Aging doesn’t suck. There are a variety of benefits to getting older. You have acquired wisdom, you approach things more methodically, your relationships gain importance, and you have learned what is important in life.
Young people would be wise to pick the brains of older people. Learn from their mistakes. See opportunities previously unseen.
And remember, you are like a fine wine. You get better with age…
The holidays bring out a variety of different emotions. I hate to admit it, but I’m always glad when the holidays are over. They were always a disappointment to me during my childhood, so memories really do have muscle.
I love to see people enjoying and celebrating the holidays. Families and friends share some happy moments and create memories. These are good things.
There are other people who are struggling, doing everything they can to hold it together. People put on a good front but they might be dying inside. For this reason, I encourage you to slow down during the holiday rush. Whatever you are in a hurry for can wait. Take the time to show a little extra kindness.
Your kindness might be someone’s last, best hope…
What do you hope for? Wealth, a spouse or a child, or maybe you hope your health is restored? Hope is all we have when we don’t have anything else.
In 2021, one study revealed that 42% of students felt hopeless. They feared the future because they didn’t believe it held any promise for them. This is both alarming and a little frightening. Young people should be the ones who bring light into the world, yet many are clouded in darkness.
Adults are struggling, too. Mental health was shredded from fear and isolation during the pandemic. So what can we do?
Reach out to others. Check on them. Maybe a quick phone call or text doesn’t mean much in the moment, but it might be exactly what someone needs in that moment. You will benefit, too.
You might be someone’s last, best hope. Make contact…
Bad things happen to good people. We can’t understand why nor can we explain it away. They just happen.
When we are on the receiving end of something terrible, we want to lash out and blame someone. Sometimes we take our anger out on God. We blame God for causing the injustice. We can’t understand why a loving, all powerful God would do this to us or someone we care about. Let’s examine this a little deeper.
First off, God cannot do bad things to us. His nature is good and only good. He would be going against himself if he caused evil. He allows things to happen. This occurs because He wants us to rely on Him and not ourselves.
I want you to, the reader, to know it’s okay to be angry with God. He understands. You can yell at Him, tell Him off and God will never retaliate. When His children hurt, He hurts, too. Tell God everything you are feeling. Ask Him to help you see a God-ordained outcome. It will happen. He’s still in control.
God wants to hear from us when we hurt. He can take a punch…
Books have been written and speakers talk about achieving work/life balance. I believe the ones who propose this is possible are charlatans trying to make money off what people desire.
Living fully means giving your all to life. Something will be out of balance. Always. Prioritize what is most important in your life and try to limit your list to three things. Then commit yourself to making a difference in those things.
Along the way you will have to learn to say no. The first time is the hardest. Setting boundaries is a healthy habit!
Find your why and then give it your all. Balance isn’t necessary…
Some people have tons of Scriptures memorized. Scripture is most effective when you allow it to seep into your heart and manifest through your actions.
How do people know you are a spiritual person? At their core, religions are peace seeking. They value truth and integrity, along with worship of and believing in a God of their understanding. We know individuals are faith-filled by their actions.
Street theology is about letting your actions demonstrate the God you believe in, whether you can recite Scripture or not…
We have become texting machines rather than actually speaking to one another. Texting is fine for a quick check-in, but it’s not the same as having a conversation. Plus there is much that can be misinterpreted in a text, even a simple one.
Communicate with others. Have real conversations. Connecting is key to forming relationships with our fellow man. We are better together, and we are more alike than we are different…
When you hear someone described as “spirited,” what type of person comes to mind? Perhaps lively, engaging, emotional or energetic are appropriate descriptions.
All of those adjectives can apply to describe a spirited person. But let’s examine this a little more.
When we are making an observation or even a joke, the spirit of our words is the most important aspect of what we say. If our joke is mean-spirited, then it’s in poor taste. The same goes for conversation.
Pay attention to the spirit of your words and actions. They come from within and reveal what is in your heart…
In The Book of James, Verse 1:9 the author tells us to “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry.” Over the next few days we will examine this a little further.
James was the half-brother of Jesus. In his letter to the church of Jerusalem, we are encouraged to be “quick to listen.” I interpret this to mean listening should be our first choice when interacting with other people. How many times have I barely heard my counterparty because I wanted to get my voice heard? Too many to count…
Listening is an art form, and to really listen is exhausting. Listening is a verb, an action word. And when you rearrange the letters in the word “listen,” you get “silent.” This is not a coincidence.
More tomorrow…
It seems our society has devolved into a culture of rudeness. People hide behind computer screens and say some ugly things to others with no repercussions. Politeness has always been admired by us in books, movies and in real life, so how did we get here?
People are stressed to the max. The cost of living has skyrocketed, everyone is in a rush, and we don’t have time to be polite. Yet, I say we do have time. We just don’t make the time.
Slow down a little. Make the time to connect with others. Be kind and polite, even to those who don’t deserve it. They probably need your kindness the most…
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