Biblical Meditation no. 1

"But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile]. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness (spiritual maturity) is sown in peace by those who make peace [by actively encouraging goodwill between individuals]."

James 3:17-18 [Amplified Bible]

Embrace the Word.

I spent a lot of time over the past two decades in Catholic mass and there comes a part in the service where they offer each other a sign of peace. And I think about how we often have the opportunity to share a sign of peace with one another and instead choose violence, selfishness, and evil. James talks about eternal wisdom shown in us by being pure, peaceful, gentle, reasonable, attentive, compassionate, good, and unwavering. These are signs of spiritual maturity. We could do a lot worse than using these traits as guidance for our interactions with one another. When we wonder if our wisdom is a sign of spiritual maturity, then it would be best to examine if we have these traits in our life.

Peace is an important thing to achieve in this hectic and saturated world. It is important enough that every week in Catholic mass, they talk about offering a sign of it to one another. And peace is something that is difficult to share if you don’t already possess peace.

I spent a lot of time not at peace. I was constantly at war. I spent a lot of time choosing violence. I spent a lot of time in conflict. And all that got me was more of the same. I ended up fighting with everyone including myself. And that was not the life I wanted. I didn’t want that life for my family. I didn't want that life for my friends. I didn’t want that life for me. So, fourteen days ago I made peace with myself. I came to terms with where I was and the change that needed to happen. And I am working on that peace every day.

I would like to tell you that peace gets easier BUT there are so many influences out there designed to take away my peace and your peace. A lot of influences that are trying to distract me from the eternal. The twenty-four hour news cycle needs a new distraction to freshen up fears. And even if you avoid the news, everyone else is getting injected with the distractions, the fear, and the evil. And they are sure to spread it around and share it with others and cough it all over you in public and private. It is a disease that wants to consume and cripple me and you.

I can’t let that happen to my peace. I need my peace. I need to live peace and share peace. There isn’t a lot of it going around. Once I found peace I truly treasured how valuable a commodity it is today. To have that peace and to share it with others in a world that chooses violence is a truly wonderful thing to enjoy. I hope you find the time to share your peace today. Have the day you want.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #BeTheChange #EmbraceTheWord #MakeYourselfGreatAgain

Be the Change no. 46

“You can’t change the people around you BUT you can change the people around you.”

Be the Change.

I am a reflection of the people with whom I invest my time and energy. These people show a lot about who I am and what I value. I cannot change those people BUT I can change who those people are. And that is probably one of the most difficult problems I face in life because a lot of those interactions are important for my everyday routine. So changing that routine is an important way for me to change who those people are and what they reveal about what I truly love.

I have changed a lot over the past fourteen days. Prior to this I was holding on to my past a lot. I was remembering the times before transferring schools and comparing my time there to my time now. There was a lot of nostalgia about that time just like I compare my place now with the other places and prior times in my life. The difference in the past fourteen days is that I no longer think about those times as better or more valuable than my time and place now. I look back on them with fondness and with love for what they have allowed me to grow and mature into today. BUT I no longer want to go back to then. I no longer have an unrealistic memory of how good it was or how wonderful I thought it was. Those memories are tinted and biased with the highlights and not the reality of what they truly were.

I get a little lost in perspective when thinking about the past. I tend to just gloss over the bad parts and focus on what I enjoyed about those times. BUT, I can see looking around me now that those situations helped me build into where I am today. I needed those experiences to build the better conversations, the better thoughts, the better habits, the better relationships that I have today. Without them I wouldn’t know and value the people that I have in my life today that are great influences in my direction and journey. Folks that are supportive, folks that are working, folks that are changing, folks that are helpful, folks that are positive, folks that are inspirational. If you aren’t finding yourself around those folks, then you need to, as I did, change the folks around you.

And a lot of that happens by just changing you. A powerful tool in attracting the folks you want and repelling the folks you don’t is just in changing you. I am amazed at how my social media and personal life interactions have changed since adopting a spirit of joy and abundance. Adding in a spirit of interest in the Bible and God and the playing field gets even smaller and more intimate. BUT it attracts the people and the voices I want to hear. That change attracts the voices I need in my life and removes most of the naysayers and critics. There is no better repellent for the evil in this world, for the mundane, for the trivial, than the power of God in my life. It is quite illuminating. There is a lot of truth in John 3 when he states, “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” The light illuminates all that we want to be around us and chases away the darkness. So, I am finding myself even more reflective these days of the light that I choose to surround me. And embracing that light, that truth, that change makes all the difference in the company I keep.

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

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #MyBodyMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #BeTheChange