O’Neil B. Ankle - Why Only Two Slices of the Bread?: Changing How You Approach Life

Why Only Two Slices
of The Bread?

Changing how you approach life

ONeil B. Ankle and
Wazer H. Walker

AuthorHouse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

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Phone: 833-262-8899

Copyright 2021 ONeil B. Ankle and Wazer H. Walker . All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 06/24/2021

ISBN: 978-1-6655-2777-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-2776-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-2775-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021911108

This book was edited by

Helloise Louden, former head of the Department of English at Knox College, Spaulding, Clarendon, Jamaica

Cheryl Brown-Harper, senior English Educator at Jonathan Grant High School, Spanish Town, St. Catherine, Jamaica

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,
and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Bible Scriptures are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Public Domain.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Contents

To our wives, Marcia Ankle and Karen Walker,
and our children: OJ, Rochelle, Joel, Ruth
Ann, and Winnifred (ONeils mom)

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers
only, deceiving your own selves.

(James 1:22)

Without a shadow of a doubt, we have been placed on the earth at a time such as this, where many people feel dejected, depressed, and overwhelmed by the circumstances they face in their lives. This feeling applies to all ages. Our calling is to help people in whatever shape or form to overcome many of the obstacles they are likely to face, and that may derail them off the path of success.

It is hoped that the words of this book will encourage and motivate you. Its our wish that reading this book will also cause you to be more closely drawn to Jesus Christ, our Hope, Savior, and Lord.

We also hope that parents and students will find this book an inspiration and will help strengthen their beliefs that they are Gods chosen vessels. With the Covid-19 pandemic raging across the world, people need to have hope and faith in Jesus Christ alone.

There is a great deal of negativity in the world; hence, the text is aimed at helping to drive you into purpose and the will of God. There is no reason why people should wake up each day and be fed with a steady diet of negative energy. Paul, speaking to the Philippians in chapter 4 verse 8, said, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever, things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Essentially, what you consume in your minds is manifested into action. Its important to keep a filter over your mind and thoughts, so that honest, pure, and righteous things emanate from you.

Replace harmful thoughts with Gods word daily. Can it be done? Yes! Commit yourself, and it will work. It will take time, but it starts with a commitment.

Reality is built out of thought, and our every thou ght
begins to create reality. Edgar Cayce

There is an understanding that our thoughts can allow us to accomplish many things. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof (Proverbs 18:21).

It therefore means that if you downsize your thinking process and put things in a little box, the outcome is likely to be tiny and insignificant. Furthermore, to pint-size your thoughts, beliefs, and dreams is exactly what you are likely to achieve. Pint-sized dreams will bring blessings of similar measure.

It is through your thought processes that you may determine your accomplishments. Why not adopt the principle of big thinking, or dreaming big, or above and beyond blessings? Why limit your capacity to achieve, when you were created for achieving excellence, success, and victory and having more than enough? You were created to soar even when you may be working against the wind of adversity. And the Lord shall make you the head, not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13).

The process of becoming the head starts within ones mind. Despite working with the concept that says, If I launch out, something positive can happen, achievements will not come without struggles. Someone holding you back along with stagnation may have been your lot. However, it does not have to be a death sentence. You are better than that. Learn to talk to you .

The struggle you will face on your way to progress will make you stronger. You will therefore come out of your struggle smiling, knowing that it was worth it. Purpose is never achieved without some kind of setback or failure. Nothing in this life worth having will come without some struggle.

Your Struggle Can Give You Stre ngth

It has been said that in the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly, if the natural process is disturbed, the struggle will not be the same. When the wings appear from the cocoon, if you pull them in an effort to assist the emerging butterfly, it doesnt matter how beautiful it looks, it will never fly. This is so, because it is the pushing, the struggle against the cocoon over time that will strengthen the wings of the insect and allow it to fly when it emerges from that ugly case. So in life, we go through challenges and struggles, some greater than others. Depending on how you view and approach these impediments, they will either make you strong enough to fly like the butterfly or ground you for life. And then you blame everyone else except yourself.

Why limit your thinking and marginalize your dreams? Why set a twelve-ounce bucket to catch water when you actually need a hundred-gallon drum to last you? Part of the challenge most of us have is that we limit what we can accomplish because we place restrictions and limitations on our thoughts, visions, and missions to think big. In so doing, we also limit God and what He can do for us. Why then limit the extent of your faith and settle for less than the best?

To achieve anything in this life, you should not settle with only two slices of the bread when you can have the complete loaf. Better yet, why become comfortable with the loaf, when you can have the bakery or the field where the wheat is grown? Go for all that constitutes running the bakery. Essentially, look at the bigger picture of what you can achieve. Frame your thoughts around elevating who you are. The gutter was never made for youit was constructed for debris and water. I hope you have got the picture in your mind.

I challenge you to move out of your comfort zone and begin to go for the bakery as you set out your plans to accomplish great things. Go for your dreams. It is big dreamers and thinkers who are going to grasp opportunities with both hands when they present themselves. Stop at nothing, as long as it is morally and ethically correct, in the accomplishment of your desires. God did not create you to place limits on yourself or your gifts.