Category Archives: #inspiration

#inspiration, #spirituality

Asking For A Friend…

We see Facebook posts from people asking about certain situations, whether they are acceptable or not. Oftentimes they are “asking for a friend.” This is code for “I’m asking for myself!”

Most of the posts are funny. But what about the questions that go unasked? People are hurting. Mental health was shredded from isolation during the pandemic, and it hasn’t recovered. We are hardwired to be connected with others, not isolated.

The holidays are upon us and we are told to be cheerful and merry. At Thanksgiving we are instructed to be thankful for what we have. The holidays bring up the sins of the past. Not every family was functional. For some of us, Christmas and Thanksgiving were huge disappointments.

I encourage you to reach out to others when you are hurting or lonely. Don’t let pride stop you or even slow you down. It’s perfectly acceptable and normal to need to be heard.

In the words of Dr. Frasier Crane, I’m listening…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Finite

We are here for a short period of time. Compared to eternity, it wouldn’t even be a drop in the ocean.

God has determined not only the length of our lives, but He chose the period in history we were to be born in. My purpose for being here would not have served God’s purposes if I was born in the 1400’s for example. This suggests there is no randomness to our being here. There is a reason.

It is true that I have wasted a lot of time in my life. Chasing things I thought would fulfill me never worked out. Striving for the Creators purpose is the only thing that has ever filled the hole in my heart. You have the same hole. What are you trying to fill it with?

I encourage you, don’t waste another minute. Pursue your purpose with your entire being. The day will come when we all will check out.

Finish well…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Don’t Look Away

Over the course of my life I have learned that there are many people who have demons to rid themselves of, yet they refuse to face them. You can quash them for a while, but they always return.

Inner workings are difficult. They allow us to look not only at decisions and behaviors we made, but why we made them. When you remove the root cause, you have freed yourself from destructive thoughts and actions.

People put off doing self-work. I get it because you are taking responsibility for your actions, and not everyone wants to do that. You no longer have anyone to blame. But you grow immensely by the process. And aren’t we all trying to grow?

My encouragement to you is, if you know there are things you know you need to work on, stop putting it off. Face your inner demons. Stare them down and change your thought patterns.

Freedom is waiting for you on the other side. Walk into the light. Take that brave first step today…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Interview with Travis Taylor

Travis Taylor is a bright light in a dark world. His life journey has been filled with hardship as well as joy. Travis will tell you he barely has a high school diploma, but his life experiences are worth at least a Masters Degree.

Travis is the Worship Pastor and an Associate Teaching Pastor at an Austin mega church. He uses the pain from his past to teach and inspire others. Please take a moment to reflect on how in the darkness, there is hope…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Unlimited

We have unlimited potential to do great things, to be a true difference maker. What’s stopping us? I believe we stop ourselves and we stop God from working through us. Let me explain.

All of us have very full calendars. We cram more into a week than we can possibly handle because “the busiest person wins the race.” We should take the time to consider how much of what we are doing is important.

The converse of this is laziness and giving in to distractions. Instead of doing something fulfilling, let’s just watch some television and relax. Or maybe play a game on our phone. Those things will take our minds off the business of tomorrow.

You have a strong spirit of desire inside of you. It’s like a fire. Perhaps your fire is down to the embers. Throw a log on it and bring it back to life.

Don’t wait! Begin now…

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#inspiration

Consequences

Yesterday, I started working out with a new trainer. Today I am very sore from the workout. That’s a good thing because it lets me know the workout was effective.

Actions without consequences teaches us nothing. Over the years I have seen people start eating healthier and begin an exercise regimen after they had a health scare. They suddenly were properly motivated to take better care of themselves.

Toddlers can be told to not touch the stove, but they do it anyway. Getting burned taught them that perhaps they should listen to their parents. By not listening you might get burned!

When we are facing situations that might lead us into trouble, take a moment to consider what the after effects look like. Will you feel better about yourself? Will it enrich your life? If the answer is yes, then proceed. If it’s no, well, you know…

I encourage you to take the time to think things through. Get off the emotional side of your brain. If you do, life might go a little more smoothly…

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#inspiration

Family Time

Oftentimes when I ask people if they have vacation plans they respond, “yes, I’m going to visit some of my family.” My response is that family trips aren’t a vacation, they’re an obligation!

With the holidays approaching families will be together, hopefully celebrating and not fighting. Yesterday I had lunch with a friend of mine whose brother has cut off contact with him because of politics. From my observation, this is happening more and more frequently. It’s sad, really. Differences in political beliefs should not be a dividing line.

One of the foundations of our identity is our family. I came from a completely dysfunctional family, but the dysfunction stopped with me. I healed and did not pass on the craziness to my sons. It took work, but my children are much more important than my comfort.

It’s okay to disagree with your family. If you ever found someone, anyone, who agreed with you all the time, they are a chameleon and not to be trusted.

Stand by your family. They will be the ones who remember you. The politicians won’t…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

The Babylon Bee

The Babylon Bee is a satire site and it’s hilarious. Satire is defined as, “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.”

Politicians give a guy like me a lot to work with. Some of the things they say are either outrageous or pandering. They love to talk down to us to remind us how smart they are. Yet, they have managed to put us $36 trillion in debt. Who’s the smart people?

And some religious leaders have their own share of ridiculousness. One popular “clergyman” has a fleet of private jets and said, “God told him he wanted him to have those jets.” (And no, it wasn’t Joel Osteen). I can’t prove it, but I doubt God told him that!

We need to laugh to get through life. Take a look at The Babylon Bee if you dare. But be prepared! They might make fun of your favorite politician!

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    #inspiration, #spirituality

    Redirected

    Sometimes life throws us curveballs. We think we know the direction of our lives, and everything seems to be going smoothly. Then the shit hits the fan. Normal life is disrupted by an unexpected divorce, the loss of a job, or the worst thing possible happens, the loss of a child. Life as we knew it has forever been changed.

    When dark periods occur, and they will, you have got to find your inner strength. Sometimes this is strength you didn’t know you had in you. The resilience you built through difficult situations in your past will serve you well now. You will get through whatever you are going through, even if it’s one baby step at a time. When you’re going through hell, don’t stop and build a house there. Keep going…

    Life will get better. You will find a way to live with a pain that never goes away, it merely subsides. You will realize that God didn’t abandon you. He was in the mess with you.

    And those curveballs I mentioned before. You will get good at hitting them, too…

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    #inspiration

    Is It True?

    There’s so much information thrown our way every day that it’s difficult to separate the truth from the lies. Our media is culpable, but so are we if we spread the lies we hear.

    If we were to spend our time vetting information we would never accomplish anything else! We need information about the state of the world to help us make decisions. But how do we know if what we are being told is true?

    The world is a much closer place thanks to technology. We can call someone in a foreign country and it sounds like they are next door. There are sources available to help us glean information. Then it’s up to us to think it through.

    Decide what’s important to you and your family. Ask yourself if what you’re hearing is really true. Take time away from the noise to think.

    And if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is…

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