Tag Archives: #faith

Spirituality

Unwanted Anniversaries

Today marks the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11th. For months after the attack news pundits refused to call it what it was, an attack. Their favorite description was “the events of September 11th.” Well, 2,977 people died in this so-called event. Our lives were altered forever.

Everyone knows where they were when they first learned of the attack on The United States. We watched as the jets flew into the twin towers. We saw the people jump to their deaths rather than be burned alive. Anger built inside of us. We wanted to get the people responsible for this.

Americans came together. We were a united front in our desire to have justice. Not everyone was included in our newfound togetherness. If you were an Arab living in the United States, you were looked at sideways. It was guilt by association, even though they may have been your friends and neighbors for years.

The United States is strong. We have an inner strength and rebellion in us that began over 250 years ago. We have overcome innumerable challenges and we will face new ones in the future.

September 11th is an anniversary I wish we didn’t have to commemorate. Yet, we must never forget.

God bless this great country…

Standard
Spirituality

The Politicization of Jesus

Was Jesus a Republican or a Democrat? When you read the narrative of either party, they want you to you think he was one of them.

Jesus wasn’t overtly political. He told the citizens to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.” The Pharisees were, once again, trying to trap Jesus. They were greatly outmatched.

Jesus cared for the people. He hung out with the sinners, the tax collectors and even a prostitute was in his inner sphere. He accepted all and called out the hypocrites.

Recently, Senator Tim Kaine stated that “our rights are given to us by the government, not by God.” I guess he’s never read the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution. It’s clearly spelled out that our unalienable rights are granted by our Creator. There are some in Washington who would love to remove God from society.

I’m unsure of Jesus’s political beliefs. I have an idea, but I might be mistaken. But one thing I know for certain is, Jesus stood for what is right. Justice transcends politics…

Standard
Spirituality

Unsolved Mysteries

If curiosity killed the cat, then I have beaten the odds. My insatiable curiosity has outlived well over nine lives.

Unsolved mysteries fascinate me. Consider Stonehenge. Those stones weigh 50,000 pounds each, and they would have been transported twenty miles. But for what reason? They are a group of stones set in a circle.

What about Flight MH370? It left Malaysia in 2014, bound for China. At one point the transponder was turned off and the plane turned south. It eventually crashed in the Indian Ocean. Wing fragments and other debris were found, but the black box remains missing. I’m curious why the pilot turned away from his destination, yet the copilot didn’t intervene.

I love documentaries about mysteries. Mysteries of The Bible is a great one. Unsolved mysteries are a rabbit hole that is never ending.

Keeping your mind active and thinking about things will extend your life. You gotta do more than crossword puzzles. Find your interests…

Standard
Spirituality

The Broken Commandment

When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, the first commandment was “you shall have no God before me.” It sounds simple enough, right? Not necessarily.

Do you put God first every morning when you wake up, and keep him first all day? I thank God every day when I open my eyes, but there are a lot of distractions that follow. My phone, email and other things can take my mind off of God. The devil lays a lot of traps for us.

There are only Ten Commandments. You would think I could observe and follow only ten things. But I don’t even win the battle of the first commandment. Fortunately, we serve a merciful, forgiving God who is always on our side.

God wants the heart of man. And he will change your heart if you allow him in…

Standard
Spirituality

Without a Net

Sometimes life presents us with opportunities. And sometimes those opportunities are not asked for, nor are they welcomed.

Last night I was having drinks with a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in a while. We have spoken but our calendars didn’t align until yesterday. Two years ago this month, his oldest son took his own life. It’s one of those heartbreaking stories of loss. This is a good family which makes it even harder.

My friend manages a charitable thrift shop. The other thing the store does is run a food pantry. Every Saturday, they give away 1,500 boxes of food. Three years ago it was around 250 boxes per week. They are helping thousands of people in the Central Texas area.

My friend got a new boss a while back. His supervisor is good at looking at the bottom line because he quickly noticed the store loses money. This man completely misses the point. The store is underwritten by a very large church. It’s charity. This “supervisor” put my friend on notice that he was in danger of losing his job if the bottom line doesn’t improve. What a tool.

My friend wants to do something to help others who have lost a child. Empathy is shared experience, and he can listen, understand and guide others who find themselves in similar situations.

My thoughts are, perhaps God is doing my friend a favor by presenting him with this fork in the road. My hope is he steps out without a safety net and lets God steer his steps. He’s a good, good hearted guy who can make a difference. And isn’t that what makes this crazy life worthwhile?

It’s time. Trusting God when you’re scared is an indescribable act of faith. It’s time…

Standard
Spirituality

Holding On

There’s a television show I have heard about called “Hoarders.” The theme of the show is to feature people who struggle with Compulsive Hoarding Disorder. They can’t let anything go and end up living in a practical junkyard.

Even people who don’t have a malady hold on tightly to stuff, including life. They use Botox and photo filters to try to remain youthful. And the medical profession has a multitude of drugs to extend our lives if we haven’t taken care of ourselves. Everyone wants just a little more.

I have three thoughts on death: 1) I’m not afraid of it because I know where I’m going. 2) I’m not ready for it. And, 3) I don’t want it to hurt! Pretty simple, huh? But when that inevitable time comes, I’m going to perfection while leaving a broken planet. Why hold on?

Create beautiful memories while you are here. Try to live a life that is meaningful and fulfilling. Hold on to the good people in your life. You hold them in your heart…

Standard
Spirituality

Remember When…

What a great time to be alive! We have self-driving cars, immediate access to the internet without going through a squawking box, robotic surgery and way too many other incredible things to list. I’m constantly amazed at what I see.

But with all of the modern marvels in our world, let’s not forget the most important part: people. People are important. All people. It matters not whether they are poor or have great resources. Everyone matters.

Our world is facing an enormous challenge. We live in the most connected era ever, yet more people than ever are experiencing loneliness. According to many polls, about 20% of our population are experiencing loneliness and isolation. It doesn’t have to be this way.

If you haven’t heard from your friends in a while, take a moment to reach out and check on them. Your simple act of kindness might be exactly what someone needs right now. Take the time…

Standard
Spirituality

Irredeemable? No!

Everyone falls and experiences setbacks and temporary failures. In this life you cannot escape it. Failure is never final unless you decide it is.

The world is hard. This isn’t eternity where everything is perfect. So, what do you do when you get knocked on your ass? You get right back up and keep going. You must develop the mindset that you’re unstoppable. This doesn’t mean you will run over people to get where you want to go. It means you refuse to give up when the droughts of life appear.

The world is watching you, too. Sadly, most people like to see you fail. That’s sick, but it’s just how some people are. When you have a small handful of people who are pulling for you, praying for you and wanting you to succeed, keep those people close. They are a treasure.

Be your own best advocate. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you in your pursuit of a fulfilling life. And the best news? God is pulling for you. He created you exactly how he wanted you to be. He doesn’t make mistakes, nor does he have second thoughts.

Your next success is probably around the next corner. But you gotta turn the corner to find it…

Standard
Spirituality

Cracker Culture

The term “cracker” devolved from being a braggart in old England to describing poor, uneducated southerners. Sometimes it’s used in a derogatory way, but it’s all in how you take it.

In days past, I have been called a cracker. This has always made me laugh because I like crackers! And the tone of the person calling me cracker was playful, not antagonistic or rude. It’s not what you say but how you say it. Tone is what matters.

I’m a southerner, a proud Texan. We have a different swagger about us. Texans carry themselves differently, even if they can’t carry a tune! We love our barbecue, we support the Dallas Cowboys in spite of Jerry Jones, and we work hard. Challenge a northerner to make grits and you might be met with a dumbfounded look. But we forgive them for their ignorance.

People use the internet to call other people names, some that are not kind. Unlike my friends who called me a cracker, these people are trying to say something hateful and offensive. They are trying to get a rise out of me. They will be waiting for a very long time. Name calling is a sign of low intelligence and weakness. Don’t engage.

Football kicks off this weekend. This cracker will be watching the University of Texas game. And I might, just might have some brisket and beer!

I hope you enjoy your day as well…

Standard
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…

Standard