Infographic / Meme Insults are less than a last resort. Click here to see/purchase original image Facebook Share Pintrest Share Share on other social media from my portfolio at SlyFocal.com Share to website via HTML, copy and paste code below: More Infographics and Memes in writer's photography portfolio (if link doesn't work, image is not available in portfolio.) Related Media: We've Been Attacking Each Other (Meme) We've been attacking each other for thousands of years without any new outcome since it started. It's a truth that reflects one simple equation; to solve social unrest, you don't attack people, you attack bad behavior. That takes empathy and education; a more challenging road with better results. My Daughter and the man on the Floor (Article) There we found a man; strung out, shaking, laying on the filthy, infected, cement floor. It was too late to shield her from such a sight. .

Podcast - Forgiveness Pt. 1 - The Introduction Click image to see/purchase in speaker's photography portfolio. Forgiveness Pt. 1 - The Introduction 00:00 / 01:04 Download this podcast free and see more options at: https://redcircle.com/shows/e3a69d09-3bee-49b1-a41a-2c51cb620187/episodes/06681097-4ae1-459b-9cdf-81dc7e62acc9 There were more occasional tears of Joy and a childlike embrace of that new concept: freedom. Share this podcast Last Podcast Next Podcast Share . . Forgiveness Pt. 1 - The Introduction Share podcast More Podcasts Help support these podcasts Thanks for listening :) I spend a lot of late nights and challenging moments working hard. All content is done by me... the writing, recording, editing, web design and setup, photography and publishing content. If you find value in it, please consider any of the following: ​ Supporting my work , Passing it on , subscribing for free updates . Uplifting The Church Pt 5 - You Might Not Know (video) Uplifting The Church Pt 5 - Wake Up Call Uplifting The Church Pt 4 - Shining The Critical Light . Share Podcast . . .

Total Cost of Ownership The choice Short term sacrifice with long term reward, or, long term sacrifice with short term reward. When it comes to the things we own; we often don't look at one very common trait of our purchases; "total cost of ownership". It's basically the long term view of what we will spend on an item; not just when we first purchase it, but also as we spend more later on on things like repair and maintenance. ​ Our lives can be the same way. We often dig into relief from need and turmoil without fully knowing the final cost of such relief. When we buy a car, we might buy the cheaper model thinking we're saving money. But then we sometimes don't pay attention to how much maintenance and repair will add to that cost in the end. So in the long run, we may actually pay more for an initially cheaper car, than for a higher quality machine. In the same way, we can borrow money from a friend or get it from a loan shark. We can get stress relief from prayer and meditation or from a street drug. We can find spiritual benefits in Christ or in something like witchcraft or Wicca. ​ Without knowing what we're in for when we seek what we need; we can easily get cheated by any system that offers solace. In the same way a schoolyard bully knows that a potential follower needs acceptance and control; the Devil knows what each of us is pining for. He knows how to hook us into it and how to offer a quick way to fill the holes. And like a drug dealer knows how to make a pill feel like benign fun, that Devil knows how to make his hooks look innocent and inviting. ​ So how do we avoid getting hooked? Get schooled by the big guy (God). I can tell you from experience, everyone out there offers information on where you can go to get what you need. But there's only one source that offers help that's good for absolutely everyone. So read and watch up. These lessons were given to me; and the more I learned, the more quickly I've been able to discern selfish from selfless, Godless from Godly and and real from fake. ​ The first and foremost step Read the manual to life (AKA; The Bible) , see my article on where to start and how to read. The more we understand something, the less it can hurt us. It's hard to explain; but the more I read the Bible, the more I understand life and everything in it. It's actually pretty interesting, that so much of what applied thousands of years ago still applies now. The more I study it, the more I can identify those who are trying to manipulate it. ​ My own experience and research ​ From dabbling and engaging in other religions, to interviewing others, to engaging in heavy research; I've laid out everything I've learned about how get into the best situations when it comes to long term, total cost of ownership. When it comes to how I maintain my life and how I build my spiritual future; the easy road is usually my last venture. I strength train my soul the same way I do my body; the harder the workout, the bigger the reward. So using easier things like spells, curses and making pacts with someone who wants my whole self in return; after years of trying it both ways, only one is clear... take the path laid out by God's son... it's the short term sacrifice with the long term reward. And here's information on how to avoid the opposite: How to Get Used by the Dark Side (article) - Big business does it. High school cliques do it. But the one at the head of it all; he is, for now, all but condemned for his leadership role in the greatest hidden pyramid scheme the world has ever taken part in. ​ Wicca, Witchcraft, Wile (article) - Like it or not; believe it or not, all humans exist on the same battlefield. That basically leaves us in three potential positions: ​ Fighting for the wrong side, A state of uncertainty or unawareness, or, Fighting for God’s system and God’s family. ​ Cut to the Chase (Personal Peace in Spite of Turmoil) (article) - If we don't use things like the spells and agreements above, how can we find peace and solace in this world? Christ laid that plan out for us. Spiritual Strength Training (article) - Faith is just like strength training, in fact, it is strength training. It's an investment that lowers the total cost of ownership by setting us up for perseverance. The Realism of Sin (podcast) - Whatever the arguments, the total cost of ownership comes at our end; and it's often based on how we behave in this life. Porn is Okay, Right? (article) - I researched, so I could understand the total cost of ownership for looking at porn. What I found were constant cycles of abuse, drug addiction, early death and the stunted ability for the people on the supply side to have true friendships, romances and families. ​ Being a Conduit (article) - Knowing we don't actually own anything is an incredibly liberating lesson. Take it a step further Staying away from the raw deal isn't just about discernment; it's also about closing doors to those who'll try to hook you. The tighter you close them, the harder it is to sway you. The following are ways to do just that, keep yourself in top spiritual shape. Sin, a Realistic View (article) - A practical look at how and why we should close doors to the dark side. ​ ​ ​ ​

The Forgiveness Package Strengthening the spirit is not a straight forward thing. Each one of use leads an individualized life, with our own set of weaknesses and strengths. So for each set there is a package designed specifically for individual purpose. When you're ready, pick a package and get the flow of information and improvement going!

Infographic / Meme Attack Behavior, Not People Click here to see/purchase original image Facebook Share Pintrest Share Share on other social media from my portfolio at SlyFocal.com Share to website via HTML, copy and paste code below: More Infographics and Memes in writer's photography portfolio (if link doesn't work, image is not available in portfolio.) Related Media: Forgiveness (Podcast Series) A childhood that taught me early on to protect myself against harm... An adulthood that became confused by those unfortunate lessons... At one point in my life, I couldn't forgive myself and I couldn't forgive others. Forgiveness (Ebook) An extended version of the podcast series: "Forgiveness", also full of extra info on how I personally learned to forgive myself and others. .

Apologies, The music playlist has been removed until it can be populated with songs that we feel are more true to the original Gospel. If we can find such music, it will be put back here.

Stories of Faith More Stories < Previous Story Next Story > Enoch Kolarov A former life brought him to darkness. An extremely close brush with death changed his course forever. Personal story; how a former life brought him to darkness and how an extremely close brush with death changed his course forever. Enoch details the steps he took through different religions and practices, finally understanding Christianity. Thanks for looking :) I spend a lot of late nights and challenging moments working hard. All content is done by me... the writing, recording, editing, web design and setup, photography and publishing content. If you find value in it, please consider any of the following: ​ Supporting my work , Passing it on , subscribing for free updates . More Media Uplifting The Church Pt 5 - You Might Not Know (video) Sometimes the need for spiritual strength in the church goes far deeper than we can imagine. Uplifting The Church Pt 5 - Wake Up Call If you don’t meet a reaching hand with support, the person reaching will pull that hand back down and may never reach again. Uplifting The Church Pt 4 - Shining The Critical Light Within those moments of prayer and standing against worldly behavior, we find our truest selves, the light we are given to show God's glory. Uplifting The Church - Pt 3 - Who Do We Serve? When those laws are applied to how we interact with each other, our church is uplifted and becomes the sanctuary it should be. Uplifting The Church - Pt 2 - A Personal Story It became an extension of some of the negativity that came from others. It was at that moment I had a chance to put up a barrier between us. Uplifting The Church - Pt 1 - What IS Church? When we do this within our core group first, that group becomes strong enough to set examples and support for those outside of it. What Makes A Christian? I'm tired of the arguments. It's time to cut to the chase. Thanks for looking :) I spend a lot of late nights and challenging moments... Beware of Polished, But Unfinished Opinion "I have examined the evidence for Christianity, and I find it unconvincing." I'm sorry sir, but no, you haven't. Setting A Trap For God's Love (video) God is love. I'm well aware that if I want to live in his house when I leave this body, I have to learn to be a conduit for that love. A Question About How To Forgive (Short Article) She said that she understood the need for forgiveness, but the damage of what had been done ran very deep. Boundaries Can Kill You (tiny article) When we set ourselves up to truly explore something, we end up finding truth, even if we're not prepared for the truth we find. Close To Death; A Powerful, Personal Story; From Selfish To Evangelist (video) How a former life brought him to darkness and how an extremely close brush with death changed his course forever.

Fight Right - Scripture for Battle Skip article and go right to the scripture list ​ ​ I’ve been through countless scores of confrontations with people. We’ve all seen them; the person at work, home, school, church or any social situation who tweaks us the wrong way; moments when tension broke acceptable barriers and social ties get damaged. But battles between people, while they are the most visible, they are not the end of what we face. There are also battles in the areas of life we can’t see and often aren’t aware of. We live our lives through our conventional senses. And the rest, the parts we can’t see; they’re put on a shelf and kept out of our every day language and consciousness. The most influential problem is; what we don’t know can and does hurt us. That’s why you have insisting people like me running around telling the story; it’s about the battle for the human mind and the darkened corners that war is waged from. The fight is everywhere Confrontation is a part of life on Earth. It’s impossible to exist here without coming across consistent, multiple forms of opposition. Staying afloat takes a constant balancing act between sanity and a straight jacket. Over the years (thousands that is), our challenges as humans have grown; and these days, they’re growing exponentially. The technology , anger and deception that threaten to bind us; they’re expanding every day. And the devil hasn’t skipped a beat, watching as an opportunist and putting his hands in all of it. We’re living in such an emergent world, that daily life is starting to feel overwhelming to more and more people; especially those who work toward God’s enlightenment of self and society. Life is hard for anyone who doesn’t want to play the friend of the world game. In other words, if you don’t support the corruption this world is basically run on, you don’t fit. See/purchase image in writer's photography portfolio ​ ​ It’s becoming clearer Lately, I’m seeing this fight everywhere; not because I think it’s the end of days (I really don’t know), but because I’m progressively waking up to faith. The more I experiment with, observe and adapt into Christianity; the more the heart of our personal battles is exposed to me. The fog between myself and my truest enemy is lifting. As I seek I find; therefore his efforts to make himself look like nobody and nothing have reached catastrophic failure for me. And behind the onslaught, peering past each blow to my world; I see him, the devil. Even though it’s convenient to write this stuff off as crazy, a truth remains; that when the logic and patterns are traced down it’s not hard to see systemic function. In other words, the devil and his battle for human hearts and minds are real, active and easy to see if you pay enough attention. My experience Before I knew much about the Bible, before I began properly researching and testing how to fight for my own mind, heart and spirit; I spent years trying to build my own tools to fight evil. I had a “my way” attitude. The independence was a bit fulfilling. I’d put up some resistance, throw out some of my own wit, then imagine myself striking a warrior’s pose while thinking something like “Yeah! Thought you could knock me down!”. That worked for a moment, but was always followed not long after with a blindsided hit to myself and my own. Even though I have ample strength and skill when fighting most human opponents; that did not prepare me for one who had the anger of being disowned by God, and thousands of years of practice in throwing a fit over it. To boot, I was joining the enemy’s system without knowing it. Even if it seemed like I had a reason to get mean (as everyone thinks they do, when they do), I was fighting out of anger and pride. I pushed love out the window and fought the way I learned to as a kid, the way the devil taught many I grew up around. But, ultimately, I am responsible for what words and actions I put out. That means I have to choose to fight smart, not mean. That means I have to drop my pride and choose a method designed by someone who can’t be wrong, someone who is perfect, someone called God. And now I’ve done it both ways; the way of my self-righteous pride and the way presented by Christ. Only one of them works longer than a minute. Divide and conquer Understand this; the enemy wants us to think we can do it on our own. Why? Because the more we puff out our chests and firmly point our fingers, the more we become separated from the ways that actually work. We tell our Father we will do it our way and the devil smiles, rubs his hands together and digs in. Divide and conquer takes hold and the enemy scores big. It’s a living thing “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 KJV ​ The same verse in the NIV: ​ "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." ​ What does that mean? I don't know. But my bestimation (yeah, it's a word now) is that it's actually a form of energy, guided by vocabulary. Maybe God himself listens for this scripture and acts on it. Maybe he's created a module that gets activated by the words. All I know for sure is that it works. It beats temptation down harder than any self-centered, action-hero-movie-like movement or statement I've ever come up with. It brings strength and confidence that are greater than any human, mob mentality I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot). An example set by Jesus ​ Christ himself set the example of what I’m talking about here. When he was met with temptation and attempted misinformation; he didn’t puff out his chest, beat on it a few times and shout “I pity the fool!”. Jesus didn’t sit and think about how he could outwit the devil. He didn’t design and set traps, put up warning signs or fight fire with fire. He simply opened his mouth and let out the sword given to him by his Father. The same sword given to all of us. Jesus Christ used scripture as defense. Scripture List See/purchase image in writer's photography portfolio ​ ​ Christ... 40 days in the wilderness; fasting, starving, probably having his defenses weakened in many other ways. I'm imagining how grumpy and weak-minded I get if I've not eaten for just a handful of hours. And yet, Christ apparently had a purpose for this moment and knew it, because when the devil came to him and arrogantly said "If thou be the son of God, command that these stones be made bread.", Jesus responded: "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." - Jesus Christ, Matthew 4:4 KJV ​ Did you catch the "It is written" part? Jesus was referring directly to scripture that had already been written before his time. It happens to be the same scripture we have access to in the manual to life , the Bible. During that 40 days, this was not the only time Christ quoted scripture to push off the devil. Know your scripture. That means reading the the manual to life and then, rereading. Why? Because Satan knows it inside and out. That means he knows how to quote it and, even worse, he can easily manipulate the context. So if you’re not too familiar, he can use it to lead you astray without suspicion. It’s only when you start to know the bible well, that you can grab it from his hands and correct him. The good news The system of spiritual battle has been well established. There are many modules you have to work on , but this one is one of the biggest: read scripture and bring out the word of God into the battle. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You don’t have to exhaust yourself. You don’t have to waste your time and invite more trouble like I did. As we strive to be whole humans, we have to cover every base we can. That means even the hidden ones. So practice remaining aware of the enemy’s ways . When hardship, discouragement and temptations come, dig in, and pull out the sword that God has strapped to your side. ​ ​ ​ The scripture list A list of passages for general protection ​ Each page has about 2 minutes worth of reading. ​ General Battle Scripture (Set 1) The first list of passages for general protection. ​ General Battle Scripture (Set 2) The second list of passages for general protection. ​ General Battle Scripture (Set 3) The third list of passages for general protection. ​ General Battle Scripture (Set 4) The fourth list of passages for general protection. ​ A list of passages for more specific purposes ​ Battle Scripture - Mob Mentality A list of passages for fighting peer pressure and mob mentality. ​ Thanks for reading :) I spend a lot of late nights and challenging moments working hard. All content is done by me... the writing, recording, editing, web design and setup, photography and publishing content. If you find value in it, please consider any of the following: ​ Supporting my work , Passing it on , subscribing for free updates . ​ .

Infographic / Meme Preparing Myself To Do God's Work Click here to see/purchase original image Facebook Share Pintrest Share Share on other social media from my portfolio at SlyFocal.com Share to website via HTML, copy and paste code below: More Infographics and Memes in writer's photography portfolio (if link doesn't work, image is not available in portfolio.) Related Media: ​ ​ .

Podcast - Introduce Yourself to God Click image to see/purchase in speaker's photography portfolio. Introduce Yourself to God 00:00 / 01:04 Download this podcast free and see more options at: https://redcircle.com/shows/e3a69d09-3bee-49b1-a41a-2c51cb620187/episodes/f9df61d2-9e28-47b8-9261-5f4c7ae61b4e Get angry. Pound a fist or two. Ask God if He's even there. Then watch one of the coolest things you'll ever see; He answers with love. Share this podcast Last Podcast Next Podcast Share . . Introduce Yourself to God Share podcast More Podcasts Help support these podcasts Thanks for listening :) I spend a lot of late nights and challenging moments working hard. All content is done by me... the writing, recording, editing, web design and setup, photography and publishing content. If you find value in it, please consider any of the following: ​ Supporting my work , Passing it on , subscribing for free updates . Uplifting The Church Pt 5 - You Might Not Know (video) Uplifting The Church Pt 5 - Wake Up Call Uplifting The Church Pt 4 - Shining The Critical Light . Share Podcast . . .

A Prayer for My Family From Shawn December 5, 2018 at 5:00:00 AM I need help praying for this venture, GettingToGod.com. Firstly we need to heal the strain on a family relationship, due to our need for help. We want this business to grow for the purpose of supporting ourselves, creating places and programs for education (with an emphasis on spiritual education) and helping others get on their feet financially. We have the art, education and many other skills that we need to build on. We just need a boost. Share prayer: Share Prayer See all prayers Ask for prayer See image in writer's photography portfolio.

Infographic / Meme Wow. Look at all the tools we have to justify short term reward. Click here to see/purchase original image Facebook Share Pintrest Share Share on other social media from my portfolio at SlyFocal.com Share to website via HTML, copy and paste code below: More Infographics and Memes in writer's photography portfolio (if link doesn't work, image is not available in portfolio.) Related Media: Back To The Manual In God's time, it's only a day after the word was written. Policy hasn't changed. Still the same God. Still the same Christ. Cleaner Spiritual Living I have this sort of mind blowing set of personal experiences; that is, events and choices that have clearly shown me some wonderful rewards for cleaning up my life, and my behavior. .