jeff noel.org

Look Forward To Death?

Yesterday’s post posed a choice.

The challenge is, we are too afraid to choose, so we talk and think like this:.

“By and large, humans squander their lives with I’m gonna, I will when, soon as, next week, next year, when the kids…, when I retire, soon as the job slows down, this Fall, starting New Year’s Day, blah, blah, blah…”

This is why death is mostly sad, when in reality, it ought to be one of the most glorious times of our lives.

(scroll down to view yesterday’s post, or click here to move to my next blog)

Only Crumbs

“Can you imagine a world without Christmas?” — Father Kenny

It’s only been one month, but I miss Christmas.

How about you?  Do you miss Christmas?

Can still remember what our Priest said (above) at Christmas Mass. Can you imagine?

Oh, I get it, most people aren’t thinking about Christmas today, unless they are reminded from their credit card bill.  Makes sense, I guess.

Christmas comes once a year.  Lights, trees, songs, TV specials, food, gifts, traditions…

But what if we celebrated it everyday?

Can you imagine a world with Christmas everyday?

Reflection Has It's Own Benefits

“I love the man who can smile in trouble, gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection.”
– Thomas Paine

Make your day GREAT.

It’s up to you.  Always has been.  Always will be.

You’re fully aware of this, right?

Weakness Is Strength

If you believe it is, it is.

But who’s going to make you believe it?

He Whispered In My Ear

Blogging, if you’ve ever thought about doing it, really challenges you to discover, deep down inside, what you believe in.

And when you post it on the Internet, the whole world sees it.

It really forces you to commit to your beliefs. And even better, it challenges you to rise to the behavior you preach about.

It’s transformed my life.

Now, God has whispered to me that others may also find this transformational tool helpful. You can do it.

But do you want to?

Pair of Boxes

The joy of having two Guest bloggers this week pales in comparison to the pain of the Haiti earthquake victims.

Last night, after my son and I walked Carter, we hurriedly returned to our house.

Told our son we needed to watch the evening news at 6:30PM.

Our lifestyle doesn’t make much time to watch TV. And this week has been exceptionally busy (see today’s Lane 8 challenge).

We watched Diane Sawyer on ABC Evening news describe the tragedy in Haiti.  I wanted our son to understand the magnitude.

Yes, he’s only nine. But he’s smart. He’s compassionate.  He has a caring heart.

It’s my sacred responsibility to teach him Life’s Big Four.

And it was the day prior to yesterday that he became my first Guest Blogger.

Paradox?

Where Will This Lead?

Have you ever felt totally vulnerable? I mean, to our entire world?  Me neither. Until last year.

What started years ago as a half-hearted, but well-intentioned effort to blog, has now become a labor of love.

Five blogs daily.  Every day.  Crazy. Wonderful. Exciting.

A couple weeks ago, I humbly invited any followers to consider being a Guest Blogger in one of the five areas – Mind, Body, Spirit, Money, HQ.

Tomorrow, you will meet Bob, a Tennessee native. Bob has been so encouraging over the past year. His insights are always effective – revealing what we might call, “the truth”.

Tomorrow, “Who’s Not Capable?”

Corner Stone

Perhaps, all our “good fortune” can be summed up by his quote I found, tucked away in a folder from 2004.

“Coincidence is a small miracle which God wishes to remain anonymous.” — unknown

Ya with me?

PS.  Assertiveness is a trait. Arrogance a burden.

Is Excellence Showing Off?

Sometimes, friends nearby will say to me, “Showoff.”

At Gold’s Gym one time, Joe said, “You intimidate people.”

“What are you talking about, Joe”, I asked, confused and astonished.

He said, “You intimidate people. Because you’re gifted.” Come to find out he was referring to my physical fitness appearance.

I told Joe “The only gift I have, is that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.” We both smiled big smiles.

Maybe six years ago, two colleagues and I were in the break area, the two of them discussing their latest diet (Atkins I think it was), and I asked them, “How come no one ever asks me what I do – to lose weight, I mean?”

“You don’t need to worry about it”, was the quick and serious reply.

Know what I said?  And I was pissed frustrated with their answer. I said, “I worry about it every single day, that’s why I don’t need to worry about it!!”

You know what?  Maybe working harder than others is showing off.

The “guilt” you’ve heard me talk about is really just a humble attempt to say I do not feel guilty.  I’ve busted my back trying to make extra-ordinary from ordinary.  And it’s been one success after another.

Now, I guess being the Internet’s only “Five-a-Day Blogger” is showing off too?

Hidden Message?

What else do I feel guilty about?

• Decent Health
• Great Job
• Great Hometown
• Great Spirit
• Hold on, this is getting awkward

Sorry, I’m going to need more time to think this through. It’s awkward.

If I go with a gut instinct right now, it feels like the reason this topic got started in the first place was because I feel so blessed.

I mean, more than any one person deserves.

“And you feel guilty about this?”, someone reading this is asking.

But the blessings listed here and the others not listed, are the blessings we all have.

I guess, as I write this it becomes clearer, there’s something about the way I structure each day that allows me to be nearly fully present every moment of every day.

It’s almost like an addiction. I think about it all the time.

Being able to walk, think, read, smile, drive, teach, eat, breath, love, cry, laugh, get dressed, spend money, go to Church, have friends, Family, a job, sunrise, sunset, sight, hearing, desire.

Where does it stop? It doesn’t. Our blessings are infinite.

I can’t be the only one on the planet that thinks like this, can I?