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I’m always amused by those TV ads for instant cash. They make it seem so easy to walk in and get all the money you need to get out from under your bills and debts, with even some spending money left over. They give the impression it’s free money.

It’s not. Of course, there’s never any mention of the fact you will eventually have to be accountable and pay the money back, and you will have to pay interest as well. Plus, if you are not able to pay it back on their schedule, the penalties add up so fast you may never get out from under the debt.

Kind of like the way we will all be held accountable for our lives one day. Best to settle your accounts with God now. Before he forecloses on you.

Artificial Intelligence has become an incredible thing. When I get in the car and pull out of the driveway, it tells me where I’m going and how long it will take to get there. When I turn on the TV, it tells me which shows I like to watch. When I type short essays such as this it corrects my spelling and suggests words to use. It will answer any trivia question I have, and anticipate what kind of posts I like to read on facebook.

The only thing it won’t tell me is the difference between right and wrong. Because it doesn’t know. We have to go to a different source for that. The bible has those answers.

And there’s nothing artificial about that intelligence.

My paternal grandfather divorced my grandmother before I was born. He moved far away and had no relationship with me whatsoever. I met him once for a few hours when I was sixteen years old. He was polite but didn’t indicate any kind of feelings for me. When he passed away I felt no sense of loss. You can’t lose what you never had.

I’m now at a stage of life where I am blessed to enjoy the company of my four grandchildren. I can’t imagine having no connection with them. They are part of my life. Part of me. I want to pass down so much of myself to them. I want to leave a legacy they will remember.

My grandfather passed on that chance. I’m in no position to judge. But it sure seems like a waste of life. Love is the only thing that endures. You get as much back as you give out.

You probably know someone who enjoys telling “fish stories”. The term comes from folks who exaggerate the details of their experiences to impress others, such as inflating the size of the proverbial fish that got away.

Even though we would never admit it, we all crave attention, and if it takes a little dramatization to achieve it, what’s the harm? It’s okay to tell a little fish story once in a while, so long as we remember that God always sees us the way we are.

Really, you don’t need to try to impress people. You have been created by a perfect God who made you precisely as you are supposed to be. There is a unique path you have been designed to walk and you have been given the ability to endure it. You will need God’s help to reach your destination, but you don’t have to tell Him a fish story to impress Him.

He already loves you. And you already have His attention. Don’t let Him be the one that got away.

Sugar and salt are the two ingredients that make food worth eating. Those are the flavors we crave. I’ve been on many different diets, but they all boil down to living without sugar and salt. I’ve tried any number of foods that have reduced or eliminated those two elements. They just taste bland. No flavor, no satisfaction. The anticipation of a good meal lacks the payoff, the reward.

God is the sugar and salt of life. Try living without Him, and the joy of your successes fades quickly. Your journey is bland and lacks a true goal. A spiritual relationship establishes meaning and purpose to the every day ups and downs of your existence.

If you’re having trouble figuring out why your life seems unfulfilling, try spicing it up with a little Godly sugar and salt. The flavor is to die for. Literally.

Folks like to use the outside of their houses and front lawns to make a statement. They might hang the American flag to show their patriotism. They may fly the banner of their favorite school or sports team to display their support. They might want you to know they are in favor of a political candidate. Landscaping businesses will stick a sign into the lawn promoting the job they just did mowing or fertilizing the property. Or maybe the homeowners want you to notice their house is for sale, and that it’s been newly renovated.

One of the reasons I love the Christmas season is because it is the time when many choose to make another statement. They demonstrate their faith by putting out nativity scenes and various spiritual figures.

Maybe that’s the kind of lawn declaration that should last year round.

Traveling and sightseeing will make a believer out of you. I’m certainly not a world traveler, but I’ve seen the beaches of Hawaii, the snow capped mountains of Alaska, the street marketplaces of Mexico, the majesty of the Grand Canyon, the amazing caverns of Carlsbad.

I’ve stood on my back porch and observed breathtaking sunsets and even a few eclipses. To try to convince yourself that all of this just evolved into existence by random chance requires a much greater stretch of imagination, than to acknowledge it is the work of a great Creator.

God reveals himself all around you every day. You may run from Him but you can’t hide. Why would you want to?

We’ve had several dogs over the years. A good dog adds joy to your life. It will love you almost unconditionally. All you have to do is love it back. A pup will wait patiently for you to decide to have time for him, always ready to play and keep you company. It’ll go for walks with you, play fetch your tennis ball, curl up on your lap and watch TV with you.

Once it accepts you as its master, that dog will acknowledge your authority over its life, and will trust you with its protection, well-being and destiny. Wherever you lead your dog in life, it will follow you willingly.

When it comes to our relationship with God, we could learn a lot from a dog.

Our mail deliverers usually come in late afternoon. But one early morning I happened to glance out my window and notice the mail truck pulling up to our box. This was a bit of a problem because it also happened to be garbage pick-up day. I had parked our trash can in front of our mailbox because our trash usually gets picked up in the morning.

Postal workers are not required to get out of their vehicles if your mailbox is blocked, and she could have just driven on past. However, I saw her step out of the truck, walk around the garbage can, and place our mail in the box. She didn’t have to do that.

I’m thankful for just small acts of kindness like this, and I’ll try to pay it forward. Good plan for all of us.

Controlling our behavior is one thing. Controlling our thoughts is quite another. The website fitstream.com reports that the average person has more than 60,000 thoughts each day. That’s a lot of brainwork to try to keep positive.

We may not be able to keep sinful thoughts from popping into our heads, but dwelling on them is the real problem. You fight them by being ready in advance. Think of several pleasant people, situations and experiences, things that bring you joy, and store them in your mind. When bad concepts creep into your head, kick them out and call upon one of your positive mental pictures. It takes a little practice, but you can take command of your brain.

You can do this. You get 60,000 chances to succeed every day.