When I was going to college I loved drawing and painting as many things as I could. I was a graphic design major but I tried to make or create illustrations for every one of my projects. What a wonderful time that was! Spending hours upon hours every day drawing, designing, painting and creating with one of the happiest times of my life. Time would just fly by and I had no idea what time it was.

One day I was working on a very detailed airbrush project and I started painting at about 10 o’clock in the morning in my studio on campus. I didn’t know how much time and passed when one of my fellow students asked if I wanted to get something to eat? I replied that I wasn’t very hungry for lunch yet. He said, “Lunch? It’s dinnertime!”

Over seven hours had passed and it literally felt like just one or two.

During this wonderful time of growth and expansion in my life, I was always struck by one thing in the art world. It really applies to more areas than just art and includes sculpture, posters, television, radio, movies, etc. What I’m talking about is the fact that it is a lot easier to create something that is dark, negative, depressing and evil that it is to make something light, positive, uplifting and good.

I made it a personal goal to always try to do positive and uplifting things, but in the world of art that isn’t always easy. But you don’t have to look very far to see similar examples. How many movies today are made purely for money at the expense of anything of value in life? Anything that is of virtue, beauty or good is trashed or destroyed by that which is dark and evil in exchange for a few dollars. In many cases life itself is esteemed as of little value.

Why some people pay money to see some of these movies is beyond me. Since Satan is a real individual, why exchange hard-earned money for him to have a greater influence in your life? Would you pay money to jump into the local sewer plant? Would you whip out your credit card to drink poison? Hardly likely, yet that is what many people do when it comes to their choices of music, books and movies that go right into their brain and never leaves.

Have you ever watched a skyscraper being built? For years it seemed like nothing is happening. There is just a bunch of men running around with some bulldozers but there really is nothing to be seen. But then all of a sudden you start to see a structure, and then some substance and finally an attractive covering. The planning, engineering, construction and production of a building that costs millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of man hours of labor is a wonder to behold.

Yet it can all be destroyed in minutes as witnessed by the disaster of 9/11.

Relationships are the same way or I should say, good relationships are. They take a long time to develop. They take communication and sharing of ideas and experiences. They require a give-and-take and little by little they become quite solid. But they can be destroyed in an instant. Infidelity, affairs, harsh words and the truth coming out can be worse than dynamite to a 20 story building.

I think you get my point. When we focus on that which is good and put forth all of our energy and effort to create something of value for ourselves, our families, our communities and nation should be rewarded and supported. Those individuals who seek to find a quick way to the top or a fast way to earn a few dollars should not be supported. Those politicians who are doing everything they can to destroy the Constitution (something that took many many years to finally take shape) all in the name of expediency and their own kingly desires, should be voted out of office.

But our goal and focus should be looking towards the light and the good, and turning our face away from the evil and darkness that is around us. Realize that nothing of value comes without effort in opposition, otherwise where would the reward be? Where would the sense of accomplishment be felt if things just came easily?

So what kind of person are you? Are you the one that builds and helps another reach their goals? Do you encourage them, strengthen them and overlook their weaknesses? Or are you something else?

Many times when you ask people this question, even ones that have demonstrated a clear direction towards negativity will all say that they are a positive person who uplifts others. It is a rare person that will admit to their negative demeanor. No one wants to be seen or recognized in such a fashion.

But sometimes people act out of jealousy and envy and seek to tear down those who are accomplishing something. Because of their own failures many people cannot enjoy the successes of others. It’s too easy to point the blame somewhere else and believe that it was just luck on their part.

But real growth comes with the struggle. It’s part of the real reward.

We live in one of the most tumultuous times in all of history. It seems that the world itself is coming apart at the seams and even the very crust of it witnesses of our crazy times in terms of earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis. There is so much good in the world at the same time there so much evil.

While most astonishing statistics is the amount of bandwidth of the Internet devoted to the sex trade. It is said that over 25% of all searches are for such perversions. It is said that this industry makes more money every year than the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball all combined together! This wonderful computer I am typing this on with Internet access to the world can bring me the answers to almost any question I wish, yet 25% of all its use is for the destruction of personal values. But because it’s big business with a lot of influence is not likely to go away.

The basic foundation of society since the days of Adam and Eve have been the family, yet it is under attack from every possible angle. I will speak more about this another time. Children have the right to be born to a father and mother who love and care for them.

My call today is for you to look at your life and see which direct your going. Ask yourself some real hard honest questions about where you stand, what you believe in and what you are working for? If you’ve made mistakes along the way, I urge you to come back and get on the right path. It’s never too late but it does get harder the longer you wait.

I believe that the brightest days in the history of the earth are coming to us. There will be even more inventions and revelations coming to enlighten us. Things are going to happen that the prophets of old have foreseen but had no words to describe it. Please try to do all you can to take advantage of that which is light and good and help someone else see the light within them. Be a builder and not a destroyer.

It’ll make you shine.

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