Light shines. Darkness no match🙂

God Never Stops!

Welcome!

Limited possibilities.

Shepherd struggles in the face and faces of hardship.

Magi-inspired themes of life and the face and faces of a long journey.

Ordinary people. Run-of-the-mill problems.

Extraordinary people. Seemingly impossible obstacles to overcome.

God Never Stops.(pf)

This is a good thing to know at the start of a day, at the start of the New Year. As has been noted from time to time, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.☺️

Who better and what actions are better than His? I think you may be hard pressed to find a worthy rival, an supernatural equal.

He is the one and only.

The best we can hope to do is stand in His good graces. Imitate the God of love. Shine a light. Glimmers of light. Wherever we can, whoever we meet. Do not fear taking the first step.(pf) This is the toughest part of the journey He expects of us. We know what we need to do. We just do not know how.

Courage.

Courage is the ability to carry on an good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.

Translation: Even if and when we do not “feel like it”. It is good to remember that when we encounter another person, they may need the brightness more than us. Need a shoulder to cry on, an ear to hear them, a smile to brighten their spirits, lighten their load of pain.

Yep.

But why? How?

Extend the hand of grace, extend the strength of grace But why? Why do this? The light of forgiveness, reconciliation. Because as strange as it may sound, performing this act of contrition is a,

Win-Win!

It may not repair long term damage of life spent staggering aimlessly on the wrong path. But. It does move the moral authority—ourselves—in the right direction. Our thoughts, words, actions take on a day to day importance we could have never imagined.

How can I open a window of light? (pf)

The hardest part? The first step. More elementarily stated (I love making up new words😉)

It shines a light in small ways! Then add in a dash of His grace and mercy, we can handle just about anything and anyone and light the candle of another. The result? A fire of roaring beauty that ignites the fire of goodness in all of us.

How cool is that?

Or.

How hot is that?

Either way, it will be good for everyone in some small way. Start small. Not small-minded— we have seen time and again where this thinking has gotten any of us.

How? Simple. Do something. Do anything. To bring a smile to another person, another being’s face.

”I don’t know how?”

Yes. You do!

Effort really counts.

The effect may not be felt, noticed in the moment. They do not call it a struggle because it is easy. In life, “in it for the long haul” is not for the fainted-hearted and weak. So take a long hard look into whatever reflects you best.

Start from there, here. Somewhere. Blame is a tentacle of the weak.

Struggles come in small and large ways each and every day. If we peak too soon, we may gain a false sense of confidence. Slow and steady wins the race. Our gut. Will be the guide.

Balance.

But how?

Practice. Practice. Practice. Even our greatest thinkers through the years knew this to be true.

How?

They practiced what they preached! Then. They shared the outcome with the rest of us! So we could learn true virtue and its applications. Reality does not have to bite.

Balance recklessness and cowardice. Knowing what to fear and responding appropriately.. easier said than done for some. Because conditions exist that cause hardship in ways that have been ping ponged for far too long.

The back and forth. Back and forth. Knowing your place and then staying there is an exercise in strength. Passing the buck? Not so much. Sure. It is done, sometimes before we even realize the check had been cashed and the funds disappeared into oblivion.

If we listen. Really listen. Then.

We know.

What a beautiful gift. He is to us. The peace that passes understanding.

Passes understanding.😃

So for the long-haulers who have chosen the stagger— path, Godspeed and we still have your back. When you may trip or fall, steal and crawl back to Him for the mercy that has been reserved for YOU all along.

Forgiveness is not a quick fix.

He knows this because he has seen watched and seen us grow. He knows we can do it. Even if and when we do not think we can. We, in turn, can be the gift we can bestow on one another . Even in our weakest and “I don’t wanna” moments. Face to face, with Him is the goal of the day. How we choose to get there is up to us.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. He is light. Try it. You may like it.

Important to note that courage is also about looking reality in the face. Aristotle noted courage is concerned with fear. Fear is the expectation of evils, the most frightening of which is death.

He goes on to say that the soldier who freely chooses to fight despite having no personal reason to do so besides honor and nobility, is indeed a soldier of the Most High.

Socrates opines that courage is foolish endurance that is more courageous than a wise endurance.

Epictetus viewed courage as mental fortitude and an integral part of moral framework.

Your choice.

You. The moral authority. The boss of YOU.

With the help and guidance of all these great thinkers and preachers, the path you now walk will help you help another.

Yep. The gift that keeps on giving. The doubters may “return to sender” from time to time. It’s o.k.

Just say corn!

Take a deep breath.

Look fear in the face, whisper His name.

The next person you encounter, not cross, will be the opportunity to get it right.

Tomorrow is another day. Today is the day to put your best foot forward.

Walk the walk.