Where have all the J.O.'s Gone?

You know life. 

especially at 5:49 am on a wednesday morning 

after 3 straight days of misery and sickness. 

Of Isolation due to the wanting of keeping 

those who you love not sick away from you.

Can seem pretty bleak.

I am feeling pretty bleak right now. I really want to be asleep to keep myself in a positive mood.

and its times like this that I need something that most pastors are not fond of.

That is known as the Joel Olsteen.

It doesn't matter your situation. It doesn't matter how bad its been. 

Joel has a positive word for you.

I am being serious when I say listening to the man makes me feel uplifted.

Now granted I realize he is not teaching deep spiritual truths but sometimes it is just nice to sit and here how things could be done in a positive manner all the time.

and from everything I have read of Joel. He is onstage who he is off.

I don't believe rumors or anything else but mostly I have never heard any.

You can talk trash about the size of his church. how much money they bring in.

But they help millions of people a year.

Every week they feed and clothe the homeless and invite them to church.

They run shelters throughout the week and every sunday they get new clothes and food.

Its a beautiful thing.

Don't overlook being a joel olsteen to someone. I try to lift spirits wherever I go. I hope I accomplish this.

I can definately tell I missed church on Sunday for being sick. I also think missing tomorrow is making me feel this way.

Psalm 121

I lift my eyes up to the mountains
Where does my help come from
My help comes from You
Maker of heaven, creator of the earth
I lift my eyes up to the mountains
Where does my help come from
My help comes from You
Maker of heaven, creator of the earth

Interesting.

Today i was talking to a good friend of mine.

We were sharing about how it seems anytime anyone seems to make a statement regarding

Higher standards of life

meaning:

No drinking

No drugs

No premarital relations

and other such thoughts that go along with cleaning up your life.

It seems that people deem them as Judgmental and as Fanatics.

Most of the time you hear 

the Judge not lest ye be Judged 

or

I am really sure Jesus would be saying that

or

Your not perfect stop acting like it.

It seems that in order for people to live a lower standard of life

they must in fact tear down those who are trying for more.

or

To make it seem stupid or childish to want to do something different.

Almost as if Trying to better yourself is a bad thing.

I truly wonder why that is.

Why do we deem it necessary to try to mess up someone living for something more?

I wonder if its something inside us that simply comes out when presented with someone who is doing something we aren't 

Do we feel that they are better than us for it and we want to tear them down?

Is inside each person a sense of guilt that comes out in these moments?

My friend suggested that we are trying to create a bubble around ourselves that excuses our actions.

I find that interesting.

In other words lower the bar for everyone so it can be lowered for yourself.

Anyone have any thoughts out there on this? Just wondering.