One Full Day

I had a very full schedule today requiring a constant on-the-go pace. The day went by so quickly, but it also presented me with a few surprises along the way. Even though everything was not exactly smooth, I was able to use my attitude of faith to keep going strong. In fact, I recognized each interruption in the day's journey as a chance for blessing. Looking back on the full day of events, I can now see that the surprises were actually what made the day special. I am grateful that I had the presence of mind to make the most out of each individual opportunity and feel blessed to have worked through such a chaotic day while sustaining an amazing feeling of peace.

My day started out at 5:15am after awakening to the not so pleasant beep, beep, beep of the alarm. I am not used to getting up early and am still adjusting to the new schedule. However, I was able to talk with my father before he left for work. Over the past year, it seems like I never get to talk with him until after he has already worked a long day. Even though it was tough to wake up, it was wonderful to get to spend some time with my Dad to begin my day.

I arrived to work at 7am. Even though the training manager had the day off, I was able to work closely with the assistant manager. Together we covered a lot of the same topics I covered on Monday, but I was able to learn it from his perspective. I believe it provided me with a more well rounded view of the required tasks. I was a little skeptical of how everything would go since I had no prior meeting with the assistant manager, but it turned out to be a very productive 8 hours.

Directly from work, I had to go to a dentist appointment. I do not enjoy having my teeth cleaned, and dread my six month check ups. I was surprised to see a new hygienist, but the process seemed to go smoother than normal. I was pleased she took the time to talk afterwards and offer suggestions on how to improve my oral hygiene. Also, it turns out that I will not need to get the costly x-rays and fillings I was expecting until July. I was very happy with that news, since I should have dental insurance at that time.

After leaving the dentist, I had an hour to make it to my Wednesday night meeting. Upon deciding that I was hungry, I thought I would try out a few of the new A1 sliders at White Castle. I was surprised to see a friend from my past working the register. He was someone that I have prayed for over the past year. Needless to say, it was wonderful to see him doing well.

After catching up with him, I got in my car so I could make it to my meeting in time. However, I was met with a lane closure on the main road that was backed up for miles. I tried to take alternate routes, but there was congestion everywhere I went. I eventually made it back to the main road and decided to simply wait in the traffic.

Even though I was going to be late, I decided to use the time waiting in my car to pray. As I was praying, I also spent some time reflecting on my life. I came to an understanding that the journey through life can sometimes be like my search for a way around the traffic. We might find that it is easier to accept the pace of life and wait patiently to get where we are going. Instead of hectically searching for shortcuts, we can make the most out of what is directly in front of us.

Despite the treacherous traffic, I arrived at my meeting only fifteen minutes late. The meeting went well with several positive conversations, but it was a meeting after the meeting that meant the most. I was able to have a heart to heart talk with a very close friend that I have known for 20 years who is conquering the same strongholds that I am in my life. We were able to share words of encouragement and ended the conversation with a big hug.

I was finally on my way home at about 8:30pm. When I walked in the door, my mom informed me that I needed to go to the dealership to finalize the purchase of my new car. After filling out all the paperwork, I was told that I could spin a wheel to attempt to win $500 dollars. With all the confidence in the world, I spun it never doubting that I would hit one of the three spots out of twenty marked winner. The wheel gently slowed and the rubber stopper pointed to the word winner! I know right.... a new car and $500 dollars!!!!

I thought today was going to be busy, but I had no idea how it would turn out. However, I began the day with faith that God would be with me through it all, and I definitely felt his presence during every single amazing event. Using extreme trust and a positive attitude, I have found stronger relationships, better health and blessed memories.

Everything Will Work Out

Needless to say, it was very easy to wake up this morning. I immediately walked into the bedroom adjacent to mine to look out the window. As my eyes adjusted to the bright morning sun, I produced a huge smile after looking down at the beautiful car in the driveway. I guess I just wanted to confirm that the previous day's events actually were real.

After pouring my morning cup of coffee, I went outside and drank it in the charger while listening to some music. I once again found myself in disbelief and spent some time praying. I was so excited to get into my new car and drive to work. However, I also knew that I had a lot of things to take care of to finalize the purchase before my shift started at 1. With help from my mom, I began to call banks and insurance companies looking to get the best possible deals on a loan and insurance. I did not anticipate how difficult it was going to be and at one point began to fear that things may not work out.

As soon as I noticed my thoughts turning negative, I immediately turned to God to help me relax. Even though there were unpromising conversations with several companies, I trusted deep inside that if it was really meant to be everything would work out. Everything from finding the car to driving it off the lot seemed so unbelievably natural that I truly felt nothing could keep me from becoming this car's next owner.

I was unable to make it to the dealership before starting work. I spent most of the morning on the phone trying to work out the best deal. With the help of my very supportive parents, I was able to find affordable options that will fit into my budget. Even though it is not officially mine, it looks like I will be signing tomorrow night. In the mean time, I will be thinking nothing but positive thoughts and keep my faith that everything will definitely work out the way it is supposed to work out.

Titanium

Right now I feel as if God has literally picked me up and placed me directly on top of the world. Seriously, I am not joking around when I say this right now. I am absolutely in awe of his work in my life. He has blessed me beyond belief with amazing amounts of love, hope and faith. On top of all of these wonderful blessings, he somehow found a way to go beyond my boldest dreams.

First of all, I absolutely love my new job and everything that goes with it. I completed my first day of off-site training today. I have been doing really well at adapting to my new position and learning the required responsibilities. I sincerely believe that the opportunity was made for me. I am looking forward to growing professionally and realize that my future with the company is full of endless possibilities. It is a wonderful thing to feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

Secondly, there is a shiny titanium 2008 Dodge Charger parked in my driveway.

I absolutely cannot believe it. After returning home from the dealership, I sat parked in my driveway shaking my head in complete disbelief. Before stepping out of the car, I spent some time talking to God with tears filling my eyes. Somehow, Someway he has provided me with transportation that surpasses anything that I could have ever hoped to drive.

After getting home from work, my mom suggested that we go to a car dealership to look at a car. She said that an advertisement caught her eye this morning and that she had an undeniable urge to check it out. I definitely needed transportation and have been praying for a safe, reliable vehicle. However, I have very limited funds and knew that it would take something close to a miracle for me to find it. I never would have guessed that it would come disguised as my favorite car.

Ever since I saw it for the first time, the Dodge Charger has had a special place in my heart. I rented one for a vacation I took to Miami two years ago and for a whole week experienced what it might feel like to actually be an owner. From that point on, I always knew I would own one. I just never thought it would be now.

Going back a short two weeks, I would have never imagined that I would be driving the car of my dreams to a job that I really enjoy. Yet, that is exactly what I will be doing tomorrow. I find myself asking, "What did I do to deserve this?" As I search for an answer, I will continue living my life centered around Christ. I am so grateful for the blessings in my life and praise God for providing me with everything I need... and the Titanium Charger.

Shadow of Confusion

The message at church this morning started a 3 part series called "In the Shadows". Upon reading this title, I started to think about all the things that the title brings to mind. I must admit that the term carries quite an ominous nature for me. I immediately began to imagine a dark figure lurking on a shady corner. Nonetheless, I am very interested to see where this series will go.

The message today began the series by discussing the topic "Shadow of Confusion". I found this discussion to be very relevant to my own spiritual journey. Over the course of my life, I have survived many challenging times. Even though I have always been blessed, I did not always recognize the source of that blessing. My attitude toward Jesus has seemed to change with the many seasons of my life. However, this message made it very clear that Jesus has never changed. It is actually the "Shadow of Confusion" that can make it seem that way.

Confusion can be caused by many factors, but I mainly recognize it in my life when I can not identify a purpose for why something happened. I desperately want everything to make sense and when it doesn't I react in strange ways. I find that I look for someone or something to blame. I might get angry and frustrated especially when I do not have the power to correct something. It is a very powerful emotion. It can be so powerful that it often leads to significant consequences that can drastically change the outcome of events if handled incorrectly.

I think that confusion gains power through our own inability to deal with something we do not understand. When I find myself in such a situation, my mind begins to race with exaggerated thoughts. It is very easy to begin assuming worst case scenarios leading to a feeling of panic. Once I enter this state of mind, I can no longer effectively make good decisions often resulting in undesirable outcomes that could have been prevented.

We must overcome feelings of confusion with a solid relationship with Jesus. A strong faith and extreme trust can help us deal with any situation that may arise in life. Also, it may help to turn to God's word to provide understanding. We can also use time in prayer to ask for peace of mind. However, it is extremely important to react before the "Shadow of Confusion" brings darkness to our lives.

Welcome the Overwhelming

This afternoon I was reading an article critiquing the current season of American Idol in Entertainment Weekly when I came across the word underwhelming. Even though I didn't agree with the writer's review, I found his word choice very interesting.

I believe the use of 'underwhelming' caught my attention since I more often contemplate the opposite end of the spectrum. I find that I am much more inclined to identify and refer to things that are overwhelming in nature. In fact, I do not recall ever complaining about or trying to improve a situation that was underwhelming. However, I now believe that there may be a great amount of potential benefit to focusing on such areas in life after reflecting on the idea.

It is entirely too easy to concentrate too much on the people, places and events in life that cause excessive amounts of stress. These overwhelming things in life can often take control of everyday thoughts and actions stealing valuable energy from completing more productive activities. I am suggesting that this wasted energy can be reclaimed simply by shifting attention away from the overwhelming and placing it toward improving the underwhelming.

For example, I have been bombarded throughout the week with unfamiliar policies, procedures and information at my new job. It would have been very easy for me to get discouraged by submitting to it's overwhelming nature. However, I have welcomed the challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow professionally. Essentially, I have replaced an underwhelming unemployed situation with a more overwhelming employed situation... and I love it!

So the next time we feel overwhelmed, what will we do? Will we let it stress us out and take control? Or will we welcome it as a chance to become a stronger person and fill an otherwise underwhelming gap? The choice is ours...

Laws of Leadership

Over the next few weeks, I will be reading a book on leadership called "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John C. Maxwell. I plan to read a law each day and dedicate some time after completing each chapter to reflect on the lesson. I recognize the importance of actively seeking leadership guidance and am very excited to digest this acclaimed text. I have been looking forward to reading it for a while now and figured this would be a wonderful time since I will be striving to be a leader at my new job.

I am only on the fourth day of this journey, but I already feel that I am gaining valuable information that will help me tremendously going forward. I enjoy reading Maxwell's style of using real people and true stories to bring the material to life. His own experience, professionalism and leadership effectiveness shine on every page as he shares his hard earned wisdom. However, I also realize that it will be up to me to take the time-proven information and apply it to situations in my life. After taking this step, I expect to move out from my comfort zone and into a higher level of leadership.

The book begins with the first law which is named "The Law of the Lid." It basically states that leadership ability will ultimately determine a person's level of effectiveness. It is completely up to us to take control of developing the skills and characteristics of a successful leader. Using a hungry determination, we can achieve the necessary attributes over time. Basically, we will only go as high as the level of our leadership ability.

The next two laws were "The Law of Influence" and "The Law of Process." A true measure of leadership is influence. Without the ability to make others follow you, you can never truly call yourself a leader. He states that true leadership does not come from a title and cannot be awarded, appointed or assigned. It comes from an earned influence that is acquired through "The Law of Process." Leadership is slowly developed through hard work and dedication. The goal of aspiring leaders must be to get a little better every day by building on the previous day's progress.

Maxwell's fourth law is "The Law of Navigation." It outlines the importance of looking ahead to plan for the future by identifying possible obstacles and thinking of solutions before it's too late. He suggests that we look to our past experiences and gather information from available resources such as other people before making commitments that may be irreversible. It is important to always have a clear strategy that will prepare us for the road ahead.

As I get ready to start my fourth day at work, I accept that I am on a journey that will require me to constantly improve. I look forward to every challenge as an opportunity to learn and develop into a person more prepared for the next situation. I have a clear vision of where I want to be and will chase the end result with all my heart. Using focus and discipline, I have faith that I will emerge as a leader.

Beyond First Impressions

The week before I started my first day at work, I decided to go get a haircut. However, my normal stylist was on vacation and would not be back until later in the week. Instead of waiting for her to get back, I scheduled an appointment with another stylist at a completely different place. After requesting a number 1 guard for blending my hair, I immediately noticed it was much shorter than the guard my other stylist uses to cut my hair. I looked like I just started boot camp!

It took a while to get used to the new style, but after a few days I adapted and began to really enjoy having short hair. However, I didn't think about how the haircut might affect other people's perception of me. It wasn't until a co-worker approached me today to ask if I was an army man. Of course I laughed it off, especially when he went on to tell me how him and a few others were expecting me to be a stern drill sergeant.

They quickly found out that I am quite the opposite. I could tell through certain conversations and mannerisms during those interactions that a few associates were expecting me to be completely different. I believe they were pleasantly surprised to discover that I am relatively easy going and wasn't about to start shouting commands.

I have been meeting many new people over the past several days. With every shake of the hand, I am unconsciously putting forth an image that will create a valuable first impression. Some of the encounters will serve as the starting point for a working relationship that could very well determine future team success. On my drive home this evening, I began to reflect on this realization and asked myself the question, "Is there anything I can consciously do to help create a more positive first impression?"

After thinking about it, I have come to the conclusion that I need to be exactly who I am, no more or less. I should concentrate on being kind and strive to always put forth a professional image. Following these guidelines, I am confident that I will be able to establish productive working relationships while staying true to my values. This way I can be sure that it will be my actions and behaviors over time that accurately shape other's perceptions of me... and not simply a haircut.

Values

Today I spent the day completing a series of on-line training covering a wide range of topics including everything from company background to sales techniques. Many of the other employees acted as if I was in for a long boring day, but I sincerely enjoyed the training. I was able to develop a better understanding of the company's vision, culture and expectations of its associates.

Specifically, I was very pleased to learn more about the company's Code of Ethics. It feels good to work for a company that stresses the importance of practicing strong values both inside and outside the workplace. Furthermore, the structured Code of Ethics clearly defines shared principles that unite the company and will help the business successfully accomplish objectives.

I was pleasantly surprised through the training to find out that each of the company's values directly aligns with the things that are important to me under my own Christian based values. Before I joined the company, I had learned through experience that a firm obedience to a strong core of values provides a structured framework to finding success in life. I feel comfortable working in an environment that supports such a framework and look forward to leading through my own actions and behaviors.

I pray that the company continues to operate under the guidance of strong core values and that my fellow associates take the time to recognize the importance of following them. I also encourage everyone to take some time to reflect on our own individual values that exist deep within our hearts. By taking a personal inventory, I believe that we can all identify the things that are most important to us. With this understanding, we will be better able to make them shine in everything we do... and be fully prepared to conquer the situations that may threaten our ability to make the right decision.

Kindness Goes a Long Way

Today I completed my first full day at my new job. Wow does it feel great to say that... I have a job!

I will be involved in several different training activities over the course of the next two weeks. I am looking forward to absorbing as much as I can in order to hit the ground running in my new position. I know I have a lot to learn and am going to take advantage of every opportunity to ask questions, learn from other associates and use their feedback to become the best I can possibly be.

I spent most of my time today behind the cash register learning how to complete sales transactions. I am rather good at adapting to computer software so learning how to perform the transaction processes went really smooth. However, I found that adapting to each individual customer's demeanor proved to be much more difficult.

I believe that I have always been a very kind person, and I think that it shows through my interaction with others. My personality should help me when I deal with customers, but I learned through today's experience that I need to adjust my level of intensity to fit each customer's current mood.

For example, there was one man who approached the counter with a rather ominous energy radiating from his body language. As I belted out my usual "How are you doing today?', he immediately said, "Horrible... absolutely horrible." I have been training myself to be positive no matter what the circumstance and tried to convince him that things are not actually that bad. I wanted him to see a brighter side, but I think my positive attitude may have made him more upset.

Throughout the entire day, I came in contact with a very diverse assortment of people. Some of the customers were in a rush, some wanted to chat, some were very spacey and others were just plain rude. I will need to accept that people will all carry their own types of attitudes and outlooks in order to be successful at my new job. I plan to stay true to my own positive style, but I also plan on looking to recognize how I can best adapt my attitude for each individual interaction.

Although some people seemed angry and rude, I was very pleased to exchange smiles with many others that were kind, gentle and patient. Since it was my first day, I definitely had to make a few customers wait a little longer than normal. I was glad that certain people were able to understand the situation, and I am so thankful for their empathy and encouragement. It was truly refreshing to come across those people helping me to stay focused and keep going strong in my training. Because of their unselfish behavior, I was able to feed off of their energy and effectively work through the day's challenges.

I would like to end with a huge thank you to all the kind, gentle and patient strangers that truly brightened my day. I will definitely use their spirited actions as inspiration for my own life. It really reinforced how we can use blessed outward expression to make the world a better place for all.
_________________________
Colossians 3:12
Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Know, Go and Show

At the bottom of every email that I send, there is a quote from John C. Maxwell that reads, "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." Over the course of my lifetime, I have always felt like I was blessed with certain gifts that would make me a wonderful leader. However, my old lifestyle temporarily stole my ability to progressively develop leadership skills, and the choices I habitually made blocked the path toward my hopes and dreams. Because of my decisions, I was incapable of either knowing the way or going the way, and therefore I definitely could not show the way.

After being saved and restored by the grace of God, I am now able to look back on my past experience as a blessing that helped me become a much stronger person. I have grown as a person with a much more clear understanding of who I am and who I want to be. Throughout my journey of change, I have been able to realign my objectives in life realizing that my drive for leadership is even stronger today.

In order to reach my goals, I need to first understand that the knowledge, skills and abilities required to be a successful leader are not developed overnight. I must acquire leadership ability over time with an unyielding dedication to pursuing it. I am determined to constantly seek leadership opportunities and knowledge while always giving my absolute best to whatever I do. Whether it be reading books or serving the community, I approach every activity as a chance to expand my current understanding with hope that I will emerge as a leader in the future.

In my experience I have realized that it can be really easy to begin thinking we simply were not meant to become leaders, which in turn makes it even easier to avoid taking advantage of leadership roles and opportunities. However, I want to encourage everyone to live life with a leadership mindset and push yourselves to being a leader in everything you do. God blesses us everyday with challenges to overcome and triumphs to celebrate. These daily events and the people we encounter through them provide us with the lessons needed to become the people we were meant to be... and simply by giving our all to everything we do, we become leaders who know the way, go the way and show the way.

Refresh

The title of this morning's church service was "Refresh". It called for us to think about whatever it may be in life that is holding us back from receiving God's best and give it over to him. The message stressed the importance of turning to worship in order to center our souls and find peace. Specifically through song, we can praise God and thank him for the love, hope and control he provides in our daily lives.

A central theme to the message revolved around recognizing that life is not about us. We must continuously look for opportunities to reach out to others and allow God to use us to carry out his will. During worship, we should rejoice for what God has done and is doing in our lives. At the same time, we should be asking him to make our lives about his purposes and plan for us.

Over the past year, I have prayed every night for God to fill my heart with his love and use me to accomplish his goals for my life. I have found that this powerful prayer has allowed me to open up to the guidance of the holy spirit. I can feel God at work in my life and am continually surprised at the opportunities he provides helping to transform my life. I have been rewarded with unexpected riches that go far beyond the physical value of money and look forward to a future filled with more unimaginable experiences.

As I prepare for another week, I am placing extra emphasis on starting 'refreshed'. Normally, I organize my desk and go over the upcoming week's calendar. It usually provides a feeling of reassurance to start my Monday with an understanding of future events. However, I am sometimes left with a nervous anxiety after this weekly routine. Today I am replacing that uneasy feeling with my trust in God. I identified the events that are causing me stress and have given them over to God. I know that he will guide me when it comes time to handle them and that faith is so refreshing.

Tomorrow ?

Last Saturday I was unemployed and engaging in the seemingly never-ending process of searching for a job. In the mean time, I was looking forward to my brother Steve coming home for a week to train me to learn his online poker strategy. My parents were getting ready to leave with my Mom's sister on a vacation to Mexico that has been planned for over a year. I would have never guessed how the week would unfold...

I was offered a job last Wednesday ending my job search. My brother became ill and would have been unable to come home to train me regardless of my employment offer. My aunt was unable to accompany my parents to Mexico after my Grandpa suffered a mild heart attack early this week (Please keep them in your prayers). Each of these events could have never been predicted...

I am absolutely amazed at how much can change over a short period of time. It really reinforces how important it is to concentrate on living in the moment. It is impossible to tell what the future may hold, and therefore we should avoid worrying about tomorrow. We must use our human ability to adapt to our circumstances and always follow our hearts keeping faith that God will lead us toward our true destiny.

One of the first bible versus to really catch my attention was Matthew 6:34 which reads, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

My experiences in life have taught me that God works in wondrous ways. He has a supernatural view of the world and uses his big picture understanding to align forces that make the world turn at his will. He can make the impossible possible and use a time frame that goes far beyond our ability to ever comprehend.

We must not waste valuable time and energy on questioning why something happened. Instead, we must live with an unwavering trust in God focusing our attention on living at our best right now. Therefore no matter what tomorrow may or may not bring, we can be at peace today and have faith that God will always provide everything we need to handle any situation.

Little Extra

Today I decided to wash my clothes. I usually do the laundry about every two weeks, but it is a task that I put off as long as I can. When I take on the chore, I use an entire afternoon to wash all dirty whites, colors and dress attire. I'm not going to lie... I just do not enjoy it.

I am not quite sure why I dislike washing my clothes. I think it may be because of the tedious nature involved in separating, loading, unloading, folding and putting away the clothes. Also, I always have doubts in the back of my mind and feel as if I am always doing something wrong. Did I use the right detergent? Are the settings correct? Did I separate everything correctly? It makes me stress...

However, I recognize the importance of the laundry process. I sincerely believe that looking sharp begins with properly washing, folding and hanging my clothes, especially when it comes to my dress shirts and pants. I have found out that a little extra effort often goes a long way when it comes to washing these items. I take extra care to make sure any stains have been individually sprayed and load each article one at a time. After carefully drying them, I take my time to neatly hang them. If needed, I smooth out any wrinkles and place them in my closet.

When it comes time to choose a shirt, I am always glad I put the extra effort into the cleaning process. I enjoy looking good, and a clean crisp shirt can really have a positive influence on my day. Every once in a while, I will notice that I hastily put a shirt away and immediately get disappointed by the wrinkles or the odd shape to the collar. It is those times that serve as a reminder to take my time and use a little extra TLC with my dress clothes.

As I was putting away my clothes this afternoon, I could not help but to think about how I can apply the same concept to practically every area in my life. I often find myself rushing through activities for no apparent reason except to be finished with the task. I should never be too busy to put a little extra effort into whatever it is that I am doing. Whether it be a tedious chore or a relationship, I am going to make it a priority to always give a little extra. Using this mind set, the closet of life might just reward me with the same blessed feeling of putting on a crisp clean shirt.

Hop of Happiness

This morning I woke up with a big smile on my face and definitely had an extra hop in my step. Obviously, I am really excited about the new job scheduled to start next week. However, I think there was more to my elated mood. I was looking forward to sharing the news with everyone throughout my day.

Everyone who has been a part of my life knows how hard I have been preparing for a job. I anticipated that they would be very happy for me and expected to have several happy conversations. I absolutely love to bring positive energy into the lives of others, and today I was prepared to use the news of my employment to fuel every interaction.

First, I was excited to sit down and talk about the opportunity with my parents. They have been very supportive throughout my unemployment. My Dad gave me a big congratulations, and my Mom gave me an even bigger hug. I could tell they were very glad to see me so excited. Through our conversation, it was obvious that finding something that makes me happy was much more important to them than finding the job.

Next, I headed to the Soup & Serenity program that I volunteer at on Thursday. As I entered the kitchen, I was surprised by how many of the other volunteers immediately wanted to know the interview results. I am so glad I was able to tell them that I had been hired. It really makes up for all the other times I had to tell them that the opportunity just did not work out. Once the program started, I was even more amazed at the congratulations I received from the attendees. It really made me realize how close I had grown to them by gathering their prayer requests each week over the past 3 months.

I am so grateful for the extra energy God blessed me with today. It felt great to be able to share my happiness with everyone around me. From my family to the strangers I chatted with at Taco Bell, I hope my positive energy carried over into their lives. I am so thankful for the extra hop in my step and glad I used it to the fullest.

Trusting, Believing, Expecting

Last Friday evening, I received great news that I passed all the pre-employment checks and tests for the job I talked about last week as being a perfect fit. At that time, I was told to be patient and to expect a call back next week to move forward in the interview process. I kept a positive attitude throughout the weekend and looked forward to hearing back from them. I spent time praying about the employment opportunity and put all my trust in God's plan for my life. I have had the strangest feeling that this opportunity is the one that I have been waiting for... and this morning I discussed it with the training manager in a second round interview.

The interview went very well leaving me even more excited about starting the job. She seemed very interested in my past experiences and how I plan to use them if I were offered a position. I answered honestly with all my heart hoping that she would truly feel just how interested I am in developing a career with the company. After about thirty minutes of questions, she explained how the on-boarding process would work if I were hired. She continued to inform me that I will most likely hear back from them for another interview later in the week. I thanked her for her time and with all the confidence in the world I said, "I look forward to meeting you."

I have spent the last week believing with all my heart that I would be receiving an offer. I even envisioned myself managing in the store and succeeding at the position. I refused to have any doubts as I filled the unknown nature with faith filled thoughts and prayers. In fact, I expected every part of the interview process to go more quickly than they stated.

I am very excited to say that I have been made a verbal offer of employment early this afternoon. When I first interviewed last Wednesday, I was told to expect a call back later in the week. I was called back an hour after the interview. When I completed the pre-employment tests, I was told that I would have to wait throughout the weekend for the results. I was blessed with the good news on Friday at which time I was told to expect a call back the following Thursday. I then received a call on Tuesday for an interview on Wednesday. At that point, I was informed of another possible interview later in the week. However, I was called back with a verbal offer later that same day.

I trusted... I believed... I expected... and God delivered in his own amazing supernatural way. He has given me faith, commitment, dedication and determination leading me closer to reaching the potential that he restored. I am so grateful for this opportunity and will give my all to doing my absolute best. I can only imagine what my future holds and look forward to finding out as I continue trusting, believing and expecting.

Friends with a Stranger

What would you say if you were asked to provide encouragement to a complete stranger? What would you include in the message? What would you leave out? How would that conversation change if you knew they were coming from a similar background? How personal would you be? Would you have any doubts that you were the right person to reach out to the person?

Today I sat down to write a letter to someone I have never even met who lives on the other side of the country. I do not know anything about the person except that he is struggling with his current circumstances. His mother attends the Soup & Serenity program that I volunteer with on Thursdays. Last week she asked me to send him some words of encouragement with hope that I may be able to help him see the world in a more positive light. I welcomed the opportunity and looked forward to a chance to share my blessed outlook on life.

As I sat down to write the letter, I found myself asking myself the questions above and spent a good amount of time deciding on the content. I began the letter stating an understanding of our stranger status, but then I shifted the attention to my belief that everything happens for a reason. I wanted him to know that the letter was the possible beginning to a friendship and that I viewed it as an opportunity for both of us to reflect on our lives to provide encouragement to each other.

Next, I continued with a summary of my life story. I decided that I should be as sincere as possible with hopes that he might be able to connect with my journey thus far in life. I placed a strong emphasis on how my developing relationship with God has transformed my life. I explained that recognizing Jesus as my Savior and committing to follow the example he left through his life and death on the cross changed my direction and perspective in life. Even though he may not be a believer, I pray he will receive the message with an open heart and allow God to fill him with the Holy Spirit.

After sharing my perspective on living with a positive outlook, I concluded with words of encouragement. I reassured him that he could accomplish anything he desires as long as he gives his all toward achieving his goals. I also asked him to believe with all his heart that God has something wonderful planned for his life and to trust his guidance. I ended by mentioning that there are people out there waiting to help that really care and that the more he looks, the more he will find... and sometimes they will even find you.

Family Fun

My family celebrated my father's 56th birthday yesterday. We shared a delicious lunch of Chicago style roast beef sandwiches and followed it up with an amazing Trinidad cheesecake from Fannie-Mae. I believe everyone had a great time visiting with each other and think my Dad really enjoyed spending time with his wife, sons, daughter-in-law and grandchildren to bring in another year of life.

In between lunch and dessert, my niece and nephew spread out two puzzles on the living room floor. I have never been a big fan, but I decided to sprawl out on the ground and help my nephew start on his 100 piece transformers puzzle while my niece took on a 300 piece scene of Tuscany. It proved to a wonderful activity for a family to do together. We all took turns sharing our own strategies and tried to convince each other which one was best. After many laughs and about an hour of dedicated searching, they were almost complete. It was a race to find the last piece...

However, I had taken a piece from each puzzle and found a way to hide them early in the process. I put one in my nephews pants pocket and the other in my Dad's without them noticing when I did it. As each puzzle approached the end, a nervous frantic search started for what seemed to be a missing piece. I didn't let them search for long... I quickly asked them to check their pockets and waited for the "how did that get there?" look on their face. I jokingly told each of them that they must have known what piece was going to be last and decided to put it in their pockets. At that point, they knew it was me.

I am so grateful for the time my family spent together yesterday. The memories made while working on the puzzle will last forever. We were able to enjoy each other's company and pig out on some tasty food. Sometimes it can be so easy to get caught up with life and forget that some of the simplest things provide the greatest escape... especially when it is done with family. I look forward to never losing sight of that realization and plan to always make the most out of the many future celebrations to come.

Yesterday my family came together for my Dad's birthday. We ate, we played, we sang and we ate again. Loving and lasting memories were made, and it was clear that we are all definitely blessed in life... and that was the gift that brought the biggest smile to my Father's face.

Faithfully Praise

I am using this Sunday night to reflect on this past week. I am just amazed at the wonderful things God has done for me over the past five days. I received blessing after blessing and am so thankful for the developing relationships, extraordinary events and employment opportunities. As I prepare for another exciting week, I am praising God for his undeniable presence in my life and asking him to continue building upon my faith.

I really enjoyed the message at church this morning. It stressed the importance of surrendering your heart to God and living with extreme faith. Pastor Greg Lee asked the question, "Who knows God exists?" After almost everyone raised their hands, he went on to ask, "Can you prove it?" Scientifically, the answer is no.

However, I think Greg would agree that proof was present throughout the entire service. The worship team... the journey of Suncrest... every individual in attendance... all provide proof that God exists through his greatest blessing of faith. It is through faith that God changes the world and brings glory to his kingdom.

God is constantly using his supernatural powers to bless us and build our stories that are undoubtedly all intertwined. We must recognize his work in our lives and realize it is him providing us with everything we have. With complete trust in him, we will experience true joy and see exactly how he consistently delivers on his promises... at which point we should always take the time to give him praise.

Variability Is the Enemy!

Looking back to September of 2004, I remember walking swiftly on a hot humid day through the Indiana University campus on my way to a lecture on process analysis. I arrived to class covered in sweat expecting this class to be just like all the rest. I couldn't have been more wrong...

Eagerly waiting for lecture to begin, I found myself skimming through the book for the course. I had always been interested in learning how to make business processes more efficient and thought that I had a gift for recognizing opportunities for improvement. However, the professor's first four words of the lecture diminished all my previous experience in the area. It would provide an understanding that I have found can not only be used in business, but can also be applied to many other aspects of life.

A shorter 350 pound man walked to the front of the lecture hall and shouted, "Variability is the enemy!" After scanning the crowd of about 300 students, he pushed up his wire framed glasses with a big awkward expression on his face. Once again he shouted, "Variability is the enemy!" This time he said it so emphatically that his swollen neck and body shook with each forceful word. "Variability is the enemy... don't ever forget it!"

It turns out that this principle provides the key to improving business processes. After learning to identify variability, a person gains the power to potentially transform anything that seems to be a great way of doing something into a more efficient and effective process. I say potentially since implementing ways to eliminate the variability is often just as important as recognizing it.

Even though it is meant for analyzing business processes, I have found that this same principle can be applied to our own lives to increase our quality of life. I have struggled with ups and downs that often would lead to extreme emotional swings. These swings seemed to always bring about prolonged feelings of anxiety and depression. In order to eliminate this negativity, I found that I needed to remove variability in my life.

My trust in God has provided the stability required to conquer variability in my life. I have learned to listen to God's guidance through following the Holy Spirit. This dedication has shown me that there is absolutely no middle ground when it comes to the choices put before me. Therefore, I can always find peace knowing that I am moving in the right direction. I never have to worry about my past or what my future holds. I can live in the moment and remain consistent behind a shield of faith.

Commitment. Determination. Dedication.

Commitment. Determination. Dedication.

These three powerful words provide a succinct summary of what I have found to be crucial components to achieving success thus far in my journey of change. I sincerely believe that each serves a critical role in developing the ability to efficiently reach my goals. Even though they are independently important, they seem to carry an even greater significance when practiced together toward a common purpose.

Since I was a young boy, I was taught to associate these words with what it takes to be successful. However, I never took the time to really think about and define what they actually mean. In fact, I did not discover their true meanings until I was faced with an urgent requirement to conquer life threatening adversity. After a long battle of trial and error, I was eventually blessed with an understanding of each and that understanding has made a remarkable impact on my life.

I wish I would have been able to arrive at the understanding without having to learn the hard way. On the other hand, it may be the journey to discovering their true meanings that makes them so valuable. After all, I have learned that the terms in themselves are actually rather simple in nature. It was the principles behind them that proved to be powerful.

I have spent a lot of time trying to think of ways to explain these terms to others looking for change in life. However, I have come to realize that there is nothing I can say that will accurately describe them. All I can do is stress the importance of seeking them in life and hope others find exactly what I have found. Commitment, determination and dedication are created from the heart and will exist only as long as they stay there.

Speaking of Inspiration

I am on a mission to create a speech that will inspire people. I want to make it so memorable that the time shared will never be forgotten. I have spent a lot of time thinking about the topics to include and the style that should be used to deliver them. I have filtered through a multitude of experiences and will continue to sift through ideas trusting that diligence will lead to the powerful presentation that exists in my heart.

The time spent working on this task has proven to be more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. It requires me to dig deep into the story that exists behind the person I am today. I have discovered recollections of events that carry an energy so intense that I get the chills upon thinking of how to express them in words. The process has truly uncovered an emotional awareness that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

This mission that started with the goal of helping others has opened doors in my life that would have otherwise remained closed. I have found that approaching these doors has allowed me to travel into new territory and expect that walking through them will produce an even greater insight into the person I am meant to be. As I continue crafting the speech, I am so grateful for the blessing that has emerged from the process itself. I can only imagine the wonderful things God will do with the end result and am excited to find out!

I encourage everyone to take the time to go on a similar journey. It does not have to be writing a speech or anything along those lines. We have all been blessed with our own specific set of gifts that will lead to our own unique ways of reaching out to those around us. Simply make the effort to physically inspire others... it may just lead to more than you could have ever imagined.

A Perfect Fit

This morning I had an interview for a possible opportunity as a sales specialist for a large retailer. I was notified of the job opening through a good friend at church. After reading the description and responsibilities, I immediately knew the job was perfect for me. I was amazed at how well the requirements fit my specific skills and abilities. I sincerely feel like this is the opportunity I have been waiting for to start me on my way toward reaching my goal of becoming a future business executive.

I enjoyed the interview and was glad to meet such a highly motivated store manager. She made me excited to join a team that values working hard to achieve continued success. As I shared my story, I could tell that the manager appreciated my dedication toward personal improvement and vision for my future. She seemed genuinely interested in having me join her leadership team almost to the point of disbelief. I represent exactly the type of employee she is looking for to assist in the store's mission to provide excellent customer service and hit future sales goals.

Needless to say, I am looking forward to hearing back from the store about their decision to move forward with my employment. I completed all the pre-employment test this afternoon and am expecting great news. However, I realize that my background could prove to be an obstacle. I understand that companies must rely on a potential employee's history as a guide for future behavior, but I pray that they are able to see beyond my past mistakes. I know that I will go above and beyond their expectations and hope they see that I am truly a gift waiting to be opened.

As I wait to find out their decision, I am comforted by my faith and trust in God. If this opportunity is right for me, it will simply fall into place. I am expecting the best and truly feel God's supernatural power working all around me. Regardless of the outcome, I will remain positive and move forward with a big smile on my face. I will continue to give my all and leave everything else to God.

Anything Is Possible

First of all, I would like to report that the judge appreciated the bold letter I gave to him this morning. After congratulating me on my progress, he expressed that he enjoyed reading about my journey of change and appreciated the extreme sincerity. He informed me that everyone involved in the program agrees that I have went above and beyond their expectations. With a big smile on his face, I received his judgment that I will be granted early dismissal in May. My eyes filled with tears of joy as I recognized that I will be free of one of the heaviest reminders of my dark past twelve months prior to the originally scheduled end.

I have been filled with a feeling of joy that goes far beyond the good news I heard this morning. It is a degree of joy so amazing that it can only be attributed to the grace of God living inside my soul. I feel so lucky to have had the life changing transformation, but at the same time know that it absolutely had nothing to do with luck. I am simply being guided by God's supernatural power and living my life under his will.

I have found peace with my current situation and feel that I am on my way toward accomplishing many wonderful things. I have been able to escape past feelings of anxiety and distress with a complete trust in God. Even though the path is unknown, I am not worried about my future. I have been blessed with a faith that provides extreme comfort. I know that I will never fail as long as I always listen to my heart and give my all in every situation.

The judge's decision goes to show that anything is possible in life. We have all been blessed with the gifts and resources needed to accomplish our dreams. We simply must focus on making 'the anything' become reality. However, it is incredibly important to choose to think and act with a desire to achieve results that align with the values that God placed in each of our hearts. By following this mind set, 'the anything' in our lives will always reward us with an amazing feeling of joy.

Believe Boldly

I had a hard time falling asleep last night and actually tossed 'n turned for 6 hours before finally dozing off. Every once in awhile, I will suffer through a night with no sleep because my mind is racing with ideas. I have learned to try to clear my mind before saying my prayers hoping to push out all the thoughts that might threaten my ability to sleep. However, sometimes I have ideas that simply take control and begin to multiply leading to more thoughts stealing any chance to rest.

Last night I am glad to say that the lost sleep was well worth it. My mind was generating great ideas for several different areas in my life. I found myself rising from bed every 20 minutes to write down one brilliant idea after the next. This morning I awoke to a mess of post it notes and organized them according to their corresponding thought. After shuffling my notes, I immediately began to act on a bold idea that will hopefully impact my immediate future.

I am scheduled to meet with a judge tomorrow as a part of my probation for past actions. I have worked very hard to change my life around and hope that my dedication toward personal improvement will impress him. My background has seemed to be an obstacle in my job search and still have over a year before my probationary term is complete. However, I was blessed with the idea to write a sincere letter to the court asking for early dismissal from the program. I used many of the post it notes to form the letter and believe that it will help represent my progress. I know that the letter is very bold in nature, but I trust that God has inspired me to write it. I have faith that God works with supernatural powers and will use the letter to speed up the process of clearing my past mistakes.

Even though it is quite bold, I am so grateful for the idea and motivation to ask for what would normally seem impossible. Furthermore, I am so thankful for the ability to believe in something so far fetched. Regardless of the letters impact, it will show initiative and further prove my determination to move forward toward my goals.

I encourage everyone to expect the impossible in life and believe that God will reward you with unbelievable results. No matter what it may be, we should listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and put it into action by giving our all. When we act boldly and put all our trust in God, absolutely anything is possible.

Forever Changed

Today the message at Suncrest discussed the power of the Holy Spirit and the changes it will bring to the life of a follower. Pastor Greg Lee stressed the importance of totally trusting God with everything in our lives. He made it clear that between the life we are living and the life we could be living exists a gap that can never be filled with anything except the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. It is this mysterious gift available to everyone that often turns the impossible into reality. After accepting the Holy Spirit, we become servants of God with the ability to accomplish his will.

The Holy Spirit changes our direction, perspective and potential. We will instantly move from being an object of God's mission to a participant in a movement so much greater than ourselves. An absurd amount of time and effort is wasted on serving selfish objectives that lead us down a dark and treacherous road. The Holy Spirit will direct us toward a path that will transform our perspective. We will suddenly become aware of what is truly valuable in life ultimately allowing us to reach our full potential.

The topic of this message has played an important role in my life. Before becoming a follower, it is so clear that God was always pursuing me. His love and compassion were present in my life even when my resistance was in full force. I failed to see it at the time, but looking back I recognize that it was his protection that allowed me to survive. Over the past year, I have accepted God's guidance and listen obediently. Because of the power of the Holy Spirit, my entire life has been forever changed.

The path that I have taken to arrive at this moment in my existence has definitely not been one that I would have planned. However, I am so incredibly grateful for the blessed life I have been given. I have a great deal of faith and sincerely trust God to lead me toward serving a purpose much greater than anything I could ever think of on my own. It is because of his love and compassion that I now have a positive direction, an enlightened perspective and unlimited potential.

Experienced Flooring

This afternoon I helped a friend remove carpet from her house in order to prep the area for a new hardwood floor. I was glad I could help her out using some of the experience that I gained last year helping my former boss rehab one of his rental properties. After moving furniture and ripping out the old carpet, we uncovered the original tile that was most likely put down when the house was built. The process went rather smoothly, and a new fresh feeling seemed to fill the air after the dusty old carpet was tossed out the window.

In the mean time, the original tile remains uncovered complete with paint stains and chipped corners. It may not be clean and shiny, but it will serve its purpose as the current floor's surface. The old tile displays the rich history of the house and will continue to carry that history forward as it serves as the foundation for the new hardwood that will be used to cover it.

As I reflected on today's task, I found myself incorporating the story of the old dirty tile into my own life. My dedication toward change has often lead me to strip myself of old dusty habits leaving my true inner self completely exposed. I went on to further recognize that my past experiences represent the same stained and chipped history of the old dirty tile. I must never forget about those experiences as I continue on my journey of change. Just as the old dirty tile, my experiences will always serve as the foundation for the 'new shiny hardwood floors' of my future.

Today's reflection has also reminded me that I have participated in a good number of "blue collar" jobs since leaving my office work over two years ago. I have never had a full-time job of this type, but I have come to enjoy the intermittent work. I discovered that there is a certain satisfaction that accompanies manual labor. After completing a task, the hard work is rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment. I have found that I experience a feeling of joy upon looking back at a completed job, especially when I know I gave it my best effort.

As I continue seeking employment, I trust that God will lead me down the path that best supports his plan for my life. Whether I end up working outside or in an office, I believe that I will find happiness through my occupation. However, I have come to realize that the specific occupation will not supply the happiness. It will be up to me to make the most out of the opportunity God puts before me by always living with joy in my heart. Through my attitude and actions, I need to make the decision to follow God's guidance and receive the happiness he will provide.

A Sunny Walk

Today was filled with sunshine. It was so nice to step outside and look up to a bright blue sky. I took advantage of the change in weather and went for a walk. I was able to use the time to really get in touch with how I have been feeling. After recognizing some true feelings, I reached up toward the warm sun and thanked God for his presence in my life.

During the unplanned walk, I was able to really be honest with myself. I identified certain areas in my life which require more attention as I continue on my journey of change. Specifically, I believe that I can make a much better effort at becoming more healthy. I want to start making changes to my diet and exercise routine.

I think that I need to implement more discipline to this area of my life in order to meet future goals. Thinking back ten years when I was in better physical shape, I followed a strict schedule and kept track of my progress in a journal. I will be developing a similar method this weekend and plan to begin following it on Monday. I look forward to feeling more healthy and really believe that hard work in this area will carry over into several aspects of my life.

I am glad I took the time to reflect today and identify ways that will enable me to continue working to become a better person. The last couple of weeks have really been a challenge for me. To be perfectly honest, I have found myself fighting off negative behavioral patterns from my past. Using my faith and support from those close to me, I have been able to rise above and am so grateful to be sitting here writing with a victorious grin on my face.

I have very high expectations for this upcoming Spring season and look forward to all the wonderful events God has planned for me. I knew going into this journey of change that times would be tough, but I had no idea how great it would feel to overcome those challenging times. I will continue to give my all toward everything I do and trust God will take care of the rest.

The Greatest Lesson

I was blessed with the idea to ask a very broad question to some of the people that I would speak with today at the Soup and Serenity program. I was hoping that I would be able to get a few candid responses and use their answers as inspiration for a possible future blog. I respect the hard earned experience that accompanies every person's life story and believe that we can learn a lot from our elders. While engaging in sincere conversations, I found a way to simply ask, "What is the greatest lesson you have learned over the course of your lifetime?"

I was quite surprised by the various responses to this powerful question. Some people seemed to be caught off guard, while others jumped at the chance to share their wisdom. A few people voiced some concern about getting so personal, but some wanted to think about it throughout the week and share their thoughts at next week's program. Overall, it was just wonderful to connect with others through amazing life stories and listen to first hand accounts of some priceless lessons.

During the most touching conversation of the day, I felt a connection to a woman as she spoke about the pain she had experienced and dealt with after a long relationship had ended. Just like she was describing, I knew what it was like to fall victim to depression after losing someone I thought was the person for me. But as she continued her story, the tone of her voice began to change and a smile emerged shining with the grace of God.

She went on to say that she ended up developing a deeper relationship with God and found peace within herself after overcoming that challenging time in life. She now looks back on what seemed to be the most horrible thing that ever happened to her as a true blessing. She continues to live a very blessed life with a loving husband of 36 years and 3 healthy children that have went on to give her 7 beautiful grandchildren. She concluded passionately that, "Sometimes what seems to be the worst can easily become the greatest."

Her greatest lesson in life is definitely one that carries over into all of our lives. We never know what God is doing in our lives and should trust that he is always working with a much greater plan in mind. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from other's experiences and look forward to using this same question during future conversations. I encourage everyone to take some time to identify people in life that may have valuable life lessons to share. By asking the right questions, we may be able to avoid having to learn the hard way - which could just turn out to be the greatest lesson of our life.

Oldie But Goodie

Music has always played a significant role in my life. I remember being about 6 years old and going absolutely crazy for Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA." I would skip throughout the house playing the air guitar and totally get caught up in the moment upon hearing it. My mom soon came to realize that she could always cheer me up by playing that specific record.

As my life progressed, I developed a tolerance to a wide variety of music. Mostly, I found myself buying anything that inspired me emotionally. From Vanilla Ice to Celine Dion, every album in my music collection carries a purpose that I can tie to a certain state of mind. There are certain songs attached to memories that will last forever. Upon hearing these songs, I can immediately recall those experiences and feel as if I am actually there again reliving the moment.

When I first hear a song that I really enjoy, I get very excited to listen to it and often will play it over and over again. However, I find that as time goes on I seem to lose the excitement that was once tied to the song. Before long, I begin to take it for granted. It eventually gets lost in the music collection and becomes just another memory filled song from my past.

However, I have come to realize that the songs from my past are just as good now as they were when they first were released. In order to enjoy them, all I have to do is find them and listen as if they are brand new. The same excitement and emotion fill my heart making me remember why they were once special to me.

As I continue fighting through this tough time in my life, I cannot help but to think back to different stages in my life. Exploring years of experiences that have made me who I am today, I am reminded of the diverse range of emotions from each time period. I can remember times when I was so excited about living life. But as challenges seemed to take control, I eventually lost my passion for certain hopes and dreams just as I did for songs throughout my life.

I believe that I will find hidden passion stored in forgotten hopes and dreams just like I have found lost excitement in certain songs from my past. All I need to do is identify what they may be and chase after them. After remembering how strongly I feel about them, I think I will once again experience the same past emotions and get excited about accomplishing them. It may not lead to me skipping around playing the air guitar, but I am pretty sure it will help me live with a new energy that will be sure to make life more interesting.

Refreshed

I was lying in my bed early this morning feeling tired and worn down when I started to think. Usually I welcome new and exciting ideas, but today the thoughts seemed to be accompanied by anxiety and doubt. I immediately recognized the negative feelings and began praying for help to overcome them.

I know I have a hard time accepting my current situation and often find myself fighting back the could have, would have, should haves. I must constantly remind myself of how far I have come and keep my faith strong trusting that God has something wonderful planned for me. I really think my current state of mind is being influenced by the sickness that kept me grounded throughout the last week. However, I am feeling much better and am looking forward to being more productive during the rest of the week.

I really am excited about getting out of the house during the next two days. I feel as if I might have given in to a weekly routine and need to focus on changing things up by incorporating a few new and fresh events. As I continue looking for employment, I need to concentrate more on the gained experience than the discouraging results of past interviews. With every new day, I will seek opportunities to serve others and keep finding ways to improve myself. God will provide everything I need and guide me exactly where I need to be.

As I work through this challenging time, I want to thank all my family and friends that have provided support and continue to help me move forward toward my goals. God has definitely blessed me with your kind and generous presence in my life. By overcoming these challenging times, I am confident that I am building strength that will help shape me into the person God wishes me to be. Tonight I praise God and end this day looking to Hebrews 10:35 for encouragement as I anticipate waking up tomorrow refreshed... ready to continue chasing change.
_________________________________
Hebrews 10:35, "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."

3 F's

Bear Grylls is the host of a reality show called Man vs. Wild airing on the Discovery Channel. I absolutely love watching his adventures as he voluntarily takes on the toughest environments Mother Nature has to offer with nothing except a few key survival items. As a former member of the British Special Forces, Bear has an amazing drive to conquer all the harsh situations he encounters during his battles with nature. He does a wonderful job providing helpful tips and demonstrations that teach viewers different ways to stay alive regardless of the circumstance.

I used to spend time imagining myself escaping to some far-off land alone with nothing except the clothes on my back. It may seem ridiculous to desire something so extreme, but at the time it helped me forget about all the trouble and hardship I had brought upon myself through years of self destructive behavior. I knew deep down inside that I was a strong person meant for much greater accomplishments and figured that I would be better off trying to survive in a natural environment away from society rather than face the strongholds in my life.

Obviously, my past tendency to think about attempting to survive on my own out in the wilderness naturally attracts me to watching Bear succeed at his adventures. During a recent episode, Bear was speaking of his experiences living through his toughest situations by himself while being challenged by some of the most dangerous conditions known to man. He stressed the importance of adequate food and shelter, but placed an even higher amount of importance in keeping your hope and spirits high in order to survive. Bear said he always keeps the 3 F's close to his heart in order to find the strength to come out of each situation alive.

I am so grateful to say that I never followed through on my desire to escape my life's problems by running away to some secluded forest in the mountains. I can now see that would have been crazy considering I have absolutely no experience surviving on my own in the wilderness. Furthermore, I would have never gained the strength and wisdom that God has blessed me with over the last couple years through overcoming the adversity in my life. However, it seems that by fighting through the toughest situations in my own life I have found the same 3 F's Bear Grylls mentioned to also be number one to my survival - Faith, Family and Friends.