This is Summer

This is summer when the sun is shinning bright. This is summer when the beaches are full. This is summer when I embrace the hour that it is. When I can see the sun and feel the sandy beach. This is summer to me. Now you may or may not like the summer, but I really love it and if I had my way it would be summer all year round. Are you with me on that?

War On My Mind

There is a war raging. Trying to keep my head up but the forces of the enemy kingdom are fierce. I just want it all to cease but it continues to browbeat me no matter where I look. Lies, lies and more lies. I war against these devils but they keep coming back. Soon as I stomp them down they come back. When will this war end? Can I ever rest from fighting? God, I ask for your help. You are my only hope. You are my only defense against this war on my mind.

I Want Out

I am at a crises moment as never before. Why does it matter? Why do I care what anybody thinks? I hate it when people are in my business. I am infuriated. I burn with fury, a deep and intense anger. Who do I lash out at? Who do I confront? If I wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities how do I attack them? I am sinking deeper and deeper in this mire. I hate this life and the circumstances surrounding it. I am experiencing a violent rage brewing underneath my calm demeanor. I feel like I am going to explode. I want to scream. I want to yell but who do I scream and yell at? Who is the object of this rage? How much of this can I take? When is this going to be over? I don't see a way for it to end. I have jumped through hoops I have ran every course asked. I have climbed that mountain and swam that sea. What more do I do? How much more do I take of this? I am losing me in this. I am losing this thing. I am at a breaking point. I don't know where this is leading. I don't know. I am losing, I am losing, I am trying to fight, to hold on. I am tired of fighting every day. I am weary of the mental and emotional battle. I am ready to let go. I am being overcome by this thing. I am perplexed.  I want out. I want out now!

How Could It Be?

 

I wonder how it could be? How could it be that my life can be as it is? You ever wonder that about yourself? Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful to God for all he has done in my life. But, I have this underlying question in the hidden part of my heart. "How could it be?" I never had dreamed this life up. My dream life was to have a wife, sons and daughters. Family was the greatest thing I desired since my high school days. To be a father and be called dad. To watch my sons play sports and be able to brag about how great they were. I wanted my daughters to play sports, sing and act. I would go to their recitals and be very proud. My wife and I would enjoy each other and make a difference in the lives of our children and also in the lives of those in the world. We would reach out and together our family would change the world. Somewhere this dream has only proved to be a nightmare.

I sit after watching the Sean Goldman story on Dateline. Sean was abducted by his mother and kept in Brazil for years. For some time he has been reunited with his father who had fought long and hard to bring his son home. I had signed up on the Bring Sean Home website a few years ago in support David Goldman's cause to bring his son Sean home. I prayed that there would be a happy ending. They are together and that is a blessing.


I really felt joy watching the Dateline special about the reunited father and son, but I also felt sadness and great loss. Thus my question, "How could it be?" How could blessing of family have eluded me so? I don't know if I have the answer, God knows the answer. So for now, I just rejoice to see fathers and their sons. For now, I will find comfort seeing fathers and their daughters. For now, I smile at husbands with their wives. For now, I will rest in my life as it is. Living with the underlying question in the hidden part of my heart, "How could this be?"

I'm Trying But...

I'm trying but it's not easy. You ever just want to make a difference in the world and in the lives of others, but at the end of the day, no matter how much you accomplish, it's never enough? It's like you never complete the work. It's as if you keep working and working and never get paid. Building the building and never reaching the top. I don't know what it's called but the Apostle Paul said he had not attained his target, but he pressed forward. I guess in this place, it keeps us moving. Otherwise we could think we have arrived and stop the work. So having received this understanding, I will rest now.I have been spent for the benefit of others. I have lost for the sake of others. I have taken the backseat so others can ride shot gun. Yeah, I'm trying, but it's not easy.

Heal My Heart

You ever have a great day? I mean a really great day? I mean you nailed it, you hit the bulls eye? But afterward, you come down from your high and now you are at a low. Have you experienced this? I sort of feel this way. Yeah, what good is a great victory if you have no one to share it with? It's like a so what effect. Yeah, what a waste almost. So you fight this great battle, you slay the giant. So you swim the deepest ocean and climb the highest mountain. At the end of the day you want to share all your joy and enthusiasm with someone. You want to tell the story and how you felt. You want to share your moment of victory. But when you are alone, it's just you and there you sit and from there you come down from your high mountain and sink into your valley. So I pray, heal my heart Lord. I ask God to help me because I am weak. I am worn and I am just me. My rejoicing has turned to tears. Funny in a way now that I think of it, yet real. Yeah, I had a great day!

Free as a Bird

Look at this bird. I took this photo one aternoon at Jack London Square. This bird is not worried about anything. It is at peace and doing what it does best, looking for food. Imagine if we could be just as the birds, worried about nothing and at peace. Consider just doing what we do besty. Wow, life would be great! -Coach Henry

Can you see the spider?

Can you see the spider? I took this picture a good while ago and when I looked I almost missed the spider that was the purpose of the photo. How many times do we tend to loose focus of the direction we are going in our life? After we settle down and reflect on our lives we often fail to see why we have our attention where it is. That's why it is to our best interest to set short term goals that can be easily measured within a given time frame. Then, if you are off your path you can refocus yourself and get back on track. I have learned that it's a good idea to keep your spider in focus. If not, it might come back to bite you later.

Cut It Off

Funny how we invite people into our lives and then when they do things that are not helping but rather harming us we get upset. Why? we are the ones who let them in our lives. Sometimes these people do the same things over and over and over, and each time we forgive them and it happens again and again. Well I am tired of the drama. Life is too short for drama. My advice for you is to cut these people off. At least that's what I'm doing. I have to release myself from anything and anyone who may be hindering my growth in any area of my life.

This cutting people off is not easy. We grow emotionally attached to people and it's difficult to let go. Now one thing is true, I can't blame anyone but myself. You can't blame anyone but yourself because we were the ones who gave those people the opportunity to do to us what they did and continually do. So, no, we can't point the finger at them, after all they were just being themselves. They were just doing what they do. Judas betrayed Jesus but Jesus chose Judas. If we choose people to be in our life, our space and spend our time, we must accept all that comes without complaint because we already knew what was or had the potential to come.We can't blame people for being who they are and we certainly can't change people.The best thing we can do is recognize whether the relationship is a healthy relationship where both parties win and enjoy each other. If you are not happy but the other party doesn't have a problem being an idiot, then you have an unbalanced relationship. We become the idiot for giving the person the opportunity to stress us out, again! Cut off the relationship because it's only causing you stress which will effect other areas of your life.

Henry Camphor Show: Cut It Off

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So I write this blog talking to myself and hoping I have the strength to cut these unhealthy relationships off. The sooner the better. Yes, easier said than done, but it must be done.

Not Enough

You ever do many things but when you reflect on all you have done you come to the conclusion that you have not done enough? That is how I feel right at this moment. It's a good thing I am wise enough to not put too much thought to these feelings. I know that feelings can be deceptive and many times are not a good judgement tool of our worth or success. So what do I do with these feelings that tell me I am not doing enough? Ask if they are true. Then begin to look at the good impact I have had in the lives of people. Then give thanks to God for the ability and resources thatwere available for me to do the good I have done. Then continue to do good. Look for and create opportunities to do good. Last, smile and give thanks to God for another day of life to be about the business of doing good. When all is said and done, when the curtain closes, at the end of the day I learn that I have done more than I expected. So feelings say not enough but facts say I have done more than enough.

Love: It's A Beautiful Thing

Love is a beautiful thing. Love can carry you through some very difficult times in your life. Love can break the chains of bondage off your thinking. Love can cause a person to achieve greatness in the face of some very difficult circumstances. Love is a beautiful thing.

If you feel lonely and unloved. The key is to go out and find someone to love. Love itself is not characterized by feeling, but rather action. Go feed the hungry, clothe the naked. Go visit the sick or those in prison. This is what love looks like in action. Love without action is like clouds without rain during a drought. My encouragement is that if you feel lonely, go love someone. Watch as your lonely feelings disappear and your heart of love begin to swell with joy. Yes, love is a beautiful thing.

What am I to do about it?

I was on a walk getting my workout on as I usually do every morning when I ran across this sign in the ground. I was so moved by it I had to take a picture of it. I wondered who wrote it? What is their life like? How did it come to such a dire situation for them? It's funny how some people are so quick to judge but never ask these questions. For in these question we have the potential to undertand. Understanding can lead to compassion and compassion to action. This is a greater road traveled then being judgemental and saying, "go get a job." This type of reponse stems from ignorance and fear. would you hire that person? Would you let them wash your windows of your car? Would you let them pump your gas? Have you let them? If not, there is the problem. If they can't even get hired to pump your gas how are they to get a job somewhere else? What am I to do about it? Ask questions, understand and take action. You will be blessed and so will they.

2012 and the Promises to Come

I am excited about 2012. There are so many promise of a bright new day. I'm not a doomsdayer. I look at people and the world and I see great promise. I believe great things are ahead, not a doomsday scenario. Don't get me wrong, I am aware that there are many challenges in the world. But these challenges are meant to be overcome. We as the people who dwell on this earth need to begin to see the beauty and greatness in each other. We should begin to see the potential for our land that God has blessed us with. We have a responsibility to take care of our environment and one another. None of us can live like islands in and of ourselves. We need each other and we need to stop acting like we don't. It's important that we stop pushing the weak people aside. Stop overlooking the poor and needy. We need to stop oppressing people in our society and begin to value each person as they are. If we were to encourage our students in school to succeed and graduate, we wouldn't have such a high dropout rate. If we were to buildup our men in the family they would not make a choice to leave their families. If we were to embrace the immigrants and the men and women who return from combat and prison, we wouldn't have to worry about strains on our social services. If only we could see the possibilities beyond our political, economic and social affiliations and see people through the eyes of a loving God who loves and cares for us all. We are all a little blind at times, but 2012 gives us an opportunity to see life as fresh and new when we believe that 2012 has awesome promises to come.

Check out this radio show broadcasted January 10, 2012 @ 10:00pm Pacific Time:

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Big Day Big Money

Big day big money. I am speaking this into existance. I guess this day will be as big as I can believe. I'm believing for something special and powerful to happen. I believe that this day there will be financial increase. Increase that will benefit many as far as pakistan. This I believe to be true. Will you join me? Will you believe with me? It has been said that two is better that one. Working together and praying together is truly better than being alone. So let me encourage you to team up with someone and go realize a big day with big money. -Henry Camphor