Tag Archives: #greatness

#inspiration, #spirituality

But Everyone is Doing It!

Peer pressure is huge when you are a child. Kids desperately want to “fit in” and be included in the group. This is especially true during the period when boys and girls bodies are changing, and teenage rebellion kicks in. Things might not be great at home, so kids go looking for acceptance elsewhere.

This carries over into adulthood, too. If you have ever worked in a team environment, there is usually one person who wants the others to see things their way. Unity isn’t always the best option. Thinking differently brings different results.

You were created as one unique individual. There is no one like you, and there never will be. Don’t be concerned about fitting in, especially if groupthink goes against your values and beliefs.

Make your life count. Use your unique gifts and talents to leave the world better than you found it…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Difficult Relationships

With the divorce rate of 50% for first marriages, someone isn’t getting along with someone else! But that’s not the difficult relationship I want to address today. I’m talking about my relationship with the unseen.

God doesn’t want more religion from me. He wants a relationship with me. It’s a challenge for me because of a variety of reasons. I can’t see God, yet when I talk to Him he listens. Every time. He has an interest in my life, but I’m not always aware of His presence. And there’s a lot of noise in the world which gets my attention. Man, is there a lot of noise.

God thought of us before the earth was formed. And there’s a great purpose attached to me being here. I wish He would just tell me what my purpose is and I would do it. Or would I?

Moses talked to God and said “you’ve got the wrong guy for the job!” Jonah ran the opposite direction God told him to go. What makes me any different?

My willingness to believe and trust will get me farther in life than I can get on my own. I’m willing…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Deceit

To deceive someone means you intentionally withhold information or you just plain lie to them. In today’s soft culture, we have replaced the word lie with the words untruth or disinformation. A lie is a lie. Don’t sugarcoat it.

We are living in a world where we must question everything. The news media makes more twists and turns than a pretzel factory assembly line. Politicians inflate the truth and create problems where there weren’t any. Over the course of my life I have learned that people will believe what they want to believe, whether it makes sense or not.

Let’s bring decency and unfiltered truth back into our society. People can handle the truth. It’s the lies and deceit that we have trouble with…

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#inspiration

Cheating

To cheat is to “act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.” Society has always looked down on cheaters, placing them in the same category as lying or stealing.

Some in today’s society look the other way when people cheat. Allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports is a prime example. Winning truly isn’t everything. Sports are a great teaching tool. Kids learn accountability, responsibility and love of their fellow teammates. By allowing this to happen, you are robbing the young women who worked hard and sacrificed of their ability to compete fairly against their peers. There is no rational explanation for the destruction of Title IX.

I hope common sense returns to culture. People who switch genders to unfairly compete have missed the whole point of sports and competition.

Okay. My rant is over. It’s time to get onto more important stuff…

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    #inspiration, #spirituality

    People Magazine

    People Magazine, The National Enquirer, Star Magazine and many others publish “in the know” stories about celebrities lives. Over 80 million people read People Magazine alone every month!

    I have this theory that people who are bored with their own lives read about celebrities and sorta live vicariously through them. The truth is, celebrities are no different than us. They have to go to the grocery store, pay bills, and take the dog to the vet. Those mundane tasks aren’t newsworthy, though. Only their relationships and red carpet appearances get featured.

    Make your life fascinating. Treat every moment as a miracle to be in awe of. Spend time serving others. Then you won’t have the time or desire to read about other people.

    Your life matters. Always remember that…

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    #inspiration

    Fortunate

    I wake up every day believing I am the most fortunate man alive. Either I wake up in Texas or in Heaven. Either way I win!

    If you are feeling down and out, take heart in what you already possess. You are reading this so you have the gift of sight along with a working mind. There’s two in the positive column! And those are big pluses.

    Do you have food and a little money in your pocket? If your answer is yes, then you are better off than 95% of the world. Seriously. Many people wake up and are hungry, yet have no resources to satisfy their aching stomachs.

    The simple truth is, if you can walk, talk, and think, then you can do. It’s the thinking and doing that stops most people.

    Don’t be most people. Use your mind and get after it…

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    #inspiration, #spirituality

    It’s Overwhelming. But Together We Can Make A Difference

    Our world is facing many challenges. They are really overwhelming when you consider the scale of our problems. Hunger, mental health, illness, homelessness and many other societal issues are everywhere. What can we do?

    It would be easy to just give up before even starting to tackle the problems. But giving up is not inside of us. We aren’t quitters. We have an inner desire to move the bar in the right direction.

    When we combine our efforts we are making a difference. Together we are a force to be reckoned with. Even if it feels like the floodgates are open and we are swimming against the current, we keep going forward. People need us, and we must continue to meet the challenge.

    We are serving more than just society. Jesus told us that “what we do for the least among us, we do for him.”

    Let’s get started…

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    Underestimation

    People like to brag. I have been one of those people in the past. Bragging or “one-upping” someone are prime displays of insecurity.

    Confidence in yourself means you don’t have anything to prove. Your results speak for themselves. People notice because they are always watching.

    When you receive a compliment, take it in stride and say thank you. Don’t allow it to inflate your ego or sense of self. Just keep doing the work!

    Allow people to underestimate you. Set the expectations correctly, and then work to exceed their expectations.

    Confidence is attractive. Ego is not…

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    #inspiration

    It Begins

    Many of our favorite movies involve adventure. Everything from “The Chronicles of Narnia” to “Indiana Jones” keeps us interested from the moment their venture into the unknown begins. We feel our hearts beat faster while we anticipate the next turn.

    Life can be the same way. Every moment of every day is an unknown. You might even call it an adventure. Yet, many are living in fear of the future rather than feeling enthralled. The fact that we don’t know what’s around the corner should excite us, not paralyze us. It truly is our perspective.

    Treat each moment as an opportunity to live, to really live. In the words of Willy Wonka, “The suspense is terrible. I hope it lasts…”

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    Community

    We are meant to be with other people. God said this early in Genesis: “It is not good for man to be alone.” Personally I enjoy being with others.

    In the sixties hippies formed communes and lived together as a cohesive community. They shared everything, and I mean everything.

    Some sick people have perverted the idea of community. Jim Jones comes to mind, but there are many others. These people take advantage of people’s desire to be led. If we are called to lead, we must lead with honor and fidelity.

    Isolation has shredded mental health. Now there are some who remain afraid to be with others. Encourage them.

    If you haven’t heard from someone in a while, pick up the phone and give them a call. You will be glad you did…

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