Tag Archives: #inspiration

Spirituality

Success Through Service

I’ll spend a moment talking about success. Many people define success as acquiring fame and fortune. Those things may happen, but they cannot be your goal. Otherwise you will be chasing all your life because you will never have enough.

Achieving success is about living a fulfilling life. We must be willing to give more than we are paid for. Do more than is required or expected. Replace the word success with service. Leaders have a servants heart.

The mediocre never go the extra mile. They believe they are cheating themselves if they work longer than they are paid for. They are cheating themselves out of missed opportunities because of their shortsightedness.

Arrive early. Stay late. Write “thank you” notes. These qualities set you apart from the rest of the world. Go about your work quietly without feeling the need to be in the spotlight. The right people will notice…

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Spirituality

Deception

Deception is evil. Think about it. It’s a willful act to defraud someone or withhold information, causing great harm. Entire court cases have been overturned because the prosecution withheld key evidence.

The biggest deceiver of all time is Satan. His schemes have a predictable pattern. Tempt, confuse and then convict. Let’s face it, temptation is exciting. You feel like you’re living on the edge, in the danger zone. You are in danger. Giving in to what we know is wrong damages us. Fortunately, God has given us a path to redemption. We can be forgiven and restored. But the evil one will keep trying.

The most heinous thing someone can do is mislead a child. Children rely on adults to lead them and teach them. Some of today’s woke adults are influencing our most innocent citizens with ideology meant for harm. Solid, consistent parenting is necessary and it’s not an option.

All of us have been guilty of deceiving others. Forgive yourself. Beating yourself up is pointless, especially if you don’t intend to do it again.

Be honest with yourself. Take inventory and update it regularly. Holding ourselves accountable helps keep deception out of our lives. And remember to talk to God when you’re feeling tempted. He will help us every time…

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Spirituality

What’s Your Vision?

In the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the character Mr. Hand was described as “thinking everyone was on dope.” I have an acquaintance in real life who believes everyone is racist and bigoted. They aren’t, but this is the limited lens he sees the world through.

I’m not denying that racism and bigotry exist. They do and always will. Our world is broken on this side of eternity. But the evidence doesn’t support that racism and bigotry dominate our society. Most people are good. We cannot allow a minority of the population to distort our vision of others.

When you allow gratitude to dominate your thinking, the lens you see the world through expands. You look for the art and beauty in others and in your surroundings. It’s always been there, but now you notice.

We, as human beings, cannot change the heart of man. That job belongs to God. He is always working on us, and that includes the racist and bigoted. Let’s get out of God’s way. He doesn’t need my help!

Create the vision you want for your life. Believe in your vision and believe in yourself. Ask God to come along for the ride. Visualize something outrageous and audacious. Pray about it. Then get to work on making it happen…

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Spirituality

Things Work Out

Are you a worrier? Are you living by the “what if” principle rather than focusing on what can be? The battle is won or lost in your mind.

No one was born with fear and worry as parts of their personality. They are learned behaviors. But there’s good news! Anything learned can be unlearned. You have to want change in your life. Anything is possible if you believe.

The genesis of fear and worry is control. Perhaps bad past experiences make us want to take control so it doesn’t happen again. It’s futile to think this way. We don’t know what will happen in the next five minutes so why do we think we can control our outcomes? Instead, change your thinking and you will change your life.

Everyone has some dissatisfaction about their life. You may not feel good about where you are or how your life has turned out. This can be temporary or permanent. It’s up to you.

If you really want control, I encourage you to cede control to a Higher Power. He’s not a mad scientist or puppeteer. God is on our side. He didn’t create us and then forget about us.

If you decide to change your thoughts about controlling outcomes, meditate on this Proverb: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but The Lord establishes their steps.”

And when you think back on past experiences, you will see that everything always seems to work out the way it’s supposed to…

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Spirituality

Cheating

Recently, a group of people were charged with sports betting. Betting is legal in some states, but these were crimes because the people charged were players and coaches in the NBA.

Cheating is a shortcut. The Bible has a lot to say about this. In The Book of Proverbs it says: “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.” There are many other passages, but this one says it all.

Let’s face it, cheating can feel fun. The excitement of doing something you know you aren’t supposed to can give you a rush of adrenaline. But it’s only a temporary high. It doesn’t compare to doing the work to get you where you want to be. That brings a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. And it sustains.

When people cheat, they are damaging themselves. The brain creates neural networks that start looking for other ways to cheat. In the long run, cheaters will be found out and their reputations will be ruined. Reputations can be rebuilt, but it’s better to not put yourself in the position of having to do so.

When you feel like taking a shortcut, stop and consult the Word of God. His principles and guidance never fail us. God didn’t promise us it would be easy on this side of eternity. But He did give us a guide to living a fulfilling life.

Trust Him…

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Spirituality

Removal

We take out the trash regularly, right? If we ignored it for a couple of weeks it would begin to smell. Then we spring into action and remove what’s stinking up the place.

There might be some people you need to remove from your life. You know who I’m talking about. The ones who cut you down and aren’t adding to your life.

The people we allow into our lives should be good for us to be around. They tell us the truth even when it’s hard to hear. And they encourage us when we need a lift. We should be doing the same for our inner circle.

The reason we allow people to hang around longer than they should is comfort. We avoid conflict so we put up with it. Some people have a hard time standing up for themselves. If this is you, I encourage you to work on the reason why.

Setting boundaries is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. It’s only difficult the first time you do it. But it’s the way to protect your inner peace…

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Spirituality

Take A Holiday From Politics

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and Christmas is just around the corner. This is a time of great anticipation, excitement and celebration. Don’t miss it because you prioritize your politics over your family and friends.

In 2022, the American Survey Center published a study demonstrating that 11% of respondents had stopped talking to a family member because of political differences. The real question is why. People you have known all your life have been isolated from your life because of a politician you don’t know. I know a handful of politicians. They are decent people, but don’t fool yourself. They want your money and your vote, not your friendship.

Who shows up when the shit hits the fan, your representative in Congress? No. Your family and friends arrive, and they bring reinforcements and refreshments.

Please don’t make the mistake of severing relationships over political differences. If everyone agreed with each other on all matters then there would be no divorces or wars. But we know that’s not the case.

Strong people can handle conflicts. The politicians don’t spend one nanosecond think about you, no matter what they say. A family member in isolation does, and they miss you.

Conflict resolution is messy because of pride (arrogance). Be the bigger person and start the process of reconciliation…

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Spirituality

Without Limits

We limit God’s ability. Our unbelief is our problem because God can do anything. Anything…

This is cited in the Bible. For example, in Matthew 13:57-58 the author says : “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Jesus, being fully God, could do miracles but chose not to because of their lack of belief. They really missed quite a display! Water to wine, eyesight to the blind and raising the dead, just to name a few. The important point that must not be missed is their tiny Faith was the reason they missed out.

Take a moment to consider the unlimited power of God. He doesn’t get angry with us when we doubt him. But he does want our faith to grow, not remain stagnant.

My encouragement to you is to become more reliant on God and less on yourself. No matter what you are going through, God can handle it. Let Him…

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Spirituality

Thanksgiving Week

In the United States, this is the week of Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day (always Thursday), families and friends will get together to celebrate everything they are grateful for. The day is filled with food and football. Everyone takes a moment to appreciate what they have been blessed with. But why only one day?

My belief is that we should take time to reflect on all the good in our lives every day. It’s easy to fall into the trap of taking things for granted. If you have a few dollars in your pocket, you are better off than most of the world. Life is a struggle, but some people face challenges we have no concept of. In 2025 there are still people who have to walk miles to get fresh, clean water. Think about it.

It is my hope that our world begins to be filled with gratitude. Actively practicing gratitude changes the biochemistry of our brains. Change your mind and you change your life…

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Spirituality

War Games

In two World Wars the United States was dominant. Brave men and women fought for a common cause. Did our citizens have political differences then? Of course they did. They put their differences aside and fought.

There’s a war going on inside the United States. We are fighting each other over our politics. Charlie Kirk was assassinated. Candidate Trump had two attempts on his life (two that we know of). This madness must stop.

Before the country was formed our Founding Fathers had plenty of different ideas and beliefs about what this new experiment would look like. Things got so crazy that George Washington called for a three day recess for fasting and prayer. Perhaps this is a better way to handle our internal conflicts.

We don’t need another World War to arise so we can be united. We must examine our own hearts and decide to be better. It starts with me…

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