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Welcome 2017! How exciting. And to think that 17 years ago we were about to begin a new millennium, wow. How time flies.

A new year always raises the bar for all of us. As we evaluate where we are emotionally and physically we place new demands on ourselves. We whisper, “I’m done with what’s not working for me” and set a fresh new list of expectations and goals we want to reach in the days to come. We call these ‘resolutions.’

New Year resolutions are usually pretty tough to keep, though, they are generally broken between January 1st and January 7th… sad!

The usual top 5 New Year resolutions are: lose weight, exercise regularly, save more, spend less, and spend more time with the family. Had I made those I would already be in trouble.

In the first 3 days of this new year I’ve had a whopper meal, a ChickfilA meal (with large fries), a few doughnuts,  Starbucks coffees, wings with loaded fries (that means fries covered with cheese and bacon bits), and others. You may be reading this thinking, ‘Dude, you need to make a resolution to eat better.’ I hear you loud and clear! In my defense, though, I did have fish one night… ok so it was fried fish, but fish should count for something.

Regrettably, I’ve also lost my grip on the other usual top 4 resolutions. Since January 1st the only exercise I’ve done is mow my lawn. I haven’t saved anything yet but I’ve spent a bunch, and I’ve watched football and movies on tv more than I’ve had meaningful communications with those I love.

Now…before you judge me, love me! There might be some of you reading this that had to flush your resolutions down the ol’ toilette on your very first day of the year…shame on you!

Fortunately for me none of those usual top 5 resolutions made my New Year’s list. Actually, I don’t even have a list. I haven’t made one for years! I know me. I know how weak I can be.

So, I want to share with you 1 and only 1 simple New Year’s resolution you should make to yourself that will change your life. I use the following Bible verses as the foundation for it,

But he [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2Corinthians 12:9 (NIV, parenthesis mine)

And,

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

My goal for this year (and hopefully the rest of my life) is to depend on God to help me in everything I do.

Human effort can only take us so far. Potential is limitless only when it’s when backed up by God’s promises and power! (Tweet that)

So, whatever you attempt to do this year from dieting to feeling better about yourself to setting some serious business goals, remember to include God in all of it. Let Him be a part of what you do.

Talk to the Lord about your ideas, needs, and ventures and then leave the results up to Him, that way the pressure’s on Him to perform and not on you. Yes, do your best but trust God at the same time.

I’ve heard it said, ‘Work as if it all depends on you. Pray as if it all depends on God.’

That’s it, that’s my simple plan for 2017 and I’m sticking to it. I trust you do the same. Please feel free to leave me a comment.

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With Christmas behind us life becomes a big let down for many… more like a huge drop-off. The thought of going back to normal discourages many people as Christmas trees are set by the curb, outside lights turned off, and decorations put away.

So we ask ourselves, now what?

It’s like going from the divine (the spiritual hilltop of His birth) to the mundane (our daily grind). How can we make a successful transition?

If you’re like me, you wish you could live from one spiritual, emotional, psychological hilltop to another while skipping the valleys in between. But that’s unrealistic living.

All you can do is pace yourself!

Take the Christmas story, for example. It was full of supernatural events  as God, the Father, protected His Boy. But once Mary and Joseph settled down in Nazareth many years passed with seemingly nothing going on.

Joseph set up his carpentry shop and Jesus grew up and learned the trade. Nothing spectacular. No angels. No revealing dreams. No songs of praise to God. Just daily 9 to 5 living.

There’s a reason the Bible is silent about most of Jesus’ childhood and young adulthood. Life just took its course.

When Christopher Columbus went out to explore in 1492 many of his journal entries simply read, “Today, we sailed on.” The Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria were no cruiseliners filled with fun events. For them it was just another day at sea of cleaning the deck, adjusting the sails, dealing with sickness, managing relationships, and doing nothing other than moving in the same direction.

Now, if you’re one of those folk that see themselves as a hamster on a wheel you’re going to have issues. You’ve got to learn to look beyond! Check out this great advice from the apostle Paul,

And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up. Galatians 6:9 (TLB)

As I write this I have my phone sideways on my desk showing a live feed of an eagle sitting on 2 eggs that are supposed to be ready to hatch. Thousands of others are watching as well. The fascinating thing is that nothing’s happening (other than my phone battery is draining BIG TIME). That eagle’s been sitting there for days. But one of these days those chicks are going to be born and the long days of sitting on that nest will have been worth it for that eagle (if eagles think that way).

Whether you’re at home or office reading this, remember that everyday you do your best, even if it seems routine, gets you closer to the realization of your goals and dreams.

Even when there’s no visible progress, stay on task!

Steady perseverance is not wasted time but the path to ultimate blessing!

The apostle compared it all to reaping a great harvest. Harvest time still requires work but it’s fun time and the benefits often far exceed the expectation.

I remember an orange tree we used to have in our backyard. It produced the most amazing sweet flavor I’ve ever tasted in an orange. As harvest time drew near the branches would be full of little buds. Those buds would heighten our anticipation of harvest. Then the oranges would finally ripen and we would have the joy of pulling one off, pealing, and eating.

Spiritually speaking God always outdoes Himself when rewarding His own. Even if spiritual buds of blessing are not yet visible to you don’t lose heart. There’s a harvest coming your way.

Christmas may be over for now but trust me, it will be here again before you know it. In the meantime, roll up your sleeves and get to it.

There’s much to be done and the prize to be had is worth your every ounce of effort.

What’s your thought? Please leave me a response.

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… but not in Florida if your picture perfect Christmas involves cold temperatures and snow. But snow may not be your thing (it isn’t mind for sure). Maybe gifts and trees are.

Department stores were looking a lot like Christmas way before Thanksgiving (kind of depressing). Thanksgiving used to mark the coming of Santa Clause but nowadays profit is the name of the game. And prices can be so jacked up for items that shopping for gifts can become a downer rather than an absolute joy.

Lot’s of people will just use credit but, if I may steal a quote from the robot of an old televisions show called Lost In Space, “Danger, Danger.” Buying on credit is good if you can pay the card off right away otherwise you will feel the bite in the you know where come next month when the bills hit your mailbox.

But maybe you’re good at buying and giving and staying on budget. Maybe Christmas to you looks like baking lots of goodies.

We just baked this Monkey bread recently (above pic). Monkey bread is no monkey business! The house smelled the way I hope heaven smells one day and the melted butter with cinnamon sugar was worth licking off my fingers.  Tonight, I hope, my wife is going to be baking some amazing white Christmas cookies. Those, like most others, will definitely put a hurting on my waistline.

For some people Christmas is about making their house look like a giant neon sign outside or about parties and fun times indoors. Below, check out the ugly sweater one of my daughters made for a recent office party,

No doubt that however Christmas looks like to you is the way Christmas will be. And all the above stuff I mentioned is fun (except the one about credit card bills coming in January). But a couple of scenes play out in my mind that paint a little bit of a different portrait of Christmas.

Probably the most memorized verse in all the Bible is this,

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)

So God gave His Son to us even when we didn’t yet know Him! (Please read that again and let it sink deep into your brain) God’s love is really amazing!

On Thanksgiving Day, we were stopped at a red light in Orlando, Florida, on our way to a family gathering. There was no one else around other than   some guy holding up a sign on the corner. My darling quickly looked in her purse, pulled out some cash, and I called the man over. He was so elated by our gift. And with a smile that seemed to go from ear to ear he said, “Thank you, you just don’t know how you much this means to me.”

Christmas looks like giving to those who can’t pay you back.

Christmas also looks like a celebration of life…eternal life!

I think the apostle John was telling us that missing hell and making heaven one day is cause for joy. So, from God’s people gathering for worship to a small group (or family) at a house bowing to thank the Lord for His goodness, is what Christmas looks like.

Yes, by all means, let’s deck out the place with lights, and put up and decorate a Fraser Fir (or a plastic fake one), and bake a storm of goodness, and buy gifts, and get silly, but by all means, let’s go out of our way to show love towards others and let’s worship the King this Christmas!

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So Christmas is here!

It seems like just a few days ago we were getting ready for the ho-ho-ho of 2015. Man, time flies! Soon these Holidays will be in the past as well.

So it’s time to buckle up, buy up, put up (lights and decorations), and fire up (in order to make that heavenly combination of graham crackers, roasted marshmallows that are burnt on the outside but gooey in the middle, and a piece of chocolate that turns to mush with the heated white goo).

I thought of some ways of purposely making this an enjoyable and fun time of the year. We’ve got to intentional otherwise we may become miserable, especially if people (including some family member), crowds, slow moving lines, and high prices get on your nerves and drive you insane.

Please don’t think I’m a Grinch. My wife and I go to the mall on Black Friday just to be among the crowd. But, truth be told, many get stressed out and shopping folks become mean as snakes while the store music plays Andy William’s, “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.”

To stay sane during this time of the year we’ve got to keep ever present in our minds that Christmas is not as much about candy canes, jingle bells, and the big guy in the red suit as it is about Jesus Christ coming into our world.

It was Love that prompted Him to make the trasition from living in heaven arrayed in all Glory to being born in a lowly stable.

The angel called it,

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).” Matthew 1:23 NIV)

God came to be with us… wow… what a thought!

Remembering and embracing or forgetting and ignoring the real meaning of Christmas will either make or break it for each of us this year.

I know it’s clicheish (forgive me) but worth saying, Jesus is the reason for the season. Keep that in mind at all times.

But why? Because keeping Jesus in the forefront of our thought processes can definitely translate into having self-control when we need it most.

The following scene may play out before you a few times in the next few days.

You’re on a tight schedule so your run out to get something at the store. You’ve been circling the parking lot and you see a young lady with bags coming out of the store. So you follow her at the top speed of 1 mile per hour. When she gets to her car you put your blinker on and smile because you beat everyone else to that spot.

Now you patiently wait for that fellow shopper to transfer the packages unto her car, back up, and drive off.

Then, you see some driver coming your way in the opposite direction and you think, “My blinker’s on buddy” and, “if he takes my spot I’m parking crossways behind him so he can’t get out until I’m done shopping.” (am I the only one with evil thoughts like that?)

Anyway, you wait, and you wait, and you wait for the lady to back up. The people behind you are getting impatient but you don’t care. Then you realize the person in your to-be parking space is sitting in her car checking her phone, maybe updating her Facebook status. And you’re about to lose it.

To add insult to injury the one behind you swerves around you and lands a parking space closer to the front that just become available because some nice person just got in and drove off.

Don’t let insensitive people ruin it for you when you’re in shopping mode. Self control! And remember, Christmas only happens once a year.

I’ll continue part 2 of this blog in a few days. Has what I described happened to you? Please leave me a comment.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy the season.

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I had the privilege this morning of attending a retirement ceremony at our city’s Police Department. One of our finest was giving up his badge after 29 years of faithful service.

The room was full of officers in uniform, friends, and family. I had served as chaplain of our fine PD for many years and felt honored just to be present. Many accolades were given to the retiree but 3 words stuck in my mind that I hope can be said of all of us one day.

Of course many things could describe any of us. Someone could say of Jorge Acevedo, “he loved to chill under the umbrella at the beach” (above picture). I’m cool with that! But I’m thinking about a portrayal of a person that carries a bit more substance than that of bumming it and catching a serious tan in the process.

The first word is laughter. It was said of the officer being honored that he had a great sense of humor and a contagious laugh that could be heard in the distance.

A sense of humor is vital to survival. Daily troubles and bad news tend to suck the gusto out of us. We need to make a daily choice to turn our frown upside down.

If you’re the serious type, challenge yourself to have a good laugh at least once a day. It’s worth it. Also, pay attention the lighter side of life.

If you have a pet dog at home, make sure you laugh out loud at the silliness of it chasing its own tail or doing the boot-scoot-and boogie on your carpet. Things like that show the wonderful sense of humor that God has. The weird ways of animals come straight out of the mind of the One who created them. And if He can smile so can you.

The story of Jesus Christ dying on the cross for your sins (and mine) and then resurrecting from the dead is referred to as the Good News. Good News make us feel….well…good. God knew we needed something to feel good and grin about so He gave us His Son Jesus.

Go God!

All I’m saying is that we need to be quick to chuckle, snicker, and howl. Develop your sense of humor and just laugh more.

The second word is team player (sorry…that’s actually 2 words).

Others need to know that you have their backs, that  they have a friend in you.

You can go at life as a Lone Ranger if you want, but even the gun-slinger needed Tonto by his side.

Teamwork, someone said, makes the dream work:  your dreams, your friend’s dreams, your church’s dreams, your company’s dreams, any dreams.

Doing life together with others is key. Value others enough to give of yourself to them and they will, most often, reciprocate your efforts.

The last word is passion. This word was not particularly used at the ceremony I attended but the fact that the officer worked his patrol, taught our youngsters about the dangers of drugs, and did community work, all with a smile on his face for 29 years, speaks of passion.

Passion moves us into action. Dullness is the opposite of passion and you don’t want to go there. Whatever is dull is unattractive, boring, and unusable.

Be passionate and motivated about life!

When it comes time for you to hang it up, whatever you do for a living, so you can start a new chapter in your life, will others use words like laugh, team player, and passion to describe you? I hope they do of me.

What’s your take on this?

Please make sure you leave me a comment. Thanks.

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The picture above depicts a seafood platter at our family’s favorite seafood restaurant. Their claim to fame is that fresh seafood is flown in to Central Florida every day from the northeast… and you can tell. This is eating for the serious seafood appetite.

If you hate seafood you may be tempted to jump to another site. Don’t do it! Keep reading. You’ll be glad you did.

Regardless of what we’re hungry for, we love to feel full and satisfied. I think it’s one of the reasons we love Thanksgiving so much.

For some of us, the turkey with all the trimmings (with pork on the side for us Puertorricans) and assortment of pies may come only once a year. So we pig-out at the feast. That is followed by a serious regret for eating too much.

Then, after the feast’s been eaten and the table cleared, is football, football, and more football. Man…it doesn’t get any better than that. Amazingly, by the beginning of the third game we are ready for more turkey and whatever goes with it (including desert). God bless America!

It’s human to dine like kings and queens and feel hungry again just a few hours later.

Did you know there’s also a hunger inside us that has nothing to do with food? It’s like a hard to pinpoint emotional emptiness deep within.

People try to fill that void from every angle and with every thing, including food, but nothing seems to satisfy. Have you been there?

Maybe right now, while reading this, you are experiencing what some call, ‘a hole in your soul.’ I can identify. I, too, was there once.

I want to pass on to you something Jesus Christ said that will fill that hollow vacuum inside you.

At a time when He was extremely hungry for food the Lord said,

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 NIV) 

He was simply saying that the most necessary thing you and I need to plug that hole in our soul is not food or sex or an addiction or a never ending vacation or anything else we can think of, but God.

Experiencing His power, wisdom, presence, forgiveness, peace, guidance, joy, hope, and anything else you can think of results in a happy, satisfied life.

Check me out on this, if you want, but I have never met a true believer that walked away from the Lord as a dissatisfied customer.

The folks that say, “Oh, I already tried Jesus but He didn’t work for me” didn’t go to the Jesus I know. And if they did, they went about Him the wrong way.

Real satisfaction comes only from God through faith in His Son, Jesus. Those who tried really hard to get it experienced an epic failure because they were trying to reach the Lord in their own strength.

A lady came to our worship service years ago with her family. All of them got saved, were later baptized, and became part of our family of believers. She pulled me aside once and said, “Pastor, through the years I have tried many of the religions and philosophies out there including Eastern Mysticism. I researched them and tried them but they all left me searching for more. Jesus is different. He satisfies completely.”

Hey, enjoy your family get together later this week, if you go to one. Share among your loved ones what you’re thankful for. Eat to your heart’s content. Watch a game and go to sleep while at it. But, remember, if you’re looking for lasting happiness and satisfaction go to the One Who alone serves the spiritual meal you’re longing for. Jesus Christ!

Please comment. You will automatically receive these blogs in your email when you enter your email address and subscribe to my site. Also, if God’s using this blog to bless your life please share it with someone you know. Thanks!

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You’ve heard many times that life is a journey and not a destination.

I got to thinking about my journey recently, the places I’ve been. But rather than sticking pins on a world map I  went outside the box by asking myself the following questions (by the way, ask yourself these same questions and see where your journey has taken you):

What was my happiest place? Honestly, it wasn’t a cruise (although I love those) or a vacation I was on, it was the place where I met the girl of my dreams (we met in the middle of a football field, by the way). Other places of great happiness were the place where I married that girl, the rooms where each of my girls were born, my backyard when I was growing up (where I played basketball with dad and laugh, laugh, and laugh some more). You get the picture…being with the people I love is usually my happy place.

What was a painful place? For me it was the scene of a motorcycle accident I had when I was eleven years old.

What was a scary place? Being inside my car with my wife and baby, upside down and under water. Great story! I will have to write about it another day.

What was a quiet place? My office can be very peaceful and quiet. Sometimes its a nearby park where I sit in my car, read my Bible, meditate, and take notes of what comes to mind.

What was my challenging place? In front of my computer writing my first book, Hecklers In Your Choir: Silencing The Voices That Hold You Back. I’ll let you know when it gets published (hopefully next year).

You and I are on a journey through life. Celebrate it!

We have so many memories stored up in the hard drive of our minds. Some make us smile, others make us cringe, while still others manage to squeeze a tear from our eyes. But, regardless of where our journey takes you and me, there’s one idea that should supercharge our life experience regardless of wherever we find ourselves. Ready?

Wherever you’ve been, wherever you are, and wherever you are going, Jesus is there. He was there, is there, and will be there in the future.

In the Bible God makes Himself known as the ‘I Am’ because He is ever-present. The bottom line is that we can’t get away from Him. Check out this great Scripture,

Where can I go to get away from your Spirit? Where can I run from you? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the grave, you are there.  If I rise with the sun in the east and settle in the west beyond the sea, even there you would guide me. With your right hand you would hold me. (Psalm 139:7-10 NCV)

Think about that for a moment and let it simmer in the recesses of your brain for a moment.

If you try to run from God you run right into Him!

When you try to hide from the Lord you find Him in that very place. You can try to get alone but it won’t happen because God won’t let you. He loves you too much.

There may have been times when you felt forsaken by God but He has always been there reaching out to you and me.

The good thing about the uncertainty of where our wings take us is the certainty that the Lord is in flight with us.

Fly high on your journey! Soar! And keep your eyes on your always-there Savior and Friend.

Please leave me a comment and if God is using this to encourage you please tell others about my blog. It is much appreciated.

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There’s a certain thrill in the air that comes with election day. The excitement of voting is hard to explain, isn’t it? After casting a vote we feel invigorated while at the same time uncertain about who is going to win and what the future holds.

By the time many of you read this America’s 45th president will have been selected. If your candidate won you’re extremely happy but if he/she lost the future may look dim and uncertain… but don’t let it affect you!

One early evening my amazing wife captured this rockin’ picture of an owl (above).

Owls are great predators especially in the dark. Their eyes are similar to that of humans but they are large with big pupils and cornea that process light in such a way that gives them high tech night vision.

Because of the bone structure in their heads owls can’t roll their eyes or move them from side to side (as we can) but their necks are able to rotate 270 degrees on either side (almost all the way around) without moving the rest of their bodies. Also, owl’s ears are cut in such a way that they can determine the movement and distance of their future meal below. This makes owls deadly accurate.

Think about that bad boy on top of the tree (above pic). As darkness falls he’s just getting going!

When your future seems dark, dim, and uncertain refuse to shy away from the challenge.

Go on attack mode!

Don’t listen to your mind telling you that you don’t have what it takes to succeed or that the odds are stacked against you so you better play it safe. Keep in mind that nothing worthwhile in life ever comes easy. There’s also no such thing as a free lunch (that’s what my economics professor in college said).

A successful enterprise will require both motivation and hard work determination. Do  you have that? I hope I do. I so often feel like quitting but my inner drive prevents me from kicking life into neutral.

One word comes to mind as I visualize that owl eventually pouncing rapidly on some poor mouse or rabbit later in the night, ‘POW!’ (if you’re my age, that’s a word that would appear on the screen in the old Batman tv series when a fight broke out).

POW stands for 3 things: Possibility, Opportunity, and Wham (I’ll explain this last one later).

Even in uncertain times you must think of the possibilities that lie ahead. There are always possibilities even in the worst of times. Look for them.

At a store this election morning I heard a customer say to the lady behind the counter, “Today America dies.” What a bleak prospect of the future.

The first 2 verses of Psalm 121 come to mind,

I look up to the hills, but where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2 NCV)

The author there shows a momentary bit of concern about what lies ahead. Criminals hid on mountainsides in order to attack travelers. But though he showed some fear he quickly recovered by remembering God’s presence and help. Think of the possibilities you have because of God.

The ‘O’ in POW stands for Opportunity. An opportunity is a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

Pay attention to opportunities that become available to you. Psalm 121 was written by a pilgrim on a journey to Jerusalem. His opportunity was that of worshipping at the temple site on the other side of the hills.

Sometimes it’s through a define purpose, or a conversation or through research or through someone you know that something profitable opens and hope is reborn in you. Look for those even during uncertain times!

Once you spot possibilities that become opportunities,

WHAM! (another Batman word) Make the best of whatever’s before you.

Be an owl! Conquer! And if your candidate did not win, trust God for what’s next.

Thanks for reading and please leave me a comment.

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I was leaving Popeyes (best fried chicken in town) and caught a glance of the little frog in the picture above. Now, I don’t have a love affair with frogs; as a kid I never enjoyed holding or manhandling frogs. I’m just not a frog person. They may taste like chicken but I’d rather not mess with them in any way.

This tiny frog, though, grabbed my heart. It seemed so lonely in that great big tree.

Giving animals human qualities is called anthropomorphizing and I may have been feeling some sort of poetic melancholy when I captured the scene with my lens but loneliness in humans is serious business.

Of course lonely people often isolate themselves but you can find lonely people even in a crowd.

I read somewhere recently that over 60% of those who report being lonely are married.

The social media explosion is obviously a direct result of people wanting to interact with others.

God created us for relationships. But when those are lacking, when there’s a disconnect with others, our psyche reacts to it…often times in all the wrong ways:

• Staying away from others
• Thinking others don’t really care about us
• Being negative about life in general
• Becoming skeptical of our abilities and positive traits (we think we have very little to offer others)

My mind goes back to the last letter the apostle Paul wrote when he was living in a dungeon awaiting execution in Rome. His words give us a glimpse into his heart,

Timothy, please come as soon as you can. Demas has deserted me… only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, be sure to bring the coat I left with Carpus at Troas. Also bring my books, and especially my papers. 2Timothy 4:9-10a, 11-13 (NLT)

Some try to minimize Paul’s basic human need for companionship by laying on some thick theology to those simple words, but let’s not go there for now. 

Simply speaking, Paul wanted renewed closeness with his good friend Timothy. That’s why he asked Tim to hustle and get there. Paul also wanted a coat for warmth in that dungeon he called home and something to read while in jail (no one really knows for certain which parchments Paul requested). 

When I’m feeling lonely I need to reach out to someone I love. You do the same! Refuse your inner drive to disengage from the rest of the world. Call, text, email and interact. If you’re married, your spouse may lend the listening ear you need.

Just opening up a little with someone you trust can make such a difference. Deep conversations can be reserved for a later time.

Also, make God’s church part of your security blanket. A sweet fellowship can warm up a heart that’s growing cold in a hurry.

Through the years there have been many times when I didn’t feel like going to church on Sunday. But I’m the pastor… so I show up. One hundred percent of the time the Holy Spirit uses someone or something during the worship hour to embrace my heart and remind me of how much Jesus loves me.

One more thing, when you start feeling down, find something positive and fun to read. It’s part of what I do. Let the Bible be your first option. Its stories are literally out of this world. You can also read a book from your fave author.

Don’t remain a lonely tiny frog on a tree. You’re much too valuable and your smile much needed.

I realize that what I just shared are very basic thoughts. Loneliness is a deep subject that requires lots of work and sometimes professional counseling.

Can you share any other simple ideas on dealing with such difficult emotions? Please leave me a comment.

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As Matthew was getting ready to collide with our coast as a category 4 hurricane I saw this lizard (above) holding on to a pineapple plant leaf.

Animals seem to have a certain premonition about things, don’t they? My dogs were certainly acting weird as the raging storm approached. This lizard knew one thing to do, hang on to something for dear life.

It reminded me of how we feel about politics in America right now. Like most others we, regardless of party affiliation, are holding on for dear life because of the uncertainty of what the future holds for us as a nation.

From the git-go (as some of my southern friends would put it) the race for the highest office in the land has been a whirlwind of emotion, dirty politics at its finest.

The facts remain: America is in dire condition and there are 2 candidates running for the presidency that we don’t fully trust and have issues with.

The apostle Paul addressed one of his books to a bunch of Jesus followers who lived in Rome during troubled times. Emperor Nero was one serious wacked-out nut job! But Paul challenged the Christians with the following hard to swallow words,

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. (Romans 13:1 NLT)

In other words, the powers that be have been put there by God Almighty and we must, as good citizens, yield to it (as long as it doesn’t require us to personally disobey God).

So let’s get down to the real deal here, who do we vote for? Who do you trust as president?

Everyone of us has our own personal agendas, needs, and opinions that lead us to making a decision at the ballot box. But with so much uncertainty and distrust there is a better, easier way to choosing the president.

By the way, keep in mind that God is neither a Democrat or Republican. He is an Independent and He’s got a perfect plan!

For the above reason, vote as your Christian conscience tells you.

Our faith is based on the Bible. And our Judeo-Christian nation has its principles as its foundation. So our next president should lean towards the values the Bible speaks about. For example: the Good Book tells us that life begins at conception, that marriage is between a man and a woman, that God is for freedom, that God loves Israel, and that faith in the Lord our God through Jesus Christ, His Son, is essential for a nation to be strong.

Our next president is going to have the opportunity to appoint Supreme Court Justices that are going to make decisions concerning issues like abortion, marriage, our freedom/safety, religious issues in the educational and social arena, and many others.

There are other issues, of course, but non carry such spiritual weight.

Our vote must be for the one nominee that promises to go the way our faith dictates.

I challenge you to get informed on Clinton and Trump platforms and where they stand on the previously mentioned issues.

Also, pray about your vote and trust in the Lord regardless of who takes residence in the White House come January, 2017.

Trump and Clinton have 2 very different opinions. One is leaning the Bible’s way and the other isn’t. As a country, we are either going to be moving with some kind of Biblical counsel or without it. God help us if we do the latter.

Some of you reading this may say, “This is a pretty biased blog.” My answer: “If being Biblical makes me biased, so be it.”

I’m voting tonight. I’ve made my choice, have you?

Feel free to leave me a comment.