Tag Archives: #spirituality

#inspiration, #spirituality

Expressions

From an early age we learned to express ourselves. Babies have different cries. They have one cry when they are hungry, another one when they are tired, and yet another when they want attention. As a parent, you can distinguish the subtle differences and meet their needs.

When I was a child, boys (and men) started growing their hair long. From most parents reactions you would have thought they had started worshipping the devil! . They weren’t, they were simply expressing themselves.

Today we see more and more people displaying tattoos and piercings. These, too, are self expressions. If I am in a Starbucks (or wherever), I try to be served by the freakiest looking person who works there. I treat them as an equal, with respect because they are equal in God’s eyes. I want to leave an impression on them that they are seen.

Look beyond what you see on the outside. Look at the heart…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Repent!

In the Bible, to repent means to “change your mind.” We think of it as punitive, but it isn’t.

I have often written about controlling your thoughts in this column. It’s easier than you might think. We make it harder because the battle is in the mind. You might be thinking, “that’s just how I am.” Yet you are how you think. You become how you think, too.

Do you want to be healthy? See yourself in shape. Read something about fitness/wellness regularly. Your thoughts will take a turn for the better, especially at mealtime. You will unconsciously begin an exercise regimen. Your mind will plant these seeds and you will act on them.

Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s automatic. Your old thought patterns will hang around. They are powerful but your mind is more powerful. Push them away. Change your mind about your health (or whatever).

Start today. In fact, start now. You can do anything you set your mind to…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Religion

Religion is defined as, “the belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.” In current culture, the word religion has become a negative term. There’s support for this.

I believe religion is one of the devil’s greatest tools. Many religions have created rules and rituals that don’t necessarily advance God’s Kingdom, but it certainly advances their own. Examine the religious leaders during Jesus’ time on earth. Some (not all) of the Pharisees saw Jesus as a threat to their power over their people. As scholars they should have recognized Jesus as The Messiah but were blinded by their own pride. It’s interesting to note that the demons recognized Jesus as the “Holy Son of God.”

The rules of religion keep people away from church and true worship of Jesus Christ. Thus, this is why religion has, in some cases, become pejorative.

Just follow the teachings of Jesus. He didn’t bring more religion. He restored and redeemed the people. Yes, he performed countless miracles, yet he never benefited personally from them.

And those are my thoughts on organized religion…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Weather

Weather is unpredictable. Life is a lot like the weather when you stop and consider it. Hot one day, cold the next. Always unpredictable. Always fascinating.

We don’t try to control the weather. We can’t. But we try like hell to control our lives. We really aren’t able to control our lives, either. We can only control our attitudes.

Keep your attitude focused on a bright future. Believe it, and you will see it…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Opposition, or Opportunity?

All of us face challenges in life. We have an invisible enemy that wants to subvert us, and even destroy us. Don’t give in.

When we have an opposing force trying to stop us, the reason is because we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. Every time we say “YES” to God, we are giving ourselves an opportunity to be more like Jesus. This will bring you closer to God, and our enemy doesn’t like that. Therefore, the attack. He wants you to quit.

Just because we can’t see our adversary doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist. Remember who is behind the next problem you incur. And remember why he’s moving against you. Keep going…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Sightless

There’s more going on than what we can see. Much more. There isn’t a lot in the Bible about spiritual warfare, but there is enough to know it’s real and not the stuff fairy tales are made from.

To help you keep perspective, every time you are given a challenge please remember there is a spiritual reason as well as a purpose behind it. God alone allows pain and struggles for them to happen. Otherwise He wouldn’t be in control and all of this would be random.

We have a choice: we can blame God or we can rely on God in those moments. There is a tremendous amount of Biblical evidence which shows, undeniably, that relying on God to show us the way is the only answer. Yet, you must make your own decision about what you will do.

Even though we can’t see the spiritual realm, that doesn’t make it less real…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Connectivity

Since the internet became a common tool, our world is more closely connected than ever. Yet, people feel more alone now than ever before, too.

The isolation of the pandemic was never a good idea. We need to be in community with other people. Zoom and FaceTime don’t suffice.

If you haven’t heard from friends in a while, take a moment to reach out to them. Yes, they could call you, but they might not be in the right mental state to do it.

Be the bigger person. Make the call…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Winning

To win is to be victorious. And everyone loves a winner, right?

Yet, if you are reading this in a safe, comfortable environment, you have food to eat, you are healthy and you have people who care about you, you have won. So many people live in poverty, they may not know when they will eat their next meal and they might be alone.

Keep your perspective clear. What you already have is what some people are hoping and praying for…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Intentional

To be intentional means to be purposeful. You do what you do on purpose.

All of us are intentional in some ways. I’m intentional about going to work today, getting some exercise and doing some writing. God willing, those things will happen. If my plans go awry, I won’t panic. I will adapt.

The most intentional person who ever lived was Jesus Christ. He knew who he was, and he knew why he was here. Jesus had things to distract him. He had people trying to kill him. He never wavered. Jesus just kept going until his purpose was fulfilled.

Be intentional with your time. Otherwise you’ll simply drift through life, accepting whatever comes your way. Get laser-focused and stay that way…

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