Tag Archives: Life

Nathan Dooley

It’s Either $102.20 A Month Or The Alternative … The Alternative

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The price for a Grande (16oz) Caffè Americano at Starbucks is currently $3.65 if you and your spouse shared a single cup—plus the backwash.

I thought, ah yes, it’s perfect and perfectly reasonable to make this Grande Caffè a 7 day commitment with my wife; there’s a view, great service and best of all it’s convenient in more ways than one; we found a nice spot outside to see the sunrise—when the weather permits—and a spot inside where we can talk, read and write—being that it’s not a busy location.

Laura looking cute in the sunrise drinking coffee

If my intuition was operating at full capacity and accurate, I’m sure Starbuck’s employees were watching out their windows curious about this couple that just randomly walks across an empty parking lot to watch the sunrise just a little closer than under their canopy (or awning—whatever). We stopped and just stared for a good 10-15 minutes as the the earth rotated for the sun to rise above our horizon and it felt so good to soak it in, I encourage it!

Do it, go outside when the sun rises at your location and soak it in!

Nathan and Laura happily investing time together

So here we are: investing time together. The wheels start turning. Ideas start emerging. “What if we made this a daily commitment,” I asked Laura while running the numbers, but she had a better idea after seeing the numbers.

Nathan looking awkward after Laura ditches the shot

And that’s why we’re getting divorced.

The end.

Joking!

Laura’s idea was far better than mine in so many ways, what if we turn our room into this experience; my mother-in-law has lived with us since before we were married to make a longer story shorter, and so our room is our “house” to get creative with.

Boom! Next thing we know: we’re on mission for a dynamic room space! The key is effort more than convenience for progressive growth; convenience needs to work in tandem or the result will be regressive.

And that it is, a dynamic room space – as I prepare to publish this post today, a week and two days later.

More to come… until next time, make an effort to see the sunrise.

Christian Soapbox, Nathan Dooley

MY GREAT AUNT FAITH

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Good morning, I’m at my third office off the road and have abstained from coffee although I had a hostess cupcake for breakfast… don’t judge me *said with a subtle laugh.

I received some heavy but celebratory news yesterday, my great aunt passed. It’s heavy because this great aunt is one I’ve had time with when visiting my grandma, and my grandma is an anchor to my life’s story. That’s why it’s heavy, but “how is it celebratory?” I’m excited to tell you about this part!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. 15 For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

If my great aunt has fallen asleep believing that Jesus died and rose from the dead—and I believe she has—so also God will bring my [great aunt] with Him [her] who has fallen asleep through Jesus! THAT… is exciting news!

Trying not to get emotional as I write this with a good crowd of people in front of me I can see the sun rising where the first day here is a vapor of smoke in the wind compared to the day my great aunt Faith is already having (considering the time difference between waking up from a dream here on earth to that of a life now in heaven). Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

However, my writing and your reading indicates we’re still here, “…we who are alive,” Paul said, “who remain…”. Ouch! Yep… still here. That’s what happens when you pinch yourself, don’t do that.

I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

Watch over your heart | P4-V23

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A Father’s Instruction

Proverbs 4:23

I die daily devotional.

22 For they are life to those who find them
And health to all their body.
23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.

Thank you Father, thank you for giving Your Son so that I/we might have faith in the Holy Spirit to help us in our time of need through belief, ‘belief’… such an awesome word of utility for revealing the medium between that which is Holy and Unholy, as righteous or unrighteous, the justice of your vengeance is the knowledge of our state and consequence for sin that so immediately separates us from eternal life to death for eternal judgement, and justifiably so, but belief is what You’ve sown.

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us get past the elementary stage in the teachings about the Christ, advancing on to maturity and perfection and spiritual completeness, [doing this] without laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of teaching about washings (ritual purifications), the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. [These are all important matters in which you should have been proficient long ago.] 3 And we will do this [that is, proceed to maturity], if God permits.

I believe in Your Spirit, that by Jesus Christ my eyes will see and watch over my heart with all diligence so that from it flows springs of life rather than issues of sin that speak death even to the end.

Matthew 18:6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble and sin [by leading him away from My teaching], it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

RESOURCE

Proverbs 4 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org | biblegateway.com

COMMENTARY

Chapter 4

Matthew Henry (P4-V23) Commentary
II. We must keep a watchful eye and a strict hand upon all the motions of our inward man, v. 23. Here is,

1. A great duty required by the laws of wisdom, and in order to our getting and preserving wisdom: Keep thy heart with all diligence. God, who gave us these souls, gave us a strict charge with them: Man, woman, keep thy heart; take heed to thy spirit, Deu. 4:9. We must maintain a holy jealousy of ourselves, and set a strict guard, accordingly, upon all the avenues of the soul; keep our hearts from doing hurt and getting hurt, from being defiled by sin and disturbed by trouble; keep them as our jewel, as our vineyard; keep a conscience void of offence; keep out bad thoughts; keep up good thoughts; keep the affections upon right objects and in due bounds. Keep them with all keepings (so the word is); there are many ways of keeping things-by care, by strength, by calling in help, and we must use them all in keeping our hearts; and all little enough, so deceitful are they, Jer. 17:9. Or above all keepings; we must keep our hearts with more care and diligence than we keep any thing else. We must keep our eyes (Job 31:1), keep our tongues (Ps. 34:13), keep our feet (Eccl. 5:1), but, above all, keep our hearts.

2. A good reason given for this care, because out of it are the issues of life. Out of a heart well kept will flow living issues, good products, to the glory of God and the edification of others. Or, in general, all the actions of the life flow from the heart, and therefore keeping that is making the tree good and healing the springs. Our lives will be regular or irregular, comfortable or uncomfortable, according as our hearts are kept or neglected.