Tag Archives: #inspiration

Spirituality, Uncategorized

Heads Down

Sometimes a person will yell “look out” or “heads up” when they are trying to get your attention. Oftentimes this is to warn the other person of potential danger. It has certainly helped me in the past.

We have a world filled with people whose heads are down. Their phone screens have dominated their attention. Countless times I have had to stop my car quickly because someone is walking in front of my vehicle in a parking lot, unaware of how close they got to ending up in a hospital.

There is nothing so important that it can’t wait a few moments until you are out of potential danger. The same goes for texting while driving. It can wait.

We only get one chance to make a mistake. Many are unavoidable, but some that are due to our minds being lost to our screens can be avoided.

Keep your head up…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Checking The Box

For years, I attended the 7:30 am church service at a local Catholic Church. Going to the early service guaranteed I could be out of there by 8:05. I was, as the title says, checking the box.

Fortunately I woke up and realized I was wasting time. Through the recommendation of a friend, I found a church home. Instead of checking the box, I found myself energized to learn more about God and experience more of him. The relationship went from transactional to relational. I’m glad I woke up and came to life.

Many people are going to jobs they don’t like. They are just getting through the week, waiting for the weekend to arrive. How can you be effective at your career when you aren’t engaged? You can’t.

It’s a worthwhile investment in yourself to take inventory of your life. Are you living, or just existing? If you find yourself checking the box in any area of your life, it might be time for a new direction.

Make the change…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Silence is Golden

In The Book of James, we are instructed to “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry.” In today’s world where everyone believes their voice must be louder than the rest, this is a welcome admonishment.

The tongue can be a dangerous weapon. We should always be ourselves, but it’s a solid idea to choose our words wisely. A misspoken word has the potential to do great harm. Being willing to listen more than we talk is a good starting point.

Have you noticed that some people just walk around angry? Those people seem miserable. Angry people rationalize their anger by saying “someone else caused them to be this way.” No one has that power over another person unless the person has no discipline or self control.

We should be angry about children who are trafficked. People going hungry or being marginalized by others should incite us to do something. This is righteous anger, the same anger Jesus displayed. Getting angry because you got cut off in traffic is ridiculous.

Be disciplined in every moment. Listen more. Talk less. Take action when the Spirit moves you…

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Spirituality

Life

“Life is hard. It’s harder when you’re stupid.”-John Wayne

I’m not certain why Wayne said that, or if he was talking to someone in particular. From what I understand, Wayne could be a little testy at times. Yet, he spoke the truth.

Life has ups and downs. Sometimes the ups are exhilarating. You feel like life could never get any better. And then it does!

The down periods are the ones we dread. We don’t welcome difficulties and we want to get through them as quickly as possible. But let’s look at this in a different way.

Resilience is built in the darkness. Those times, while difficult, are when we find our inner strength. We may not realize how strong we are until we need to find out.

Every experience, the good and the bad, prepares us for something else. We don’t have the luxury of knowing what that something else is. That’s for God alone to know.

Remember this when you’re going through dark times: God didn’t cause your pain. He allowed it. And He will use it to grow and develop you into the person you are meant to be.

These words might not ease your pain, but perhaps they give you a different, better perspective. Keep going…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

The New Food Pyramid

Another solid recommendation for our health has come from the Department of Health and Human Services. This time it’s the food pyramid. And man, like the pyramid, it turned people on their heads!

Food is fuel. It’s like putting gasoline into your car (or electricity for EV drivers). When you put high quality fuel into your body, it runs at maximum efficiency. Low grade fuel works fine for a while, but causes engine problems down the road.

Chronic disease is epidemic in the United States. And rather than take responsibility for their health, many people opt for medications to keep them alive. Great progress can be made by eating better and getting some exercise. It takes time so you need some patience, too.

Of course, there are those who will fight for their processed foods along with unhealthy habits, all because they hate the Trump administration. This is shortsighted because there are some brilliant, dedicated scientists who work at HHS. Science isn’t political, nor is our health. It shouldn’t be for you, either.

The losers in this situation are the food and pharmaceutical lobbyists. They keep you eating improperly and you stay sick. Food companies continue mass-producing crap for people to eat. The pharmaceutical companies gain a customer for life. And when you consider that almost half of our children have a chronic illness, they are starting them earlier and earlier. It doesn’t bother me one bit if the lobbyists lose this fight.

Your health is your choice. I encourage you to choose wisely…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Do You See God?

Do you see God at work in your life? The hand of God is involved in every detail of our lives. God does a lot of His work behind the scenes, but it’s there whether we acknowledge it or not.

God gives us, believers and non-believers alike, fresh air and sunshine. He gives us everything good in our lives. He gives to the faithful and the people who curse him freely. He gives us the choice to love Him or reject Him. The choice is ours and ours alone.

When you take the time to look for Gods influence in your life, it will become more clear for you. He really does care about every detail of our lives.

Thank God in advance for the good He brings into your life. When you do this for an extended period of time, your faith will grow exponentially. You will see the hand of God at work. Promise…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Sign of the Times

Recently I have noticed a lot of signs posted in retail stores reminding people to “treat their employees with courtesy and respect.” Between Austin and Dallas there are billboards telling people to slow down in construction zones because “the workers want to return home safely. “ What in the world is going on?

Depression and anxiety have been on the rise in the United States for quite some time. Young people, especially young women, have been disproportionately affected. With science, asking why is the beginning of understanding the phenomenon. Over 40% of children have chronic diseases. Thank God HHS is finally doing a deep dive into why, hoping to find answers. You might not like the answers, but the question remains relevant. We cannot sustain our population when life expectancy has been coming down, which it has.

God gave each of us a living miracle when he created the human body. Your heart will beat 36 million times this year. Your brain makes 25,000 independent decisions each second. We must take care of ourselves by eating right, getting some exercise daily, and putting the electronics away for a while. Society is more connected than ever, but we are living in the loneliest time ever, too. Again, why?

Again, a reminder that we should show kindness. The person waiting on you in a store might be doing all they can to hold it together. Taking care of yourself includes showing some kindness and compassion to your fellow man…

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Spirituality

I Wonder…

Sometimes silly things pop into my head. Things such as, I wonder what happened to “Baghdad Bob.” Remember him? He was so ridiculous yet entertaining even the President enjoyed his broadcasts.

Important questions come to mind, too. I wonder how we became so divided in the United States. We have had political differences since before the Constitution was written, but in the end the people worked through their differences. The framers created one of the greatest documents ever written, second to the Bible. The Constitution isn’t perfect, like Scripture, but it has lasted for 250 years. That’s longer than I have been alive!

I look at this beautiful world we live in with awe and wonder. The stars are magnificent. The mountains of Norway are majestic, soaring into the sky like nothing I have ever seen. The raw beauty God created never ceases to amaze me. If your life’s focus is political divide, you are going to miss so much.

Don’t misunderstand, I’m willing to engage in conversations with intelligent, open-minded people who see the world differently. This is one of the ways I learn. It’s not a threat to challenge your own beliefs and convictions. It’s a healthy exercise that expands the lens you see the world through.

Still I wonder what happened to the people who used to send me unsolicited invitations to play Candy Crush. One day they just quit coming.

One day life will be over for everyone. A lot of the things I don’t understand will be answered in eternity. Or maybe they won’t. But while I’m on this side, I’m going to enjoy the people and the places. It’s my hope that you do, too…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Problems? What Problems?

In the United States, we do not have problems like the rest of the world. We aren’t perfect, but we are the most fortunate people on planet earth.

The politicians yell their fiery rhetoric on the challenges that many Americans face: the cost of living, safety, jobs etc. And the politicians love to make you believe they have solutions for every problem you are facing. The government can’t fix a flat tire which means they can’t fix anything in your life. Only you can. And you live in the one country that provides the opportunity.

We have citizens who are incapable of caring for themselves. The government should provide for their care from birth to death. But if you can walk and talk, then you can think and do. It’s the thinking and doing that stops many in their tracks. Victimhood reigns in some circles.

When you change your mindset to focusing on solutions rather than problems, you begin to dwell in possibility. Our brains are the greatest gift God gave us. Let’s use them for good. We, as individuals working together, really can leave the world better than we found it. Let’s get started…

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Spirituality

Books

When I was a child, I developed a love of reading. We didn’t have the internet so I used my imagination to create images of what I was reading. This love affair with books continues to this day.

Do you want to learn about history? Real history? Read books written by the people who lived through it. Here’s a great one: “Up From Slavery: An Autobiography” written by Booker T. Washington.

Are you interested in learning about a man who didn’t have indoor plumbing until he was six years old? Read “My Grandfather’s Son” by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The only time I put this book aside was when I needed to pee! It’s that good.

There’s a faction that is trying to rewrite history to suit their agenda. Don’t fall for it. Learn from those who lived it.

Most of the time I’m reading 4-5 books at the same time. I like a variety of genres from novels to inspiration. And as I’m reading, my imagination continues to grow.

My encouragement to you is to read a little more than you watch television. Then go make your own history…

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