The Rational Rabbit Hole no. 7

“And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord shall be the only one [worshiped], and His name the only one.”

Zechariah 14:9 AMP

Embrace the Within.

I take a lot of time to read and study the things that I find important. My research is, as the research of must researchers, me-search. I am always looking for answers. And those answers are to questions I have. If my research and study and reading can help you in any way, then I am thankful for that. BUT I would also not recommend taking my word for anything. I would recommend that you go out and do the research. If you are like most folks, then you start out with the question, “Okay, how do I research something?” Well, let me assure you that research is not done by simply hitting your favorite search engine and reading the first article that agrees with what you already believed. Research has some more complexity and rigor than just finding the echo chamber and saying, “Guess I was right all along”. Research takes a lot more study and understanding. Research is a process that really never ends because I am quite never certain of any of my answers done on me-search. I just have the best answer I can get right now.

So, for those of you that want to know the process, here is what I have taught for years to my students about what to do when doing research.

1. Identify the issue or problem and narrow your focus to one question.

2. Then, generate some sub-questions that relate to that one main question. Those sub-questions should be parts that make up the main question.

3. Go out and find all the information you can. No evaluation of the information. Just get as much stuff together about the question as possible.

4. Read, evaluate, interpret, and conclude what each piece of information says about the main question or the sub-questions. Keep a running list of conclusions for the question and sub-questions.

5. Finally, take all those conclusions and determine what all the evidence you read, evaluated, and interpreted says about your question and sub-questions. Take those conclusions and develop a statement of belief about your main question based on those conclusions.

And once you have done your own me-search, maybe you will begin to trust yourself to make your own decisions. I think a lot of folks are uncertain about their own ability to make choices and would rather trust the opinions of others. Primarily this is so we have someone to blame if the opinion is incorrect. If we are responsible for making those choices based on our own research, then we get worried that we will only have ourselves to blame. BUT, I think it is time to move beyond blaming ourselves. It is time to move beyond shaming ourselves for what we do. It is time to move into claiming our life as our own. It is time that you and I stand up for ourselves and do what is right and do what we decide. Let’s stop letting other folks make those choices for us? Let’s start doing our own me-search? Let’s starting owning and claiming our lives?

Bless your body, mind, and spirit. Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyBodyMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #EmbracetheWithin

The Rational Rabbit Hole no. 6

“The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me; Your [unwavering] lovingkindness, O Lord, endures forever— Do not abandon the works of Your own hands.”

Psalm 138:8 AMP

Embrace the Within.

Today’s blog comes from Halfway. I came up to the land of my birth yesterday to visit my folks while my eldest daughter attended a Korean pop concert with my brother as a present for her graduation from high school. While she was away, I went back to the house where I spent nearly two decades of my life and sat and shared the company of my parents.

Things are never the same when you return to your old home or when you return to your family. Time apart changes all things. The struggles that I face growing older I see in them as they grow older as well. It makes me sad to see folks that were so full of energy, so witty and clever, so full of hope and faith, ravaged by the passing of time. And it makes me consider my own future and my own mortality. BUT I am also heartened to see the optimism and the unwavering love between them no matter the obstacles, the challenges, and the struggles. And I hope for that in not only my relationships BUT in all our relationships. That, as the psalmist wrote, “The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me”, rather than worrying about what does not concern me or that which I cannot influence.

There are many things we selfishly and unselfishly want to accomplish with our lives. We think about tangible and intangible treasures that will make our lives more comfortable for a time. BUT time, circumstance, and change can take all those things away. Bad timing, bad people, bad ideas, bad policy, bad laws, and many other bad things can take all those treasures away from us BUT what they cannot take away is our love. The fruits of the Spirit are things that time, people, ideas, policy, law, and not even evil spirits can take away. They are the gifts that we have to see that even though things on this planet change, even though time ravages us all, even though the march ahead leads us to another mysterious and sometimes scary and fearful future, we need not fear because the love of the Lord “endures forever”.

And I know I could always use a little more of that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Maybe we could all use a lot more of those things and a lot less worry and fear and anger.

Bless your heart, mind, and spirit. Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyBodyMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #EmbracetheWithin