Change and Grow

February 18, 2026

You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago. Alan Watts

Matthew, the apostle and author of a Gospel, tells us about the beginning of Jesus’s ministry:

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

That word “repent” carries emotional baggage to many of us. The word simply means change. We were living one way, then we change and live another. When Jesus said it, the strong implication was that we would change for the better. And better being defined as living according to his teachings (following this proclamation, Matthews tells us Jesus assembled some disciples and began teaching crowds of people; the subject matter of the teaching he records as the “Sermon on the Mount”).

Not only are we under no obligation to be the same person we were five minutes ago, we are encouraged to evaluate where we are and change direction for the better.

I have read a contemporary philosopher whose concern rises from a observation that all the gurus and influencers promoting continuous improvement programs lead to a culture of narcissism. Too much “all about me.”

Following Jesus’s way actually means change isn’t about ending with us. It’s what comes next. We must change our ways (and some of more often than once!) so that we can better serve others.

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Posted in Growth, Service | Leave a Comment »

Make Your Choice

February 17, 2026

Mahatma Gandhi wrote decades ago, “Formerly men were made slaves under physical compulsion; now they are enslaved by the temptation of money and of the luxuries that money can buy.”

Today, Gary (and many others) look at the culture noting beyond the temptations of money and power, there reside the insidious temptations of social media and deep conspiracy theories.

Jesus taught millennia ago, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Where your attention focuses, so focuses your heart. Where is your focus? What is your master?

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Posted in Attention, focus | Leave a Comment »

Curiosity Killed the Cat–Not

February 16, 2026

What did school teach you?

Memorize the text and remember long enough to repeat on a test?

Granted, It is useful to our lives to have memorized many things. Sure, you can look them up in seconds on your smart phone. But, what if you’ve made the intelligent decision not to always have the smart phone?

To this day, I still have qualms about chemistry. A year of high school and a further year in college did not help. I kept asking why. They kept responding, just memorize the balance equation and repeat it on the test.

But I was curious about how it all worked.

What is your religion teaching you?

Memorize these verses in order to recall them to win an argument?

Jesus often responded with a question when approached by someone with a question. Maybe that means questions are good. He also complimented people for asking a question.

Some people are afraid of questions. Perhaps a question might shake their faith. I’ve recently come across an interesting thought—The opposite of faith is not doubt; it is certainty.

I don’t have faith in gravity. I’m certain that if I jump up then I will come down. 

When Jesus says that he offers peace to us, I have faith I can receive that peace. But then I look around and question—there certainly doesn’t appear to be a lot of peace out there. What’s up, Jesus?

I’m curious. What did he mean? How do we receive it? What will it mean to us to ingest that peace?

It’s OK to question. It’s OK to seek that peace (or other things) Jesus offered with faith even though I may not be certain. That’s called life. Practices exist to help me find that peace. But circumstances exist that lead me to wonder if peace is possible.

I’m with the guy who was the most honest person in the New Testament, “I believe; help me in my unbelief!”

I will read, and question. I’ll continue to be curious. I don’t think curiosity really killed the cat. I don’t think it’ll kill be. I think we’re both stronger for it.

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Posted in Attitude, Faith | Leave a Comment »

Who Is Your Master?

February 13, 2026

That question may have brought to mind Jesus’s observation about deciding between money/possessions and God.

I another decision. This from Epictetus. “Any person capable of angering you becomes your master.”

When I realize someone is great at pulling my chain, I avoid them if at all possible. Perhaps that person (or anonymous social media poster) is that person. Another reason to avoid social media.

Realize what holds mastery over you. Focus on what’s important.

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Posted in Awareness, discernment, emotions | Leave a Comment »

My Advice–Humility

February 12, 2026

A student approached Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, asking for advice. Augustine gave three words of advice.

“The first part is humility; the second, humility; the third, humility; and this I would continue to repeat as often as you might ask direction.”

How about we all try a dose of humility. Probably more than once a day!

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Christ Living In Us

February 11, 2026

Thomas Merton offered this observation for living in his New Seeds of Contemplation.

“For Christianity is not merely a doctrine or system of beliefs, it is Christ living in us and uniting men to one another in his own life and unity.”

That’s why I sit in quiet once or more every day to try to keep in touch with the inner life in the Spirit.

I recommend the same for you. It helps focus the day on service.

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Posted in Meditation, spirit | Leave a Comment »

It’s All for Show

February 10, 2026

Many have observed that politics today is all about the show. Who does the best and fastest posting of a viral video on social media?

Rather than rational thought or governing quietly and well, politicians all seem to gravitate to the new toy—viral video. And not only politicians. Grifters looking for easy wealth also flock to the camera.

Believe it or not, Jesus had something to say about doing things for show. This is found in the Gospel according to Luke.

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

God appreciates the many who quietly go about His business of loving others (feeding the hungry, visiting the prisoner, and the other things Jesus advised). No viral video needed.

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Posted in Intention, Wisdom | Leave a Comment »

Distraction v Daydreaming

February 9, 2026

Yesterday I wrote about distraction arguing for the need to focus on what’s important. Mary, for example, was focused on Jesus’s teaching. Martha was distracted by many things to do. Perhaps Martha would have felt more at ease in serving or whatever through focus. I don’t want to carry that metaphor too far.

When we are learning or teaching or driving, we need focus. Distraction is our enemy.

However, there are times when the opposite is true.

Sometimes we may be working out a problem or working out a theme for something we are writing. 

At these times, a walk in nature with no music or podcasts or audiobooks contains the medicine. We sit on a bench by the pond or walk through the woods. We allow our minds to drift. Daydreaming, it’s called. 

Ideas come. Unforced. Seemingly from nowhere. Maybe the spirit is talking to us. Maybe a jumble of ideas and thoughts coalesce into something firm.

Yesterday found me in such a state. Out of nowhere the lyrics to a song perhaps called The Ballad of Minneapolis formed clearly.

Unfortunately, that is only the beginning. The hard work of writing the thoughts making sense of the thoughts now begins. I’ll let you know if I finish and post to YouTube.

I’ve worked out many problems over the past 45 years that way.

Go take a walk. Not in the dismissive way of someone telling you to get lost. Really, go take a walk.

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Distraction

February 6, 2026

Jesus once observed that Martha was distracted by many things. 

He contrasted her sister, Mary, who was focused on the teaching.

Sermons have gone many directions on that story. I’d like to emphasize the simple lesson. One that we all experience. Almost every time I sit to write if I’ve not prepared for focus, distraction surrounds me.

Be like Jesus. Remove distractions when it’s time to focus. Know what’s important at the time.

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Posted in Attention, focus | 1 Comment »

Negative News and Anxiety

February 5, 2026

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?—Jesus

Researchers continue to observe effects on people from certain smart phone behaviors. The studies expanded following publication of Jonathon Haidt’s The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. 

Higher levels of doomscrolling were associated with significantly higher existential anxiety. In other words, the more you consume negative news, the more likely you are to feel uncertain about life’s meaning and your place in the world. We can’t say doomscrolling causes anxiety. It may be that anxious individuals are drawn to negative content. Either way, the relationship is strong enough to warrant attention.

There is a guy I talk with regularly at the fitness center. He’s Bob. He knows everyone. He’s Baptist, so most likely evangelical. I’m Methodist, so definitely Wesleyan. Similar, but different. Every fitness center I’ve used has TVs. They ask us not to turn it off. I mute it when I’m there. I was benchpressing dumbbells. He was on a machine. He looks up at the TV. “I hate those things. The news only serves to raise your negative emotions to make you feel bad.” I agreed. I have not watched TV news for 30 years with only a few exceptions (when visiting a friend).

We know what’s going on in the world. We don’t dwell on it. We follow Jesus’s teaching about worry and anxiety. They get us nowhere. They interfere with our life as Jesus-followers where we should be helping others.

Jesus didn’t say Follow me—to the sofa to watch TV news or doom scroll your smartphone. It was more like Follow me—and do as I have taught.

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Posted in Attention, Attitude, emotions | Leave a Comment »

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