A Hardened Heart Serves No One!

 

Dear Reader,

Two images—one in haste, and one from a rational perspective.

Not long ago, I found myself reacting quickly…
forming an image in my mind shaped by frustration, fear, and anger.

It felt right in the moment.
Clear. Certain. Even justified.

But time—and a willingness to pause—began to change that image.

In recovery, I have learned that my first thought
is not always my best thought.
And my strongest emotion
is not always my truest guide.

There is a difference between reacting…
and responding.

The first image I held was formed in haste.
It placed blame quickly, drew lines sharply,
and left little room for understanding.

But as I applied spiritual principles—
prayer, patience, and a willingness to seek truth—
a second image began to emerge.

This one was quieter.

It did not rush to judgment.
It did not demand certainty where there was none.
It asked instead:

“What is true… not just what feels true?”

Scripture reminds us through Book of Exodus:

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm… and see the salvation of the Lord.”

Standing firm, I have come to see,
is not the same as standing loud.

Sometimes it means standing still long enough
for truth to rise above emotion.

In my own life—and in the world around me—
I am learning that anger can create an image quickly…
but only patience reveals it clearly.

The second image does not erase the first.
It redeems it.

It reminds me that I am not called to react perfectly…
but to grow honestly.

And perhaps that is the real work:

Not choosing between two images—
but allowing the better one
to be formed within us.

"Life does not control you. What you believe about it does." Alan Cohen

Dear Reader,

This morning I was reminded of a simple but life-altering idea:
Life itself is not always what binds us—our interpretation of it is.

We can face the same storm as one of two people: one who is broken… and the other who is willing to grow and change.

What we believe about the storm becomes the story we live.

If I believe life is against me, every hardship becomes proof of that belief.

However, if I begin to believe that life is working with me—even in difficulty—then my challenges become teachers, not enemies.

In recovery, I have learned this truth slowly: it is not the event…it is the meaning I give the event that shapes my peace or my struggle.

This echoes what we find in scripture:
“As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” — Proverbs 23:7

And in another way:
“For the Lord seeth not as man seeth… for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7

The outer world may not always change quickly, but the inner world—through faith, surrender, and honesty—can transform everything.

So today, we pause and ask: What am I choosing to believe about my life?

I share this because, in my experience, I am quietly shaping the life I will ultimately live.

I end with the wish that all of us will “Live long and prosper.”

We become what we think

Dear Reader,

I was sent a text this morning with a quote from James Allen's book 'As a Man Thinketh,'  

    "Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are."

As I reflected on the message, I pondered:  

• Why do certain patterns seem to follow us?
• Why some struggles repeat?
• Why certain blessings appear only when we least expect them?

At first look, these quetions may feel unsettling. We often believe that desire alone should shape our destiny. We hope, we wish, we pray for change. Yet Allen gently reminds us that life responds not merely to our wishes, but to the deeper condition of our hearts and minds.

What we consistently think, believe, and become—this is what quietly shapes the world around us.

In the journey of recovery, this truth becomes especially clear. 

• We may long for peace, yet still carry resentment. 
• We may desire freedom, yet remain bound by old thinking. 
• The transformation does not begin when life changes—it begins when we do.

Scripture echoes this same principle:

“As he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)

And in another place:

“Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2)

These teachings do not condemn—they invite. They remind us that change is not only possible, but already within reach.

Each honest thought, each act of kindness, each moment of willingness becomes a seed. Over time, these seeds grow into character, and character shapes circumstance.

In this light, the path forward is not found in striving to control the world around us, but in gently tending to the world within us.

We do not simply attract a better life; we become the kind of person who can live it.

Perhaps more importantly today it is better to ask not only "what do I Want?" , but “Who am I becoming?”

Wishing you all a thoughtful day! 

Faith and Archaeology: What We Can Dig Up… and What We Must Live

  

Dear Reader, 

“Today I found myself trying to match a timeline from National Geographic with my study of Genesis and Exodus” …and I began to wonder: How does one reconcile the tension between faith and archaeology? 

On one hand, we have the great civilizations of the world—Egypt, Babylon, and others—leaving behind monuments, writings, and artifacts that can be studied, dated, and examined. On the other hand, we have the scriptures, beginning with Genesis, telling us of creation, of Adam and Noah, and of God’s relationship with man. 

The challenging question is How do these fit together?    

 Archaeology gives us what remains. 

• Kingdoms that rose and fell  

• Kings who ruled and built  

• Cities that once thrived  

Egypt, for example, tells of powerful man who organized armies and empires. 

These are physical items we can touch, measure, and analyze. 

   

 

 

Now I consider what supports and strengthens me today. 

My Scriptural studying speaks in a different way. 

It tells me: 

• Who I am   

• Why I struggle  

• How God reaches out to me  

  

From Abraham to Moses, the message is not about monuments—it is about a relationship. 

It is about a God who calls, guides, corrects, and redeems. 

 

It is in this space I Live.  The space of what can be dug up and what allows me to thrive today.  

I do not believe this is chaos; I believe it is being real in a fallen world.  

On the side of Faith, I have solid thinkers and philosophers.  

• “Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.” — Dieter F. Uchtdorf 

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• “Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”  — Book of Mormon (Alma 32:21) 

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• “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”  — C. S. Lewis 

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• “The heart has its reasons which reason knows not.” — Blaise Pascal 

 

Further support for recovery. 

• “We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him.” 
  — Alcoholics Anonymous 

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• “Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish.” 
  — Alcoholics Anonymous 

 The Simple Truth 

Archaeology can uncover a city……but it cannot uncover a changed heart. 

It can reveal a civilization……but it cannot reveal a soul finding peace. 

 

In my own life, I have come to see that not everything that is true can be proven in stone. 

Some truths must be lived. 

In recovery, I could not measure hope with a tool, yet I felt it.  I could not excavate faith from the ground, yet it lifted me.   

“Egypt left behind monuments of stone. 
God leaves behind changed lives.” 

Perhaps the purpose was never for everything to align perfectly on a timeline. 

Perhaps the purpose is that, in the middle of my questions, I can come to know Him.