Walking Life's Road

By Kenneth Dale Bradford

As each one of us walks life's road, we must understand that each spiritual journey will be different. Our spiritual life can be as unique as our fingerprints. It is a mistake to judge another person's path against your own.

In order for us to become what we want to be, we must learn to accept ourselves at the very place in life where we are right now. We must learn to anchor ourselves in the present. We must be fully aware of each moment in each day and understand how it affects us. Just as the "Serenity Prayer" says: "God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference."

The best way to cement your self-esteem is to reach out and help others. It helps you feel connected and makes your own problems and concerns less overwhelming. Learn to laugh at yourself and don't make everyone around you have to walk on eggshells. You must learn to create a safe, non-judgmental space for your friends and family around you.

Don't spend so much time worrying about things that have happened and dreading something unforeseen in your future. Everything is okay at this moment, so enjoy it, because it's yours.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kenneth Dale Bradford
• Release date: Sep 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311275264

Kenneth Dale Bradford

I was born Kenneth Dale Bradford and for whatever reason, seems like country folks always wanted to call people by their middle names. When I entered the U. S. Air Force and met my wife, Maggie, my name was changed to Ken. I spent my younger years in the Yellow Creek area of Dickson County Tennessee. My father was Roby Bradford and my mother was Alma Hamilton. Mama worked at the shirt factory and my Daddy was a farmer. They both worked very hard. Even though we were very poor, country life was fun for me. I always looked forward to the spring and summer. There was just something amazing about the sounds and smells of spring in the country. Some people would call my younger years a tragedy, but I call them a blessing. I learned the value of hard work from both my Mama and my Daddy. I learned how faith in God could get you through anything from my dear Mama. Even though there were six of us, I was the youngest and spent a lot of time alone with my thoughts.The best part of being alone is that I was the only one to get in that #3 wash tub to take a bath. To me, home was never a place; it was a feeling. It was the way people I loved said my name. Aunt Pete, James’s Mom, and my Mom were sisters, so that made us first cousins. James and I spent some time together as kids and we never really did anything mean, but we just didn’t like to be bored. James is an important part of my childhood and getting to put this book together with him was a special treat. I really thought that getting my age would take longer, but time just keeps on slipping away. Getting "Two Peas In a Pod With a Lot to Say!" published allows me to take one more thing off my bucket list. Hope you enjoy it!

Book preview

Walking Life’s Road

© Copyright 2019 - Ken Bradford. All Rights Reserved.

Smashwords Edition

Cover design by:

Ken Bradford

Acknowledgement

Having grown up in the country, where the air was clean and life was simple, I rarely gave much thought to the difficulties my Mama had in caring for me as a single parent. Even though she worked a full-time job at the shirt factory, she still had to come home and do the normal things that mothers do. I never heard her complain; even tough she had every right to. She loved me and I never thought about even questioning that fact. She loved God and her actions always pointed me in the right direction. This book is dedicated to Alma Bradford, my Mama, and the good memories she left me will last a lifetime.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Lessons In Life From Our Children

Chapter 2: Why Christians Aren’t Perfect

Chapter 3: What Believing In God Means

Chapter 4: Can An Atheist Receive Salvation?

Chapter 5: Why Bad Things Happen To Good People

Chapter 6: Why God Punishes Evil

Chapter 7: Christianity vs Religion

Chapter 8: Did Jesus Know Everything?

Chapter 9: Will Same Gender Marriage Destroy Freedom of Religion?

Chapter 10: Is Hell A Real Place Or Just Imaginary?

Chapter 11: God’s View On Abortion

Chapter 12: How Should Christians View The Death Penalty?

Chapter 13: Is The Bible The Truth or Just Myths?

Chapter 14: Should The Bible Be Used As A Textbook In Our Schools?

Chapter 15: Is Jesus The Only Way Of Salvation?

Chapter 16: Should Christians Work On Sunday?

Chapter 17: Is There Proof That God Exists?

Chapter 18: Evil Is The Nature Of Humanity

Chapter 19: Should Our Children Know God?

Chapter 20: Our Relationship With God Today

Chapter 21: Does Christianity Have Room For Other Beliefs?

Chapter 22: Can Christians Sin?

Chapter 23: Can We Ban Religion From All Public Places?

Chapter 24: Are Christians Losing Christmas As A Holy Day?

Chapter 25: Are Christmas Symbols Constitutional?

Chapter 26: Christmas Gifts From The Bible

Chapter 27: Creating A Better Life

Conclusion

About the Author

Introduction

This book is actually a compilation of articles I have written for various online services. It is designed to not only remind you of certain lessons contained in the Bible, but also to provide hope and encouragement in a world that is being invaded by hatred, greed and violence.

Our children are being exposed to everything that is immoral, but can't speak the name God or carry a Bible to school. So, just how do we motivate our kids to be excited about following Christ?

Only when we learn to share the gifts God has given us, can we really be a useful tool in God's hands. If we believe in the teachings of the Bible and know the Scriptures but fail to share our knowledge with others, it can cripple us spiritually.

We live in a world that seems to be spiritually frigid. Often our words contradict our deeds. There are those who seem to have no need for God's word as their moral compass. They are convinced they can find their way on their own. There are still others who have the compass, were raised in Christian homes, and were taught the right ways, yet refuse to believe and go about life in their own stubborn way.

As you read these pages, I hope you will find some answers to your questions and many other things to just think about. Always remember, spiritual living is directing our faith with the belief that there is a power greater than us.

Chapter 1

Lessons In Life From Our Children

I sometimes go back to the countryside where I grew up. The house is gone, but the same hills and creeks are exactly where they were many years ago. I can almost see a small boy running with his dog, Shorty. They hunt crawdads in the creek for a while and then go back to the barn where I played as a child. I can see the boy taking a stick and a lid from a large metal can, driving it into the ground, and traveling to places he had only seen in his dreams.

As the youngest child of a farmer and a factory worker, there were many times I was practically alone. There was just Shorty and me. Oh, my Dad would take me to the fields sometimes, but sitting at the end of a cornfield all day could get boring. With a little imagination, we seemed to make it just fine. We never got into too much trouble, but we did have to find ways of providing our own entertainment.

My Mom always encouraged me to try different things and she taught me many of life’s lessons like humility and to always respect and appreciate other people. I always knew that she paid a lot of attention to me after I skipped school in the first grade. There was absolutely no one there to see me, but somehow she knew. I guess it was just the sixth sense moms have. Whether it was the experience of having to choose my own peach tree limb or the events that followed, something left a lasting impression and I never skipped school again – ever!

Are parents of today too busy to pay attention to their kids? Do they too often allow them to go to their rooms with an iPad or a computer, without really knowing what they are doing and who they are talking to? When it comes time to eat, does everyone grab a plate and rush off to separate rooms, while the table in the breakfast nook or dining room is covered up with Wal-Mart specials? Do we miss valuable lessons of life and business when we decide to buy that new video game or send our kids out-of-town for the entire summer?

Parenting is hard, but if we would only take the time to watch and listen to our children, they could help us tremendously. Business owners could build more successful businesses if they would spend more time and