I give myself a big break every Saturday. I call it my "cheat day" where I allow myself to slow down and be less intense with life. In particular, I allow myself to be less intense with my spiritual exercises. On most days, I try to be…

My son, who is currently in the toddler stage, woke up much earlier than usual this morning and started crying. He's usually a very good sleeper and he patiently plays in his room when my wife and I are not up yet to get him. He rarely wakes up so early…

It's no secret that developing any discipline in life takes a lot of time, effort, and hard work whether that's exercising, studying, writing, cleaning, cooking, or spiritual activities such as praying, reading God's Word, and contemplating. Acquiring any new habit is no…

I use a simple trick to help me get things done and make things more manageable for me to handle: I tend to do things little by little, especially when it comes to large, complex, or boring tasks. I personally have a hard time wrapping my head around large tasks that may take hours to complete or that suck the life out of me. I often get…

A couple of months ago, I was sitting on a beach taking in the view of the beautiful sand and water. It was a serene moment. Calm. Peaceful. For a few short hours, I didn't have to think about any worries or problems. I felt…

Waking up early in the morning and getting out of bed has been a perennial issue for me. At some point, I just gave up on the idea of waking up early altogether. A few months ago, I was motivated by listening to a podcast to attempt it again. It's been several months now of waking up early (I started at the end of May). And it actually feels good. I don't know…

Many years ago, I was at a local fast food restaurant when a large gentleman came in. He obviously worked out. Everybody was looking at him because he had this special lotion all over him that darkened his skin to accentuate his muscular features. He was on a break from a bodybuilding competition that was…

"How much time should I spend with the Lord each day in prayer?" I get this question all the time. Personally, I try to spend about 3 hours per day in prayer, Scripture, worship, and contemplation. (The 3 hours is usually broken up into 3-4 portions spread throughout the day.) Although I may…

God gave us a powerful part of the human body capable of processing complex information and making informed decisions. God gave us brains. I'm no expert in the human brain, but obviously, the brain is capable of some amazing things. We can remember and recall a lot of information. We are able to…

Like many people, waking up early is a challenge for me. I'd love to wake up earlier in the morning so that I can spend more time with the Lord in prayer and meditation. But wanting to do something and actually doing it are two different things. As Jesus said…