#inspiration

Do Nothing

Everyone can use a day off. Sometimes we just need a break. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s healthy.

American culture has tried to dictate to us that if we aren’t the busiest person around, then we have little or no worth. This isn’t true. Being productive is far superior to just busyness. To be our best, we need to rest and recharge.

Take some time off occasionally. The work will be waiting for you upon your return…

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#inspiration

Bullying

Bullying gets a lot of attention nowadays. And it should.

Bullies aren’t born that way. Something inside of them makes them act that way. At their core, bullies are the most frightened person around. They are scared so they want others to feel scared. If you want them to change their behavior, you must change their hearts. Then the change is lasting.

Rachel’s Challenge is the most effective in-school program that creates safer, better connected schools. A story, Rachel’s story, gives students the desire to change, the “want to” if you will.

Change the heart, change the world. It begins with a story…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Verified

There is a tsunami of information that flows our way every single day. How do you know what’s true and what is either inflated or just an outright lie?

Facebook, Instagram and X have programs where you can become a “verified user.” You are who you say you are. Yet verifying one’s identity doesn’t prevent people from spreading lies and exaggerations. And no one has enough time to vet everything.

The one true book that has stood the test of time, and always will, is The Bible. It covers everything from our health to our money. The Bible is the original self-help book, but when we apply its principles we have another helper named God. God cannot write one thing and then do another. If He could, there would be no order, only chaos.

Start your day with some biblical wisdom. Avoid the noise of the world. Stay focused…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

But Everyone is Doing It!

Peer pressure is huge when you are a child. Kids desperately want to “fit in” and be included in the group. This is especially true during the period when boys and girls bodies are changing, and teenage rebellion kicks in. Things might not be great at home, so kids go looking for acceptance elsewhere.

This carries over into adulthood, too. If you have ever worked in a team environment, there is usually one person who wants the others to see things their way. Unity isn’t always the best option. Thinking differently brings different results.

You were created as one unique individual. There is no one like you, and there never will be. Don’t be concerned about fitting in, especially if groupthink goes against your values and beliefs.

Make your life count. Use your unique gifts and talents to leave the world better than you found it…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Difficult Relationships

With the divorce rate of 50% for first marriages, someone isn’t getting along with someone else! But that’s not the difficult relationship I want to address today. I’m talking about my relationship with the unseen.

God doesn’t want more religion from me. He wants a relationship with me. It’s a challenge for me because of a variety of reasons. I can’t see God, yet when I talk to Him he listens. Every time. He has an interest in my life, but I’m not always aware of His presence. And there’s a lot of noise in the world which gets my attention. Man, is there a lot of noise.

God thought of us before the earth was formed. And there’s a great purpose attached to me being here. I wish He would just tell me what my purpose is and I would do it. Or would I?

Moses talked to God and said “you’ve got the wrong guy for the job!” Jonah ran the opposite direction God told him to go. What makes me any different?

My willingness to believe and trust will get me farther in life than I can get on my own. I’m willing…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Mystery

I love mysteries and puzzles. My innate curiosity keeps me interested in trying to figure things out.

When someone is unnecessarily rude, I figure that something is going on inside of them that has caused the behavior to manifest. It has nothing to do with me. They might have received some really bad news, or perhaps they are just struggling to make ends meet. It’s expensive to live, and it’s not getting any cheaper.

Sometimes things aren’t as they appear to be. Take time and be patient with your fellow man. We are all in this thing called life together, and we are better together…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Deceit

To deceive someone means you intentionally withhold information or you just plain lie to them. In today’s soft culture, we have replaced the word lie with the words untruth or disinformation. A lie is a lie. Don’t sugarcoat it.

We are living in a world where we must question everything. The news media makes more twists and turns than a pretzel factory assembly line. Politicians inflate the truth and create problems where there weren’t any. Over the course of my life I have learned that people will believe what they want to believe, whether it makes sense or not.

Let’s bring decency and unfiltered truth back into our society. People can handle the truth. It’s the lies and deceit that we have trouble with…

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#inspiration

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend we commemorate Memorial Day in the United States. The true meaning behind this meaningful day gets overshadowed by sales and cookouts.

On Memorial Day we take time to remember those brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. Freedom is worth fighting for, and they made the ultimate sacrifice. They are true heroes and we honor them.

Take a moment this weekend and say a short prayer for the fallen and their families. They deserve our attention…

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#inspiration

Cheating

To cheat is to “act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.” Society has always looked down on cheaters, placing them in the same category as lying or stealing.

Some in today’s society look the other way when people cheat. Allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports is a prime example. Winning truly isn’t everything. Sports are a great teaching tool. Kids learn accountability, responsibility and love of their fellow teammates. By allowing this to happen, you are robbing the young women who worked hard and sacrificed of their ability to compete fairly against their peers. There is no rational explanation for the destruction of Title IX.

I hope common sense returns to culture. People who switch genders to unfairly compete have missed the whole point of sports and competition.

Okay. My rant is over. It’s time to get onto more important stuff…

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    #inspiration, #spirituality

    People Magazine

    People Magazine, The National Enquirer, Star Magazine and many others publish “in the know” stories about celebrities lives. Over 80 million people read People Magazine alone every month!

    I have this theory that people who are bored with their own lives read about celebrities and sorta live vicariously through them. The truth is, celebrities are no different than us. They have to go to the grocery store, pay bills, and take the dog to the vet. Those mundane tasks aren’t newsworthy, though. Only their relationships and red carpet appearances get featured.

    Make your life fascinating. Treat every moment as a miracle to be in awe of. Spend time serving others. Then you won’t have the time or desire to read about other people.

    Your life matters. Always remember that…

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