We often believe the most difficult battles will come from what the world and others are doing to us.  The actual battle that is most difficult to fight is within, it is the battle against the self.  The self is stubborn, persisent and demanding, always wanting to be at the center of life regardless of how that impacts our actions and others around us.  We are blessed with the opportutnity to choose our attitude, our behaviors, our values and our beliefs.  Self-awareness is the first step in learning our tendencies and noticing the habits we have developed in our thoughts and actions.  Self-awareness is learned through self-reflection, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, understanding your values and learning what situations and people bring about an emotional response from you.  It often helps to keep a journal and it is important to invite God into the process…after all, He created you.  The more you learn the better prepared you are to grow and change.  Peace be with you on your journey.  Amen.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

2 Corinthians 5:17

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on the shore of Lake Superior near Ashland, Wiconsin)