Our Responsibility

Today's message at church was the second of a four part Jesus Mission series entitled "Our Responsibility." Upon hearing the title, I was very interested to hear more since I have committed myself to doing everything I can possibly do to play a part in Suncrest's journey toward changing lives. Over the next nine months, I will be praying for the church as well as fasting on Wednesdays. I am also keeping myself open to other possibilities as things move along and more opportunities come into view.

The main idea behind the message focused on how God designed the world with certain systems that followers can rely on to guide them in their journey to serve God. Just like other laws in nature, these systems will always hold true and should be used for direction as we are making decisions in our lives. I can see how a blatant understanding of these types of systems will better enable us to serve God and hold our actions accountable for the level of blessing in our lives.

In his most profound spiritual system, God blesses us expecting we will share the blessing. After living by this fact, we will be able to accomplish exactly what God desires for us in this world. We can all make a difference in the lives of those around us simply by making it a priority to promote positive energy and use our individual gifts to benefit the community as a whole. Also, the system continues with the recognition that our future blessing from God is going to be dependent on how we use our current blessing. We must trust God to replenish our lives by participating in a never ending cycle of receiving and giving blessing.

Our faith will be the cornerstone for the effectiveness of God's systems in our lives. In order to successfully carry out his will, we must all take an active role in sharing God's goodness existing in our own lives with others throughout our daily activities. We must take time to acknowledge the wonderful things God does for us and allow those blessings to permeate the world through our actions... which will then truly spread his glory far beyond our physical reach.

The Olympic Spirit

For the better part of three weeks, we have been blessed with constant access to one amazing story after another through the extraordinary sporting celebration known as the Olympics. Even though their programming is jam packed with commercials, NBC has done a wonderful job covering both the intense competition and the stories behind the games. I have sincerely enjoyed watching the wide array of winter sports and the featurettes that have allowed the viewers a glimpse into the lives of the athletes.

There has been some amazing and unbelievable stories unfold over the last few weeks. We have been exposed to many personalities that just radiate inspiration into our own lives. I have been especially moved by the story of Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette. She brought tears to my eyes with her emotional short program performance. I admired her courage for deciding to still skate after losing her mother to a sudden heart attack only a few days prior to the competition. Her determination which earned her a bronze medal will be forever etched into the history of the winter games and something that us fans will remember for the rest of our lives.

These games in Vancouver have really shown the power of the Olympic Spirit and helped to restore the sometimes questionable image of the human race. I am very grateful for all the fond memories made over the last few weeks and would like to congratulate all the remarkable athletes for their unrelenting Olympic journeys. Each and everyone of them deserve honor and recognition for their devotion to excellence and positive representation of their home country.

As the closing ceremonies quickly approach, I pray that people all across the world recognize these monumental moments and that we use the inspiration in our own lives as we each make the push toward greatness. I sincerely believe that the energy and emotion packed into the Olympic Spirit can help us live better lives regardless of each individual situation. No matter what may be in store for us, we should carry the mentality of an Olympic athlete by training, competing and celebrating each achievement like gold medal competitors. After implementing this spirited attitude, my guess is that we will suddenly see the same type of powerful, awe-inspiring stories begin to play out in our own lives.

Dr. God

After waking up with night sweats, I knew that my body was doing all that it could do to fight off the illness that has been plaguing me all week long. I have tried to carry a positive attitude through the episodes of chills and lingering headaches, but there has been no signs of improvement over the last couple of days. I have prayed for strength and guidance and have started to feel pressure about recovering. With anticipated interviews next week, my health will be very important to allowing me to put forth the best possible representation of myself.

I asked my Mom to drive me to a mandatory meeting that I absolutely could not miss this morning. After witnessing my symptoms and foul mood first hand, she offered to help me pay for a visit to the doctor and any medicine that he may prescribe. I stubbornly denied the generous offer keeping my faith that I could beat this evil sickness. However, she purposely took a wrong turn on our way home so we would have to drive by the doctor's office. I gave her a hard time since I could not wait to just get home, but she insisted we at least stop in to check for future appointment times. It turned out that my doctor had a last minute cancellation and would be able to see me right away!

I found out that I have an infection that has been going around that seems to linger for weeks without the treatment of antibiotics. After receiving this news from my doctor, I was so grateful for my Mom's persistence and the unexpected visit to the doctor. It very well could have saved me from another full week of agony which could have also led to a blown employment opportunity.

I have no doubt that God heard my prayers and found a way to restore my health. Even though I started the day feeling helpless over my symptoms, he somehow made it possible to not only overcome my sickness but overcome it as quickly as possible. After a restful weekend with medicine, I will be able to begin a new week feeling healthy and ready to amaze potential interviewers.

Today's trip to the doctor shows how God can make unthinkable things happen when we least expect them. We just need to always trust his guidance and keep ourselves open to his solutions. Because with his help, we will be able to conquer any symptoms holding us back from reaching our best.

Watch Your Step

Last night, I had a conversation with my Mom as she was comforting our precious Pomeranian named Belle. Belle is getting older and seems to be having trouble breathing with intermittent seizures. She is the absolute cutest dog and has overcome a lot of obstacles in her life after being born as the runt of the litter. She is an inspiration to me and always brings a big smile to my face.

My Mom has done a wonderful job keeping Belle healthy. She has a huge heart for animals and gives her all to looking after them whether it be our pet dogs or the wild birds in the yard. God definitely blessed her with an amazing motherly gift, and she has made the most of her gift raising three healthy sons and numerous long living pets.

During our conversation, my Mom spoke of her experiences raising small children and tiny dogs. As she held Belle on her lap, she shared stories of how she had to always be very cautious throughout the years to avoid accidentally injuring her small vulnerable loved ones. She said that she still and will probably always live with that same attention to her surroundings as she goes about her day.

It was great to be able to have a sincere talk with my Mom. I will forever be grateful to her for her unconditional love and the wonderful life lessons she has provided over the last 28 years. Going forward in life, I will remember back to the conversation we had yesterday as she made Belle forget all about her discomfort. I realize that I may not have children or small dependent animals in my care, but I will always have important decisions to make as I move forward in my journey. If I apply a similar dedication to those situations, I am confident that I will be able to raise strong and healthy outcomes throughout my own life.

Sick... No Way!

Yesterday, I woke up with a tickle in my throat and a slight headache. I immediately thought to myself, "Oh no, I hope I am not getting sick!"

I absolutely hate not feeling well. Since the ominous feeling yesterday morning, I have been battling my body's urge to just shut down. I have forced myself out of bed and worked to continue on with my day as if I was feeling perfectly well. The soreness in my throat and pain in my head has seemed to increasingly intensify over the past 36 hours. However, I refuse to let myself succumb to this illness.

I remember a time back in elementary school when I really did not want to go to school. In order to stay home, I knew I would have to act like I was sick. Using my absolute best acting ability, I convinced my mother that I was actually ill. As the day went on, I continued to behave as if I had all the flu-like symptoms and thought I was just so slick while I enjoyed watching Tom & Jerry. However, I began to actually feel a headache and too much of my surprise ended up with a 102 temperature by the end of the day!

I am a firm believer in the power of the mind. I am absolutely positive that simply by thinking like I was sick, I was able to physically make myself ill. Ever since that experience in my childhood, I have lived with an understanding that I could accomplish extraordinary things with strength of mind. Looking back at my life, I can now see that I should have used this ideology in several situations to help me overcome the challenges before me. As I continue in my journey to be the best I can possibly be, I will use the power of my mind to to not only heal my current state of health, but overcome future obstacles that are vulnerable to my positive thoughts.

Throughout the past two days, I have been speaking healing words over myself and praying for restored health. I have faith that I will defeat the physical symptoms that are threatening my ability to enjoy the wonderful day God provided for me. Only time will tell how much longer I will have to endure... but I am confident that I will endure and in the mean time will live at my best.

American Pickers

I really enjoy watching "American Pickers" on the History Channel. Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz search for America's lost treasures in this new program where a television crew follows them as they scour the country determined to find interesting items and antiques for their company Antique Archaeology.

As I watch the show, I am struck by their passion for the work they do as well as their relentless determination to pull valuable relics out of obscurity and back into stores, museums and living rooms across the globe. I feel inspired by the way they are able to make a living with a job that they absolutely love. It is evident through their attitudes and actions that they have been blessed with a rewarding career that brings a great deal of satisfaction to their daily lives.

I also admire their extraordinary determination as they search for the undiscovered gems that fund their business. They have developed their own "picking science" that provides a sort of method to their memorabilia-seeking mission. They often find themselves way off the beaten path in rural towns across the country digging deep into abandoned barns and scrounging through junk filled basements.

I believe that everyone could benefit from living a life full of this same type of intense determination. We all have 'hidden treasures' in our lives that are just waiting to be discovered... we just need to 'dig deep' to find them.

Also, antiques are often discovered on the show covered in mildew, dust and dirt. However, the pickers are careful not to overlook these items. They concentrate on uncovering these filthy treasures and reap the benefits often through large financial gain.

Just like the pickers do in their search, we must take time to evaluate the opportunities in our own lives. We may think they seem unattractive at first glance, but if we take the time to 'remove the dirt' we may just discover a chance to 'uncover a hidden treasure'.

"American Pickers" encourages me to chase after my dreams and work to discover my true passion in life. The program helps me recognize that determination will be required to discover blessings in my life and also makes me realize that I may need to 'dig deep' and 'remove the dirt' to find them. I look forward to watching more episodes on Monday Nights at 8pm... and as the pickers continue searching for their next valuable piece of American history, I will also be out there determined to find treasure in my own life.

Fruit of the Spirit

I have spent much of my life searching for a seemingly elusive notion of 'happiness.' I would look for things that brought a smile to my face and indulged repeatedly in those activities with expectations of experiencing continuous joy. However, I found that my desire to satisfy my urge for instant gratification always took me down a path toward future disappointment. It was these selfish ambitions that eventually took over my life and destroyed any chances for me to enjoy lasting joy in life.

Galatians 5:22 reads, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

After reading this passage for the first time, I immediately felt a rush of emotion that fueled an intense drive to find this 'fruit' in my own life. I remember thinking to myself that I could experience things such as love, peace and joy simply by replacing my negative tendencies with a more positive attitude. I knew I was struggling with problems in my life, but thought I had the power to conquer them relying solely on my own determination. I became committed to living a life geared toward being kind and good thinking that I would be rewarded with a new life free from the evils that had taken over my ability to find 'happiness'.

I eventually came to realize that my determination in itself was unable to conquer my sinful lifestyle. I failed in my attempts to discover the 'Fruit of the Spirit' and found myself suffering from the same wickedness, over and over again. I soon reverted to questioning God and wanted to give in to the desperate nature of my ill-framed mind that worked so hard to divert my attention away from an honest hunt for the truth.

Luckily, God continued to fight for his glory in my life and provided an eye opening realization that would lead me to finding the missing link to my happiness. I began to see that the 'Fruit of the Spirit' was not something I could receive through my own strength and determination. After giving my all toward developing a relationship with Jesus, God rewarded me with all the love, joy and peace I needed to live the fulfilled life I desired. The more I followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the more I experienced things such as patience, kindness, and self-control in my life.

The key to enjoying the 'Fruit of the Spirit' has been practicing obedience over my sinful nature. By turning to Jesus, I have been able to move away from the notion of success as taught to me by society and overcome my selfish desires. I have learned to trust God and realize that he will provide everything I need to live an abundant life.

The Jesus Mission

Suncrest Church kicked off a four week message series this morning centered around "The Jesus Mission" and the account found in Acts detailing the rise of 'church' which began with Jesus ascending into heaven. Pastor Greg Lee communicated plans that will allow Suncrest to expand locally, regionally and globally to continue Suncrest's mission of being used by God to change lives. Upon listening to the wonderful plans, I felt so blessed to be a part of something so far-reaching and am excited to provide support for such an amazing mission.

The Jesus Mission in Acts 1:8 reads "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Upon spending time thinking about this verse, I was able to look back at just how Suncrest has helped me in my journey toward becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. This church that did not even exist when I was born has followed God's guidance and found a way to directly reach into my life. They have helped God transform me from a desperate lost soul into a hopeful joy-filled servant of God. Absolutely amazing... and I am just one of many they have reached with God's love and compassion.

I am so grateful to be a living, talking example of how the power of the Holy Spirit can restore a person's life. Over the past year, I have allowed the Holy Spirit to live inside me and became committed to following its guidance with all my heart. I cannot think of a more wonderful feeling than when God showed me that he has been and will always be present in my life. It's a feeling that I will continue to share with other followers and try to help others who have not been so blessed to experience.

I declare my own mission of living a life driven by the Holy Spirit to help God change lives. I expect God to use me as I move forward in my journey and turn to him for strength as I look for ways to assist with the Jesus Mission. Through my actions and prayers, I will be joining not just Suncrest, but a church of people all across the earth promoting something that will continue to change the world - The life of Jesus Christ.

Tale of Two Thieves

Editor/writer, Fulton Oursler, is the man behind the quote "Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future."

After reading this quote this morning, I began to think more intensely about regret and fear with a determination to find out how to escape falling victim to the thievery of which Oursler refers. I can definitely relate to each of these negative feelings by looking back at times in my life where I was unsuccessful at living a life full of joy. Tension, nervousness, anxiety and worry are just some of the horrible reactions I identified in my life that served as consequences to regret and fear.

Keeping faith that God desires the best for everyone, there must be a way to overcome these negative emotions in our lives. We are meant to live blessed and fulfilled free from the negativity that steals our ability to experience true joy and receive God's grace. In order to overcome these pitfalls, it may help to combine a better understanding of regret and fear with a deeper look into the quote itself.

In my research of each thief, I have come to acknowledge that they are definitely psychological in nature. Also, regret and fear are related through the deeper meaning of each inside of our mind. While we may fear future loss, failure and hurt, we most likely regret our past actions that resulted in the same losses, failures and hurts. Therefore, we must accept the things we cannot change in order to avoid fearing a future with similar consequences. We should still learn from our mistakes, but also prohibit our minds from dwelling on them.

After analyzing the quote, I also noticed that between 'regret for the past' and 'fear for the future' is the present. I would like to suggest that we can avoid the burdens of regret and fear by focusing our attention on living life in the moment. The feelings experienced as a result of fear and regret have absolutely nothing to do with what we are experiencing in the now.

By living in the present and trusting God, we can conquer the negativity of regret and fear in our lives. We should take comfort in the fact that God will provide us all the strength and courage needed to overcome any challenge. We will then be free from the anxiety that accompanies regret for the past and fear of the future. Even though bad things may happen, it is up to us to trust God's plan and keep horrible experiences from stealing our peace. I invite everyone to allow God to arrest these thieves in our lives and keep them forever locked up away from stealing the joy in our lives.

Window of Opportunity

There were two men sharing a hospital room and every day the man closest to the window would share an account of what was going on outside with his roommate who was confined to his bed. The man would go into great detail describing beautiful sunsets, children playing in the park and many other wonderful things. The bed-ridden man enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the outside world and soon noticed it was the highlight of his day.

When the bed-ridden patient checked in to the hospital, he was run down by the setbacks in his life and did not really care much about his declining state of health. However, his roommates accounts had given the man a new look on life. He became determined to get better so he could enjoy all the wonderful things the world has to offer.

With his new positive attitude, the bed-ridden patient began to show signs of improvement. However, the patient closest to the window suffered from complications and passed away. Grieving the loss of his friend, the other man asked the nurse if he could be moved over to the window. After the orderly began to move him, he was so excited to see the view he had heard so much about from his friend. Much to his surprise, the only thing outside the window was a dark and dirty brick wall.

The man was upset and confused about the situation and conveyed his frustration to the nurse. It was at that time the nurse informed him that his friend was blind.

Throughout my journey of self improvement, I have realized that God has given me the ability to decide how I wish to view my life. I can directly influence my attitude and reactions to life's challenges by choosing to stay positive and look for the good in every situation. If I had always lived with this mind set, I know I could have saved myself from a self induced feeling of depression that controlled my life for several years.

This story shared above goes to show that even though life can bring undesirable circumstances, it is completely up to us to see good in every situation. Our attitude and outlook can grant the power to transform even the darkest days into shiny opportunities of hope. By making the decision to be positive, we can stay happy and full of joy even if there happens to be a brick wall right outside our window.

A Glance Away

I spend a lot of time in front of my computer at the desk in my bedroom where I often engage in periods of intense thinking, writing, reading and praying. During each of these activities, I find myself looking for inspiration and motivation to help me reach the next amazing thought or formulate another intriguing blog entry. Therefore, it is so important for me to create an environment that supports my dedication to these tasks by surrounding the area around my computer with items that provide positive energy.

Looking around my desk, I see pictures of my family, my favorite quotes, a written copy of my goals and the bible. I also have a childhood piggy bank, my baseball cap and of course my candy jar. I turn to each of these objects for encouragement and inspiration as I spend time working at my desk. They absolutely create a positive atmosphere that increases my productivity and continually bring a smile to my face.

I also believe that this intentional motivational decorating can be applied to many more locations other than just the area in which we work. Throughout the day, several positive objects placed strategically throughout the most common places of our daily routine can lift our spirits and completely transform our overall attitude.

For example, we could place a beloved picture on the bathroom mirror, the dashboard of the car, the locker at the gym, and next to the lamp by the bed. That's a smile while we're brushing our teeth, a smile on our way to work, a smile before our workout, and a smile before we go to bed! That would be totally awesome, right?!

I encourage everyone to take some time to identify these type of places and add some inspirational items. I am definitely going to continue to allow the objects around my work station to brighten my days and keep me on track toward my goals. I am also planning to expand this concept to other places that I often see throughout my day. By using this method, I will have several sources ready to provide me everything I need to keep going strong... and they're only a glance away.

I Just Forgot

I recently watched the movie "17 Again" and found myself drawing motivation from the overall message of the story. The movie used a concept similar to many other movies where the main character magically finds his or herself suddenly at a different age in life. However, "17 Again" did a pretty good job making a seemingly familiar plot become unique using a few interesting characters and comedic relief.

The entire movie is spent setting up a final scene where the main character transforms back to his original self after realizing that he was not living the way he should have been living before he had the magical transformation. He has an 'awakening' that makes him see what is truly important and decides to make the choice to live the rest of his life dedicated to his wife, children and new values. After his re-transformation and reuniting with his almost ex-wife, he apologizes for his previous behavior where he says to her, "Your the best decision I ever made... I just forgot."

In this Hollywood movie, everything seemed to work out well for the lucky character who was able to salvage his almost 'lost' life and family. However, I noticed myself wondering how often people get through their entire life without being blessed with such an 'awakening'. I also tried to imagine the horrible feeling that would accompany such an 'awakening' at a late stage in life. It is definitely something that I never want to experience....

It is reassuring to know that we all have the chance to keep that from happening. No matter what stage we are at in life, it is never too late to take a good look at our lives and find ways to concentrate more on our relationship with God and the people/things closest to our heart. With life's overwhelming nature, it is extra important to periodically take a step back and make sure we are keeping a well balanced lifestyle that aligns with our values and goals. This small effort has the potential to save us from a harsh, desperate realization of regret.

I am so grateful to have had the 'awakening' God blessed me with at this point in my life. I feel so blessed to wake up each day focused on pursuing this journey of change and look forward to continuing on this path. As I move forward, I am determined to give my all toward everyone and everything in life and under God's guidance I trust I will never have to use the excuse "I just forgot" when it comes to the people/things I love.

Spiritual Warfare

I am currently in the middle of a study in my community group focusing on the book "Spiritual Warfare" by Jerry Rankin. We were reluctant to begin the study since it deals with acknowledging the devil along with his evil ways. However, the book does a great job highlighting the way the devil attempts to carry out his demonic actions in order to prepare us as Christians to help stop him from stealing God's glory in our lives.

Last week the chapter was entitled "Satan's Favorite Fiery Darts." I found the material to be very informative and believe that the topics should be in the back of our minds as we give our all toward living a holy lifestyle. The devil will use every attempt to take advantage of us at our most vulnerable moments and tries to influence us to live self centered lives through his cunning tactics.

Unforgiveness and anger are perhaps the most common ways the devil finds a way into our lives and becomes successful in his efforts to block God's goodness. By failing to forgive, anger and resentment seem to build deep inside the heart and give satan the ability to use those feelings to influence our attitudes and actions. We are often directed toward harboring these feelings eventually leading us to practice self pity and intense loathing.

In most severe cases, we hide away these feelings of bitterness and resentment only to bring them forth later in life after experiencing something traumatic or similar to the hurts we have covered up with a false sense of forgiveness. It is through this misdirected behavior that satan receives fulfillment since it allows him to steal our joy and keep us from enjoying the happy victorious life God wants us to live.

Direct anger is another weapon satan uses to keep God's people from receiving the holy spirit. This tactic is quite tricky to acknowledge and defeat since it often manifests itself before we are aware of its presence in our lives. Afterall, the feeling of anger is often a reaction of the flesh to a situation that threatens our own physical or emotional well being. It can easily be shrugged off and accepted as a 'normal' part of life. A good example used in the book is the all too familiar concept of "Road Rage."

The book defines that anger is always focused on a specific object, usually another person. Without recognizing this innate response, we are more likely to let the anger control our actions and carry out the evil intentions of the devil. Anger leads to negative criticism, discouragement, verbal abuse and selfish behavior. Even if we think it is under control, it can often show up in condescending words, extreme sarcasm and our attitudes. To conquer our anger, Jerry Rankin says "We had best leave indignation up to the Lord... we are to walk in holiness, selflessness, loving one another and led of the Spirit, the fruit of which is self-control."

The chapter also hits topics such as doubt and pride along with some other ways the devil specifically attempts to create dissension in our lives. Even though it is a tough subject, I have found that I am more equipped to fight off satan's attempts to enter my life after giving time and effort toward identifying his evil intentions. I am so grateful for the wonderful friends I have made through my community group and together we form an army smiling under the light of God's grace.

Bed Bath & BEYOND

Last night I decided I would pursue a potential employment opportunity by attending the Bed Bath & Beyond hiring event that was advertised in the newspaper this past weekend. The advertisement stated that they would be taking applications and giving on-site interviews all week long from 8am-5pm until they filled all the open positions. I was not quite sure what to expect so I approached it just as if I was going to a regular interview. As I finished getting ready this morning, I tightened up my neck tie and said a quick prayer to St. Joseph for employment before heading out the door.

On my drive over to the event, I found myself rehearsing the typical interview questions and spent some time thinking positive thoughts. I planned to arrive about 9am thinking that the interviewers would appreciate an extra hour to let their Monday morning coffee kick into effect. When I arrived at the temporary hiring location, I was shocked to see a line of people wrapped around the building. I couldn't believe that there was over 100 people waiting to apply and started to contemplate going home instead of waiting in the freezing cold for a job I might not even get.

Upon finding a parking space, I thought about the choices in front of me and decided that braving the cold to pursue the job opportunity was the right decision. I approached the long line that was wrapped to the side of the building providing shelter from the bitter wind. The people who were waiting were very diverse in every sense of the word... but considering the situation in very good spirits. I immediately noticed that I was over dressed and also lacked the hats and gloves most people were wearing. I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb and again found myself questioning whether or not I should leave.

Taking my place in the back of the line, I greeted a stranger with a big smile and a look of astonishment. I felt a good vibe from this strangely happy line of the unemployed and even overheard a few people joking about it being the longest line they have ever seen for a hot dog (which was sort of funny because there was a hot dog place directly next to the entrance to the unmarked event). I spent the next 75 minutes in that line where I shared a positive attitude with others and absorbed some of their energy along the way. It was quite amazing to take in such a positive life experience for it being such a lousy situation.

The interview went well and after another 45 minutes I walked away from what I would call the BEYOND part of Bed Bath & Beyond with a memory that will last for the rest of my life. I may or may not get asked for a second interview... we will have to wait and see. However, I did get the chance to spend some time on a cold February day standing in a line with complete strangers from all different backgrounds with a common hope of finding employment.

With every one's positive attitudes and uplifting spirits, I found the time I spent in line quite enjoyable and am glad I decided to give this effort my all. At the very least, it will make a good story to share with a laugh later in life. Who knows... I may have found employment or even better made the first step to starting a promising career... or maybe established a business contact to help later in my job search... or met someone that will become a lifelong friend. One can never know for sure what God is doing in our lives, but I do know that all these things are now possible because I decided to give my all toward what seemed to be a horrible situation.
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Prayer to St. Joseph for Employment

Dear Saint Joseph, you were yourself once faced with the responsibility of providing the necessities of life for Jesus and Mary. Look down with fatherly compassion upon me in my anxiety over my present inability to support my family. Please help me to find gainful employment very soon, so that this heavy burden of concern will be lifted from my heart and that I am soon able to provide for those whom God has entrusted to my care. Help me to guard against bitterness and discouragement, so that I may emerge from this trial spiritually enriched and with even greater blessings from God. Amen.

Completely. Committed. Follower.

Today's message at Suncrest was entitled "Completely. Committed. Follower." and addressed what it means to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. It provided an outline designed to help guide us in our journey toward serving God in every aspect of our lives. The message clearly spoke of the importance to take steps to grow spiritually in faith and become active in seeking opportunities to move beyond the status of believer.

In order to live a committed lifestyle, we must surround ourselves with others that value a similar relationship with God. Participating in fellowship will provide the support our faith will need to continue to grow stronger over time. We will encounter times in our lives that will require encouragement and direction that will come directly from established friendships blessed with God's grace.

We must also place an unrelenting desire toward cultivating a personal relationship with Jesus. The holy spirit resides inside each of us and will direct our thoughts, attitudes and actions toward receiving God's glory. We must learn to accept and listen to its guidance in everything we do. Through the power of prayer, we can invite Jesus to join us in our daily adventures and allow God to provide the strength needed to live a fulfilled life.

It is also imperative to dedicate ourselves to serving God by placing our interests below the interests of others. By living an unselfish lifestyle, we allow God to use our gifts and talents to carry out his will. We should look forward to every opportunity to sacrifice the desires of our own flesh and trust that God is always leading us toward fulfilling a plan that is so much greater than ourselves.

As we continue on our journey, we need to also take time to bring others closer to God. We must take advantage of every chance to show compassion toward people who may be struggling and show God's grace through our own actions. We have been given the gift of the holy spirit and can show how grateful we are by sharing it with people who are less fortunate.

I realize that I will need to periodically re-center myself around the fundamental aspects of being a Christ follower. I will spend time identifying areas in my life that I should concentrate on to better serve God and new ways in which I can continue to grow spiritually. I trust the holy spirit living inside of me and will never question its guidance... I am a follower.

Out of the Comfort Zone

I attended a clinic for umpires today held by the Regional Umpire Network. It was a good group of about 8 men who all seemed very interested in learning more about official baseball rules and solid field mechanics. Most of the attendees were experienced umpires, and it was evident in their appearance and body language. As the leadership expressed the objectives for R.U.N, I recognized that I had a lot to learn and began to feel as if I was in over my head. After finishing the rules discussion, my anxiety increased as it was time to move on to the live training.

As they called my name to put on a face mask and step behind the plate, I found myself experiencing the uneasiness of an unknown situation. I was surrounded by a bunch of strangers and felt tempted to simply let the next guy go ahead of me. However, I turned my thoughts to God and asked him to guide me as I began to suit up.

With my nerves in full gear, I assumed my brand new stance behind the catcher and watched the first pitch cross the plate. In that split second, I felt a rush of adrenaline and instantly knew that being an umpire is something that I would sincerely enjoy. I immediately stood upright, turned to the right and pointed my finger as I yelled confidently for the first time as an umpire, "Strike!"

It is not everyday that an opportunity to take on something that pushes us out of our comfort zones enters our lives. Even though fear and anxiety might try to hold us back, we should take advantage of the opportunity and look at it as a chance to strengthen our overall character. I believe God wants us to push ourselves to stretch beyond our 'limits' and purposely provides us with these chances to become stronger people. After rising above these challenges by giving our all, God will reward our courage and we will be that much closer to becoming the person we are meant to be...

Waiting with Expectancy

I have been waiting to get a break on employment for what seems like forever. Keeping with my faith, I wake up each day excited for whatever is in store for me and expect good things to happen. However, I find myself questioning if I have been waiting too passively and wonder if there is anything else I could be doing to live with more expectancy.

I have been putting all my heart and soul into my prayers trusting that God will provide the guidance I need to get through this time in my life. I have faith that I am on my way to bigger and better things and believe that they will come to pass in his time. But as time continues to pass, I believe I need to put more concentration on supplementing my prayers with actions that demonstrate my expectations and prepare me for the future.

When talking with people about my search for employment, the conversations have become routine and almost always bring up the 'state of the economy'. I have heard it so much I can feel the negativity eating away at my efforts. During future thoughts and conversations, I will refuse to acknowledge the slow economy along with any other negative topics. I will spend more time imagining myself with a job and prepare myself each day as if I actually had a job. I will not let uncontrollable outside forces discourage me from expecting employment.

I also plan to take physical steps that will help me to put more actions behind my prayers. Instead of spending all day in my comfortable clothes, I am going to put on nice work attire to do my daily writing and job search tasks. I will be designating time to focus on developing job skills throughout my week that will be beneficial to me after finding employment. I will live each day on a schedule that aligns with a typical day at the office. These behaviors will help me overcome any limiting thoughts and help prepare me for the wonderful blessings God sends my way.

I realize that I cannot see everything that God is doing 'behind the scenes' and will continue to rely on my faith to keep me going strong. I must continue to be positive and hopeful in my job search using actions to support my expectations. I am going to talk as if I will be finding a job tomorrow and act as if I already have a job. By replacing negative thoughts with preparations for a blessed future, this time of unemployment will help shape me into a more determined, skillful future employee.

Heart of Happiness

One of the most influential lessons I have learned over the course of my lifetime is that happiness begins in the heart. God has granted everyone with all the tools required to live a life full of joy. We simply need to make the choice to promote a joyful lifestyle and make living with enthusiasm a priority throughout the day. Problems and circumstances in life are too often permitted to take control leading to discouraging thoughts and attitudes. When this mind frame takes root, all the joy and happiness we are meant to experience gets destroyed by negativity.

Depression ruled my life for a long time before I realized that I did not have to allow sad thoughts and self pity to drive my internal spirit. It was tough to break free from my old thought patterns, but I used determination to start replacing the anxiety and stress with feelings of joy and peace. I recognized that there will always be problems and setbacks in life... and if I had to wait for those things to go away to be happy, I would never again experience the pleasure of pure joy.

After God blessed me with this new wisdom, I began to implement physical actions to accompany my positive attitude. Even though my situation was much less than ideal, I made a conscious effort to smile as much as possible throughout my day. I looked for opportunities to share moments with the people around me that carried positive energy. I walked around in confidence with my head held high and my shoulders back. Before I knew it, I felt an ever growing feeling of pride and my new behaviors became habitually natural.

We can celebrate life the way God intends us to by finding happiness in everything we do. Through living with positive attitudes and joy filled hearts, we can transform our lives and share energy with others leaving them happier, more encouraged and more inspired than they were before being around us. It's a choice to have a heart of happiness... a choice with an easy decision.

Conquering at the Core

I struggled with 'demons' in my life for a long time before I was able to get honest with myself and attack them at the core of their existence. I use the term 'demons' as a representation of the evil attitudes, thoughts and actions that seemed to plague my life before I was saved from that lifestyle. Deep down inside my soul, I always felt the need to change and truly believed that I had so much more to offer the world than I was accomplishing while suffering from the strongholds in my life. After years of half hearted attempts, I found salvation using God's guidance to identify the real root causes of my problems.

In order to start the process, I needed to declare a desire to make my faith the most influential force in my life. I realized that there was absolutely no room for making excuses to justify my future actions and made the decision to replace negative feelings stemming from 'unfair situations' in my past with a desire to use them to make me stronger. At that moment in time, I noticed that something changed inside me and started to enjoy the positive attitude that transformed my life.

Early on in my journey of change, I found myself covering anger, doubt and sadness with forced feelings of love, hope and joy. However, my dedication had to constantly endure the relentless negative thoughts that seemed to reappear over and over again. I came to realize that I simply could not mask the ugliness in my life and began to take a deeper look inside to discover that these emotions were the result of dark buried secrets. Secrets that held the keys to the chains that were holding me back...

After working to let go of the hurts from my past, I was able to conquer the bitterness that was influencing my behavior. I no longer feel the need to blame my past and live everyday in the moment trusting that my future will be full of blessing and good fortune. Today I am confident that there is absolutely nothing that can keep me from receiving God's best!
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If you feel that something may be holding you back from receiving God's best, pray with all your heart for his help and guidance... and you will receive it.

"Heavenly Father, please allow me to see the truth about myself. I no longer want to suffer from the evil that keeps me from receiving your grace. Give me the strength to conquer negative attitudes, thoughts and behaviors and replace them with actions that bring lasting hope, love and joy."

Picture Perfect

I was captivated by a picture in the newspaper the day after the Super Bowl. The picture showed MVP quarterback Drew Brees holding up his son Baylen high above his head during the celebration after his team, the New Orleans Saints, defeated the Indianapolis Colts. In a cloud of confetti, Baylen wearing noise reduction earmuffs is seen absorbing the action in front of a huge sign that reads 'Champions'. It captured a moment in time that carries a message that absolutely transcends the game of football...

Upon seeing this unforgettable image, I immediately felt the power that drives the gift of life. The picture represents the true motivation of the human spirit and succeeds at drawing an emotional response that brings a perspective to light that is too often overlooked. Through all the hard work and dedication, what are we actually living for each and every day?

I used the inspiration to reflect on my own life and took the time to identify what is really important to me. I was able to gain an understanding about myself that will accompany me going forward as I continue on my way conquering challenges and celebrating victories. By knowing what is first and foremost in my life, I have the ability to make better decisions and more efficiently chase after my dreams.

During the time I spent reflecting, I also found myself comparing the scenario in the picture to my relationship with God. By putting myself in Baylen's tiny little shoes, I could imagine that Drew Brees would represent the Almighty Father who holds me up constantly to take in all that this life has to offer while providing me with 'earmuffs' to provide protection from all the 'noise' that will bombard me on my journey.

Through this abstract thinking, I also came to the realization that just like Baylen experienced, there have been times where I was unable to comprehend just how amazing a moment really was until later in life... and at those times God was always there holding me up, protecting and celebrating with me in the midst of all the confetti.

Conditioning the Conscience

I imagine it is different for everyone, but I believe we are all aware of an internal voice that attempts to give us advice throughout our day. I have heard many people refer to it as the conscience, and I am fine with using that term. However, I have learned throughout the course of my lifetime that this little voice is the guidance of the holy spirit providing the direction needed to overcome temptation and walk in the grace of God.

If I made a list of all the unsavory situations of my past, I can recall hearing the warnings of my conscience that could have saved me from the strife that resulted after refusing to listen to its guidance. In fact, that little voice inside my head has spoken to me during the most critical turning points of my life. It is at those times that my choice to disregard its advice lead to life changing consequences. Luckily, God never gave up on me and has shown me the mercy and forgiveness needed to transform my life.

I have come to realize that I can always rely on my conscience to lead me toward the right path and believe that the more I listen to its direction, the more it will speak to me. When I was continuously making bad decisions, the little voice inside my head seemed to grow softer making it easier for me to disregard. Before I knew it happened, I was making horrible decisions without even feeling an ounce of regret causing a spiraling effect in my life that eventually left me drowning in a sea of remorse.

However, I have found that the conscience can be conditioned in the same way we build up our muscles. Through hard work and dedication, we can work out our conscience by relentlessly turning to its direction throughout our day. After awhile, it will become second nature to 'exercise' its guidance and the quality of our lifestyle will show the size of our 'muscles'.

As I move forward in my journey, I am dedicated to listening to and following the guidance of my conscience. I have noticed that the direction of the holy spirit goes far beyond just showing up during times of need. By continuously acknowledging its presence, my conscience has grown to become a leader in my everyday life sparking ideas and actions that propel me toward fulfilling my destiny.
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James 1:21-22
"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

February 7th 2010

Today, February 7th of 2010, millions of people across the world will place all their attention toward what is arguably the greatest sporting event of the year - The Super Bowl. Throughout the day, we will experience coverage of inspirational stories, time honored traditions, heart felt performances and of course an action packed game of football. Even if we are not fans of the game, lasting memories will be made as we share this day with everyone that we love...

When I woke up this morning, I felt an amazing feeling of excitement and knew that February 7th, 2010 would be a day I would remember for the rest of my life. Now I absolutely love football, but the emotions I was experiencing were unrelated to the game that would be played later in the day or any of the accompanying festivities. Today I would experience true joy knowing that I have been forgiven for all my past sins and reborn into a life dedicated to following Jesus Christ.

I was baptized by Pastor Greg Lee today - February 7th, 2010 - at 12:10pm. A moment in my journey through life that will forever mark my commitment to living the rest of my life under the guidance of the holy spirit. As I approached the stage, I had the most wonderful feeling of peace absolutely knowing that I was exactly where I was supposed to be at that very moment. When I emerged from the water, I opened my eyes to see the world in a new light and trust that this light will stay with me for all of eternity.

There was a story in the newspaper this morning that told the story of Pierre Thomas, the running back for the New Orleans Saints. This young man has risen above one challenge after another and now finds himself playing in the biggest football game of the year. During all the hype throughout the week, Pierre made a quote that carried an intense message that truly showed how grateful he is for everything in his life and resonated with the same passion he gives toward living.

I set out this year with certain objectives in mind and trusted with all my heart that many positive and exciting events would happen along the way. When I was baptized earlier today, I experienced one of those moments and will remember February 7th, 2010 forever. I imagine I feel as proud as Pierre Thomas feels about making it to the Super Bowl... and that is why I am going to close this entry by saying exactly what he said during his interview this week. "Making it here was destiny. God paved this road for me, to take this journey, and I wouldn't change it for anything."

Reaching New Heights

I have come to realize that it is God's intention to offer everyone the opportunities needed to continually advance their lives toward reaching ever increasing levels of glory. However, we must choose to pursue what is right and take advantage of every chance to listen to the guidance of the holy spirit. The amount of God's favor in life will directly correlate to how well we follow his directions leaving our battle with free will to ultimately determine the amount of blessings we will experience during our lifetime.

Throughout my past struggles, I personally experienced God's unrelenting attempts to bring me back into his glory. Unfortunately, I repeatedly ignored his presence in my life and avoided following the blatant path back to righteousness. As I continued to choose a life of misery, I continued to be harassed by a small nagging voice deep within my conscience. It was not until after I decided to follow Christ that I was able to acknowledge that this voice was God living inside of me. He knew my greatest weaknesses, my embarrassing faults and my inner most secrets... and he also knew how to relieve the burden that accompanied each of these areas.

Upon listening to God's guidance, I began to notice that one door of blessing eventually led me toward another door of opportunity. I was experiencing favor in my life that just a short time ago seemed forever out of reach. All of the sudden, things in my life that I had been putting off were coming to pass one by one, and the problems that had haunted me seemed to disintegrate into a future of endless possibilities. I noticed that every step of faith and open gesture of obedience was rewarded with a deeper understanding of God's plan for me and an increasing feeling of grace.

Today I pay attention to the voice inside me and avoid becoming so busy and self directed that I miss what God is attempting to say to me. I act on his guidance and have learned to immediately address the issues he brings to light. By living in this way, I have learned to expect his blessings and honestly the more I look for his favor in my life, the more I find. God wants nothing more than to see everyone reach new heights, but it is completely up to us to make the decision to follow him to the next level.

Escape in the Moment

As I returned home from running a few morning errands, I started in on a common routine of kicking off my shoes replacing them with my extra cool poker themed slippers. Next, I hung up the keys to the car and placed my leather jacket on a hanger in the closet... I then reached down to greet the amazingly energetic dogs and walked to the bathroom sink to wash my hands. It was during this simple, often overlooked occurrence that I found myself overflowing with sensory perceptions that produced a much needed moment of relaxation.

As the unique light from the energy saving light bulbs reflected off the highly decorated fixtures, I invited the warm water to run across my weather worn hands gently covering each individual finger tip. After adjusting the faucet to release a slightly less hot stream, I gave the distinctly orange dispenser a double tap to begin a rather ritualistic lathering only to suddenly find myself absolutely enjoying a blast of aroma that somehow carried the likeness of freshly cut flowers. I proceeded to rinse off my now sanitized hands allowing the steam from the sink to fill my lungs, one deep breath after another. I then swiftly grabbed the hanging hand towel, turned each knob to stop the flow of water and glanced at a joyful image of myself in the mirror.

I know it might seem sort of ridiculous to experience pleasure from washing my hands, but there was a true sense of joy created simply by taking the time to really appreciate the task at hand. I was able to escape the menacing thoughts that seem to captivate my mind... I was not worried about any past activity or feeling any anxiety about some future event. I was able to focus all my attention on something that was happening in the now and I loved it!

There are so many opportunities throughout the day that offer a chance to get lost in the present... simple everyday actions such as walking the stairs, brushing your teeth or cooking dinner. They all offer a chance to shift our thinking away from stressful thoughts and take a break from the busy hectic lifestyle that at times seems unavoidable. Whether it be for a few seconds or couple hours, we can emerge from a peaceful internal escape more refreshed and energized - ready to take on whatever the next moment may have in store.

Lean on God

I woke up this morning excited for another day, but I also was experiencing a strange feeling that I have not felt in some time - confusion. It is very hard to explain the exact feeling since there really was not a specific thing that I could pinpoint causing me this sense of disorientation. It was not a welcomed frame of mind, especially since I have been so confident in my faith that God is in control and has been leading me every day toward living a more productive life. I immediately turned my thoughts to the Lord and using prayer placed an extra emphasis on strength of mind.

For some reason or another, I continued to harbor feelings of doubt as I went about my day. I found myself wondering about my desire to find employment and began questioning my efforts. These indefinite thoughts quickly turned into more contemplations about my qualifications and character. I was in desperate need of finding focus and realized that this would be a perfect time to turn to the word to look for guidance.

Proverbs 3:5 told me everything that I needed to hear - "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight and understanding."

I believe that my lapse in reasoning was being influenced by the devil and am thankful that I let God help me conquer my feelings of confusion. He quickly restored my confidence and reminded me that I have been living at the best of my ability. I am determined to overcome the adversity in my life and will continue looking forward to receiving all the blessings God has planned for me.

I believe that we will all have days where it may seem like something is holding us back from receiving the glory that God has planned for us. Whether it be internal thoughts or physical obstacles, turning to God will provide the strength needed to rise above any challenge. So when in doubt, lean on God...

Biomimicry

I was recently reading a Harvard Business Review magazine article entitled, "Use Biomimicry to Make Better Products (And Companies)." Even though this concept of Biomimicry sounds like it could be complicated, it is simply looking to nature for innovative ways to develop or improve products. For example, the Speedo swimsuit Michael Phelps and other Olympians used in Beijing was called the "shark suit" since it was developed to mimic the way sharks move through the water.

Companies are turning to consultants specializing in this field to help brainstorm and implement ideas that carry a positive impact to products, processes, and the overall "footprint" of the business. The companies are experiencing unprecedented profits simply from taking the time to identify and utilize the more efficient, effective solutions existing in the environments surrounding them. I have fallen in love with this concept and what's not to love... nature has been evolving over the past 3.8 billion years to produce the most amazing and awe inspiring God given advancements on the planet.

As I was moving through the article, I found myself agreeing with this philosophy and getting excited to practice using such principles to enhance my thinking and hopefully bring improvement to my life. I may not be producing products or managing a business, but I am the CEO of my life... and I can use all the inspiration I can find.

I love watching animal planet.... and recently I was amazed by the extreme dedication of the adult male emperor penguin. It will hold the egg of its unborn offspring on it's feet under a warm piece of abdominal skin while the mother sets off to sea. This 'watch' can last for over 120 days during which time the daddy penguin doesn't eat losing up to 40 percent of his body weight. He devotes all his time and energy into protecting the egg from the frigid cold until his mate returns to take over control... now that's just crazy amazing!

I know I will never have to watch an egg while my penguin wife goes to play in some far off region of the artic, but there are certain areas of life to which I can apply that degree of unrelenting dedication. I can definitely remember the sacrifices of the male emperor penguin as I continue to fight through this period of unemployment and keep my talents and abilities 'warm' as I wait for my next job.... or how about I focus my attention on the egg of faith as I trust that God will reward my dedication to him with an abundance of favor in my life.

No matter how we decide to look at it, 'Biomimicry' is just too awesome to ignore! Whether we are looking for the next great idea or ways to improve our attitude, God has blessed us with a world that holds all the inspiration we need. All we need to do is observe...

Sustaining Peace

While discovering how to feel at ease may seem like a huge accomplishment, it is even more important to find out how to sustain peace. An unrelenting faith seems to offer the best chance to perpetually profit from the joy that accompanies a peaceful lifestyle. When tempted with a challenging situation, it is faith that will drive the ability to move forward with a positive attitude providing a sincere belief that, no matter how trying, each situation can and will work for good.

Even though faith does not promise to instantly deliver us, we can rely on it to lead us toward a brighter future. We must avoid living a lifestyle that resembles a roller-coaster of highs and lows that causes us to practice our faith more in times of need or express our gratitude only when everything is going smooth. Consistency in spiritual behavior will result in a peaceful consistency of perceptions and reactions to daily events - whether good or bad.

It is also important to live with 'big picture thinking' to enjoy a more peaceful life. I approach every situation trusting that God knows best and that his guidance will lead me to my true destiny. As long as I am doing my best and listening to the holy spirit, good things will find their way into my life and I can relax believing that I am right where I am supposed to be. There may be times in life that simply don't make sense... but it is at these times when I must acknowledge that God is in control of a much greater plan that I cannot understand.

As I followed yet another lead for employment today, I faced a blatant disregard to my true character from a HR Coordinator. She did not even give me a chance... I felt angy and discouraged since I know I have the experience and ability to excel at the position. However, I quickly corrected my negative reaction by focusing on my faith. I trust that God has a different plan for me... a plan that will ultimately bring much more favor into my life.

Finding Peace

When looking for peace in life, it is important to realize that the search will not require physical travel... but rather an internal journey to the heart and soul. People are born into a selfish world that can often teach practices that do not support living a peaceful lifestyle. We often face daily struggles that are relatively trivial in nature but have the ability to produce far reaching consequences if allowed to dominate our feelings, emotions and actions. Feelings of anxiety and uneasiness must be replaced with an attitude that supports a positive outlook in life starting now and carrying into the future.

When I accepted that God is in control and truly understood he wishes the best for me, I was able to relax and take comfort trusting that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I admit that there are circumstances that I would like to see changed sooner than later, but I have faith that God will lead me there when the time is right. He has a much better understanding of the 'big picture' and will bring me timely opportunities along with the strength and motivation to pursue them.

Given my current situation, I constantly encounter reminders of my failures and find it hard to overcome the feeling that I could be living in an expensive house starting my own family with a high paying job and a fancy car to match. However, I know deep inside that I am a much better person after surviving my past and can see how I am more prepared for a future that supports having a LOVING family with a job that brings JOY to my life. If I end up with an expensive house and a fancy car, I will be thankful but realize that those things are not what I need to feel fulfilled. Without the awakening God provided me, I could easily have spent my entire life living with objectives that would lead only to an ending filled with disappointment and regret.

By opening up myself to God, I have been blessed with a mind set that allows me to experience hope in every situation. I have no doubt that each difficulty in my life is another lesson to be used for forming me into the person I am meant to be. I am surrounded by the beauty of God's grace and it is only a matter of time before I find myself living the life I have always imagined - and with that I have found peace.