Tag Archives: #challenges

#spirituality

Outcomes

Those of us who set goals have a desired outcome, an end point. Setting a time to accomplish our goals gives us a different dynamic. We aren’t just drifting along hoping for a successful outcome.

One of my friends is about to begin a chemotherapy protocol. His desired outcome is complete eradication of the cancer, and his doctor has set the time frame for his treatment.

How do you pray in situations like this? If you pray for success, you might be disappointed. I pray for a God-ordained outcome. Further, my prayer is that my friend will see God’s hand in his situation. It’s all in God’s control anyway. My hope is to see His Divine power work.

Remember, even God can’t please everyone all the time. Stay in communication with him anyway. He likes that…

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#inspiration

Informed

It’s vital to keep informed about important events. It’s equally important to question who is giving you information, and whether or not they report accurately. We should not believe everything we hear.

In 1963, the Warren Commission was formed to investigate the assassination of President John Kennedy. After months of testimonies and interviews, the commission determined Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin and that he acted alone. What is interesting about the commission is, one of the investigators was Allen Dulles, the former CIA Director. Kennedy had fired Dulles after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, and said he “wanted to break the CIA into a thousand splinters and throw them in the wind.” Does it sound like Dulles had a conflict of interest? He did, and it makes one wonder why he was on the commission. I’ll leave the reason up to you to investigate for yourself.

Question everything. And I mean everything…

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#inspiration

Inaction

People on the internet can act like real jerks. They will insult others, offering unsolicited opinions about how we should vote. Rudeness has become part of life, I guess, but some remarks are incendiary.

In the United States, we live in a totally free society. Freedom of speech is one of our greatest treasures. Therefore, people are free to say whatever they wish. Yet I don’t believe insulting others is productive. You can disagree without acting like an ass. With every generation that passes away, some decency dies with it.

When dealing with passive aggressive behavior, no response is the best response…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Repent!

In the Bible, to repent means to “change your mind.” We think of it as punitive, but it isn’t.

I have often written about controlling your thoughts in this column. It’s easier than you might think. We make it harder because the battle is in the mind. You might be thinking, “that’s just how I am.” Yet you are how you think. You become how you think, too.

Do you want to be healthy? See yourself in shape. Read something about fitness/wellness regularly. Your thoughts will take a turn for the better, especially at mealtime. You will unconsciously begin an exercise regimen. Your mind will plant these seeds and you will act on them.

Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s automatic. Your old thought patterns will hang around. They are powerful but your mind is more powerful. Push them away. Change your mind about your health (or whatever).

Start today. In fact, start now. You can do anything you set your mind to…

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#inspiration

When Difficulties Arise

This life has difficulties. I prefer to call them challenges. If you are in a period of life where you are free of major or minor problems, get ready because something is coming.

We have a choice when presented with a challenge. We can shrink from it or we can rise up and meet the challenge. I encourage you to think of challenges as opportunities. That’s right! It’s an opportunity to grow you and strengthen you. Facing difficulties isn’t fun, but you will come out of it a better version of yourself. It’s all about your attitude, how you look at life.

Flip the script on difficult times. In fact, welcome them…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Slowly But Surely

We evolve and we grow. The changes are slow and sometimes subtle, but every one of us can truthfully say we are different from ten years ago.

Growth requires change, good change. We see things through different lenses as life goes on. This should cause us to question our old beliefs and convictions, and eliminate the old ways that don’t serve us well.

The better version of you awaits in your future. Embrace the changes. And remember, if you aren’t growing, you are going backwards…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Weather

Weather is unpredictable. Life is a lot like the weather when you stop and consider it. Hot one day, cold the next. Always unpredictable. Always fascinating.

We don’t try to control the weather. We can’t. But we try like hell to control our lives. We really aren’t able to control our lives, either. We can only control our attitudes.

Keep your attitude focused on a bright future. Believe it, and you will see it…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Opposition, or Opportunity?

All of us face challenges in life. We have an invisible enemy that wants to subvert us, and even destroy us. Don’t give in.

When we have an opposing force trying to stop us, the reason is because we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. Every time we say “YES” to God, we are giving ourselves an opportunity to be more like Jesus. This will bring you closer to God, and our enemy doesn’t like that. Therefore, the attack. He wants you to quit.

Just because we can’t see our adversary doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist. Remember who is behind the next problem you incur. And remember why he’s moving against you. Keep going…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Sightless

There’s more going on than what we can see. Much more. There isn’t a lot in the Bible about spiritual warfare, but there is enough to know it’s real and not the stuff fairy tales are made from.

To help you keep perspective, every time you are given a challenge please remember there is a spiritual reason as well as a purpose behind it. God alone allows pain and struggles for them to happen. Otherwise He wouldn’t be in control and all of this would be random.

We have a choice: we can blame God or we can rely on God in those moments. There is a tremendous amount of Biblical evidence which shows, undeniably, that relying on God to show us the way is the only answer. Yet, you must make your own decision about what you will do.

Even though we can’t see the spiritual realm, that doesn’t make it less real…

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#inspiration

Story Time

All of us have stories. Some of them aren’t pretty, but those ugly parts are just a piece of the bigger picture. The dark parts of our lives don’t define us unless we allow them to.

Our stories connect us. They let us know we aren’t alone in the pain and struggle of life. We help others by willingly sharing our stories. Who can better understand what it’s like to lose a child than someone who had the same experience.

Why are we reticent to talk about our lives? This might be where shame enters the picture. I know someone who was sexually abused at 14 by a trusted family friend. She still feels shame but it wasn’t her fault. She was taken advantage of by a creep.

Shame can have power over us. If you are struggling with shame from your past, I encourage you to find a psychotherapist and work through it. You can and will heal, but it takes time. Please try, and don’t give up…

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