Light, sound, liquids, and air move in waves. The closer you are to the source, the shorter the distance between the waves and the greater force they hit you with. That’s also how you know when you re getting closer to the breaking point of a situation.

I am acutely aware of shifts in the barometer between high and low fronts. When a storm is forming even 100 miles away I can start to feel the pain in my nerves.

Right now, we are in an information war between forces that want to stir up our emotions. The desire is to create confusion and then present their point of view as the solution.

The more confusion and chaos you encounter, the greater peace and calm you must present in the face of the storm.

Many times a week, I will put a little wine in a glass, take a small portion of bread, say a prayer for wisdom, and take Communion privately in my home. I especially do this when I am looking for wisdom or insight into how to handle something.

I don’t care what it is that I’m dealing with. I will usually find something that I am grateful for and then the next step will come to me as I stay still and listen through the wind and chaos.

Elijah heard a still small voice and that is how he knew when God was present. When he quieted his mind, he heard clearly.

Thoughts from 1 Kings 19:1-14

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I saw a man that had sown into my life for many years when I was just a kid. We hadn’t seen each other in almost 20 years and it was a powerful flood of memories just to talk with him again.

When you have something stored up in you, take the opportunitie3s that come to squeeze yourself out into someone else.

You can never know the impact you could have in their lif3 decades later.

Thoughts from Isaiah 60:3

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Restoration – definition

1. the act of restoring; renewal, revival, or reestablishment.

2. the state or fact of being restored.

3. a return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition.

4. restitution of something taken away or lost.

5. something that is restored, as by renovating.

Restoration is the positive state of being and mind of having overcome a great loss. Why do I say a great loss?

Nobody thinks about being restored from the damage of losing your ballpoint pen or not receiving enough napkins in their Drive-thru happy meal bag. There comes a point, based on our individual maturity and psychological strength where a loss overwhelms us. Even if that event is brief and we come out of it quickly, the residue could still affect us or our relationships, business, or finances for some time.

That point is very unique and different for each of us. 

Just as the definition states restoration is an act. When they were younger, one of the kids had spilled a small bottle of chocolate milk in their bedroom. They hid it until it for a couple of weeks until I discovered it. 

I was very upset. They had done something like this before where they had spilled a bottle in their school backpack and soaked a bunch of things. 

I made them clean it up and thought that was the end of it. So, I never said anything to mom because I was handling it. 

Now when I discovered the carpet soaked in crusty, dried chocolate milk, I was extremely unhappy and they knew it. After I scolded them and explained all of the reasons why what they had done was wrong, I laid out their punishment. I took their iPad away from them until it was cleaned up, solely by themselves and only to my satisfaction. 

If they slacked off it would only delay receiving their iPad back. I didn’t care how long it would take but they wouldn’t get it back for days if they didn’t get the problem solved. 

Then, I told them they would clean it up and once they were done I would give them a high-five, a hug, and tell them that I was proud of them for cleaning it up correctly. 

Afterwards I showed them exactly how I wanted it cleaned, and what my expectations were by cleaning a portion of it myself. 

They went from crying and sad to determined to make it look as good as they could. And, they finished it in under an hour, even with my having them work harder on a couple of spots. 

When they finished, I gave them their high-five, a giant hug, told them I was proud of their hard work, and took her to the store with me so we could spend some time together. 

They felt so relieved and happy, they almost bounced in their steps. They had a feeling of accomplishment from being restored even though nothing was going to diminish my love for her and certainly not some spilt milk. 

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Getting our house in order is super critical in anticipation of next year’s economic challenges.

Almost all of us have heard about 911 calls that took forever to have police respond because they other priorities at that moment.

If you’ve ever seen Star Trek, when someone calls for help Mr. Scott immediately transports them to safety.

Star Trek 2009 starring Christopher Pine is interesting because during an attack on Vulcan there is a space drill blocking transporters and communications.

When it comes time to get things done, assume that nobody is coming to save you. There is no Mr Scott. There is no transporter. There is no easy road.

You are going to need a team of people to achieve your dreams and goals. But you will first have to do the personal work on yourself in order to be able to have the team available when it’s the time.

Thoughts from Psalm 34:4-7

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I was having a discussion with one of my kids about having breakfast at home versus school or eating out on the way to school.

I told her that I knew when she ate and when she didn’t and I could even tell what she ate.

That’s when she gave in and agreed to have breakfast.

I fast for 12-16 hours every day and workout 4 times per week average. So I get it. She didn’t want to eat. But she’s also not eating correctly and I don’t want her health impacted.

She’s misled me in the past, but my love for her is just like most dads’ love.  You’re willing to cover over a bunch of screw ups as long as they keep learning.

The stronger my love for my kids and my wife, the more I’m willing to discuss and correct rather than fly off the handle.

Just because I love them doesn’t mean that they get a free pass. I have to model accountability and I expect them to live up to it also.

Thoughts from 1 Peter 4:8

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This is difficult to speak about.

For almost 17 years my mom was in a physical decline. First, she had 2 brain surgeries, then over time dementia set in.

Last week, my wife, girls, and I drove out to Toledo to pay our final respects.

I was determined that it was not going to be a pity party for all the times we couldn’t be there because we lived so far away. Plus, my girls didn’t deserve that burden.

I took my girls to the Toledo Zoo, The Toledo Museum of Art, and we spent much loved time with friends and family.

We got to connect and reconnect with people from our lives long ago.

But, as crazy as it sounds, we played and rested.

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Mental and physical exhaustion is rampant when you begin learning new skills.

One of the most exhausting things was learning a new language. The amount of focus required to understand different accents and words, let alone humor, is intense.

Physical exercise is the same thing. When you’re building muscle, one principle is that you lift until you reach muscle fatigue or fail so you maximize growth.

It’s the same for our kids. They are constantly learning new things. We frequently get frustrated with them because they are tired of doing something when in reality they are fatigued mentally.

We all know that too much fatigue without proper rest can contribute to illness. The same is true of our peace of mind.

When we don’t refocus our efforts to recover our peace in the midst of the storm, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the waves that are around us.

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I was listening to one of my daughters having a group discussion with some of her friends about what another young lady had told her was going on.

As she wrapped up the discussion, they decided they would all connect tomorrow at school to bring it to a conclusion.

She is determined not to be manipulated by anyone.

Then one of her friends popped over to see how things were and I ended up being part of the conversation.

I had an opportunity to briefly explain how our minds will protect us from an unpleasant truth when confronted, how people will lie with poor memory, and how behavior is truth.

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Your kids are literal geniuses as they grow. They are balancing experience and the practical education of life.

What happens to them is our responsibility as Dads and Moms to bring out the best in them.

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