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)

Tales From The Road

Recently received an email from an occasional reader. It’s a random comment like this that makes the journey’s effort so worthwhile.  What keeps you motivated to keep pushing forward?

“Hey Jeff, We met a couple of years ago in the Orlando airport. You were admiring my little netbook computer and we had a nice chat. I just wanted to let you know that I read your blogs from time to time, when I have time, and I enjoy your insights. I love this bit about the 1 to 10 scale and your son’s answer. You’re a lucky man to receive that sort of love. And I think your son is lucky too. Keep touching lives.”

If you blog, or pray, or exercise, or raise a family, or try to help others, don’t give up.

When you least expect it, something or someone will feed your soul. It’s God’s way of reminding you that life is hard, but also virtuous.

Blogging Fertility God?

Ever have some amazing, and completely unexpected opportunity sitting in front of you? Me too. What did you do about your opportunity? Has it changed your life, or are you regretting not seizing it?

I’m sitting next to a Pastor right now as I type these words.

Carlos wanted to be a Pastor since he was seven years old, while growing up in Argentina. Carlos’ Father was a vocational Pastor, meaning he worked 40+ years without a salary. He had a full-time paying job, and was a Pastor on top of that. His Father is 79 now and serving the poorest of the poor in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, at Encuemtro Latino.

In the late 1990′s, my phone rang and the person on the other end offered an opportunity to become a professional speaker. Public speaking is our greatest fear, greater than the fear of death.

And I thought to myself, God must want me to become a comedian or a Pastor and this public speaking thing would provide the necessary experience.

I’m still trying to figure out why.  :)

God Spelled Backwards = Unconditional

It’s every where.

Isn’t it?

Do you have the weight of the world on your shoulders?

If you don’t, you will or you did.

And this can often lead us away from God.

So listen carefully, because this is profound:

If you do not feel close to God, guess who moved away?

God will never abandoned you for any reason. Never. Ever.

If you can’t grasp this concept, I believe you are missing the greatest gift ever bestowed to our Spirit and it’s called Unconditional Love.

Think He's Hungry, And Lonely?

You have more Love inside you than you realize. I’m absolutely convinced of this. And last night at the Apple Store reinforced this.

Struck up a conversation with an Apple Store employee about Mid Life Celebration, and the whole five (different) daily blogs. The Apple employee looked very surprised. I mean, who writes five (different) daily blogs?

No one.

So anyway, after explaining the business model, the Apple Store employee shared a story about a homeless “beggar”. Instead of giving the beggar money, she went and bought him a meal (maybe from Subway) and then came back and gave it to him.

Wait, this is where it gets even better. She witnessed the beggar share half of the sandwich with another homeless person that she wasn’t even aware was nearby.

Will you do anything today to help make the world a better place? It doesn’t have to be big but it does have to contain Love.

Where Is Heaven?

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every   Sunday. “I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons.  But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them.  So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting their time.”

This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, until someone wrote this:

“I’ve been married for 30 years now.  In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals.  But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals.  But I do know this, they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work.  If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.  Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”

When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, “Jesus, could you get that for me?”

You Can Observe A Lot By Watching

jeff noel.org is:

• An idea
• One of Life’s Big Four
• A Business
• A Website
• A Blog
• A Way Of Thinking
• Our Spiritual Responsibility
• A Movement

jeff noel.org is really about becoming a humble servant – a very lofty, most likely impossible goal.

This blog, very simply, revolves around Faith, Hope and Love.

God Is Like A Fireman

A woman’s life was in turmoil. Her life was collapsing. She was devastated and angry. Very angry.

As she pulled into her driveway, she sat in her car, cursing at God.

God thanked her, “That’s the first time you’ve ever spoken to me.”

Toronto International Airport

Life is like a treadmill at a gym. You get on and you go and go, but you never get anywhere.

We go through our motions day after day, sometimes, we have no idea how much time is passing by.

And then things happen. Unexpected things. Things that might leave us feeling regret.

There is no immunity from regret, but there is a prescription for it.