"Do you have weeds?"

Last month, it was unusually hot in the part of the world where I live. So I decided that early morning was the best time to do some outdoor work like pulling weeds and grass out of our flower beds. The temperature was cooler and the humidity lower…and there were no interruptions at 6:00 a.m.

I also discovered that it was a great time to listen to life and pray and meditate. There’s no one around to want anything from me. I’m outdoors which is my favorite place in the world to be. And I’m doing a rather mindless task—pulling weeds and grass out of my rose beds—or at least I thought it was…until I just asked God to show me how I could grow my spirit that day.

As I pulled the weeds and grass, I realized that there were some rogue habits and attitudes growing in the spiritual bed of my heart; a place where I was to cultivate good character traits could be overrun with the bad and ugly. So as I cleaned out weeds, I cleaned out my spirit.

Cultivate your spirit by rooting out the bad and ugly and growing the good as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living.

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey

"Is God real to you?"

Did you hear about the skydiver whose parachute failed to open? That’s right, Levi Cave went sky-diving for the very first time. His chute malfunctioned and he fell 3,500 feet, hit the ground, and lived.
He was asked about what went through his mind while he was free-falling. He said he prayed. Here’s what he prayed while hurtling through the air toward the ground at about 50 mph: “Okay, God, I trust in you. I believe in you. And I’d love to see my family again.” Cave said he then felt “this big hug, this big warm embrace” which he understood to be God’s arms around him, letting him know everything would be fine; that he would get to see his family again. Cave said he knew then that everything would be fine. And it was.
How real is God to you? Do you expect God to give you a big hug, a warm embrace when you’re in trouble? Are you ready to ask God to help you, to bless you, when you’re in a tight spot?
Wherever you find yourself today, know God is real as you listen to life.

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey

"Is God real to you?"

Did you hear about the skydiver whose parachute failed to open? That’s right, Levi Cave went sky-diving for the very first time. His chute malfunctioned and he fell 3,500 feet, hit the ground, and lived.

He was asked about what went through his mind while he was free-falling. He said he prayed. Here’s what he prayed while hurtling through the air toward the ground at about 50 mph: “Okay, God, I trust in you. I believe in you. And I’d love to see my family again.” Cave said he then felt “this big hug, this big warm embrace” which he understood to be God’s arms around him, letting him know everything would be fine; that he would get to see his family again. Cave said he knew then that everything would be fine. And it was.

How real is God to you? Do you expect God to give you a big hug, a warm embrace when you’re in trouble? Are you ready to ask God to help you, to bless you, when you’re in a tight spot?

Wherever you find yourself today, know God is real as you listen to life.

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey

"Is God real to you?"

Did you hear about the skydiver whose parachute failed to open? That’s right, Levi Cave went sky-diving for the very first time. His chute malfunctioned and he fell 3,500 feet, hit the ground, and lived.

He was asked about what went through his mind while he was free-falling. He said he prayed. Here’s what he prayed while hurtling through the air toward the ground at about 50 mph: “Okay, God, I trust in you. I believe in you. And I’d love to see my family again.” Cave said he then felt “this big hug, this big warm embrace” which he understood to be God’s arms around him, letting him know everything would be fine; that he would get to see his family again. Cave said he knew then that everything would be fine. And it was.

How real is God to you? Do you expect God to give you a big hug, a warm embrace when you’re in trouble? Are you ready to ask God to help you, to bless you, when you’re in a tight spot?

Wherever you find yourself today, know God is real as you listen to life.

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey

"What's in your wallet?"

Have you been through your wallet lately? I recently went through mine after someone asked to see a current picture of our beautiful daughters and I didn’t have one. They’re teenagers now and all I had was one of them in elementary school—just a few years behind, aren’t I?

So I went through the rest of my wallet to see what was in there. The obligatory stuff—driver’s license, health insurance card, credit cards. Then there was the coffee shop card—got to get that free cup, you know—and then some interesting things. Like the room key card from the Maui Marriott where my wife and I stayed. And a picture of her in high school. And a picture of a woman I barely knew that sent me $5 a month when I was working my way through college. A pair of concert ticket stubs from seeing the Eagles—a dear friend gave them to us.

If God had a wallet, what do you think would be in it? I think God would carry your picture to look at daily, even when you were a child, and some other memorabilia of good times in life with you. Remember: God loves you!

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey

"What's in your wallet?"

Have you been through your wallet lately? I recently went through mine after someone asked to see a current picture of our beautiful daughters and I didn’t have one. They’re teenagers now and all I had was one of them in elementary school—just a few years behind, aren’t I?

So I went through the rest of my wallet to see what was in there. The obligatory stuff—driver’s license, health insurance card, credit cards. Then there was the coffee shop card—got to get that free cup, you know—and then some interesting things. Like the room key card from the Maui Marriott where my wife and I stayed. And a picture of her in high school. And a picture of a woman I barely knew that sent me $5 a month when I was working my way through college. A pair of concert ticket stubs from seeing the Eagles—a dear friend gave them to us.

If God had a wallet, what do you think would be in it? I think God would carry your picture to look at daily, even when you were a child, and some other memorabilia of good times in life with you. Remember: God loves you!

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey

"What's in your wallet?"

Have you been through your wallet lately? I recently went through mine after someone asked to see a current picture of our beautiful daughters and I didn’t have one. They’re teenagers now and all I had was one of them in elementary school—just a few years behind, aren’t I?

So I went through the rest of my wallet to see what was in there. The obligatory stuff—driver’s license, health insurance card, credit cards. Then there was the coffee shop card—got to get that free cup, you know—and then some interesting things. Like the room key card from the Maui Marriott where my wife and I stayed. And a picture of her in high school. And a picture of a woman I barely knew that sent me $5 a month when I was working my way through college. A pair of concert ticket stubs from seeing the Eagles—a dear friend gave them to us.

If God had a wallet, what do you think would be in it? I think God would carry your picture to look at daily, even when you were a child, and some other memorabilia of good times in life with you. Remember: God loves you!

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey

"Do you just zone out?"

Sometimes when I get in traffic, especially when I’m sitting at a traffic light, I just zone out, i.e., I just let my mind wander and think about a challenge I’m facing in my business and the best way to approach it, or about how to best coach someone to move forward in listening to life, or something like that. I don’t ever have to worry about missing a light change because the vehicle beside me starts moving or some kind person behind me blows the horn.

Do you ever do that? I’m sure you do; just kind of put your brain in neutral to the world around you and go to Maui or somewhere in your imagination?

Recently I came out of my zone, went through the traffic light, and there in the turn lane beside me were five red vehicles in a row—the identical shade of red, one after another. And I thought to myself, “If I had been totally zoned out, I would have missed that unusual sight.”Don’t walk around zoned out. Wake up and pay attention to what’s going on around you. You’ll listen to life and make a life, not just a living much, much better if you pay attention to life.

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey

"LIfe is good, isn't it?"

Last month I enjoyed getting up early before the sun peeked over the mountain and picking blueberries for my breakfast. Two apple trees grow right behind our blueberry bushes. The apples ripened as the blueberries finished ripening.

Each morning, standing under the apple trees, were two deer. These does for the most part left my blueberries alone, but only because they love apples. Fortunately we had a bumper crop this year so there were plenty to share. Usually they scampered off as I walked out of our basement door.

But one morning, one doe ran off, and the other one stayed, head down, simply unable to leave the delicious apple she munched on. I walked closer to her and she kept one eye on me, but her mouth on that apple. Finally, she lifted her head and she had apple all over her chin. She ran off into the woods.

Sometimes life is so good you just want to stay where you are and keep munching on the blessings that day brings. It’s days like that—when you get something good you didn’t earn that you make a life and not just a living!

Click here to listen to Dr. Joey