D.O.M.E.

April 21, 2025 By Leave a Comment

1– There comes a time when you can’t afford to waste what you have—your resources, your energy, your time, your mind, your emotions, your relationships.

Now, the same statement, with one word added and underlined:

2– There comes a time when you can’t afford to waste what you have left—your resources, your energy, your time, your mind, your emotions, your relationships.

As we get older, we start facing that second statement, with the word, left, because we must accept less in many areas.
The key is dealing with it without adding more stress.

– – –

For anyone out there who feels you’re losing it, a little or a lot,
we need the
Department
Of
Mental
Efficiency

Find waste, fraud, theft, inefficiency, in the use of mental energy, especially as the available supply becomes a premium.

We need D.O.M.E.
But who can we find to do what needs to be done—identify our unaffordable mental inefficiencies and give practical suggestions to address them.

I believe it must be done.
I feel it can be done.

(I’ll start writing notes when ideas come.)

Filed Under: Family, Financial, Health, Time

DEATH AND TAXES

April 16, 2025 By Leave a Comment

When you’re young–
— Taxes, ever-present
— Death, not so much

When you’re older–
— Taxes, still ever-present
— Death, yes also ever-present

Filed Under: Health, Political---Cultural, Time

TRADEOFFS OR CONSEQUENCES

April 13, 2025 By Leave a Comment

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
(part one—read this first)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

TRADEOFFS
Is life a deal, a tradeoff—maneuvering to get the most of what you want while giving up the least to get it ?
What, or Who, are you dealing with, in life—in real life—in your life ?

or

CONSEQUENCES
Is life a choice, with consequences—finding what is most important—deciding to get what is most important, whatever it costs—accepting and living with the consequences—never looking back ?
What, or Who, are you choosing—always looking ahead—all the way ahead ?

– – –

What is the cost ?

What is the price ?
– of satisfaction ?
– of making money ?
– of getting rich ?
– of security ?
– of contentment ?
– of freedom ?
– of goals ?
– of accomplishment ?

What is the price ?
– of integrity ?
– of faithfulness ?
– of faith ?
– of love ?
– of relationships ?
– of happiness ?

– – –

What is your price ?

What will you pay ?

What will you give up ?

What will you sacrifice ?

What will you suffer ?

– – –

What do you want ?

What do you want most ?

What is life worth ?

What is your life worth ?

What is death worth ?

What is your death worth to someone ?

What is your death worth to you ?

– – –

What is life after death worth ?

What is life after death worth to you ?

– – –

What is the connection between–
— the price of life now ?
and
— the price of life after now ?

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
This was written with questions only, to get you to think—think first about your life, your ambitions, your pursuits—and not immediately react to my answers, or anybody else’s answers, to life.
If we cannot get an honest evaluation of our life, we will never make honest decisions that last.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
(part two—later)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Family, Financial, Health, Inspirational, Political---Cultural, Time

“WHEN THE POWERS OF HELL . . .

April 5, 2025 By Leave a Comment

“When the powers of hell assail
And my strength begins to fail,
Thou, Who knowest all about me,
Stand by me.”

While I’m getting older and strength fails, physically and mentally and emotionally, I find more meaning all the time in words of Christian hymns that have been around awhile.
What I didn’t expect, but should not come as a surprise—as I turn to the Lord more often because I have to, the enemy sends more attacks both big and small.
I’m praying His commands and promises many times a day, “Be still, and know that I AM God.”
And, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble . . .”

The . . . indicates that I’ve learned to stop there, describe the newest trouble (which God knows all about, but wants me to tell Him), without saying how I want Him to fix it.
That moment of stopping, knowing I’m not in charge, is part of being still.
Then He chooses when and how to deliver me—His solution, not mine.
Then, I can glorify Him, without taking any credit.

– – –

“Be still – – – – – – and know – – – – – that I AM God.”
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble [every trouble] – – – – – – I will deliver you – – – – – – AND you will glorify Me.”
“Trust in The Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

Learn to lean . . .
Learn to lean not . . .

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Health, Inspirational, Political---Cultural, Time

POLITICAL PARTIES – – – GOD AND THE DEVIL

April 5, 2025 By Leave a Comment

God is not a Republican, but
“The devil is a Democrat”
—–Seth Gruber, director of The 1916 Project (movie),
documenting abortion and planned ‘un’parenthood

Watch the film, “The 1916 Project” in any way you can.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Family, Health, Inspirational, Movie Review, Political---Cultural, Time

DISTANCE BY NEGLECT

April 2, 2025 By Leave a Comment

Never allow neglect to start.
It will become a pattern.
A little neglect creates a little distance.
A little distance creates a foothold.
Conceding will happen automatically.

Must practice intimacy.

If doctors and lawyers do not practice their profession, they will soon have nothing to practice.

If husband and wife to not practice intimacy regularly, they will soon have nothing to practice.

Filed Under: Educational, Family, Fun, Health, Inspirational, Time

NEED TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT ‘LOSING IT’

March 29, 2025 By Leave a Comment

In the early stages of losing ground mentally (and as a result, emotionally, etc.), before other people notice and express concern, the person who is struggling with reduced function may wish and search for real, practical suggestions for change that could actually help.
It is not helpful to hear others say they experience similar problems, even offensive to just tell you to see a doctor.
Unwillingness to offer conversation breeds isolation, and the troubled person must commit to silence, because the cost of feeling worse is too great.

Why can’t there be simple, honest understanding, with a willingness to talk and brainstorm for ideas—things to do, to change, to let go, to help, to make the person feel better.
There are few conditions like mental decline, so loaded with responses that are non-answers.

It seems most people want to focus on the times when the person seems to function okay—so they can avoid uncomfortable.
And thus—postponement of help that could be available.
This scary world would not have to be so scary if someone would just talk with you.

Humor is marginal with this matter, but I try it sometimes.
Anyway, at least it gives others a chance to laugh.

I need to write a book about ‘losing it’, with practical, everyday suggestions to let go of some things you can’t cover anymore, and conserve the time, energy, and thinking you have left.
Logic—Common Sense—Carefree—Refreshing.

How would I write this book ?
It would take an inspiration of the Holy Spirit (which He could do), because I don’t have the answers to put in the book.

Why would I write this book ?
So I can read it, because I don’t have the answers in the book.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Family, Fun, Health, Inspirational, Time

MARRIAGE VOWS AMPLIFIED

March 28, 2025 By Leave a Comment

If these vows, repeated at the wedding altar, were thoroughly addressed in pre-marital counseling—so much so, that they are almost memorized—so ingrained to stick forever—then they may be recalled when reality hits home later (or sooner).

“I Promise” is a verbal declaration—“I give you my word.”
“I Pledge” is a promise backed with collateral—“I mortgage my life for you.”

– – –

I promise, I pledge, to you, [name], with everything I have from God’s power, that I will–
+ I will forsake all others, past, present, future.
+ I will cleave/cling to you.
+ I will cleave/cling only to you.
+ I will stay faithful to you as long as we live, with feelings and without feelings.
+ I will stay with you when we’re rich and when we’re poor.
+ I will stay with you when we’re healthy and when we’re sick.
+ I will stay close with you when we have faith and when we have doubt.
+ I will stay close together with you when we are strong and when we are weak.
+ I will stay together with you when we have warm feelings and when we don’t.
+ I will defend our marriage, our home, against all enemies outside and inside.
+ I will build our house (home) with the Lord to destroy the termites.
+ I will remember intimacy always, and catch the little foxes.
+ I will spend time with the Lord alone, every day.
+ I will spend time with the Lord together, every day.
+ I will spend time with you, every day.
+ I will “call upon the Lord in the day of trouble”.
+ I will “call upon the Lord in the day of trouble” with you.

– – –

I offered this at my youngest son’s wedding reception.
“Marriage is work, BUT remember to:
+ Spend 80% of your time and energy enjoying each other.
+ Spend 10% of your time and energy dealing with what the world throws at you.
+ Spend 5% of your time and energy dealing with what your spouse throws at you.
+ Spend 5% of your time and energy dealing with what you throw at your spouse.”

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Family, Financial, Fun, Health, Inspirational, Time

HAVE WE ARRIVED ? – – – ARE WE BETTER ?

March 27, 2025 By Leave a Comment

BEFORE TECHNOLOGY (did not exist a generation ago)–
WERE WE WORSE THEN ?
or
WORRY WORSE NOW ?

TECHNOLOGY—ULTIMATE “JUST A LITTLE MORE”
or
“JUST A LOT MORE”

– – –

— PROLIFERATION OF TECHNOLOGY WITH INSTANT INFORMATION FOR EVERY QUESTION (faster than finding someone with answers)
and
— PROLIFERATION OF PUBLISHED HELP/ADVICE TO COPE WITH LIFE (relationships, marriage, family, health, stress, anxiety, . . .)

WHICH IS CAUSE, WHICH IS EFFECT ?
Actually, both are both cause and effect—both the technology and the published help/advice serve to bypass the old-fashioned looking for answers for life by human interaction, hashing out in heart-to-heart conversation, in person, with expression and emotion, until we arrived at foundational values.

The old, time-tested line of truth,
“I’m not just asking for solutions/answers—I need to know someone cares.”

– – –

— Are we indeed so special in the 20th-21st century ?
— Are we the yardstick because we know so much more ?
— Are we better, better off ?
— Evidence ?

Have we lost perspective of what is constant, to stabilize us through changes with claims that ‘we have arrived’ (or promises that we will arrive if we just get rid of the past) ?

Sounds like a ‘new and improved’ repeat of history—
“The one thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn anything from history.”

Is there an all-time perspective of history that does not change, that works in all circumstances, that just makes sense—to keep us from going crazy ?
Yes—the perspective that history is His-story.

Whether there is acceptance or not, a ‘consensus’ or not—there remains The Constant, The Creator of everything, The One Who keeps it going, The God of history, The Lord of all (of us too, especially).
AND, so we wouldn’t be left in the dark on our own, He wrote a clear, detailed manual that we can read for information on how it all started and for instruction on how to live.

The catch—His Book calls for our accountability to Him.
The catch—we have freedom of choice.
The catch—we face the consequences of our choice.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Health, Inspirational, Political---Cultural, Time

SENIOR CERTAINTIES (3)

March 9, 2025 By Leave a Comment

There is a growing list of uncertainties as we get older.

— thinking of things that might/will happen (worry)
— surprises that catch us off-guard (oh no)
— slowing down (difficult)
— getting weaker (dealing with it)
— forgetting more (with anxiety)
— limited manual labor (can’t do it)

There remains a list of certainties that count.
— getting closer to God
— getting stronger in faith (sometimes because you have to)
— more treasured Bible verses
— more prayer
— more thinking of heaven
— more thanking
— more talking about Jesus
— slowing down (positive—SLOW in search box)

Filed Under: Faith Based, Health, Inspirational, Time
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »