#inspiration

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a kind of thinking in which you question, analyze, interpret, evaluate and make a judgment about what you read or hear. Great strides in science and technology have happened as a result of critical thought.

Emotions can block critical thinking. When Arnold Schwarzenegger won the governorship of California, people were screaming they wanted an amendment so he could run for president. This was before he even took office! My thoughts at the time were, let’s see how he does as governor before you anoint him with oil.

We should question everything. Now I understand there’s a lot of data thrown our way every day. Select what’s important. Do your research and dig beneath what the media tells you. You can’t trust them to tell you the whole truth. Your innate curiosity will keep you going when others might quit.

Thinking critically is vital for decision making in our lives. It applies to our decisions about our health and our safety. Take the emotion out and simply think…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Prophets

Ever since the beginning of recorded time we have had people who claim to be prophets. Some were real (Samuel, Elijah and others), while the rest are just trying to scam you out of your money. The “Psychic Hotline” is a beaming example.

The frauds are taking advantage of people’s need for hope. Palm readers can’t tell you your future any better than I can. There is one, sure fire way to weed out the fakes: someone who truly gets their gift from God will be right 100% of the time. God cannot lie so He wouldn’t pass along wrong or misleading information to a real prophet.

Find peace in your life by knowing that God has you in his sights all the time. Nothing goes unnoticed. He knows your future down to every minute detail.

Place all your hope in the One who is on your side, and always will be…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Planting

In school we learned about the work that farmers do. They plant crops in one season and harvest them in another. If a farmer plants potatoes, he expects to harvest potatoes. You reap what you sow, right?

There’s a solid lesson here. The farmer expects to harvest what he planted. In our lives, we should begin with the end in mind; what we expect to happen. Planting good seeds produces good outcomes. And we are reminded in Proverbs 16:9 that, “We make our plans, but The Lord determines our steps.” In other words, God will guide us and remove obstacles. We just do the work!

And thank God for the farmers. They work very hard and take great risks so we can eat!

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Accepted

We hear the news pundits and politicians refer to “average Americans.” Personally, I don’t know anyone who thinks of themselves as merely average.

People spend an inordinate amount of time trying to fit in rather than standing out. Oh we have the wonks who are constantly promoting themselves and saying, “look at me.” Many of those people are simply trying to cover up insecurities. Being liked on social media doesn’t take away feelings of inadequacy.

The only one who accepts us all the time is God. He wants us to find our true purpose He imbued in us, and then accomplish that purpose. God wants us to be ourselves. We don’t need to alter ourselves to fit in with the world. We are performing for an audience of one and only one.

If you’re going to perform, make it count…

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#inspiration

Literacy

Reading and comprehension are vital for a functioning society. Yet, adult illiteracy is at an alarmingly high rate in the United States.

Currently, around 43 million Americans cannot read at a fourth grade level. They cannot write or do math above a 3rd grade level, either. We can, and must do something about this before it’s too late.

In 1997, President Bill Clinton encouraged us to take on a tutoring role in elementary schools. Helping a child read opens their mind and imagination, too. And literacy has an economic impact. If all adults reach just a sixth grade reading level it would translate into $2.2 trillion of additional income in the United States. Personally, I can’t imagine my life without books.

I encourage you to volunteer to read with children. You will be helping the teachers by being an extra resource. By doing this, you will be making a difference in a child’s life, and you will be helping the country…

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#spirituality

The Peacemaker

Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived. He redeemed and restored people. Everyone, including the hated tax collectors, prostitutes and adulterers came to him for the forgiveness of their sins.

Jesus healed people, too. Lepers, the blind, even dead people received healing. Jesus gave the people hope when they had little or none.

Jesus was a peacemaker, yet sometimes he raised some hell. He cleaned up the Temple (His Father’s House) and called out the hypocritical religious leaders. Jesus was a true rebel, a badass who lived his life fearlessly and with purpose.

I encourage you to get to know him. He will change your life…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

You Missed It

This morning I received an email with the words “you missed it” in the subject line. The email was from a site that was trying to sell me something. Delete.

The fear of missing out phenomenon is real. It evolved from our being constantly bombarded with information and data. Our brains can go into overdrive which might result in us missing something really important.

I encourage you to take time away from your electronics. Spend time in nature. Go hiking. Meet someone for coffee or Happy Hour and have a conversation. Volunteer for an organization that reflects what is in your heart.

You will be better off for your time away. And you won’t have missed a thing…

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#inspiration

Who Do You Prefer?

Every election cycle we get barraged by celebrities making their presidential endorsement. And we get some who promise to leave the country if the other parties candidate wins. The funny thing is, they are all still here. I guess they were just empty promises.

Being a critical thinker, you don’t need to listen to anyone about who to support, celebrity or otherwise. Your vote aligns with your values and what you want our country to look like in the future. It’s up to the candidates to win your votes because they have the right vision. It’s up to us to hold them accountable.

Voting is a serious matter, and it’s a great right. We sometimes take it for granted and we shouldn’t. We might lose that right someday if we aren’t careful…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

The Real War

We are in a battle, a fierce battle, whether you realize it or not. Our enemy, although unseen, is very real. His name is Satan. He hates you and wants to destroy everything good in your life.

Think about it. In the world today there are children having their body parts removed because “they feel like they’re in the wrong body.” There are people who loudly praise this behavior, and we allow them to get away with it because they are doing it in the name of “freedom.” I call bullshit on this one. Where are the parents??? And what about the physicians who perform the surgery? Misleading a child is the most heinous thing you can do.

Our food supply is poisoning us through additives, fillers and pesticides. The cellular structure in our bodies are being artificially altered. Evil people are instigating this in the name of “profits.” More bullshit.

Things do not have to be this way. Turn off the television. Educate yourself. Eat good foods free of chemicals. Exercise your mind and your body.

And don’t forget to pray. It’s your only defense in this ongoing war. And the demons can’t take it…

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