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Simple Pleasures!

This amazing gift we’ve been given, that most of us call life, is such a wonderful and beautiful thing. We really do fail to appreciate life in it’s simplicity, because somewhere along the way we have become convinced that it just has to be complicated.

I’ve been hanging around this human experience for a little over a half a century and what I have discovered and what I am rediscovering almost everyday is that simple pleasures are such a blessing, if we will just allow ourselves the time and permission to enjoy and be blessed by them.

Here are just a few of the simple pleasures that I am grateful for. These simple pleasure make each day meaningful and help to keep me focused on what really matters. These simple pleasures take me away from my ego and get me in touch with my soul.

1. Going Outside! I love the outdoors. Nature has become one of my best friends. I love to feel the warmth of the sun on my face, the cool from the breeze as it blows through the trees and the sounds of life all around me.

2. Time To Enjoy A Beverage! One of my favorite things is sitting in a comfortable chair and “sipping” on a cup of mocha flavored coffee as I think about the day in front of me and look forward to living it.

3. A Journal To Record, Plan & Dream! Not sure what I would do without paper and pen. I try everyday to write down my Scripture focus for the day, a list of at least three things I am thankful for, my tasks list of things I hope to get accomplished and any thoughts or ideas that are influencing me at the time.

4. My Favorite Pen! I love writing instruments. I love to sketch and draw with pencils, write with different kinds of pens and color with markers, paints and such. I like a pen that allows my thoughts and ideas to freely flow. Sometimes I am totally amazed at what comes out of the pen onto the paper and think: “Was that really me.”

5. Conversations With Friends! Having someone to talk to is a vital part of life, living and growing. It’s also important to have people we listen to, because as we listen, we learn and as we learn, we grow. One of the great blessings of this human experience is that we get to do it with such interesting and amazing people. So many times, we miss this magic…

6. Enjoying The Taste Of Good Food! I love to eat, but even more than eating, I love to cook. When I cook, I like to cook to taste, which means I am trying to create something that I am pretty sure I’m going to enjoy. So many people, grab their food, scarf it down and move on to whatever is next. The tragedy in this rush to feed our face is that we miss the opportunity to savor the flavor of life. I like it all, so the main thing for me is just making sure I slow down and enjoy it.

7. Exercise! This has become a dirty word for a lot of us, but it doesn’t have to be and it shouldn’t be. A few things that make a big difference for me is just keeping it simple. And by the way, we need to exercise physically, mentally and spiritually. Physical exercise for me consists of stretches, walking, some time on an elliptical and a little work with weights. Mental exercise is made up of being open to learning something new and there is education all around us. I enjoy reading, listening to podcasts and even researching the web. Spiritual exercise does not have to be complicated and I like to keep mine going all throughout the day. I try to stay in a spirit of prayer. I read and meditate on scripture. And I look for opportunities to serve and minister for others. When it comes to exercise, remember this: A little is better than none at all.

8. Something To Read! I love to read and we have access to all sorts of material to choose from. Sometimes, I like to have an old fashion book with pages in my hand. At other times, I enjoy reading from the convenience of my smart device. And one of my favorite ways is to listen as the book is read and read along. I love to read history, leadership, biographies, blogs, motivation, how to books and Scripture.

9. Sitting In Solitude! The older I get, the more I really do seem to enjoy and need this one. There are times when I like to sit in a comfortable chair and do absolutely nothing, but enjoy the stillness and silence of the moment.

10. Meaningful Purpose! Getting up everyday energized with something meaningful to do and going to bed bed every night tired because you’ve done it, is a big part of what this human experience is all about to me. I love helping others and I get to do that everyday in a variety of ways. I love my routine and it drives me to try and make this amazing gift called life better for everyone.

So, there you go – that’s a few of my simple pleasures and if you see me with a smile on my face, then you probably know why. I pray that something you’ve read here today, might help you to find and wear a smile on your face too…

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Positive Social Media!

“If You Can’t Say Something Nice…”

Social Media is a place for me to share my life with family and friends. I enjoy letting folks know about my everyday human challenges and what they are teaching me.

I am grateful for my blessings, especially getting to cook, feed and share fellowship with those that I love. I love our great big crazy family that is all over the place, but always right at home whenever we are together.

I do my best to stay out of politics, although I can assure you that I most definitely have an opinion, but I learned a long time ago that it’s not worth arguing over.

I don’t air my dirty laundry, frustrations or disappointments in others, because let’s face it – there is already enough negativity in the world and if I’ve got a problem with you, that’s worth my time, then it’s worth a face to face conversation and it really isn’t anyone else’s business.

I love taking pictures and letting others get a glimpse of some of the things that intrigue, excite and challenge me. My new wrinkles, an adventure with one of our dogs, another nature discovery, what I am getting ready to eat or just something that caught my eye are all fair game to be captured in a photograph.

I’m not anything special, just a middle aged guy, who is learning that I still have so much to learn and my best learning, seems to have occurred through my shared experiences with others. I decided a number of years ago that if I can’t keep it positive on social media, then it would be time to get off, which is why through the years, there has been a break here or there, but I usually find my way back and have managed for the most part to keep it fun, encouraging and hopefully challenging.

Thank you to each of you that are a part of my social media tribe. I love seeing your life and learning from your posts. I hope that 2020 will be an amazing year of blessing and growth for all of us and that social media will do her part to help us along the way…

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Juggling Too Many Balls!

Up In The Air!Lately, I have become too busy!  I feel like I am running a never-ending marathon.  I am not complaining, just realizing that I cannot keep up this pace.  I was not created to live life this way and neither were you.

I spend almost all of my days taking care of other people and their needs.  I don’t regret this, I love that I get to do this, but then add-on top of this all the stuff that other people throw your way and that’s when it gets crazy.

Sometimes I feel like a guy juggling three balls, now that’s not so bad, even a little entertaining, but then someone throws in a fourth ball and then a fifth and a sixth.

I started out juggling three.  Three is what I juggle and now I am juggling six!  But that’s okay, because I got this.  And then all at once come balls seven, eight, nine and ten.  I think this is insane!

I finally get ball ten thrown back out.  I work my way through balls nine, eight, seven, six and get them returned to their rightful owners.  I actually pull off a pretty cool trick with balls five and four.  And now I am back to the three balls that I started with.

This is what I was created for.  Juggling three balls is a piece of cake.  I can’t stand all those other balls and I am glad they are gone.  Then I think – I was juggling ten balls and it did not kill me.  Look at how many more lives I was able to impact.  Look at how cool is was to juggle ten balls – baby!

Now I look at my three that I am very comfortable with and I think “one more won’t hurt!” and this is where the craziness starts all over.  In life, God gives you a certain number of balls to juggle.  Figure out what you are comfortable with, what you enjoy, what allows you to give Him glory.  It’s not about the amount that you juggle, it’s that you juggle for His glory.

Every now and then life will try to add something extra, if God gives you permission – take it on.  If God does not give you permission, then stay satisfied with what you’ve got and make sure you do the best with it by making the most of it!

I am still learning and I have had to learn a lot the hard way.  My main three are God, Family/Friends and Ministry.  Anything else is going to have to come with God’s permission and empowerment!