Why the 4th?

Most people in the United States celebrate the 4th of July, but do you know exactly why the holiday is so important to our country? Imagine how you would feel if someone older than you (maybe an older sister or brother) kept telling you what to do all of the time and kept taking more and more of your allowance. That is how the colonists felt in the years leading up to 1776. Great Britain kept trying to make the colonists follow more rules and pay higher taxes. People started getting mad and began making plans to be able to make their own rules. They no longer wanted Great Britain to be able to tell them what to do, so they decided to tell Great Britain that they were becoming an independent country. (To be independent means to take care of yourself, making your own rules and providing for your own needs.)

The Congress met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and they appointed a committee (a group of people working together to do a specific job) to write a formal document that would tell Great Britain that the Americans had decided to govern themselves. The committee asked Thomas Jefferson to write a draft (first try) of the document, so he worked for days, in absolute secret, until he had written a document that he thought said everything important that the committee had discussed. On June 28, 1776, the committee met to read Jefferson's "fair" copy (he put his best ideas together and wrote them neatly.) They revised (made some changes) the document and declared their independence on July 2, 1776. They officially adopted it (made it theirs) on July 4, 1776. That is why we call it "Independence Day." Congress ordered that all members must sign the Declaration of Independence and they all began signing the "official" copy on August 2, 1776. In January of the next year, Congress sent signed copies to all of the states.

The Declaration of Independence is more than just a piece of paper. It is a symbol of our country's independence and commitment to certain ideas. A symbol is something that stands for something else. Most people can look at a certain little "swoosh" and know that it stands for "Nike." Well, the signers of the Declaration of Independence wanted the citizens of the United States to have a document that spelled out what was important to our leaders and citizens. They wanted us to be able to look at the Declaration of Independence and immediately think of the goals we should always be working for, and about the people who have fought so hard to make these ideas possible. The people who signed the Declaration risked being hanged for treason by the leaders in Great Britain. They had to be very brave to sign something that would be considered a crime! So every time we look at the Declaration of Independence, we should think about all of the effort and ideas that went into the document, and about the courage it took for these people to stand up for what they knew was right -- independence!

Soulmates - - Do they exist?

One day a telegram arrived at a man's door. When he opened it, he learned that his best friend had passed away... I recently heard this most inspiring story.

The story was about a boy and a girl who grew up together as best friends. As they grew into adulthood, they became preoccupied with their personal lives. Although, they knew that they lived just down the street from each other, they were too busy to seek out one another.

Every week they wanted to visit each other but thought to themselves, "Oh well, I am too busy today. We live close enough to each other to visit anytime. I will try tomorrow." It was not long before tomorrow turned into next week and then next month. Eventually a year had passed by.

Soon the distance between their homes began to appear more distant. The longer they waited to look for each other, the further the distance between their homes grew. This was followed by more excuses that did nothing but increase the gap between the two friends.

One day the male received a telegram informing him that his best friend passed away. As if he had gone into a shock, he asked himself, "What happened?"

He thought to himself, "If I knew I was going lose her without seeing her again, I would have taken the time to look for her. I wished I taken the time to tell her how much I loved her. Now she's gone, and I am now all alone."

Regardless what this individual thought or felt, his best friend had left the earth for good.

Do soul mates exist? And, are soul mates preordained?

There is a biblical verse that goes something like this. "Before I formed thee I knew thee and ordain thee to be..." What the verse tells us is that before you were born, your creator knew you. He knew your need for a mate and ordained you and another person to be soul mates.

The problem is too many people do not invest themselves 100% in recognizing their soul mate. They hold out, settling for unhealthy relationships until it is far too late.

Before a mother brings a child into this world the mother will know the child's need. She will ready a room with all the things the soon to be newborn will need. Likewise the supreme power that put you here on earth knew you would need a soul mate. One has been prepared just for you.

You can say "I will find my soul mate tomorrow. I am too busy today."

But, if you do, take time to remember the story at the beginning of this article. It was procrastination that prevented the two friends from finding each other until death separated them forever. Your soul mate is not going to be waiting for you forever!

I know how it feels to be in relationship other than that of soul mates. You have probably been hurt or disappointed so often, you don't trust anymore. I know all about the pain associated with break-ups. All of the pain, frustration and loneliness you may feel can be avoided if only you will not turn to excuses and justifications, but instead make the effort to look for your soul mate.

Yes, soul mates do exist. Adam and Eve were the first soul mates recorded in human history. When Adam was created, his creator said, it is not good for man to be alone. Thus a helpmate was created for Adam.

What is a helpmate, and why would a person need a helpmate if the person were able to make it alone?

This leads me to believe that in order for a man or woman to feel complete, they will need each other as helpmates. Adam and Eve were created for each other. I am using the word 'for' to show that soul mates belong to each other and nobody else.

For instance, when Eve ate the forbidden fruit that could have separated them, they sought out each other and did what ever it took so they could be together. An effort to remain together is clearly demonstrated between the two.

Are you too busy to find your soul mate? Do you allow fear of effort or failure to discourage you? I do understand how you feel. I have clients who feel the same as you do. I have also gone through the same experiences you have.

Here is what I tell people. When treasure hunters hear of buried treasures, they don't make excuses. They don't let fear of the possibility of being bitten by a poisonous snake or their ship sinking prevent them from going after the treasure. They find the exact map that will lead them to the treasure site. When they get there, they dive or dig for the treasure. When they find the treasure, they do their part to ensure that any piece of gold bar they find is real gold.

It will be nice if our soul mates can fall on our laps without any effort on our part. Unfortunately, life does not work like that does it?

How does it feel to go from one lousy relationship to the other, because you don't want to invest the time or effort to find your own soul mate?

I know how it feels to think you are madly in love. Then, a year or two later you find that it was all a big mistake.

So where do you turn for help. Where do you get that map to help you find your soul mate? When you do meet the person, how can you be certain it is the right person?

First, forgive and forget about the past and start fresh from today.

Human beings are created with the need to be with the opposite sex. Not just any opposite sex, but a specific man or woman whom they will feel complete with. Soul mates are pre-ordained.

Meeting a man or woman is relatively easy. Recognizing the person who is intended to be your soul mate is another thing.

Soul mate relationships have incredible soothing powers; they are heart warming and possess healing qualities.

The process of recognizing your mate is very real. You may be the only person keeping you from finding your special someone. Live today as if it is your last day. You will never know how successful you will be unless you try. My hope is that you don't allow procrastination, ego, pride, excuses and fear to prevent you from finding a rewarding relationship with your preordained soulmate.