good for man to be left alone I will make him a helper comparable to him therefore if the planet had only one species then mankind will be incomplete. Genesis 2:21-22 says and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam and he slapped and he took one of his ribs and closed it up in the Flash in this place then the rear which the Lord God has taken from man he made into a woman and brought her to man.

Genesis 2:23 says and Adam said this is now bone of my bone she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man therefore when man is married to the woman he must leave his father and mother and the two shall become one flesh.

      The physical mental and emotional self has a lot to do with man’s purpose on Earth less focus on the mental self right now. This has a lot to do with the reason why man and woman sinned to begin with. Due to the simple fact that Adam and Eve did not listen to God, and God imposed punishment and Promises on Adam and Eve. The mental health physical mental emotional and social self has a lot to do with God’s purpose for mankind according to Jeremiah 29:11 says for I know the plans that I have towards you says the Lord plans to prosper you.

      When it comes to the social self, man woman and child are supposed to listen to God and to uphold God’s will for them. Hebrews 10:25 says do not forsake the assembling of yourselves and the Saints this means. We are supposed to encourage one another to help one another we can learn from the past in order to improve in the present and the future Hope is an optimistic desire.