For these reasons.

Posted on by
Reply

It floors me that something initially written by an apostle and shared around the first century still has a clarity and resonance to this day, without the need of reformatting it into our current language.

Perhaps some of you upon seeing the word “apostle” within will be urged to click away. I hope not. Though this was penned by one who would later be martyred for his beliefs, the progression of the thoughts behind these words truly leads one to what life can all about.

And become.

Ttoday, they could be fashioned into some business or athletic team mantra. Perhaps a personal daily devotion, of the secular, or the non variety. The construction of his thoughts just happened to sit just right within me earlier this morning for some reason. While the prompt then didn’t really appeal to me, sharing my thoughts on this did.

“…make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,

virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control,

self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion,

devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love.”

Peter

Wow.

Faith can be directed towards and embraced in a higher power, as you understand it to be. And virtue is simply how you abide by the direction-of-travel-arrow within your personal moral compass. An inculcation of knowledge, knowing both yourself and the world in a deeper understanding works back towards the supplementation of faith and virtue while feeding the growth of self-control and its twin sibling, self discipline.

That aspect of this journey was not designed to be a sprint, but instead a marathon. Thus, endurance in every aspect – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – needs to be enhanced and built over time in order to reinforce the journey. This act lends itself towards a genuine devotion towards this path.

Then, once this level of change begins to embrace and transform you, its presence within your being becomes increasingly evident. As such, you cannot help but share this evolution with both the world and those all around you. It will never affive asdirectives or directions, but moreso in the form of you as exemplar.

Through compelling honesty and open vulnerability, an affirming level of intention will generate trust and a burgeoning fellowship withn all your interactions. As it matures, true mutual affection will emerge towards others. Wanting what is best for them.

And when this occurs, ultimately, all that was before, will then become. love.

Wow.

Whether 64 AD or June 1, 2026, his words remain and ring true.

To this man.

For these reasons.

Just let him in.

Posted on by
Reply

“For most of my life I have struggled to find God, to know God, to love God. I have tried hard to follow the guidelines of the spiritual life—pray always, work for others, read the Scriptures—and to avoid the many temptations to dissipate myself. I have failed many times but always tried again, even when I was close to despair.

Now I wonder whether I have sufficiently realized that during all this time God has been trying to find me, to know me, and to love me. The question is not “How am I to find God?” but “How am I to let myself be found by him?” The question is not “How am I to know God?” but “How am I to let myself be known by God?” And, finally, the question is not “How am I to love God?” but “How am I to let myself be loved by God?” God is looking into the distance for me, trying to find me, and longing to bring me home.”
― Henri J.M. Nouwen

Once you begin to view your relationship with Him from this persepective, everything begins to change.

Just let Him in.

And will.

Posted on by
Reply
Daily writing prompt
What’s the most profound piece of advice you’ve been given? Did you take it?
View all responses

Honestly?

It wasn’t given once, at a time or a day I can recall. It possesses its own recurring, reinvigorating and reinforcing nature, something altogether different to me. Similar to when a friend or loved one touches your shoulder and leans into you, that very moment you need it most.

Sometimes I hear it.

Others, I sense it.

Feeling those two words uttered deep within.

“Follow me”.

So as best that I can, I do.

And will.

Right?

Posted on by
Reply
Daily writing prompt
If you had an unlimited budget for 24 hours, what would you do?
View all responses

Now this is gonna be fun.

Just so you know, since there seems to be an element of magic and make believe in this scenario, my quest will rely upon those components. When all is said and done, my hope is that it touches all else with that same quality. Besides, you know me by now.

Since I know I have an unlimited budget, then I will assume I determine the timing of such a blessing. That makes this even funner. You will understand why when we get closer to the end.

First, I would need to recruit about a hundred or so people to be a part of my unlimited budget distribution team. I think once they know what I am up to, they would just do it just to do it. But I think their time is as valuable as their hearts of gold. So, as compensation for being my vaunted teammates, each would have every cent of their immediate and extended family’s debt vanquished. Cards, bills, mortgages, loans – “See ya!”

Then, together, we would embark on a venture touching many aspects of life.

We would fully fund all churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship within our immediate area for the forseeable future. Any schools affiliated with each of them would also be taken under that wing so that they could teach and grow others without worry.

Every children’s hospital, cancer care entities, hospices and rehabilitation centers – whether for physical, mental and emotional, or addictive challeneges – would also be fully funded for the unforeseeable future.

Wounded warriors of all makes and molds; soldiers, police officers, firemen, medics, ER doctors and nurses and anyone else watching over us at their danger, could all retire fully funded and supported.

Food pantries, homeless shelters and facilities that house those who lost theirs via nature or a sudden change in life, would be funded like Buzz Lightyear; “to infinity and beyond!”

Student debt?

Adios my friend.

Farmers won’t have to give up the farm to feed us.

Puppies and kitties will be cared for until the right one comes along.

My team is really smiling and loving this. I think they are in a Teams meeting now thinking of new recipients of gifts. I can’t think of everything. I know they will help show me the way.

The only stipulation I will make for any of this?

“I – (state your name) – will honor these gifts by doing the same for anyone that may have been missed, now or later. I will do it not for me, to be on a plaque, have a day with my name, or to be seated higher than anyone else.

That seat is taken.

I will do it just because.

I can, so I will.

What has been gifted to me will complete the loop and be given back”

Signature:_____________________________ Date:___________________

Maybe I am a little optimistic about everyone doing it.

But if only half did, wouldn’t that essentially raise the whole thing up? And the riches actually realized in this prompt driven endeavor have no currency or denomination that can be banked, bit coined or IRA’d.

It is purely an overdue investment in others.

Just because.

So what do I get ?

Glad you wondered about that.

Like I said, being magical and make believe, my team and I would burn the midnite oil on one specfic day to make all of this happen.

That day?

Christmas Eve.

You all know what happens next when they wake up the next day.

Right?