Tag Archives: #hope

Uncategorized

An Educated Guess

Our education system is in need of a makeover. Currently, 54% of people between the ages of 16 and 74 read at a 7th grade level. This is abysmal, but it’s not beyond repair.

When Horace Mann developed school curriculum he had teachers teaching the head, the hands and the heart. Kids learned how to absorb information, think and apply what they learned. And they were also taught about their emotions. As a result, in 1950 the illiteracy rate in the United States was around 2%. Today it hovers around 23%. Abysmal, yet fixable.

Children will learn at an incredible pace when you give them the opportunity to. Education has been dumbed down in the name of no child being left behind. We are failing our children.

If you have kids, take the time to read with them. Make it interesting by reading a wide variety of subjects ranging from history to science fiction. You will learn some things, too!

It’s not too late to right the ship. Let’s begin!

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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

Repurposed

Old, vacant buildings can be renovated and repurposed for a new business. In the Midwest, especially, there are hundreds of former factories sitting vacant due to jobs going overseas. That’s a lot of unused real estate!

Maybe it’s time to change your life, a sort-of personal repurposing. The life you have been experiencing hasn’t really fulfilled you. You want more. It’s possible if you’re willing to turn the reins over to God and stop trying to do everything yourself.

You were created for a great purpose. There’s nothing random about you being here during this phase of history. Ask God to lead you where He wants you to be. If you’re willing to follow God, then get ready to be uncomfortable.

Growth requires change. Change isn’t negative if it gets you to where you are supposed to go…

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Spirituality

Take the Hard Path

In order to grow, you must get uncomfortable. When you decide it’s your time, no longer will you take the easy way through. You will face every challenge that comes at you with a drive and determination you have awakened inside of you.

To accomplish all God has planned for you, you must have grit. Don’t misunderstand, God isn’t making your life harder. He allows your invisible enemy to place hurdles and obstacles in your way. But guess what? God will help you through everything. Just trust and believe.

Push yourself to do the things you don’t want to do. And don’t quit. Don’t even slow down! You will get everything accomplished if you keep going…

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Spirituality

Doubting Thomas

Do you have doubts? Of course you do, and that is a loaded question. We doubt eyewitness accounts, the news (rightfully so), and we doubt ourselves. Defense attorneys try to establish reasonable doubt. This doesn’t mean we doubt everything.

A “doubting Thomas” is a skeptic who needs to see things for themselves before they believe it. That’s okay. It’s not a threat to your character to be doubted. It is a wise decision to be doubtful about what you hear on the news. They have a story to tell and they aren’t always concerned with the truth.

When you live your life with integrity and tell the truth, you will build a solid reputation. Then even the full-time doubters will believe you.

And there is one who never doubts you or your abilities. His name is God. Get to know Him and you won’t doubt Him, either…

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Spirituality

Going It Alone

All of us have changes to make in our lives. Perhaps we want to get up earlier, lose some weight, eliminate judgment or start reading more. What stops us? We stop ourselves.

Will power alone won’t do the trick. We need something more. Or perhaps we need someone to help us. God can and will help us. All we have to do is ask and believe. Pretty simple, huh? So why do we make it more difficult than it has to be?

Pride stands in the way. We have this warped belief that if we can’t change ourselves without outside intervention, we must be weak. Here’s some truth: when it comes to changing a habit that stops us from fulfilling our purpose, we are weak. We are battling an invisible enemy who is much more powerful than us. We need God’s intervention to win this fight.

Accept the things you can’t change by yourself. Ask for help. He will answer. That’s not my promise. That’s God’s promise…

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Spirituality

You Gotta Do It

I love inspiring stories. The underdog is the one I root for. Doing the work to get yourself through the rough times builds resilience, strength and confidence.

We find ourselves in the stories of those who came before us. We think, “if they made it, then maybe I can, too.” We have so many lives to study from history.

Write your own story. Keep a journal. Writing helps you sort your thoughts. In a way it simplifies life. As you live your life, you are creating your own history.

Keep on creating memories. The world is watching and learning…

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Spirituality

With Honor

We admire those who do the right things when others might be tempted to do wrong or take a shortcut. Those people handle their lives and decisions with honor and integrity. A lot of good happens in the dark, out of sight, too.

During most of Jesus’ time on earth, he didn’t call attention to himself. There are many miracles he performed, yet instructed the recipient to not tell anyone. He wasn’t trying to bring honor to himself. Weird, huh?

When your eyesight has been restored from a supernatural experience, human nature is to tell everyone by shouting it out! I probably would. In fact, I know I couldn’t keep quiet.

Every day we have decisions to make. We all make some left turns when we should have gone right. But hopefully we get more correct than incorrect. When we make a mistake, or we treat others wrong, make an apology unless it might cause more harm than good.

Handle your business quietly, and with honor. Allow God to guide you. He sees everything, including the heart of man…

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Spirituality

Performance Review

Everyone is accountable to someone. Even the president of a company has to answer to his or her Board of Directors. You can’t escape the responsibilities of life or work.

Who does God answer to? The shortest answer is no one. He’s in control of everything. So let’s examine how He has performed.

God tells the truth. Always. Check the box for honesty. God gets us out of the stupid messes we create. Adaptability? Check. God is with us during our worst times. He’s a compassionate God. He cares. God celebrates our victories. He’s not a selfish God. And God gave us a guidebook for how we should lead our lives. All we have to do is read it and apply it.

As human beings, we can fall into the trap of praying for something, but we don’t get the answer we want so we get frustrated. Or we don’t get an answer at all. Those are the times we give God a less than stellar review. And it is in these moments where trust and faith intersect. No matter what you are going through, always believe. He will come through. The supernatural realm works with a set of rules and circumstances that we cannot fully understand. Don’t give up.

From my observation, God gets a 100 on His Performance Review. Every single reporting period…

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Spirituality

The Power to Change

If someone is described as being graceful, it’s believed they show elegance and grace. That is quite the compliment!

Elegant people are stylish, beautiful even. But being full of grace can mean the person shows compassion in situations where some might respond in anger. Compassion is needed now like never before.

Our world is struggling. People are worried, living beyond their means and they are spending more time disengaging than meeting life head-on. This must change.

We need God and we need each other. We must take the time to encourage others. We must be honest, and we can encourage people without sacrificing our integrity.

If you are one of the struggling people, you aren’t alone. Reach out to your friends and family. Go do something for someone who can never repay you. Act, don’t just accept life as it comes to you.

You have the power to change the world. It begins with changing yourself…

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