Category Archives: Uncategorized

Spirituality, Uncategorized

Feel It

The home I grew up in had a policy: you don’t talk, trust or feel. That’s right! You stuff your feelings down until you become numb. This wasn’t healthy.

If you had a similar experience growing up, there’s good news. You can heal from the dysfunction and pain. It takes work, but it is possible. It gets uncomfortable when feelings come to the surface, but over time it becomes comfortable. Then you will become whole again.

The great Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung famously said, “Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering.” What Jung meant was, if we don’t process our trauma it will show up in a more damaging form. Anxiety, depression and compulsions are prime examples of unresolved trauma.

People who experienced abuse and violence are way more common than you realize. No one talks about it because they believe they are the only ones who have this experience. They believe they are outliers. They aren’t outliers, and they aren’t alone.

I’m eternally grateful for my early life. It gave me a relatable story I can take into schools and prisons, encouraging others to face their demons. They aren’t the giants we can build them up to be.

A lot of people are faking their way through life. Get rid of the fakery. You face it until you make it…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

The Battle Rages On

What do you spend your time reading or watching? The New York Times used to be the gold standard for accurate reporting. Not anymore. CNN made its mark by starting out as a solid, independent news source. That died a long time ago.

Recently, a college student was told to leave a children’s literature class because the student told the professor they objected to course material about gender identity. Isn’t college the place we are taught to challenge our beliefs and our thinking? And I’m not sure what gender has to do with children’s literature.

We are in a spiritual war. The war has intensified recently. There is good news and there is some bad news. The bad news is, it’s going to get worse before it gets better. The good news? God wins. We are on the right side.

Keep praying. Pray for our country. Pray that our leaders make good, wise decisions. Pray for the protection of our children.

The battle will end one day. Until then, stay strong…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Running

Up until the early 1900’s running was mostly done in competitions. Non-athletes would use other methods to get fit. In the 1960’s, Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike published a book called “Jogging.” The book sold hundreds of thousands of copies, and Nike went on to sell hundreds of millions of pairs of shoes.

People are great actors. Some have created a facade so great that their performance is worthy of an Oscar. They want others to believe they have it all together, that their lives are near perfect. Their insecurities run deep. In truth, these people might be doing everything they can to just hold it together. Inside they might be on the edge.

In my life I took a lot of doubts and insecurities into my 20’s. My ego was off the charts, but it was false ego. My parents did very little to prepare me for adulthood, so I was left to my own devices. It wasn’t always pretty.

Today, I can say that my demons have been exorcised. It took a lot of hard work and self-examination. That wasn’t always pretty, either! But peace and contentment were found on the other side.

Do the work. No matter how far or how fast you run, you can never run away from you…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Competition

Football season is back! I love the game, everything about it. The team I am a fan of is the Dallas Cowboys. They break my heart every year. Yet, I remain a loyal, hopeful supporter.

Team sports are wonderful teaching tools. Young people learn accountability, responsibility and the athletes take better care of their bodies. They keep their grades up so they can play when game time comes.

Winning is a wonderful feeling, but it’s not everything. In sports you have to overcome adversity. You encourage your teammates to rise above the challenges together. These are lessons that will serve you well later in life.

Competition is a good thing. It makes us better at our jobs when a deal is on the line. And if we lose, we learned from sports that we will live to fight another day. All is not lost.

Team sports are not the only place kids can compete. There’s band, debate, engineering, literally everything in school.

Compete fairly with yourself, too. Mistakes happen in life. They will only hold us back if we allow them to…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Just Because

Just because someone says or does something doesn’t necessarily make it okay. And that goes for what is true or not true. Going along to get along is a hollow ambition.

There are a lot of fake memes and misleading news stories. According to a February 2025 Gallup poll, 31% of Americans “have a great deal or fair amount” of trust in the media. This is the lowest number in 50 years! Imagine the improvement if they reported news fairly and accurately.

There’s a lot of pressure to “fit in” and not make waves. Jesus certainly wasn’t trying to go with the flow. He rocked the culture of his era and started something that has lasted over 2,000 years.

You weren’t born to be average. You have a great purpose for your life. Go find it. Give it everything you have in you. Be a voice for those who feel like they don’t have one.

When you stand for the truth, sometimes you will stand alone. But the right people will find you…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Investigation

Do you ever question or challenge your beliefs? If you haven’t engaged in this exercise before, perhaps it’s a good idea to do so. After all, your convictions will either be strengthened or altered. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

There are a handful of beliefs that don’t need to be questioned. If I jump off a 50 story building, gravity will work every single time. There’s no need to test that one! If (when) I break the speed limit (often), I’m going to receive a very expensive ticket.

But what about our spiritual beliefs? According to a 2025 research study conducted by Pew Research Center, 83% of Americans believe in God or a universal power. In fact, 54% of the respondents believe with “absolute certainty” that God is real. The skeptics need proof.

Look around if you want proof. There is a lot of evil in our world, but there’s a lot more good. Bad news gets headlines. “If it bleeds it leads” my friends in media say. The good news gets published, but not as often as the bad. And only God can bring good from the bad news. It’s his specialty!

Change the narrative from “I’ll believe it when I see it” to “I’ll see it when I believe it.” God gives fresh air and sunshine to believers and nonbelievers alike. Treat every moment in life like it’s a miracle because it is.

Challenge your convictions. This applies to everything. Question why you believe what you believe. Is there proof? What do the facts say?

It’s not a threat to question things. Stay curious…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Count Me In

We count calories, likes, and we count our daily steps. When I was a (little) kid, I was scared of Count Dracula! But do we count where it really matters?

There is a universal homogeneity in all of us. We want our lives to count. We want to matter. In the heart of mankind, we know we are here for something greater than ourselves. Yet, we can get distracted by life and all the twists and turns it brings.

We were created in God’s image. He’s the only one who gives generously but doesn’t need anything from us. Or, does he? We can use our abilities and our resources for the betterment of mankind. We may not be able to help everyone, but we can make a difference in the lives of some. And when you do something for someone who can never repay you, you receive a wonderful feeling too intangible to describe.

Find the areas in need that appeal to your heart. Don’t hide or waste your talents. You were gifted to make a difference, to make your life count…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Rational Lies

We lie to ourselves. Now that is a true statement! We lie to ourselves and then we rationalize the lies. We overeat and swear we will exercise harder next week. We tell a little white lie and believe we are sparing someone some bad news. It’s time for this to stop.

People can handle the truth. In fact, most people can handle criticism if it’s done constructively. You discuss the behavior without criticizing the person. People appreciate honesty, especially when it’s designed to help them.

All of us have blind spots. There are things we need to improve in ourselves, yet we may be unaware of them. This is where we need our friends to tell us the truth. We need to be honest with others about their blind spots. We can take a lesson from the Apostle Paul and deliver the message with “gentleness and self-control.”

What are the lies you tell yourself? Take a moment of accountability. Write them down. Then actively work to improve. It’s a challenge, but you can rise and meet the challenge if you’re willing…

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