When Hate is Too Great a Burden to Bear

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Life Quotes)

Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. ~ Psalm 21:8 (King James Version) 

My Thoughts: 

When we talk less and listen closely to things that are published, we can gather lots of information, including some negative things that are being said about us. Some of the talk that is “heard through the grapevine,” comes from people who we discover to be our enemies. That’s when we have to use our knowledge to determine how we want to deal with those who hate us. 

Hating those who hate us is too great a burden to bear. But, we know we can’t ever turn our back to our enemies. We have to watch and pray, and always be prepared to defend ourselves with a sound and righteous plan. Our enemies are always plotting and looking for ways to destroy us.

The enemy doesn’t care how he or she destroys. Their only purpose is to win. They have no remorse. They see their accomplishment as a victory. An enemy can’t be a friend. That would be impossible.

__Ellen J. Barrier

Author/Musician/Product Consultant/Other

When Unpleasant News Causes a Lack of Hope

News Headlines
July 06, 2012 Weak job report out today: 
84,000 jobs reportedly were added in June. Many are disappointed.

“Very seldom will a person give up on himself. He continues to have hope because he knows he has the potential for change ... Yet people are very quick to give up on friends, and especially on their spouses, to declare them hopeless, and to either walk away or do nothing more than resign themselves to a bad situation”.

Hugh Prather (Life Quotes Lib)

Why art thou cast down, O my soul?  And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. Psalm 42:5 (K.J.V)

Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.   Psalm 42:8 (K.J.V)

My Thoughts:

Hope is the strength that everyone needs to persevere in the face of unpleasant news.  It is a waste of time and energy to focus on unpleasant news, when one can best help themselves and others by thinking of ways to deal with an unpleasant situation, in a positive manner.

In regards to the economy, we have to work together and help each other. Blaming someone else for the slow growth of the economy, won’t help it to grow.  There are too many other reasons for the cause of the economy to be weak; some of them are beyond our human ability to understand.

When each of us look within ourselves as having the ability to change things, and is willing to work with others to bring about positive changes, we are a powerful force.  With God on our side, nothing can stop our success.

__Ellen J. Barrier
Author/Musician/Product Consultant
website: http://barriersbooks.1wp.com/

Steps for a Successful Business

There are many ways individuals can earn income. The first step is knowing what he or she want to do. That begins with the most important interest one has.

We all have a talent or a hobby. The next step is to perfect that interest, by receiving the necessary training to accomplish a goal. Receiving training helps an individual to develop a solid plan for a career.

Taking the time to train properly will help to put together a sound plan for your business. Be patient with yourself, while training and putting together your plan. The mistake most people make is wanting to hurry and finish the training too quickly, rather than carefully learning all of the information they need.

One problem that many young business people make, is wanting to have their business to immediately be equal to those who have been in the company for many years. A new business regardless of how good its potential is to become a big business, cannot happen overnight.

I know of some people who I worked with, found out about some of the others who had build a huge clientele and were making "mega bucks." They were driving fancy cars, had expensive suites for their business and lived in the high income neighborhoods. These young business people had barely finished their training, and wanted the same things those people had. That is a setup for failure. It takes lots of years to get to where those people were. It could take three or more years of very hard intense work and careful planning, before a decent income can begin.

Some people get impatient and give up when they don't see lots of money coming in immediately, and move on to something else. Many such people involve themselves with several different kinds of training programs and create lots of debts and expenses, because of a lack of patience, and never achieve success. Those who were patient and continued to stay the course, and accepted advice from those whose businesses were successful, became successful, themselves years later. They actually saved money, by waiting and taking the time to continue improving on their plan until it became successful, now they are making "big bucks."

___ Ellen J. Barrier

Author/Musician/Product Consultant/Other

Visit us @ http://barriersbooks.com/Hot-Items

It’s OK to Be Different from Others

“My kids are starting to notice I'm a little different from the other dads. "Why don't you have a straight job like everyone else?" they asked me the other day.
__Tom Waits

I told them this story:

In the forest, there was a crooked tree and a straight tree. Every day, the straight tree would say to the crooked tree, "Look at me...I'm tall, and I'm straight, and I'm handsome. Look at you...you're all crooked and bent over. No one wants to look at you." And they grew up in that forest together. And then one day the loggers came, and they saw the crooked tree and the straight tree, and they said, "Just cut the straight trees and leave the rest." So the loggers turned all the straight trees into lumber and toothpicks and paper. And the crooked tree is still there, growing stronger and stranger every day.”

― Tom Waits

WHY boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou loveth evil more than good; and lying more than righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy thee forever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

Psalm 52:1-5 (King David)

Story:

The Foolish, Pride, Self-righteous, and Vain People, Status with God

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed this with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

The Effects:

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

God’s Righteous Judgment:

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

St. Luke 18:9-14 (King James Bible)

My Thoughts:

“And the crooked tree is still there, growing stronger and stranger every day.”

_ Tom Waits

Although the author of this quote was criticized, and poked fun at for being different, as was the publican in the parable that Jesus gave, the two men were achievers.  We find that being different can work for the individual who are comfortable with themselves, and most importantly work hard to achieve greatness. In the case of the publican, who prayed to God for help, many others do the same.

To be an achiever in the face of criticism, one has to stay focused on their goal. Failure comes when  negative thoughts are allowed to enter into the mind.  Avoiding negative influences while working on a goal, is the best approach to take,  in order to become an achiever.

I have been confronted with criticism many times, and told, I couldn’t reach my goals. My message to those who criticized me was, and remains, I will never give up!  

Some people view my work as strange. Like the author of the quote, I am growing stronger and stranger every day. I am humble, and prayerful to God daily for his mercy to me. 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Jeremiah 29:11

Sources:

Scriptures: King James Bible

Quote: Goodreads

Ellen J. Barrier
Author/Musician/Product Consultant

See Ellen Barrier's Quotes @ https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/21899691-ellen-barrier

Confidence to Succeed in Competition

Faith

Faith is a process in action. It cannot exist without work.

A process in action produces progress.

Imagination produces dreams.

Dreams without a process in action never progress.

Action produces progress that makes dreams come true.

When it comes to competing with the best and brightest in whatever your talents or educational skills are, you have to have the confidence within yourself that you are able to achieve.

___ Ellen J. Barrier

Competing Against all Odds

In today’s world, many of us are competing against all odds, while climbing the ladder of success. The competition is very tough and stressful. We have to be willing to make tough sacrifices that will include lots of self- discipline, while climbing the ladder of success with lots of others, who want the same things we do - and are willing to compete at any cost, to gain power and wealth.

For females, it can be a challenge when working with a large group of males. This is when you find out who you are: Can you compete in a man’s world? Do you have the stuff it takes to maintain self-worth, and achievement? Are you hungry enough to take your stand on the same battlefield in life, and fight for power and wealth, and walk away when the battle is over with honor and power?

To be a successful competitor, one has to be committed to their goal. The answer to each of the questions  above, has to be YES!

Regardless of gender, one has to be willing to take what belongs and what has been promised, by not backing down and by not giving up.  Never be willing to throw in the towel and accept defeat!

"Here is the world.  Beautiful and terrible things will happen.  Don't be afraid".  ~Frederick Buechner

Challenges: 

Character assassination, grudges, jealousy, hate, lies, sexual advances,  plots to end another individual's career, or cause someone to lose their job.

If you have worked hard to accomplish your goals, and have invested  financial income, spent many hours in class rooms, and training to get an education, and  have made many sacrifices toward your career, or a position you hold on your job, competing on the same battlefield of life, while climbing the ladder of success, with others; many of whom are arrogant, greedy, mean, selfish and are uncaring. Some of those same people are without a conscious: Being afraid is not an option for you. You have earned the beautiful things that life offers by staying committed to your goals. Enjoy your success!

__ Ellen J. Barrier

Author/Musician/Product Consultant/Other