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2020 is Hindsight...Finally!

Wow, what a year! 2020 could literally be an entire decade, maybe more, of history, change, and lessons rolled up into these twelve months. While many aspects of 2020 were kind of sucky and we would like to forget them, it will certainly be a year to remember. And it will be enlightening when this year is looked back on in 10, 25, or 50 years to be discussed. I wonder if we'll seem like geniuses or idiots? Probably both to some extent! While there is so much that I could consider and analyze about this year, I'll try to break some of it down into four dimensions - Physical, Spiritual, Mental, and Social/Emotional. These are events and happenings from my world and perspective and I'm trying to be open in sharing and would love to hear from others on events you found most transforming. Physical When COVID cause gyms to close, that messed me up. Our town and state were late to be hit with severe cases and therefore later than many across the country to close up shop. I'm n...
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2020 Books

  I mentioned previously on Facebook that I'd share the books I've read in 2020 in case anyone is looking for a new read. Plus I figure this post can serve as one for friends to share some that they've enjoyed this past year as well. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Andrew Carnegie. This is a good book about personal development, relationships, etc. Vertical Marriage - Dave & Ann Wilson. Based on the title, obviously this was a book on marriages. While you'll see a few others on this list, this one was one of my favorites. How to Get Promoted - Anthony Park. Sorry boss! The worst part is I read this AFTER my annual review lol. It is good for people just getting their career started or working in larger corporations where you can get lost in the shuffle. The Power of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale. Great book on personal development. Leadership in Turbulent Times - Doris Kearns Goodwin. This book chronicles the life of 4 presidents, Lincol...
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Who Wants to be Dilos?

You're probably wondering if that's a typo or not. While doing a search for these letters did actually reveal that there is a brand and some fictional character out there with this name - my real intent was to show that order matters. You see, if we reverse the letters, you then spell the word, S-O-L-I-D. Yet far too many of us are operating with a Dilos mindset instead of getting our priorities in order and becoming Solid. We chase money like it's the most important thing in the world. And while it's certainly necessary, if money is the number one goal of any individual, or even any business, failure is surely on the horizon. To better understand the significance of the order, let's go through them backwards. Dollars. Yes, money matters. But what good is all the money in the world if you're "dumb as a box of rocks" and lack the next component, Intelligence, and don't know how to manage (or keep) your wealth? Intelligence. Let's say yo...
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Cookie Cutter Marriage

  Is your marriage like a cookie?  Maybe it's sweet.  Maybe it's comforting.  Maybe it's round (symbolic of the continuity of the rings).  Whatever cookie you feel your marriage may most resemble, and the possibilities are endless, they all require some of the same ingredients to be tasty and successful. If we were to examine several cookie recipes, we would see just how many variations there are.  You have numerous chocolate chip, chocolate oatmeal, peanut butter, sugar, and many many more that we could name off. But what makes a cookie a cookie?  Most cookie recipes call for some combination of butter, sugar, flour, and eggs.  This where it gets fun.  From here, you can add the flavor(s) that you and your family enjoy!  Do you want to add fruit, candy, chocolate?  Again, the possibilities are endless. The same is true in our marriages.  There are some core "ingredients" that we all need - love, trust, compassion, faithfulness...
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Do Not Murder - Easier Said Than Done

"Do not murder."  It seems like it's one of the easiest commands in the Bible for even the worst of us to follow.  But if we dig a little deeper into this three word command, there's more to it than meets the eye.  Let's look at the Who, the What, and the How of what a murderous attitude can do to you? Who When the Bible tells us not to murder, whose life is it protecting?  Tony Evans wrote, "The Bible is clear: life begins at the moment of conception and retains its value from the womb to the tomb."  The who is the unborn, the elderly, the victim, the poor, the sick, the invalid, the any person created in and by God.  God values all human life and we are called to do the same.   What Human life is absolutely precious to God and it should be valuable to us.  But many of us think that just because we didn't take part in the physical murder itself, that we're blameless.  But murder takes on other forms - most often in the form of hate...
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Planes Fly in the Sky

Let me be very honest and candid about this - when I first read about the proposed airplane tax cut, I was not happy (just say it, I was mad!).  I thought that it was ludicrous to consider cutting tax revenue while counties are already struggling due to decreased sales and collections of local taxes.   However, unlike many people in today's culture, I didn't take to social media to start talking about how stupid the idea was and how much I disagreed with.  Instead, I started doing some research.  I looked up some information, asked some questions, had some conversations, and I learned some things. This was important for me to understand because I own a boat (I consider planes and boats luxury items) and pay Union County property taxes.  However, that boat hasn't been in Union for years.  It's housed and operated in a neighboring county.  There's not even anywhere that I can safely and legally operate my boat on public property in Union, yet I stil...
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The New Normal

When all of this COVID, Coronavirus, and pandemic talk first started, I literally got sick of hearing the phrase, "the new normal."  I heard sermons preached talking about what is normal.  I even preached one that I titled, "The Next Normal."  But what if these "new normal" people are actually onto something? When I was growing up, a normal summer consisted of a lot of time with Mom.  She was a school teacher so we were all out for several (probably stressful) months together.  She, my brother, and sister would spent countless hours at the pool and make several trips each year to stay at my aunt's house in the lower part of the state, about 30 minutes from the beach.  That was normal for me. But now, 30ish years or so later, life for my children (and their precious little grandchildren) looks very different - almost like there's a new normal in town.   My parents worked hard, sacrificed, and saved for years before purchasing a lake house in 2010 - ...
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