Tag: spirituality

Virus in the Desert

I’ve written a lot about the Israelites roaming aimlessly in the desert for 40 years. It took them that long to travel about a dozen miles to the Promised Land. And only two of the original Israelites made it. Even their leader, Moses, died before he saw the Promised Land. During that time in the desert all types of bad things happened—plagues, snakes, etc. The Israelites constantly turned their backs on God, and only when they needed God did they run to Him. We are roaming our own desert—and pretty aimlessly, at that—and bad things happen. Today it’s the coronavirus. Tomorrow it will be something else. But we’re not running to God. It seems we’re running away from Him.

I’m not suggesting that the coronavirus is some type of plaque sent by God. It’s a virus, and viruses are a part of life. Some are worse than others. But it’s how we react to this coronavirus that is so telling. We panic. Not that we shouldn’t mobilize to contain and “defeat” this virus. But we don’t need to panic, just like the Israelites did. It’s a surprise they didn’t stone Moses or burn him at the stake.

It’s a given that we are less tied to God than ever. I won’t bore you with stats, but “organized” religion is on the way down. People are increasingly simply not believing in God or turning to their own “spirituality”—whatever that is. Worship of self?

If I have said it once I’ve said it over a 100 times—read the Old Testament story of the Israelites wandering aimlessly in the desert. That’s us. This world is one big desert and we are certainly wandering—and very aimlessly! I have no idea where we are heading. Do you?

Least you think this is a depressing message, it’s not! My focus is on God—Father, Son & Spirit. I know my purpose from the Father, and am trying my best to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, and pray for the Spirit to empower me. I’m upbeat. I’m resolute. I’m out to find the Promised Land in life. I’m not a saint. I stumble all the time. But I’m doing my part to lead by example. We change the world one person at a time. It’s why I write this little blog, why I post Bible verses on my Facebook page ever day, and why I try to share with others.

I hope you know your way. Let’s help get everyone out of the desert!    

Purpose, Footsteps & Empowerment

I like catchwords. These are my three catchwords I try to start every day with: purpose, footsteps, and empowerment. Wherever I am, I start my day off at the gym or doing something athletic, except if I’m traveling really early (which happens a lot). Regardless, I start my day by saying “hi” to God and remembering the following: the Father created me for a purpose; I try to walk in the footsteps of Jesus; and I ask the Spirit for empowerment. Pretty simple.

I believe that each one of us was created with a special, unique purpose in life. Living by aimlessly wandering through life without any purpose is just too depressing to me. I have a purpose and always try to stay true to it. I do that by trying to walk in the footsteps that Jesus laid down for us. And that starts with His one commandment of loving each other (John 15:12). And to do all that I ask for the empowerment of the Spirit.

Purpose, footsteps, and empowerment. Simple. And it’s not religious mumbo-jumbo. It’s my way of taking each day one day at a time but with direction. I think the biggest problem we have today is simply lack of direction. As a human race we are aimlessly wandering. Just like the Israelites in the desert.

If you don’t know your purpose in life, simply ask God. He’ll tell you if you just listen. That’s why I list LISTEN as the 1st Secret to Life. You won’t hear God if you don’t LISTEN for/to Him. Once you know your purpose in life walking is easy by just following the footsteps that Jesus laid down for us. That’s why READ is another Secret to Life. It’s all laid out in the Bible. And asking the Spirit for empowerment is also easy once you know your purpose and start the walk following those footsteps.

Spend some time—real time—with God this week. You won’t be disappointed.

Have a FANTASTIC weekend!!!

We Can’t Get Along

I guess nothing has changed since the dawn of recorded history. We can’t get along. As a human race we constantly let us be divided rather than united. We fight, we war, we annihilate. And it seems to be getting worse rather than better. I know. Rather bleak picture. But there’s always that constant light in the darkness. No matter how dark it seems the darkness can’t overcome the light. Never. Ever. That light is Jesus. (See John 1:1-5)

Whenever I get discouraged—especially in high political season, when the daggers of darkness come out—I focus on the light of Jesus. I may not understand why God gave up His only Son for us when we can’t even come close to listening to Jesus’ one command to us…

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

Forget about love. Imagine if we were just civil with one another. Better yet, imagine if we put down all the guns and bombs and looked up at the stars. If we worked together we’d be exploring other worlds, not trying to destroy this one.

I’m not trying to be bleak or pessimistic. I do wonder on occasion why God loves us so much when we can’t love ourselves. But in the beginning and in the end there is always Jesus. The alpha and the omega. The light in the darkness. The true king who will come again. Our savior. That thinking turns the bleakness to hope, the cold to warm, and the darkness to light.

Jesus. Say the name; think the name. Salvation in any darkness in your life. Not religious mumbo-jumbo. Just practically living life.

Have an OUTSTANDING day (in the light)!!!

You Need a Vision!

The Israelites had no vision. They aimlessly wandered the desert for 40 years before the next generation made it to the Promised Land. They had no vision. The same can be said of this country. We’re aimlessly wandering the desert of politics and hate with no clear path or end in site. But the same doesn’t have to be said about you. You need a vision for your life, as do I. As does everyone.

You need an understanding of the God-given, unique, special purpose for your life. Then, you need a vision of how to fulfill that purpose.

Jesus is our model. He knew what His purpose was in life—to save us from our sins. To wipe the slate clean with His death. And He had a vision of how to fulfill that purpose. And that fulfillment of the vision came only at the end of Jesus’ life. There’s a message in that. It’s never too late to understand your purpose and have a vision of how to fulfill that purpose.

I have ended up in the world of cancer, especially relating to policy and politics. My purpose is to somehow do my little part to help people with cancer, now and generations to come. I know my purpose and have a vision of how to fulfill it. Along the path, I want to do everything to become a better person. Trust me—I’m no saint!!! The vision get’s cloudy at times and I’m far from a good person at times. But I am trying. And I have a vision.

I have written before that the Father shows us our purpose in life (if we’ll just listen); Jesus shows us the path by His footsteps, which provides the vision; and the Spirit empowers us to keep the vision clear in order to fulfill it. Purpose, footsteps, empowerment. You have a lot of help if you just look for it!

I hope you have your vision.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Psalm 138:8

Have an EXCEPTIONAL day!!!

Grace

The total untethered grace that God gives us is all about unconditional love, favor, mercy, and empowerment. It is that grace that has saved us, through God’s Son Jesus, and gives us the power to do anything in life with that grace. But that grace is tied to giving our own “grace” to others. Life is a two-way street. It’s not all about taking. It’s even more about giving. Want to feel God’s grace in your life? Give your own grace to others.

I know this sounds like more religious “mumbo gumbo” but it’s actually about life. Life that should be a two-way street with you taking in all that God has to offer through His grace while giving back to others through your own “grace.” This isn’t difficult. It’s pretty simple. Give and take. Don’t just take. Give.

I don’t know how to make this message simpler. Give. And I’m not just talking about money or other things. I’m talking about giving yourself. Start with a smile. Lend someone a hand. Pay forward a cup of coffee. Give to those in need. Go beyond yourself. Just give as God gives.

Simple.

Have an AMAZING week pouring out your grace!

Nails In or Out?

Sorry for what may sound like some heavy religious mumbo-jumbo but this is my new visual. Nails in or out? Meaning, Jesus was nailed to the Cross for our sins. Yes, yours and mine, as well as every other person, dead, alive, and to be born. So, we’re either there helping to nail Him to the Cross or trying to take the nails out. Pretty compelling visual, at least for me.

It’s that simple, We’re either sinning and effectively hammering those nails in or doing our best to repent and pulling those nails out. If Jesus died for our sins—past, present, and future—we’re either sinning or trying to stop sinning. We’re either indifferent or trying to fix our failings. Nails in or nails out? It’s either one of the other. There is no in between!

So, I ask myself all the time—Nails in or out?

Hope this helps. ENJOY the day!

Yes, There Are 7 Secrets to Life!!!

I started writing this blog almost eight years ago to share what I have found—seven Real Secrets to Life. Not some catchy, gotcha, “I have the secret to life” hype. Just what I have found that has worked in my life. They have helped me get through the chaos and clutter of life, as well as helping me simplify life. Life that we always manage to complicate, regardless of how simple God intends it to be. I don’t spend any time “promoting” this blog. I don’t make any money off this blog, which is not a bad thing, but I just keep it simple. My thoughts are as much for me as for those who read them. So, I thought it was a good time to briefly review what are the seven Real Secrets to Life that I have found.

LISTEN, READ, LOVE, FIGHT, BELIEVE, LIVE & PRAY. There you have them. My Secrets to Life. For me they are a steading influence, helping me put life into perspective and serving as a map going forward.

LISTEN because God is calling to you—yes, you! READ the Bible because it has life answers (It’s God’s handbook on life, in case you don’t know it.). LOVE because God is love and commands us to live in love. FIGHT because the devil is all too real and whispering doubt and other temptations in your ear. BELIEVE that you can do anything—because you can! LIVE knowing this life is just the opening act to eternity. And PRAY simply because it works. God is listening (as well as calling to you, which loops you back around to the first Secret to Life).

The utter simplicity of these Secrets to Life says everything. They boil life down to its simplicity—the way God means life to be. They help me focus my life—what I did yesterday that needs correcting and the course changes I need to make today. They help me focus on what’s important and what is not. They help order the life chaos.

I hope these help you as they help me. But whatever you do, find your Real Secrets to Life. And have a GREAT day, and an AMAZING year, in the process!

 

Time for a Checkup

Need to bring my car in for its 30,000 mile checkup. Also, need to get to my internist right after the New Year for my annual checkup. Also, realized I am long overdue for a Spirit checkup. What??? That’s right—a checkup if I’m living by the Spirit.

A Spirit checkup is pretty easy because the “fruit” of the spirit has been spelled out for us:

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness.
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:22‬ ‭

So, if you’re living by those 7 qualities—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness—you’re living by the Spirit who is empowering you. Like all of life, it’s that simple! If you’re not living by those qualities you are sick and need a tune-up, some repairs, or time for serious medicine. Certainly, without living by those qualities the Spirit is not empowering you.

Recently, I wrote about 3 key words—purpose, footsteps, and empowerment. God establishes the purpose, Jesus sets the footsteps, and the Spirit empowers your life. You may know your purpose in life—and you do have a special, unique one!—and you may walk (or try to) in the footsteps of Jesus but it all falls apart quickly without empowerment of the Spirit. And you know the Spirit is empowering you if you live by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, and faithfulness. Again, it’s that simple.

Don’t procrastinate (like I did writing this blog). It’s time for a checkup!!!

Have a fantastic day living in the Spirit!

Lost (Hopelessly?) in the Desert

I have written about this before but we (the world) are lost in the desert. We’re moving away from God and, as we do, the acrimony and downright hatred in the world increases. And we have no direction, no goals, and we’re just wandering. If you want a picture of this, and how it plays out, read the Old Testament. Seriously!

I hate to be gloomy because I’m an upbeat person, always trying to see the good. But it’s tough when you see the spitefulness and incessant arguing by the politicians, who we pay (with our increasing taxes!) to fix things—not break them. Riots, wars, and threats of nuclear bombs seem like a day-to-day constant. But most troubling is the fact that we are moving away from God.

It’s startling to think that 26% of the United States population now describes themselves as religiously unaffiliated; meaning, their religious identity is atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” and now stands at 26%. That’s up from 17% in 2009. So, translation, a quarter of the population basically doesn’t believe in God, or at the very least, doesn’t involve Him in their lives. If anything, He is just “he” (lower case intentional). Although an increasing number of people believes that He doesn’t exist.

The Israelites aimlessly wandered the desert for 40 years, taking that time to go about 11-12 miles. They turned their backs on God and bad things happened. All this is playing out now. We are the Israelites and we are wandering, turning our backs on God. And bad things are happening. None of this should be a surprise.

I’m not wandering. The world around me may but I’m keeping my eyes fixed on God—Father who sets my purpose, Jesus who has laid out the footsteps for me, and the Spirit who empowers me. Sorry if this sounds like religious mumbo-jumbo but it’s the only way for me to not get down and look straight ahead.

… this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. Philippians 3:13

Don’t wander. Look straight ahead with a plan. And keep your eyes fixed on God.

Have an AMAZING week ahead!

Purpose, Footsteps & Empowerment

This is real simple. God the Father sets the purpose, that special, unique purpose that we all have in life. And, yes, that includes you! Jesus the Son who walked among us provides the way—Christianity has been described early on as “the Way”—the footsteps we need to follow. And the Holy Spirit provides us with the empowerment to walk the walk—follow the footsteps in pursuing the purpose. Simple.

I could write on and on about this but, again, it’s pretty simple so I’ll keep is brief. One of life’s great secrets is understanding that purpose—special and unique; totally individualized for each one of us—and pursuing it. Jesus laid down the footsteps in His 3-year walk about how we should live our lives. And Spirit is all the empowerment we need to walk that walk in pursuing our purpose in life. And nothing is more fulfilling in life than knowing we have a purpose and pursuing it.

I know, I know. Sounds all too simple and packaged with a bow around it. But as I say and write all the time, God means life to be simple. We are the ones who complicate it. And boy do we complicate life!!! 

Don’t know where to start. Again, simple. Open up to God—Father, Son, and Spirit. Reach out. Talk and LISTEN. Spend some quality time with God. It truly is that simple. You can’t get results if you don’t invest the time. Seriously. It is that simple.

I hope you have a FANTASTIC week ahead on your walk!