The Blood of the Lamb

O the blood of the Passover Lamb
Is applied to the door of my life.
No power of darkness could ever withstand
The force of the blood sacrifice.
Though satan will bring accusation,
I let him know right where I stand.
For now there is no condemnation,
I'm under the blood of the lamb.

I'm under the blood of the Lamb.
That covers the guild of my past.
By the mercy of God, holy and righteous I stand.
I'm under the blood of the Lamb.
I'm safe and secure from the enemy's plan.
No weapon formed against me will stand.
I'm under the blood of the Lamb.

Author unknown

Child of God blessings

Dear child of God,

You are a fearfully and wonderfully made creature, (Psalm 139:14) and are the answer to many prayers (James 5:16).  God gave you a spirit of love, power, and a sound mind- not fear (2 Timothy 1:7).  He says to obey your parents and you will have long life (Exodus 20:12).

God has plans to prosper you and not to harm you (Jeremiah 29:11).  When we stumble/sin, we can confess and repent and God is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9).  His mercies are new everyday (Lamentations 3:22-23).

God brings life and blessing (Deuteronomy 28).  Always listen and trust Him (Proverbs 3).

God gives you spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-20).  This can defend you especially when the devil tries to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

Hold your shield of faith up.  God is faithful (Psalm 28:7; Ephesians 6:16).  Trust Him; He will preserve you (Psalm 16:1).

Now may God bless you and your family more like Numbers 6 says - “May God bless and keep you, may He make His face to shine upon you, and give you peace.”

Love and blessings lots more,

  Alanda Ledbetter

Father's Love

May even more men copy the love of God and Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  These art depictions of a father's love by Norman Rockwall hearten me; may they for you also.  The verses below help me see how to have the "perfect love that casts out fear" that the Bible explains.

This is from the 1599 Geneva Bible via biblegateway.com - 

Psalm 34:9 "Fear the Lord ye his Saints: for nothing wanteth to them that fear him.

10 The [f]lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they which seek the Lord, shall [g]want nothing that is good.

11 Come children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the [h]fear of the Lord.

12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth long days for to [i]see good?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips, that they speak no guile.

14 Eschew evil and do good: seek peace and follow after it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

16 But the [j]face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off their remembrance from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near unto them that are of a [k]contrite heart, and will save such as be afflicted in spirit.

19 Great are the troubles of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."

Loved One Moved On

You are loved

You are treasured

Beyond what anyone can measure

Lift your eyes

Lift your heart

Even though your loved one and you are apart

You are meant to honor

You are meant to be a part of life

May your loved one cheer you from the afterlife

And you see the love, good, just, and true

That is still here for you and meant to be created by you

Peace be unto you

~Alanda Ledbetter 

Truth in Love ='s eradication of lies

 Believing Truth not lies= Less Harm +More Good

Believing lies/untruths encompasses many problematic behaviors.  If someone believes they are worthless, useless, a problem, and any other of worthless things and do not realize that they are worth very much, and they can do redemptive works, a person could get intoxicated, resort to crime, be stupid, and more not right things.

The solution to believing the truth is to know Jesus as Lord and Savior and to trust Him and His Dad to take care of us and lead us in the right direction.  Anything less than this does not lead to a clean conscience and the good works we can do with Jesus.

Some examples of believing lies include that the Bible is not true.  People who do not realize the truth of the Bible can lose hope, faith, and be blind to goodness like kind people, good food, beautiful nature, and the beauty of focusing on the good, just, and true.  Instead these people who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior can look inward to themselves only, worry, and be blind to the way God shows His love and delivers people from evil.  Some people who know Jesus yet are not doing the word of God can do these same things.  Focusing and knowing Jesus won and doing the word is very important to go forward well.  I have had to repent of not focusing on the right things at times.

Another lie some believe is thinking that they should not even try to do something because they could never do it.  The truth is the Bible says we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us- Philippians 4:13.  Therefore, what God has called us to do, we can with Him do.  He will help us accomplish what He wants regardless of what He wants us to do- big or small.

Some spouses verbally abuse their spouse and children and think if it is not physical, it is not abuse.  This is a lie.  They think if it is not as bad as a friend treats their family, it is not so bad.   In reality anything not right is not right; there are different levels of not right things.  Talking meanly to someone is abuse; it may not incur a bruise on the skin yet the heart can get bruised, so to speak, when people verbally abuse.  From experience, I believe verbal abuse and mistreatment can also be a part of certain stomach issues.  I sense this because I have seen children have stomach problems who I sense got treated verbally harshly and their parents would say the children were klutzy and forgetful repeatedly.   There are other not right things that were repetitively said at times about the child instead of believing the child could change and giving encouragement to the child.  

The truth is people are constantly molded and can change for the better.  It is healthy to change for the better.  The Bible says we are molded like a potter molds clay.  Those who believe this can refuse others who work to limit them- often unwittingly- and can continuously get molded for the better with hope of the beautiful thing they are to become.  “He makes everything beautiful in His own time,”  Ecclesiastes 3:11 from the Bible says. This beautiful truth causes hope and faith.  People who do not believe they can change with God for the better and do believe the lie that there is no hope and they can never change, can abuse themselves and others because they could get depressed, be reckless, and do stupid things because they believe lies and their hearts hurt so much.  With all the crime and stupidness- lack of common sense- evident in the US  culture; it is easy to see the detriment of believing lies.  

“Let your light so shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven,” Matthew 5: 16 from the Bible and Isaiah 58 show that Yahweh/ Yeshua/ our Creator has called us to good works.  This truth can help us do the good works and not cave in to lies that work to belittle who we are and what we can do with God.  Knowing the truth which the 1647 Old Deluder Act mandated US public education teach is powerful to show love and mercy.  This Act mandated Scripture be taught.  

The following is the Act and reference which stipulated the truth be taught.  http://salem.k12.va.us/staff/sataylor/OldDeluderAct.htm

“It being one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scriptures, as in former times by keeping them in an unknown tongue, so in these latter times by persuading from the use of tongues, that so that at least the true sense and meaning of the original might be clouded and corrupted with false glosses of saint-seeming deceivers; and to the end that learning may not be buried in the grave of our forefathers, in church and commonwealth, the Lord assisting our endeavors. 

It is therefore ordered that every township in this jurisdiction, after the Lord hath increased them to fifty households shall forthwith appoint one within their town to teach all such children as shall resort to him to write and read, whose wages shall be paid either by the parents or masters of such children, or by the inhabitants in general, by way of supply, as the major part of those that order the prudentials of the town shall appoint; provided those that send their children be not oppressed by paying much more than they can have them taught for in other towns. 

And it is further ordered, that when any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families or householders, they shall set up a grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university, provided that if any town neglect the performance hereof above one year that every such town shall pay 5 pounds to the next school till they shall perform this order.”

If people were taught the truth in the Bible, their faith in the truth would be more secure.  If they did what the Bible said, this world would have more love, kindness, and supernatural love of God and heaven on earth which is like Romans 14:17 says “the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”  Working to make more peace, love, and joy in the Holy Spirit-the truth of what we ought to do with Jesus- and refusing any lies, for instance, that would say one ought to get revenge or they needed money to be happy so they ought to steal instead of be humble and ask, would lower crime and be a blessing.

The truth that all of us are to “judge righteously and plead the cause of the poor and needy,” - Proverbs 31:9 in the Bible - can motivate anyone who believes this truth to do what they can to help those in need and get people who are harming others to stop.  Those who believe their purpose is to only have fun, make money, get intoxicated, control people, or some other lie, live a life with a motive that is a lie that harms themselves and society.  Helping people understand their calling to love God and people which translates into “judging righteously and pleading the cause of the poor and needy” -Proverbs 31:9- would help society at large.  People would be kinder to themselves and others.  When needing to be brave to stop evil, they can know that God has them covered and will protect them.  He is bigger than anything else.  We can be brave and do right for God; He can help us be brave with discretion to know which authorities to report what needs to be reported when needed.  This truth enacted by brave people wanting to do right can stop many harmful things.

In summary, believing the Bible, the truth of our Creator, and doing what it says overcomes evil with good.  I hope and pray we do the word of God, believe the truth, refuse lies, speak the truth in love, and make this world a place full of more good.  The truth is because of Jesus, we can with Him.  God be with you; may the Truth be known and believed.

Strategy to Stop Terrorists Who are Muslim

     The Quran - the Muslim faith book written around 615- teaches Jesus is a prophet.  Muslims respect Jesus yet are not allowed to read the Bible so they know only what the Quran says unless they read a smuggled Bible.

     If Muslims were taught Jesus' Good Samaritan teaching where Jesus says to love your neighbor as yourself and a neighbor can be of any faith, some would be convicted to stop persecuting Christians and others the Muslim faith deems infidels.  Let's teach.

     I believe the US ought to infiltrate Muslim media everywhere and urge Muslims to read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the Good Samaritan teaching.  Also teaching Romans 14:17 which says the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy and explaining Paul who believed Jesus taught this would help terrorists repent and see they should work to show love, peace, and goodwill to everyone.

     Some in the US will say this endorses a religion.  I say this endorses education which brings peace.  Let's get educated more.

     Also, I have talked to Muslims about Jesus in this manner.  The people of Muslim faith were affected and want to know what Jesus says.  Jesus' teachings are documented around 60AD verses the Quran's 615AD.

     Thanks for reading.  Please urge our government and defense personnel to spread Jesus' Good Samaritan teaching to Muslims.  May the Truth set us free quickly.

Peace and Goodwill now

We fight not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers *Ephesians 6:12

Years ago I was caring for a loved one who was on her way to heaven.  She wanted enough drugs to kill the pain yet wanted to stay as lucid as possible.

I believe when people take pain medicines and drugs in general they can open themselves up to demons that do not possess them yet can oppress them.  I believe I saw one manifest in a loved one.

She put her hand on my upper neck and turned my head side to side and said, "Pretty- so pretty."  I looked at her and prayed and said,"I love you," several times.  She let go and looked to the side.

At other times in the weeks before her passing, she saw relatives around a body of water coming to get her.  This reminded me of that hymn about the "river around the throne of God."  At the funeral, the pastor's wife verified other people on their way to heaven had seen such things.

Well, may this testimony bless you and help you keep Jesus and His love paramount in your life.  He is in love with you and the Funnest to love and be in love with.

Holy Spirit filling

The Holy Spirit drives out the sin in us and replaces it with the fruits of the spirit- Galations 5:22-23
^"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
The Holy Spirit is what we need and is like the oil in the story of the virgins waiting for their bridegroom; some had oil, others did not.  The ones without the Holy Spirit- like the oil I believe- did not make it in time for the wedding.  We are sealed with the Holy Spirit; God does not want us to grieve the Holy Spirit and is not mocked.  As soon as we say we are sorry for a sin and ask for His help to not do it and earnestly try, we get peace with Him.  The more we obey, the more of the breastplate of righteousness is on- it covers the heart- the more we obey the more all the armor stays on securely.  Casting down evil imaginations, voices, is submitting to Him so the enemy runs. James 4:7- Submit to God, resist the devil and the devil flees.
If  you have not asked Jesus to be your Lord, please do asap.  To love and obey Him is the Funnest and most adventurous when you have the perfect love casting out fear.  Love =)

Testimony

A little girl who accepted Jesus at four is now seven.  She wants her four year old brother to accept Jesus in his heart.  Her brother said she was stupid the other day and she said something like "Please accept Jesus in your heart.  Then you would not say ugly words."  This is such a sweet testimony to me, and I wanted to share.  Happy Valentine's Day.  Proverbs 3:13 "Happy is the man who finds wisdom and gets understanding."

Testimony link

This testimony is so true I believe http://www.testimoniesofjesus.com/rb001.html .

Navy Seal Pep talk

Adm. William H. McRaven
May 16, 2014

The following are the remarks by Naval Adm. William H. McRaven, ninth commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, at the University-wide Commencement at The University of Texas at Austin on May 17:

“President Powers, Provost Fenves, Deans, members of the faculty, family and friends and most importantly, the class of 2014. Congratulations on your achievement.

It’s been almost 37 years to the day that I graduated from UT.

I remember a lot of things about that day.

I remember I had throbbing headache from a party the night before. I remember I had a serious girlfriend, whom I later married—that’s important to remember by the way—and I remember that I was getting commissioned in the Navy that day.

But of all the things I remember, I don’t have a clue who the commencement speaker was that evening and I certainly don’t remember anything they said.

So…acknowledging that fact—if I can’t make this commencement speech memorable—I will at least try to make it short.

The University’s slogan is,

“What starts here changes the world.”

I have to admit—I kinda like it.

“What starts here changes the world.”

Tonight there are almost 8,000 students graduating from UT.

That great paragon of analytical rigor, Ask.Com says that the average American will meet 10,000 people in their life time.

That’s a lot of folks.

But, if every one of you changed the lives of just ten people—and each one of those folks changed the lives of another ten people—just ten—then in five generations—125 years—the class of 2014 will have changed the lives of 800 million people.

800 million people—think of it—over twice the population of the United States. Go one more generation and you can change the entire population of the world—8 billion people.

If you think it’s hard to change the lives of ten people—change their lives forever—you’re wrong.

I saw it happen every day in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A young Army officer makes a decision to go left instead of right down a road in Baghdad and the ten soldiers in his squad are saved from close-in ambush.

In Kandahar province, Afghanistan, a non-commissioned officer from the Female Engagement Team senses something isn’t right and directs the infantry platoon away from a 500 pound IED, saving the lives of a dozen soldiers.

But, if you think about it, not only were these soldiers saved by the decisions of one person, but their children yet unborn—were also saved. And their children’s children—were saved.

Generations were saved by one decision—by one person.

But changing the world can happen anywhere and anyone can do it.

So, what starts here can indeed change the world, but the question is…what will the world look like after you change it?

Well, I am confident that it will look much, much better, but if you will humor this old sailor for just a moment, I have a few suggestions that may help you on your way to a better a world.

And while these lessons were learned during my time in the military, I can assure you that it matters not whether you ever served a day in uniform.

It matters not your gender, your ethnic or religious background, your orientation, or your social status.

Our struggles in this world are similar and the lessons to overcome those struggles and to move forward—changing ourselves and the world around us—will apply equally to all.

I have been a Navy SEAL for 36 years. But it all began when I left UT for Basic SEAL training in Coronado, California.

Basic SEAL training is six months of long torturous runs in the soft sand, midnight swims in the cold water off San Diego, obstacles courses, unending calisthenics, days without sleep and always being cold, wet and miserable.

It is six months of being constantly harassed by professionally trained warriors who seek to find the weak of mind and body and eliminate them from ever becoming a Navy SEAL.

But, the training also seeks to find those students who can lead in an environment of constant stress, chaos, failure and hardships.

To me basic SEAL training was a life time of challenges crammed into six months.

So, here are the ten lesson’s I learned from basic SEAL training that hopefully will be of value to you as you move forward in life.

Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors, who at the time were all Viet Nam veterans, would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they would inspect was your bed.

If you did it right, the corners would be square, the covers pulled tight, the pillow centered just under the headboard and the extra blanket folded neatly at the foot of the rack—rack—that’s Navy talk for bed.

It was a simple task—mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle hardened SEALs—but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.

If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.

By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.

If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.

And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made—that you made—and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.

During SEAL training the students are broken down into boat crews. Each crew is seven students—three on each side of a small rubber boat and one coxswain to help guide the dingy.

Every day your boat crew forms up on the beach and is instructed to get through the surfzone and paddle several miles down the coast.

In the winter, the surf off San Diego can get to be 8 to 10 feet high and it is exceedingly difficult to paddle through the plunging surf unless everyone digs in.

Every paddle must be synchronized to the stroke count of the coxswain. Everyone must exert equal effort or the boat will turn against the wave and be unceremoniously tossed back on the beach.

For the boat to make it to its destination, everyone must paddle.

You can’t change the world alone—you will need some help— and to truly get from your starting point to your destination takes friends, colleagues, the good will of strangers and a strong coxswain to guide them.

If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.

Over a few weeks of difficult training my SEAL class which started with 150 men was down to just 35. There were now six boat crews of seven men each.

I was in the boat with the tall guys, but the best boat crew we had was made up of the the little guys—the munchkin crew we called them—no one was over about 5-foot five.

The munchkin boat crew had one American Indian, one African American, one Polish America, one Greek American, one Italian American, and two tough kids from the mid-west.

They out paddled, out-ran, and out swam all the other boat crews.

The big men in the other boat crews would always make good natured fun of the tiny little flippers the munchkins put on their tiny little feet prior to every swim.

But somehow these little guys, from every corner of the Nation and the world, always had the last laugh— swimming faster than everyone and reaching the shore long before the rest of us.

SEAL training was a great equalizer. Nothing mattered but your will to succeed. Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education and not your social status.

If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.

Several times a week, the instructors would line up the class and do a uniform inspection. It was exceptionally thorough.

Your hat had to be perfectly starched, your uniform immaculately pressed and your belt buckle shiny and void of any smudges.

But it seemed that no matter how much effort you put into starching your hat, or pressing your uniform or polishing your belt buckle—- it just wasn’t good enough.

The instructors would fine “something” wrong.

For failing the uniform inspection, the student had to run, fully clothed into the surfzone and then, wet from head to toe, roll around on the beach until every part of your body was covered with sand.

The effect was known as a “sugar cookie.” You stayed in that uniform the rest of the day—cold, wet and sandy.

There were many a student who just couldn’t accept the fact that all their effort was in vain. That no matter how hard they tried to get the uniform right—it was unappreciated.

Those students didn’t make it through training.

Those students didn’t understand the purpose of the drill. You were never going to succeed. You were never going to have a perfect uniform.

Sometimes no matter how well you prepare or how well you perform you still end up as a sugar cookie.

It’s just the way life is sometimes.

If you want to change the world get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.

Every day during training you were challenged with multiple physical events—long runs, long swims, obstacle courses, hours of calisthenics—something designed to test your mettle.

Every event had standards—times you had to meet. If you failed to meet those standards your name was posted on a list and at the end of the day those on the list were invited to—a “circus.”

A circus was two hours of additional calisthenics—designed to wear you down, to break your spirit, to force you to quit.

No one wanted a circus.

A circus meant that for that day you didn’t measure up. A circus meant more fatigue—and more fatigue meant that the following day would be more difficult—and more circuses were likely.

But at some time during SEAL training, everyone—everyone—made the circus list.

But an interesting thing happened to those who were constantly on the list. Overtime those students-—who did two hours of extra calisthenics—got stronger and stronger.

The pain of the circuses built inner strength-built physical resiliency.

Life is filled with circuses.

You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core.

But if you want to change the world, don’t be afraid of the circuses.

At least twice a week, the trainees were required to run the obstacle course. The obstacle course contained 25 obstacles including a 10-foot high wall, a 30-foot cargo net, and a barbed wire crawl to name a few.

But the most challenging obstacle was the slide for life. It had a three level 30 foot tower at one end and a one level tower at the other. In between was a 200-foot long rope.

You had to climb the three tiered tower and once at the top, you grabbed the rope, swung underneath the rope and pulled yourself hand over hand until you got to the other end.

The record for the obstacle course had stood for years when my class began training in 1977.

The record seemed unbeatable, until one day, a student decided to go down the slide for life—head first.

Instead of swinging his body underneath the rope and inching his way down, he bravely mounted the TOP of the rope and thrust himself forward.

It was a dangerous move—seemingly foolish, and fraught with risk. Failure could mean injury and being dropped from the training.

Without hesitation—the student slid down the rope—perilously fast, instead of several minutes, it only took him half that time and by the end of the course he had broken the record.

If you want to change the world sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first.

During the land warfare phase of training, the students are flown out to San Clemente Island which lies off the coast of San Diego.

The waters off San Clemente are a breeding ground for the great white sharks. To pass SEAL training there are a series of long swims that must be completed. One—is the night swim.

Before the swim the instructors joyfully brief the trainees on all the species of sharks that inhabit the waters off San Clemente.

They assure you, however, that no student has ever been eaten by a shark—at least not recently.

But, you are also taught that if a shark begins to circle your position—stand your ground. Do not swim away. Do not act afraid.

And if the shark, hungry for a midnight snack, darts towards you—then summons up all your strength and punch him in the snout and he will turn and swim away.

There are a lot of sharks in the world. If you hope to complete the swim you will have to deal with them.

So, If you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.

As Navy SEALs one of our jobs is to conduct underwater attacks against enemy shipping. We practiced this technique extensively during basic training.

The ship attack mission is where a pair of SEAL divers is dropped off outside an enemy harbor and then swims well over two miles—underwater—using nothing but a depth gauge and a compass to get to their target.

During the entire swim, even well below the surface there is some light that comes through. It is comforting to know that there is open water above you.

But as you approach the ship, which is tied to a pier, the light begins to fade. The steel structure of the ship blocks the moonlight—it blocks the surrounding street lamps—it blocks all ambient light.

To be successful in your mission, you have to swim under the ship and find the keel—the centerline and the deepest part of the ship.

This is your objective. But the keel is also the darkest part of the ship—where you cannot see your hand in front of your face, where the noise from the ship’s machinery is deafening and where it is easy to get disoriented and fail.

Every SEAL knows that under the keel, at the darkest moment of the mission—is the time when you must be calm, composed—when all your tactical skills, your physical power and all your inner strength must be brought to bear.

If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.

The ninth week of training is referred to as “Hell Week.” It is six days of no sleep, constant physical and mental harassment and—one special day at the Mud Flats—the Mud Flats are area between San Diego and Tijuana where the water runs off and creates the Tijuana slue’s—a swampy patch of terrain where the mud will engulf you.

It is on Wednesday of Hell Week that you paddle down to the mud flats and spend the next 15 hours trying to survive the freezing cold mud, the howling wind and the incessant pressure to quit from the instructors.

As the sun began to set that Wednesday evening, my training class, having committed some “egregious infraction of the rules” was ordered into the mud.

The mud consumed each man till there was nothing visible but our heads. The instructors told us we could leave the mud if only five men would quit—just five men and we could get out of the oppressive cold.

Looking around the mud flat it was apparent that some students were about to give up. It was still over eight hours till the sun came up—eight more hours of bone chilling cold.

The chattering teeth and shivering moans of the trainees were so loud it was hard to hear anything and then, one voice began to echo through the night—one voice raised in song.

The song was terribly out of tune, but sung with great enthusiasm.

One voice became two and two became three and before long everyone in the class was singing.

We knew that if one man could rise above the misery then others could as well.

The instructors threatened us with more time in the mud if we kept up the singing—but the singing persisted.

And somehow—the mud seemed a little warmer, the wind a little tamer and the dawn not so far away.

If I have learned anything in my time traveling the world, it is the power of hope. The power of one person—Washington, Lincoln, King, Mandela and even a young girl from Pakistan—Malala—one person can change the world by giving people hope.

So, if you want to change the world, start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud.

Finally, in SEAL training there is a bell. A brass bell that hangs in the center of the compound for all the students to see.

All you have to do to quit—is ring the bell. Ring the bell and you no longer have to wake up at 5 o’clock. Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the freezing cold swims.

Ring the bell and you no longer have to do the runs, the obstacle course, the PT—and you no longer have to endure the hardships of training.

Just ring the bell.

If you want to change the world don’t ever, ever ring the bell.

To the graduating class of 2014, you are moments away from graduating. Moments away from beginning your journey through life. Moments away starting to change the world—for the better.

It will not be easy.

But, YOU are the class of 2014—the class that can affect the lives of 800 million people in the next century.

Start each day with a task completed.

Find someone to help you through life.

Respect everyone.

Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often, but if take you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up—if you do these things, then next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today and—what started here will indeed have changed the world—for the better.

Thank you very much. Hook ‘em horns.”

Changing the world: U. S. Navy SEAL’s Philosophy

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.
Titus 1:8 (Discipline)

If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (Teamwork)

If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.
Colossians 3:23 (Commitment)

If you want to change the world get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.
1 Corinthians 1:3-7 (Perseverance)

If you want to change the world, don’t be afraid of the circuses.
Romans 5:3-5 (A circus meant extra calisthenics – Endurance)

If you want to change the world sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first.
Philippians 3:13-14 (Pressing into the Goal)

If you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks.
John 16:33 (Tribulation)

If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (Standing firm in our Faith)

If you want to change the world, start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud.
Colossians 3:16 (Praise and Thanksgiving in all circumstances)

If you want to change the world don’t ever, ever ring the bell.
Galatians 6:9 (Never quit)

It is my prayer that we all apply these lessons to our lives every day as we serve the broken and lost. Blessings to you and a very Happy New Year