Proverbs 24:16 says, "But the righteous falls sevens times and rises again" There is a commentary on this verse that states: "Failure is never final.  Most leaders will tell you failure is just another step towards success.  Inventory Thomas Edison, when asked about how he endured so many failures while creating what would become the lightbulb, he said, "I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.  Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." The trick is to not give up or give in.  We all will get knocked down.  We don't have perfect line of sight.  Our opinion isn't always right.  We will believe strongly about the wrong things.  What will you do with your failures?  Flounder or flourish? This reminds me of a story about a farmer and it goes like this: "One day a farmer's horse runs away and his friends come by and say, 'Bad luck your horse runnin...

Throughout history, man has always been curious about the world and how it works.  We've asked endless questions about nature, biology, philosophy.  We explore new horizons, realms, and spaces.  We've discovered many amazing and astonishing things.  But for all we learn, experience, and create, we all come to the same inevitable questions: Where did we come from? Why are are we here? How should we live our lives? Where are we ultimately going? These consequential questions have occupied the minds of some of the greatest thinkers of history.  These questions can be boiled down to four descriptors: Origin Meaning Morality Destiny It doesn't take much to have these words or questions resonate with you personally.  I mean, who hasn't had the thought of "What am I even doing here?", or, "Where the heck am I going and what is my purpose, my meaning to this life of mine?"  These are all monumental questions, for which the answers undergird the very essence ...

 James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." How crazy are we to take joy in trials? But we truly learn only from our failures and our trials.  How can you truly appreciate food unless you've been hungry?  Can you really value money if you've always had more then you ever needed? Love if you never felt rejected? Friendship if you've never felt alone? Think of the virtues of our moral landscape. No Courage without Danger No Patience without Tribulation No Gain with Pain No Character without Adversity No Forgiveness without Sin These virtues are only considered virtuous because of the sacrifice  necessary to achieve them.  Why else do we cheer the hero through blood, pain, and insurmountable odds, as they fight for the good of all?...

Hello friends!  In Philosophy, logic rules the day as the foundation of  proper  reasoning and right thinking.  If you're unable to identify logical inconsistencies in arguments, ideas, concepts, and principles, it can leave you susceptible to false ideologies and teaching.  There are tens, if not hundreds of formal and informal logical fallacies within the philosophical discipline, but some are more prevalent than others.  In this post, we will explore the four most common informal fallacies in our culture today and  how to combat them. 1. Ad Hominem Ad hominem  is Latin for "against the man".  This is one of the most prevalent logical fallacies deployed in today's society in all areas of social discord.  Why?  Because it's easy and people enjoy tearing another person down.  This logical fallacy is when; rather than attacking the argument of your opponent , you attack the person themselves or the person's character instead. A ...

Hello Friends!  This is my inaugural post on my blog, I felt it proper to start out with a bit of encouragement.  In today's environment of stress, depression, trials, and struggles, a small amount of heartening of the spirit can go a long way to strengthening the masses. I love providing a sound word that can uplift someone in their current moment of need.  That the Holy Spirit might work through one of these messages is more than enough to encourage me to write it.  I won't lead these posts off in this manner going forward, but I wanted to give some context to this process. Each week's post will have a title, will generally be centered around scripture, and will at times reference sources of input other than myself (commentaries and other references). I pray they inspire you to lean into the Holy Spirit and trust the goodness of God.  To know that He is with you always, and He is worthy of that trust.  And if you don't know Him personally as your Lord and...