The Good
From almost every person you meet, if you get to know them to any extent at all, there will be “something good” you can learn and try out for yourself, study, note, observe, consider, emulate or even adopt into your lifestyle or everyday life. However, make a habit of looking for good traits, characteristics, habits, mannerisms, phraseologies, personalities, facial expressions, reactions, actions and speech. Then, carefully consider them. The object is to note the very best in other people and incorporate those “something goods” into your life.

Examples might include: saying “Yes” instead of “Yup.”; smiling whenever you greet someone for the first time; avoiding glancing at your watch during a speech; showing more emotion and empathy when someone shares some personal bad news; speaking more clearly; not cussing; being more outgoing; being more engaging with people; or just giving a casual “hello” to a total stranger. The list could be endless and will be different for each person. But try it. It will expand your personality, provide you with a greater variety of friends and acquaintances and generally make life more interesting!

Note that there is no suggestion for labeling anyone as “good.”

The Bad
Unfortunately, these are easier to learn and “try out for yourself”! However, if you recognize the elements as “bad,” you have made a great first step. Just as you can be aware of the good, you can also be aware of the bad. This is actually fairly easy to do, unless you frequently associate with people who have the same bad traits, characteristics, habits, etc.; then you will usually, and often involuntarily, pickup the same elements. When you find this happening, it should be a warning sign. Just maybe, these are not the people you should be associating with frequently; but when you do associate with them, note these elements but look for something good. Almost everyone has at least one or a few “something goods,” even though the bad elements may predominate, at least from your perspective.

Note that there is no suggestion for labeling anyone as “bad.”

The Rest
Until you get to know a particular person, most people will fall into “the rest.” As noted above, categorizing people is not the objective. The objective is to take good elements from some, note and avoid the bad elements from others and learn from the rest if, as and when you get to know them.

You are in college to learn, more specifically to learn how to learn. Learn as much as you can about people, consider emulating the good elements in people and consider avoiding emulating the bad elements. Knowing the difference is key. The best guidance for such discernment is, without question, something which only comes from the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word, the Bible.

Thank you for reading!

Habits
Every morning without fail, you need to pray. Show the Lord you put him first in all that you do, think and say; and ask Him to help you do that. Then read your Bible. You do have a Bible, right? If not, get One.

The main point here is not to turn you into a religious nut, a Jesus freak, a holy roller or any other religious cliche. The point is to form the habit of putting the Lord first and giving Him the opportunity to work in your life. If you don’t ask, He often is not going to work for you. The exception is intercessory prayer; meaning that somebody else is praying for you. But if that is the case, one of the first things they are going to pray about is for you to ask Christ into you life (if you have not already done so), pray and read your Bible.

Practices
Many books and countless articles have been written on how to live the Christian life. Understandably in today’s society in the U.S., these are often descriptions of “What not to do.” These might include: smoking (eating), drinking (something without alcohol), cussing (thinking, “Does this help me or anyone else?”), dancing (exercising), living with a person of the opposite sex you are not married to (creating and enjoying a family), doing drugs (doing a sport or hobby), living immorally (living righteously), etc. (enjoying life – forever!). In parenthesis I have included simple, obvious, and sometimes innocuous, activities you could do in their place. So read the list again, in light of this intent. The parenthetical suggestions are certainly more healthy, both physically and spiritually.

These practices will provide you with more, closer and longer lasting relationships, more respect from teachers, bosses, relatives and friends, and a more enjoyable life! Will any of these, or even the “habits” above, prevent the trials and tribulations of life? Absolutely not! We all have to go through good times and bad. As Frank Sinatra once said and sang, “That’s Life!” However they will, immeasurably, help you deal with them and lead a more stable life. This means you will be able to “Meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two imposters just the same,” as written in the famous poem “— If —” by Rudyard Kipling.

Following Through
You have enough challenges in college without engaging in blatant sin – missing the mark, activities and contemplations you know are wrong and unrighteous living. Every challenge in college should be met head-on, studied carefully, considered on its merits, analyzed when necessary, and overcome, solved or dismissed as unnecessary. However, none should be ignored.

You are in college to learn, academically, financially, socially and spiritually. So follow through, and learn everything you can!

Thank you for reading!

Humans are social creatures, always have been and always will be. When a person is isolated, for whatever reason, that person will move toward self-centeredness and tend to not only exclude others but also develop a resentment for them. All of us need some social relationships.

How Many?
Some of us, particularly women, may need many social relationships. Some of these will be best friends; others will be close friends and still others friends or just acquaintances. Strive to have not more than one to three best friends and not more than two to four close friends. A person’s number of friends and acquaintances may vary significantly, depending on how social they choose to be or become.

I purposely chose the numbers above based on personal experience, knowing a wide variety of people and guidance from the Lord. Exceed one or two best friends and they may be competing for the position. Exceed two to four close friends and they too may be competing; but you will find yourself falling short of spending sufficient time with each to maintain a close relationship. Moving someone from a friend or acquaintance to a close friend is where the decision can be challenging. However, it is more important to maintain a relationships than to strive for many relationships, especially if the latter is to gain popularity.

Be cordial and friendly to many and perhaps most or all. But only be really close to a few. Then you will find yourself and your friends minimizing such problems as envy, jealousy and unforgiveness – each of which could easily be the subjects for a whole series of articles the size of this one.

Preserving Social Relationships Through Forgiveness
Have you ever been totally in the wrong, yet the person who was hurt the most came to you and forgave you? It’s a great feeling; but it often only comes after many feelings of guilt and consternation, which may last for hours, days or even weeks. Had the person who was hurt the most come to you and forgave you earlier, the time period of guilt and consternation would have been easier to bear, and would have had less chance to turn into bitterness and resentment.

However, repenting (meaning turning 180 degrees away from a wrong, a known sin) and asking for forgiveness, both from God and the wronged person, is always the best course of action. And one of the best parts of doing this, providing you are sincere, is that it does not matter whether the wronged person forgives you or not. You have done your part to make it right. If you need more explanation, reference the Lords Prayer in Mathew 6:12, which admonishes all to “Forgive us our debts, as we for give our debtors.” That says volumes toward attaining and maintain the proper attitude during difficult situations and circumstances.

Helping Others With The Proper Attitude
Do you exercise control over your attitude? You will seldom be able to help others with a “poor attitude” unless you can control your own attitude. Particularly a best friend or a close friend, and sometimes others, may depend on you for stability and reference. It is very difficult, and usually impossible in the short term, to change another person’s poor attitude. A gentle word, a reassurance of friendship or a short word of forgiveness may do much to help another discover the proper attitude.

Life is not fair. And that is a fact. If you believe life must be fair, you will often have an improper attitude toward others. Whatever you believe “fair” to be, treat others that way, but do not always expect them to do the same to you. Except from a best friend or a close friend, it seldom happens; and even they may sometimes not treat you fairly.

I have purposely excluded mentioning girlfriends and boyfriends. You should not have to learn how to be come a social worker to understand that all of the above applies, but dealing the associated emotions and potential complications may be the subject several future articles. However, if you need help right now, reference the website “Everything Intersecting College Life” for more guidance and direction.

Thank you for reading!

At one time or another, we all must ask for help. However, before asking for help from others, we often must try to solve or address our situations, problems or fears by ourselves. I say “often” because sometimes the situation, problem or fear is simply overwhelming; then, ask for help from someone, usually a professional, immediately. You may need a lawyer for a situation, a professional in a particular field for a problem or the police to address a fear. However, these are rare. The very sheltered college or university environment often provides the legal, professional or police help or protection on a constant, 24/7 basis. However, financial, social and spiritual help is often not as easy, available or even known. For this and the next two weeks, we will address these three, starting with financial.

Get a job! Obviously, it should be part-time because you are a full-time student. But you need to earn and manage your own resources; and money is a great resource to learn to manage.

Savings
Just because you earned it does not mean you have to spend it. Or, just because you were given money, by parents, other relatives or through an educational loan or grant, does not mean you have to spend it immediately! Learn the meaning of the phrases discretionary income, reserve funds, miscellaneous funds, contingency funds, emergency funds and rainy day funds. Depending on your exact situation, you may need separate saving accounts for some or all of these. But learn to save. If you are not sure how much, start with 5 or 10 percent of whatever you earn or receive; both are easy to figure and you will be forming a habit with the potential to serve you extremely well for the rest of your life!

Budgeting
Know where you money is being spent! Put your income and expenses in a spreadsheet or financial records program and review or update the data daily, every few days or not more than weekly. Again, you will be forming a habit with the potential to serve you well for the rest of you life!

Tithing
If you are a Christian, you should know that 10 percent of everything you earn belongs to God, even before you earn it. To spend 100 percent of all you earn is actually stealing 10 percent from God Himself! If He is first in your life, and you want Him to help you, never forget to tithe. You can much more easily live off the 90 percent than the 100 percent, because He is there to help. This should be enough said.

If you are not a Christian, saving and budgeting still work. But when you are desperate, people have let you down, your ideas and resources are all exhausted, and do not know where to turn, what are you going to do or to whom are you going to turn for help? Its a good question. To start on the road to a “good” answer, go to the second article on this website, “Stability and Reference for College Students – The Way, The Truth and The Life.”

Thank you for reading!

Where do you go for help? You have an assignment to do research on a given topic for a paper; but the topic is so broad, you are not sure what to choose. You lost the assignment and its due tomorrow. It’s Wednesday, and you’ve got three tests in different subjects next Tuesday! You lost your homework, which you finished last night after three hours of work; and it is due in two hours, but you have another class right now!

College life does not always go smoothly, but then neither will life out in the real world after college. It’s all a learning experience. Even if you have chosen one of the best college majors, sometimes you will have ask for help. But where and who?

First, … Think!
Often, you can work it out yourself. Review the assignment carefully. When did you last remember having the homework? How much studying do you need to do before each of the three tests next Tuesday? Is it possible to “resurrect” the homework with only an hour to do so? In other words, exhaust all possibilities of finding a solution yourself. Find a quiet place where you can think, not a noisy dorm room, a crowded snack bar or a chaotic gymnasium. Try the library, a quiet park bench, an unused lounge area or even an empty classroom. Then, if you still have no answers, ask for help.

Second, … Ask!
So who do you ask? Another student in the same class, a fellow student working on the same project, your academic advisor (There’s a novel idea! Isn’t that why you have one?), a student who took the class last year or last semester and your instructor are all possible sources of information or ideas to help.

So now time is slipping away and you have none left. Ask yourself, “Was this my fault or was I merely a victim of circumstances?” If it was your fault, then you better tell that to someone – your instructor! Hopefully, this is the first time you have had to ask for extra time to complete an assignment. Be honest and tell the instructor about the situation, but be sure to say the words, “I know it was my fault.” Don’t blame it on anyone but yourself, unless you are truly the victim of a circumstance beyond your control.

Third, …Take Action!
If the situation was beyond your control, let the instructor know that also. Almost without exception, unless this or a similar situation has happened before or has happened several times, the instructor will give you an extension with little or no penalty. However, make it clear to the instructor that it was beyond your control and you will do everything possible to assure that this situation does not happen again.

Whatever you do, do not let the assignment due date and time pass without acknowledging it. In this case, inaction may be the worst course of action. When good things happen or work out, give credit where credit is due. When bad things happen or do not work out, take responsibility for your own errors, whether it is your fault or not. Blaming others usually does more harm than good and does little to build your own character and reputation, rather it often destroys both.

Thank you for reading! Your comments and questions are most welcome.

Do you have an instructor you don’t like? Maybe he has a foreign accent that makes it hard to understand his or her lectures. Maybe you and the instructor simply have a personality conflict. Or, possibly the instructor just does not explain the theory or concept so you can understand it. All of these problems must be addressed, and sooner rather than later. Do not let more than the first few days to a week or two of the class go by before you address and solve such issues. You obviously are not learning as much as you should, so take some action!

The Foreign Accent Problem
Actually, this problem is more common than you may think. Some instructor are extremely knowledgeable about astronomy, math, anthropology, geology, astrophysics or some other discipline and have a great deal of information to convey; however, English is not their first or native language, which is negatively impacting their effectiveness as an instructor. Department chairs and other administrators may hire such a faculty member for a number of reasons. Their biography makes the institution look good; they attract large research grants; their expertise is needed to start a new degree program and gain accreditation; or, they were highly recommended by another faculty member or administrator. However, each of these institution-centered reasons should be accompanied by a number of student-centered reasons, such as excellent student reviews, teaching effectiveness awards or an impressive history of “bell curve” grade distributions – not all As or Fs and the majority of students with C+ to B grades.

The Personality Conflict Problem
This is a judgment call and must be addressed carefully. Often you will not be able to know if there is an actual “personality conflict” until several weeks or even a whole semester has passed. Avoid jumping to conclusions and immediately asking for an instructor change. However, personality conflicts are real and do happen; but they certainly are not, and should not, be common with any one instructor. You should address your concerns with your academic advisor. Ask the advisor about other students with similar concerns about this instructor. Often, you will just have to “tough it out” and get through the course. Some students may even have to retake the course, often with another instructor, to attain a better grade and improve their GPA (grade point overage). Your academic advisor, and the Records Department, should be well aware of the policies and practices for doing this at your institution.

The Explanation Problem
The exceptional instructor will explain complicated theories or concepts in several ways. Unfortunately, not all instructors are exceptional. Explanations done in different ways always results in more students understanding the theory or concept, because not all students learn or even comprehend in the same way. Some understand by hands-on application, others by simply reading text, others need many diagrams and text, and still others need to be shown by a practical demonstration. I know I am talking in generalities here; however, do not shy away from asking your instructor, before or during or after class, “Sir/Maim, I really could not follow your explanation of … Could you explain it to me again, maybe in a different way?” If you do this during class, I will almost guarantee that there will be 10 to 30 percent of the class who will be thinking, “Wow, I’m glad he asked that question!”

Actions to Take
First, talk to the instructor directly and be frank and honest about your situation. If the instructor appears to have some good suggestions, implement them over the next week or two. At the same time, talk to your academic advisor and explain the situation; keep him or her informed as to your progress or lack of progress. If no progress is being made, next visit the Department Chair, with or without your academic advisor; this is the instructor’s superior. Explain who you have talked to about the problem and the results; again, be frank and honest. However, be aware that the Department Chair’s time is limited; he is she is an extremely busy administrator. So get right to the point and make the most of your time with the department chair.

If you are still meeting with seemingly stubborn resistance to addressing your problem, which should be extremely rare but not unheard of, address your concerns with the School or College Dean, then the Dean of Academics and then the President or Provost of the Institution. However, be very cognizant about who you are talking to! These are very busy people! But you are a student! And accredited institutions of higher education are very student oriented. From the President of the University down to the individual faculty member, competent, well thought out and clear explanations of student complaints or concerns are taken seriously. I have advised many students with this admonition. “If you have legitimate complaints or concerns, go right up the line of command until they get the problem or concern is adequately addressed.” And that is exactly what you should do also!

Your comments and questions are most welcome. Thank you for reading!

Do you plan ahead? I mean do you plan ahead habitually? You should. Talk to any successful person in a business career or any professional career; you will find that they are not concerned about planning for tomorrow, that has already been done. Rather they are planning for next week, month or year; and large, successful organizations are planning for five, ten, fifteen or even twenty years ahead.

Start With Short Range
For tomorrow and probably the next day, it is probably too late; but try anyway! Is your homework done for tomorrow? Could you have done it earlier today, or even yesterday? If your answers are not “Yes” and “I did it yesterday!”… you have a planning ahead deficiency; and it will hold you back from doing your best. And what is worse, you WILL worry about it! If not now, then when you walk into the classroom with the homework only partially done or not done at all. What are you going to say when the instructor calls on you? Avoid all of this by planning ahead, by habit!

Often a short query of the instructor after class, a few minutes studying the course syllabus or looking ahead at your online assignments will be the key to your short range planning. Form the habit of getting your work done ahead of time. Then, when the unexpected events come your way, you will be able to cope with them and never get behind in your number one priority in college (i.e. after the Lord), learning! And part of learning is learning plan ahead. You will be healthier both mentally and physically, because you will have eliminated many of your concerns and, hopefully, all of your collegiate academic worries!

Next Plan Long-Range
The next major exam, next semester’s project, the year-end presentation, next year’s symposium on College … (Fill-in the subject for your major presentation.). Are you ready for them? Probably not; and that’s usually OK, because there is time. But do not let time continually be slip, slip slipping away without making daily progress in your long-range planning. Also, do not let others talk you into procrastination. You know the feeling when you are constantly thinking, “I really ought to be working on that project, but I’ll do it later.” When that thinking is repeated numerous times, it is a danger signal. Heed the warning!

Here is a strategy. It is October and you have a team project due next April. There are three other students helping you to put this presentation together on “Using Spreadsheets for Everyday Use.” It is Friday afternoon and all of your classes are done. It is time to relax and figure out what you are going to do, and where you are going to go, tomorrow. You also have a “hot date” tomorrow night; and she (or he) is special; you really want it do go well – your first date with Mary (or Robert). Right now you are tired; it has been a long day. Do this: Find a quiet place and close your eyes for 15 to 20 minutes. Relax as much as possible; maybe even lay on your bed during this time. But do not sleep. Now get up and spend 20 minutes to an hour just thinking, not writing or taking notes or doing research, about “Using Spreadsheets for Everyday Use.” If you come up with some really good ideas, consider quickly writing them down. What have you just done? You have spent your time wisely and set the foundation for brainstorming with your three colleagues about the project due six months from now. And believe it or not, that special first date with Mary will go much better! Why? Because you have less concerns, and no worries, about putting off planning for that major project. Try it!

Now Plan a Career
Repeat the above strategy until you have formed the habit of planning ahead. You are learning and developing a strategy for long-range planning. As you apply this learning and strategy to planning your career during your junior and senior years, life may fall into place so much more smoothly. And, Mary or Robert will be impressed enough to consider helping you do that too… maybe all the way into marriage and a family!

Your comments and questions are most appreciated. Thank you for reading!

Do you have anything to look forward to? You should! In fact, you must! Otherwise, you will go through life as a never ending series of drudgery-filled days. And honestly, most or much of life actually is drudgery – day after day of work, endless homework, dealing with people who treat you like dirt, kids screaming, people being rude, paperwork, housework, hassling with traffic, etc. I have often told college students to find a job they enjoy doing, because life is too short to be living for the weekends and dreading every Monday morning. Find something to look forward to every day; and you will actually create a new outlook on life – a better one!

Examples
Take up a new sport. Buy a good book or get one from the library. Find a girlfriend or boyfriend or a close friend. Work on your hobby; if you do not have one, find one. Learn something new and exciting or intriguing, such as computers, astronomy, the Bible (What can be more exciting than knowing the creator of the universe and determining where you will spend eternity – in heaven or in hell!) Or maybe just plan on taking simple long walk – around campus, outside campus; or take a bike, bus or train ride to the nearby town or city.

Use your imagination. Life is indeed too short to be bored, especially for an extended period. In even one of the best online colleges you will be spending countless hours studying, thinking about how to solve problems and dealing with girlfriend or boyfriend or other relationships. Those too can be enjoyable or even fun, but everyone needs an occasional diversion from the normal routine and the expected events of life. Here is a suggestion on how to start.

Make A List
To start out my introductory article on the website “Finding a Job, Then a Career” I suggested listing many different vocations to pursue, and then choosing one. Well, the same course of action applies here. List some things you would really would like to do while in college, things that are fun! The list above may give you some ideas, but make your own list. Remember that something close to what you chose as a career may not be the best chose for “something to look forward to.” That field will be explored to the “nth degree”; you need a diversion from normal and expected events.

You might try thinking of opposites from your chosen career or college major. For example, if you are studying geology, consider astronomy; if you are studying painting, consider the less solitary field of dance; if you are studying reptiles, consider fast moving mammals and birds. But most importantly, find something that is interesting, intriguing or just plain fun!

Do It Right Now!
Do not put this off! If you are busy right after reading this, plan on a time in the near future to compose your list. It does not have to be long. The act of putting the items on paper will cause your to think about them longer. After only listing two to five items, you may have found what you want to look forward to. There needs to be something for each day, something for each week and something for each month. Items requiring longer time periods can also be used, but if you have something for each day, week and month, you will have little problem with finding longer range activities. Enjoy life! It is really a beautiful, intriguing and exciting world, so explore it!

Your comments and questions are highly encouraged. Thank you for reading!

Do you get upset easily? Do you get overly upset after doing poorly or even failing a homework assignment, quiz, test, project or final exam? Are you accustomed to always getting your own way? Do those who know you think, “When you don’t, watch out!”? Do worry and anxiety plague you constantly? Whether you attend one of the best online colleges, a great traditional university campus or your local community college, most students engage in worry and anxiety, which show clearly in their emotions.

Can You Handle Stress?
Life is stress. It is filled with pressures and surprises that you never planned for or thought you would have to deal with, at least not in the near future. But here they are. You have a “pop quiz” in math class. You have three huge homework assignments; and they are all due tomorrow. Your roommate just invited two loud and boisterous friends into your room; and you’re trying to study. So you head for the library, but its pouring rain outside and the library is a half mile from your dormitory. You have no car. Plus, your girlfriend (or boyfriend) just told you they are busy next Friday night. Life can pile up on you! So what should you do?

What is your part?
First, let’s begin with what you should not do. Don’t worry, which actually is fear about the future, i.e. fear about what might happen. One anonymous writer explained it this way, “Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due.”

Do what you can with the available resources. Actually, you can do little else. However, make sure you actually are using all available resources. Depending on the problem, there may be many human and inanimate resources you are overlooking. Consider querying your roommate, a friend, your academic counselor, the librarian, your pastor, your parents or aunt or uncle or cousins or other students taking the same class. Consider using library resources such as other textbooks with a different perspective or method of explaining a theory, an encyclopedia (online or hardcopy), a dictionary or thesaurus, or last week’s homework assignment. In other words, think!

But your mind is simply fried! Your tired and frustrated. What I say to myself, or force myself to say, is “Good! I must be learning something today, even though it may be the hard way!” At that point it is often best to get away from the problems and get your mind on something else. I am always surprised at the fresh ideas I have after just 10 or 20 minutes of getting away. Then, upon returning I am much more apt to find a solution, a new resource or talk to a person who can help.

What is God’s Part?
What is hard, I deal with, but ask God for help and do so regularly. What is impossible I leave to God, period! But if I cannot ask God’s help with the hangnail, the paper-cut or headache, I probably will not be asking Him about the broken leg I got in a car accident. He is always there to help. And, believe it or not, God has no problems! He is omniscient; therefore, he has only solutions! Talk to Him just as you would to your best friend, because He should be your very best Friend.

My pastor always says, “Discouragement is a failure of the will” – the will to believe that God is in control and can help. Fear, anxiety and worry are simply the result of a person doubting God’s ability to handle a situation or doubting His ability to help you handle a situation. Actually, if God is real in your life, life’s challenges (We often call them troubles or problems.) are merely what makes life interesting, fun and ultimately enjoyable. Let God do the hard part, and the impossible parts, and you will enjoy life so much more!

As always, your comments and questions are most welcome. Thank you for reading!

The Causation of Temptation
Therefore, who causes temptation if God is not the instigator? The answer must be two-fold: You cause temptation through your wants and desires, but the Devil (a very real spiritual entity) can and often does play a role. However, you need God’s help to overcome temptation. And without God’s help, your wants and desires will eventually cause you to do wrong, which the Bible calls sin. I say “eventually” because we all have a free will, which means each person has the free will to say “no” to that enticement or allurement toward evil.

Dealing With Temptation
Based on the preceding description of the causation of temptation, you could conclude that you and everyone else are simply victims of circumstances – the combination of your wants and desires and the Devil will “eventually” cause you to sin. Therefore, doesn’t it make sense that everyone has need of God, if for no other reason than to resist what one author calls “the world, the flesh and the Devil”?

The world is significantly under the control of the Devil, also called Satan. Physically (environmentalists point this out daily), morally (just look around at the level of moral failures compared to just a few decades ago) and spiritually (less prayer, church attendance, Bible reading) the world is being destroyed; and mankind is severely tempted to just go along with it.

The flesh is reference to mankind’s wants and desires for material things and physical attraction to other humans, in a word “sex” and the lustful desires accompanying it. Obviously, this is intertwined with the world’s moral decay and consistent with that decay. And mankind is severely tempted to just go along with it.

The Devil is the catalyst and more. Unchecked, the Devil will exploit and destroy mankind as humans engage in satisfying their worldly wants and desires for the flesh. And once again, mankind is severely tempted to just go along with it.

So how do you deal with temptation? Well, by yourself you can try but ultimately you will fail. Never underestimate the power of the Devil or the influence of the world and the flesh on human behavior. Together these will destroy you; and the evidence is in the news daily. Just look at the increasing number of incidences of murder, robbery, divorce, violence, drug use and sexual activity outside of marriage and the destruction of the family. Daily, this is reported all over the newspapers, magazines, radio, television, the Internet and social media. And sadly, most of mankind just goes along with it. Obviously, you and I need help. And Jesus Christ, and no one else, is that help. Truly, we need God’s help to overcome the world, the flesh and the Devil.

Following Your Conscience
If the Lord gave you a conscience, and the Bible says that He did, then from the foregoing it should be abundantly clear that each of us must follow that “inner sense of what is right or wrong, which impels a person toward right or a right action.” Yet millions of people, even billions of people, do not even know God or the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (See the second article in this series, “The Way, The Truth and The Life.”) He is the only way to overcome the world, the flesh and the Devil. Life can be new, vibrant, exciting and extremely rewarding and fulfilling when you know Christ and live for Him. And through Him you can, should and must exercise power over the world, the flesh and the Devil, and most importantly provide others with the opportunity to do the same.

As always, your thoughts, ideas, opinions and questions are most welcome. Thank you for reading!