Category Archives: Uncategorized

Spirituality, Uncategorized

I Know You

Do you know people? I mean really know them? You see, people show you what they want you to know about them. They hide the things they want no one to see.

God knows us all the way down to our DNA. He knows everything, and nothing escapes his view. It’s inspiring to think that God was with us all our lives, even when we were infants and didn’t know him. Or maybe we did but we just don’t remember.

People put guards up. Many fear that if we truly knew them that we wouldn’t like them. God not only loves us, he likes us, too. And there’s nothing we can do to change that. Nothing.

I encourage you to let your guard down. Be open with others. Allow them to see you for who you are, not the version that’s not the real you.

When you open yourself up, that’s when you find true connection. And that’s what we want, to feel connected…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Come As You Are

I remember seeing restaurants advertise that you were welcome to “come as you are,” a sign that all were invited in to enjoy the food and experience. It was great advertising because it made me feel welcome before I went inside.

The church I go to is this way. Everyone is encouraged to come as they are and experience God’s grace. And true to their word, all are welcome. It’s a non-judgmental, no guilt or shame allowed place.

And there are other churches that are just plain churchy. They have good intentions, but the message gets lost because people are paying more attention to how the congregation is dressed than they are the Word of God.

Church is the one place where everyone should feel comfortable just showing up. It shouldn’t matter whether you are in a big building or meeting under a tree. You are welcome.

Jesus never turned anyone away. He even touched lepers! All could come to him and experience the kindness of God. Only this time he was in human form. What a truly magnificent Creator we serve…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Modeling

Who do you admire? And why do you admire them?

Abraham Lincoln was a great figure from history. Lincoln had perseverance (he ran for office unsuccessfully nine times before winning), wisdom, and he did what was right through the Emancipation Proclamation. It cost Lincoln his life.

The coming of the Messiah had been foretold through Scripture. Yet, when Jesus arrived on the scene many of the religious leaders at the time didn’t recognize him for who he was. Jesus’s teachings were aligned with the law, but many were counter culture to the religion of the Pharisees. They were all about religion while Jesus was teaching us to love God and love others.

Parents are their children’s first role models. Kids watch everything and learn how to act from mom and dad . Being a parent is the role of a lifetime.

Be willing to stand up for what’s right. Don’t go along with the crowd if the crowd is doing something wrong. You might be cast out from the crowd, but there are better people to surround yourself with.

Be a role model for good. Our world needs you…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Fear of Life

Some people can be so safety minded that they never take a chance on anything. They will miss out on the thrill of a rollercoaster, the excitement of whitewater rafting, traveling to exotic destinations and falling in love. Such a shame…

Do you know anyone who lives by the “what if” principle? What if this happens or what if that happens, they say. My mother was this way and it drove me crazy. One day I said, “so what if this happened?” I would figure it out. She didn’t like that too much because it took away her excuse making.

It’s good to exercise caution in life. Just don’t take it too far. And if you’re a fearful person, start small. Do something new to take you out of your comfort. Enjoy the thrill. Lean into it. You might like it!

Growth comes when we are willing to get uncomfortable…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Why Do You Believe What You Believe?

Growing up, I was taught that Christopher Columbus discovered the new land which became America. Imagine my shock when I learned the truth! Columbus never made it here. It was a lie I believed for a long time.

Do you ever question your beliefs? I believe it’s a good idea to test our beliefs and convictions. If you are one of the ones who questions whether God exists or not, well, you wouldn’t be the first to do that.

It has been demonstrated that we are wrong more than we are right. And the most glaring examples of this are the people who believe they are always right about everything. A massive ego combined with some intelligence creates a self-righteous ass.

Having faith in a God we can’t see takes courage. Society today grasps onto New Age BS which tells us the answers are “within.” Yet, the New Age devotees are still looking for a Higher Power for guidance. They just don’t call him God.

I believe in the God of the impossible. My belief comes not only from personal experiences, but the miracles I have seen happen in the lives of others. He has redeemed the lives of addicts, restored families, and caused money to appear when there was none.

It’s a good thing to question yourself. We are like science experiments. In science there are no answers, only more questions…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

The Prosperity Gospel

Prosperity Gospel began in the 1950’s and continues to spread across the globe today. More people than ever are tapped into it because of the World Wide Web.

One of the theses is that it is God’s will for everyone to prosper and become wealthy. Some Pastors have perverted the true Gospel to fit their agenda. “Name it and claim it,” they say. This turns God into a genie who grants our every wish. The caveat is that for God to grant you health and wealth, you must first give.

God’s will is accomplished through us on this planet. He does want us to give in faith. In the Bible, God tells us to “test me on this” with regard to tithing (Malachi 3:10). God certainly doesn’t need anything from us, including our money. But this is an act of faith in His ability to provide for us. And our resources oftentimes go to help others who are in need.

Not everyone will become wealthy. Jesus himself told us “the poor will be with us always.” But God cares deeply for all of us, and we should help those who are less fortunate.

Give to worthy causes, including churches, when you feel moved to. But I encourage you to give freely, not expecting anything in return. God examines our hearts when we give.

You and I are prosperous now. Fresh air, sunshine and a beating heart are worth more than gold. Prosperity is not just about money…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Eyesight

Do you view a half glass of liquid as being half full or half empty? And just how big of a glass are you looking at? Today’s post is about what we see.

Admittedly, I’m a good finder. I see the good in every person and every situation. While I’m usually happy with this trait, sometimes I hang on to people too long. When I don’t use discernment and solid judgment, it can be a character flaw.

Others are pessimistic about the future. They can be the Eeyores of the world. Those types of people see a problem in every solution!

My hope for you, and me, is that we see the world around us through God’s eyes. He sees everything. Let’s focus on seeing the beauty in creation. This applies to people and animals as well as nature.

Peer into the heart of mankind. See and acknowledge the good works people do for others without expecting anything in return. There’s beauty there, too…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

I Have Heard That Voice

A little history today. Six years ago I started posting new content to this site every day. Prior to June 9, 2019 it had been an occasional blog. Then things changed.

In late May of the same year, I kept hearing a nudging voice. It was telling me to write every day. The voice wasn’t audible, but the message was clear. And here’s the truth! I didn’t want to write something daily. But the voice wouldn’t go away, and so I finally gave in. I’m glad I did.

Backing up to October 2015, the same voice came out of nowhere on a Tuesday morning and told me to write a blog. There I was, 7:20 in the morning, driving to work and thinking about my day ahead, and there it was. It was bizarre.

So, back to present day, I’m going to take some of what I consider to be my best writings and put them in a book. My hope for the new book as well as my daily messages is this: I want to provide some encouragement, strength and hope for others. Our world needs hope, now more than ever. We all have a part to play.

Thank you to everyone who reads, shares and comments. I appreciate you all…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

In Agreement

When we were little children we were told we should get along with others. The teachers didn’t show us how to resolve conflicts, though. We learned how to do that through after school fights on the playground!

In life, we like to see the adults play nice. We hope our world leaders can resolve differences without going to war. And we really like it when our politicians show civility to each other after brutal, nasty elections.

In case you haven’t noticed, people are at each other’s throats over political differences. Self-righteousness is on display daily on social media. Lifelong friendships have been left in tatters due to unresolvable conflicts. I believe we can do better, if we are willing.

I don’t have to agree with you to like you. If you are a good person, doing good in the world and caring for your fellow man, I’m okay with you. Over the course of my life I have observed that most people are good at heart. And it’s the heart that matters most.

My encouragement to you is to look for the good in the world. It’s there! Sometimes you gotta look hard to find it, but it’s there. And if you aren’t seeing it, change the lens you are seeing through…

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Uncategorized

Parents

When I became a father, I had no idea how to do the job. I had no skills because I had a terrible father. He was a cruel, angry, abusive man. All I knew was I didn’t want to be like him.

Fortunately, there are tons of good books available about parenting. So, I read many of them. And I sought out the advice of men I knew who had raised good children. I’m proud to say my two sons turned out well. They are good young men who have solid character. I will say their teenage years gave me a head of grey hair!

When my kids were in school, I saw parents who believed their children could do no wrong. If they got in trouble at school, it was the teachers fault. Some parents even lobbied the school to give their children better grades than they had earned. Those kids were being set up for failure later in life as they learned how the world works.

Parents are the first teachers children have. The little ones are always watching, learning their behavior from dad and mom.

If you are fortunate enough to be a parent, teach them well. And if you, like me, didn’t have good parents, you can learn…

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