Category Archives: Spirituality

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…

Standard
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…

Standard
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…

Standard
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…

Standard
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…

Standard
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…

Standard
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…

Standard
Spirituality, Uncategorized

Do You See God?

Do you see God at work in your life? The hand of God is involved in every detail of our lives. God does a lot of His work behind the scenes, but it’s there whether we acknowledge it or not.

God gives us, believers and non-believers alike, fresh air and sunshine. He gives us everything good in our lives. He gives to the faithful and the people who curse him freely. He gives us the choice to love Him or reject Him. The choice is ours and ours alone.

When you take the time to look for Gods influence in your life, it will become more clear for you. He really does care about every detail of our lives.

Thank God in advance for the good He brings into your life. When you do this for an extended period of time, your faith will grow exponentially. You will see the hand of God at work. Promise…

Standard
Spirituality, Uncategorized

Sign of the Times

Recently I have noticed a lot of signs posted in retail stores reminding people to “treat their employees with courtesy and respect.” Between Austin and Dallas there are billboards telling people to slow down in construction zones because “the workers want to return home safely. “ What in the world is going on?

Depression and anxiety have been on the rise in the United States for quite some time. Young people, especially young women, have been disproportionately affected. With science, asking why is the beginning of understanding the phenomenon. Over 40% of children have chronic diseases. Thank God HHS is finally doing a deep dive into why, hoping to find answers. You might not like the answers, but the question remains relevant. We cannot sustain our population when life expectancy has been coming down, which it has.

God gave each of us a living miracle when he created the human body. Your heart will beat 36 million times this year. Your brain makes 25,000 independent decisions each second. We must take care of ourselves by eating right, getting some exercise daily, and putting the electronics away for a while. Society is more connected than ever, but we are living in the loneliest time ever, too. Again, why?

Again, a reminder that we should show kindness. The person waiting on you in a store might be doing all they can to hold it together. Taking care of yourself includes showing some kindness and compassion to your fellow man…

Standard
Spirituality

Free Speech

There’s an old story told by Ronald Reagan. It seems an American and a Russian were arguing about who had a better form of government. The American said “I can walk into the Oval Office and tell the President that I don’t like the way he’s running the country.” The Russian replied, “I can do that. I can walk into the Kremlin and tell the General Secretary that I don’t like the way President Reagan is running his country!”

Free speech is a wonderful gift we enjoy in the United States. Cancel culture is trying to destroy it, and they will succeed if we don’t fight to protect it. Too many people take it for granted. A laissez-faire attitude combined with arrogance is guaranteed self-destruction.

When Charlie Kirk was assassinated, there were stories of people losing their jobs because they openly celebrated his death as a wonderful thing. Personally, I don’t believe most of them should have been fired for this. I do believe they should examine their own heart. Anyone who celebrates the death of a young man, leaving a widow and two children without a father has a lot of darkness in their hearts. Kirk was killed while exercising his right to free speech.

The heart is deceptive. Guard it, and use your right to speak freely to bring some goodness into this crazy world we live in. There will be some who will try to cancel you or de-platform your message. You gotta keep going when they do…

Standard