John Harrell's Blog, page 30

Boredom

Boredom can facilitate bad behavior! When I was a kid, I was bored in school. Most of the teachers didn’t keep me interested, so I got in trouble. Being bored and having a very high energy level is not a good combination.

Most of life is routine. We have schedules to keep, deadlines to reach and we find the time to eat. If we are doing the work God intended us to do, we will be fulfilled no matter how tedious the days are. God wired each of us individually and uniquely. There is only one you who has ever been created.

Are you experiencing a lot of boredom? Find your frequency…

Draw The Line

You have probably heard people say “that’s whee I draw the line.” This signals that someone has crossed an imaginary barrier and the declarer says no more!

Setting boundaries and saying no to things that aren’t enriching to your life is healthy. Sadly, there are people who will prey on others, taking advantage of them But when you say no to something or someone, you are saying YES to yourself. And you are making room in your life for something better.

In the United States (and possibly the rest of the world), people drew their lines in the sand over political differences. When you stop and consider the infighting that happened between the Founding Fathers, you realize there’s been an element of this in our DNA for centuries. It got so bad that George Washington called for a three-day recess for fasting and prayer. Yep, he did.

Do what you need to do to take care of yourself. Sometimes that’s as simple as saying no…

Breakfast

Eating breakfast is a rarity for me. But after doing some research, I might need to rethink this!

Someone, possibly a lobbyist, coined the phrase, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” If it was a lobbyist, I’m not sure his or her intentions were pure. But there is value in eating something in the morning.

Eating stimulates your metabolism. Your glucose levels rise after being depleted during the night, and your body stays in the rhythm of fasting and eating. If your body believes it won’t get fed, it will store energy in your fat cells. So, eating establishes communication with your body. But there’s no need to overdo it. Just some fruit, carbohydrates and protein will do the trick!

I’m traveling today. The hotel I’m staying in has bagels and peanut butter downstairs. I’m off to have breakfast now!

Be well…

Deleterious

Before writing today’s blog, I wasn’t certain what the word deleterious meant. I just think it sounds cool. I’m still not sure when I might use it in a sentence!

Sometimes people use words that the crowd doesn’t understand what they mean. Maybe they think they sound smarter than the rest of the population, or perhaps they’re insecure. In communication, the simpler the better. When you’re trying to make a point or explain something, using common words will go a long way in being understood.

And by the way, if I had titled today’s blog “Causing Harm,” you might not have read it!

Eyesight

As I have gotten older, I have noticed my eyesight is not as sharp as it once was. But there are certain things I see clearly.

Consider the story of the man who was blind since birth. Jesus healed the man and restored his eyesight. In those days, when something bad happened like blindness, the people attributed it to either the sin of the man or his parents. Jesus declared it to be neither. The man was born blind so that in that moment, God would be glorified.

Some of the Pharisees were outraged because Jesus had healed the man on the Sabbath. They missed it completely! Only God could restore the man’s sight, but they were blind to this because they were only looking at the law. Jesus didn’t come to bring us more religion. He came to show us the character of God. As you can see, there’s a lot of levels to this beautiful story.

I encourage you to open your eyes. See the unseen. When you see a wrong, don’t walk away. Make it right.

The unseen is not just the spiritual. It’s the people around us, too…

Your Greatest Battle

Every day we are in a fight for our lives. Good versus evil. Do we choose Gods way or the way the world thinks? The world isn’t always wrong, but it can be seductive. We can be lured into a false sense of security.

God gave us a guide for how we should live our lives. There is structure, emotional and physical health and how we should handle our money inside that book. There are also many self-help books in circulation. We turn to them because if we follow what the Bible teaches us, we might be thought of as weird. No one wants that because then you become an outcast!

The fight is real. Unseen forces are vying for our attention. I encourage you to pay attention to the Spirit that brings light and life into you.

You won’t be sorry or disappointed…

It’s Coming

December is going to feel like it flew by. Before you know it we will be starting the new year.

With the new year coming so do the resolutions. You remember those. Did you set any at the beginning of 2024? Here’s my encouragement to you: set one. Only one and commit to it. Here is my second encouragement to you: start now, not January 1st. There is no reason to wait if it’s something you really want for your life. And it is your life. You are only limited by your thinking.

It takes 21 days for a new behavior to become a habit. By the time we turn the page into a new year you will be well on your way!

The only person who can stop you is yourself. Get out of your own way and get to work!

2025 is coming soon…

Wishful Memories

When people die, family and friends usually say a few nice words about the person whether they deserved them or not. People want to remember whatever good they could think of.

When we think back on our lives, we have both good and bad memories. Some memories give us good feelings and warmth, but there are some we would love to forget. The things we wish we hadn’t done always seem to come up.

Beginning with the end in mind, how do you want your future memories to look? You can make your life into whatever you want. Don’t just wait for things to happen. Make them happen!

Memories are made from wonderful experiences. Make yours count…

Government Efficiency

GREAT NEWS!!! I received a notice from the IRS informing me I had overpaid my taxes by $87.20! Given the level of efficiency I have come to expect from the government, I’m expecting to receive payment around August of 2026! It’s a Christmas Miracle!

Of course I’m being silly, trying to generate a laugh. But the reason it’s funny is because there’s truth in it. The old saying, “it’s close enough for government work” is what we have come to expect. This attitude would never survive in the private sector.

We certainly need a government, no doubt. And they have almost unlimited resources. But if you want to be the most efficient purveyor of those resources, put them in the hands of the faith and philanthropic communities. They will move Heaven and Earth while wasting precious little.

Enjoy your day, everyone…

Simple Math

When we were little children we were taught simple math: addition and subtraction. Division and multiplication came later.

Math is a nice analogy to life itself. In relationships, are we adding or taking (subtracting) from our friends and family? We all know people who love to point out our shortcomings. The world they live in is critical and judgmental. Constructive criticism is necessary so we can change the things we might be blind to, but those people will suck life from you if you allow them to.

Division is everywhere. Our society is, sadly, more divided now than ever. And there are little-minded people who love to “pile on” when they feel the need to gloat, thus multiplying.

I encourage you to be the one who adds value and insight to others. Be a pleasure to be around, not a whiner or a burden. Find humor where you can. The world needs to laugh.

And speaking of math, I have yet to use Algebra II in my daily life…