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How to Enjoy Everyday Moment by Moment

July 26, 2016 by

I hiked along the shore of a beautiful high mountain lake early in the morning.  The cobalt blue waters surrounded by pine trees creeping to the shore.  An Osprey soared overhead in the blue sky then splashed into the water grabbing breakfast in its talons.  The wind gently rustled the mirrored water.

 

Hiking Lake

 

I thanked God for the four days we’d enjoyed with friends at their cabin.

Suddenly my blissful feelings were rudely interrupted as my brain jerked me back to reality.  I thought about what awaited me after we drove home that night.  A meeting tomorrow, writing my blog post, picking up my wife’s car from the repair shop.  Ugh, normal life!

You know?  Life’s reckoning for taking a few days off.

 

Instead of enjoying the beauty suddenly I was living 24 hours ahead.

 

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Staying Calm When Your World Explodes

July 19, 2016 by

I almost missed the end of the world.

I was at home in our sun room on Friday morning writing.  As I watched the humming birds and bees flit about the flowers I had no idea the world was exploding.

 

Fireworks exploding

 

When I’d turned off my computer the evening before the polls showed the Brits would vote to stay in the EU.  Yet the pollsters got it completely wrong.  Wow, go figure.

I glanced at the financial news about noon and the stock market was tanking.  The Prime Minister was resigning and the world was collapsing.

 

Here I was blissfully enjoying a summer morning writing with no idea the world was ending.

 

It reminded me of the 2009 financial collapse.

During that some clients were in full out panic.  The phone calls never ended.  I sounded like a yogi repeating my mantra, “Don’t panic.  Ride it out.”

Honestly, the most freaked out were the fundamentalist Christians. Their pastors preached this was the beginning of the Great Tribulation and they weren’t taking no for an answer.

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Rediscovering Love in a Marriage That’s Grown Stale

July 12, 2016 by

Let’s be honest, after decades of marriage it can grow a little less than exciting at times.  Going to work, raising kids, elderly parents and sick pets often leaves little time to enjoy the one you once passionately loved.

 

Walking together

 

Jennifer and I, after 40 years of marriage, seemed of late to be getting on each others nerves a bit.  We went through six years of taking care of her aging parents that left us little reserve for each other.

So the little things mounted up.

I’m a perfectionist.  Jennifer can let the small things slide.

She doesn’t sweat the small stuff.  I can sweat the smallest of stuff and turn it into big stuff.

Because of that she can seem at times like she’s not paying attention to some of the important details.

That makes me crazy sometimes because I pay attention to all the details even details that I probably really didn’t need to pay attention to.

Anyway, you get the idea, and I’m pretty sure you could add your own illustrations.

 

But at times it can leave us wondering, “Who is this person I married?  What was I thinking?”

 

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How to Find Peace Again in the Midst of a Chaotic Life

July 5, 2016 by

Do you ever feel like you’re caught up in some kind of cosmic battle?  I mean, we’re all bombarded every day with the negative aren’t we?

 

Hiking Alps

 

The news media breathlessly reports 24 hours a day on the latest crisis that could end the world.

The stock market tanks because of some economic report out of China.  The federal government spins out of control with the antics of politicians.  The World Health Organization identifies the next pandemic illness that will sweep the planet.

Add on top of that the real challenges we all face in everyday life and we can feel overwhelmed.

Yet, we need to stay engaged don’t we.  I mean, we need to be up on the latest news so we can prepare.  We need to marshal our forces, plan for the worst, be ready for the coming onslaught.

Yet, it all can leave us feeling exhausted, agitated and yes, sometimes just a wee bit cranky.

 

What happened to relaxing?  Where did the peace go?  How can I just turn off the noise?

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How to Discover Supernatural Guidance When You Need it Most

June 28, 2016 by

We all face times when we could use a little supernatural guidance don’t we?

We get slammed.  A pink slip in our pay envelope telling us, “Your services are no longer needed.”  A spouse says, “I’m moving out.”  The doctor tells you, “I’d like to run some more tests.”

Suddenly our world spins out of control and we could really use some answers.

 

Hiking path

 

So what do we normally do?

We discuss it with our next door neighbor, barber, brother, bartender.  Yet, often when you look at their lives they don’t have life wired up all that much better do they? [Read more…]

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How to Find a Relationship with God When You’re Tired of Religion

June 21, 2016 by

Super hero Christians really made me nervous when I was in college.

I remember once, while living at the fraternity house, going to church.  I can’t remember why, probably as a favor to my mom or to meet cute girls.

I showed up for the late service because of a party the night before.  I walked in blurry-eyed with a headache.  Organ music played, light streamed through stain glass, everyone looked perfect all dressed up .

I tried to slip into the back but nope an usher took me right down to the front.  Third row back in the middle of a packed pew, I couldn’t escape.

 

Cloudy Church

 

By the end of the sermon the preacher had people crying.  People next to me were praying out loud and loudly.  Then the preacher told people to come forward to get right with God.

The dam broke, a flood went down.  Half of my row emptied so I followed them out of the pew then bolted for the side door to escape. [Read more…]

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Quora Post: I am in My Late 20s and Feel I Have Wasted a Lot of Time. Is It Too Late for Me to Achieve Something Worthwhile?

June 16, 2016 by

I am over at Quora today answering this question:

“In my mid twenties my wife and I lived in an apartment in such a rough part of town I worried our old Volkswagen bug would be stolen.

I asked a neighbor about it and he replied, ‘Don’t worry. The people who live around here go to other neighborhoods to steal nice cars’. . . .”

You can read the rest here.

I hope you join me over there.

 

Filed Under: Success

Rediscovering a Relationship of Freedom, Peace and Power with God

May 31, 2016 by

I went through hell and back spiritually.

I started out so well.  I experienced an amazing transformation that resulted in an incredible peace, joy and love.

 

Quiet Joy

 

Yet, I got tangled up in the legalism of religion.

I felt crushed with a never ending load of more rules to please God and experience his blessings.

 

Some days I felt like I was literally going crazy.  I prayed for the chaos in my mind to stop.

 

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Quora Post: What Important Things Does a 20-Year-Old Need to Know About Money and Finance?

May 26, 2016 by

I’m writing at Quora answering this question.

“I was baptized by fire in investing in my early thirties.

I received some money through a business transaction which pretty much represented our entire net worth.

I wanted to invest it so I called a broker I knew and he invested it for me in some stock investments. Of course, almost immediately, the stock market took one of its regular and terrifying dumps. . . .”

You can read the rest here.

Hope you enjoy it.

 

Filed Under: Success

How to Overcome the Tyranny of Religion to Find God

May 24, 2016 by

When I entered into this relationship with God I discovered a peace and joy I’d never experienced before.  At times I could feel God with me in a way that I simply can’t describe.

After college graduation I decided to go to seminary.  I thought, “Surely I’ll grow a lot closer to God by going to seminary.  I’ll study about that relationship full time.  What could be better?”

 

Studying books

 

The first seminary I attended focused primarily on two things.  First, why the Bible couldn’t be trusted and second how social action was paramount.

It left me feeling bewildered and adrift so I left.

The next seminary I attended focused on the Bible and applying it in personal piety.  Sounded great at first but the subtle message became, “Here are the rules.  To the degree you follow them God will bless you.  To the degree you fail He won’t.”

 

I became overwhelmed with the tyranny of trying to please God.

 

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