Category: BELIEVE

The Real Meaning of Christmas

Trees, tinsel, lights, gifts, cards, etc, etc. That’s outward “Christmas.” But what is the real meaning of Christmas? I bet you say simply the birth of Christ. But it goes way deeper than celebrating a birth over 2,000 years ago. The real meaning of Christmas is seeking to have Jesus Christ reborn in you. Each one of us.

I know I have been reborn in Jesus years ago. But Christmas is about experiencing that birth again. Of course you can be reborn in Jesus any day or time during the year. But Christmas is just that check at the end of the year to experience that rebirth, or birth for the first time, again.

There are lots of crosses being worn, especially by the politicians, to show that they are Christians. But it’s not about wearing anything externally or living Christianity on your sleeve. It’s about Jesus being reborn inside of you and living in your heart. Following Jesus—what true, real Christianity is about—is not about words and wearing things. It’s about what’s in your heart and how you live your life.

Rebirth in you. Tha’s what Christmas is truly about.

I’ll be back before the rebirth of Christmas but let the rebirth start happening!

Seal the Life Cracks Now!

When there is a little crack in a roof, water finds a way to seep in. Then, the crack expands, and more water seeps in. Pretty soon it can be a deluge of water. The same holds true of your life. Seal the cracks before negative thinking and the devil—or whatever you want to call evil—finds a way into your life and takes over.

Just like a roof or any other outside structure, you need to do a checkup on your life to find the cracks. Then, you need to seal them ASAP. If not, the cracks will become holes, even gaping at times.

I am far from perfect, so I’m not preaching. But every morning I try to think back to the other day and week to find any cracks. Most often the cracks are negative thoughts—even actions—about a situation or person. Then, I pray on it, filling the cracks with prayers.

It’s not always easy being honest with yourself. Don’t I know it! But when I’m not honest about the cracks they always start expanding. And the situation always gets worse. So, fill those cracks today. Pray. Be honest with yourself. And pray some more. God is always listening.

Have a GREAT rest of the week. And fill those cracks!

Positive Thoughts, Positive Life

This message is pretty simple: Think positively if you want a positive life. If your thoughts are always negative, your life will be negative. It’s really as simple as that. Positivity breeds positivity.

We all have negative thoughts, at least from time to time. I’m right there. But when I have a negative thought, whether it be about a person or a situation, I try to let it go. Think holding on to something and simply opening your hand to let it go. I try to do the same thing with my mind. I let go of the negative thought.

There is really nothing more to add. Think positively. I know that is often difficult. Understand. Been there, done that. But this needs to be simple. Think positive. Be positive.

God is the essence of positive. He wants you to be positive and to enjoy a positive life!

Hope you have a great, positive weekend!

No Better Human Being

I don’t care what your views or “religion” are but you’ll be hard pressed to find a better human being than the late Pope Francis. He wasn’t perfect. None of us are. But for someone on the world stage he both preached and lived a very humble existence. He walked the talk, something very rare in this day and age.

He obviously had to go by the pomp and circumstance of the Vatican. I’m Catholic and I don’t like it. It’s not Jesus—what He preached and how He lived His life. But The Pope did his best to keep everything in his life as down to earth as possible. To emulate Jesus. He will be missed!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all the world leaders attending the Pope’s funeral took a lesson from his life. The world would be a dramatically better place. Heaven on earth. Unfortunately, that won’t happen.

I hope Pope Francis stays in the hearts of the faithful to inspire us. This world needs inspiration—and a lot more light.

God bless the Pope, the new Pope, and all of us!

Good Friday Every Day

Good Friday is an enigma. We call it “good” but it is this solemn day of mourning Jesus dying on the cross. I mean, what is “good” about that? And why have I titled this post to imply ever day should be a Good Friday. Here goes.

I think that Good Friday should be a day of reflection, not mourning. We should reflect on Jesus in human form taking all of our sins—past, present, and future—and pinning them to the cross he hung and died on. No wonder the “human” side of Jesus sweated blood in the garden even thinking about the enormity of that task. I don’t think the sweating blood was over the pain, suffering, and death to come. It was the daunting task of taking all that sinfulness and wiping it out.

I don’t think that we should use one day to mourn what Jesus did. I think that every single day we should reflect on what He did and give thanks for it. Not one day. Every day. That’s why I intend to keep Good Friday every day.

Forget about sins of humanity past and to come. There is so much sinfulness in the world today that just wiping those present sins out is a mind-boggling, incomprehensible task. Thank you, Jesus!

Don’t ever forget that your sins—past, present, and future—are forgotten if you reflect on them, repent, and then ask for forgiveness. That’s the message of Good Friday and the message for every day.

Have a wonderful, blessed Easter Sunday. Jesus has risen! Rise up with Him!

A Brighter Day Ahead

The world seems like it is getting progressively darker. It seems that wherever you look there is just bad stuff happening. It’s tough to look through the gloom of darkness and find the light. But there is always brightness ahead if you really look for it.

My brightness right now is my new granddaughter. Whenever the gloom surrounds me I pull out the latest picture of her on my phone and the brightness comes through. But there is always the brightness of God that breaks through any darkness. Jesus is there to save us and the Spirit to empower us through the darkness. They are always a constant in life breaking through the doom and gloom.

If you feel there is nothing that breaks through the gloom just reach for God. He—Father, Savior, and Spirit—are always a constant in your life. You just need to call out to God for a helping hand to lift you through the gloom. God is always there, less than a heartbeat away.

Enjoy the weekend breaking through the gloom!

Power of Negative Thinking

You have heard it said that there is power in positive thinking. Think positive thoughts and positive outcomes follow. Well, I’m here to tell you that there is power—and a LOT of it!—in negative thinking. Negative thinking is like a cancer that spreads until… well until you are in a figurative hole, at best.

The devil (or whatever you call evil in this world) loves to whisper negative thoughts into your ear. The negative thoughts build on each other until you are paralyzed in hatred, fear, or any other negative outcome. Again, negative thinking is a cancer that keeps growing until it crowds out any positive thoughts.

There is a very simple, easy way to stop the negative thoughts. Simply turn to God. He is less than a heartbeat away, always. You just have to turn to Him and ask for help. It’s that easy. Trust me. There is no complexity here. Just simplicity.

Don’t let the negative thinking and its power drag you down. FIGHT it. LISTEN for/to God because He is always there to help. Trust me. Try it. No, try Him.

Have a POSITIVE week ahead. And prayers for all those impacted by the wildfires! My heart goes out to all.

Is Christmas Over?

No. Every day is Christmas if you wake each day celebrating the birth of Christ in you. A new day is a new birth. It’s that simple.

Regardless of what you did the day before, if you repent what you did wrong and ask God for forgiveness, you are forgiven. And the next day will be the birth of Jesus in your heart, if you just allow it.

Christmas is not over if you celebrate the birth of Jesus in your heart each day. And New Year resolutions are meaningless if you approach each day as the New Year, resolving to put sin behind you and Jesus in front of you.

Celebrate Christmas today, tomorrow, and every day in the New Year!

Don’t Beat Yourself Up!

When I do something wrong—and that’s often—I tend to beat myself up. Call it Catholic guilt or whatever but I just beat the daylights out of me. I’m now determined to stop the beating. That’s because once I review what I did wrong, confess it and am really sorry, and pledge to don’t do it again, I move on. Jesus died for my wrongs and left them hanging on the cross. So, by asking for forgiveness I receive forgiveness.

Yes, it’s that simple.

Let’s face it. We are all humans, which means by nature we are all sinners. We make mistakes. We are far from perfect. But the trick is knowing when you did something wrong, really understanding it, and asking for forgiveness, it’s time to move on.

There is a simple message in all of this. Don’t beat yourself up. Jesus doesn’t want you to beat yourself up. He just wants you to know what you did wrong and ask for forgiveness. Your sins are already forgiven when you do that. No beating necessary. That doesn’t solve the problem.

And I have a news flash. The devil wants you to beat yourself up. Over and over again. He doesn’t want you to ask for forgiveness and to move on. He wants your stuck in the mud beating yourself up. He wins, you lose.

Have a great week ahead and DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP!!!

Recharge Your Light

I recently wrote that we all have a light hardwired into us by God. The problem is so many (most?) of us let that light be hidden. That’s why the world is such a dark place right now. The lights are not out but just hidden.

“You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket. Instead, everyone who lights a lamp puts it on a lamp stand. Then its light shines on everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine in front of people. Then they will see the good that you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

This says it all. Let your light shine. That’s the only way the world will get out of the darkness we’re in now. Like all change, it starts with one person at a time. A smile. A good deed. Reaching out to someone in trouble. Just do good. The beat goes on of how to let your light shine.

Every once in a while I know my light needs recharging. I get that done by asking God for a charge. By talking to Him. Praying. Meditating. Simply being still. It’s amazing how your light can charge up. But you still need to let it shine. Don’t hide it from view!

Have a FANTASTIC week! Let your light shine!!!