Write a Letter to the Future You

Have you ever wondered what the future you will look like?  Your actions today contribute greatly to that picture of yourself in the future.  I'm sharing a letter I'm writing to myself to be opened ten years from today and I challenge you to do the same.  Here goes...

Dear Future Self,

I thought about you this morning, June 7th, 2014, and I penned this letter for your review ten years into the future.  I'm thinking about what the world around you looks like on this day, the day after the 80th anniversary of D-Day.  Most of the survivors of that war are on the other side now and the invasion is but a distant memory.  I'm imagining the world you're living in is plagued with many of the same challenges I observe today and that's why I decided to write you this letter.  I want you to be in the best position to handle whatever curve balls life is throwing at you.  Here's my action plan for you:

• I promise to work on all my relationships.  Friends are a blessing.  I will do my best to keep in touch and support them when they need my help so that you won't ever be lonely.
• I promise to take care of my body by making healthy food choices and committing to regular exercise so you will find yourself in good shape.
• I promise to manage my finances properly so you will have a better retirement. 
• I promise to work daily on my character without worrying about my reputation so you will inherit a person with strong values.  
• I promise to walk daily in my faith and stay close to Jesus so you will have a sound navigation system in your life.  My hope for you is that Jesus is still your best friend.  If for some reason you drifted, I urge you to go back in time and remember how often Jesus was there when you were in crisis mode.
• I promise to hold my wife in the palm of my hand every day and love her with every breath.  You will be getting ready to celebrate thirty-five years of marriage by the time you read this letter.  If your heart still skips a beat every time you look at her then I know you are as blessed today as I have been throughout all my years at her side.  We both know in our hearts she is the best gift we ever received.
• I promise to stay close to our children, all of them leaving the nest as of this writing.  I promise to encourage them on their journey and to be there when they need me.  If you find yourself with grandchildren as you read this letter, make sure you tell them how I dreamed of getting to know them as well as our children's future spouses.

One last thing, future self.  I hope your heart is filled with much gratitude as you reflect on your life.  I hope you're living your life with passion and you are still sharing daily stories of faith, hope, love and inspiration with the world.  If I did my job right, you're celebrating over 5,000 days of consecutive blog writing and you won't stop until your heart stops beating.  ¡Vaya con Dios!

Michael

Finding the Right Balance

The seesaw is no fun when one side is so heavy that you can't move.  Has this ever happened to you in your personal life?  Maybe your workload is weighing you down.  Or you're not devoting enough time to your physical fitness and you have the couch potato blues.  My biggest challenge has been my debt load.  There he is – a 300 pound gorilla, staring at me from the other side of the seesaw.  He doesn't know the credit cards he's been consuming for years are all chopped up.  My gorilla is on a restricted diet.  I look forward to the days when I have financial balance in my life.

Time management is another area of my life I'm refining.  I have two tools to help me stay balanced with my time – the timer on my cell phone and my chronograph on my Timex triathlon watch.  My daily tasks have time targets assigned to help me get everything accomplished on my to do list.  Once the beeper goes off, time's up and I move on.  This is especially helpful for fun tasks I could spend all day on if there were no limits.  The timer on my cell phone is used to give me down time in the middle of the day when I can close my eyes for fifteen or twenty minutes without any fear of drifting off for too long.  A little siesta allows me to recharge and finish my tasks without feeling fatigued.

Take a look at how you're spending your time.  Manage your day by adding or subtracting to each area of your life.  You can have more fun on the seesaw when you find the right balance for all activities.  Let me know how you're doing.

The Truth About Designer Labels

Many of the clothes in my closet are labeled with the house brand.  I enjoy quality products without the expensive labels.  The sad truth is that many of us judge others by the labels we wear.  This goes beyond clothing.  How many times have you been asked what label you wear in religion or politics?  Beware.  Your answers can get you in hot water.

Jesus addressed the label issue 2,000 years ago.  He said, "My Father's house has many rooms," ~ excerpt from John 14:2.  I like to think of Jesus as the doorman.  He welcomes people of all denominations into his Father's house.  No one gets in unless they enter through the front door.  Jesus really doesn't care what label they're wearing.  Neither do I.  I refuse to judge people by the clothes they wear.

All beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Make sure you see the person underneath the label they're wearing.  My greatest hope is that when you look beyond my label you see Jesus.  He's not a Republican, Democrat or Independent.  He was mocked for the religious label we was born into and decided to open up the brand to anyone who wants to follow him.  Here's a little secret about Jesus many denominations overlook – he knows where the best grapes grow.  If you ask him about his favorite wine, he'll tell you, "try the house brand."

The Number One Beneficiary of Forgiveness

Some family feuds last so long both sides forget why they're still fighting.  They believe they own the rights to forgiveness.  They will decide if they're going to forgive, if ever.  They don't understand they are the number one beneficiary of forgiveness.  True healing cannot begin until you say, "I forgive you." 

Imagine your house was burned in a fire or was struck by a tornado or hurricane.  The insurance company is ready to hand you a check so you can rebuild.  All you have to do is sign the release form.  You won't sign.  Your pain and suffering is too large compared to the offer.  The longer you hold out, the longer you have to put your new life on hold.  That's what forgiveness is – a chance for you to rebuild your spiritual house.  It's a chance to let go of all that has been damaged so you can start over.  The fire is long gone.  The tornado or hurricane that wiped you out doesn't care if you hold a grudge against.  It disappeared in the wind.  The only one suffering is you.  Are you ready to move on?  All you have to do is say, "I forgive you."

Why You Should Pray Without Ceasing

Pray without ceasing ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Prayers are like gas in your tank.  When you're running on fumes, you're in danger of being stranded on the side of the road.  Keep your reservoir full.  And here's something to consider when you look at the gas gauge – is your tank half empty or half full?  The answer probably depends on your fuel additive.  It's labeled gratitude.  A little bit goes a long way.  It helps you focus on what you have in your life, not what you lack.  It helps you get more miles per gallon.

One of the best lessons I've learned about prayer is how it calms you in periods of stress.  Jesus prayed often.  He asked his friends to pray for him during his greatest trials.  His friends usually fell asleep at the wheel.  I'm doing my best to respond to all prayer requests from friends and family members.  These requests seem to be escalating lately.  Now more than ever, I feel we need to be praying without ceasing.

If you have a prayer request, please email me and let me know what I can specifically pray for.  And in case you didn't know, you're already on my prayer list.  I thank God every day for all the people I come in contact with and for the opportunity to serve them.  Thank you for connecting with me today.

You Have the Power to Decide How Great Today Will Be

If you ask two people at the beginning of the day about the kind of day they're going to have and one says, "terrific," while the other says, "horrible," they're both right.  Days aren't measured by what you accomplish, they're measured by your own attitude.

I believe all our days are connected.  Each new day is a continuation of all the prior days.  Whatever happens today will be terrific.  It may be a day filled with trials that teach us how to be better in future days.  It may also be a day we get the opportunity to get to know the people around us better or make new friends.  Those who say they're going to have a horrible day are closing doors.  They're locking themselves out of opportunity.  Their day will end as predicted.  So will mine.  I have the power to decide how great today will be.  It works every time.  How about you?  What kind of day do you think you're going to have today?

Are You Nurturing Your Gifts?

There's a reason I have a happy face every day – I've been entrusted with four gifts.  The first one appeared out of nowhere when I wasn't even looking.  She showed up in a petite package with a cute smile and a set of alluring eyes that captivated me.  She was Heaven-sent.  Nearly twenty-five years ago we became husband and wife.  The next three gifts arrived two years apart.  I knew my role was one of temporary custodian.  These precious children never really belonged to me.  Our job as parents was to nurture them and help them grow into adulthood.  While I get to hold on to the first gift, it's time to let go of the other three.  The last one graduated high school and soon he will share his future plans with the world.

What does one do when the nest empties?  I will focus on nurturing the gifts I was born with.  I promised my Creator I would develop my writing talent on a daily basis.  It started with love letters to my wife.  They are locked up in a box and someday they will be passed on to our children.  Our children can read them, burn them or share them as they see fit.  I believe the love letters will help them understand what it's like to be a parent.  I wouldn't trade that job for anything.  And I believe the letters will help our children understand that love really conquers all.

Take a look around you.  Those people in your life are your gifts.  Your parents, your children, your siblings, your grandparents, your aunts and uncles, your cousins, your close friends – each is a gift.  Nurture those relationships.  Keep in touch.  Let them know how special they are.  And don't overlook the inner gifts you have been given.  Like your friends and family, they need attention.  Everyone benefits when you nurture your gifts, even the ones you only have temporary custody of.