Today is Fathers Day in the United States. People celebrate their dads and their great memories with them.
Fatherless homes are one of the fastest growing family demographics of today’s culture. Over 90% of homeless people come from fatherless homes, as well as 75% of rapists and 69% of youth suicides. If you ever think that good fathers aren’t necessary, just consider those alarming statistics.
To all the solid men who are dedicated dads, enjoy your day…
I cannot count the number of times I’ve made assumptions without knowing the facts. As I have gotten older and, hopefully wiser, my assumptions have become less frequent.
Those three words, “I don’t know,” are powerful. They give you freedom from believing you should know everything. Further, those three words open up a world of curiosity. You make yourself available to learn. Learning about things keeps our minds alive with wonder and awe.
Try it! Admit when you don’t know something, and then go learn about it. Curiosity reigns…
Our culture has become addicted to their screens. We constantly have our heads buried in a phone or a laptop. I’m not just talking about adults, either. Kids are doing it, too.
Our minds and bodies aren’t meant to be totally absorbed in information. We need interactions with other people, and we need physical activity.
Technology is a necessary component of our lives. Yet it should not dominate our time. I encourage you to get outside, enjoy some sunshine every day and get physically active. Pay attention to how different you feel afterwards. Try it for 21 days and let me know what happens…
Yesterday I saw a motorcycle accident that killed the rider. It was instantaneous, and the man didn’t suffer.
The man who died had no idea that yesterday would be his last. There are no more weekends in his future, no family events and no celebrations. He got all he ever would prior to yesterday.
I believe it’s important for us to remember today may be our last, too. We don’t know how long we will be here. Only God knows that. But I do know this: we have an opportunity to make the most of every day we have. Let’s do it…
People are carrying trauma, hurt and pain in them. Facing those things requires a lot, and sometimes people aren’t ready. That’s okay.
Unresolved issues can manifest unhealthy behavior such as alcoholism, drugs, pornography etc. These outward manifestations are simply representations of the underlying pain. They are what we see, yet to the one holding onto the pain these are their coping mechanisms.
If any unhealthy behaviors are present in your life, I encourage you to seek help with them from a psychotherapist. Bring the inner darkness into the light where it will lose its power over you. You will be uncomfortable in the short term, but your inner light will no longer be dimmed…
Perfectionists drive themselves crazy with any little imperfection they find. And imperfections are everywhere!
Why do we strive for perfection? Can we actually measure it since we, no matter how great we do, will never reach perfection? I say you gotta strive for something, so let’s strive for doing our dead-level best.
There’s nothing like the satisfaction you feel when you have done a good job. The sense of pride is not permanent, but we want to feel it again. As a writer, I know when to stop. Artists know when their painting is complete.
Always give your best, whether it’s in your work or in conversations. Engage fully and eliminate distractions. It is possible to experience that sense of pride every day, even without reaching perfection…
Some of our greatest achievements were born in the darkest of times. If we press on and refuse to give up, we will emerge on the other side of the battle. It will not be easy, and it may feel like this period will never end, but your confidence and resilience will grow exponentially.
Lean into whatever makes you uncomfortable. Face the darkness in your life. Stare the devil down and let him know you serve a greater master. State your victory out loud and declare it in the name above all names- Jesus Christ. His name will make the demons shudder…
We are always with ourselves, whether we are in a crowd or home alone. And we spend every moment of every day inside our heads.
Spending some alone time is a good practice. Being alone makes some people uncomfortable. These are the people who must be in a relationship or out on the town. Yet our time we spend by ourselves, without distractions is valuable. We can gather our thoughts while taking into consideration the important areas of our lives we need to work on.
I encourage you to get comfortable being by yourself. The discomfort will pass if you just sit with it and refuse to run from it. Then clarity appears…
What’s the difference between relationship and religion? Relationships are intimate, they are turned on, and they are a safety zone. Religion, even the word turns people away. Let’s examine this just a little further.
Think of your closest relationships. They are built on a foundation of trust. Trust takes time to build. You feel like you can be yourself around your closest friends and family. There’s no need to pretend to be someone you’re not.
Religion evokes guilt, shame and judgment. This is because many religions use these as tools to get your attendance and your money. That’s not what God wants. He wants a personal relationship with us, even when we are at our worst. Yes, you read that correctly. God isn’t looking down on us with His arms crossed condemning us. No. God created us and He hasn’t forgotten about us. We are always on His mind.
I encourage you, and myself, to pursue a deeper relationship with God. Study the life of Jesus. Jesus was a rebel and he was a badass. He took away guilt, shame and judgment while calling out the hypocrisy of some of the religious leaders of the day. He is here for us, even though we don’t see him…
It seems like I’m always in a hurry. I’m not sure if it’s because I have a tremendous energy level and want to get as much life in as possible. Perhaps it’s due to my short attention span. Maybe it’s a combination of both.
Coach John Wooden famously told his players, “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” Being hurried can create unnecessary mistakes. Those are detrimental in life as well as basketball.
Let’s slow down, even just a little. You can be quick and get a lot accomplished. Leave the hurried behavior behind…
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