Author: Kevin Spear

I am a content creator and storyteller based in Florida, where I work for OneHope. I love digital and content marketing, writing, and the occasional doodle.

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motivation

Start with What is Right

photo of man writing on blackboard
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Compromise is a fact of life. The question isn’t whether we must compromise but when and how much. That is why it is essential to start with what is right in the beginning instead of starting with what is acceptable.

"Start with What is Right" Franz Kafka. Quote accessed at https://brainyquote.com
www.brainyquote.com/s/a_1d2f2

If we start from the mindset of, “This is good enough,” what happens when things don’t go as planned and it’s not good enough? Or if we aim low, sure, we may hit the target, but could it have been better?

When we are in the beginning stages of planning, it is too early to settle for “good enough.” Aim for the best solution, for what is right. If setbacks and compromises keep us off the mark, at least we won’t end up with a less than acceptable result.

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motivation

A life of Excuses

black claw hammer on brown wooden plank
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What do we do with a life of excuses? What should we do when we find ourselves living a life of regrets and could-have-beens?

It’s too easy to make excuses when things aren’t going the way we thought they would by now. What do we do when we are tempted to put the blame on the system or a tool?

This quote by Charles Spurgeon reminds me that excuses come too easily for me.

Lazy people always find fault with their tools, and those who do not intend to work always find some excuse.
Charles Spurgeon

photo of a tractor with flat tires
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What’s your excuse?

When things don’t go as expected, we can either give up or work to fix the problem. A flat tire can either be an excuse to stop working or a challenge to overcome. We don’t have to be burdened by problems. We can fix them.

Of course, if we find we can’t fix them, we can always seek help too. Maybe we don’t have the skills or tools to fix the problem, but someone else does.

Sometimes, we aren’t moving on because we are too lazy to fix it. Other times, it’s because we are too proud to ask for help. Either way, there is a solution if we are humble and diligent enough to seek it.

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Easter The Gospels

A Meditation on Maundy Thursday

close up of mans and womans dirty feet covered in mud
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He was their leader. The disciples hoped this was the beginning of a coup that would bring the Romans to their knees and usher in a new Davidic kingdom. So they were naturally shocked when he began to wash their feet, displaying the dirty business of Maundy Thursday.

It was a filthy job fit only for a slave. Yet here he was, stripped down to his undershirt and washing their dirty, ugly feet. This wasn’t the kind of coup they were expecting.

photo of person standing on grass illustrating dirty business of Maundy Thursday.
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The disciples were horrified. Peter said what everyone else was thinking (He usually did). “No! You’ll never wash my feet!” He couldn’t bear to think the Messiah he looked up to would humble himself to the point of humiliation.

But Jesus made it clear that Peter would have no part in this kingdom if he refused. So he continued by washing all twelve disciples’ feet, including the one who planned to turn him in to the authorities.

When Jesus finished, he wrapped up his lesson.

“You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”

John 13:13–15 (NKJV)

He gave them a new command, or mandate, to love one another. That isn’t easy. It’s the dirty business of Maundy Thursday.

Categories
Attitude growth

Why I Am Grateful to Be Alive

1965 Elkhart Double Tornado-Palm Sunday.

Every April 11 reminds me why I am grateful to be alive. It was sixty years ago, on April 11, 1965, when disaster struck. The day was a balmy Palm Sunday in Indiana. My mother was five months pregnant with me. Even though it was stormy, it was evening, and they were getting ready to go to church.

My grandparents lived about five miles southwest of my parents. My Uncle Preston was with them. As they were chatting, they suddenly felt things go deathly quiet. Uncle Preston rushed out to the mailbox. To the northwest, he saw the tornado. He ran back in and told everyone to get in the coal bin. He rushed to the phone to call my dad.

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Categories
discipline growth motivation

Rooted and Established

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Take a moment to ponder: where do you have your roots? Where are you established? Is it a place, your family? Or is it your career, maybe your possessions? Reflecting on these questions can lead to a deeper understanding of your values and beliefs.

We live in a time of great anxiety. Stock market portfolios look shaky. We fight over values and may even compromise our values because the ends justify the means.

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