Tag Archives: #thoughts

Spirituality

Unsolved Mysteries

If curiosity killed the cat, then I have beaten the odds. My insatiable curiosity has outlived well over nine lives.

Unsolved mysteries fascinate me. Consider Stonehenge. Those stones weigh 50,000 pounds each, and they would have been transported twenty miles. But for what reason? They are a group of stones set in a circle.

What about Flight MH370? It left Malaysia in 2014, bound for China. At one point the transponder was turned off and the plane turned south. It eventually crashed in the Indian Ocean. Wing fragments and other debris were found, but the black box remains missing. I’m curious why the pilot turned away from his destination, yet the copilot didn’t intervene.

I love documentaries about mysteries. Mysteries of The Bible is a great one. Unsolved mysteries are a rabbit hole that is never ending.

Keeping your mind active and thinking about things will extend your life. You gotta do more than crossword puzzles. Find your interests…

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Spirituality

The Broken Commandment

When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, the first commandment was “you shall have no God before me.” It sounds simple enough, right? Not necessarily.

Do you put God first every morning when you wake up, and keep him first all day? I thank God every day when I open my eyes, but there are a lot of distractions that follow. My phone, email and other things can take my mind off of God. The devil lays a lot of traps for us.

There are only Ten Commandments. You would think I could observe and follow only ten things. But I don’t even win the battle of the first commandment. Fortunately, we serve a merciful, forgiving God who is always on our side.

God wants the heart of man. And he will change your heart if you allow him in…

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Spirituality

Practice

Do you want to learn a new skill? If your answer is yes, I have a practical solution for you.

Commit to studying or practicing for 20 minutes per day. No outside distractions. No phone or computer. Just focused effort. Over the course of one year, you will have accomplished 120 hours of study/practice time if you’re doing 20 minutes per day.

Consistency is the most important piece of this equation. Don’t take days off. Not even one day. Within a few weeks you will have formed a new habit. Your proficiency will grow if you stay with it.

Learning something new is both exciting and challenging. Try it! After all, your personal growth is worth more than 20 minutes a day…

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Spirituality

Cracker Culture

The term “cracker” devolved from being a braggart in old England to describing poor, uneducated southerners. Sometimes it’s used in a derogatory way, but it’s all in how you take it.

In days past, I have been called a cracker. This has always made me laugh because I like crackers! And the tone of the person calling me cracker was playful, not antagonistic or rude. It’s not what you say but how you say it. Tone is what matters.

I’m a southerner, a proud Texan. We have a different swagger about us. Texans carry themselves differently, even if they can’t carry a tune! We love our barbecue, we support the Dallas Cowboys in spite of Jerry Jones, and we work hard. Challenge a northerner to make grits and you might be met with a dumbfounded look. But we forgive them for their ignorance.

People use the internet to call other people names, some that are not kind. Unlike my friends who called me a cracker, these people are trying to say something hateful and offensive. They are trying to get a rise out of me. They will be waiting for a very long time. Name calling is a sign of low intelligence and weakness. Don’t engage.

Football kicks off this weekend. This cracker will be watching the University of Texas game. And I might, just might have some brisket and beer!

I hope you enjoy your day as well…

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Spirituality

Smile!

There are approximately 640 muscles in the human body that we can control. It only takes about 12 of them to smile. That’s about 1.8% of our total, so it’s a very small number. Why aren’t people smiling more?

There’s a lot of darkness in our broken world. People do some truly awful things to others. When a person has dealt with horrific trauma, it might be difficult for them to muster a smile. That’s understandable.

Yet, I believe we can almost always find something to bring a smile to our faces: A child playing with a dog or a toy. Some funny movies. Or the politicians. They say and do some colossally stupid things. You gotta laugh.

I love interacting with strangers. Perhaps it’s someone at a Starbucks or a sandwich shop. If I can bring a smile to a stranger, I believe it might make their day a little better. I love to make people laugh.

Find something to smile about every day. You can find something, even if it’s something small. Try it and watch your life improve…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Investigation

Do you ever question or challenge your beliefs? If you haven’t engaged in this exercise before, perhaps it’s a good idea to do so. After all, your convictions will either be strengthened or altered. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

There are a handful of beliefs that don’t need to be questioned. If I jump off a 50 story building, gravity will work every single time. There’s no need to test that one! If (when) I break the speed limit (often), I’m going to receive a very expensive ticket.

But what about our spiritual beliefs? According to a 2025 research study conducted by Pew Research Center, 83% of Americans believe in God or a universal power. In fact, 54% of the respondents believe with “absolute certainty” that God is real. The skeptics need proof.

Look around if you want proof. There is a lot of evil in our world, but there’s a lot more good. Bad news gets headlines. “If it bleeds it leads” my friends in media say. The good news gets published, but not as often as the bad. And only God can bring good from the bad news. It’s his specialty!

Change the narrative from “I’ll believe it when I see it” to “I’ll see it when I believe it.” God gives fresh air and sunshine to believers and nonbelievers alike. Treat every moment in life like it’s a miracle because it is.

Challenge your convictions. This applies to everything. Question why you believe what you believe. Is there proof? What do the facts say?

It’s not a threat to question things. Stay curious…

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Spirituality

Annual Physical

This morning I had my annual physical. It’s important to build a long-term relationship with your physician. He or she can keep an eye on trends in your overall health and your body. And a good doctor will ask about your social life as well, because that has a lot to do with your overall wellness.

Many people wait until something is wrong before going to the doctor. This puts the physician in a difficult position. You might be going to a doctor you’ve never seen before which means they are starting from scratch.

Don’t be afraid to see where you stand, health wise. Your doctor might suggest some changes to your lifestyle or diet, but that’s a good thing. You may be able to stave off some health issues later.

And for the record, I received a perfect bill of health! So, God willing, I’ll be writing for a long time…

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Spirituality

Eliminate This Word

When my children were growing up, they weren’t allowed to say the word “can’t.” I told them to substitute won’t because that’s what they were really saying. It was an invitation for them to try, whether they experienced success or a setback.

Can’t is an excuse, nothing more. Victimhood has become popular in the culture of today, although it’s been around for a long while. Social media gives “victims” a bigger platform.

There are scores of people who need help, no doubt. If someone was born into poverty it is our responsibility to make sure they are fed, housed and clothed. But we can encourage the needy to change their mindset about poverty. It’s only permanent if you accept that it is. Sadly, not everyone will grow out of poverty.

Ben Carson should have been a statistic. He grew up in horrible conditions, raised by an uneducated single mother who dropped out of school in the third grade. One day young Ben’s mother told him and his brother Curtis to turn off the television. They were to read two books per week and write book reports for her. The two boys were not happy, but they respected their mother’s wishes. She would “read” their reports, marking them up with a red pen. The truth was, their mother couldn’t read. To shorten the story, Curtis became an aerospace engineer while Ben became a pediatric neurosurgeon. Their mindset about themselves and their abilities were changed.

Eliminate can’t from your vocabulary and your thoughts. See how far you can go…

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Spirituality

Neurodivergence

Neurodivergence is a term that was coined in the 1990’s by sociologist Judy Singer. Singer was a neurodivergent person herself. Neurodivergence refers to differences in the way people’s brains work, process information, and behave.

All of us are neurodivergent in a way. We think differently, we believe different things and we don’t always behave. Even when our brains aren’t compromised, we remain uniquely different.

The longer we live, the more we learn about how the brain works. Neuroplasticity taught us that brain cells regenerate. We can create new, better ways of processing information. This includes how we interact with other people, too. We learn that not everyone deserves a response.

I encourage you to read about this fascinating subject. You might see the world differently…

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Spirituality

Interesting Interactions

Yesterday I flew from Austin to New Orleans, Louisiana on Southwest Airlines. I don’t like to fly Southwest for a variety of reasons. The airline has open seating, the planes are packed, and the fleet is old. However, yesterday was a pleasant surprise!

The first surprise was that the plane wasn’t full. Second, the jet was new. Finally, I struck up a conversation with a fascinating young woman and it made the flight very interesting. She is a writer who has created a great story for film which I got her to share with me.

I listened, fascinated by her ability to make me see the story come to life in my mind. Her characters had depth and her storytelling was well thought out. Making a film is challenging. My hope is that her film gets produced. Hollywood needs new, exciting creative ideas!

The final surprise was my own reflection on myself. When I arrived at the airport I was counting the minutes until the flight would be over. My attitude needed work. Had I kept the same mindset I would have missed this wonderful conversation.

You never know who you might meet. Be ready!

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