Tag Archives: #thoughts

Spirituality, Uncategorized

Feel It

The home I grew up in had a policy: you don’t talk, trust or feel. That’s right! You stuff your feelings down until you become numb. This wasn’t healthy.

If you had a similar experience growing up, there’s good news. You can heal from the dysfunction and pain. It takes work, but it is possible. It gets uncomfortable when feelings come to the surface, but over time it becomes comfortable. Then you will become whole again.

The great Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung famously said, “Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering.” What Jung meant was, if we don’t process our trauma it will show up in a more damaging form. Anxiety, depression and compulsions are prime examples of unresolved trauma.

People who experienced abuse and violence are way more common than you realize. No one talks about it because they believe they are the only ones who have this experience. They believe they are outliers. They aren’t outliers, and they aren’t alone.

I’m eternally grateful for my early life. It gave me a relatable story I can take into schools and prisons, encouraging others to face their demons. They aren’t the giants we can build them up to be.

A lot of people are faking their way through life. Get rid of the fakery. You face it until you make it…

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Spirituality

The “In Crowd”

When we were growing up, there were different groups of kids who hung around together. Popular kids, athletes, nerds, thugs and the rest existed within the same school. Sometimes the lines blurred between them.

In school, I got along with each group quite well. I marched to my own drumbeat and that rhythm didn’t necessarily fit into any one group. My friends are still spread across a diverse mosaic. Each person brings their unique song into the mix.

When my son was getting into trouble years ago, people would say “he’s just hanging around with the wrong crowd.” To me, that was just an excuse. You see, he chose the crowd. My son had solid character, and he eventually straightened his life out. But we get to choose who we associate with.

We are a product of our environment. Sometimes people are just transitory in your life. They aren’t meant to stay. Hang on to the ones who challenge you, who bring out the best in you. And you should do the same for them.

Those people are a treasure…

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Spirituality

Unwanted Anniversaries

Today marks the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11th. For months after the attack news pundits refused to call it what it was, an attack. Their favorite description was “the events of September 11th.” Well, 2,977 people died in this so-called event. Our lives were altered forever.

Everyone knows where they were when they first learned of the attack on The United States. We watched as the jets flew into the twin towers. We saw the people jump to their deaths rather than be burned alive. Anger built inside of us. We wanted to get the people responsible for this.

Americans came together. We were a united front in our desire to have justice. Not everyone was included in our newfound togetherness. If you were an Arab living in the United States, you were looked at sideways. It was guilt by association, even though they may have been your friends and neighbors for years.

The United States is strong. We have an inner strength and rebellion in us that began over 250 years ago. We have overcome innumerable challenges and we will face new ones in the future.

September 11th is an anniversary I wish we didn’t have to commemorate. Yet, we must never forget.

God bless this great country…

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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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