The Christian views that I have been raised with is the pillar and support of the way I live and raise my family. I have taught my family that with faith in God you can and will overcome any obstacles. The true way to seek understanding is through prayer to God. When you truly know God and know the true words of God, you will be able to recognize and combat false teachings.

Another Christian view is to have an “understanding heart”, that is to learn right motive and to be able to discern bad motives of our own or those of others. By adhering to the right motivation one can avoid being distracted and misled into a devious and foolish life. Pray for true understanding through prayer and ask God to guide you and help you understand his true law. It is necessary that our belief be demonstrated by baptism. Once we are baptized we try and keep ourselves clean from fornication and idolatry. We should also live our lives according to bible principles. We should stay away from anger, obscene talk, stealing and drunkenness and live our lives according to bible principles. A true Christian view is to have outstanding love towards one another and love among ourselves.

I must admit that in some ways I was not aging gracefully. At age 45, I was nearly 100 percent gray and my hair was starting to thin. As I looked in the mirror each morning I often fantasize about a “one-stitch facelift”, just enough to tide me over until I am a bona fide senior citizen.

On the other had I really didn’t care anymore what others thought of me. I have embraced the thought of getting older and enjoying my life. I often let the “I don’t care” attitude influence my actions. I refuse to work overtime because I believe that it is bad for my soul. I have a new attitude about taking care of myself by making sure I have plenty of me time. Growing older doesn’t have to be a negative experience. There is a lot to celebrate about aging. I am like a fine wine; aging has helped me to mellow and develop out tastes for appreciating the finer things in life. Now that I have changed my way of thinking I can enjoy the pleasure of growing older. I refuse to make my own sickness by living an unhealthy lifestyle. I have learned that one’s attitude about aging and life in general is critical to happiness. As I grow older I am able to laugh at myself and the world, I do not take things so seriously anymore.

I remember hearing my mother complaining to a friend when she turned 45 that the grave was in sight. I never really understood her comment back then. Now that I am well past 64 and I am moving on to the most exciting time of my life. I find that I have so many new things to experience with modern technology. I signed myself up for some basic computer classes at the local city college. I have discovered the remarkable capacity of my new laptop to send and receive emails. I cannot tell you how much pleasure I am having getting older. I have enough time to reread many of my old favorite books from my youth and I am enjoying new books with new writers. Without a rigid schedule my wife and I are able to go out and enjoy lunch at the local diner. We also enjoy going on mini vacation spots near our city that we never had time to visit before. I now have time to sit back and think, write to my friends and family, visit friends and help the local library. There is a poem about growing old by Robert Browning that sure got it right and I often quote “Grow old along with me!/ The best is yet to be.”

For many people today, living a good life may seem like a dream but if that is what you really perceive to be than, you may never attain the good life. You should not consider the good life as a destination. So you ask “what is a good life”? A good life is real and can be experienced today and everyday in your life. Once you experience the good life everyday will be fulfilling and you will find pleasure in doing good.

Ask yourself “What is the one thing we all posses and value?” and that would be our unique selves. Many of us look to others for opinions on new products, technology and their opinions. By sharing our opinions we are expressing our true selves and we should take pleasure in doing this. We all bring to the table a different perspective and thought, we all learn from what others express. By giving your unique value away we attain the good life. We should share our unique values, and only in sharing will we feel valued. In living a good life we should show others what you can do for them. Show your enthusiasm and willingness to give, share your smile with others. Share your time by giving an hour or a day to another and share your creativity and skills to teach someone something new. By sharing what is unique about ourselves and be truthful, honest and willing. Give of yourself so that others can gain. At the end of the day, reflect on what you did during the day that made you feel the best about yourself. Enriching another person’s life with your unique gift is living a good life.

When you look at Christianity compared to other religions, there are not many differences between them. To me, I think Christianity is in some ways is pretty similar to Catholicism. Through Christianity you can find all the elements found in the Catholic Church. They both agree that God is the creator and that Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Some Christian views show that they do not believe in receiving communion. They also believe that there are only two sacred sacraments instead of seven, like the Catholics believe. Another big thing that can get confused between the two is that Christians believe that Mary was holy but did believe that she sinned just like everyone else. Catholics are known to believe that she was full of love and did not ever sin. Following Mary’s death it has been known through the catholic bible that she was sent straight to heaven right after her death. But just as everyone else Christianity says that she was buried like everyone else had been at the time. When talking about God and Jesus Christianity has nothing much different compared to other religions like Islam believers, Catholics, and Protestants. Just a few key things are different through other religions. Religions are all different but all have the same goal to become closer to the Lord and live a life that is free of sin.

Living a Christian life is not easy especially in today’s world. I have found much pleasure in leading a Christian life; it has enabled me to grow in ways I wouldn’t have known before. Finding the Christian faith has given me a sense of belonging and fulfillment. I see each person as a brother or sister and not just a stranger. In living a Christian life I have discovered dignity and value that I did not have before. By leading a Christian life I can also help others to lead a happier life by helping them to get to know God and helping them to open their eyes to the truth through payer and solidarity. A true Christian is not above others, but lives to give the light of God to others. It makes me happy spreading the word of the Lord and giving people hope in times of trouble. The changes faith makes in our lives is real and lasting. The Christian lifestyle is packed with values that you can use in any stage of your life. The Christian lifestyle has been tried and tested and has always been reliable because God himself has guaranteed it himself. Being a Christian is more than just a lifestyle. It is the purest way of experiencing life itself. A life without end.

When growing older you must have the right mindset. You can not dwell on the past because you can never get that back. Being older I feel more confident in my life and I know where I stand. I enjoy growing older and wiser as the years move on. They sometimes move faster than I would like them too but that is not under my control. I guess you can say that the golden years have now overtaken me. Now that I have entered the season of the golden years of my life, I rejoice because it has been a great season of teaching for me. I sometimes hear my friends say how they hate growing older and complain about all the aches and pains they now have with old age. Yes, physical maladies may hinder some abilities to do certain activities, but it will not stop me from living a joyful life. You cannot stop living because you are growing older, you need to continue playing the game of life and keep moving, laughing and loving. I have embraced the aging process and I am not afraid of a few wrinkles, aches and pains. You should wake up to each new day excited to see what it brings.

I am a big believer of giving and trying to help my neighbor. Giving and helping others gives me a good feeling for my soul and body. I know that I have been blessed and I can spread those blessing by helping others. It is said that you should decide in your heart how to give. I have been taught through my religious upbringing that you should not give reluctantly or in response to pressure. I believe that those who share freely and give generously will have their good deeds remembered forever. I was taught to do good, to others since I was young. As a good Christian, the emphasis of doing good is even more evident. We should do good and help others because we want to and it should come from your heart.

I really think that when people are involved in a cause or care about giving it gives them a good feeling knowing that they are able to make a difference in someone’s life. You never hear of a person who is giving and caring complaining or looking for answers to why they don’t feel good or why they are not happy. Many people today spend their lives chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, only to find that money doesn’t buy happiness. Or they try and fill their lives with material items that may give them some short term satisfaction but in the end they continue to look to fill the emptiness in their life. I know that acting on my values gives me happiness no matter what they may be.

Who doesn’t want to live a prosperous life? Who wants to be miserable and self loathing? There is a way to be happy and lead a prosperous life. By believing in and praying to God, we can get great things.  We all have a purpose in life. We were created by God for something much greater than we can ever imagine. So, take the steps to a more rewarding and prosperous life.

Get to know God. He loves us more than anyone can ever love us. Tell Him your feelings, dreams and goals. You can find peace and prosperity through prayer and belief. Share your day with God; He wants to know everything you did in your day. Look to scriptures for all your questions; they have all the answers and in the scriptures there are promises of a healthy, wealthy and prosperous life. Try not to live life by the world’s standards. Do not live like people without guidance. One should stay strong in his/her faith and beliefs, and don’t let anyone take that away. Don’t wait to be happy; you can’t afford to be miserable. Take that first step into living a pleasurable, prosperous life, today. Overcome the life of unhappiness and start enjoying a prosperous life by rejecting negative thoughts.

More to come on controling our thoughts.