Posts

Your Soul is a Wonderous Place

  Your soul is a wonderous place with vast regions of openness being filled by God’s love. Into this expansiveness comes the energy of the universe. It’s the very energy that created the birds, the plants, human beings, the beautiful tree you lean against on a hot day, and the ocean you explore. You soul is so beautiful that it came before your body existed and will exist long after your body fades away. The human body is a fallible, short-lived, temporary home for your soul. While the body is magnificent, it will only be here a very short time. While the body is here the soul must be allowed to shine. The more we allow our soul to shine, the healthier the entire person is. And even if the body is not working to our liking, we can still revel in the magnificence of our soul. Allow me to tell you a story of my friend Lucille. She is 94 years young. When my wife and I ride our bikes around our community we often see her taking her daily walk. From a distance, you would think she wa

Your Beautiful Light

  I was standing on the beach in Fort Lauderdale at sunrise last Sunday. I was there to support my wife compete in her triathlon. It was a beautiful day. It was a magnificent morning. At exactly 7:16AM, the sun came rising out of the ocean. That wonderful orb of life-giving light was rising for another day. It was a miracle to see that. To see this beautiful star that keeps us alive was so encouraging. It meant that my planet earth will have another chance to live. Like the miracle of the sun shining on us, you have a light within you that shines on those around you. You are a role model to those in your life that need hope. I have such a role model in my life. My wife Rachel. A bastion of courage and strength, I take a lot of solace from her life. She is an example of God’s love for me. She reminds me that God has forgiven me for my past misdeeds, that God loves me unconditionally, and that there is hope for the future. Every day, I wake up with a renewed sense of hope, becaus

The Restorative Power of Nature

I’m on vacation this week. It’s the first one since 2019. It feels good. On the first day we arrived it snowed. Big flakes. Sticking to the road. Sticking to the trees. It was beautiful. It is our home for a week. Vacation is something that my wife and I are used to. We have been around the world to many places in the ten years we have been married. This vacation is wonderful. It’s bringing us back to the area where we got engaged. There are lots of good memories here. When I look out on my porch as I’m writing this, I see little birds and squirrels sitting amongst the pine trees. These beautiful creatures remind me of the simplicity of life. They are totally in the moment. They are free to go from here to there. They are free to climb, to sing, to be the beautiful spirits they are. They are not worrying about tomorrow or having shame about their past. They are just there. Now. In the moment. This glorious moment. This is the power of nature. It’s that chance to reflect on

Truth Matters

  Truth matters. How many times have you heard that lately? We want people in power to be honest, and we want those we love to be honest with us. How about ourselves? How honest are we? Fact check. I lie to myself daily. And, I do it more than I care to admit. Here are some of the most common ones. Maybe you can identify with one or more of these. Lie # 1- People don’t care what I have to say. Fact check- This is not true, because plenty of people tell me they love me daily, and I trust these people are telling me the truth.   Lie # 2- I’m not worthy of being loved. Fact check- This is not true. My God created me, and I cannot be anything other than love. My Creator is not capable of creating anything unlovable.   Lie # 3- I must do something that will earn me the love I need. Fact check- My life is already enough. Nothing else needs to happen.   Lie #4- If I weighed a little more or a little less, I would be more attractive. Fact check- This is a tough one

You Are a Blessing

  You are a blessing. Take a breath and take that in for a minute. What does it mean that you are a blessing? How do you know that you are a blessing? What evidence would you need to prove to someone that you’re a blessing? I have struggled with this truth most of my life. Sometimes I’m aware that I add value to the lives of others, and on other days I’m not so sure. My ego tells me that what determines my worth is the opinions and feedback I receive from others about who I am. It’s in the mirroring and feedback I receive where I received the truth of who I am. Right? There is more to me than how others see me. Everyone I meet brings with them their own life experiences. From these life experiences, they will form their opinion of me. There is nothing I can do about that. The same is true for you. The people around you form their opinions of you through their own filters and experiences of life. You cannot change their filter, and you cannot change their opinion of you. No ma

Starting the Day Right

  I discovered a truth several years ago. The truth is that how I start my day determines how my day will go. The direction I point myself spiritually and emotionally will help me know which way to go. Go with me for a moment through my morning routine, and maybe it will help you with yours. Upon hearing my alarm (usually at 6:45AM), I roll over and say good morning to my wonderful wife. I’m a blessed man to be able to wake up next to the love of my life. The next thing one of us does is find a recording on Facebook or another source of a meditation. One of us is led by the Spirit to listen to a spiritual leader at our church Unity on The Bay who inspires us. This does several things. First, it connects me with my beautiful home, and grounds me in the truths and principles of this amazing place. Feeling grounded in my home, I listen to another spiritual meditation that is not a part of my church, but that helps me find my grounding in the world. It’s only after I’m connecte

Trusting the Next Moment

  I’m a scuba diver. I love to dive. I want to share a story with you that I believe may help you in your own life. This story is one that I will probably make into a book someday. For now, I want to simply share how scuba diving is changing my life today, and how working through my fears may help you work through yours. In this time of great uncertainty, we are all going through great changes. I hope that my story today will remind you that you are not alone, and that you can overcome adversity. My wife introduced me to the idea of diving in 2010 when we first started dating. I remember the first time I put on a snorkel and tried to swim across the pool. It was not a pleasant experience. I was afraid of the water. I was afraid of not breathing. When I graduated to the ocean, that was also not an easy experience. I endured panic attacks, moments of dread, and frankly was not sure how I was ever going to scuba dive. The very first time I put a scuba tank on my back within my s