Necessity of Change

Moving forward is a necessity of change. In order to continuously develop, we are required to accept new circumstances and adapt accordingly. If our focus is on becoming better, these new circumstances should challenge us to step beyond our comfort zone. We will need to rely on our past experiences to help us deal with each unique situation, but also understand that we will not always reach our expectations.

However, we can be sure to keep building on the foundation provided by yesterday's lessons by always giving our best. We need to reflect and learn from every experience to keep us moving forward toward our goals. We must believe that the outcome of each individual challenge will never be as important as our overall journey to victory. It will be incessant hard work and dedication over time that ultimately delivers success.

The first quarter of 2010 has been very rewarding. I feel that I have been able to grow as a person by viewing each challenge as an opportunity for improvement. Whether personal or professional, the activity at hand offers me the chance to become the person I want to be. However, it is up to me to take advantage of the opportunity and decide to make the most out of it. Even though I may be tempted to simply do what is expected, I know that I need to always push myself further.

I am very grateful for the blessings I have received and trust that there will be many more over the next nine months. As I make my way toward them, I realize that I need to continue seeking opportunities that demand all that I have to give. Tackling one challenge at a time, I am dedicated to living the rest of my life focused on change... and it all begins with moving forward.

Narrow Path, Small Gate

This morning I was reading through my daily devotional covering Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, Seek, Knock". The verse reads, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

I have found through my experience on this life changing journey that these magical words are completely true. If the heart honestly desires help from God, these words transform into promises that will become reality as rewards for carrying out God's will through our thoughts and actions. He will not let us down. In fact, he will often go above and beyond our loftiest expectations.

After finishing the day's suggested verse, I continued reading to only come across another verse that supplied exactly the inspiration that I needed to help take me beyond the mediocre effort to which I sometimes fall victim. Matthew 7:13-14 reads, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

It's interesting to reflect on my life and look at sources of motivation as I made my way to becoming a man. I remember early on in childhood I did everything I could to make my parents proud. Later in my teenage years, I remember trying to do things that would help gain popularity with my peers or impress girls. Even later during early adulthood, I was living and basing decisions on how much money it would produce later in life. I find it strange that I never considered those reasons to be absurd or silly. Even though I still want to make my parents proud... even though I still want my peers to respect me... and even though I still want money, I know that those things are relatively insignificant compared to earning eternal life.

Throughout this journey of change, I have shifted my priorities to reflect the will of God. I have also decided to follow the example put forth through the life and death of Jesus in everything I do. However, there are times when I find myself settling for less than my best. For example, I have not been successful at carrying out my desired exercise program and find myself giving in to the urge to eat unhealthy. I will also sometimes look back on a situation where I knew I could have done more, but I decided to hold back. I sincerely believe that this lackadaisical behavior could be keeping me from experiencing even more blessing in my life.

As I continue forward in this journey, I will use the imagery of a shining narrow road leading to the most beautiful exclusive gate imaginable in order to keep me on track. When I feel like I want to give in, I will envision myself entering the gate into everlasting life with others that have walked the same road. It will motivate me to go beyond good and reach great. It will move me past normal and become exceptional. It will lead me to finding the person God wants me to truly be.

As I walk along this narrow path, I invite everyone to join me. If there is a piece of garbage on the ground, give up a few moments to throw it away. If a person is in need, take the time to reach out with love. If the Holy Spirit is talking, listen to it with an open willing heart. Life on Earth is simply too short to be lazy. We need to stay on the narrow road and constantly search for the gate that promises us true life. By never letting this destination slip away, we will eventually arrive and look back on the world with a smile that will shine for eternity.

Feeling Lucky?

As I was completing a training activity at work, an advertisement came on over the radio that said, "Luck is what happens when hard work and opportunity meet." I stopped for a minute to reflect on the message of this unexpected interruption. I found that I completely agree with the statement and believe that it provides a definition of luck that more accurately captures what it means to be "Lucky".

The American Heritage Dictionary definition of the word lucky reads, "Occurring by chance". This meaning would definitely apply to winning the lottery or hitting a jackpot at the casino, but I do not think that it should be applied to the unbelievable events that occur everyday. People all too often rely on this term to provide an explanation for the otherwise inexplicable taking away from the real reason why things turned out the way they did.

I have been called lucky many times in my life. However, I am reluctant to admit that I am lucky. I refuse to accept that my life experiences have "occurred by chance" as the dictionary definition states. I believe that everything happens for a reason and put my trust in God who is always in control. I know that he is inspiring my hard work and providing the opportunities that lead to my good fortune. Therefore, I would rather refer to myself as blessed and give God the praise that he deserves.

I encourage everyone to think twice before attributing the next amazing situation/result to being lucky. It may help to step back and take a good look at everything that went into making it happen. I am confident that we will find that it really wasn't luck that put us in the right place at the right time... that produced an amazing series of events... that made us feel like something was meant to be... it was God working in our lives.

Shadow of Hope

What would your "perfect day" be like? Who and what would be included? How would it make you feel? What kind of impact would it have on your life?

These are all questions that I never actually thought about prior to today. However, I have now been blessed with answers to each after celebrating this glorious Easter Sunday. Throughout the entire day, I felt God's presence both in my heart and all around me. It was amazing... absolutely amazing!

Suncrest concluded the 3 part "In the Shadows" series with a wonderful message entitled, "Shadow of Hope." The entire service was filled with uplifting energy and discussed a topic that has the power to change lives. It made it clear that Jesus gave up his life so that in his resurrection he would provide boundless hope to those who seek it. Because of his abundant love and irresistible grace, everyone can find true joy regardless of circumstance simply by turning their hearts to him.

During all four Easter services, Pastor Greg Lee invited me on stage to discuss my journey of faith and how it conquered my battle with addiction. I have been praying for God to use me, and today he took control of my body to deliver a message that will inspire others to defeat similar strongholds that may be keeping them from experiencing God's best. I am so grateful to have had this life experience and hope that my story will help people see that with God the impossible becomes possible.

Even though it was an amazing experience, my participation in the service was not the most memorable part of my day. It was the encouragement and support that came before, during and after each service. I felt a love from family, friends and even people I previously had never spoken with the entire morning. I exchanged smiles that radiated with joy and connected on a deeper level with many individuals that went far beyond the ordinary "hello how are you doing's." I was also blessed with an uncountable number of hugs. I just can't describe how great it felt!

Throughout the rest of my day, God rewarded me with a heart of happiness. I was able to spend the afternoon with my family. We played... we ate... we played some more... we ate some more. We shared laughter... we shared concern... we shared life. What more could I ask for?

Yes... today was my definition of a perfect day. It was full of love amongst the people who are closest to me. I felt the presence of God at work all around me and my heart was filled with his grace. I will take the memories of this day with me for the rest of my life and move forward with a changed perspective... a perspective that will forever cherish the "Shadow of Hope" that Jesus made possible.
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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In God's great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. - 1 Peter 1:3

Taking a Walk of Trust

I believe that God gives everyone challenges to overcome and life experiences to endure in order to build character and make us stronger people. He will never give us anything that we can't handle and will provide everything we need to live victorious. However, it is up to us to ask him for the strength and courage required to succeed. We must trust him with all of our heart and be open to his guidance through listening obediently to the Holy Spirit.

This morning I was compelled to visit the Shrine of Christ's Passion in Saint John, IN and take a walk of prayer to spend some time re-centering myself around Jesus. I almost didn't go on account of the rainy gloomy weather. After contemplating the visit for awhile, I ultimately decided that I would brave the rain and use the opportunity to connect with the sacrifices Jesus made toward the end of his life.

I am so glad that I made the decision to still go despite the wind and rain. It was a very rewarding experience that allowed me to reflect on the power of the story behind this weekend's Easter celebration. As I was gently soaked under the rainfall, I spent some time at each station talking honestly with God and praising Jesus for his sacrificial death on the cross. I was able to recognize how blessed I am to have the wonderful things in my life and realized that I owe it all to him.

In order to live under the direction of the Holy Spirit, I have found that I am often required to move out from my comfort zone. Some things may be as simple as stepping out in the rain while others can be much more complicated, but in the end we will be rewarded for carrying out the will of God. However, it is completely up to us to live with the required dedication and determination. Once we give our lives to God, we will see the world in a different light and experience what it truly means to be a child of the Almighty Father.

I have been asked to share my story at the Easter service tonight and tomorrow at church. Of course I jumped on the opportunity, but I know that it will require me to move beyond the shame that accompanies my past and my fear of speaking in front of people. However, I have complete trust in God and believe that he will speak through me to reach others that may be suffering from similar strongholds. I can't wait to see just how God will use me and look forward to taking advantage of the opportunity to move one step closer to becoming the person God wants me to be.

Shadow of the Cross

I am more excited about this Easter weekend than I have ever been in all of my life. I am filled with a fresh feeling in the core of my soul that radiates newness of life and boundless hope. I cannot fully explain just how powerful it is, but I can honestly say it is something that will stay with me forever. I am positive it is largely due to it being the first year I am celebrating the resurrection of Jesus with a complete dedication to following him and completely trusting God. Combined with the change in the weather, this is definitely my new favorite time of year.

I attended the Good Friday service tonight at Suncrest entitled "Shadow of the Cross". It was an amazing service that was filled with the strong emotional energy that resides in the contrasting nature of life, death and rise to eternal glory. With a candle lit stage decorated with mirrors, I felt connected to Jesus as I gave all of my heart to worship.

There was a life sized wooden cross hanging over the stage providing a clear visualization of the intensity of the situation. I found myself imaging the excruciating pain and the psychological torture of such a humiliating death. At that point, I was blessed with a changed outlook on what it means to truly suffer.

We were encouraged to look into the mirrors lining the stage and think about who we really are and who we want to be. In the past, I have often conducted a similar activity. I am reluctant to say that there were so many times in my life that I was sickened by what I saw looking back at me. However, tonight I saw myself in a new positive light. I have been restored to a person capable of serving God and living a truly meaningful life.

Jesus took the weight of the world on his shoulders so that we would have the opportunity to escape the chains of past sin and experience resurrection in our own lives. As this weekend continues, I will be celebrating what Jesus has done for us in everything I do. I pray that we all see the impact of the cross in our lives and embrace Jesus for truly being our Saviour.

Surviving the Flood

There was a man stuck on his roof in a raging flood calmly watching the water rise. Just as the water was streaming over his roof, a boat showed up and offered to rescue him. The man politely denied and said, "It's alright. God will save me."

Almost a half hour later, the water had reached his waist and another boat arrived asking him to jump aboard. He again put forth the response, "I'm ok. God will save me." Soon the water was up to his neck, but he still remained at peace with the situation. All of the sudden, a helicopter appeared and began demanding the man to come with them. However, he once again denied the help and said one last time, "I'm going to be fine. God will save me."

The flood soon claimed the man's life. Upon arriving in heaven, the man stood before God and asked, "Why didn't you save me?"

God replied, "I tried three times. Did you not see the two boats and the helicopter?"

A very close friend shared that with me last night. He went on to explain that the story does a wonderful job summarizing how God has always been at work in his life. He said he simply didn't recognize all the ways God was trying to save him from his past reckless lifestyle. He continued to tell me how grateful he was the he didn't drown and now keeps his heart open to all the different ways God reaches out to him.

After reflecting on that conversation, I was able to identify the same trend in my life. It is absolutely crazy to think about all the chances God gave me to escape the flood of my past. It is even more insane to think about how many times I denied his help. However, God never gave up on me, and I am so thankful that he kept my head above water.

I have learned that no matter how challenging something may be, God will always provide the strength to overcome. I have also learned that it is up to me to ask for and accept his help. He may not always send us blessing the way we expect it, but as long as we seek his love and compassion, I have faith we will find it in everything we do.