Two minute tuesday blog

I thought I was done. I had nothing left. I was getting minute of sleep on floors and countertops. I was bleeding. Literally. Figuratively. I know you’ve been there too. If not, you will be. The world is too hellish with too much malevolence not to be knocked down. Maybe you’re there now. Feeling like you have nothing left. Tired. Worn out. Feeling like everyone and everything is pushing you down. Stepping on you like a small seed. Want some advice? Let them. Let it. Sink. Go down. Stay down. Rest. Let the roots sink deep.

Remember the parable of the sower? The famer who scattered seeds? The birds ate the ones on top. Some landed on rocks and couldn’t grow. Some “sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow”. Don’t let that be you. Don’t spring up too quickly. God is planting you on good soil. You’re being replanted. Let it take root. You’re going to rise up. You’re going to be new again. Believe it. Believe.

Jesus loves you.

When I decided to write a book, I knew it would come to fruition. I truly wasn’t expecting it to land on a bookshelf or for people to buy it. I wasn’t expecting the stories that people would share with me. But I was fully expecting that I would have a printed copy of a book that I wrote. I prayed for it like I already had it. 

I ran into some financial issues a while back and I prayed about it like I was already out of it. Like something would break through and I would get back on my feet. Just days later my head was financially above the water again. It’s faith. If it’s God’s will, He will give you what you ask for if you pray with such faith that you truly believe. You know the bible stories. You know the characters. The woman that just needed to touch his cloak. The 2 fish and the 5 loaves that fed 5000. Peter walking on water to Jesus. 

Pray like you’re already cured. Pray like you’re already healed. Pray like you’re already out of the miry bog. Pray like you’ve already beaten the addiction. Pray like you already have that new job. Pray until you believe it and if it’s His will, you already have it.

Jesus loves you.

I used to do this thing, that no matter what I was doing or where I was, I was always thinking about the next big thing. Like if I was planning to go to the beach, I’d always just focus on the beach and how great it will be. Then once I was finally there, I would think about what I would be doing after the beach instead of really enjoying being there. And then when I was at the next thing, I’d be thinking of the next thing after that. Always striving and thinking of the next thing.

Then trauma hit and it stopped my world and I realized how precious every moment is. Presence. Being still. 

Then I started saying this thing where instead of always looking forward to the next thing, I’d be present where I was. Satisfied with where I was. And I would say to myself, (or often out loud), “I’m looking forward to right now.” Be present. Be still. Look forward to where you are right now. 

Jesus loves you.  

I wrote it like that in one chapter of Be Bulletproof. “STAY. DOWN.” I remember the editor didn’t like it much...grammatically. I took his advice for most things, but skipped by his red ink on those words. Of all the things in the book, the importance of staying down was the thing people most resonated with. Because that’s it right? When shots are fired and you’re in shock and hurt we’re all too quick to get up. I’ve done it. So have you. And we’re told when you fall down to get right back up. But they’re wrong. 

For instance, when you lose some one you love, your initial grieving is distracted with obituaries and wakes and funerals and tombstones and wills. People, mostly with nothing but good intent, flood you with messages and flowers and tuna casseroles. If you’re lucky, your work will give you a couple of days off. Then the dust clears and everyone else has moved on and that sends your body signals that you must get up. Then months later, it hits you again and you fall and you’re alone and the messages and flowers and casseroles are gone and they you are continually getting up and falling down because you didn’t stay down long enough. You didn’t heal properly. You didn’t stay down. STAY. DOWN. 

If you plant a seed in the ground, it will grow into something magnificent, but not if you keep digging it up and replanting. Whatever it is, whenever it hits, give yourself the love and grace to stay down. Heal. Then, you gotta get up. And then you show the world that they were wrong…and you are bulletproof. 

Jesus loves you. 

Fun fact – your brain can’t think of two things at the same time. I know you’re a good multi-tasker and I know you’re a quick thinker, but you still can’t think of two things at once. Stop. Take a breath. Think of something you’re grateful for. How about just starting with the fact that you’re able to take a deep breath. That’s a start. You’re alive. Chances are if you’re reading this you have great wealth that you’ve taken for granted. Fresh water. Clean air. You can walk. You can read. You have transportation. Shelter. Food. Some change in a coffee can. A clean shirt. A friend. Maybe two. That’s more than a start. That’s more than billions of people on the planet have. 

Take a moment to be grateful. To focus ONLY on the good things you have in your life. For a breath or two forget about the bad things that have happened that you cannot control. Forget the worries or problems or the millions of scenarios you play in your head. The addiction, the debt, the betrayal, the loss, the past, the future. Be present. Be grateful. For a breath. Or two. Pray your gratitude. Say your gratitude. Watch your anxieties lessen and your attitude change with every positive thought. Your brain can’t think of two things at the same time. Swap out the negative for the positive and watch you soar.

Jesus loves you. 

170,790. That’s the amount of people that died in the world yesterday. But not you. You have been given the gift of life for another day. An opportunity. A golden opportunity to do with it whatever you want in a world of freedom. Another day to be someone better, to do something wonderful, to bask in the sun or dance in the rain. Another day to find forgiveness, another day to hold your kids, call your mom, to break the habit, to do that thing that you’ve been putting off.

George Burns had an old joke that he’d read the obituaries and if his name wasn’t in it, he’d get up out of bed. A little truth in every jest. Your name’s not in it. You have this day. And in the chance that you and your family our all strong and healthy, do not take this moment of rarity for granted. It will not always be like this. It will slip away and you’ll be begging for what you have today. Nobody at the hour of death wishes for anything more but time. One day you will be one of the 170,790 statistics. But that’s not today. Today you have time. Make the most of it. 

Jesus Loves You.

What are you thankful for? What are you grateful for? Even in your lowest and darkest times, you must find gratitude. You must. I started doing this thing every morning where I feel my feet on the floor. Literally. I sit and feel the floor beneath me before I do anything else in the day. I started taking 20 deep breaths and then added one breath every month. I’m at 29 breaths every morning now before I do anything else. Then I pray a prayer of gratitude about the things I’m grateful for. Not ever knowing the pains of war or true thirst or true hunger. The sounds of my kids downstairs. The smile on my wife’s face. My health. My job. My house. My car. I have so much to be grateful for. So do you. Even if you’re not praying, be aware of what you have. Be thankful. If you have clean water, shelter, and your health, you have more than most of the people on the planet. Literally billions of people would love to have what you have today. And with that also means you have the roots to grow beyond your wildest dreams. You’re blessed. Be grateful. 

Even at your lowest. Even at your darkest. In the miry bog. In the desolate pit. Among the villains and enemies and monsters. Find your roots. Find something to be grateful for. Then start with that and let it grow. Be thankful. Be grateful. Watch it spread.

Jesus loves you.

I set some goals for September. Presumably the biggest was to go from 1-2 bottles of wine a day to none. My thinking got worse, my sleeping got worse, and my eating got worse. But I did it and sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. I know that. It's by design. I also had a list of other things like working out 4 times a week, spending more time with the kids and our pets, eating out at restaurants less. All of these were no problem. The other one on my list was not checking my phone after 7pm. That one had a 24% success rate. That was unexpectedly hard. 

I feel I don’t have an addictive personality. I don’t like the thought of anything having a hold over my freedom or choices but the “weekly report” from my phone giving me the details of how much time I’m on my phone daily was staggering. It’s too much. It’s too much wasted time. So, I’m resetting goals for October. I won’t check my phone after 10pm. This should be an easy one because I’m usually asleep by then. Next month 9pm. Then 8pm. Then better-than-24%-no-matter-what the next month. Then continue until I get it. It’s a similar game to the one I played in my book where I’d let my thoughts dwell in the misery of my trauma for 2 hours a day. Then 90 minutes, then 60, then 30, then 10, then 2. If you miss a goal, don’t give up on it. Reassess it. Give yourself more time. Try getting it from a different path. Whatever your addiction is, don’t let it take over your freedom or choice. You don’t have time in this life for something or someone else to steal it from you. Beat the addiction. I’ll get there. So will you. I can be better. So can you.

Jesus Loves You.

One friend read my book and sent me a song by Lauren Daigle called “Rescue”. It’s a song about God sending out an army to rescue you in your darkest hours. How He hears yours whispers when you have nothing left and sends out the perfect people at the perfect time. She said the song reminded her about the parts of the book when the most unlikely group of people were there to help pick me up out of the miry bog. I often think about that group and what they’d be like all together. What an odd ragtag team God sent me in my lowest time. And the perfect team. But that’s just it right? That’s what God does. The Apostles were fisherman, tax collectors, sinners. The most unlikely team. The perfect team.

When true tragedy strikes, you will not have the skills, the strength, the wits, or the ability to get through it by yourself. It’s of no fault of you own, in fact, it’s a testament that your heart is kinder than the malevolence this world will bring. You weren’t ready for it. You couldn’t be. But when you fall and think you have nothing left, God will send you angels. They won’t be wearing halos. They may be fishermen, tax collectors, sinners. Or maybe priests, doctors, daycare teachers, construction workers, old friends. But you’ll recognize them when they come for you and they’re on their way.

Jesus loves you. 

You’re only as good as the company you keep. Ever hear that one? It’s a hard truth. Throw yourself in a war, and you become a soldier. Throw yourself in with drug users and you become an addict. Throw yourself in a sport and you become an athlete. I knew a guy who was Vice-President of a company and had a long political career background. He once told me the number one rule he used when hiring someone was to hire someone who was smarter than him so he could become better and look good while doing it. 

It's hard though right? Letting going of long relationships. Letting go of people who aren’t going where you’re going. Letting go of that toxic relationship. Letting go of friends, and maybe even harder, letting go of enemies. Proverbs 13:20 writes: “Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.” If your life is falling to pieces. If you’re down and can’t seem to get up. If you’re headed on a road you don’t want to be. If you’re somewhere you don’t want to be. Maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s the company you’re keeping. 

Jesus Loves You. 

One of the things that will improve you overall attitude and mental health is shutting off the news. Besides the fact that the news has become so hard to navigate as to what is real and what is not, what is exaggerated and what is not, what’s a full truth and a part truth, but the bigger part of it is that it’s predominantly all intentionally bad news to keep you watching. Even the weatherman will tell you there’s a 30% chance of rain instead of saying a 70% chance of sunshine. 

Mel Gibson’s mom had a good one: “Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see.”. I’m not saying some issues and topics are important and you certainly need to be aware of worldly events, but sitting in front of the news or social media for hours on end is nothing but a trainwreck for your personal good well being. Turn it off. You don’t have time. Work on yourself. Focus on yourself. Give yourself what you need. What is YOUR news? Work on turning your own personal news into good news. You helped someone today. You broke a bad habit today. You got something done you’ve been putting off. You called a friend. You had a nap. You ate a great meal. What is YOUR news? It’s the most important thing that matters. 

Jesus Loves You.