rewrittenone

[rewrittenone]

Originality

The meme creators are having a field day! I must admit, there are some seriously funny, creative people out there. But some of the creations are intended for harm. People share others creations readily on social media without checking the veracity of it. The volume of stuff is too much for a successful person to investigate. Time is precious and time is limited. We have to use it wisely. Some…

[rewrittenone]

It All Started With A Mouse

Walt Disney is a name that is recognized all over the world. Disney was born in 1901 and raised in an abusive home. It was so bad that two of Disneys older brothers ran away from home before finishing high school. Walt tried to escape by enlisting in the military to fight in World War I, but was rejected, being only 15 years old at the time. When he was in his 20’s, Walt Disney and his brother…

[rewrittenone]

The Seduction of Wealth

We revere our celebrities, don’t we? People Magazine, Star Weekly, even the National Enquirer found success dishing on the lives of the rich and famous. You have probably heard it said that money is power. The truth is, money is potential power. Resources such as wealth and notoriety offer the holder great opportunities to do good. If we make a lot of money but only use it for ourselves, that…

[rewrittenone]

Finding God

A couple of years ago, on a Sunday morning, I was driving through my neighborhood headed to church. I saw a family of four riding their bicycles going the opposite way. Dad was in front followed by two young kids who were probably 5 and 6. Mom was bringing up the rear. I thought to myself that what I was seeing was a version of church. They weren’t home sitting around watching television or…

[rewrittenone]

Childlike Curiosity

We can learn a lot from toddlers. Yes, they ask a ton of questions, but they are just trying to learn. Everything catches their attention. You can almost see the neurons in their developing brains exploding. Have you ever met someone who thinks they know everything? These so-called “experts” are draining to be around. They must weigh in on every discussion, letting us know how bright they are.…

[rewrittenone]

Baggage

The baggage I’m referring to in the title is unresolved trauma and emotional pain. When people say they don’t have baggage they mean they have been healed from their past. But what about those who are still carrying a heavy load? From my reading and observation, over 80% of families in the United States are experiencing dysfunction. Emotional, physical and sexual abuse are spiking northward.…

[rewrittenone]

If You Need To Tell…

“Tell me about yourself” is a frequent question I ask people when I’m trying to get to know them. Most people speak humbly about themselves, telling me little about their accomplishments. Only when I probe a little deeper is when I find out what they are most proud of. Social media has caused some people to do whatever they can to get noticed. The posts range from pictures of food or vacations…

[rewrittenone]

Condemned

When a building gets condemned it means it is no longer fit for occupancy. This could be due to a variety of conditions such as mold, asbestos, or the structure is no longer sound. People judge and condemn others on the internet regularly. If your politics or religion don’t align with mine, then you are condemned and cast out. I hear people say, “we just aren’t the same” all the time. You are no…

[rewrittenone]

Mistakes

Making mistakes is unavoidable. No decent person does it on purpose, but mistakes happen. Mistakes can be something we said or did, or it could be mistaken identity. But the question is, what do we do with it when we make a mistake? Mistakes are learning tools. We learn what doesn’t work so we try to not make the same mistake again. When learning algebra, you go down a lot of wrong paths but…

[rewrittenone]

In Preparation

Every experience we have in life prepares us for something else. We don’t have the privilege to know what it’s preparing us for. Just know that it is. Many years ago I had an experience in an al anon meeting that changed me. In an instant, I released all judgment of other people. This has freed me to see through people as they are, not just look at them with prejudice and misunderstanding. That…

[rewrittenone]

From Those Who Came Before Us

When you are young, you tend to be full of yourself. No one can tell you anything because you know what’s best. And typically you aren’t shy about offering others your “wisdom” and advice, whether people want it or not. With age comes experience and some wisdom. Years of living and learning have taught you to be open minded about much of life’s experiences. Life is a great teacher. Sometimes the…

[rewrittenone]

The Quiet Good

There are a lot of good people in this world. In today’s “look at me” culture you gotta look hard to find them. But they are there. I have seen single women work two and three jobs to provide for their family. They aren’t looking for attention. They are just trying to make it. Yet, the example they set for their children is inspiring. There are 37 documented miracles that Jesus performed,…

[rewrittenone]

David and Goliath

David was a small shepherd who would one day be King. Goliath was a freakishly tall, powerful and strong Philistine fighter. They were mismatched in every way except one, the most important one. Every day, Goliath would taunt the Hebrew army, daring anyone to come battle him. No one took the challenge until David showed up with his sling and five stones in his pouch. Now Goliath was insulted…

[rewrittenone]

Yes or No

There are a lot of things we aren’t going to understand on this side of eternity. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why did my life go left instead of right? Why am I even here? God doesn’t owe us an explanation. The truth is, if he explained things to us we wouldn’t understand. Look at your own life. If ten years ago you had been given the opportunity to look at your life today, it…

[rewrittenone]

Look Beyond What You Can See

In The Book of Genesis we learn the story of Joseph. Joseph was a young dreamer who had a good heart. His older brothers sold him to some Midianite traders who sold Joseph to an officer of Pharaohs in Egypt. His brothers faked his death and thought they were rid of their troublesome brother, the “dreamer.” Joseph was a righteous man and did well In Pharaohs eyes. God opened Joseph’s eyes to…

[rewrittenone]

Miracles Happen Every Day

In several instances, Jesus healed people on the Sabbath which, in doing so, sent the religious leaders into orbit. You see, it was against the law to do work on the Sabbath. Healing someone was considered to be work. There was a lot at play here. First off, Jesus created the Sabbath and was in control of it. Further, by doing good on this day in particular he showed his mercy and compassion for…

[rewrittenone]

Moral Majority

The Moral Majority was a political movement in the late twentieth century that officially disbanded around 1989. The party was founded in the name of Christianity, but over time became more religious than Christian. In the world of politics it’s easy to be divisive. This party took division off the rails. Not everything about the Moral Majority was bad, though. Having a moral compass and doing…