Blogging is fascinating to me. I suppose it intrigues me because I don’t understand how it works. One day I will have 600 views while the next day I have 12. Weird, huh?
The purpose of my blog is to, hopefully, make you think. The usual theme is inspirational because I know the world is hurting, and I’m just trying to help. It is heartbreaking to see people struggle.
The world is hard, sometimes cruel, and we need to be reminded to look for the light…
Some babies are born with a small hole in their heart. This is called a septal defect and they typically heal on their own.
Everyone has a different kind of hole in their heart. It’s a spiritual hole. Oh we try to fill it with money and possessions, but those are only temporary fixes. So we chase more money and more stuff which, once again, provides only momentary relief. Then the chase begins again. And again. And again…
Only God can fill the spiritual hole. When you let Him into your life you will find peace and contentment. Your ambition doesn’t wane. It simply becomes more focused. You begin to look for fulfillment by pursuing your true purpose in life.
Start listening. God is always speaking to us…
Charisma is defined as “compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.” Being referred to as charismatic is quite a compliment.
How does a person become charismatic? I believe it begins with just being yourself. People who are comfortable with themselves and don’t feel the need to act like someone they’re not are genuine. They are a pleasure to be around. You can differentiate between authentic people and fakes.
Stay true to yourself, work through past trauma, and refuse to change colors for the crowd. Then you will be charismatic…
I know many people who can quote verses from Scripture from memory. They can tell you exactly what the Bible says about a wide array of subjects. Now it’s true, the Bible shares what God says about every area of our lives.
The Bible is more than a book. It is the living word of God, and it has power. When Satan tempted Jesus in the desert, Jesus responded with Scripture. The same tactic works today. The name of Jesus weakens the demons. They cannot stand it because it tortures them. Use it when you feel anxious or fearful.
The Bible is transformative. It changes you because it has the ability to. God works on us from within. We want miracles performed for us, but the real miracle comes from God’s strength that lives inside of us.
I encourage you to see the Bible as more than just a book. That’s because it’s much more…
Being educated is important, wouldn’t you agree? In many ways our students have fallen behind. This is not all the teachers fault.
Horace Mann (1796-1859) is known as the “Father of American Education” because of his great impact on education. Mann believed the best way to deal with unruly children was to educate them. Early educators focused on the head, the hands and the heart. In other words, the brain, the application of knowledge and the emotional well being of children.
Fast forward to today. Teachers are forced to “teach to the test.” STAAR testing is their focus. Do you wonder why? Because test scores determine how much funding they receive from, you guessed it, the federal government. Students are memorizing information so they will do well on the test. I know a lot of educators. Not a single one is an advocate for the test. And students aren’t energized to learn, only to regurgitate a bunch of information.
A better approach is to teach kids critical thinking skills and test their proficiency. Teachers can capture their imagination. Kids will engage their minds.
When you reach the heart of a child, he will give you everything else…
There are still many “dead zones” where it’s difficult to get good cell phone service. The reception is sketchy if it’s available at all.
How receptive do you consider yourself to be when presented with new ideas and information? I believe most of us would consider ourselves to be open minded. After all, think of what life would be like if we still lived in the Stone Age. We evolved because of our curiosity and implementation.
Elon Musk has been successful on many fronts. He thinks differently so he sees new solutions to longstanding problems. Einstein was the same way. Ford, too.
I encourage you to take a 360 degree approach to life’s challenges. Doing things the same way we’ve always done them might not be the best way.
Think differently…
Almost every time I watch a video on YouTube, before the video begins I have a politician asking me for money. I have never sent a politician even one dollar. I waste enough money in Las Vegas!
In the past I have worked the phone banks for politicians. That’s actually a lot of fun. I got reprimanded (gently) by the campaign staff for asking voters “if they wanted one yard sign or two.” The campaign was running out of signs because my personal campaign was quite successful in placing yard signs!
If you want to use your money more wisely, perhaps buy a few sandwiches and pass them out to hungry people who live on the streets. Look them in the eye when you hand them their food. Let them feel seen.
The people you feed will remember you. The politicians won’t…
The easy times in life don’t last. Too bad, huh? But it’s good to remember that the dark, difficult periods don’t last forever, either.
If you are currently experiencing a challenging situation, I encourage you to hang in there. Take solace in knowing that your resilience is being tested. Strength is built during the hard times, not when life is easy. You will come through if you refuse to give up. Your resolve will be like steel.
Dark periods can feel like we are in a tunnel with no end in sight. Look for the light. It may only be a pin dot, but it’s always there…
Everywhere on the internet we see pictures of people memorializing the events in their lives. I think it’s wonderful to see people experiencing great travel, personal victories, and I can’t leave out the back to school pictures. We should celebrate life’s special moments.
We are given a certain amount of time in this life. I believe we all want a lot of the same things: to live life fully and live freely. We want to live in safe neighborhoods and not feel like we have to look over our shoulders every time we go out. If you have these things, take a brief moment to thank your Creator. Not everyone in the world lives like everyone else.
If we are able, we should help those who are less fortunate. Otherwise we are making it about ourselves. Living selfishly is not living fully…
Is it important to you that you are liked? I believe we all want acceptance more than anything. It is the rare few who will accept us as we are. Those people are a treasure.
I am reading a book right now about how a young woman learned about God. She was homeless at 15, a drug addict, lost in this world. Yet, through a sequence of events only God could orchestrate, she found acceptance by a family. The family had two rules: she had an 11:00 pm curfew and she had to go to church with them. She agreed, mainly because she wanted a warm bed and some food.
In her rebellion, the girl would come downstairs wearing her pajama bottoms, fuzzy slippers and a hoodie with obscenities written on it. She was testing them. The mom never told her to change. She went to church and found people who genuinely were glad to see her. These people didn’t look at her with shame in their hearts. They accepted her.
It’s not important to me to be liked or accepted. I cannot control how others feel about me. But I will be truthful. Perhaps the truth is what some don’t want to accept…
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