Have you ever made a commitment to yourself and broken it? I have as well. A test would come, and I’d feel I could handle it. So, I neglected to take the proper precaution or exercise enough grit. Or life happened and instead of finding a way to keep the commitment I retreated or blamed the challenge as an excuse for not following through. That was not really a commitment.

Then I began to realize that the challenges which emerge were knocking to verify my declaration by saying, “Just checking.” Just like when a parent or superior would give a task believing you can accomplish it. Yet, they would still stop by and ask how you are coming along or inquire to see if you think you can handle the assignment. You respond with an affirming, “Yes, I will get it done!” Then their response would be some version of, “Yeah I know you got it but, I was just checking.”

No matter what the resolve of our commitments there will be tests that seem overwhelming. But they are just checking. Pass them and we feel like conquering warriors! In fact, it reinforces commitment.

Tests can be tiredness at the end of the day after deciding to read before bed. Or still flashing a smile when encountering difficulty at work or business. Or to not worry when things aren’t going according to plan. Or to still get up 30 minutes earlier to exercise even if you went to bed later than usual. Or still spending that quality time with your children or spouse even though your day at work wasn’t as productive as you expected. Check your resolve so your resolve wouldn’t have to check you. We must believe that during the tests, God is working things out for our good.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?

(NASB, Psalm 27:1)

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

(NIV, Joshua 1:9)

If you’ve learned how to ride a bicycle, you remembered the process? First, you were more nervous about falling than moving. Then after mustering the courage to move on to the next step, you went just a few feet before losing your balance. Next, you realized that if you can do it for a few feet, you can do it for a few more. Eventually, you learned how to conduct micro shifts of your weight to master balance while steering and pedaling to make it seem effortless. Very soon after locking in the riding technique you realize that you can coast for a while or maintain movement after you gained enough momentum without pedaling.

Every moment mattered when you were learning because you realized that if you didn’t make appropriate adjustments and keep pedaling, you wouldn’t remain balanced enough to maintain motion in the direction you want. If you stop pedaling eventually you will stop advancing.

But there is more to riding than balancing and pedaling. You learned that since there may be multiple routes to a destination, the one you take can make the trip longer or shorter, rougher or smoother, harder or easier. There are some routes that have little inclines, and others with steeper inclines called hills. After you master a gentle 10-degree incline, it is easier the next time around. In fact, that victory makes you more confident to be able to conquer a harder 20-degree incline.

Some bicycles have gears, so though you may not be to change the route, you can shift a gear to make the work a bit easier. But there are only so many gearshifts you can make before you cannot switch gears anymore. You must then make more effort. You will have to shift your weight forward, pedal standing ups, or grunt as you press thighs, calves, and insteps harder into your pedals. But you muscle through until you are up and over the hill. Sometimes you encounter a pothole, and you damage your tire. You do not change your bicycle; you just change the tire.

Today you may be riding not just one but multiple bicycles. They could be marriage, your job, your children, your boss, that project or other things. Have you decided to stay on the bike and keep pedaling when the challenge gets greater with uphill and bumpy terrain, or are you going to stop or worse, go back? Have you learned how to shift gears for cope and clarity knowing you cannot change the course? Have you realized you do not have to switch bikes if the tires of your method or mindset are no longer rolling you along but just change them? Have you accepted that you can only coast long enough to catch your breath or refresh but you must keep moving? Realize that every mile you conquer is another milestone that brings you closer to your destination as you pedal and make intentional shifts moment by moment.

Today I am celebrating another birthday! I thank God for His favor on my life in the form of people, possessions, and personality.

This is a time for me to reflect on the past year and process what the next one will look like. In some ways it is a new beginning.

I thank God for the new people and opportunities He brought into my life recently. This to me confirms his ever-present goodness and is a foretaste of what’s on the horizon. Also, I am looking forward to continuing to plant seeds of words and deeds into others, whether directly or indirectly, and even to making a difference in their lives.

To you, my audience who have given me the opportunity to share my thoughts with you, thank you. I continue to enjoy the journey of the preparation and the destination of the presentation. A special thank you to those who have taken the time to provide feedback on how much my words have meant to you. I read every one of your messages. My prayer has always been that some thought will resonate with you in some part of your life or for the rest of your life.

Let me admonish you that in all the knowledge and information you collect, be sure to reflect frequently to distill them into understanding. God bless you.

The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom! And with all you have gotten, get understanding.

NLV, Proverbs 4:7

Think of your favorite movie. Time would fail me to list all titles here. Have you ever wondered how the cast seems to perform so perfectly? Doesn’t anyone make mistakes? But then you view behind the scenes footage and discover that it typically necessitates multiple takes to nail a scene. In fact, the number of takes can range from one or two to hundreds.

Here are a couple of examples of movies with multiple takes. In Order of the Phoenix, one of films in the Harry Potter series, English filmmaker David Yates required approximately thirty takes per scene. Also, Jackie Chan in Young Master took 329 takes to perfect the scene in him beating up someone with a fan.

In my life I’ve noticed that I approach some situations tentatively because of fear that I couldn’t handle the task or the outcome if I were to jump in with both feet. At other times I become too eager and overdo my effort. Then I end up hurting myself. How can I use enough push to do yet not too much to not overdo? Have the courage and self-control to do it right the first time.

We are not perfect and at times we will require multiple takes. But we can strive to function regularly with courage and control. I realized that in this way I no longer need to fear anything because the goal is for the best outcome with my best effort.

There are times when we falter even with our best efforts and may conclude we cannot make it. Here we need to remember that some things we just cannot accomplish in our own capacity. We know that if we are not in the right frame of mind, we cannot even accomplish much of anything. So, let us acknowledge God in all we do and allow Him to continue to fuel us to do multiple takes if needed or even to do it right the first time.

And Jesus said to Him, “’If you can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.”

(NASB, Mark 9:23)

I’m going to present a formula but stick with me.

F = GMm/r²

Created by Sir Isaac Newton, this is the formula for measuring the force of gravity. Let me explain the symbols and bring it home to how it can be applied to us.

We are all familiar with how the force of gravity, F, works. Said simply, what goes up, must come down. G is a constant meaning that no matter what the value of the other measures are, G will remain the same. M and m represent the two masses or bodies the force is affecting, and r is the distance between them. Notice that r is in the denominator. This means that the greater the distance between the two bodies, the smaller the force on them. Also, the bigger the M in relation to m the less the force will affect it.

In our lives we have gravitational forces on our emotions and our ambitions, to name just two. No matter the situation or interaction, you (state your name) or me (Jon ONeil) will have the same name, G. Now think of yourself as one of the masses, M, and the other object or person pulling on you as the other mass, m. That m could be anything from the fear of success to self-sabotaging thoughts or habits, to unsupportive or contrary people.

If the contrary force, m, has too much influence, you need to grow your mass, M, so it becomes less effective. There is a better way to interact with your m, to increase the distance between both of you. For example, for fear, you may need to exercise more courage. For unhealthy habits you may need a coach, mentor, or accountability partner. For contrary people you may need to dissolve or reduce interactions with him or her. Or you may need a direct conversation to reach an agreement for improved interactions if possible.

If you continue to allow the pull of unwanted gravity in your life to continue to prevent you from operating as the person God created you to be you would be doing a disservice to Him, yourself, and others. Consistently conversate with God for His guidance on you functioning as the version of you who brings Him the most glory.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

(NASB, Joshua 1:9)