@Alex Otto @Uriah Stutzman

This is great, I love how simple the 7 are, truly. Not easy if you don't have a reference point, but simple in you can find the information and apply it. I love that when you do things Gods way, intentionally, not necessarily perfect, it works. There are two things, from experience, that I think will help. 1. It is NEVER too late to start these things. You do however, have to stay consistent. I was fortunate to have a wife that was on board with change. If you think it's imposter syndrome to "fake it til you make it" in this case it isn't. I would recommend doing 3 things though. Apologize to your loved ones and repent for your misbehavior (whatever doesn't line up with what you are proposing), have a plan you can articulate, stick with it (even when you fall) get up and be consistent. 2. Don't let what other people will think about you affect how you pray with your family. Do it often, do it poorly, do it when you don't feel like it, do it until it clicks and then keep doing it. Prayer is powerful, but the world will keep trying to knock you down. It won't always be a beautiful well thought out, goosebump inducing prayer. Your family, your kids especially will pick up on it and let me tell you, there is NOTHING more sweet than when your children start praying.

I love the first few minutes and reminds me that my wife and kids will follow me, good or bad. We were designed to be in relationship, marriage and children are pretty important. “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” (Proverbs 19:14), Go forth and multiply, subdue the Earth, there are so many scriptures about wives and children. So leading, good or bad, your wife and children will follow Being vs appearing reminds me of being hearers of the word, but not doers of the word. Like a white washed tomb or a clean cup, the outside APPEARS clean, but it's the inside that's empty or dirty. Also, the sensational aspect. I cannot say that I'm immune to seeking some grand way of God moving in my life. Often asking for signs. However, I know that God has spoken to me in the quiet times. He's not in the thunder and lightning, He's not in the earthquakes and flames, He's in the whisper and we need to slow down and get quiet. Lots of information to unpack in this one Barry, just scratching the surface with my response.

I think my greatest disappointment is that I fought for so long to do it on my own. That I learned no one was coming to save me early in life and that led to a "I did that" mentality, a brute forcing of life. If I wanted something I figured out how to get it. Typically through manipulating, deflecting blame, or brute force if necessary. It caused a lot of problems as I hit my late 20s and my value system was hard set on worldly things. Stuff, women, experiences, traveling, and absolutely not planning to be alive in my 40s. It has been a long hard road to deprogram that thought process. SelfLESS > SelfISH

Welcome!