Spirituality

A Moment

Thank you for taking a moment to read this piece. We all have the same 168 hours each week, and you chose to spend some of your time with me. I’m grateful.

This crazy world we are living in keeps us busy. Every time something is invented that saves us a minute, we find something to engage our minds. People are overloaded and overwhelmed. We need more peace in our lives, not more busyness.

My encouragement to you is to take a moment every day just being quiet. Turn everything off and sit in the moment. No distractions. No emails. Just you and the quiet. Calm your mind. If doing this makes you uncomfortable, sit with the discomfort. It will pass. I speak from experience.

The busy world will be waiting for you when you re-engage. You won’t have missed a thing. You will have gained some much needed peace in your life. And that’s a good thing…

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Spirituality

A Message of Peace

Today is Christmas Day. For Christians, this is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. There is no one like him.

Jesus’s ministry on earth only lasted for about three years. Yet during that short period of time he transformed the lives of countless people. The disciples recorded some of Jesus’s miracles, but according to John, if they wrote all of them down they would “fill all the volumes in the world.”

During Jesus’s era, the Israelites were living under Roman rule, but the citizens were being oppressed by their own religious leaders. Jesus changed everything, yet he never sinned. He shook things up, and they killed him for it.

Jesus rose on the third day. He left a legacy that has lasted over 2,000 years. If he was a fraud, as some say, he was the best fraud ever.

Jesus was a peacemaker. Let’s follow his lead and bring peace, too…

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Spirituality

Boredom

Most of life is routine. Every morning I shower and shave, but I don’t get excited about it or look forward to it. It’s just stuff that I do. You would only notice if I didn’t do those things for a few days. There are better ways to get attention!

What do you do when boredom sets in? Many people find something to occupy their attention because the thought of sitting still horrifies them. Being constantly entertained is as bad as drifting through life lazily. They are extremes.

My encouragement to you is to sit quietly in the solitude. You aren’t required to be busy all the time. Boredom is just a state of mind. Find inner peace in the quiet moments. Life will get interesting soon enough…

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Spirituality

Peace Through Strength

Ronald Reagan popularized the phrase “peace through strength” during the Cold War. He was responsible for revitalizing our military with the belief that the best deterrent was to be the strongest nation militarily. It worked.

Critics believe that this approach provokes our enemies. They believe everyone plays nice in the sandbox. If we leave them alone they will leave us alone. It’s a nice thought but it’s a naive belief. Bad actors want power and domination. It’s up to us good guys to stop them. We can and they know we can.

Jesus showed peace through strength, too. When the opportunistic merchants took over the Temple, selling doves, cattle and sheep for Passover, Jesus made a whip from three cords and drove the animals from the Temple, his Father’s House.

Jesus was a badass who was filled with righteous anger that day. It must have been an impressive experience because the story is told in all four of the Gospels.

We need to show strength when we witness people being taken advantage of. There are a handful of bullies out there who pick on others. Remember that the bully is the most scared person around. They are scared so they want you to be scared, too.

Peace through strength is effective in deterring evil. It works in geopolitics just like it worked in the Temple. Be strong…

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Spirituality

Peace in The Middle East

It’s a great day! The 20 living hostages have been returned and there is peace in the Middle East. At least temporarily.

If I sound hesitant, I am. There are several reasons for my concern. The number one reason is you are dealing with terrorists. Terrorists are zealots on a religious mission. At least it’s religious to them.

The other concern I have is that the hatred goes back thousands of years. It runs deep. So, I am cautiously optimistic.

I don’t think the administration is blind to this. There are many capable people surrounding the president. He listens.

Today I will celebrate the peace of this day. Thanks to God for making this happen.

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#inspiration

Homebodies

I love going out and being the life of the party. Always have. I have never met a stranger and I can usually find a way to connect with everyone I encounter.

Yet I truly enjoy being home. The inner peace of being home is like no other. With the rapid pace of the holidays upon us, it is getting harder to find peace in the world. We all need peace and quiet in our lives, no matter how outgoing we are.

I encourage you to find a few peaceful moments during your day. Perhaps it’s the very early morning before your day gets moving. Make time for yourself.

Make your home a refuge. Enjoy it…

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#spirituality

A Day of Rest?

You are busy. I know you are. We cram so much into our lives that we feel overwhelmed by it all. My attitude is, I can sleep when I’m dead.

The Bible teaches us that on the seventh day, God rested. That’s funny to me because God doesn’t get tired. He doesn’t sleep. So, why is that in there?

The Sabbath is to be set aside for us to worship God and rest our minds and bodies. We need it. God knows that slowing down one day per week will prepare us for the next six.

Take one day off each week. Think about your Creator and all the good He has given you. The crazy busy world will still be there…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Peaceful Days

Weekends are good for running errands and having some free time. After all, fitting in a little down time can be a good thing.

Peace is underrated. We all know people who thrive on creating chaos. It’s almost like they can’t be at ease unless they are stirring the shit pot. Eliminate those people from your life. At least keep them as far away as possible. And don’t feel guilty for protecting your peace of mind. You will operate better with a clear mind.

You can create as much peace as you want in your life. The crazies will always be around. Let them disrupt the peace of others…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Grounded

When I was a child, being grounded had a whole different meaning than what I’m writing about today!

Being grounded means you are not reactive, you are responsive. Grounded people are secure in their identity, not needing affirmation from other people or from their possessions. When you become grounded, you have peace.

If chaos rules your life and you want to change, then go to work on finding your true identity. God created you, so that’s a great place to begin your journey towards a peaceful, meaningful life…

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