Welcome to A Dose of God,
A short-form,
Self-reflective podcast series based on the book,
A Good Dose of God,
Everybody's Best Friend.
The purpose of this series is two-fold.
First,
To enhance and sustain my own resonance with the eternal divine presence in my life.
And second,
To demonstrate how the book's poem,
The ABCs of A Dose of God,
May serve as a framework for others to regularly identify,
Connect with,
And express gratitude for what's good among common occurrences in their lives.
This episode is informed by the verse of the poem representing the letter B,
A dose is there while on the beach relaxing with the one you love.
It includes a brief description of the verse,
A personal reflection demonstrating how the verse has facilitated my own resonance with doses of God in my life,
A statement of gratitude,
And a few guiding questions that may be considered for your own reflection.
Here is a description of the verse,
A dose is there while on the beach relaxing with the one you love.
The beach can be a relaxing place to spend time with your loved one.
You can witness the picturesque view,
The smell of fresh air,
And the sound of gentle waves lapping at the shore.
You can be completely present and share the entire beautiful experience with the one you love.
Together you can witness God's divine workmanship.
In the same way,
Reflect on the numerous other places where you can relax with your loved one.
You may enjoy relaxation on a cruise ship,
In a hot air balloon,
On your front porch swing,
On the love seat in your living room,
Or at the table in your kitchen.
The options are endless.
Here is my personal reflection on the verse.
To me,
This verse is about being with someone I care about at a place where we both enjoy relaxing.
When I am with someone I care about at a relaxing place we both enjoy,
I feel like we are able to strengthen our relationship by focusing more intently on one another and engaging in an experience we both like.
In a literal sense,
I have been to ocean beaches with my wife and have thoroughly enjoyed those experiences.
In a metaphorical sense,
The one I love could represent a person or group of people I care about and the beach could represent a location where we are able to enjoy a relaxing moment together.
There are several different beaches and several different people I care about in my life.
Here I'll share a few examples of being with people I love at places where we enjoy relaxing together.
I've loved relaxing with my wife at casual dining restaurants in our community.
We both enjoy the food,
Drinks,
And ambiance at these establishments.
They're places where we are able to reconnect with one another by letting busy schedules and unnecessary worries drift away.
I've loved relaxing with my daughter Kaedra at a local nutrition shake shop.
We both enjoy the shakes,
Teas,
And overall vibe.
It's a place where we have been able to simply sip our beverages and chat about various intricacies of life,
Sometimes over a game of checkers or chess.
I've loved relaxing with my son Cole at a local pizza restaurant.
We both enjoy the bacon pizza and atmosphere.
It's a place where we are able to enjoy good food and talk about school,
Sports,
Fitness,
Future plans,
Or other topics of interest.
I've loved relaxing with my daughter Claire at a local coffee shop.
We both enjoy the coffee,
Food,
And setting.
It's a place where we are able to casually visit about school,
Activities,
Different ways to communicate a similar message,
Or anything else that surfaces.
I love relaxing with my family at the lake.
Throughout the past several years,
I've had the opportunity to spend most weekends at the lake with my wife,
Kids,
And in-laws.
We have tons of fun engaging in a variety of lake activities.
Pontoon rides and campfires are among our favorite activities for relaxing together.
I love relaxing with some of my closest lifelong friends at the lake during our annual boys' weekends.
These weekends are comforting opportunities to let loose for a couple days,
Reminisce on past experiences,
Catch up on the current happenings,
And share visions for our futures.
I am immeasurably grateful for all the beaches and loved ones in my life and will attempt to act on opportunities to relax with people I love at places we enjoy together as often as possible.
Here are a few guiding questions to consider that might facilitate your own personal reflection upon the verse,
A dose is there while on the beach relaxing with the one you love.
Take a moment to reflect on some of the beaches in your life where you relax with your loved ones.
For example,
Who are loved ones you enjoy relaxing with?
Where do you enjoy relaxing with your loved ones?
How do these types of experiences make you feel?
In what ways do you express gratitude for these experiences?
What strategies could you implement to maintain awareness of opportunities to relax with your loved ones?
In closing,
Regardless of where you are,
When you experience the relaxing moment in complete presence with your loved one,
You receive a dose of God.
The next episode in this series will focus on the verse representing the letter C,
It's on the radio,
In the car,
When you hear your favorite song.
Thank you so much for listening,
May you consistently position yourself to accept and resonate with the doses of God that are ever presently here for you.
The reflections in this series represent my interpretations of the time they were transcribed and may have been different if they were written at other points in the past or future.
Each episode is intended to be unique,
However multiple iterations of common themes and examples are likely to surface throughout the series.
