Holiday Amplification (Reboot)

Posted on December 17, 2025 by David Rische

“Tis the season to be jolly . . .” But what about those who are feeling sad?

“Silent Night . . . All is Calm . . .” But what if there’s chaos all over the globe?

“Underneath the Tree . . .” But what if there aren’t any gifts or even a tree?

I recently heard a guest speaker at church who opened up my mind to the above scenarios. To paraphrase, he described how everything gets amplified during the holidays. Great things get amplified:

Joy, family, friends, gifts, wonderful meals, sweet treats, shopping, sales, bonuses, travel . . .

However, challenging things also get amplified during the holidays:

Grief, family strife, job losses, depression, anxiety, hunger, no gifts, divorce, loneliness . . .

Sounds so simple – but I found it deeply profound. We might feel embarrassed because we’re “not feeling it” this holiday season. We could feel shame because we’ve said multiple times, “I just want to get through Christmas.” There might be deep regret because we tried to manufacture happy holidays by racking up purchases on our credit cards.

It’s all right for us to feel and experience these things. It’s a part of the amazing journey we’re on as being fully human. It can serve as a reminder to our hearts that whether we’re experiencing joy or sorrow – this earth is our temporary residence:

For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. (Hebrews 13:14)

And since it is temporary, we can always have hope in spite of our current circumstances or feelings:

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. (Romans 8:18)

And finally, to experience that future glory, we can believe in and receive the ultimate Christmas gift from God, his son Jesus:

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16,17)

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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The Biblical Science of Giving Thanks

Posted on November 25, 2025 by David Rische

Way back around A.D. 50 – the apostle Paul was on to something when he wrote:

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5: 18).

If we’re honest, it’s difficult to be thankful in “all circumstances”. Especially when life feels rotten or tragedy unexpectedly hits. That is an entirely different conversation for another time. However, there is a relatable connection regarding what goes on in our brains when we consistently exercise the habit of being thankful. These practices could possibly help pull us out of those rotten times and recovering from tragedy.

An accumulated amount of scientific research (summarized by Musclemoph on Instagram for this post) describes how gratitude is one of the most ignored natural remedies on earth. Most people think gratitude is just being “nice” or “positive.” But neuroscience shows it’s much more powerful. Gratitude literally rewires our brains to feel happier, calmer, and more connected.

For example, when we practice sincere gratitude: Our prefrontal cortex activates, which leads to improved focus and emotional control.

Also during gratitude – our brains release dopamine and oxytocin. Those both assist in boosting happiness and trust.

One final noted chemical reaction is that cortisol (the stress hormone) drops. The effect that it has is leaving us calm and resilient.

Here’s the twist: our brain rewards us after the act of gratitude, not before. Each time we express it, we strengthen the neural pathways that links effort to reward. Similar to car tires being stuck and spinning on a muddy, flooded road. The tires create deep grooves in the ground. The same goes for our neural pathway “grooves” in our brains. Over time, our brain starts seeking gratitude on autopilot. Also, the brain learns best through variation, not just repetition.

Here are 3 powerful tips in using variation with gratitude:

  1. Be specific (not generic) – “I’m grateful for my family.” vs. “I’m grateful my sister called and got me groceries when I was sick last week.” Specific moments create emotional detail, triggering stronger brain activation.
  2. Prioritize thankfulness for people over things – Gratitude for relationships activates deeper reward circuits than gratitude for possessions. Connection fuels long-term happiness, consumption doesn’t.
  3. Create gratitude letters (claimed to be the most powerful tool) – Studies show writing (but not necessarily sending) gratitude letters produces the biggest boost in mental health. Just 15 minutes of writing each day can equal weeks of improved mood and emotional balance.

Variety prevents our brains from adapting. Try alternating between: Journaling, verbal gratitude, letters, and mental reflection. The more ways we express it, the stronger the rewiring.

The research also shows that gratitude doesn’t just affect our mind, it transforms our bodies. Blood pressure is lowered. Heart rate variability improves. Inflammation is reduced. Immune function is strengthened. Our nervous systems literally heals itself through positive emotion. Also cited is that if gratitude is used right – it can decrease depression symptoms by 35%, reduces stress, and improves sleep quality.

Conclusion: Gratitude, thankfulness, and positivity all start in our head. They all begin with a choice. Usually that choice takes a little bit of work and going against our brain’s default modes which can be negativity, ungrateful, the path of least resistance, and passivity. The Apostle Paul leaves us with this timeless advice on how to “jump start” the process with the appropriate mindset:

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Everyone is on Their Phones – Especially Me!

Posted on October 27, 2025 by David Rische

This past summer I had to travel for some independent contracting work. I spent a fair amount of time in airport lobbies. No matter what city I was in, the size of the airport, or the amount of people there – I kept seeing the same thing. The majority of adults and children were on some kind of electronic device. There was minimal reading of a book, talking to those nearby, or quiet reflection.

“Hmm . . . that’s interesting . . .” I thought as I reached for my phone to pass the time. Wait a minute – I’m no different. I’m continually on my device! But wait – I’m checking my flight status, digital ticket, and the weather. True, but that takes 2 minutes. I brought books to read and work to complete – but that would take too much effort at this time. As we boarded and were seated waiting for departure – it didn’t change. The majority of us were still on devices. I was squeezing in as much news, sports, social media, and conspiracy theories as quickly as possible before we had to go into “airplane mode” with no internet access for an hour or two (I hope I can make it!). Finally we arrived, I got the rental car, and drove to the hotel. Phew . . . I need to relax a little. I think I’ll sit in a comfy chair with my phone and get caught up on all I missed . . .

Is this a problem? For others, maybe not. For me – yes! If I take a deep look inside, I know I’m on my devices too much. I waste the gift of time. I use it to avoid what I should be doing. I have a hard time breaking away from it for those quick dopamine hits. What about you?

In his book Resilience, author John Eldredge describes the result of what I just mentioned:

The fruit of media consumption is stress, escapism, materialism, anger, depression, rage, time wasted, sleep problems, and addiction.

This quote also caught my attention during one of many scrolling sessions:

Distraction is the new addiction. mindfulnesskris

Wow, that hits pretty hard. Makes sense though. If I stay distracted – then I don’t do what I’m supposed to be doing. Distraction helps me discover things to purchase that I didn’t realize I “needed”. Distraction keeps me digging for truth in all the wrong places. Distraction keeps me away from God and his plans for my life.

Sometimes (especially recently), I’m able to be self-aware and reflect on the outcomes of overextended stays online: I can never reach the end of a scroll on social media (duh, you’re thinking). Rarely have I walked away from a digital session saying, “I feel better and greater satisfaction now that I’ve consumed all of that.” Have we ever finished viewing the news and proclaimed: “All is good in the world according to the news – there’s nothing negative or catastrophic to report – finally!” What if I read as much as I can about my sports teams, deep dive for insider information, and make disgruntled and angry remarks in the comments section – will they now finally start winning??? Phew . . the conspiracy theories have been resolved and neatly tied up with a pretty bow – I don’t need to go down those rabbit holes anymore. Oh goody – both political parties have decided to get along and work for the betterment of our country and the people who elected them . . .

I think you understand where this is leading.

Where do we go from here? How do you get better in a world dependent on digital devices? I feel elimination is impossible. But what about moderation? Here are some quotes I discovered online (it’s not all bad) that give practical advice to bettering our lives:

Create more than you consume. Practice silence and stillness daily. Replace dopamine spikes with real nourishment: nature, books, movement, and intimacy. Neuroplasticity (brain cell growth) works both ways, your brain can heal if you re-train it with BOREDOM, focus, and love. mindfulnesskris (again!)

Studies show that short, novel experiences – a day trip, an unplanned hike, exploring a new street – boost dopamine and reset our mood. You don’t need a grand vacation. You need INTERRUPTION. The brain thrives on small doses of novelty. Routine keeps you alive. Novelty makes you feel alive. genuinely.healthy

Do more things that make you forget to check your phone. Toby Mac

These remedies can all be simplified to fit our busy lifestyles. Creating doesn’t have to be a masterpiece of art that we spend 3 months on. It might be a list, a doodle, a different way to drive home, a new recipe, repairing something in the house, visiting a store you’ve never been in, volunteering, trying to learn an instrument, starting a new hobby, journaling . . . . .

What if we embraced boredom instead of doing everything possible to avoid it? Boredom can lead to creativity, deep thinking, new ideas, relaxation, renewed concentration, improved focus, and action.

I had read several reports that so-called “dumb phones” are making a comeback. Phones that only feature calling, texting, and GPS. What if a generation of young people grew up with those instead?

In conclusion, here is a practice that has helped me: I dedicate one social media platform to only following people, places, and things that are positive, life-giving, encouraging, and inspirational (like Golden Retrievers). This platform has a tight filter for admittance into my starting lineup. No news, sports, politics, arrogant celebrities, or negative people. I know what sets me off – so I intentionally avoid it on at least one site. When I spend a limited amount of time there – I can truly walk away feeling better.

Oops . . . I almost forgot a Bible verse in this devotional! See – too much time on my phone!!! 🙂 Thinking about time – it is one of our most precious commodities. I believe someday we will be held accountable for this fantastic life we’ve had a chance to live. What did we do with the unique skillsets we’ve been given? Were we faithful? The apostle Paul summarizes these questions describing what his prayer life consists of:

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1: 11,12)

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Finding Victory Through Endurance in Prayer

Posted on September 23, 2025 by David Rische

Prayer is a gift from God and also one of life’s greatest mysteries. A miraculous healing. A new job fulfilling your career dream. A change in heart. Relationships restored.

However, there is another part to prayer. The hospital patient who doesn’t get better. The car repair estimated at $3500 – which is $3500 more than you have in savings. Employer rejection. The toxic co-worker who keeps getting worse even though you’ve prayed years for them.

The frustration is that we can’t control it. We love control. The normal standard for me now is Prime deliveries (next day or the day of). Instant downloads. On demand. Food ready to go exactly when I arrive. I want my prayers to be the same – I don’t have the time or the patience to be in it for the long haul. Maybe that’s the problem. Perhaps I need to work on my time and patience in my relationship with God and others??? Yup.

A great example of waiting, not knowing the outcome, and God not making sense is found in the story of Joshua and his people marching around the Walls of Jericho. Please read the entire story in Joshua Chapter 6 to get the full context. Here is the highlight reel:

*The great leader of Israel, Moses, is now dead. God named Joshua his successor.

*God is leading the nation of Israel to a new promised land called Cannan. A giant city with evil residents called Jericho stands in the way.

*God gives a strange command to Joshua. He and all of his people should march around the city 6 times. On the 7th time, they are told by God to blow trumpets and give a loud shout.

*After 7 laps, the walls crumble, and Joshua and the people are victorious in taking over the city.

Here is an excellent perspective from Natalie Runion, who has a site on Instagram called “Raised to Stay”:

I know you’re tired of marching around the same wall, but what if today is the day it falls (7th lap)? Your weapon isn’t speedy defeat, rather patient endurance. Fast food prayers vs. Spirit-filled intercession – what I want when I want vs. Kingdom victory. Breaking generational curses, winning a nation, taking back our families and cities – there isn’t a quick fix, it’s a daily fight to show up and walk the territory given to us . . . What would happen if we stayed long enough to see the victory? The healing? The reconciliation? A God who never loses is leading the way. Today you are weary but tomorrow comes your shout – for God is bringing you a victory.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18).

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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A Few Mind-Blowing Facts About God (reboot)

Posted on August 28, 2025 by David Rische

Do you ever think God is too busy? Have you ever struggled trusting Him to work out a problem? Maybe in your head pondering: “I’d like to pray about getting help with my flat tire – but there’s quite a bit going on in the U.S., Middle East, Russia, etc. right now.” Or; “This is a mess I’ve made with ___________. It’s my fault. I somehow need to clean it up. God’s probably disappointed with me – He probably won’t answer if I pray about it. I deserve silence.”

Here are three reasons why I believe we are all challenged when it comes to trusting God:

  1. We assign human attributes to God. Think of the images we’ve been given over time. An elderly gentleman wearing a white robe with a long, flowing, snow-white beard. Father Time. “Old man up in the sky.” A king sitting on his throne watching the world with a serious and solemn look on his face. The timeless painting on the ceiling of The Sistine Chapel. Then, we can’t help but make him human. He’s probably frustrated with all that’s going on in this magnificent world he gave us that we continue to ruin. I’m sure he’s angry, at least annoyed. How could he not be tired, irritated, and probably let down?
  2. We have short term memory regarding our relationship with God. Does anyone else remember watching The Ten Commandments movie once a year as a kid on television? The entire story is found in the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Back to the movie – I remember as a kid wondering how could The Children of Israel turn their backs on God after he rescued them from being slaves for over 400 years? After He did the miracles of parting The Red Sea, destroying Pharoah’s army, and providing food and water for them in the wilderness? Thinking about it – I can do the same thing. Mentally, I can take on the “what have you done for me lately?” attitude – which is a horrible attitude to walk around with. I can forget all the times God protected me in car wrecks or near wrecks, healed me from dreadful illnesses, provided food and clean water so I’ve never gone hungry, opened up job opportunities. The more I reflect, the longer the list would be. How about you?
  3. We’ve experienced unanswered prayers to God. Perhaps we’ve prayed. And prayed some more. Prayed through tears and sleepless nights. Nothing changes. Or, things get worse that we are praying about. Then, the negative thoughts start bombarding us. “Why pray if nothing happens? God must not be listening – he’s too busy running the universe. How can I go to God for help when I’m such a sinner who messes up all the time? I wish I was as spiritual as the preacher I watch on YouTube. Man, he must have a direct pipeline to the ear of God.” On and on it goes . . .

The best thing we can do is go to the source of truth regarding our concepts and relationship with God. What does the Bible say about God, his capacity, his emotional states, and how he views me? A verse to keep coming back to like a magnet is Isaiah 26:3: You (God) will keep in perfect peace him (or her) whose mind is stayed (fixed) on You (God). Here are three truths about God we can fixate on instead of the negative:

  1. God never sleeps. Psalm 121: 3,4 gives us this assurance: He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. Think about that – God never has or never will need to sleep. He doesn’t yawn, look at his watch, or get irritable late into the evening. Many years ago when I was a flight attendant, occasionally I would have to fly an “all-nighter”. The majority of passengers would sleep while the crew kept watch over everything. That is where I discovered the gift of coffee. Those trips would mess up my sleep for the next 2-3 days. God is always keeping watch 24/7. He is continually on universe wide all-nighters. And it doesn’t phase him one bit. Now that’s power!
  2. God has no beginning or end. The Bible starts out with: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) The Bible ends with the book of Revelation which states: “I am the Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the end.” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One.” (Rev. 1: 8) This one hurts my head when I try to comprehend it. I totally understand God will live forever. And we can also live eternally with him if we believe in His Son Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Here’s the baffling part: God has no beginning. He has always been in existence. He wasn’t born at some time in history like we were. Just like the no sleeping point – now that’s power!
  3. God’s number of thoughts about me are impossible to calculate. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand. (Psalm 139: 17-18) His thoughts about you and I outnumber the amount of sand at our favorite beach! And God isn’t speaking symbolically or exaggerating. The books of Hebrews and Titus tell us that “God cannot lie.” (Hebrews 6: 18) & (Titus 1: 2) This insight comes from the book The Awe of God by John Bevere:

We’re so valued, He thinks about us continuously. All the sand! Think of all the sand on earth – every beach, desert, and golf course. That’s an enormous amount! Science and math enthusiasts tell us that depending on the size and how tightly packed, there are approximately five hundred million to a billion granules of sand in one cubic square foot of beach. Our minds would struggle to comprehend the vast number of granules on just the Florida beaches. But think of it – if you add up all the granules of sand on the planet, you still wouldn’t have the number of thoughts God has about you! . . . Ask yourself this question: What do you predominately think of? You rarely think about something you don’t value. (pages 48 & 49)

These are just a few of His attributes. We serve a God who doesn’t sleep, is outside of human time and space, loves and cares about me more than I do myself. Shouldn’t we be able to trust him? Come to him with our problems and challenges? Feel a sense of worth and adequacy that we are enough?

Conclusion – God is love . . . Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. (1 John 4: 16 – 18) He’s not the old, cranky, frustrated man in the sky with a flowing beard who has an overbooked schedule. Pastor Jimmy Evans says, “The Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) never need to call an emergency session. They never say, ‘Boy – we didn’t see that one coming!'” God is the author of human history. As the old song goes – He truly does have the whole world in his hands.

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Life’s Marathon: Starting Well vs. Finishing Strong

Posted on July 26, 2025 by David Rische

Have you ever heard a quote that you can’t get out of your head? Who remembers the Big Mac jingle from the 70s? Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. Why is it I can remember this so vividly – but can’t remember the name of the person I shook hands with and met 1 minute ago???

Anyway, over two decades ago, I was at a men’s retreat led by the now deceased Steve Farrar. During one of his talks, he said this unforgettable quote:

In the Christian life it’s not how you start that matters. It’s how you finish.

He went on to describe how starting something is usually easy, energetic, and exciting – a new job, a new savings and investment plan, new relationships, new classes, new hobbies, a new book, new home improvement projects . . .

The challenge is moving past the newness and staying with something over the long haul and completing whatever it is. Sticking with a job when it can be mundane and unfulfilling. Persevering through a relationship when it falls on hard times. Finishing a project though it has taken so much more time, energy, and money than originally planned for.

The same thing can happen in our walk with God. We get busy over the long haul. Bibles stay on the book shelf. Prayers go unanswered. People hurt us. We mess up and wonder if God will take us back.

During his talk, Mr. Farrar named names of those who started incredibly strong and had so much potential – but now they are out of the scene. Morally compromised, irrelevant, abandoned the faith, or living in obscurity. You and I can probably think of some names to add to the list.

He also went through several major figures in the Bible that started strong but didn’t finish well. Solomon, Sampson, many of the Old Testament kings, Judas Iscariot, . . .

In the Christian life it’s not how you start that matters. It’s how you finish.

How can you or I be any different? What can we do to avoid finishing poorly, finishing average, or not finishing our walk with God at all?

The Apostle Paul started terribly, and yet he finished incredibly strong. As he sensed the nearness of his death, he penned these words:

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. (2 Timothy 4:6)

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course (race), I have kept the faith . . . (2 Timothy 4:7)

He shows us three big takeaways on how we can finish strong:

Fought a GOOD Fight – Life is a fight. Challenges. Struggles. Hassles. Feeling like we can’t go on. Sometimes we get hit. Losses. However, sometimes we do the hitting. Overcoming obstacles. Significant breakthroughs. Winning. Defeating evil. And it’s a good fight – not great, not perfect, not untouchable. But a good fighter keeps fighting, getting back up, and persevering until the match has ended.

Finished MY course (race) – Not a sprint but a long marathon. Not someone else’s race (comparison, jealousy, or living the life others plan for us and not God’s plan). Runners get tired, injured, and may want to quit. Challenging terrain. However, sometimes runners get a break and there is easy trail running downhill. We get encouraged by and we encourage other racers. We go farther than we did last time. A good runner keeps grinding it out until the end – even if they aren’t going to finish in “first place.”

Kept THE faith – The faith – not compromised beliefs. Using discernment to watch out for swindlers and deceivers. Believing Jesus’ statement that he is the only way to God: I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) Having a sense of urgency about making our days count and impacting others for God and his kingdom. Pursuing an active relationship with God and not treating him as the great vending machine in the sky. Staying strong with our faith until the end of our lives.

In the Christian life it’s not how you start that matters. It’s how you finish.

All of the great ones say the same thing (at least on Twitter/X): The secret to life is to keep showing up consistently over long stretches of time, especially when you don’t FEEL like it. When we finally arrive at the eternal finish line, the greatest words we’ll hear from Jesus will be: Well done good and faithful servant. (Matthew 25:23) And that makes it all worth finishing.

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Understanding Divine Challenges: Biblical Insights

Posted on June 25, 2025 by David Rische

I try not to be cynical. However, the older I get – the more I look back on false teachings I’ve heard, false beliefs I’ve believed, and messages that were cleverly disguised as self-serving and self-promoting. These are all actual statements I’ve heard throughout my life at various times:

*If I give a certain amount of money to the church or a cause – I will be blessed. If I don’t – my finances are under God’s curse and then problems are going to begin.

*If I pray certain phrases and have enough faith – then what I pray for will happen the way I’ve prayed it.

*If prayer is unanswered – I’ve done something wrong, or my sin is blocking it, or I didn’t have enough faith.

*If life is hard and I’m facing challenges – I’m not living the abundant, blessed life God intended for me.

Maybe you can relate to these statements, and/or add more to this list in the comments?

Jesus warned us about being deceived (Matthew 24:4) The wonderful, common, and ordinary people, teachers, and preachers I respect use the same filter: What does the Bible say about ____________? And they don’t twist the scriptures to fit a certain point they are trying to get across.

The Bible shows dozens of examples from cover to cover of people doing exactly what God wanted – and still times were tough. People following God’s will and the challenges multiplied. People questioning God what was going on. This concept caught my attention when Paul made the comments below. Paul who wrote approximately 2/3 of New Testament. Paul who did multiple missionary journeys. Paul who started, supported, and and lost sleep over many churches:

“And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that JAIL and SUFFERING lie ahead.” (Acts 20: 22)

So . . . Paul was smack dab in the middle of God’s will. The Holy Spirit had given him direct messages. And it had nothing to do with avoiding and eliminating problems, financial outpouring, and all his prayers being answered how he envisioned or manifested them. Comfort, ease, and unending blessings were not in the mix. The message involved jail and suffering in city after city.

What? After all he’s done for God’s kingdom? He deserved a break!

Here are just a few other examples of this pattern from all over the Bible:

*Daniel innocently thrown in the lion’s den.

*Joseph betrayed by his brothers who left him for dead. He later is innocently thrown in prison.

*Job was “blameless – a man with complete integrity” and lost everything.

*John the Baptist was put in prison, and eventually was decapitated.

*Jesus was falsely accused, beaten, and then crucified.

Conclusion: We can be 1000% in the middle of God’s plan and will for us – and things can still be tough, questionable, and downright miserable. We can utter the perfect prayer and it doesn’t get answered our way. We can give large amounts financially and cars break down. Air conditioners give out and cost a lot to replace. Jobs are lost. Kids rebel in spite of excellent parenting. The list is truly endless.

We live in a transactional world – I do this and this happens. You do this for me and I’ll do this for you. We follow the rules and get rewarded. We stay in line, do the right things, and hopefully get promoted.

God doesn’t work this way. His grace is always with us when we are his children. It is by grace we are saved through faith and NOT our works (Ephesians 2:8).

Unfortunately, we don’t get to understand and have everything explained to us by God. His promises are that he is with us when we’re not feeling it, seeing it, or experiencing it. He’s with us through trauma, unanswered prayers, problems and hassles. Moses once told his people:

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you or abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31: 8)

Next time one of those challenges happen – what if the focus was shifted to: “I’m exactly where God wants me . . . ”

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Honoring Our Heroes on Memorial Day

Posted on May 25, 2025 by David Rische

Mismanaged time, interruptions, chasing squirrels down rabbit holes, and actual important things have prevented me from having a blog ready for this month. Inside my head, I knew several years ago that I had written something about Memorial Day, and this would be a great time to republish it. After a somewhat extensive search – I didn’t realize that piece was written 10 years ago! Here it is, with a small, new ending.

My first thoughts when looking at the calendar were, “Oh good, a three-day weekend!” I had a completely different subject for a blog I’ve been working on the last few weeks. In the quiet of the morning, my heart tugged at me to draw attention as to the reasons why we have a  holiday on Monday.

Just like any other time in my life I need information – I went to Google to see the official definition of the Memorial Day Holiday (and the link led me to Wikipedia, the other great source of insight).  Here’s what it said:

“Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces.”

So I want to use this time and space to say “thank you” to those currently serving our country.  “Thank you” to the veterans who have served in the past.  And the ultimate “thank you” to those that have given their lives while serving.

Just a small sample of my military heroes:

1)  My deceased grandfather who served in North Africa during World War II.

2)  Former NFL safety Pat Tillman who turned down a mult-million dollar contract to serve as an Army Ranger, and ended up losing his life.

3) My friend Jeff from high school that made it through Ranger and Green Beret training.

4) My deceased brother-in-law Charlie who served in the Navy.

5) The deceased Major Dick Winters, a man I never met – but highly influenced my leadership style after reading about how he conducted himself during World War II.  Here are some of his highlights summarized from various portions of the book Band of Brothers by Steven Ambrose:

“Winters was one of the leaders of the United States Airborne Division ‘Easy Company’ during World War II.  It was a company that ended up taking 150 percent casualties and considered the Purple Heart a badge of office.  In Band of Brothers, Ambrose chronicles how Major Winters earned the respect of the men under his command by having high demands, but also by participating in everything that they did.  Winters personal code was:  ‘Follow me.’  He was described by the soldiers as a leader that took out more enemy troops – and entered into more risks than anyone else.  Even after the war was officially declared over, Winters could be found doing midnight training exercises with new recruits, while his fellow officers ‘cavorted in Paris.’”
This entry was discovered in Winters personal journal, “I did not forget to get on my knees and thank God for helping me to live through this day and ask for his help on D-Day plus one . . .”

Jesus instructs us, “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. . . “ (John 15: 12, 13). Please take a few moments of quiet reflection to remember and be grateful for all of the men and women throughout history that have laid down their lives for their families, friends, and complete strangers – including us.

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Breaking Free: How to Stop People Pleasing

Posted on April 29, 2025 by David Rische

Why do we do it? What’s the deal about so desperately wanting the approval of others? How come sometimes our happiness is directly intertwined with whether someone else is happy or not?

I wish I knew the answers to those questions. Actually, there’s quite a bit of research as to why we are people pleasers. Most of the studies lead back to events that happened when we were innocent children. Dr. Nicole LePara is a holistic psychatrist who says this about the topic:

People pleasers aren’t trying to please other people. They’re trying to avoid their own feelings of shame when they disappoint someone. Every people pleaser has one core goal: control how another person views them.

Ouch. That one kind of hurts. I recently discovered that this problem goes back all the way to the Old Testament. It is mentioned in the book of 2nd Chronicles which was written sometime around 400 B.C. The king had appointed judges to help with the administrative work of the kingdom. Here is a section of the advise he gave them:

“Remember that you do not judge to please people, but to please the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 19: 4-6)

Okay, so this has been a problem for a long time. What are some possible solutions? Here are some suggestions that I’ve found helpful:

*Awareness of our motives and the motives of others – Truly asking: Why am I doing this? Is it simply to get their approval or hope that they “like me”? Does this person or group of people have a history of taking, and this relationship is mostly one sided? We have permission to set up boundaries in our lives to minimize or possibly eliminate the people we’re trying to continually please for no apparent reason. Some are givers and some are takers. Watch out for the takers and keep on being a giver. An excellent resource about this topic is a book by Adam Grant called Give and Take.

*Saying “no” without an explanation. This can be a challenging one. The pleaser in us believes that we owe everyone explanations for our actions. Not true. Think about how many times we say “yes” and regret it. The way to start a new habit of this is giving it a try in a low risk environment.

Example: “Hey, everyone is going the 9 pm showing at the movies, you’re coming, right?”

“No.”

“C’mon, everyone is going! Why would you say ‘no’???”

“No, thanks” (with a friendly and loving smile).

Try this! And remember, you are not required to give an explanation.

*Disappointing adults – The people pleaser wants everyone happy and getting along. This just isn’t possible. When it is all said and done – we can only control our happiness in spite of our best efforts towards others. With the practice of saying “no” without an explanation, sometimes disappointing adults comes with that practice. And it is all right. Once again, Dr. LePera offers her insight from her clinical research:

To have the life you want, you need to start the practice of disappointing people. Teach yourself that adults are capable of being upset, and that your role isn’t to fix everyone else’s issues. Anxiety and depression are signals that you’re neglecting you.

Not being a people pleaser may lose us some popularity contests. That is just fine – let someone else win it. When we observe the life of Jesus – you see he didn’t care what the crowd thought. The Apostle Paul made this claim in reference to being a follower of Jesus and people pleasing:

“If we were living to please people – we wouldn’t follow Jesus.” (Galatians 1:10)

Blessings,

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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Spring Break & Disney World – What Could Go Wrong?

Posted on March 24, 2025 by David Rische

A few years ago, I painstakingly planned the “perfect” vacation to Disney World and Universal Studios for Spring Break. This ended up being one of my most popular blog posts that many people commented they could completely relate to. Here’s a recap of my story:

Are you a “Planner”, or do you like to “Fly by the seat of your pants”? I’m a total Planner. Thus, the inspiration for this blog. I had extensively planned for about 8 months an Orlando Spring Break vacation for my daughter’s senior trip. We had never been there as a family – so I read endless books, conducted extensive interviews and interrogations with those that had been past visitors, and combed the Internet for anything related to this magical place. This was going to be the greatest family trip we (or anyone else in history) had ever taken. This time, I was going to do everything right. No room for error. Pure joy. Every activity would be on a precise schedule – just like Robert Deniro’s character in Meet the Parents.

The trip got off to a rough start when I noticed a sharp discomfort in my lower back around 5:30 am at DFW Airport. Thought it was a cramp, nerves, or some other nuance that would go away. We boarded the flight, and those uncomfortable airplane seats were even more uncomfortable. Three hours later, I was writhing in pain – I literally started crawling on the floor of the terminal at the Orlando airport. Was this “The Big One” like Fred Sanford used to say? Was one of my major organs giving out? Appendix bursting? We found a saint of a cab driver that sped us to a close and quality ER. About 5 hours later, I had passed my first kidney stone! Okay, this wasn’t in the plans. However, the medical staff patched me up and blessed me with meds – in a few hours I was screaming in exhilaration as we rode The Everest Expedition Roller Coaster that evening. Slight “blip” in the plans, but we would hit the next few days with a vengeance. Universal Studios and Harry Potter World were tomorrow.

In spite of getting up at the crack of dawn, it seemed as though tens of thousands of other people had that same idea. As the lines allowed, we rode every ride we could between the two Universal Parks (some marketing genius out there conceived the idea of splitting up the Harry Potter World into two worlds – I would love to say it was for the benefit of the consumers, but it was so they can double their moolah intake). We were exhausted, but tomorrow was The Magic Kingdom – and I was determined to see my plans to fruition.

Our hotel was about 20 minutes away from The Magic Kingdom. They offered a “free shuttle” that left at 7 am and dropped everyone off at Epcot (which I was informed is the central hub for all Disney Park transportation). Thought we’d save a few bucks and not use a taxi or Uber. Sounded perfect – The Kingdom opens at 8, leave at 7, arrive between 7:30-7:45, scan our tickets, and we would be in! Everyone had advised us to get there right as the park opens, and you can experience at least 3 major rides before the crowd hits. That advice combined with 3 Fastpasses – I envisioned myself joyfully singing, “Yo-ho, Yo-ho, a Pirate’s Life for Me!” We had the potential of enjoying 6 major rides before the clock struck noon – boom!

The trend of most of my plans not going as I had hoped once again began to rear its ugly head. I first became suspicious when our “shuttle” was a giant charter bus. “Wow, that’s nice of them to provide such a big bus for one hotel,” I thought in my ever increasingly fatigued, naive, and delusional mind. Even though we are not Orlando residents, after about 10 minutes we noticed, “Hey, this isn’t the route to the park.” The bus, oh excuse me – the “shuttle” literally made 7 stops at other hotels before Epcot. The driver dropped us off around 8:15 am in an empty parking lot the size of the poppy field in The Wizard of Oz. It took about a 10-minute walk to get to the Monorail. Phew, finally made it. Oh, but wait – you must get off this Monorail and transfer to another one. Stood in line for about 15 minutes. Rumors circulated throughout the tense crowd that there was a delay.  We waited about 15 more minutes to get on a ferry headed for Disney World. 20 more minutes on the boat ride – and we finally arrived at the entrance around 9:15 am. We soon discovered that half of humanity had already beaten us to the ride (and food) lines – realizing it’s not really such a Small World After All. As the day unfolded, I soon began to fully immerse myself in the spirit of the dwarf Grumpy – along with some of his lesser-known brothers: Pushy, Pouty, and Rudey.

A few days after we returned home – I had some quality time to reflect. I then realized that one of the most important events of our trip was that crummy shuttle ride. That experience served as a great reminder of what it is like to walk with God. So many unplanned stops along the way that test my patience. Not having control over situations and just having to go with the flow. Disappointment. People getting on my nerves. Me getting on people’s nerves. Unexpected barriers and delays that get in the way of me reaching my envisioned destination.  Which leads to the question we can ask in every situation: Is my envisioned destination His envisioned destination?

Plus, I had so much to be thankful for. We were able to save up for the trip instead of charging everything. I could have been stuck in that ER for days, or possibly have had to have surgery, or it could have been “The Big One”. The family had several spontaneous moments of belly busting laughter. A ticket snafu that “entitled” us to 3 any time any ride Fastpasses at Disney Hollywood Studios. And finally, embracing every second of having lunch in Epcot Italy knowing that my daughter is only a few months away from going to college.

This trip was a continual reminder that I want comfort, control, and predictability. God offers wild, uncomfortable uncertainty – covered with many promises that He will be with us every step of the way. May your journey find you somewhere between the happy medium of planning and pants flying.

Dave 🙂

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidrische

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