Monthly Archives: January 2026

Spirituality, Uncategorized

Checking The Box

For years, I attended the 7:30 am church service at a local Catholic Church. Going to the early service guaranteed I could be out of there by 8:05. I was, as the title says, checking the box.

Fortunately I woke up and realized I was wasting time. Through the recommendation of a friend, I found a church home. Instead of checking the box, I found myself energized to learn more about God and experience more of him. The relationship went from transactional to relational. I’m glad I woke up and came to life.

Many people are going to jobs they don’t like. They are just getting through the week, waiting for the weekend to arrive. How can you be effective at your career when you aren’t engaged? You can’t.

It’s a worthwhile investment in yourself to take inventory of your life. Are you living, or just existing? If you find yourself checking the box in any area of your life, it might be time for a new direction.

Make the change…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Silence is Golden

In The Book of James, we are instructed to “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry.” In today’s world where everyone believes their voice must be louder than the rest, this is a welcome admonishment.

The tongue can be a dangerous weapon. We should always be ourselves, but it’s a solid idea to choose our words wisely. A misspoken word has the potential to do great harm. Being willing to listen more than we talk is a good starting point.

Have you noticed that some people just walk around angry? Those people seem miserable. Angry people rationalize their anger by saying “someone else caused them to be this way.” No one has that power over another person unless the person has no discipline or self control.

We should be angry about children who are trafficked. People going hungry or being marginalized by others should incite us to do something. This is righteous anger, the same anger Jesus displayed. Getting angry because you got cut off in traffic is ridiculous.

Be disciplined in every moment. Listen more. Talk less. Take action when the Spirit moves you…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Man vs. Machine

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a complex combination of mathematics, philosophy, neuroscience and computer science. It seems the world is just now waking up to what AI is, but its roots go all the way back to the time of Aristotle and Plato.

Early iterations of AI were rules-based. For example, if this happens then this must happen. There’s no real intelligence in that because it offered predicable outcomes to the machine. As AI has evolved through very powerful GPUs, its ability to think has evolved with this technology. As impressive as AI is nowadays, it still has limitations.

Using AI as a search engine is preferable to Google because it doesn’t carry biases like Google does. Research should be as neutral as possible so the learner can use human intelligence to think for themselves. No matter how great AI becomes, it cannot replace the human brain, the most powerful supercomputer God gifted us.

There are AI-generated companions available. This is sad to me. We live in the most connected era ever, but loneliness has reached epidemic levels. These AI “friends” are dangerous. Artificial Intelligence doesn’t always align with human values.

My encouragement to you is to use perspective when putting AI to work. It can never replace individual thought and reasoning. You have a history which helped formulate your beliefs that AI can never have. Be judicious, which requires human thought…

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Spirituality

Faithfulness

Old Faithful is the most famous geyser in Yellowstone National Park. Its name goes all the way back to 1870. There are hundreds of other geysers in the park, but none with the notoriety of Old Faithful. It erupts every 60-100 minutes without pause.

To be considered a faithful person means you are reliable, steadfast and loyal. Your loyalty could be to a person or a cause. To be called faithful is quite the compliment. It means you will stand up for someone, even when they aren’t around. That kind of person is a treasure. Keep them!

The Book of Hebrews tells us that “without faith, it is impossible to please God.” This reminds me of the story of the man who brought his son to Jesus so his son could be healed. The man was full of doubt because he had tried everything to cure his child. He asked Jesus to heal his boy, “if you can.” Jesus replied, “everything is possible for one who believes.” The man asked Jesus to “help him with his unbelief.” Jesus didn’t turn away or tell the man to return when he had more faith. No, he commanded the demon to leave the boy. The man’s tiny faith was enough.

Our faith tends to grow when we are in distress. Crying out to God in these moments is an act of desperation. But inside, you know he can do anything. That’s why we ask.

Being a person of faith is not an easy thing. You have an invisible enemy attacking you every chance he gets. But it’s good to know that he can’t do anything God doesn’t allow. Stay faithful in the dark, difficult times. Ask God to help you with your own unbelief. I certainly do…

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Spirituality

As You Can Be

Thomas Edison only had about two months of formal schooling. His insatiable curiosity got him labeled as “addled,” or slow, by his teacher. Little Thomas’s mother pulled him out of school and taught him at home.

Edison’s mother saw his curiosity as a gift. She encouraged him to read books about a variety of subjects including art, science, and philosophy. Edison wasn’t dumb or slow. He just didn’t fit into the rigid teaching style of the mid-19th century. Thomas Edison had a remarkable mother who saw him as he could be.

Isn’t this how God sees us, not as we are but as we can become? We were created with a great purpose for our lives. Our purpose isn’t to argue about politics online. No, we are here to make a difference for mankind. When we do something to help someone who cannot do anything for us, it’s in those moments that we most resemble our Creator.

Edison went on to be a name recognized all over the world. When he died, Edison held 1,093 U. S. Patents. Not bad for an addled mind…

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Uncategorized

Misleading Headlines

The media has gone into overdrive. In better days, sensational headlines were reserved for The National Enquirer. Not anymore.

Recently, I read a story headline that indicated Greenland, Denmark and the United States were heading into contentious talks about the future of Greenland. It was their first meeting! Normal people don’t enter the room looking for a fight. The meeting went fine. No blood was spilled.

In the United States, trust in the media has been steadily declining for years. Their trust level is hovering around the politicians, but not far above bail bondsmen. Legitimate reporting died when Walter Cronkite retired.

Donald Trump was a shot in the arm for the media and the entertainers. They couldn’t wait to report whatever outrageous thing he said. Accuracy in reporting went out the window because clicks were more important. Never mind everything else going on in the world. If Tiananmen Square had happened in 2019, we wouldn’t hear about it until 2035, if even then.

Be discerning about everything you read or see on television. The media put themselves in this situation. No one forced them to be subpar. If it sounds outrageous, it’s probably just trying to get you to click on it…

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Spirituality

The Art of Listening

We live in a noisy world. It seems like most people just want to call attention to themselves. Some even do outrageous things to grab attention. And how many times have you been in conversations where the other person hears you, but they aren’t listening?

Being a good listener can be exhausting. It requires a lot of energy to clear your mind and focus on your counter party’s words and meanings. You can tell when someone is formulating a response in their mind before you finish speaking. This is both rude and disrespectful. If you are engaging in conversation with someone, have the decency to hear them out. And it goes both ways.

You have probably heard the saying about “the smartest person in the room.” Maybe that has been you in some instances. Yet, it’s important to remember that we can learn something from just about everyone. You won’t learn anything if you are arrogant and self-righteous. If you feel the need to tell the world how smart you are, you might not be that bright. It’s a good idea to humble yourself and listen.

Keep your mind open to the beliefs and ideas of others. Your fellow man is important. When you take the time to listen, you are showing others that they are valuable…

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Spirituality

Life

“Life is hard. It’s harder when you’re stupid.”-John Wayne

I’m not certain why Wayne said that, or if he was talking to someone in particular. From what I understand, Wayne could be a little testy at times. Yet, he spoke the truth.

Life has ups and downs. Sometimes the ups are exhilarating. You feel like life could never get any better. And then it does!

The down periods are the ones we dread. We don’t welcome difficulties and we want to get through them as quickly as possible. But let’s look at this in a different way.

Resilience is built in the darkness. Those times, while difficult, are when we find our inner strength. We may not realize how strong we are until we need to find out.

Every experience, the good and the bad, prepares us for something else. We don’t have the luxury of knowing what that something else is. That’s for God alone to know.

Remember this when you’re going through dark times: God didn’t cause your pain. He allowed it. And He will use it to grow and develop you into the person you are meant to be.

These words might not ease your pain, but perhaps they give you a different, better perspective. Keep going…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

The New Food Pyramid

Another solid recommendation for our health has come from the Department of Health and Human Services. This time it’s the food pyramid. And man, like the pyramid, it turned people on their heads!

Food is fuel. It’s like putting gasoline into your car (or electricity for EV drivers). When you put high quality fuel into your body, it runs at maximum efficiency. Low grade fuel works fine for a while, but causes engine problems down the road.

Chronic disease is epidemic in the United States. And rather than take responsibility for their health, many people opt for medications to keep them alive. Great progress can be made by eating better and getting some exercise. It takes time so you need some patience, too.

Of course, there are those who will fight for their processed foods along with unhealthy habits, all because they hate the Trump administration. This is shortsighted because there are some brilliant, dedicated scientists who work at HHS. Science isn’t political, nor is our health. It shouldn’t be for you, either.

The losers in this situation are the food and pharmaceutical lobbyists. They keep you eating improperly and you stay sick. Food companies continue mass-producing crap for people to eat. The pharmaceutical companies gain a customer for life. And when you consider that almost half of our children have a chronic illness, they are starting them earlier and earlier. It doesn’t bother me one bit if the lobbyists lose this fight.

Your health is your choice. I encourage you to choose wisely…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

The Danger of Unity

Unity is a good thing, right? Sometimes it is, but there are times it can be taken too far.

One universal truth is that we all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. This goes beyond just wanting to belong. We want our lives to count for something. When we become part of a movement, a movement for good, it gives us purpose. Purpose combined with massive effort translates into results.

Unity can also stifle creativity and individuality. Being part of a unified group sounds great until you be yourself within the group. No two people are alike. We have different goals, dreams, pain, struggles and desires. Tamping down who you are so you can remain in the group leads to a life of frustration and sorrow.

Some churches have made people feel unwelcome because, “they aren’t our kind of Christians.” I thought there was only one type, but not everyone sees it that way. The church I go to and am deeply involved with stays true to the Gospel, but welcomes everyone. This includes those who have given up their hope in finding a faith community that serves them well, the bored and the broken.

Being united for good while maintaining your identity within the group can be a balancing act. Whatever you do, choose to be who you are. That’s bigger than any group because this is how God made you. Honor His work…

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