Be aware.

In life as you change from your old self to the new person you want to become, you’ll begin to shed off ways you were  you did not like, that were not helping you. There will be voices from other people who want to stop your growth, who want to discredit you, who want to bring up your past, who want to stop you from moving forward into good things.

They do this because they have not been wiling to give up their past and become what inside they know they really could become. They are jealous of you and your decision.

They try to bring up your past – all your mistakes, blunders and flaws to draw the eyes and attention of others onto you instead of upon them and their mistakes, blunders and flaws.

Do not be afraid and intimidated by them or their comments. You have made the wise choice. You are moving forward. You are making progress while they are not. You have chosen what is right and good for you. You will be rewarded for it.

Yes, it hurts when others try to remind you and shout to the world about your ugly past – even spreading lies about you. But like the butterfly, you are no longer the caterpillar in the cocoon. You have shed your former self. The metamorphosis has taken place. You are becoming a beautiful butterfly and will fly to different places than you could go as a caterpillar.

From there you can see new horizons. You will see the scramble going on below – of others trying to reach the top, but you are now above all that and you can see clearly, you can think better, and will make better choices.

Don’t revert back to your former ways and be crushed by the thoughts and opinions of others. Keep those wings flying. There is a lot more for you where you are going.

Out and about the other day, watching people and thinking on my own life I wondered aloud to myself:

“Would you take care of you?”

Is the way I take care of me, the way I’d want someone else to take care of me?

• Do I handle myself with care?
• Do I feed myself healthful foods?
• Do I keep my body moving and agile?
• Do I keep myself clean?
• Do I keep my abode neat and tidy?
• Do I have good family relationships as far as I am able?
• Do I have fun projects or something to look forward to doing daily?
• Do I keep good friends and friendships?
• Do I keep my mind clear and clean?
• Do I get out in the sunshine each day?

As I am a good caretaker of me, I know I will be a good caretaker of others.

A large city was about to be destroyed. They had done many bad things.

Two men from a neighboring city came in to see how bad it had gotten. They were hiding under flax stalks on the roof of a harlot. She and the whole city were terrified of impending destruction by the neighboring city. Since she protected the two men, she requested in return they protect her and her entire family… mother, father, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives and kids. The men said yes, ‘Just make sure they hide in your house when we come back.’

She was the one standing for all her family. All of her family were protected because of one…Rahab, the prostitute who decided to see things differently.

Her family didn’t ask to be protected. Maybe didn’t know of the imminent danger or if they had a choice. But Rahab wanted her family to be with her and be kept safe…so she asked for them.

She was the one who asked for them all and all of them were kept only because of her.

Who in our families do we need to be for, to help, to ask on behalf of?