Spirituality

Philo Farnsworth

You may have never heard of Philo Farnsworth, yet most people use a device he created every day. Please allow me to tell you more.

Milo was born in Utah in 1906. When he was 12 his family moved to Idaho. The home Milo’s family moved into had electricity, and this became a lifelong obsession for Milo.

As a 14 year old farm boy plowing a field, Milo had an idea. He saw the straight rows he had plowed and thought, “why can’t images be transmitted in lines rather than the complicated spinning discs used at the time?” He drew outlines of his thoughts on the blackboard for his high school chemistry teacher, Justin Tolman. Tolman kept the drawings which eventually were instrumental in winning a patent lawsuit against RCA (another fascinating story).

The electronic television set was invented by a 21 year old boy who had no college education, no connections and very little money. Milo had something more powerful than those things combined. He had a dream.

Dreams are given to us by God. It’s up to us to do the work to bring our dreams to life. The deep purposes imbedded in our hearts are there for a reason. We will find fulfillment when we use our gifts for the betterment of mankind. Dream big, worthwhile dreams and do the work…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Say What You Think

When you find someone who speaks their mind, with poise and eloquence, that person is a rare find. There are many out there who are quick to tell you what’s on their minds, but once they open their mouths you know there’s little substance behind their words.

Yes, the blowhards are everywhere. Even in the professional ranks. Groupthink is just as dangerous. Going along to get along is not using your brain. God gave us the greatest supercomputer ever built. It’s up to us to use it.

You have heard that “knowledge is power.” No, the truth is knowledge is potential power. Knowledge is meaningless if you sit idly by and never use it. And it’s usually a solid idea to verify your knowledge. It could be wrong.

Intellectual honesty is a dying art. Speaking the truth, with some gentleness and self control, is valued by your counter party.

Stay true to yourself and always being honest with people. You will piss some people off by having a different opinion or belief. That’s okay…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

The Evolution of the Ages

The Pony Express was created on April 3, 1860. It was a remarkably fast way to send mail in those days. Yet, the Pony Express only lasted about 18 months, ending on October 26, 1861. What killed it? That damn technology called the transcontinental telegraph which connected the country.

We are living in an age where you can send massive amounts of information to another person in an instant. And you don’t have to leave home to do it. In some ways the advances in technology have made us lazy. Why pick up the phone and call someone when you can send them a text or email?

We have exited the Information Age and entered the next phase, the era of Artificial Intelligence. This period doesn’t have an official name yet, but it will. And I wonder what will be next.

Technology makes our lives more efficient. There are trade offs that come along with it. The thing we cannot lose is human connection. We need to be in community with each other. Mental health is the worst it’s been in my lifetime, and I suspect replacing people with technology plays a big part in that.

Get outside. Call someone for lunch or Happy Hour. Find a reason to laugh every day. Check on people you haven’t heard from in a while. They will benefit but so will you. Stay connected…

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Spirituality

The Contradiction of Humanity

The human race is a large, complex group. We are over 8 billion strong. Each of us is unique, gifted in different ways, and we have our own goals, dreams and desires. We are a true mosaic.

Every one of us has the capacity for love, hope, character, the desire to do good, and the ability to make a difference in this world. At the same time we have the ability to harm others, to destroy the good that others create, and we are capable of being selfish. The choice is ours.

God created us in His image. We aren’t God, but we have the ability to carry out His will on earth. When we are living in the will of God, we are in the zone of the spirit. We feel it. You can’t miss it. The desire to do something harmful cannot live in the presence of God.

Prayerfully ask God to show you the way He wants you to go. He will answer. This I promise. And there will be no contradiction in your answer. Then you will know it’s from the one true God…

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Spirituality

Spiritual Trip

When I was a teenager I became a Christian. My faith was professed publicly that I believed Jesus is the Son of God, and that all of my sins were forgiven. Even the ones I hadn’t committed yet! Pretty good deal, huh?

Over time I put God on the back burner, calling for His help when I got myself in a mess. Then I put him back where He belonged. My experience with Jesus is very similar to many other people’s.

This is not to suggest that I stopped believing. No, my belief never wavered. My focus was out of whack. The outer world had my attention. Well, God is always working on us. So let’s fast forward to May of 2013.

Due to a sequence of events I’ll write about in a future column, in May 2013 I had what I call my second encounter with Jesus Christ. Man it was powerful. He got ahold of me and never let go. My spiritual life took off in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

Jesus brought the real me to the surface, the man he created me to be. I didn’t become a weirdo or religious freak. My life continues to evolve and grow.

My fight with worldly stuff is ongoing. But Jesus has taught me a peace and contentment that I couldn’t have had without him. It’s available to everyone who believes…

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Spirituality

Warrior or Worrier?

It’s your choice. You can approach life with the mindset of a warrior, an unstoppable force. Or, if you choose, you can live by the “what if” principle.

Life will throw hurdles in your path. You can’t avoid them no matter how safe you play it. When you face the challenges head on and conquer them, your confidence grows. Shying away from conflict is harmful in the long run.

There are a lot of good people in this world. Most people go about their lives, mind their own business, and don’t call attention to themselves. But they are the first people to show up when crises occur. They are reliable. Perhaps they are who we call the silent warriors.

Everyone has areas of their lives where they need improvement. We are works in progress. If you have been a wallflower all your life, it’s time to shine. Take it slowly but don’t go too slow. You will find your way to the warrior mentality if you refuse to give up. Don’t give up…

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Spirituality

Poor Pitiful Me

Victimhood has become popular. When things don’t go my way, well it must be because I’m black, or white, or whatever. Playing the victim is a cop out. Nothing more.

A player in the WNBA was recently ejected from the game after she executed a flagrant hard foul on another player. It’s clear that she intended to foul the other player. Fortunately the player wasn’t permanently injured, but she did emerge with a bloody mouth.

We must wonder what goes through the mind of someone who intentionally fouls another player. Fortunately, most decent people don’t think that way or we would have more chaos than we already have.

The offending player immediately sent an X Post claiming she was the victim of white privilege. She wasn’t. There was no mistaking the fact that she wanted to hurt the other player.

Playing the victim is not accepting responsibility for your actions. We can only try our best. If we do that and our best isn’t good enough, accept it and move on. Leave victimhood behind for someone else…

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Spirituality

Spiritual Scandals

Scripture is comprehensive. It covers everything we need to know to live our lives in peace and harmony. This is not to suggest that we won’t have challenges in this life. We will, but we also know how to face them and stay in God’s will.

Recently I watched a documentary about the 20 most corrupt churches in history. The way the leaders of the congregations took advantage of people was shocking. The people were innocent pawns who were desperately looking for hope. They were betrayed.

Billions of dollars were raised, only to be pocketed by the charlatans who were in leadership positions. There is much Scripture that warns us against these types. We have to read it to be aware.

False teachers will be judged more strictly, according to Scripture. This is between them and God. But my encouragement to you is to not lose faith in God if you have been burned by false teachers. Trust that God is fair and just. We only need to concern ourselves with ourselves…

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Spirituality

Don’t Be That Person

So many people are living hollow lives. They are drifting through life, waiting for the weekend yet they rarely do anything special on their days off. Don’t be that person. Rise above.

There is nothing random about this life. We were created with a purpose in mind. God gave us our unique gifts to accomplish His purpose for our lives. It’s not about us.

You know in your heart that this is true. You know you were created for more than frustration and mediocrity. And I want you to know that God is serious about your purpose. He didn’t create anything without a reason. This includes you!

Life is meant to be lived, not merely existed through. If you want to get started on living out your purpose and don’t know where to begin, start with a simple prayer. Then keep praying…

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Spirituality

More Intervention

This coming Sunday through Wednesday I was supposed to be out of town. For years when I had made hotel reservations, I made non-refundable reservations. This time was different.

When I was making reservations online, this time I had a feeling. My hotel offered the non-refundable option but I chose the refundable one. God was guiding me in that moment and I saved some money. Of course I can’t prove it, but I know it to be true.

God is talking to us all the time. Are we listening? Admittedly it’s difficult because there is a lot of noise out there that blocks our attention. We need to slow down and listen for the small voice.

God will never lead us astray. The evil one wants us to believe He will and that His word is irrelevant today. But Satan is and always has been a liar.

Trust God. He is good…

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