Category Archives: Faith

Grandpa’s Wisdom

Faith, Family, ,

My grandfather was an integral part of my life, Reverend L.H. Connor. He is a big reason I’m not locked up or dead. His wisdom has led me away from trouble and toward a purpose. Every chance I get I try to share a little of his ordinary wisdom.

Grandpa would say, “you have to be humble and honest if you want to live right.” Actually, I was in a lot of trouble with the law, and he said, “humility and honesty are your tickets out.” And he was right.

This is what I believe he was trying to tell me.

Be Humble.
You’re not all that important. Stop strutting around with your “bird chest” puffed out. People don’t owe you anything. Don’t walk into any situation with a chip on your shoulder. Turn your spotlight off, you’re not better than the next person. Learn to be soft and strong not loud and loose. Learn to listen. Humility is dethroning self-promotion.

Be Honest.
If you did it, you did it. You can’t lie your way free. Lies are like chains that bind you. One lie, no matter how small causes all you say to be questionable. You will never be perfect, but you can be honest. Healing and freedom follow honesty. Honesty is telling and living by the truth.

RIP Grandpa, thanks for sharing your wisdom.

 

What wisdom have you learned?

How to Enjoy Life

Faith

How many of us have heard or said “this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” then said BUT. But, I’m too busy. But, I worry. But, my boss doesn’t like me. But, my dog is sick. But, (insert your biggest but) While all these things and more can cause life to be difficult, there are a few things you can do to enjoy life:

Live in the present.

We can get so wrapped up in the stress of tomorrow that we miss the good things of today or,  w
e can get tied up in our past failures that we can’t seem to appreciate any good today.  So, live in the present. Can you slow down to see the good things all around you? The small things, like enjoying your favorite food or listening to your favorite music. Food and music always bring me joy! Be present in your life. I believe we can get so caught up in other people’s lives via social media that we miss the people who are present in our life. Learn to enjoy the people in front of you.

Practice – Pack your favorite food for lunch. Create a playlist of all your favorite songs.

Get a Hobby

Watching TV or spending hours on social media are not good hobbies. If you have a hobby I would suggest that you engage in it, at some level, several times a week. A hobby is a simple activity that you would enjoy. Something fun. A good hobby will challenge your mind. It will also help you enjoy life. If you don’t have a hobby here are a few ways to discover one.

What did you like to do as a kid? Try a few different things like painting, cooking, exercising (which you should be doing anyway, but some people are crazy and make it into a hobby). Start small and leave room for growth.

Unplug

Let’s be honest, we are simply way too connected. I have learned first-hand that the more media you consume the worst your life will be. Take the news. If you watch it or read about it consistently anxiety and fear have a way of finding you.

Social media constantly asks for your attention. One report said the average user on FaceBook spends about 41 minutes day on their apps. When we spend 41 minutes looking at other people’s highlights we can begin to feel pressure to measure up. Or feel like our life simple isn’t that good. This will not help you enjoy life. So, be intentional about unplugging. Practice – Don’t eat with your phone. Leave your phone behind when engaging in your hobby. When you have family and friends around be present.

Don’t Stress!! Don’t strive for perfection.

You will never be as skinny as you want to be. You will probably never be as rich as you want to be. Your children will never act exactly the way you want them to. Your house will probably never be as clean as you think it should be. Everybody is not going to like you…And that’s all ok. We are a work in progress. Enjoy the journey!

 

Tell us how you enjoy life.