Category: Thought for the Day

Satan Laughing All the Way to Hell!

There is so much hatred in this world that surely Satan/Lucifer/devil/whatever (you call evil) is having a field day. If it’s one war or another, or the U.S. elections, hatred is being spewed all over the place. God must be shaking His head thinking it’s as bad as it gets. Satan is saying to all those fighting, mocking others, lying, etc., “Come on down!” And down they will be going.

I don’t even know what to say. God commanded us to love. Jesus’ last commandment was to love. We are doing the exact opposite. That’s why the number of true Christians in this world are a vanishing breed. It’s that simple.

Where this goes is not good. Trust me. You’ll see. There will be a lot of suffering with all this hatred. Nothing like this in history turns out OK.

I’d like to be more upbeat but this is what it is. You’ll see. We are going down. Way down.

I’m doing my best to stay positive. Any negative thought, situation, or person is out of my life. I’m doing my best to buck the trend.

I hope you too are bucking the trend!

On Christians, Fake Christians, and Anti-Christians

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12

That can’t be any clearer. If you call yourself a “Christian” that means you are a follower of Jesus Christ. And Jesus was very clear about his commandment to us. LOVE. Noting complicated. Simple as it gets. LOVE. LOVE and you are a Christian. Don’t LOVE and you are not a Christian. That means if you talk bad about others, don’t treat others with LOVE, spew hatred, judge others, etc.—you get the picture—you are not a Christian. You either LOVE or you don’t.

I listen to a lot of people who call themselves Christians—including a LOT of politicians—who simply are not. They are fake Christians. Now, I’m not judging anyone. I’m simply saying if you don’t talk and walk in LOVE you are not a follower and believer in Jesus Christ. You’re not a Christian.

And to anyone who thinks they are a Christian but are antisemitic, I have a news flash for you. You are anti-Christian. Why? Because it may be a startling revelation to you but Jesus wasn’t a Christian. He was as Jewish as it gets. Through and through.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17

Jesus the Jew came to fulfill the Jewish Law. What always gets lost in translation is that Jesus was a Jew. I’m not talking about the state of Israel and all the conflict in the Middle East. I’m just saying that Jesus was a practicing Jew. So, being anti-semitic is anti-Jesus the Christ. Anti-Christian

The world is an increasingly dark place these days. It needs more LOVE. It needs more true Christians, followers of Jesus the Christ.

Have a great weekend walking and spreading LOVE!

Nothing Like Being a First-Time Grandparent!

No religion and no life lessons. Just writing about this bundle of joy that entered our life this week. October 1st. Pretty interesting that my wife’s birthday is the next day (the 2nd) and mine is the 3rd. I guess we hit the trifecta!

Holding Brinne Margaret for the first time was amazing. It’s been a while since I held my infant daughter or any other infant. Maybe with age comes a greater appreciation for human life. How babies come out of the womb and are so dependent on us for survival is inspirational. And the whole process of life and death, and the cycle of lives and deaths, is mind-boggling when you think about it. We just take life for granted.

That’s it for now. Just wanted to share our news and muse a little.

Have a GREAT weekend!

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!!!

New Day, New You

It’s not just New Year’s Day, but every day is a new day and a chance to make a new you. If anything is wrong in your life or needs changed, a new day gives you the opportunity to make a new you. You just need to put in the work and effort to change.

There’s no better way to make a new you than to renew your relationship with God. He is always there, less than a heartbeat away, to help you make a new you. You simply have to open up your mind and heart to God. You have to LISTEN for and to Him. You have to spend time with God.

It’s a new week and a new day. What better time to make a new you. It doesn’t matter where you have been in your life or what you have done. There is always the time to course correct in making a new you. It may take some work but it will be worth it in the end.

Open up to God today. He’s there. You just have to be there.

Have a FANTASTIC week ahead being a new you!

Bury Your Mistakes

I mean literally dig a hole and bury what you have done wrong. And if you literally don’t want to dig a hole and bury your notes on what you have done wrong then bury the hole in your mind. One way or another, get rid of your wrongs. Ask God for forgiveness and learn from what you have done wrong so you don’t do it again. Then, bury them.

I know that Jesus died for our sins/wrongs/mistakes in life. But you have to ask Him for forgiveness before those sins are forgiven. When you ask and truly are repentant then those sins are forgiven and died with Jesus’ “death” on the cross.

But mistakes in life have a funny way of sticking around and bogging us down. That’s why after asking for forgiveness and learning from our mistakes, we need to bury them.

Whether you bury the notes of your wrongs in an actual hole, or dig the hole in your mind and “bury” them, one way or another get rid of them. Move on! Get rid of any guilt because it has a way of eating away at you. Move on! Really! MOVE ON!!!

Have a FANTASTIC week ahead and bury those mistakes!

Conform or Transform?

Are you a conformist or a transformer? Do you follow everyone else, including down dead ends in life, or are you looking to be different? To transform. Paul’s letter to the Romans says it all:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” Romans 12:2

The Israelites conformed to each other and wandered the desert for 40 years. They were basically one mindset. They got lost conforming. Unfortunately, that’s what so many of us do today. We conform, even if we conform to be different. That’s why we are basically lost.

Paul nailed it that if you want to get closer to God, to walk the right path in life, you need to transform your mind by renewing it. That way you can start understanding what is not only good and acceptable but what is perfect to God. The world becomes brighter and clearer.

How do you transform by renewing? By listening for and to God. It’s that easy. You just have to make time, and LISTEN with an open mind and heart. That way you will start transforming your mind, and your life along with it.

LISTEN! Renew! Transform!

No Room for Guilt in Your Life!

I was the king of guilt and still sit on the throne of guilt on occasion. Gut I’m here to tell you what I found out—there is no room for guilt in your life. Why? Because Jesus lived and died for all our sins, not matter what we do wrong. So, confess with your heart that you screwed up and you are free. There is no reason to let guilt ruin your day, or even your life.

I use to beat myself up with guilt. It was a true whipping session that could go on for days. I felt comfortable in my guilt even if it froze me from moving forward. Then, I realized that a true confession wipes the remorse away.

Confessing what you did wrong is not like rubbing a magic lamp. It’s a serious, heartfelt examination of what you did and a commitment to not do it again. It’s a soulful talk with Jesus to thank Him for giving His life for what you did wrong. By wallowing in your guilt you’re actually denying that Jesus lived and died for your sins. So, give in to confessing, asking for forgiveness, and know that you have already been forgiven.

Get rid of the guilt!

Have a fantastic, guilt-free week ahead!

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!!!

Don’t Hide Your Light!

Whether you know it or not, we all have the light of God in us. It’s a light that too many don’t know they have or simply keep hidden from view. It’s a light that must shine to keep out the darkness in a world that is getting increasingly dark.

As Jesus so clearly said: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Do good and let everyone see it. Don’t keep your light hidden from view or, worse yet, burn out. Keep it shining and visible for all to see.

Smile. Help someone in need. Pay it forward. Give of yourself. Put others first. The list goes on of how you can keep your God-given light shining and lighting a dark world. It’s not hard to do. You just have to think past yourself.

Have an EXCEPTIONAL week lighting the way!