Embrace the Within no. 189

“Do not be overcome and conquered by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Simple BUT never easy. That is one of my ongoing motto these days. The Word is always simple BUT rarely easy. A lot of the complications come from me making it complicated. I mean there are plenty of things I can blame for making life more complicated BUT ultimately I choose to make life complicated. I choose to adapt to this world a lot more than I should. I choose to be a lot more comfortable than I need. I choose to be a lot more settled than I should. And comfortability leads to a rut and then things get really easy. Then I get settled in my sin and evil and I give it all the power to conquer me.

And that is one reason I started with a routine that sets me up for success daily. Every morning I pour a glass of water. Every morning I take my supplements. Every morning I physically work out. Every morning I spiritually work out by reading The Word and praying. Every morning I mentally work out when I sit here and tap out some thoughts about what I have been reading. Daily routine of goodness to lay the foundation of success.

It wasn’t always like this. I used to wake up to coffee and nicotine. I used to wake up feeling worn down and turned out. I used to wake up already defeated. And those days were a battle to be successful. Setting the tone in the morning has been a crucial part of changing for the better. And I feel that a lot of us don’t give ourselves a fighting chance. I can get so caught up in making myself a physical, mental, and spiritual mess just because a lot of people are a mess too. And misery does love its company. If you don’t believe that, then look at how many folks gather for a fight or to complain and how few are gathered in prayer.

BUT, courage is choosing to change. I need to make a daily decision to work out my faith by choosing to be faithful. I need to daily choose where my faith remains. And I make those choices by my actions. I may not be able to control every thought that forms in my brain, however, I can choose how I act on those thoughts. I am my choices. And I need to choose goodness and righteousness and grace and mercy and peace. My life should be an example of all the fruits of the Ruach HaKodesh, “'. . . love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23 AMP).

I pray that I choose goodness daily. I pray that I set a routine that leads me to be successful in denying myself, taking up His cross, and following obediently. I pray that I make better choices in my actions so that those actions portray the reflection of His Way. I pray that my daily decisions make me a better Ambassador of His Kingdom.

Grace and Shalom to your home.

I love you. I forgive you. Have a blessed and abundant day!

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoKingButChrist #EmbraceTheWithin #NotMyWayYHWH

Personal Meditation No. 138

“Courage is choosing to change.”

Embrace the Within.

There are a lot of things to change in my life. And I have slowly worked on changing those things over nearly five decades of being on this planet. The first twenty-five of those years were childhood and the past twenty-three were young adulthood. Trying to find a sense and a meaning for the first twenty-five. So, that the most profound changes are still on the horizon for me is undoubted. Over the past two years, I have finally started to hit a groove and a semblance of being an adult. Taking ownership of my life and putting things into perspective.

Nothing shows the difference in my behavior than getting out on the highways of America where everyone is in a rush and very few have civility. I used to get angry at the way folks drive and their inconsiderate actions BUT now I understand that they’re just not healthy people. I live in a world full of unhealthy people. And I have to remember that, not so long ago, I was just as much a mess as they are now.

That gives me the perspective to teach my children, my students, my peers, my friends, my family, and myself about how important getting healthy truly is for living an amazing life. I am constantly looking for new insights into physical and mental health and I am quite certain my kids and wife are tired of hearing podcasts on health, nutrition, and behavioral science. I am sure that my family is tired of seeing seeds, spores, books, and the like on my present lists. I get the question, “Isn’t there something else you want besides seeds and books?”

And that answer is quite simply, “If it isn’t on my list. I don’t need it.” I gave up on wanting a lot of things and started simplifying things over the past fourteen days. Outside of wrasslin t-shirts, my wardrobe is getting much more sparse. I don’t see the need to buy a lot of things that aren’t moving me forward with my goals. I don’t get distracted by something flashy and sparkly and new. I am rather focused on my path in life right now.

And all it took was deciding I wasn’t going to live the life I was living anymore. Everything else was the work to get me toward that goal. And every day that I took those steps, then those steps got easier and easier. They got me this far and I await where they will lead.

The courage is in the decision to live the life you want. I have always been outside the normal. I was living outside the normal for nearly three decades BUT I never quite found the path for me. I found the paths of other folks that went before me. I found folks to emulate and idolize BUT I never really found me until I had to spend a lot of time around me. I had to have a conversation with myself about what I wanted.

That takes goal-setting and problem-solving and metacognition. And a lot of sometimes scary questions about how you are going to become what you want to be. That takes courage. I hope you find the time to have the conversation with yourself that you need. I hope you start solving your problems and moving forward. I hope you find the knowledge of what you want to become. And I hope you find that courage as well. That courage to change.

Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyBodyMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain