As I grow in wisdom and understanding, God reveals things to me. I’m in a constant state of fascination and awe at how God expands my understanding. Things become crystal clear. It’s up to me to use what God has revealed.
In The Book of James the author tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James further reminds us that if we ask, we should believe God will answer.
He does answer…
Andy Warhol is credited with saying, “in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.” Whether Warhol was the first to say this is up for debate, but it appears everyone is seeking their 15 minutes. Fame is not always pretty.
Why do people seek fame? Perhaps they want the attention that comes with fame. My belief is that wanting to be famous exposes a deeper insecurity. Fame follows accomplishment. Think of the great achievements of Lincoln, Ford, King and Musk. Two of them lost their lives because of their convictions.
Do your work. If fame finds you, all the better. If not, just do your work anyway. The only one whose opinion matters is God. Work with His purpose in mind…
Are you running from something? Maybe an unsafe situation, an ex, or perhaps you are running from yourself.
As a young adult, I couldn’t wait to get away from my family home and leave my dysfunctional past behind. I threw myself into making money and chasing women. My pursuit of both had no limits, and I was pretty good at both. But I was empty. No matter how much success I had in the business world, it was never enough. Same with women.
We can run from ourselves but we can’t escape who we are running from. I really didn’t like myself but my ego refused to recognize it that way. Arrogance blinded me. God humbled me. Only through psychotherapy was I able to recognize why I made the poor choices of my past. When I took ownership of my part I changed. And I became free from the trauma of my childhood and my fucked up history after childhood.
Today, I am free to be who God created me to be, who I am. Now I’m ready to be used for whatever God has in store for me.
Stay tuned…
The American dream remains alive and well. Yes, we have our share of problems and challenges, but we remain the freest country on earth.
Freedom gets taken for granted. We treat it cavalierly, as if there wasn’t a price paid to have it. The truth is, a great price was paid, from the Revolutionary War to the courts today. Many have died for a cause greater than themselves. Their sacrifice was not in vain.
The United States remains the greatest experiment ever conceived, and that is worth fighting for…
Why are we hesitant to call things what they actually are? For example, in a little less than two months we will commemorate the 23rd anniversary of September 11th. People refer to it as “the events of September 11th” rather than calling it what it was: a terrorist attack.
Not to be overlooked but the news media are calling an assassination attempt on President Trump “the events of last Saturday night.”
Sugar coating things doesn’t make them more palatable. The two incidents I cited were horrible. Dumbing them down is irritating and insulting. We need to be bold about speaking the truth.
Yes, the truth hurts sometimes. But we can handle the truth…
A lot of life feels like we are just checking the box. We get to work on time. Check the box. Pick up kids and get them to their after school events. Check another box. It’s like we have a daily to-do list and then we do the same list the next day. As I have said before, much of daily life is routine and boring. It’s that way for everyone, no matter what People Magazine wants us to believe.
Let’s take a moment to consider our goals, dreams and desires. Are we checking any boxes in this important part of our lives? If we are just going through the motions or giving it lip service, we are cheating others as well as ourselves. We are built for purpose, God’s purpose. Let’s live like it matters because it does. Ignoring our purpose will not make it go away.
I encourage you to do something, even if it’s just one thing, every day to get you where you want to be. Start today. In fact, start now…
I’m invited to a wedding in October. The young man getting married is someone I’ve known for about 25 years. I refer to him as “my other son I didn’t have to send to college!” The invitation is to me plus one.
I have no plus one, and I don’t feel pressured to go find one in the interim. There is no dishonor in being single. Over the course of my life, I have traveled to resorts, seen movies, and I have gone to dinner by myself. Making conversation comes naturally for me, but solitude has a different kind of peace attached to it.
If you have insecurities about being single, I encourage you to work on yourself to learn why. Facing your inner challenges can be scary, but there is freedom on the other side. The obstacle will remain until you decide to remove it.
The times you are single, in a committed relationship, or you are married have a season in your life. Make the most of them. Most importantly, never try to force outcomes in life. Just keep working on what you want from life. Then, you will be putting yourself in a position to succeed…
As many of you were, I was shocked by the assassination attempt on former President Trump. Had he not moved his head at the last second, his head would have exploded.
People have become unhinged. No matter how you feel about Donald Trump, this was uncalled for.
What was equally appalling was the number of posts from people “wishing the shooter hadn’t missed.” I would not want to live inside the heads and hearts of those people.
We must do better and be better…
Modern minimum wage laws can trace their roots all the way back to the year 1349. King Edward III issued a decree which established a minimum wage for workers. In 1933, FDR introduced the first minimum wage in the United States. It was set at a whopping 25 cents per hour along with a 44 hour work week.
In 1914, Henry Ford set the bar high when he started paying Ford workers $5 per day. This was revolutionary. Ford was a visionary , and he attracted the best workers to choose from, and the rest is history.
Congress yells constantly about a “living wage” while trying to increase the minimum wage set for workers. Wages are the largest contributor to inflation. But the minimum is just that, a minimum. I worked a lot of jobs as a teenager and I was happy to have work. Minimum wage was never a goal, and Congress should stop trying to change the mindset that minimum wage should be enough to support a family. It’s expensive enough to live in 2024. We don’t need the “help” of the politicians. They tend to royally screw things up without consequences. Just check their track record.
No matter your pay, always give more than what you are paid for. Your efforts will be noticed, and they will be rewarded…
Wherever I am I notice everyone. I make eye contact and speak to others. It is remarkable to me how many people are timid about saying hello. Perhaps they have a lot on their minds and can’t take on anything else. The truth is, I don’t need to know.
We weren’t timid as children. We were outgoing and friendly. Then life happened. Life can knock you on your ass sometimes. Life can make people reticent to try one more time. But I say don’t quit, no matter what you’ve been through or what happens in your future. You are here for a purpose.
In 2 Timothy 1:7, it says “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” Recapture your inner power. It’s there, it’s just muted.
Start today. Rekindle the fire that burns within you. Go make your mark on the world…
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