As a rule, I don’t like to mock others. I’m embarrassed to admit that I did make fun of others when I was a kid. I deeply regret that behavior because now I see how horrible it was. I’ve grown to respect other human beings even when I don’t understand their thinking or their behavior.…
This is a negative word that means harmful influence. It’s swaying or coercing someone to do something or feel the way I want them to feel. Manipulation is a negative form of influence. The person or persons being manipulated don’t realize that they are being manipulated. I believe this happens a lot in our popular…
This word means “reason or rationale” behind doing something. If I do something, I must have a reason behind that action. My motives are not always obvious to everyone else. I sometimes ignore my motives and just spring into action. There is always a motive behind every activity. I think it’s simply to decide whether…
I went to court when I was around the age of 21 to defend a citation that I had received in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I was accused of running through a yellow light. I remember a couple of friends from college went with me. I made my case that the light was yellow, and the judge…
I have done things that seemed like a good idea at the time only to find out that my actions hurt others or even hurt myself. I can’t always see or predict the outcome of my actions, but I can be more cautious and discerning in what I say and what I do. I’ve watched…
I must confess that I’ve denied the Lord many times in my life. I didn’t deny Him with my words, but I did deny Him with my actions. The old axiom: “What you do speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you’re saying” comes into play. Denial is a statement that something is not true.…
There are tons of moments in our lives that are defining moments. These are moments that change the trajectory of our lives. I can remember lots of my defining moments because I have tons of pictures to help me remember. I remember my wedding day as a defining moment for sure. I remember when my…
The older I get the more challenging my eyesight. I went to the eye doctor last week for my annual checkup and my prescription needed a slight change. I need corrected vision for seeing at a distance and up close. I’ve been to concerts in arena’s and sat up close. I’ve also been to events…
I will have to say that betrayal must be one of the most painful emotions a human can experience. Betrayal is filled with emotion because of such a strong emotional connection. Betrayal by a friend can take a long time to recover from. There are relationships and deep friendships that never recover from betrayal. The…
The older I get the more that I watch the finish line. I must admit that there are some major distractions along the way. When the Lord speaks, He often whispers into my soul. When the enemy tries to trip me up, He is deafening. The more time I spend with the Lord, the louder…