Spirituality

As If

Some people like to pontificate on subjects they know very little or nothing about. They use big, important sounding words that, in their minds, puts them above the rest of us. It’s as if they want to be seen as more important than they believe they are.

Social media has given the world a voice. This platform has brought out some crazies. Fake stories and memes draw people in. The masses believe what they want to believe. It doesn’t matter if it’s factually true or not. If they believe it then it must be dictum.

In our world, opinions are trying to replace facts. Eight billion people have 8 billion opinions, all different. And it isn’t a compliment to be known as opinionated.

God gave us our brains, the most remarkable supercomputer on the planet. It’s a good idea to put it to use. Read scientific pieces. Think. Have conversations with others and listen. And keep your beliefs in a constant state of thought. Test them.

We could create a better, more open-minded society by learning to listen. When you rearrange the letters in the word “listen,” you spell silent. I don’t believe this is coincidental, but that’s my opinion…

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Spirituality

Shields Up

Anyone who has watched Star Trek is familiar with the command, “Shields Up.” It means the spaceship is about to be attacked. Shields are protective mechanisms.

Have you heard someone say you should follow your heart? Some people believe this is in the Bible. It’s not. In fact, Scripture tells us to guard our hearts. It also tells us the heart is deceptive. It might not be the best path to lead us.

The heart is the core of our emotions. Many times it is our motivation. We can have pure motives but be misguided because we are living with our hearts inside our heads.

I’m not suggesting we should live like robots. Sometimes you have to take a chance. The greatest writing moves us at the heart level. If it didn’t, Hollywood would have gone bankrupt a long time ago.

My encouragement to you is to live life judiciously. Question your motives. If you are experiencing a temporary feeling, it will pass. Keep your shields engaged in those moments. But if it doesn’t fade away, move forward.

Like I said, sometimes you gotta take a chance…

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Spirituality

The Devil Inside

There is a battle going on. We can’t see it, but that doesn’t make it less real. One side is fighting to win you over to their side while the warriors on the side of good are fighting to protect you.

We have a part to play in the fight. We can lessen the evil intentions through prayer. Or we can choose to give into temptation. It’s up to us. God gave us a way through, but we have to believe and execute.

The Apostle Paul wrote about his own struggles with temptation. In Romans 7:18, Paul wrote “For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” As great as Paul was, he was human.

It starts with the desires of your heart. There are temptations all around us. The devil has slowly crept deeper and deeper into culture. He has tried to make the abnormal seem normal. We need good people to take a stand.

The battle will rage on inside of us and all around us until we reach eternity. Take a stand. Do what’s right. The world needs strong men and women…

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Spirituality

Pray For Peace and Resolution

The United States and Israel have launched an attack on strategic targets in Iran. From early indications, it is a series of surgical strikes against targets where Iran’s leaders are suspected to be. I’m hopeful.

The Iranian people are some of the kindest you could ever meet. The society is well educated. They have lived under a terrorist regime for 47 years. All in the name of religion.

It is my hope that this ends quickly and that it is a successful operation. There is great risk involved in these missions. With every great risk comes the potential for great rewards. The Iranians, our military, the Israeli military and our leaders are in my thoughts and prayers. I hope they are in yours, too. They need them…

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Spirituality

Sold!

Years ago I attended an auction. The auctioneer was responsible for offering the crowd a variety of items that had been purchased from estate sales. It was tremendous fun! I even bought something and I have no idea why.

Everything has a price. There are trade offs. We pay what we consider to be a fair price, yet at the same time the seller believes he or she got a good deal. But what about our life? What value are we placing on ourselves?

God came to earth in the form of a man, a simple human. He showed us the character of God, a character we often get wrong. Jesus was a true badass, a rebel who spoke of wanting mercy and justice. He taught differently from many of the rabbis of his time. Unlike what the Pharisees preached, Jesus gave us two equally important rules: love God and love others.

At the end of his time on earth, Jesus had a choice. He could destroy the world and return to Heaven, or he could be a sacrifice for all mankind. I’m glad he chose us. He died a horrible death, yet was resurrected on the third day. God’s relationship with man had been restored. We have a way into Heaven.

Never sell yourself short. You were bought at a great price, the life of someone else. Consider the price Jesus paid for you. You have great value…

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Spirituality

Second Guessing

How many times have you made a decision or a purchase, only to second guess yourself after? It’s happened to everyone. Sometimes we act impulsively and just “go for it.” I have went for it on many many occasions.

We are human and human beings have flaws. We sometimes make mistakes. We learn from our errors in judgment, and if we don’t, we have to learn again. Some of us have been on a long, slow learning curve!

Buying things we don’t need on credit is a trap. Going out with someone we know isn’t good for us is another. Life is sorta like a minefield. Walk deliberately, but choose your path wisely.

The only one who doesn’t second guess is God. This is hard to get our heads around because we cannot imagine perfection. But a perfect Spirit created you exactly how he wanted you to be. If you ever struggle with self acceptance, especially after making a big mistake, then I encourage you to meditate on this. It won’t change the past, but it might give you some peace…

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Spirituality

Deposits

In your mind, I want you to picture a large vault. You might want to draw a picture of it. Label the vault as “Good.” Now comes the fun part.

Every time you do something for someone else that isn’t required of you, make a deposit in the vault. Perhaps it’s a random act of kindness or something as simple as a smile given to a homeless person. Make a deposit.

This is a metaphorical way of applying gratitude. It feed on itself. Over time you will find yourself wanting to do more. The act of doing good releases endorphins in your brain which gives you a feeling of elation. It’s a natural high.

Others will notice a change in you. Along with your new mindset, you grow from within. You will have more energy.

Keep quiet about what you are doing. The right people will notice. God sees everything. And He is our one true audience…

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Spirituality

What AI Can’t Do

Artificial Intelligence is awe-inspiring. It is an excellent tool for research, inventory management, and AI will speed up finding cures for rare diseases. People use it to write memoranda, notes, even books. Personally, I enjoy writing my own thoughts. None of my content has been generated by AI. Yet, as crazy cool as AI is, it has limitations.

Loneliness is a public health issue, per the Surgeon General in 2023. Loneliness is different from solitude. Solitude is a peaceful quiet. Loneliness can be debilitating. Feelings of loneliness increase the risk of heart disease, dementia, depression; it even weakens your immune system. A legitimate question is why.

We have become more reliant on technology than any generation. People have abandoned getting outside in nature for screen time. Social media has created an artificial exchange. We text instead of calling. The truth is, we are hardwired to be in community with others. We have allowed phones to replace people. Catch the irony?

Another ironic phenomenon is that the human race is more connected than ever. We can call anyone. We can travel almost anywhere. We must take the initiative before it’s too late.

I’m not suggesting our phones aren’t necessary. They are. But human connection is direly needed for our ongoing well being. Reach out and check on people if you haven’t heard from them in a while. Make the call…

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Spirituality

Mexico

Parts of Mexico are locked down. Tourists are trapped in their hotels while local citizens can’t get to work. Schools are closed indefinitely. This is both a good thing and a bad one.

Here’s the good news! The cartels took a major hit following the death of their leader, “El Mencho.” The Federales took on a dangerous group within their country. They did this at great risk. Now all hell has broken loose. It is my hope that they will continue to root out the evil empires known as the cartels.

Now for some bad news. Common citizens are hunkered down so they can remain safe. It’s unknown how long this will last. My heart bleeds for the people. Mexicans are kind, gentle, good people. They live in a corrupt country. The people deserve better.

The time will come when Mexico becomes reasonably safe to travel to again. The economic cost may run high. Tourism is second to oil in the Mexican economy.

Take a moment to remember Mexico in your prayers. They desperately need them…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Through the Spirit

True change comes from within. We might change our behavior for a while to accommodate someone else’s demands, but it won’t last unless we want it to. We are unique individuals, not clones.

It’s true that if you have a bad habit that needs to be addressed, you should work to change it. An alcoholic doesn’t get sober until he or she decides they want sobriety. Then they commit to doing whatever is necessary to stay sober.

For believers, the Spirit of God lives within us. The Spirit is constantly talking to us, guiding us and encouraging us. But are we always listening? No, we aren’t because the demons want our attention, too. And they are really good at getting it.

The Spirit is changing us inside. We are being crafted into the character of Jesus. We won’t reach perfection on this side of eternity, but we certainly get better.

Listen to the Spirit. It cannot lead you astray because it’s God talking to you. Through the Spirit we find life, peace and contentment. And that’s a winning combination…

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