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Heartfelt

The heart connects us. We listen to those we care about in a deeper way. We listen with our hearts.

Trolls on the internet show the dark side of themselves. They don’t consider how their insults and judgements might harm someone else. They only care about making themselves feel “superior.” How do we deal with them? Here’s a counterintuitive way: pray for them. We cannot change the heart of mankind, but God can. Let Him.

Less is more, especially when we speak from our hearts. People remember how you made them feel…

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Love Your Neighbor

Jesus told us to “love our neighbor as we love ourselves.” But how do we show love to our neighbor, and who is our neighbor?

Let’s begin with this: everyone we encounter is our neighbor. Everyone. We should try to follow the golden rule and treat people the way we want to be treated. This includes difficult people and the times we are in a hurry. We have an opportunity to leave a lasting impression on everyone.

We can only show love and compassion to others in ways which equal how we feel about ourselves. If our self-esteem is healthy, we will treat others as if they are equally important. They are.

All of us are works in progress. Keep working on yourself and your connections with others will deepen…

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Our Post-Pandemic World

In the past several months, I have heard from so many people who are struggling with anxiety, depression and feelings they haven’t felt before. The common theme with each of them has been, “I don’t understand why I feel this way. I’ve never been like this before.”

God prompted me to remind them of what we have dealt with since 2020. Isolation has shredded mental health and created new, unhealthy neural pathways. We are hardwired to be in relationship with each other. This goes beyond loneliness. We are experiencing a mental health crisis that’s worse than the pandemic. More people than ever are feeling hopeless and taking their own lives.

If you are reading this and are experiencing similar feelings, please reach out to someone. Your life is precious and has purpose. None of that has changed because of a virus.

The Suicide Prevention Hotline is 988. It’s confidential, free, and it might be the lifeline you need…

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#inspiration

Insane!

There are people in this world who will act like we are the greatest thing ever, only to turn on us when we don’t allow them to manipulate us. You know the type. Narcissistic personalities have pervaded society, or at least it seems that way.

Narcissists will try to break us down and rebuild us the way they want. They are sick. They see nice people as prey, not as a person who has their own goals, dreams and desires. Narcissists are like ninjas when it comes to manipulating and gaslighting people. They have struck you before you even knew they were trying.

Stand up for yourself. It won’t be easy to learn this lesson. Remember this-God alone has authority over our lives. Let Him guide you through the process of learning…

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Columbine

On the morning of April 20, 1999 two dark and disturbed young men ended the lives of 12 students and one teacher before the two murderers took their own lives. At the time, the Columbine High School massacre was the largest school shooting in American history.

From this unthinkable tragedy, an organization was born: Rachel’s Challenge. Rachel Scott was the first child killed that day, but she did not die in vain. Her impact on the lives of others lives on. Over 30 million people have experienced her story, thousands of youth suicides have been prevented, and at least 8 documented copycat school shootings have been averted.

After Rachel’s Challenge is introduced into a school, the school becomes a safer, better-connected community. Students are no longer trying to learn in a “fight or flight” environment. I proudly serve on the board of Rachel’s Challenge. Check it out here:

http://www.rachelschallenge.org

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Faithfulness

It’s easy to have faith when things are going well in our lives. But how strong is our faith when the shit hits the fan? I’m guessing that for most of us our faith gets shaken.

Jesus told the disciples their faith would be shaken, and it was. I believe Jesus was saying that message for our benefit, too. It’s hard to believe when it seems that life is falling apart. We are humans, and all we can see is this side of eternity. But there’s more to the story.

Worry is a sign that we don’t believe that God is in control, nor do we believe He can fix our situation. He can, and He does. Just believe…

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In The Dark

Charity should come from the heart. God has said repeatedly that He wants our hearts over everything else. And only the Spirit can soften the heart of mankind.

Our giving is between us and God. It’s not to be flaunted or posted to get “likes” on social media. There are times I am okay with other people sharing their giving with their followers. Perhaps their generosity inspires others to give. And that’s a good thing…

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Valentines Day

Today is Valentine’s Day, the day to celebrate love. So let’s examine this thing called love.

In America, we use the word freely. I “love” this movie, and I even use it to describe my favorite cheeseburger! But love is a verb.

The Bible gives us the best description of what love really is. The Apostle Paul wrote that love is patient, kind, and it doesn’t want its own way. Love trusts and protects, never wavering.

Celebrate your loved ones today and every day. I believe if you care for someone, you show them every day in some way, not just on Valentines Day…

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Blessing God

If the title of this blog didn’t get your attention, check for a pulse.

How do we bless God, the King of the universe? He is the only One who gives and gives. Through His generosity, we woke up this morning. Our hearts and minds work. We can breathe.

We bless our Creator through our faith. By believing in Him, that He is good and only does good in our lives, we are blessing God.

It’s easy to believe when life is going well. Keep believing with unwavering faith when life is a shitshow and you will be blessing God…

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Indifference

Love and hate are powerful emotions. Great things happen through the power of love, while hatred destroys what is good.

Being indifferent means you don’t care. There is no emotional attachment, no feeling.

As an example, I’m indifferent to which team wins the Super Bowl this year. Poor example, but you get what I mean.

Channel your energy into the things you love. You can move mountains, if you believe you can…

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