Category Archives: Uncategorized

Spirituality, Uncategorized

Born Against

We are naturally rebellious. Parents don’t have to teach their little children bad behavior. And the teenage years are when the resistance really flourishes.

We live in an imperfect world. Imperfection is shown in more than just the breakdown of families. We have allowed our environment to become polluted. Human rights are non-existent in many countries. People are starving in the slums of third-world countries. It’s almost overwhelming to think about.

Since the day you were born, you have had an invisible enemy who wants to destroy you and everything good in your life. I’m talking about spiritual warfare, the unseen battles that are going on around us. Just because we can’t see them doesn’t make them less real.

Pray. Pray for your loved ones, the people you have hurt. Pray for the little children who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Pray for the people who are about to give up and are considering ending it all. Just pray.

God is the only one who can change the heart of mankind. Pray for a miracle…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

100 Days

Beginning January 1st, I eliminated alcohol for 100 days. April 10th, yesterday, was day 100. What a relief!

The benefits of eliminating alcohol for 3 months are many. Too many to list here. But by staying sober it allowed me to consider my relationship with alcohol. It’s not always healthy.

I like the taste of Crown Royal. I really do. Yet I found myself drinking on days I didn’t need to. That was getting me nowhere. I figured out that I was drinking on days I felt lonely. But booze isn’t a good replacement for people. Human connection is solid whether you are at Happy Hour or just speaking on the phone.

I will celebrate tonight with a cocktail. But I have resolved to not drink when I’m feeling lonely. Feelings pass, and the truth is, I enjoy solitude. So I guess I have grown over the last 100 days.

You can do anything for 100 days. Anything. Never doubt yourself…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Enough

Have you had enough? Enough negativity. Enough self-delusion. Enough unfulfilled expectations. Enough of people who aren’t good for you.

Good! When you are fed up with all the bullshit, you are ready to make a change. Growth is very hard. It becomes easier when you have a reason to grow. Then you are working towards something, a better version of you.

On the opposite side, you can never have enough joy, enough peace, enough contentment and enough love for yourself.

Accept nothing less. And keep people away who refuse to live up to your expectations…

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Uncategorized

Scammers

It seems like I receive a scam attempt every day. They come from everywhere: text messages, email and phone calls. I sometimes wonder how many people fall for this stuff.

There are some very bright people behind the trickery. They put a lot of thought and energy into cheating others. What a waste. If these people would use their creativity for good rather than evil, there’s no telling how far they could go.

Be aware, and be careful. It only takes one slip up to get scammed…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Who Do You Love?

I have read multiple studies that say over 85% of adults in the United States don’t like themselves. They look in the mirror and want to turn away from their own image. This goes beyond just physical appearance.

Self-acceptance is something you must work on if this is a struggle for you. I’m not suggesting an inflated ego or false confidence. Merely accepting yourself and who you were created to be is a good first step.

The challenges life has thrown your way can become obstacles to a healthy self image. When you were a child, you couldn’t wait to make your mark on the world. Then life threw you some curves and perhaps you allowed them to shake your confidence.

No more. This is the dividing line of your life. There is nothing random about your life. You aren’t here as the result of a whimsical, careless Creator. There is a great purpose attached to your existence. Don’t quit until you find it. Then act on it.

You might have been knocked around in life. Most of us have been. But you are still in the game unless you decide you don’t want to be.

Keep going…

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Uncategorized

Vanished!

We clean our homes when we want the dust and dirt to be gone. Make it vanish, so to speak.

Magicians and illusionists cause things to disappear before our eyes. We do our best to figure out how they do it, but we aren’t successful in our efforts.

Why can’t we make bad things go away?? Sometimes things happen and we just can’t get our heads around why. Upon occasion, things occur because we made a regretful decision. There are no do overs in life.

Bad things and awful people won’t go away on their own. But we can get the process started…

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Uncategorized

Red Flags

When we hear about red flags, we know some kind of warning is coming. Red flags are placed on beaches where it’s unsafe for swimming. And they are placed on construction sites when there’s a reason to pause building.

Some people demonstrate behavior that should come with a red flag. Constant lying, being rude to restaurant servers, saying hurtful things and putting others down while declaring their own superiority are clearly warning signs you should stay away. These types of people operate in a world of their own self-interest. You cannot fix them. They can only help themselves.

Find the people who bring out the best in you. Those who honor and respect you are a true treasure. They are a rare breed in today’s society, but they are out there.

Look for the green flags. Green is good!

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

What Are You Waiting For?

Patience is something I work on. It seems like I’m not alone because much of the world appears to be impatient.

There are passions in your life that you might be waiting to fulfill. You have a purpose and you know there’s more to life than what you are experiencing. What is stopping you? Your thoughts are preventing you from taking action.

There is always a reason to wait until tomorrow. Yet, we don’t know how many tomorrows we have left. They aren’t unlimited.

Change your thinking. Visualize. Just begin. God will direct your steps. You don’t have to have everything figured out ahead of time. This is the nexus where faith replaces fear.

Get started! What are you waiting for?

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The Scapegoat

As we all have, I have known a couple of people during my life who wanted to blame me for their lack of a successful outcome. They needed a scapegoat and didn’t place value on our relationship. Needless to say, these people are no longer in my life.

Our actions have consequences. We are responsible for the decisions we make, and we must be willing to accept the outcomes of our decisions. Holding ourselves accountable doesn’t make us heroes. It does keep us steady and reliable.

Do not allow yourself to be anyone’s scapegoat. And don’t blame anyone but yourself for poor decision making. Give yourself a break if your decision was well thought out, but things went awry. You can’t control everything.

Do your best. Always. And if someone wants to blame you for their actions, you will see how they define your importance to them.

Find the healthy people. Keep looking until they show themselves…

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Uncategorized

Complaint Department

Have you ever known someone who begins most sentences with, “the problem with that is…?” I have met a couple people like that. Focusing on problems instead of solutions never accomplished anything.

Being a problem-conscious person rather than a solution-conscious person affects the brain, too. Scientific research has shown that constant complaining shrinks the hippocampus over time. The hippocampus is responsible for memory and problem-solving. You cannot miss the irony.

Our world has plenty of challenges, no doubt. Keeping our focus on solving them, collaboratively, will progress us towards new ways to approach them.

Instead of complaining, find a way to work through it. Your hippocampus will thank you…

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