#inspiration, #spirituality

A Line in the Sand

It’s an election year in the United States. That means much of the adult population will become pundits, pollsters and experts in 2024. It’s as predictable as the sun rising in the East and setting in the West.

For some reason, our society has become politicized to the point where we draw lines in the sand. This truly baffles me. Voting is one of our greatest privileges, and we are free to vote for whoever we choose. I have been called unprintable names by people on the left who don’t even know me. I have been called names by people on the right because I went to hear Bill Clinton speak. Then I had the audacity to vote for a friend of mine who was running for president of the Travis County Democratic Party. Friendship transcends politics. At least it does to me.

Government is not the answer to our problems. The government has tremendous resources, but they are the most inefficient purveyors of those resources. If you want to move mountains, put those resources in the hands of the faith and philanthropic communities. They will move Heaven and Earth while wasting very little. It would be awe-inspiring!

If you want to draw a line in the sand, make it count. Draw a line for goodness over evil, for law and order, and for equal justice for everyone. Those count!

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Unnatural

Worry is unnatural and unnecessary. When you take a moment to consider it, we weren’t born knowing how to worry. We learned how. Let’s dive a little deeper.

Perhaps we were raised by parents who worried. For certain, our world will give us much to worry about when you consider everything going on around us. But let’s change the word “worry” to concern. Being concerned rather than worried changes the narrative. Speaking of narratives, the media preys on people’s emotions such as worry. “You must stay tuned or you might miss something.” You will miss nothing. Tune out.

Replace your worries with childlike curiosity. Are you concerned about your health? Read scientific applications for better health. Do you want to be a better parent? Read credible resources about parenting and talk to people who have raised solid children. Do you see what I mean?

You aren’t going to miss a thing by turning off the news. So, don’t worry about it!

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Ignition

The ignition on your car must be used to start the engine. If you don’t engage it, nothing happens and you go nowhere.

Similarly, the Word of God gets things, big things started when you believe. The Bible gives us the best, most comprehensive toolkit to live our lives well on this side of eternity.

Our planet and everything on it is broken and flawed. Yet, God transcends time and space. He is in the past, present and future at the same time. He knows what our future holds because He’s already there.

You will experience your share of trouble in this life. Thankfully we have the guide to get us through everything thrown our way.

Read God’s Word and pray. It’s time to get started…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Different On Purpose

The same way of doing things might work for a while, but to grow you must evolve. Situations change, as do people. Don’t fall into the limiting trap that says “we’ve always done it this way.”

Be on the lookout for new opportunities. Think and be different on purpose. Look at every situation through multiple lenses. Then be open to taking a chance to be different.

Life itself is full of risks. Nothing great ever happened by playing it safe…

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#inspiration

Deliveries

I had a package delivered from Amazon today. It was expected last week, but for some reason it got delayed. My wish for this book was finally fulfilled!

There’s a waiting period between ordering something and getting it. The wait increases our anticipation. Remember how excited you would get when you were a child waiting for Santa? The bigger the outcome, the greater the anticipation.

Similarly, in life we build our reputations by delivering on our promises. Actions do speak louder than words, and our actions are constantly on display.

I encourage you to under promise and over deliver. People will trust you much more than someone who is just a big talker. Big talkers are just that, a big talker…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

By Definition

How do you define yourself? Maybe you want to be known for your sense of style, or maybe your character is the most important way you define yourself.

Whatever it is, we are known for something. People get impressed by possessions, positions and power. Yet there are people who have all those things but they are empty inside. No amount of money or prestige will fill an empty heart.

Serving your fellow man will bring you an indescribable feeling. Doing something for someone who can never repay you will fill the emptiness with incredible joy and peace.

Start by figuring out who you are. Everything else will fall into place…

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#spirituality

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified. After his arrest the night before, his disciples ran, believing they would be next. Even though Jesus told them he would be killed and arise on the third day, they were frightened. Even after witnessing thousands of miracles, they fled. Jesus told them their “faith would be shaken,” and he got that right, too.

And Jesus told them this: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

I wish everyone a peaceful day…

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#inspiration

Telling the Truth

People like to exaggerate stories, don’t they? Whether it’s a story about catching a fish or surviving the Texas freeze known as the “snowpocalypse,” simply sharing the facts isn’t good enough. And truth be told, we love hearing the great stories!

In the culture of today, people like to speak “their truth.” There is only one truth, whether it’s yours or not. No matter how bright we are, the truth cannot be reinvented or even altered.

We aren’t always truthful with ourselves. This is known as rationalization. We lie to ourselves so the truth won’t do harm to us. Yet, deep down we know the truth.

The best part of telling the truth is, we never have to remember what we said to anyone. Through consistency, we gain the reputation of being honest. And by staying true to honesty we build trust with others…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Business

We have a hard time minding our own business, don’t we? People love to offer advice on how we should solve our problems and how to live our lives. I am certain that most people mean well, but they only know part of the story.

Life is pretty simple, really. Yet it can be very complicated at the same time, especially when challenges appear. New problems require new ideas to solve them. We are equipped through thought and prayer to solve anything life throws at us. We just need to engage in thought and prayer for the answers.

People want to tell us how to vote, or how we should worship God. Personally, I do not care who anyone votes for. Voting is a great privilege, and it is personal. Yet, people call you names sometimes because you just don’t cooperate! And we have freedom of religion which allows great margin for how we worship.

Focus on your life and your attitude. You are much more productive when you do…

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#inspiration

Weak Men

It seems there are a lot of weak men nowadays. This is not good for our society, and is a great concern for our future. In today’s blog, I’m going to share with you some of my thoughts on how we got here.

Men, real men, are selfless. They make sure everyone else is taken care of. Men are hardwired in their DNA to be protectors.

I have two sons. When they were growing up, I saw parents who stepped in and got their kids out of trouble rather than allowing them to accept responsibility for their actions. My attitude was, “you got yourself into this, figure out how you will get through it.” When kids aren’t held accountable, they learn that they can be manipulative. Manipulating your way through life isn’t a sustainable plan.

Resilience is built by finding your inner strength. Men get battle hardened and realize that they can make it through anything. Weak men give up at the first sign of trouble.

We need men and women of strong character. This is the only way we will preserve a civil society. Be strong…

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