Still in the Dark

 If you're trying to reach me on my cell phone,  you may want to give it another day.  I'm still in transition to new service.  The same is true with my wife.  It looks like it takes longer than 24 hours for our old phone number to be activated.  I should be restored soon.  Thanks for your patience.   Have a great day.

Step Two Complete

It's a challenging day when you're in the middle of a tech support phone call attempting to change your phone service and your old company turns the service off before you get all the directions you need.  That's okay.  I was advised that losing the call meant the old company did their job and shut the line down allowing the new company to have an open door.

Was it worth all the time and effort to make the change to a new cell phone company?  I'm all in with the new people.  I like the idea of saving on my monthly bills for both my cell phones and my internet.  Having a smart watch that can be used as a cell phone isn't really necessary but it sure makes life a bit simpler.  I'm crossing my fingers that step two of the changeover will be okay.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day. 

Step One Complete

Change is painful.  Most people avoid change simply because they don't like the hassle.  I'm one of those who will pay the price upfront in order to gain a future benefit no matter how excruciating the pain may be.

Step one of my transfer to a new company for my communication needs is now complete.  My home internet changeover yields nearly $600 in annual savings excluding all the rebates I'm eligible for.  The cherry on top is discovering that my wifi in my home is now 6g (6th generation).  

Today is the most important day in the changeover process.  The divorce papers will be finalized with company A due to irreconcilable differences.  They wanted to treat me one way and I preferred something else.  Robots who field customer calls may be one way to save money.  I tend to believe when robots intervene and humans are let go, there may be negative consequences.  This lesson may be helpful for company A.  Perhaps they will learn from the feedback I gave them when I decided it was time to move on.  Stay tuned for the rest of the story. It's time to move on to step two today.  Have a great day.

Change is in the Air

 The package arrives today.  It sure is feeling like Christmas.  I'm changing cell phone companies.  The new company is rolling out the red carpet for my family.  Smart watches are part of the package.  I will share more once the change-over is complete.  Time to get busy.  Have a great day.

Interoception

 The word of the day is interoception.  This is a new word for me.  I came across it on a random Andrew Huberman interview this morning after my morning meditation.  Huberman's ideas always seem to resonate with me.  His talk on interoception may be one of the best ones I've come across.  

Huberman recommends seventeen minutes of "interocecption" daily.  The idea is to get in touch with your inner self.  It's like a self examination of what's going on inside your body.  It's a quiet time where one pays attention to internal breathing.  It's a time to attempt to reverse age related cognitive decline or at least slow it down.  The idea is to rewire your brain.  All you need to do is close your eyes for seventeen minutes a day and explore your inner mind and body.  Give it a try for 30 days and see what happens.  Have a great day.

Are You Testing Your Limits?

 The best way to discover what your capabilities are is to push the boundaries.  I'm the first one to agree that this is painful.  Most of us are pretty good at pain avoidance.  Those who put pain to the side in pursuit of excellence tend to achieve positive results.

Test your limits daily.  Do this in every area of your life.  If you prefer to wait until the New Year begins in order to do this, please don't wait.  Take some practice laps.  Fail as often as you need to in order to succeed.  Prepare yourself mentally for the challenges in the New Year.  Have a great day.

Five to Beam Up

Imagine you're on the maiden voyage of the Titanic.  You're traveling first class.  Every amenity you can think of is at your fingertips.  The unthinkable happens.  You hit an iceberg and you're sinking.  There aren't enough lifeboats to save everyone.  All you want to do is save your family.  

While my personal situation may not be life or death, I did have a customer service encounter recently similar to the Titanic scenario.  I was a raving fan for over a decade.  My every need was fulfilled for me and my family.  I had access to all the bells and whistles.  A new CEO took over the helm of my cell phone provider.  Changes were made behind the scenes but I never noticed, at least not until we hit the iceberg.  I called for help.  The only answer was a robot that didn't know how to respond.  My chat messages were useless.  The rules of the game were changed and I no longer understood them.  Sadly, my raving fan status was reduced to third class and I was locked up like a prisoner with no escape.  The company had the nerve to ask me to rate my customer service experience at the end of a two hour long phone call that ended in disaster.  All I could say was, "I'm leaving your company."

Five to beam up.  

An employee from the competition listened to my rants and offered a solution for me and my family.  My sinking ship has turned into a starship.  Soon, a couple of members of my family will be sporting smart watches similar to the communicators/tricorders that were used in Star Trek when the show first aired in the 60's except smaller and worn on the wrist.  Stay tuned for reviews about this new out of this world solution to my challenges.  Special thanks to the customer service rep who came to my rescue.  If all goes well, I may become a raving fan of the new company servicing our cell phones, home internet, and smart watches for a reduced monthly fee.  Have a great day.

Happy Thanksgiving

There's no place like home.  I'm thankful to be with family today.  From my family to you and yours, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.  May your household be abundantly blessed.  Have a great day.

Food Journey Takes On South American Flavor

 While it's no surprise my DNA test revealed ancestral roots in the expected regions, like Ireland, what did surprise me was how far south in the Americas my ancestors once lived.  I never would have considered Peru as a possibility.  We all know how much we love all things sweet, right?  I go out of my way to keep sweet things out of my house.  Remember the slogan from Lay's Potato Chips?...  "so light, so thin, so crisp, you can eat a million of them, but nobody can eat just one."

Yes, I love all things sugary.  When it comes to chocolate, the label might as well be marked with a warning... "nobody can eat just one."  I wonder how my Peruvian ancestors quenched their appetite for sweet things.  Perhaps they discovered the stevia leaf, something that is 200 to 250 times sweeter than sugar.  

My curiosity for eating the right foods at the right time in order to maximize my health and longevity brought me to something I'm trying beginning today and it happens to have an ingredient in it that comes from the stevia plant found in South America.  I'm not taking this product because of its sweetness, I'm taking it to maintain the proper levels of electrolytes in my body.  Credit for this discovery goes to the tennis pro I met while playing pickup pickle ball last week in Carmel, Indiana.  Thank you, Brian Cook.  

It turns out that my new friend, Brian, is on a similar food journey.  In fact, Brian eats more red meat than I do.  We will be comparing notes in the future.  I'm going to send him a link to today's story to let him know the product he takes daily will soon be a permanent part of my lifestyle.  Check it out for yourself if you're concerned about keeping your body properly hydrated.  Please consult your physician as this story is for information purposes only and your doctor is the best contact when making changes in your life.  If your doctor clears you, click here for Redmond Re-Lyte.  Have a great day.

Home Sweet Home

I'm home.  The journey was exceptional.  The cherry on top was my first weigh-in in three weeks this morning.  Despite eating mostly red meat for most of my meals, I dropped 3.5 pounds.  My fighting weight seems to be best at 160.  Drum roll...160.1 pounds.   

It's time for a couple of days of family time and then a full day of giving thanks on Thanksgiving Day.  It's a great day to head over to the rec center next door and play some pickle ball with my wife.  Both of us will do our best to stay out of the kitchen.  Have a great day.

Wheels Up

 Good luck to my Noblesville, Indiana teammates tomorrow for your opening.  My time with you has come to a conclusion and it's time to go home today.

I'm thankful for my time here.  Yes, I got ribbed for eating mostly steak every night and for my morning barbecues before sunrise.  That's okay.  I really do believe my peculiar food habits are contributing to a healthier lifestyle.  The restaurant choices in the area are fabulous.  Matt the Miller's Tavern gets top honors for best steak.  Weighing in at 8 ounces, try Matt's world famous filet when you're in Carmel, Indiana.  Warning...there are 142 roundabouts in the area so make sure you yield to oncoming traffic.  Although the locals love it,  I'm still a bit dizzy from driving in circles.  I think returning to Iowa today will straighten me out.  I look forward to having the roads mostly to myself and reuniting with my family.  Have a great day.

Pickleball on the Road

 Things don't always go according to plan.  My day off yesterday started out hopeful.  There were a couple of tennis drill sessions going on at a local tennis club with beautiful indoor courts.  Nonmembers can opt in by calling one hour in advance.  The 8am session was sold out.  Knowing my odds of getting a call back at number three on the waiting list were slim, I headed to another indoor facility nearby.  Nada.  I was referred to a community center and signed up for a one day pass hoping to meet others playing pickleball.  Zilch.  No pickleball due to high demand for indoor basketball.  I asked for a refund and drove off.  It looked like my lucky streak was over.   

My last option was Meadowlark park located 1.1 miles from my hotel where I'm staying on a day job assignment.  Four men were playing.  They reminded me of the men I play tennis with in Iowa.  They were communicating well and covering the pickleball court like champions.  The sun was shining and there were no winds making it the perfect day to play outside.

One of the players needed to leave.  I asked if I could join the three remaining players.  Much to my surprise, the player I teamed up with is one of the tennis pros from the facility I visited earlier.  He teaches tennis and pickleball.  Three hours later I was still playing.  Other players joined the fun and the courts were soon filled to capacity.  This day turned out to be one of my best days ever.

Before any of my tennis teammates get mad, don't worry.  I'm not giving up on tennis.  This day was a cross training opportunity.  I believe advanced pickleball can be a strenuous workout.  Special thanks to the men who welcomed me onto the courts yesterday.  I believe I got a great introduction to high level pickleball.  Thank you!  Have a great day.

Congratulations to the Home Town Team

 Congratulations to the players, the coaches, and the fans.  The Williamsburg Raiders are state champions for the first time in school history.  They shut out their opponent 20-0 yesterday in the 3A division.

I'm thankful to live in a community where the local residents give so much support to their students.  The coaches who volunteer are shaping the next generation of future leaders.  Way to go, Raiders.  You did it.  Have a great day.

Walking in the Truth

 You don't know what your neighbor is thinking.  There may be hints from his or her actions.  Beware of your interactions because you may be acting based on false assumptions.  There's a fine line when walking in the truth.

Today's story in inspired by a daily podcast I listen to in order to better understand God's ways.  Today happens to be day 321.  The podcast will conclude on the last day of the year.  

I can see clearly all the times in my life when I falsely assumed what my neighbor is thinking.  That's dangerous.  Even more dangerous is sharing false assumptions with others.

The best way to walk in truth is to resolve to avoid any action that can hurt your neighbor.  Keep your mouth shut when the water cooler talk goes negative.  Silence is golden.  Have a great day.

When God Counter Punches

 May day job assignment is coming to a conclusion soon.  The TV in my room hasn't been touched.  Most of my meals have been solitary.  Other than a few minutes of news updates, I'm pretty much disconnected from the world.  This allows me to be in a position to appreciate the good I see around me.  Many argue this is a challenge because the world is so sick.

God's counter punches are so subtle most people can't see them.  The Evil One is helpless.  I'm going to share two counter punches that appear random until you consider them as one, two blows to the head of our adversary.  

The first counter punch was landed by a retired pastor who stopped by one of our tents to sign up.  I peeked into his car and asked what book he was reading.  It was worn with tattered pages.  When he shared it was a Bible I asked him to share how it impacted his life.  Before he left, I asked him to pray for our team and ask God to bless our work.  Almost immediately our nets were filled to capacity with new opportunities.

The second counter punch was landed yesterday morning when another pastor walked up to us to sign up his church.  I asked him to lead us in prayer since everyone on our small team is a believer.  Once again, our nets were overflowing with new opportunities.

Earlier in the week another teammate seemed skeptical about how God answers prayers because she felt our prayers aeemed rather insignificant.  I once felt the same way.  Now I pay careful attention to every prayer request no matter how small.  Most of the answered prayers have to do with fighting back when the Enemy is on the attack.  Prayer is the ultimate weapon.  Have a great day.

Do You Have Unfinished Business?

 If you were to die today before sunset, what would be your opinion of the way you conducted your affairs?  Is it possible you left unfinished business behind?

I think about that first meeting with Jesus.  It bugs me that my earthly assignments are incomplete.  This means something to me because it affects others.  Unfinished business means someone I was supposed to introduce Jesus to got a raw deal.  They missed the boat.  The thought of this makes me cringe.  It may be possible the dark side is making me so busy that I'm putting off the important work.  I need to work on this.  How about you?  Think about it.  Have a great day.

Do You Make Others Feel Welcome?

 Odds are if you ever spent time in the service industry you have a pretty good understanding of the welcoming process.  Whether you are the clerk at the front desk, the host at a restaurant, or a door greeter, you are sometimes the first impression of the company you serve.

I have cringed way too many times recently while on a day job assignment in another state because of the callousness of people working on the front lines in service.  In fact, some of the experiences have been appalling.  

One of my experiences was so bad that I promised myself I would share the experience in future training sessions.  I was in self check-out.  I prefer to interact with cashiers but this wasn't really an option because all the lanes were closed but one and it was crowded.  There were signs on multiple self check-out machines indicating they were out of order.

My check-out situations are outside the norm as I prefer multiple receipts for reimbursement purposes.  Apparently, this alerts the person watching over self checkout that there is a problem.  My "checker" was completely oblivious.  In fact, when I asked for help he appeared annoyed.  This happened a second time when his help didn't really help.  This checker was even more annoyed at my second request.  Finally I was all set.  Trying to be nice, I walked over to him and thanked him for his help.  That's when he gave me the "look."  It's the same look a football coach gives the ref when he disagrees with a call.  It's not the look you give when a paying customer is simply asking for help.

Pay careful attention to your body language the next time you are interacting with others, especially if you are on the clock.  Have a great day.

The One Thing to Change

 Change is not easy.  It can be so overwhelming you freeze.  I believe change is necessary for personal growth to occur.  For me, concentrating on the one thing I want to change rather than floundering with multiple goals at the same time seems to make my outcomes more positive.  In fact, every time I get a win I feel motivated to attack the next item on my wish list.

Ask yourself what is that one thing about yourself you want to change.  Put in on your calendar now.  Make a daily reminder note at the top of your calendar and promise yourself you will stay on task.  Have a great day.

Have You Ever Heard Angels Sing?

One of the last messages my dad penned before he left the planet was an email to his twin brother describing his declining health...

It's not over until the fat lady sings but I think I hear her humming a few bars.

While it may be unknown if angels really sing or if they exist, I do know one thing for sure...the two young children who led us at our house of worship I visited yesterday are heaven sent.  They had my heart even before they sang their first note.

These young girls were so tiny that one of them needed a step stool to be able to see over the podium.  She stretched her arms to barely reach the microphone and move it to it's lowest setting.  At first I wasn't sure if the smallest was a boy or girl because this tiny angel was bald.  Her dress was mostly covered up by the oversized pulpit.

The first music was an antiphon sung in latin.  It was pitch perfect.  My heart longed to hear more.  I could have listened to these children all night.  During communion, the tiniest of the two stepped down in order to receive the body of Christ.  I would have guessed her to be the youngest of the two because the other singer was nearly a foot taller but the taller one was not yet old enough to receive communion.

The message of the service was to always be ready because we don't know when we will meet Jesus.  Something in my gut told me this little angel with the bald head may be at the front of the line.  Yep, the fat lady may already be singing.  Get your hanky out, dad.  You're gonna need it when this angel joins the heavenly choir.  Have a great day.

Editor's note:  I promised a teammate I would be praying for her granddaughter who has been in critical condition for several days on my way to my house of worship.  If singing is twice praying, I believe God was listening to every prayer request.

Passegiatta

 

The gentleman you see pictured with my mother is her older brother, Victor, one of the kindest people on the planet.  He is one of many people in my family who are celebrating Veteran's Day today.  If you are a veteran or you are in a military family, this is your day.

Recently my wife and I traveled to Dubuque to visit my uncle, his wife, and their oldest son while they were vacationing from Arizona.  After dinner we took a stroll along the Mississippi River known as passegiatta.  We recalled great memories being together at the holidays.  It was a special time for all of us.

The other day my uncle did something he's probably never done before, an unplanned helicopter ride.  There wasn't any time to chat like our passegiatta because every second mattered to get to a very important destination, a nearby hospital where another cousin on my dad's side of the family works.

I would like to thank my cousin for keeping us updated about our uncle's progress since his surprise visit to the hospital.  It may be a while before he returns to his after dinner walks with his bride from Iowa, but I know my uncle is getting first class treatment all veterans deserve.

Thank a vet today.  I'm sure my wife will enjoy her passegiatta with our youngest son who joined the ranks of veterans who gave us the opportunity to be free.  Happy Veteran's Day.  Have a great day.

The US Roundabout Champion

 There are 138 roundabouts in Carmel, Indiana where I'm staying on a day job assignment, making the city the champion for the greatest network in the United States.  They even have double roundabouts stacked next to each other which makes driving rather peculiar, especially if you're like me and you've suffered a horrific accident.

There is something else that is making my commute rather interesting when it comes to roundabouts.  No matter where you live, this is a fact of life.  Road construction.  Those squiggly lines painted on the roads become tedious when mixed with the orange cones that block lanes.

My third variable in the roundabout, orange cone commute scenario has to do with my rental car, a double upgrade offered when my rental car company ran out of midsize vehicles.  I'm driving in an audi.  It's amazing.  If I knew how to work the controls properly it would be even more heavenly.  By the way, I recommend you at least figure out the defrost button on any rental you get that operates outside of your comfort zone.  For example, using windshield wipers to defrost while spraying wiper fluid on below freezing mornings only works for about 30 seconds.  If you're on unfamiliar roads during peak construction periods and you find yourself in a city like Carmel, good luck.  Make sure you give yourself plenty of extra time.  Have a great day.

Change Your Mindset to Change Your Life

 One of my favorite joys in life is discovering what makes a person do the things he or she does.  Yesterday I chatted with a teammate who inspires others simply by sharing how he changed his mindset.  

Enrique shared that he was taught to hate Americans.  His government potrayed our society as evil.  When he turned twenty he began to question the validity of his leader's portrayal of Americans.  If we were so bad then why were others who came to our country able to send money back to his country?

Enrique decided to find out for himself.  He went to a culvert, gathered some timber, built a makeshift raft, mounted a small motor and left Cuba with several friends.

I asked Enrique how long the journey lasted.

"Eleven days," he answered.  "We couldn't go direct because we would have been turned back so we headed for Honduras.  We ate one sardine each day and drank no more than a cup of water per day on our 500 mile journey to Honduras.  When we landed we walked the rest of the way.  Eleven days later I presented my papers at the border and became free."

I asked my manager who hired Enrique why he chose Enrique and he answered, "There is no way this guy is ever going to give up.  Watch him.  He will be a manager for us one day."

I looked at Enrique's badge while he was sharing his story.  Enrique is a manager now.  Now he helps others look at life with a new perspective.  Think about Enrique the next time you hear someone spreading messages of hate.  Have a great day.

My Favorite Morning Burgers

 My first choice for breakfast in the morning is a barbecued burger.  If I can do this on a weber, I can control the temperature settings in order to raise the bar on quality.  There is one more thing to consider, fat content.  In my opinion, 20 to 25% fat is ideal.  Not only does this yield better flavor, I believe choosing a higher fat ratio may result in a healthier lifestyle.  In fact, I double down by consuming the highest fat cottage cheese I can find to go along with my morning burger.

Before you shoot the messenger and inundate me with emails concerning my peculiar meal preferences, ask yourself where we all came from before fast food was an option.  What did your ancestors eat for breakfast?  Did the animals they consumed have a high or low fat ratio?  Once they figured out how fire works, do you think maybe they enjoyed a good barbecue?  In my opinion, low fat is an idea touted as a superior health choice.  I bet the same people responsible for this are also responsible for teaching the food pyramid.  Be careful about these people.  They are in high places of influence.  Meanwhile, try a morning barbecue for breakfast.  Get yourself some hamburger with a 20 to 25% fat content and see what your taste buds have to say.  Have a great day.

When Dissatisfaction Inspires Change

 Can you remember your last customer service experience that made you so red hot you wanted to explode?   This happened to me yesterday on my day off.   There were a series of minor customer annoyances prior to my Mount St. Helen eruption near the end of my day.  I'll leave company names out as I prefer not to bad mouth others.

For the sake of anonymity, let's simply say I believe company A changed their discount rules so that I would have to pay more in fees.  As a lifelong frugalite, I made sure I followed the guidelines in order to maintain my lower rate.  The email notifying me of higher fees didn't sit well so I placed a phone call.  Two hours passed before I was connected to the right person.  By the time we were done I went from a decades-long raving fan to an Alcatraz prisoner in desparate need of a more customer-oriented business to patronize.

I'm actively seeking a better solution.  The time I spent on the phone helped me understand how my current company A views me.  This is an investment that will help me surround myself with companies that care about me enough to listen when I point out weaknesses in their ways of interacting.   It will be interesting to see if some of the feedback I gave company A will be implemented.  Have a great day.

When Your Life is an Obstacle Course

 If you're like me, you enjoy plotting courses, setting up mile stones, and sailing along happily from one point to the next.  Life is so good.  Suddenly, an obstacle appears.  It may be a detour along a familiar route.  It could be an accident.  Perhaps it shows up as an unexpected medical diagnosis.  You may ask yourself, why?

I understand the obstacle course.  For me, detours are becoming the norm.  I hear people tell me they avoid mistakes at all costs because they dislike failure.  The older I get the more I realize obstacles should be expected every single time you stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone.

The only finish line that matters is the one you cross upon your death.  There is no actual time you can plan for.  There are no obstacles you can plan for as they are random.  What you can do is decide each obstacle is there for you to grow and hone your own abilities.  More obstacles means more growth.  

Embrace your obstacles.  You may be surprised when you meet your Maker and God says, "Welcome home.  You're exactly on time."

Have a great day.

What Your Promises Say

 Think of a time in your life when you made an important promise.  How are you doing with that promise?  Maybe you're a type A and you made a bucket full of promises.  Whether it's a single promise or multiple promises,  what you do next is revealing about who you are.

Do other people seek you out because they believe you are a promise keeper?  If not, perhaps you can do some things to improve your results.  Highest priority should be given to any promises you make to God followed by promises made to your family.

The Creator offers 10 Commandments.  If you promise God you will follow these 10 Commandments, you are on your way to an amazing life.  When I say amazing, that doesn't automatically mean everything will be easy.  I mean to say you will be fulfilled.  The same is true when you make a promise to your spouse to stay together until death.  

This blog message you are reading is a result of a promise I made to God over 13 years ago that I will publish all the good he is doing in me and do this daily no matter what my circumstances may be.  My 34 years of marriage are the result of the two of us living out that promise from our wedding day.  Today may be a good day to consider making a promise.  Choose wisely.  Stick to it.  Have a great day.

The Art of the Pivot

 Think of a time in your life when you radically changed your thinking.  How did that go for you?  Was it something in your belief system?  Was it a change in attitude?  Where did this idea come from?

There is something else to consider about this topic.  Ask yourself if there was an idea that popped into your head and you ignored it.  Were there consequences from ignoring the idea?

I believe the pivot, when done properly, is an art form.  It's a way to make a dramatic transformation in your life.

I'm going to suggest a pivot today at my new day job assignment.   If the idea is implemented there may be significant results.  All I know is the idea is not of this world.  If my teammates get a win I know who to thank.  The credit for the pivot goes to our Creator, the one who inspires all creativity.  Trust your gut when you get the urge to pivot.  Have a great day.

My NMN/Transreservatrol Experience

 Today's story is for you if you are looking for an edge when it comes to improving your cognitive abilities.  Keep in mind that you should always consult your physician first before making changes.  

My journey to optimized health suffered a minor setback when I ceased my NMN/Transreservatrol daily intake of 1 gram of each for budget purposes.  This lasted for about 45 days.  Towards the end I noticed my memory recall slipping.  Thankfully my order arrived just in time before leaving for my next day job assignment.  So far so good.  

For those of you who prefer objective measuring rather than subjective stories, I'm offering something specific.  Every morning when I wake up I do a daily word puzzle.  I have over 500 days of results.  There was slippage while I was off of my supplements.  This is also documented in mice studies where scientists have documented increased cognitive abilities when mice are given NMN.

I'm thrilled to be back on my full regimen of supplements.  You can learn more in David A. Sinclair's book, "Lifespan."  I found him while researching for "Live Long and Prosper."  I've made enough mistakes in my life to release a book.  With the help of NMN and Transreservatrol I can recall all those blunders in order to help others avoid trouble.  Have a great day.

Be Wary of Your Access to Distortion

 Do you agree with me that we are living in tumultuous times?  If so, you understand that our access to distortion is possibly at an all-time high.  There appears to be division everywhere you look.  In my opinion, our access to distortion may be contributing to all the fighting.

The next time you are in a conversation and the person you're chatting with is in disagreement, see if you can probe deeper into his or her line of thinking.  See if you can identify a possible distortion.  If you're really brave, check yourself and see if you may have been influenced by one of these distortions.

One of my favorite areas for discussion is about eating habits.  My belief is most of our supposed food truths have been negatively influenced by our access to distortion.  These distortions are so deep and so long-term that most of us don't even believe in the possibility we have been sold enough lies to fill an oversized grocery cart.

Here is one example of a food distortion...

Processed foods are healthy.

I bet you can find all kinds of research that supposedly proves this statement is true.  The distortion may be nearly impossible to find.  I see the proof of this distortion very clearly because it shows up in the oversized bellies of millions of Americans who got blindsided and bit into the distortion.  

The more you spot distortions, the wiser you will become.  Start today.  This may have a positive impact on your future choices.  Have a great day.

The 4th Time Jesus Fell

If you know the Bible, you understand that Jesus fell three times while carrying the Cross before he was crucified.   I picked up a hand-made cross made out of burl wood while visiting Sedona a couple of weeks ago.  The artist who made the Cross explained how this wood becomes stressed from something like a worm or bacteria that invades the tree while it's growing.  The artist explained how challenging it is to work with this type of wood because of all the abnormalities.  Even the branches are twisted and contorted.

Sadly, the Cross fell because the adhesive failed after I mounted it on a wall at the entrance to my home office.  I glued everything back together and placed the Cross back on the wall.

Jesus falling three times while carrying his cross and one more time in my office reminds me of all the times I fall and get back up.  Hopefully, there will be no more falls with this unique Cross overlooking my daily pursuits.  Have a great day.