Tag Archives: #jesus

Spirituality

Trend Spotting

The disco era brought in a line of fashion that didn’t stick around. Man, I’m glad of that! But some things never go out of style. Let’s look at a few of them.

We can begin with manners. Saying please, thank you, yes sir and no sir, we notice when someone says them. And we notice when they don’t.

Kindness is always welcome. This world can be cruel. Our simple kindness might be someone’s last, best hope. The person you are standing in line with at the grocery store might be doing all they can to hold it together.

There is a trend of young people returning to their faith life. Everyone has a hole in their heart that needs to be filled. People try everything from sex to gambling to fill the void. Seventeenth century philosopher Blaise Pascal called it a “God-shaped vacuum.” The young are figuring it out earlier than most.

Some trends burn out quickly. The important trends are the ones that remain…

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Spirituality

Small Groups

Since March of 2016 I have led a small group at my church. We meet from 7:00-8:00 am. Usually there are about six of us in attendance. I cannot tell you why I signed up for this, but I am glad I took the plunge.

Our group isn’t what you would call a typical Bible study. We do learn about Jesus and his teachings as well as other books from the Bible. But staying true to my style of leadership, it’s very much an open forum for whatever is on each man’s mind. It works. I call us the “Island of Misfit Toys.”

Each of us has had life experiences that help others. This is one of the strengths of the group. When you see that someone else has been where you are, it provides hope in the darkness. Everything said in the group stays confidential. Another strength of the group.

If you have ever considered joining a small group, my encouragement is to give it a try. Keep checking out different groups until you find your crowd. Then let God take over…

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Spirituality

Outlook For Today

Do you wake up and feel excited to get your day started? If you are living your purpose, then you open your eyes ready to get after it.

God created everyone with a purpose in mind. You know this to be true. All of your life you have known there is more to life than just working, saving money, retiring and dying. The stresses of our world causes many to ignore their calling, staying in the comfort zone. There’s no life in comfort, only frustration.

Take inventory of your strengths. What are you good at? Be honest with yourself. This will get you on the road to finding and living your true purpose. Then ask God for guidance and courage to make your moves.

It’s going to take some discomfort to start truly living. But then you will feel more alive than ever. Stop putting it off and get going. There is no time better than now…

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Spirituality

The Consequences of Infighting

Right now there is a battle going on between popular conservative voices in the media space. Instead of keeping it behind the scenes, they do what media people do: they are fighting in public.

Those of us who aren’t in media or politics are fighting, too. Facebook and X are filled with insults being thrown at each other. Lifelong friends have become enemies. Nothing gets resolved and it is exhausting.

The Pharisees were in a quandary about this radical rabbi, Jesus. Some believed he was the Messiah who had been foretold while others didn’t. Of course they didn’t have the internet, only word of mouth. In the end, they put him to death on a cross, and they didn’t realize this fulfilled prophecy, too.

As it was written, Jesus arose on the third day. He hung around for 40 days and appeared to many. Yet some still refused to believe.

When you have a dispute with a friend, it’s best to keep it private. Work things out as best you can. Don’t sacrifice a friendship. It’s okay to see the world through a different lens…

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Spirituality

Beaten Down and Knocked Around

Yesterday I received a call from an acquaintance I hadn’t spoken to for a couple of years. She was distressed. Her situation is dire because she’s about to be evicted from her home. The purpose of her call was to ask me to loan her some money.

Due to a series of events that were partly her fault and some that couldn’t have been anticipated, she was in a bad spot. As I listened to her tell me what happened, there wasn’t any “poor little me” or victimhood tone in her voice, just fear.

Now I have a personal policy to not loan money. If I decided to send her some resources, I would just give it to her. I have found that this prevents me from having a false expectation of being repaid because I’m not expecting anything. I told her I would consider it.

This was when she started beating herself up. She was calling herself stupid etc. I immediately asked her to stop being so hard on herself with her comments. The world is going to knock us around and then pile on, I said. That’s just how it is. Hold yourself accountable, but stop the harshness of her self-criticism. It doesn’t help a thing.

My friend texted me last night that she had gotten things worked out, that she still had a ways to go, but she was grateful for my encouragement.

My encouragement to you is to keep going when things look the darkest. Daylight is coming…

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Spirituality

Battery Life

My phone runs on a battery. So do my car and my laptop. Flashlights, too. And don’t forget to buy batteries at Christmas so the toys will work!

Batteries eventually run out of power and must be replaced. I’m guessing the stores that sell batteries do well consistently. But what about our bodies?

Think of your body like it’s a machine. A well-oiled machine runs smoothly. It’s reliable. A little maintenance here and there and it will last a long time. Our bodies are similar. We need to feed them good, nutritious foods and keep ourselves hydrated. Otherwise our cells won’t communicate properly. There is really no difference.

One day our battery life will expire in our bodies. We need to make the most of our time here. Our lives need to mean more than just having a good time. We want our lives to count.

Go make a difference in this world. You are equipped for a special purpose. Get going before your battery runs out…

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Spirituality

Muscle Memory

You have heard the old saying, “use it or lose it.” This is especially true for our brains.

The brain should be treated like a muscle. Reading great works, engaging in stimulating conversations, and creating new neural pathways will grow your mind. And you must feed it and keep it hydrated. A tired mind equals a tired person.

Do something that is outside your normal routine. Go to an art gallery. Get outside in nature and don’t open your phone while you are doing these things. We have become too attached to our phones while becoming detached from what’s important.

You need more than crossword puzzles to keep your mind sharp. You need people. If something or someone isn’t enriching your life, move on. Let them waste someone else’s time and energy…

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Spirituality

Outdated

Foods have an expiration date. Software needs updates. And one day we will experience our last heartbeat. But there are some things that never go bad.

Manners are always in style. So is kindness, being thoughtful, and we must include doing what’s right even when the crowd is against you. Standing up for the weak is a good thing.

Scripture hasn’t lost its relevance and truthfulness, no matter what the New Age “gurus” say. Everything from our health to our finances is covered. You gotta read it and apply it, though. Otherwise it’s just another book gathering dust on your bookshelf.

Modern technology has given us some helpful shortcuts to get us where we want to go. Artificial Intelligence is in its infancy, but will soon lead us to new ways to battle disease. And when that happens, say thank you. Being thankful never goes out of style, either…

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Spirituality

Good Friday

Good Friday is a strange way to describe today. It’s the day Jesus was put to death. So, we must ask, what’s good about that?

The death of Jesus Christ was predicted by the prophet Isaiah. He described death on the cross years before it was thought up by the Romans. Jesus himself told his disciples that he would be killed and his followers didn’t believe him. I can only imagine their confusion when they saw it come to pass. Even stranger, they had just witnessed Jesus bring Lazarus back from the dead. The disciples knew he had power over death.

In my opinion, Good Friday is so named because it was the fulfillment of Scripture. No matter how crazy things were, Jesus remained in control.

Things aren’t always as they seem. Let’s try to see things as they can be…

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Spirituality

No Way Out

How many times have you painted yourself into a corner and felt like there is no way out? And yet, you have gotten through every situation. You may have experienced a setback, but you made it.

With God there is always a way. He operates outside of time and space as we know them. His realm is the supernatural where there are no limits to what God can do.

There is a way to bring the supernatural into the natural. It’s called prayer. Many times I pray as a last resort rather than trying to get in front of my challenges. Perhaps you do, too. I need to flip the script!

Hope is always with us. Let’s place our hope in the hands of the one who can accomplish anything. Let’s begin with prayer…

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