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My Obsession with the Number 23

A good number of people have asked why I seem to be so obsessed with the number twenty-three.  I’ll devote a few paragraphs here to give you the condensed version of why the prime number has become a big part of my life.  I don’t expect anyone to claim any significance the way I have, but will ask for a few minutes of your time to give you some background.

For twenty-five of my twenty-nine years in the public school classroom, math was one of the subjects I taught.  To be honest, I never really was that good in math, but my struggle to understand concepts I believe helped me to reach those that were going through similar struggles.  It was the “I’ve been where you are and know how you feel” mentality.  So it suffices to say numbers have always been an important part of my life.

About eight years ago, I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life and to be honest, not a whole lot of anything made any sense.  Separation and eventual divorce, recovery from addiction, and general upheaval has a way of doing that to you.  A fellow teacher, noting that I was really struggling, suggested I take up the hobby of numerology.  While I wasn’t a person that put a whole lot of store in what the numerologists seemed to be implying, it did peak my interest.  Somewhere along the way, I discovered the number twenty-three kept showing up over and over in my life.  That was the seed it took for me to study the number even further.

During my “investigation” I found out that both of my parents were twenty-three years old when I was born.  I was conceived in 1958 and those digits sum to twenty-three as well.  My son is twenty-three years younger than I am and my daughter was born on my sister’s twenty-third birthday.  Needless to say, the beginning of life is important to all and the presence of those numbers at my life’s beginning was too obvious to ignore.  * Note – I can say with some certainty that I was conceived on October 9, 1958, but I don’t want to raise your skepticism too early.

I also took a look at my birthdate in its numerical form:  7/6/1959.  If you sum the first four digits, you get twenty-three.  If you sum the last two digits, you get 14.  Since I am a person of the Christian faith, I began to look at the 23-14 combinations I could find in the Bible.  The first reading that seemed to have significance was Numbers 23:14.  It was there I found the name of the church I attend, Mt. Pisgah.

The next significant passage came from 2 Samuel 23:14, which contains the name “David” and “Bethlehem”.  David is the name I was given at birth and Bethlehem is the name of the town where Mt. Pisgah is located.  The most puzzling verse is Matthew 23:14.  In most translations of the Bible it’s not listed.  The Gospel of Matthew goes from 23:13 to 23:15.

So what did I take from all this you might ask? In a time during my life when not a whole lot was making any sense, I turned to God to find meaning.  I was fortunate enough to be raised in a home where church was an important element.  But it wasn’t until this difficult time in life when any of it began to take hold.  The different scriptures gave me assurance and bolstered my faith to the fact that God knew exactly what was going on in my life.  He had been there at the beginning and I had no reason to question He was still with me now.

So each time I see the number twenty-three, it’s like a “wink from God” that says amidst the chaos of my life, He is ever present…. He always has been and He always will be.  Now do I sometimes carry it a bit too far?  Perhaps so, but it’s something that I’ve held onto during the darkest valleys of life and I’m not about to let go.  I know some may think it’s pure nonsense and insignificant, but then it was God talking to me through a language He knew that I would understand and pay attention to.

And that my friends is the short version.  There are a lot of other situations that the number has kept showing up.  I just have to smile and know that there is One that knows me and will always have my best interest in mind.

David Lee

Daily Writing Prompt

I always carry my wallet and car keys with me. My car won’t operate without my key fob…..I can’t lock the doors to my house without the key contained on my keyring…..my wallet is always with me, for obvious reasons. If I’ve made it out of the driveway and realize I’ve forgotten my wallet, I turn around to get it. Coming in third place is my cell phone. It’s an important part of what I have to work with each day.

Signs Along the Way…

Along this path in life, there are certain signposts that grab my attention. Whether it’s a particular sequence of numbers, my personal favorite, or the appearance of certain animals or frequent synchronicities, they all seem to give me confirmation that the path I’m on is not a random. There is indeed method to this maddness.

On this particular weekend, we are amid a full moon. My resources tell me it’s a “sturgeon moon,” which I will research in a bit for further meaning. In the midst of the full moon last evening, I heard an owl screeching. It has quite the distinctive sound and not heard overly often, so I tend to pay attention to its call.

Here’s my research, which will hopefully lead to yet another sign that gives me confirmation that I’m on the path that was intended for me.

Sturgeon Moon

The Sturgeon Moon, the full moon in August, is traditionally associated with the abundance of sturgeon fish in the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water. Spiritually, it symbolizes resilience, ancient wisdom, and the importance of connecting with one’s inner strength and intuition. It also encourages emotional processing and collective healing.  – from Google AI Overview

Hearing an Owl Screech

Hearing an owl screech can symbolize a range of meanings, from wisdom and guidance to warnings of danger or even death. Historically, owls have been associated with both positive and negative omens across different cultures. Understanding the context and your personal connection to owls can help decipher the specific meaning of a screech. 

Personal Meaning – I will take the high road on this pair of omens and interpret it as a positive sign. I am on an inner journey of a monumental nature and am attempting to learn to trust my inner intuition. It seems I am constantly processing my emotional self and learning more and more about the collective emotional consciousness that surrounds me.

The full moon and the owl’s screeching, in combination, tell me that guidance and wisdom are abundant, if I am willing to be open to the process. My research of these omens is a move to further understand what it all means. On this day, I will open my eyes and ears and mind to see what is further revealed.

David Lee

Suffering and My Thoughts

What is the point of the suffering we encounter in life? I’ve recently considered what part suffering can play in each of our lives, its causes, and what to do to remedy said suffering.

I don’t think that personal suffering is any sort of “punishment” for wrongdoing. I think the greatest majority of our suffering is a direct result of life choices we have made. Then there are those situations in which we absolutely are “victims of circumstance” and suffer through no fault of our own.

If I am suffering, I need to examine the root causes of that malady. Is there some action I am taken or more importantly, not taking that is causing me to be in the situation I’m in? The God of my understanding doesn’t send punishments pointed at humans. There are those things that happen that are a part of the natural order of the way the world works.

Another question I have is that if God doesn’t cause the suffering we are experiencing is He capable of removing that suffering? I have observed those who ask God to remove their suffering or the suffering of their loved ones who do see positive results and they generally speaking think the removal is a direct result of their requests. But then some ask in prayer to have suffering removed, indeed may even have many others praying for them, yet their malodies remain. Some even see death as a result of their suffering. Therein lies the dilemma, at least in my mind. Is God directly involved in all or any of it? I appear to have more questions than answers.

David Lee

Daily Writing Prompt for April 28th…

Daily writing prompt
When do you feel most productive?
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I feel most productive when I’m substitute teaching in the public schools. I’ve been in the classroom long enough (44 years), so I feel comfortable there. With the advent of technology in the classroom, there is a lot less direct teaching and more monitoring of students. I feel competent in most of the technology that is being used in classrooms today.

Daily Writing Prompt – April 25th

Daily writing prompt
What topics do you like to discuss?
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I like to discuss anything of a spiritual nature. This would include, but is not limited to various spiritual practices and beliefs. I have learned there are many ways people perceive God and yes, those who don’t believe there is a God(s). It’s all quite fascinating to me.

I also love to discuss anything about numbers. I like to find out what people’s favorite numbers are and the stories that go along with them.

Atomic Habits by James Clear: Chapter Six Summary

Chapter Six Summary: “Motivation is Overrated: Environment Often Matters More

  • Small changes in context can lead to large changes in behavior over time.
  • Every habit is initiated by a cue. We are more likely to notice cues that stand out.
  • Make cues of good habits obvious in your environment.
  • Gradually, your habits become associated not with a single trigger, but with the entire context surrounding the behavior. The context becomes the cue.
  • It is easier to build new habits in a new environment because you are not fighting against old cues.

Atomic Habits by James Clear: Chapter Five Summary

Chapter Five Summary: “The Best Way to Start a New Habit”

  • The first law of behavior change is to make it obvious.
  • The two most common cues are time and location.
  • Creating an implementation intention is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a specific time and location.
  • The implementation formula is: I will (behavior) at (time) in (location).
  • Habit stacking is a strategy you can use to pair a new habit with a current habit.
  • The habit stacking formula is: After I (current habit), I will (new habit).

Atomic Habits by James Clear: Chapter Four Summary

Chapter Four Summary – The Man Who Didn’t Look Right

  • With enough practice, your brain will pick up on the cues that predict certain outcomes without consciously thinking about it.
  • Once our habits become automatic, we stop paying attention to what we are doing.
  • The process of behavior change always starts with awareness. You need to be aware of your habits before you can change them.
  • Pointing-and-Calling raises your level of awareness from a nonconscious habit to a more conscious level by verbalizing your Scorecard is a simple exercise you can use to become more aware of your behavior.

Daily Writing Prompt

Daily writing prompt
How do you use social media?
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For the past forty-plus days, I have stayed away from social media in observance of Lent. Today is supposed to be my first day back. When I’m posting, I share readings from devotionals that I read each day, funny puns I find, and pictures of my comings and goings each day. I also use it to keep up with friends and family.