#inspiration, #spirituality

Greatness

Our world is full of superstars. Athletes, celebrities and public figures catch our attention daily. People revere them. But I ask you, what is greatness and how do you achieve it?

Let’s consider the life of Jesus. He was born a baby. Infants must rely on others to care for them. When Jesus became an adult, he performed countless miracles, but not a single one benefited himself. He redeemed and restored the forgotten, the oppressed and the sick. Jesus did most of his work quietly, not seeking attention. Word spread, even without the aid of the internet, and his popularity grew. Yet, Jesus never made it about himself. His life was focused on glorifying God. That’s it. Through this, Jesus started something that’s affected billions of people for over 2,000 years.

Greatness, true greatness is achieved through service to others along with humility.

Do you want to be great? Follow the example of Jesus…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Timing

Timing is everything! This includes being on time as well. If you take an airplane to a different city, the airline typically leaves on time, with or without me.

God’s timing is perfect. I know the Bible tells us this, but it is evidenced everywhere in our lives. Look back on your life. Reflect and you will see.

When the 2001 terrorist attack happened, President Bush had the right experiences in his life to prepare him to lead us through that new and scary world. During the financial meltdown of 2008, the world’s leading expert on the depression was leading The Federal Reserve.

Every experience you have in life is preparing you for something else. This includes your bad experiences.

Trust the timing…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Unnatural

Worry is unnatural and unnecessary. When you take a moment to consider it, we weren’t born knowing how to worry. We learned how. Let’s dive a little deeper.

Perhaps we were raised by parents who worried. For certain, our world will give us much to worry about when you consider everything going on around us. But let’s change the word “worry” to concern. Being concerned rather than worried changes the narrative. Speaking of narratives, the media preys on people’s emotions such as worry. “You must stay tuned or you might miss something.” You will miss nothing. Tune out.

Replace your worries with childlike curiosity. Are you concerned about your health? Read scientific applications for better health. Do you want to be a better parent? Read credible resources about parenting and talk to people who have raised solid children. Do you see what I mean?

You aren’t going to miss a thing by turning off the news. So, don’t worry about it!

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Ignition

The ignition on your car must be used to start the engine. If you don’t engage it, nothing happens and you go nowhere.

Similarly, the Word of God gets things, big things started when you believe. The Bible gives us the best, most comprehensive toolkit to live our lives well on this side of eternity.

Our planet and everything on it is broken and flawed. Yet, God transcends time and space. He is in the past, present and future at the same time. He knows what our future holds because He’s already there.

You will experience your share of trouble in this life. Thankfully we have the guide to get us through everything thrown our way.

Read God’s Word and pray. It’s time to get started…

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#spirituality

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified. After his arrest the night before, his disciples ran, believing they would be next. Even though Jesus told them he would be killed and arise on the third day, they were frightened. Even after witnessing thousands of miracles, they fled. Jesus told them their “faith would be shaken,” and he got that right, too.

And Jesus told them this: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

I wish everyone a peaceful day…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Business

We have a hard time minding our own business, don’t we? People love to offer advice on how we should solve our problems and how to live our lives. I am certain that most people mean well, but they only know part of the story.

Life is pretty simple, really. Yet it can be very complicated at the same time, especially when challenges appear. New problems require new ideas to solve them. We are equipped through thought and prayer to solve anything life throws at us. We just need to engage in thought and prayer for the answers.

People want to tell us how to vote, or how we should worship God. Personally, I do not care who anyone votes for. Voting is a great privilege, and it is personal. Yet, people call you names sometimes because you just don’t cooperate! And we have freedom of religion which allows great margin for how we worship.

Focus on your life and your attitude. You are much more productive when you do…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Desensitized

Our media has a saying, “if it bleeds it leads.” The Eagles recorded a song titled “Dirty Laundry.” It seems like the more sensational a story is, the more interested we are.

Conversely, we have become desensitized to most events, even the horrific ones. Oh well, it’s just another school shooting. Or, people are slaughtered while attending a concert? Old news. Give us something new, and give us more.

I encourage you to stay aware of what’s going on in our world. Be sensitive to noticing the good. Create some yourself! Goodness is everywhere. Sometimes you gotta look hard to find it.

But you won’t get it from the government or the news…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

The Eyes of a Child

Children are a true blessing. Well, they are until they reach their teenage years. Then the script flips! But they do grow up.

When my children were toddlers, I got to view the world through their eyes. Everything they experienced was a new, exciting thing, and they noticed everything. The neurons in their little brains were exploding, creating new neural networks. I loved watching them grow and learn. Their sense of awe and curiosity was infectious.

We should try to be more like little children. See the good in the world around us instead of focusing on the bad. Children have no prejudice, nor do they hold hatred or fear in their hearts. They accept everyone.

Turn the news off. Spend time seeing the world through the innocent eyes of a child. The rest of the world will always be there…

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Possibilities

Anything is possible when you believe it is. Finite thinking will only produce finite possibilities. When you open and expand your thinking into the infinite greater possibilities exist.

God is infinite intelligence. Nothing, literally nothing escapes Him. He exists in the past, present and future at the same time. His power is unlimited. We box Him in with our doubts.

Unleash your mind to consider the impossible dreams you hold in your heart. Pray about it. Be audacious.

With God on your side, who can stop you?

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Obey, Or Else

Obedience is a scary word for some. It means compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority.

Ah, the submission part gets us every time. We are rebellious by nature. Our rebellion began with Adam and Eve, and it has been handed down generationally for thousands of years. Rebellion is in all of us.

God has given us a perfect blueprint for how to live our lives. It’s found in the Bible. Many people want to pick and choose the areas they will obey, yet consider the others outdated and irrelevant for today’s society. There are no outdated or irrelevant parts of the Bible. If God’s Word was true a hundred years ago, it remains true today. He didn’t change.

Are you frustrated with your life? I encourage you to pick up your Bible and look for ways to grow out of the frustration. Get a version that is written in English and provides context. Start with The Book of James. James was the half-brother of Jesus, and he was the “in your face” Apostle. There’s a lot of wisdom in that short chapter. And it might interest you to know that James didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah during his life. He believed fervently after the resurrection.

Obedience to the only Authority over your life isn’t scary. In fact, it’s freeing…

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