John Harrell's Blog, page 51

It Begins

Many of our favorite movies involve adventure. Everything from “The Chronicles of Narnia” to “Indiana Jones” keeps us interested from the moment their venture into the unknown begins. We feel our hearts beat faster while we anticipate the next turn.

Life can be the same way. Every moment of every day is an unknown. You might even call it an adventure. Yet, many are living in fear of the future rather than feeling enthralled. The fact that we don’t know what’s around the corner should excite us, not paralyze us. It truly is our perspective.

Treat each moment as an opportunity to live, to really live. In the words of Willy Wonka, “The suspense is terrible. I hope it lasts…”

Community

We are meant to be with other people. God said this early in Genesis: “It is not good for man to be alone.” Personally I enjoy being with others.

In the sixties hippies formed communes and lived together as a cohesive community. They shared everything, and I mean everything.

Some sick people have perverted the idea of community. Jim Jones comes to mind, but there are many others. These people take advantage of people’s desire to be led. If we are called to lead, we must lead with honor and fidelity.

Isolation has shredded mental health. Now there are some who remain afraid to be with others. Encourage them.

If you haven’t heard from someone in a while, pick up the phone and give them a call. You will be glad you did…

Principles

Principles are defined as “a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.” For example, we have laws in the United States. If you disregard the law, you are held accountable. It doesn’t matter if you agree with it or not. The laws apply to all of us.

Our individual principles might be demonstrated through our ethical and moral behaviors. Telling the truth is a good way to live. If you always tell the truth, you don’t have to be concerned about what you told someone. If you are known to lie, people won’t trust you.

We live in an age where people regularly try to flout cultural norms. It’s perfectly fine to be counterculture as long as you aren’t breaking any laws.

Just be a good person…

Live Before Dying

I see so many people living empty, unfulfilled lives. They are chasing something. It could be a mate, a more prestigious job, or perhaps they want greater influence. In the final analysis, it appears most people are chasing their tails.

We are meant for more than getting an education, a career, saving some money and then retiring to die. No, we are built for greatness. The Creator of the Universe doesn’t want us to live just for ourselves.

Strive for significance in your life. Significance goes beyond success. Significance means you are making a difference.

If you are one of the people who are chasing the stuff I described in the first paragraph, I encourage you to aim higher. Those things won’t fill your emptiness. Significance will…

Keep It Simple

We all know people who like to demonstrate their great knowledge by using words most people don’t understand. In my opinion, those people are showing their lack of knowledge about a particular subject, and by using rarely used, difficult words they keep others from engaging with them and exposing them.

Simplicity reigns. It is possible to take a difficult subject and discuss it in ways that keep people interested. This encourages dialogue, even allowing opposing views to come out. This is how you connect with others and grow.

You can be the smartest person in the room without telling anyone that you are. Keep it simple…

Why?

When the world doesn’t make sense, and that’s much of the time, we oftentimes ask “why God, why? The truth is, usually we won’t get the answer on this side of eternity. I’m okay with that because in my heart I know God is good.

I want you to know it’s okay to ask why, and it’s okay to wonder if God really knows what He’s doing. You won’t be the first to question Him. Faith and trust are built when we realize that God really does work things out for good. Good is God’s nature.

Questions are good things. They put us on the path to learning. Keep asking…

Healthy

What are your daily habits that are good for your health? By health, I mean more than just your physical health. But let’s begin there.

If you aren’t exercising, my encouragement to you is to start. Begin slowly. Start taking daily walks, outside if possible. Breathing fresh air and enjoying nature will help clear your mind. And we can all use a good cleansing sometimes!

Now let’s discuss exercise for your brain. If television appeals to you, watch documentaries at least twice per week. Well produced documentaries will make you think. They will inspire your curiosity, too. This gets the neural activity in your brain moving. And your brain will like it.

Finally, make sure you are having meaningful conversations with your friends and family. Be willing to discuss difficult issues, and listen with an open mind. This creates deeper connections which will benefit your overall physiology while increasing your immune system. All good things!

Change can be scary for some people. But in these cases, it’s a good scare…

The Most Dangerous Prayer

In the Bible we are encouraged to “pray continuously.” Admittedly I forget to do this sometimes. Most days I’m just talking to God throughout my day. Perhaps that is prayer, but I just consider it talking to a trustworthy friend.

Do you want to activate your prayer life? If your answer to this question is yes, and you mean it, here’s how: pray the most dangerous prayer you can. And it’s short. Use me. That’s it. And believe me when I say that God will answer quickly.

God is looking for people He can use to accomplish His will on earth. When we become willing, He will use us.

Here is my daily prayer. Feel free to use it for yourself. “Use me. Work through me. Through my writings and through my words. Through my actions and through my deeds. Let me be a light in this dark world.”

Be a light…

Where To?

People are struggling now more than I ever remember in my lifetime. Mental health was shredded from isolation during the pandemic, it’s expensive to live, and people are at each other’s throats over politics. Where do you turn to?

I want to encourage you to be the calm in the storm. Be the one others turn to for a kind word, some encouragement, or maybe just a smile. You are needed now more than you might realize.

I know that everyone faces challenges in their lives. No challenge is insurmountable. Have faith and believe in yourself.

Take care of yourself first. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t show up with your best. Self care is not selfish. It prepares you to be a light in the darkness.

And remember this: God is in control. None of this shit surprises Him. Find some peace in knowing that…

Safety

I’m fortunate. God has provided me with a nice home in a safe neighborhood. I recognize that not everyone is as fortunate, and I wish they were.

People seek safety and security in their lives. If you are part of a healthy family , you may freely express yourself without judgment, only acceptance and guidance. Having grown up in a dysfunctional family where expressing my feelings would reign judgment and ridicule on me, I kept quiet most of the time. I felt alone and misunderstood, even full of shame for having certain feelings like anger.

When I became a father, I made a conscious decision to break the chain of dysfunction. I used to tell my kids that they could say anything they wanted to me. I was paying attention to how they said it. I guess it worked because we have a solid relationship with open communication today.

Familial maladies are often multi-generational. You can be the catalyst to change the course of your family’s history.

Be willing…