Category Archives: Spirituality

Spirituality

Rising Against

It takes courage to take a stand for what is true and right. There are seen and unseen forces against the one who does.

We are living in a culture that, according to some, believes God made a mistake when he created some people. A biological male believes he is a man trapped in a woman’s body. This is a lie, yet I have some warped people argue with me about this. God doesn’t make mistakes. He’s the only one who doesn’t.

There’s a group of people who pervert Scripture. The same people who support open borders use Bible verses to justify their claim. The law doesn’t matter to them as long as they get their way. I guess they forgot that Jesus told us to obey the law. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what belongs to him.”

There will be moments in your life where you’re going to be faced with standing up for the truth or going along with the crowd. My encouragement to you is, find the courage to take a stand. Dig as deep as you need to find it…

Standard
Spirituality

Peaceniks

Sometimes you gotta fight. You go into battle when there is no viable alternative. The men and women who make the decision to go to war carry a heavy burden.

I hate war. In fact, you might even call me a peacenik. Peaceniks are opposed to war unless you must fight. Peaceniks are different from pacifists. Pacifists believe there’s never a reason to fight. That’s a nice belief, but it’s not reality. if no country defended its sovereignty and territory, the world would be filled with tyranny.

The United States stayed out of World War II as long as it could. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, they stirred the wrong bear. Since I wasn’t alive in 1941, I am not sure where the pacifists stood. I do know the Military-Industrial (MI) Complex loved it. They still love war.

The MI wanted President Kennedy to send troops into Cuba. Kennedy refused for a good number of reasons, and his refusal eventually cost him his life.

Peace through strength is a powerful motto. You must be able to back it up. The United States has the greatest, most powerful weapons in the world. And under Secretary Hegseth’s leadership, our military is the best trained, most formidable force that exists. We can back it up.

Don’t mess with Texas, as the brilliant saying goes. And don’t awaken the guardians known as The United States military…

Standard
Spirituality

Peace in The Middle East

It’s a great day! The 20 living hostages have been returned and there is peace in the Middle East. At least temporarily.

If I sound hesitant, I am. There are several reasons for my concern. The number one reason is you are dealing with terrorists. Terrorists are zealots on a religious mission. At least it’s religious to them.

The other concern I have is that the hatred goes back thousands of years. It runs deep. So, I am cautiously optimistic.

I don’t think the administration is blind to this. There are many capable people surrounding the president. He listens.

Today I will celebrate the peace of this day. Thanks to God for making this happen.

Standard
Spirituality, Uncategorized

You’ve Got to Want It

Nothing happens without desire. You have to really want what you are pursuing. Being lukewarm won’t cut it. Neither will occasional effort.

The pursuit of your purpose in life will be filled with ups and downs, setbacks and obstacles. This is unavoidable. But consider this: when you are going after your God-given purpose for your life, you will find success if you refuse to give up. God doesn’t plant a dream in your heart to set you up to fail.

People oftentimes think they need to have perfect conditions or more education before they begin pursuing their purpose. Not true! You are already equipped. Just begin.

When frustration comes, instead of dreading it I encourage you to welcome it. The more difficult the path you are on, the more confirmation that you are doing what you’re meant to do. No one said it would be easy.

Start with desire. What do you want to accomplish in this life that benefits others? Once you have answered this question, then it’s time to get after it.

Don’t wait or hesitate. Just begin and keep going, even when the road is dark…

Standard
Spirituality

The World I Knew

As longtime readers know, I grew up in a home filled with anger, violence and fear. I spent a lot of time alone in my room. The only things my family provided me were a roof over my head, food, and a great story to share with others. I learned this last part much later.

Punishment was my world. I blamed God because I figured he had to be behind it. You see, punishment was normal to me. My parents punished me for having accidents like spilling water, so I walked on eggshells when I was home. I hated God for putting me in this horrible home. I didn’t know what I had done to deserve it.

Man, was I ever wrong. Fast forward to today, I now realize that God felt every hurt and pain I felt. He was hurting right along with me. And the more remarkable thing I learned was that God can take a punch. I hit him hard, but he never hit back. This is one of many beautiful things about our Creator. Don’t miss it.

Today I am privileged to share my life story with the least among us. This includes kids and prison inmates. When you grow up like I did, you feel like you’re the only one. There are many.

Never waste your pain…

Standard
Spirituality

Find The Beauty

The critics are everywhere. You know who I’m talking about. These are the people who find a problem in every situation. They might not recognize a solution if it hit them in the backside.

Beauty exists all around us. There is beauty in every person, every scene in nature, and there is beauty in every failure. If you don’t stop and look around, you might miss it.

Political divide has been building for over twenty years. The gap has grown wider and it doesn’t look like it will reverse. People are spending an inordinate amount of time criticizing the other side, yet they have nothing to show for their efforts. Why not take the energy used to criticize and use it for something meaningful? Just think about the impact we can make, the beauty we can bring forth.

God created everything and everyone. He made us all, and he didn’t make a mistake. He didn’t even have any second thoughts. He must love variety because no two people are alike. There’s beauty in the variety.

Change your perspective. Find the beauty in every moment. It’s there…

Standard
Spirituality

If Only

Have you ever used the term “if only?” If only I was wealthy. If only I was taller. You get the point.

God made us not only in His image, but he created us exactly as he wanted us to be. Being dissatisfied with ourselves is an insult to the one who made us. And consider this: you were thought of before the earth was formed. That should blow your mind.

If only is a cop out. It’s an excuse, nothing more. It’s time to recognize there is nothing random about your life. You are here for a purpose greater than yourself. Live like it.

Get rid of if only. Replace it with “I get to.” Watch your world change…

Standard
Spirituality

Friends of Value

The actress Dyan Cannon was quoted in a recent article as saying she had many “friends with benefits.” When Ms. Cannon found out what the term meant, she laughed and clarified what she meant. It’s not what you thought!

I’m grateful to have a small circle of good friends. They are really good people. When you have the right people in your life, you only need a few.

We all have a lot of acquaintances, people we know from work, the gym or other shared activities. These are people we are friendly with, but not necessarily friends with.

Trust is the foundation for any relationship. Without trust, the relationship is casual at best. But it takes time to build trust. It can be tested, and often is. But the people who matter most in your life come through. Every single time.

I encourage you to bring value to your friendships. Be the one who checks on them without needing anything in return.

Great friends are a treasure. They are worth more than gold…

Standard
Spirituality, Uncategorized

Unspoken

Take a look at the faces of the people you encounter. Take a good look. People are more stressed today than ever. To further complicate things, loneliness has reached epidemic levels. Yet, we live in an era where we can call anyone in the world any time we want to.

Kids have it the worst. Children who are living in homes where abuse, addiction and neglect keep their problems to themselves. As of 2023, about 25% of children are living in these conditions. This has doubled since 2014. Kids are carrying stresses they aren’t equipped to handle. Worse, they feel alone and believe they are the only ones who live like this.

Human connection is vital for good health. We need to be in community with others. If you are feeling lonely, reach out to someone. There are many good people in this world. In today’s “it’s all about me” culture you have to look hard for them, but they are out there. You don’t have to go it alone.

If your kids speak about troubled kids at school, consider inviting them over. Their troubled behavior might be a cry for help. Compassion triumphs over isolation.

Today’s column is my reminder to be kind to everyone. We don’t know what lies beneath…

Standard
Spirituality

Reading Rooms

In the 1700’s, public or semi-public spaces were created called Reading Rooms. They were funded by churches, philanthropic societies, and subscriptions. The desire was to increase literacy and civic awareness.

The Library typically referred to private collections at colleges and universities, as well as individual collections for those with great means. Over time, the rooms evolved into places you could “check out” or borrow books. Society didn’t have cable news or the internet, so if people wanted to know what was going on or learn about something, they had to read.

Thomas Sowell’s life was sent in a new direction when, at six years old, his friend Jimmy took him to the Harlem Public Library. Sowell developed a yearn for reading and learning. Fast forward to today, Dr. Sowell has authored over 40 books and written countless papers.

Part of society has devolved into what I call a meme culture. The internet floods your feed with things you want to believe. No one who has a job and a life has the time to vet everything that comes our way. Taking the time to read scientific, non-opinionated pieces can give you a clearer picture of what is going on in the world.

My encouragement to you is to prioritize learning. Take time to read and learn every day. And turn the internet noise off. Or, at least turn it down…

Standard