 I know you protect me anytime I am left to my own devices. You guide me to a solution. I am never alone, thank you God! A diamond starts as coal to become beautiful and desirable. It needs to be placed in the hottest part of the flame. I am not a diamond yet but I feel the heat, thank you! If I wasn't put under so much heat, and pressure, I wouldn't be able to be pure. Or exude such brilliance.
Do our intentions make us more pure?
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 When Jesus was crucified, his followers were devastated. They had assumed that, as Messiah, Jesus wouldn’t die. But now he had been crucified. His followers were afraid that the same thing might happen to them. So they hid from the authorities and they forgot all the promises that Jesus had made about His resurrection. Jesus had told them about the resurrection, but that was hard to believe when He was on the cross.
This scene brings to mind an Old Testament prophecy from Zechariah 13:7: “Strike the shepherd and the sheep with scatter.” Jesus had referred to this prophecy several times in Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27. And, in fact, when Jesus (“the Shepherd”) was struck, His followers (“the sheep”) did scatter! They would eventually regroup, but in this moment, they were afraid, lost, and leaderless. Groups need leaders. In business, CEOs or other leaders shape direction and give guidance. Without leadership, groups fall apart. The same thing happens in any organization: governments, families, even churches. Leaders are crucial. And good leaders are even more important. Good leadership exhibits confidence, concern for the team, vision, honesty, decisiveness, responsibility, accountability, empathy, and focus. Without good leaders, organizations fall apart. The lesson is clear: sheep need shepherds! The disciples needed Jesus. And we need the Good Shepherd too. I have always liked the taste of pomegranates but after realizing all the benefits I have gone head first, not only in the research, but in the consumption of the fruit. It actually could have been a pomegranate, and not an apple, that was the forbidden fruit of Adam and Eve. Although the fruit is tempting it is pretty hard to eat. You have to cut into the hard husk to get to the small delicate seeds. It also expands your thinking (and taste buds) for ways to pack in antioxidants for overall health. Some of the ways pomegranates to support your health journey are: 1. Supports Heart Health 2. May Promote Urinary Health 3. May Assist Blood Sugar Control 4. Promote Digestive Health 5. May Reduce Cancer Risk 6. May Improve Exercise Endurance 7. May Protect Against Cognitive Disease The potential benefits of pomegranate seeds and their juice include improved heart, gut, and skin health, as well as improved memory, reduced joint pain, and more. You can read more about these benefits here: https://www.verywellhealth.com/pomegranate-11828597 My recommendation is to have pomegranates on hand for an easy healthy snack. My tip is to buy some ready-to-eat, peeled and sealed, so you are more likely to eat them throughout the day. I do like to sometimes get the full fruit because it is therapeutic to pick and eat them out one at a time. Since the pomegranate season is between September and January, with peak harvest in the early fall, this is the time to find them in your local supermarket. So go buy a couple today.   They hosted a carnival where I live. My first instinct was to say “no”. Meredith reminded me of my own words and brought this back into my memory. I wrote a piece about “going to the dumb BBQ,” where I talked about choosing opportunities and not letting them pass, however small or trivial they may feel.
This is another opportunity to explore life. Life isn't always butterflies. Sometimes it can be dumb. Looking back, all of this could have been taken away from me. But I made a decision to rise above. I decided to live and keep experiencing life, keeping Him first. So I am choosing to “go to the dumb carnival.” At the end of the day life is full of experiences- good and bad. You won't know what it will be until you go. They could be the highlight of your life or your downfall. When life is knocking at your door and you do not open it, you are missing opportunities. When you hear the knock today- open the dang door. I recently discovered Antonio Grasso and his version of the acronym, FOCUS. I resonate with the acronym and elaborate on how it applies to me. I encourage you to see if you can add this to your life. F - Follow: Stay dedicated to your chosen path or goal. What I do is focus on Him. That is my chosen path. The birds, the bees, and everything in between are all Him. O - One: Concentrate on a single goal to avoid distractions and be more efficient. My number one goal in life is being the best version of myself for my family. Family is everything. I want to not only provide but demonstrate strength, loyalty, perseverance, honesty, and integrity. I’m not saying I don’t have my own things I do, I just keep them in mind while I lean into daily tasks to make me live long and prosper. C - Course: Choose a clear and steady direction to make consistent progress. When you run a marathon, you do not start with a bunch of miles all at once. You start by jogging and taking it one step at a time. U - Until: Persist through challenges until you reach your desired outcome. You come across a day here and there that you are defeated. You can spend time with God and rest and relax. Then let yourself come back to your direction easily without being off course for too long. S - Successful: With patience and commitment, you will achieve your goals. When I first started to follow a process like this, I would get frustrated because I wasn’t seeing fast results. But I stayed FOCUSed and let myself see the progress over time. It isn't a pony trick that will only work with one thing; if you are patient and persistent, good things will come your way. Don’t lose your focus.  |
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October 2025
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