Posts

Stuff is a puny god

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If we aren’t careful, MATERIALISM can be a great weight upon our souls. In Ron Blue's God Owns It All workbook he has a great quote from an African pastor ✝️. It goes something like this: Materialism isn’t about having a lot and wanting more. Instead, it’s defined by worshiping what you have and what you want. It’s a belief that having more things can bring contentment and joy.  It’s a sickness that is present in all corners of the world, 🌎 and it’s just as prevalent among the poor as among the rich 💰. We all struggle with materialism in one form or another, and it’s a direct violation of a right belief in who God is and what He has done for us. Matt 6:24 tells us that we can’t serve two gods. We can’t serve both Yahweh (God) and the god Mammon. My encouragement to you is to GIVE. Live GENEROUSLY.  Do not let wealth, wealth preservation and prosperity be your god. You can plan, but that does not mean you obsess or live in fear of loss.  Why? Because in the immortal words o

Peacemaking and Divorce

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Divorce is ALWAYS hard.  I don't enjoy divorce law.  However, I enjoy helping people find peace .  One of my favorite scriptures on this is I Corinthians 7:15 TPT: But if the unbelieving spouse wants a divorce, then let it be so. In this situation the believing spouse is not bound to the marriage , for God has called us to live in peace. Too often the religious mindset would try to keep the marriage Paul is referencing together.  That's not what he is saying.  His emphasis is not on staying together simply to stay together.  He says " live in peace ."  His emphasis is peace . Too often people beat themselves up over having to let a spouse go, when it's necessary.  If the spouse has moved out, is hooked on porn, alcohol or drugs, guess what, they, typically want something other than the marriage.  Even a person's spending compulsions can be an addiction and an issue. Do you try to salvage the marriage? Absolutely .  Unfortunately, the evil that is addiction, a

Planning for Aging

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  Are you concerned for yourself or a loved one aging?   A fantastic resource is from an unlikely source, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries) has many resources worth your time.  The page I like the best is here .  Whether you are planning for yourself or a loved one, it is always easier to take a few steps toward the future than to play "catch up".  

Business Operating Agreement Concerns

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When you started your business, you generated an Operating Agreement or some similar document. The document looked all nice and legal at the time. You signed it and moved on. The business had very little worth at the time, so you didn't pay much attention. Now, you are years into the business and you haven't given this document another thought. As you have aged and the business or partnership grew, you start to think about the agreement. In most Operating / Partnership Agreements there is a "Buy-Sell Clause" that is triggered by death or disability . When you started the business, those issues didn't matter. Now, they do.  What if? Do you have the capital to fund a buyout of your partner(s)? Do you like the idea of owning a business with your partner's wife and her new husband?   Wouldn't you like a source to fund this part of the agreement? Maybe it's time to take a second look at that document and figure out a way to fund it for pennies on t

Dealing with a toxic person

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The toxic people in our lives are ALWAYS difficult to deal with.  While we are exposed to these people in every facet of our lives, encountering those in our families is often the hardest. Toxic people are ABUSIVE.  Often, emotional abuse can be MORE damaging to us than physical abuse .  This is easy to excuse away and even blame ourselves for it.  Unfortunately, if we are going to live a joyous life, we have to make the hard decision to deal with them. I seem to find myself giving the same advice over and over again to people dealing with the toxicity in their lives.  Here goes: Work on your own "stuff".   I am a big fan of personal growth.  We all have issues to work through.  It's simply unfair to address the toxic person's issues, when you are not addressing yours.   Get a good counselor .   Regardless of what happens, you need a counselor to aid you through this.   Read helpful books.   Two of my favorites in this situation are Codependent No More and Boundaries

The Nano Lawyer

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  COVID has heightened my awareness to the changes in society and law.  As a result of COVID, many hearings are now video.  Some hearings are now being skipped all together and being conducted solely on the filings. Should this change have come sooner?  Yes.  But, it is what it is. What does this mean for the average lawyer?  They have to adapt and change as well.  Hearings that used to take half (1/2) a day now take half (1/2) an hour.  For many, this has destroyed the billable hour.   It has also destroyed a business model that was designed around inefficient courts.  For others, they have had to recognize that many of their clients are now "cash strapped" and can't afford what they used to.  For others, it means business locations shutting down to better "weather the storm". What do we do?  Here's some ideas: Figure out the power and cost effectiveness of Social Media, then leverage it. Figure out that we are all in Sales, whether we like it or not. Get r

Making peace with your original self

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  I am a big believer in each of us taking our own journey of inner healing .  Life throws trauma at us.  Often we receive the greatest trauma in childhood .   This disconnects us with our original self.   This disconnects us from who we were created to be.  It derails creation into something else. Miserable with your profession? Often this is because you are not doing what you were created to do .  When you do what you were created to do, it resonates with your passion and ignites your heart.   How do you reconnect with original self?   I can tell you how this healing came for me. First , I had to allow for a greater connection with God the Father.   I believe that the Holy Trinity is the one true God.  I had knowledge of God the Father, but not much of a relationship.  That had to change.  One of the greatest lessons in that is that my IDENTITY is in Him .  He created it because I am his unique creation .  This means that I do not have to strive to be significant , I already am.