Unfortunately for me, I’ve never been a big fan of it (change, that is). Nonetheless, without it I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the wonderful blessings God has allowed me to experience.

Let’s face it: Sometimes, change is painful. Other times, it’s down-right scary. But, what I’ve come to learn is that whatever emotions it brings to the surface, it’s necessary.

Recently, I found myself stagnant in my faith. I realized — gasp — it’s time for a change! For so long, I’ve felt pretty stationary, neither changing, nor evolving in my understanding of Christ, Biblical principles and the relation of the former tenets to my own journey. So, a few months back, I sat down with my journal and tried to target the areas in which I’m deficient — areas in which I truly need to grow, not only in my understanding of the Lord, but also in the ways in which I think and interact with others.

As I sat and thought through the major issues I’ve faced (and continue to), God gave me a very solid list of six elements, in order form, that I can and should work on within myself. Collectively, I call them my “ChristLog,” as they are truly the items I need to improve upon to not only have a healthier relationship with God, but to also continue growing in nearly every possible respect. Even if you’re not a Christian, I believe you can take this same principle (i.e. pinpointing the blemishes within yourself, jotting them down and working through them on a regular basis to improve upon yourself).

I am by no means perfect. Trust me. But, this list is something I can look at daily as a reminder of the areas in which I fall short. Remember, these are issues — in order — that I believe I need to work on within myself (yours may be different). I decided to share these items with you in an effort to be transparent, while showcasing some of the areas I believe many of us, especially Believers, struggle in. So, here’s my list. Please let me know if you compose your own ChristLog. Would love to hear about it!

Let God take the helm: Quit trying to be in total control (there’s. At the end of the day, very few life occurrences are completely controllable. Seek God’s guidance in everything: Jobs, major decisions and the like. Go to God daily (something I still struggle with this, mainly because of time — which is a terrible excuse). But, truly letting go and letting Christ guide the process is the best way forward.

Believe God for everything and anything: Christians are always saying that God can do anything. But, I limit Him way too much. Sometimes, the weight of life can be overwhelming, but why not challenge myself to truly believe that He is capable of doing everything and anything? Essentially, I need to quit limiting God’s power in my own life. This ties back to letting him take the helm, no?

Be content and satisfied with what God has given: Instead of focusing on what’s next, why not enjoy what’s happening “now?” I need to calm it down a bit and take a moment to smell the fresh air. Ambition has always been a blessing, but it has also been a curse. Sometimes, I fail to appreciate the unbelievable experiences I’ve been blessed to have. Sometimes, God wants us where he wants us and not necessarily where we want to be. Understanding this can be freeing to say the least. I’m still working on that.

Learn self-control in all areas of my life: There are so many areas here to focus upon. But, everyone struggles in this area in some way. Avoiding temptations, making the right decisions, etc. Once one accepts that God’s at the helm and learns to take the passenger seat and allow Him to do the steering, this area will become a bit easier. It’s a process.

Be the best husband I can be: Self-explanatory. And, it’s an ongoing process.

Accept situations that are out of my control: Let’s face it. Even after we let God take the helm, there are certain issues (family problems and more extreme examples of emotional turmoil) that are virtually impossible to look past. Accepting that some of these unfortunate incidents and ongoing events are reality is the first step. Then, praying for healing on an ongoing basis is the next step. Again, it’s a process. Sometimes, we simply can’t control what’s going on in our lives, especially when it concerns others around us. So, we forge on — but with God on our side.

So, what does your ChristLog look like? What do you struggle with? Think of this as a contract with yourself. Trust me — it’s a huge help. Learn more about God here.

Below, watch an excellent video that explains who we are, what we do and what you can expect from our reporting. For my recent articles, click here. Stay tuned for more here on BillyHallowell.com as well. But, alas, here is The Blaze:

On taxes, the poll reported that roughly two out of three registered voters — 64 percent — would be in favor of increasing taxes on annual income over $250,000. President Obama reiterated in his deficit-reduction speech last week that he favored allowing taxes to rise on families in that income level.

I discussed this subject on FOX News Live this past Tuesday. Here’s a clip:

Hello fellow travelers,

Tired and grumpy yet? If you feel like you’re in the car with a bunch of toddlers on a cross-country trip and you’ve run out of juice boxes…well, get ready, because the diapers aren’t even poopy yet. That, friends, comes when the government shuts down (if it does) and the liberals go into full throttle freak out. The shrieking ofLouise Slaughter is only the beginning of woe. There will be more.

Politics

• First, perspective. I haven’t written on this but plan to. The CBO blog today: “The federal government incurred a budget deficit of $830 billion in the first six months of fiscal year 2011, CBO estimates in its latest Monthly Budget Review—$113 billion more than the shortfall recorded in the same period last year.” The Democrats are screaming about a piddly cuts.
• More perspective: What a shutdown means. Andmore.
• More perspective: President Obama hasdecided that the military is non-essential. His schedule. Also, even Dems grow weary of him. Sarah Palin takes him to task.
• Karl Rove is afraid of the shutdown.
• Thad McCotter kicks arse on the House floor today, putting this all in perspective.
• DC is being California-ized.
• Donald trump “a giant among pygmies“. Also,his pro-life conversion.
• Media finally admitting the obvious about Egypt?

This -N- That

• Megyn Kelly: Things not to say to a pregnant chick.
• “I Was Itching Like a Crackhead“: Study Finds College Students Addicted to Media
• Hack Attack In Russia — even the prime minister affected
• Super cool art – go look. Amazing.
• Finally, for the essential and non-essential in your life: The T-Shirt.

Have a great weekend! I bet you’ll survive whether the government is opened or not. Funny how that works.

Melissa

Hello fellow sensible people,

Wisconsin is still not decided. A couple thoughts: 1) How could the GOP not get the vote out better? 2) When it’s this close do you ever question who will win? Yeah, me neither. Also, the Democrat-controlled Senate, along with Republican Susan Collins rejected a GOP amendment that would have stopped the EPA from trying to end-around failed Cap-n-Trade legislation. Obama bureaucracies are doing work the legislators are refusing to do. All in all, a crappy political day.

Politics

• Contemplating judicial partisanship.
• Energy costs are harming the poor most of all.
• D.C. is nigh unto a full conniption considering aShutdown. This irritates me. They’ve had 4% unemployment on the back of the taxpayer when some states have unemployment rates up to 25% in some sectors. A week without pay? I know, horrors. How does it feel? It feels tense. I know this, see, because I’m a small business person and when we go on vacation for a week, guess who doesn’t get paid? I have a difficult time feeling sorry. Also, take away the pay of Congress, while you’re at it.
• Boehner got a full three minutes on the phone with the President today. Lucky him! Tonight, Reid and Boehner are meeting the Prez in the Oval office for a chit-chat to stop the potential shutdown.

Before I get more irritated, I’ll just give some links to helpful and/or more fun info.

This -N- That

• For city dwellars, this is cool.
• Gah! Found something that Houston is the worst at: Gouging on flight fares. Is your city a gouger, too?
• On the positive side, Houston and a few other Texas cities are growing fastest. Some surprises, too.
• Glen Beck is done with his TV Show. Conspiracy theories swirl.
• Studying Congress like an anthropologist. 27% of communication is taunting! So alpha…

So, while the country is going down the debt toilet, DC inhabitants are worried about a shutdown. Please remember: The Democrats had the House, Senate and Presidency all of 2010 and couldn’t find a way to put together a budget the whole year. It reached a crisis in October of 2010, and they still couldn’t do it. The Republicans in the House had a budget 45 days ago and the Dem-controlled Senate is dragging their collective feet. The Democrats need to grow up.

Melissa