first time

My name is Josh.

My life often seems very average.  However, there are times when I feel the need to express myself through words.  Life can get frustrating and exciting.  There are ups and downs.  Joys and heartaches.  Sometimes I feel like I have something good to say.  Because I am introverted, it is often difficult for me to speak up during a heated discussion, but that does not mean that my mind is not constantly working.  Renee Descartes said something about the nature of life and death.  In short he said that as long as one is thinking, one is alive.  As soon as one stops thinking, they are no longer alive.  I do not know if anyone will actually read what I have to say, and if there is no one that does read what I have to say my feelings will not be hurt, but if anyone does read this I wish them to keep in mind that much of what I have to say is raw thought.  It has not been thought through in depth and will often times seem trivial or weak.

I better say this off the bat.  I am a person of faith.  I believe that Jesus died for my sins and the sins of the world.  I believe that the only way to the father is through the son.  I believe that God still moves through his Holy Spirit, thus making him a living God.  I just ask that you keep this in mind as you read what I have to say.  I do not wish to force what I believe upon anyone, however I would be more than happy to discuss my beliefs with whoever wants to know.

My thought of today comes from the concept of failure and forgiveness.  In my life, I have disappointed friends and family. I have broken promises and spoken in haste. I have made mistakes and I have regretted choices. However, I have come to realize that all I can do is wake up in the morning and commit myself to becoming a better person. I know I will still fail at many things, but I will also find success in areas that I would never have imagined. What is the point of dwelling on the mistakes of your past? Of course there may be lasting consequences, but you can not change the things you have done. All you can do is ask forgiveness and push on. Be the best you can be. Love the best you can. Help those around you. Change your little corner of the world. Keep on going forward.  I have also come to realize that human forgiveness is not solely for the purpose of making the offended feel better, but it is also to help the offender become a better person.  Without forgiveness, one seems to dwell on their mistakes.  That being said, forgiveness should not be given out on a whim.  It is important to forgive someone, but if the person takes your forgiveness for granted, there will likely not be any benefit for either party.  If a person is not truly sorry and wishing to become a better person, do they deserve your forgiveness?  Just a question to ponder.