Doug E. Pudge

Friday Feast - An Ode To Hope

You know, I was thinking. This has been a very emotional week for the Pudgeman! Some great things going on in my life and some real challenges that came in at the same time. Whenever I have made some of the big decisions in my life I have always found a great challenge around the corner. I truly believe that God is guiding me in all aspects of my life and that as I am obedient to Him, the enemy will attack. So, I said to myself Pudge, what are the top five things that give you hope. Not those intangible things that you can't see or touch, but those tangible, real items that make you say "yes God I love you"! So here they are, the top five reasons I have hope in this world:

#5 - The Word of God. Yes folks the Bible. This handy dandy little leather bound gem is the lifeblood of the Pudgeman. I love to read it, study it, and meditate on it. From this I can get a clearer understanding of what God is looking for in my life.

#4 - Praise & Worship Music. I am slowly but stedily building a colletion of CD's that will rival the Mud Puppy. Music has a way of speaking to the inner core of my soul. It doesn't just spark a feeling or pull an emotional string, it goes much deeper than that. It food to my soul that just satisfies completely.

#3 - Blogging! Oh yeah baby! Sharing my thoughts and feelings to the entire world give me a sense of being alive. I know that there is a circle of close friends that read this stuff on a regular basis (you guys need serious psychological help), but you never know who else is going to read it. God has touched my life by giving me the words and thought to share here. Believe it or not blogging has helped to give me a new sense of hope by allowing me to share part of myself.

#2 - Facing Fears. Recently I have made some major changes in my life and am trying some things that I haven't done in awhile (need I be more specific)! I am of course talking about improving (or having) a personal life. This part of me has been on the back burner for a number of years. I have had some great experiences over the past month and although the next Mrs. Pudge hasn't been put into place, I have learned a lot about myself during this time. There is a renewed hope inside of me now as a person who is learning that he really is alright.

#1 - Relationships!!! The number one thing that brings me hope today is the relationships that I have formed with others. It doen't matter if it is family or friends, relationships mean everything to me. I have learned that I cannot go through life trying to be the man that God wants me to be without the help of others. I also cannot be that kind of man without helping others. It is a need that goes very deep inside of me. When God said it is not good for man to be alone, I believe that he wasn't just talking about the need for a wife. I think it goes much broader than that. We need each other to make it in this world. God uses people today to do much of his work, do you see him in your family and friends? I sure do!

Well there have it. My top five tangible reasons that I have hope today. What are some of yours? Feel free to share them whether here or with someone that you love today. Be blessed beyond belief today.

posted by Doug E. Pudge @ 7:53 AM