12/03/2018 Monday 

Today, December 3, 77 years ago was my biological mom Lucy's birthday.  I was given this rare color picture of my mom, Lucy or who some people called Lucia Weinmann Kuehl with her mom, my grandmother Maria Weinmann by my cousin who dug it up.  One of the few color pictures of her that exists.  My mom was probably 17 or 18 in this picture before she gave birth to me at the age of 19.  I keep this picture on my desk in my office where I can look at it often when I work.  I am stunned by how beautiful she is with her tint of red in her hair.  She was the only partial redhead in the whole Weinmann / Kuehl families that anyone in the families is aware of.  She was also the tallest woman at 6' in the small town of Dielheim, Germany (near Heidelberg) where she was born and grew up.  At that time, that was typically a head taller than most every other woman and was super difficult to find clothes to fit.  My grandmother Maria apparently handmade some of her clothes.  She also had really long arms and fingers and apparently played the piano and accordion well with a beautiful voice.  I miss and love her despite never really having gotten to conscientiously get know her after she committed suicide at the age of 24.  The farm will be named Lucy's farm and will build a chapel on it to honor her.  She gave me life and what an intense learning it has been on this earth.  I am convinced she is with our Lord in His Heaven.  There have been too many  miracles happen to me which I believe are a direct result of her intercession.  So much more to say, but right now I will celebrate this Birthday and rejoice.  All blessings. 

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11/30/2018 Friday

Thank you God we can experience another Friday after a full week of meetings, planning work, leading the department teams and building for the future.  Another day in life we get to enjoy on God's beautiful creation until His return through Jesus Christ whenever that will be.  We need to be ready at all times and stay focused on God's calling to do His will.  We are to enjoy God and give Him glory continuously.  To love our Lord God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  To be thankful and joyful in every circumstance, pray without ceasing and be the best that we can be.  To not fear or be worried or anxious  about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

So blessed to have a good paying gig tonight for some professionals and looking forward to providing that money to the Calvary Children's Home in Powder Springs.   The gigs are coming in fast and consistent and I thank all my sponsors and following for my exercising this gift and do something eternally special with it and be able to provide some funds for orphaned children in need.  So thankful!

Found this picture of one of my gigs collaborating with  the audience to come up and sing.  Such fun. 

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11/26/2018 Monday from Up Over in ATL

Returned from Sydney, Australia on Saturday and got to have a complete Thanksgiving dinner with neighbors Judy and John that included my son Sam, his wife Becky and my beautiful grandchildren Abigail, Tobiah, and Robby and Isaiah in spirit. Sunday at church and slept a lot to overcome the 16 hour time difference jet lag.  For example, 10:00am on Sunday 11/25/2018 is sixteen hours behind Sydney where it would be 2:00am on Monday 11/26/2018.   Today on Monday it is back to leading Maier America as its CEO.  Lots of catching up and preparing for sales meetings and strategies planned for 2019.   Twenty nine days until Christmas day!  Going into 2019 in 35 days...

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11/22/2018 Thursday Thanksgiving from Down Under

So thankful for having God in my life, being alive, healthy, having food, clothes, shelter, meaningful relationships with family and friends, meaningful work.  So blessed to be able to travel to another country and continent within one day and experience God's creation here and the different cultures.

Rented a Royal Enfield motorcycle here for several days and visited the incredible countryside south and north of Sydney.   This country is the 7th largest country in the world in terms of land size, but with the population of Texas amounting to the lowest density per capita of just over 3 persons per square kilometer.  Driving on the left side of the road is actually fun once you get used to it.  Climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge to the top, seeing the Spartacus ballet, living the Sydney Fish market, China town, the Manley Island and eating atop the Sydney tower was an ever lasting experience.  Got to play at the Monday eve open mic jam at the Soda Factory in Surrey Hills and played at the Sydney Botanical Garden where the main memory and experience is having met and prayed with botanist Greg Norman, a Christian brother who helped me set up to play.  Wrote music to the lyrics called "Thankful" written by Kristine Stanton:

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As I sit and ponder

the blessings I’ve received

I am truly grateful

for God whom I believe.

 

I’m thankful for His patience

mercy, love and grace.

I’m thankful He is with me

in all things that I face.

 

I’m thankful for each day

and all each one contains.

I’m thankful for Christ Jesus

and all that He sustained.

 

I’m thankful God has blessed me

with family and with friends.

I’m thankful for His love

that never ever ends.

 

I’m thankful for the angels

God sends to be with me.

I know that they surround me,

how many I cannot see.

 

I’m thankful I’m a child

of the Lord, my King.

I’m thankful when He shelters

me beneath His wing.

 

I’m thankful for the Lord,

and everything He’s done.

I’m thankful for Christ Jesus

God’s precious loving Son.

 

I’m thankful for each of you, and wish you and your families a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving.

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11/18/2018 Sunday in Sydney Australia

Sydney, Australia is absolutely beautiful.  Everybody I meet is so nice and the scenery is so amazing.  Writing and performing music and going deep with God and where He wants me to be Spiritually going forward.  It is so good to get focused on our calling.  Going to Church this morning opened up my mind to where I came from, where I am going, and what matters most to God.  Bottom line for me is that we are all made to give God glory, worship and enjoy Him forever.  This is according to the Westminster Catechism the Chief End of Man.  God gave us the Bible as the Word of God which contains the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the only direct rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.  These Scriptures principally teach what we are to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of us.  God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.  There is but one only, the living and true God.  There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are on God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.  The decrees of God are, His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby for His own glory, He foreordained what comes to pass.  God executes His decrees in the works of His creation and providence.   God's work of providence are His most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions.  

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Jesus said in John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another." 

Jesus also said in Mark 12:30-31 to "Love the Lord your God with all our heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these."    

1 Corinthians 13 tells us the Biblical definition of Love:

"Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails."  

Wow, I have a hard enough time just with patience, the first attribute out of 15!  How far I fall short of truly following the biblical definition of Love.  Lord, help me to Love and keep me focused on You!  

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11/12/2018 Monday

Another wonderful day in the Lord with liquid sunshine in Atlanta.  I went to an extremely creative Grace Midland Church in Downtown Atlanta on Sunday and was so impressed by the attendance of a majority of young creative people in their 20's.  The Sermon on Psalm 139 made me cry.  God loves each person so much regardless of where we come from.  The Psalm is broken down into 4 sections of which I took the following notes:

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Section 1: God sees us.  He knows us intimately!  He knows everything about us - intimate knowledge.

Psalm 139: 1-6

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

 

Section 2: God is with us wherever we go.  Inescapable presence."  

Psalm 139: 7-12

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

 

Section 3: God Loves us!  He formed us!  Incomparable Love!  We are fearfully and wonderfully made!  To stand in awe of, to honor, to respect!  God respects and honors us.  Before we even lived a day, God stood in awe and was impressed by us.  Separated, distinguished, set apart! You made each one of us  different, unique and special.  We are one of a kind, unique!  This is foundational to the message of God.  The sermon could end right here.  A lot of us believe this and believe it to be true, but ends there for a lot of us.  We need to take the next step to apply the love of God. 

Psalm 139: 13-18

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you."

 

Section 4: I am committing myself to follow you.  Lead me in your way.  I wonder what it would be like if I embraced myself in this way.  Self awareness and spiritual awakening.  Many of us live our lives in hiding (forming fig leaves to hide our nakedness) to try to hide of who we really are.  I need to really look at myself!  True and False Self.  We live in a world obsessed in Self, but we need to commit to God. 

Psalm 139:19-24

If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!  Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

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We sat in silence for 30 seconds: what an amazing, beautiful moment!  We need to sit in silence more often to face our own restlessness and anxiety.  We don't have to do anything!  Have the peace of God come inside you and experience wholeness.  Accept yourself for who you are and respect and love yourself!  What goes on in your brain when you do self talk?  We are sometimes our own worst person who talks more negatively than anyone else.  This has to stop and we need to honor ourselves and see ourselves as unique and special.  Growth and transformation begins at a moment of acceptance and being who we are and embracing ourselves to apply the love God has for us.  Create this space to begin the process of getting healthy and be able to express ourselves in our own ways to become a thriving human being in God's image.  Creativity is like breathing to grow who we become .  God is calling us for something to create!  Value yourself enough!  We are worthy of experiencing love, joy, peace, rest...

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11/08/2018 Thursday

In Germany this week and went through some extensive management and strategy meetings where we went head to head on some tough but necessary topics for the future of Maier America for which I am the CEO.  After three years, I have learned and still learning to become an outstanding leader and am teaching leadership to our upper management team in Germany.  They are finally starting to see the difference between leading and managing for which there is a huge difference.  Leaders influence and cast the vision for the future and spend most of their time implementing and teaching their vision to the organization that has managers who manage the organization towards the vision the leader sets.  They are also starting to understand the massive cultural and competitive differences.  So blessed to finally witness some of this transformation with all the enormous amounts of time I sacrificed in the past three years.  Privately, I had the awesome privilege to go to one of the Aalener Jazzfest concerts in Aalen, Germany, one of the top 5 jazz festivals in Europe www.aachener-jazzfest.de where I met the Peter Fessler Trio with saxophonist Peter Wenninger who played that night.  Got to jam a bit and learned some new instrument and vocal technics from these musical masters.   Praise God from whom all blessings flow!  I thank all the prayer warriors who have been praying for me and focus.  I so look forward to seeing my grandchildren Abigail Grace, Tobiah, Robby (and Isaiah) on my birthday tomorrow after a long flight home.  Am praying Delta upgrades me to business class :-)  Enjoying an evening in Munich playing guitar.  So Thankful. 

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11/05/2018 Monday

Today is my oldest granddaughter Abigail's 5th birthday!  Wow, it has already been 5 years!  Where do the years go?  I am in Heidenheim, Germany in Management and Strategy Meetings with the Headquarters of the Maier America, LLC company I lead as CEO.  Had some good management meetings today and tomorrow will go into strategy meetings for the whole company.  I praise God for this awesome opportunity and privilege to not only lead, but also have the opportunity to make decisions on how the company will grow in the future.  I spent time worshipping God with German Christians on Sunday and met so many down to earth loving Christ followers.  The German culture is a very tough one, but when you connect with them, you have a friend for life. On Saturday evening I got to play in a beautiful restaurant setting where I played meditative music that was so beautiful to the souls of its listeners.  I not only have the gift of providing music, but speaking life, hope, love, opportunity, joy, peace, energy, patience, healing into people's lives and it is so much fun.  Thanks you Lord.  

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11/02/2018 Friday 

Off to Munich and Heidenheim, Germany for Strategy and Management meetings and having the privilege playing guitar!  Every day is a special day in the Lord and so thankful to be alive to experience His blessings.  Praise God from whom all Blessings flow.   

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10/31/2018 Wednesday 

All Saints Day starting at sundown today on Halloween.  Also the day that Luther posted his 95 Thesis on the All Saints Wittenberg Church in 1517 sparking a reformation of the Catholic church, the official Christian Church in that time.   This act, meant to promote a disputation on the sale of indulgences, is commonly viewed to be a catalyst for the Protestant Reformation.  All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, Hallowmas, the Feast of All Saints, or Solemnity of All Saints, is a Christian festival celebrated in honor of all the saints, known and unknown.

The Christian celebration of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day stems from a belief that there is a powerful spiritual bond between those in heaven, and the living. In Catholic theology, the day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. In Methodist theology, All Saints Day revolves around "giving God solemn thanks for the lives and deaths of his saints, including those who are "famous or obscure".  As such, individuals throughout the Church Universal are honored, such as Paul the Apostle, Augustine of Hippo and John Wesley, in addition to individuals who have personally led one to faith in Jesus, such as one's grandmother or friend.

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10/30/2018 Tuesday

Found a new artist Josh Garrels I really enjoy listening to.  His lyrics are solid and like his style.  His song "The Resistance" is worth listening to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCRULcbuaJc  Here are the lyrics: 

"The Resistance"
 

I was born into a system constructed for failure
It's a sinking ship manned by drunken sailors
An escape artist behind the bars of a jailer
An asthmatic attack and they withhold the inhaler
If the shoe doesn't fit what good is a tailor
In the midst of a crisis please cancel the gala
Without a symphony there's no need for a prelude
To foreshadow what's to come.
See the secret committees, commence with their meetings
To make red tape in response to simple questions
Questions threaten the perception of the beneficial systems
A pyramid scheme with it's cogs and it's pistons
Mechanization of men, making more and more
Live in a miserable existence
How can so few, claim so many victims
And this begs the question
My rest is a weapon against the oppression
Of mans obsession to control things
Look at the long line of make believe kings
The lord of the flies want's you to kiss his ring
Follow new rules with invisible strings
And become a puppet in the diabolical scheme
How do good men become part of the regime
They don't believe in resistance

Hold fast like an anchor in the storm
We will not be moved

Lesson number one, overcome
Every fear of regret and confusion
It's all illusion, delusion
Sent to disconnect the holy fusion
Of spirit and the flesh
Every mortal breath, is meant to bring forth fire
But only when the fear of death, gets consumed
On the funeral pier
So let the flames rise higher
Let every man be considered a liar
If he doubts the goodness and faithfulness of God
Itching ears will compulsively nod in approval
When unbelief is taught in all our temples and schools
But God can restrain the madness of a fool
He can bring His truth through the mouth of a mule
You can move an mountain without any tools
It just takes the faith of a little seed
To make a way through what might seem to be
Impossibility,
And the ability will match the occasion
The outcome will defy explanation
The liberation will not be televised
When it arrives like lightning in the skies

Hold fast like an anchor in the storm
For your love, we will rise and overcome
Through the fire

Hold fast my people and sing
Through peace and through suffering
All for the joy that it brings, to be free
It's gonna cost us everything
To follow one Lord and King
True love endures everything
To be free

Hold fast, like an anchor in the storm
We will not be moved

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10/29/2018 Monday

Trust!  How do you know for certain the sun will rise?  How do you know that a favorite chair will hold you when you sit on it?  Your trust that things will work properly is based on repeated experience that things typically do what they are designed to do. 

God, being Love, wants to prosper you and care for you.  If you trust in that, you will see that He is always there for you, and you can carry that trust into the bad times as well as the good times.  The danger is that if you never think about God when things are going well, you won't build trust over time because you do not attribute the good as being from God.  If you feel that you don't need Him when things are good, you're in danger of forgetting about Him completely - until things start to unravel.  

A deeper level of trust is when something goes wrong.  When a friend is there for you  when you are sick or in trouble, a stronger, more meaningful bond grows in your relationship through experience.  You never really know who your friends are until they show up for you during difficult times. That's when real trust develops.  You can't even really trust yourself until you see how you respond, in private, to the good and bad in life.  When you do the right thing in a tough spot, especially when no one else will know, then you know who you really are and you can begin to trust yourself. 

When God gets us through tough times, we develop a deeper trust in Him.  It helps us gain confidence that God is there even when our eyes or our feelings can't validate that he's there.  If we rely on our feelings to tell us when God is there for us, we are trusting in our feelings and not in God. Every tough moment is an opportunity to trust regardless of how we feel.  We're to trust in His promise, not in our feelings.  

from "Putting God to Work" Discussion Guide by Scott Neil MacLellan whose book we are studying in our Monday evening Leadership Team Meeting.  Our Seal Team 6 for Bible Study and business...

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Had a great experience at World Toyota in Norcross today with Service Manager John Pitera who unannounced and unplanned fixed a small fuse issue I had in my new Toyota Tundra truck.  He went above and beyond and not only built trust with me by doing the right thing, but he well have a customer in me for a long time through is efforts to fix my problem.  He made me think about Toyota in a very positive and exceptional way to the point that I will send him a thank you note and write a positive outstanding letter to his superiors.  He essentially built trust with me, albeit at the smaller stages, but he did for me.  So thankful to know there are so many good people out there willing to do the right things.  

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10/26/18 Saturday

Another beautiful day to rejoice and give glory to God in the Highest!  Memorizing the Psalms is so relaxing.  I am re-memorizing Psalm 23 besides Psalm 1 and Psalm 100. 

Psalm 23, A Psalm of David after God's own heart.

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

2     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

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Our days are numbered on this earth and we do not know when it is our turn to go.  Eagerly anticipating Jesus' return which could be any moment!  Only God knows.  He promised in the Bible he would return. (Matthew 24, 25 and many other places). 

I had the awesome privilege of experiencing "Jesus" at the Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster, PA.  The most fabulous and moving play I ever witnessed in a 180 degree theatre, most amazing props, live animals,. real elements...  Absolutely worth the money, time, and travel to see.  https://sight-sound.com/shows/lancaster/jesus/2018.   

The story went to my core of who Jesus really is and the Love he has for all of us.  God is Love!  

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10/24/2018 Wednesday

Be Thankful!  We all deserve eternal separation from our Father in Heaven, yet God has made us sons and daughters through Christ!  Are you blessed with family?  Do you thank God when family lets you down? Do you thank God that you have been adopted to sonship despite failing your Father?  

Are you blessed with health?  Do you thank God in your sickness?  Do you thank God that you are not constantly stricken with all sorts of diseases, pains, and conditions?  We all deserve instantaneous death, yet God has withheld His wrath from us!  Be Thankful!  Christ endured all that we deserve.  Suffering may allow us to see, that by God's grace, things are not as bad as they should be.  God uses suffering to reorient our thinking, because without it, we latch on to a misunderstanding of blessings.  We think we are entitled to things because of our faith.  Why?  Let's just be thankful for everything possible.  

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10/23/2018 Tuesday

Putting God first in everything is one of the most rewarding, but also one of the most challenging things to do.  I wonder why we are wired to keep wanting to sin.  After over 50 years on this earth and with so many experiences, I still wonder why we cannot not sin!  Even with daily Bible reading, meditation, prayer, worship, fellowship, we still wander and wonder.  God, I pray, help us be more like You.  

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10/15/2018 Monday

A fabulous Bible Study tonight talking about John 14-17 and the 5th Principle of "Access Divine Power" in the book "Putting God to Work" by my friend Scot MacLellan.  I am so amazed by Jesus' principles in this passage of John 15:5-8 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

We are to bear fruit for God and His calling on our live's to share the Gospel and in my case play music to and for Him.  He has given me so many gifts in teaching, speaking, music and I need to apply these gifts to their fullest potential.  Let your light shine before all that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven..

We memorize Psalm 1:

1 Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

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10/2/2018 Tuesday

Memorizing Scripture is so soothing and peaceful in any situation or storm.  Meeting with my Monday evening Bible Study Seal Team of Executives for the past 5 years now, I have the privilege of leading this season where we are studying out of the book "Putting God to Work" by my friend Scott MacLellan.  We decided we would add Bible memorization every week and started with Psalm 100, a Psalm of gratitude and grace which we all recited yesterday.  So impressed.  It goes like this:  

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

It is so difficult to be depressed, sad, unhappy, coveting, angry, bitter, etc. when we are thankful.  We all need to practice being Thankful and Joyful in every and any circumstance and pray without ceasing that will keep us focused (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).  

Today I had a chunk of flesh taken out of my chest as a precaution.  I thought about all the people of this world that I know who have gone through significant trials and thought to myself that this is nothing compared to what others have gone through.  Am so thankful that we have good medical doctors in this country.  

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9/17/2018 Monday

Today is my son Sam's birthday and am so thankful for him!  He is an outstanding young man raising three beautiful grandchildren with his fabulous wife Becky.   I got to see and rejoice with them.  Such a blessing!  So thankful for each of my grandchildren.  Yesterday's fundraiser was a huge success with raising past the $2,000 goal for the tribe.  Played some wonderful songs I wrote and some covers music and met some fabulous people.  So thankful for every path the Lord leads me to and all the incredible blessings and daily miracles.  What are you thankful for today?  Our health, comfort, having food, clothes, shelter, meaningful relationships, ……..

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9/14/2018 Friday

Another Friday and weekend.  Each week goes by soooo fast.  So thankful!  It is super important to be thankful and praise God.  It takes away all negativity, depression, etc.  Just stop and be thankful for any little thing in life.  

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9/13/2018 Thursday

After a whirlwind tour from Boston to Killington to New York to Chicago and back to Atlanta, I am catching up from amazing experiences.  I performed in Killington, VT for my nephews "Pie in the Face" for Chase Kuehl fundraiser where I wrote a song called "Throwing Pies in Your Face" where it will be used as the theme song for next years event.  This year, my half brother Rick and his wife Annie and their team raised over $20,000!  Met a lot of cool people including my parents, half brother Bernie, my nieces and nephew's Karena, Kyle, Chase, Erin, and friends like Juan Lascano and others.  Taking hikes on the Mount Killington trails was so beautiful and energizing and am motivated to go skiing there this winter.  I played a few tunes near Boston (Methuen), LaGuardia airport in NY, the IMTS show in Chicago.  At the Chicago airport, I had the pleasure to meet T. Collins, a fabulous performer in the Atlanta area who came up to me after my performance at the gate where we were both heading back to Atlanta.  We will be getting together to jam in the near future.  This was especially significant because we were electronically introduced by mutual friend Matthew Bivens ("Having It All" blog) but never took it to the next level and we finally serendipitously met and would never have happened if I did not play at the gate. 

Shows that networking and getting out there is mandatory regardless.  What I learned from this trip is to just fearlessly get out and play prepared or not.  "Do your best and forget the rest!" as Tony Horton from P90X says.  Keep bringing it regardless of the situation and most of all, have lots of fun doing it.  Work so hard and dedicating long hours to Maier America and seemingly never have time to practice or prepare, but it was reconfirmed to just keep playing...

This evening it is off to another gig at "Women in Wireless" in Peachtree Corners playing during the networking time.  No practice time, but will do my best and forget the rest.... :-)  All blessing to anyone and everyone reading this blog.  Till the next time...

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9/6/2018 Thursday

Reading from the Bible today the Gospel of Luke 5:1-11, it is confirmed in my heart, mind and soul that Jesus Christ was and is the most influential Speaker / Teacher / Preacher / Orator ever.  He not only spoke and taught like no one else, he also took decisive action with what he spoke about and absolutely dazzled his disciples and followers to the point where they dropped everything to follow Him leaving everything behind.  They were totally sold out!  When is the last time we were completely sold out on someone or something? 

It says in this passage that Jesus was pressed on all sides by the crowds because they wanted to listen to him.  So he got into a boat belonging to Simon (Peter) and taught them.  "When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch'".  Now they had just cleaned their nets and it was probably the middle of the day and had no desire to go back fishing in a time when there are typically no fish to catch.  Simon (Peter) even sarcastically says "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets".  They caught so many fish that the nets were tearing and they needed the other boat to come help and both boats were so completely filled with fish that they were in danger of sinking.  Peter, the master fisherman, probably never saw a catch like this all his life and imagine the monetary gains for that day!  It brought him to his knees totally stunned asking for forgiveness of his sins.  Wondering if Jesus taught about not sinning and asking for forgiveness.  James and John who were partners with Peter brought the boats to shore and immediately left everything behind to follow Jesus and become catchers or fishers of men.  Totally sold out.  Wow!  How I long for that sense of being totally sold out for the cause! 

Our thoughts start in the brain and we add discipline and emotion to take Godly action that leads to more faith and do whatever God asks to open doors in His time.  Jesus got right to the heart of the matter!  What is your purpose?  Identify your purpose and Why you take specific actions to get sold out to what God wants.   

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9/5/2018 Wednesday

"Time keeps on ticking into the future".  Lyrics by the Steve Miller Band to the song "Fly Like an Eagle" popular in the late 1970's.  Time never stops and it is one of those dimension be cannot influence, although there are many Science Fiction movies and books about us humans going back to the future or past.  We must live as if we were to die and go to heaven tomorrow and plan as if we were to live forever.  The fact is that we are finite humans with a typical age of between 70-80 years and if we are lucky can get up towards the 90's and unlucky the other way in the 50's and 60's however you see it.  Setting priorities and staying disciplined to be as efficient and effective as possible and at the same time having a wonderful work / life balance and doing what we love to do is so important.  Life is so short and we have to enjoy it completely and eliminate as much stress as possible.  Enjoy every moment of the day possible no matter where you are planted.  

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8/15/18 Wednesday 

Every day is a special day!  So much to be thankful for and so many miracles we often take for granted.  When we are thankful, it is difficult and I would say almost impossible to be angry, mad or depressed.  In thankfulness, we think about others and how to help others.  When I was an assistant Scoutmaster, the Scout Slogan was and still is "to do a good turn daily".  Good Turns are often small, thoughtful acts - helping a child cross a busy street, going to the store for an elderly neighbor, cutting back brush that is blocking a sign, doing something special for a brother or sister, welcoming a new student to your school.  A Good Turn is more than simple good manners. It is a special act of kindness.

I strive for doing at least one good turn daily and as many as three or more.  It really changes your heart and how you think and act for the good. 

 

The other day, I was checking out of a hotel very early at 6a in the morning and was in a rush.  A young man ran up to me as I was checking out and asked if I could help him jump start his card.  I said I did not have time and he walked away sad.  I was convicted as I was about to drive away and thought about my priorities and how I just did do what I say (practice what you preach).  I turned around and found the young man.  Got him jump started which took no more than 5 minutes and he was so happy and thankful.  I was totally at peace inside knowing I helped someone in need and it put all my challenges into perspective.  I told myself that I must look for opportunities to help other because of how it makes me feel!  A great day and week to everyone.  Thinking of my deceased mom Lucia Weinmann Kuehl who died way to young at 25, but she gave me life that I can now live often thinking of her and how she would feel if she got to experience all the blessings I am experiencing.

 

8/14/18 Tuesday 

Another beautiful day on this place called earth designed by the Almighty God and hurling through space around the sun in our solar system galaxy at 66,627 miles per hour and rotating around its own axis at 1,037 miles per hour.   We are in constant movement and yet we feel grounded wherever we are on this earth.  So amazing.  We have so much to learn and we need to keep a positive attitude in any situation and circumstance we are in.  This week, I am practicing staying positive in every situation all the time for one full week.  Nothing negative will come out of my mouth nor anything negative in my body language (which is 90% of all communication).  If anything negative does show up, I get to start all over again until I have one full week of being completely positive.  If everyone did this, what a positive change that could be for our culture and society.  

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