The obvious answer is yes, yet my actions don't always align with my beliefs.  I act alone, not even considering God in my plans.  God is an afterthought until things fall apart. Then God gets the blame for my faith not being validated.  It is like getting mad at a friend because you got in a car accident but they didn't even ride with you.  

It is so easy to get caught up in what you do that you don't realize that you are ignoring the One that gave you the inspiration.  We can make the excuse that we are too busy but we make time take "selfies".  We have plenty of time for what we view as important yet we say God is the most important thing in our life. We don't want to miss out on anything but having a deeper more intimate relationship with God. Our "selfies" become our idol that keep us from seeing God's presence working through our life.  God is with us but we don't know it and because of our ignorance we can't appreciate Him. 

I don't want to be ashamed of God.  I don't want to live with God out of the picture.  I don't just want God's help, I want His presence.  I want to walk with God.  I want to talk to God.  I want to be a part of God's life. I don't have all the answers and that is okay; God does.  I don't know how my life will turn out but God does.  I want to be fully integrated in God's plan.  Honestly I don't know how I can change how I have been without God's help.  I need God every step of the way.   

If you played youth sports you received a certificate of participation.  The thing is no one cherishes participation awards.  Regardless if we want one or not we all receive participation awards for our life.  Our life has to have more meaning than a cheap certificate acknowledging that we lived.  Participating does not mean you are winning only existing.  

The truth is a lot of us are content with just participating.  Not you.  You are not content with just existing you want more out of life that is why you are reading this right now.  You don’t want to go through the motions you want to live with a sense of purpose and meaning.  Deep down you know that you possess greatness.  The thing is we all do but few pursue their greatness.  You are one of the few that will not accept participating without engaging at the highest level.  You will push yourself regardless of who is there to support you.  You will win because you don’t accept losing.  You don’t take no for an answer. 

The point is we all can be tempted to settle for less than who we are.  But we know what settling get us. A certificate of participation is something you receive no matter if you win or lose.  You receive a birth certificate when you are born and a death certificate when you die.  What happens in between is your choice.  You write your life’s story through your choices and actions.  Don’t settle for just existing, your life has meaning.  Find out what you were born to do and don’t waste time, do it now.  When you do your life with be filled with rewarding experiences that will leave a story to tell the generations to come.  

​If we are honest, we like to be distracted.  We don’t want to see ourselves without the filters we carry with us.  So we play make believe.  Trying desperately to prove that we belong and that we are not a waste of space.  We want to be someone more than what we feel we are.  So we play pretend.  We put on our capes and dress the part of super heroes with special powers able to do the impossible.  We ignore anything that resembles truth because the lies look and sound better. The lies are louder.  We like loud because there is a pain that can only be heard in silence.  That pain is what keeps us from being who we are.  It hurts too much to confront yet we can’t escape it.  The truth is there is nothing scarier than loving yourself unconditionally.  I mean every aspect of you. Everything.  

How can you love your mistakes? 
How can you accept your flaws? 

True love is scary because it causes you to let go of your capes and filters and fully expose yourself with no condemnation attached to you. It causes you to confront the person in the mirror.  You have to face reality which is not always pretty.  It is not refined and it is not always attractive.  The unmasked you is worthy of love and worthy to love. When you take the hard road of self-acceptance you discover that loving yourself is your superpower.  That is your gift to share with the world.  Meaning the world is easy to point out what is wrong with you.  There is a long list of things that show how imperfect you are.  But Love is what matters, everything else is a distraction.  When you love unconditionally it gives your surroundings to do the same.  You empower others to accept themselves.  You free them from the monsters they have been tormented by in their minds.  You show the world that we don't have to put on a cape to have the power we already possess the power.  

You are a superhero.  You have the power to change the world through the love in you.  You don't have to play pretend, you are the real thing.  

There is one thing that can stop a dream before it starts; non-action.  You can say you believe in your dreams but never take action towards reaching them.  When you don't act on your dreams, you forget about them.  Life happens and as reality sets in you have no time to dream.  The life you want may be a fantasy, it may seem impossible but what is wrong with that?  What is wrong with having a dream so big that it scares you?  It is okay to be scared as long as you don't let fear stop you from action.  Your actions reinforce your beliefs.  

You are more than able to reach your dreams.  More importantly you can live the dream now.  Your actions now may seem insignificant but they are purposeful.  They shape your life and prepare you for where you are going.  Keep believing in yourself.  No matter how hard the journey may see, you are worth it.  Your life matters.  Your dreams matter go live them out.  

I have found that when life is chaotic and it seems there is no place to rest.  To take a moment.  The moment brings me to the present.  In the present, I find the Son.  In Him, I discover freedom from the pressure to be someone I am not.  I find acceptance of who I am.  I find that my worries are nothing to stress about.  In the Son, I find rest.  The storms of life calm in His presence.  I don’t have to be afraid of what is to come or what has come for the Son is present in my present.  Now I can believe the impossible.  Now I can see.  I see only this moment and in it, I see the beauty of it.  What seems to be a blemish on the canvas of my life is merely an accent to a beautiful masterpiece.  

The Attitude of Success

The world defines success by the accomplishments and positive outcomes you achieve.  Basically, it is about your performance.  Your performance determines how successful you are, but I have discovered you can be successful by the world’s definition and still feel unfulfilled.  Your life can be void of purpose and passion even while having all of the achievements in the world.  So, are you truly successful if you are unfulfilled?  

I am learning that success comes from within; it's a part of me, not something I achieve.  Success is who I am.  I am successful because I choose to be who I am in all things.  I choose to be present in spite of my insecurities and fears.  I choose to love myself even when I feel I don’t deserve it.  My success is not measured by the number of awards I receive or the reviews I get for my work.  My success is rooted in the infinite love that dwells inside of me.  My connection to the infinite allows me to live freely in who I am created to be.  The Infinite created me and that means my identity is enclosed in unconditional love. No longer trying to prove I belong, I accept who I am and carrying an attitude of success wherever I go.    ​

I used to think that something was wrong with me.  I have always struggled with following the crowd – I need a reason to follow, while it seems most just follow because someone is leading.  I don’t accept reality as is; I question it.  I question everything.  I want more than surface level understanding.  I want to know things at its root and that’s where I tend to find trouble.  Because I go against the grain, many people have a problem with me.  They don’t understand how I “tick.”  They think I’m being insubordinate but I ask, to whom am I supposed to be subordinate to – God?

We were created to have our own relationship with the Spirit.  If you look at the examples in the bible, you can see that God worked through the contrarians.  Jesus was a contrarian; so were David and Abraham.  A true believer usually goes against the grain – fighting what’s comfortable and “normal.”  Do you really believe that Jesus would have been satisfied with just sitting in church every Sunday morning?  I don’t.  Not with so many people ignorant of their purpose.

Our kids are being pressured to be on social media and keep up with the latest fashion trends and we feed into it, giving them expensive phones and shoes thinking that we’re helping them “fit in” and make friends.  We don’t empower them to be who they are because we are not being who we are.  We are just being who we are supposed to be.  It hurts me that we can’t just be honest with each other.  We can’t just live the way we feel in our hearts because we don’t want to be an outsider.  We don’t want to be rejected and hated.  We would rather be loved by others than love ourselves unconditionally.  

The path of least resistance is what we take.  We don’t want to rock the boat.  We know what needs to be done but too afraid to do it.  We must understand that our kids imitate us.  The only way to break the cycle is for you and me to be who we truly are.  We have to confront the humiliation of being different and be willing to lose friends; go a different way.

​Jesus’ family was not supportive of His purpose.  His city was not supportive either but as He went, He found people willing to help Him get his message of love to others.  The heart of a contrarian leads even when no one is willing to follow.  They show the world there is another way and those who are willing to take the path of resistance find fulfillment and love as they go.  So what will it be? Are you willing to be a contrarian?

Danny loved football.  His dad bought him a football for Christmas when he was five years old and he loved the game ever since.  Danny took the football everywhere he went.  It didn’t matter if he was in the shower or in his bed; his football was right there with him.  The only place he could not take it was to school.  Danny did not like going to school; the kids there did not like him for some reason.  They called him weird and strange, so during recess, he learned to play by himself.  He would run around, pretending he had his football in his arms, running for the game winning touchdown.  The other kids would always laugh at him but it didn’t bother Danny, he just kept running.  

One day, during gym class, the gym teacher gathered the students to play football.  The teacher selected two team captains to pick classmates for their teams.  The two popular jocks quickly picked the biggest and strongest-looking girls and boys first.  One by one, each student rejoiced as their names were called.  Finally, Danny was the last person standing.  Knowing his inevitable decision, the last captain shook his head and called Danny’s name.  Danny was instructed to stand in the back as the other kids moved into position to defend the other team.  Carelessly, he ran to the back, eager and focused on playing the game he loved so much.  Danny didn’t care that no one wanted to pick him; all he cared about was playing football.
 
The very first play, the quarterback threw a deep pass down the sidelines.  The player covering the wide receiver fell down, leaving Danny as the team’s last line of defense.  Danny ran towards the ball that seemed to be floating in the air.  The wide receiver misjudged the ball and jumped too early.  The ball sailed over him and landed right into the arms of Danny.  Danny’s eyes grew big as the other team began to run towards him.  He started to remember all of the days he practiced catching the ball and running for touchdowns at recess.  Danny took off; he dodged and sprinted past everyone until he reached the end zone where his team comforted and cheered for him. 
 
Danny was never the “popular” one or even seen as valuable but Danny the forgotten pick, now the pick that will never to be forgotten again. 

The Thief comes to steal, kill and destroy but Jesus came that we would have life and life more abundantly. 

Satan is not a one-trick pony; he has many ways of distracting and keeping us from living an abundant life.  One is being a thief.  A thief doesn’t come into your house while you are there; they watch and wait for the perfect opportunity to take your possessions without you knowing.  Thieves don’t just use the front door; they use a cracked window, a backdoor, a spare key, whatever advantage they can get to, they use.  Thieves are at their best when you are distracted.  They take what you have while you are focused and busy doing something.  Your prized possession, your treasure, is taken and you suffer a loss.

Satan wants to steal your promise.  He acts like he has your best intentions in mind, all the while, planting seeds of doubt and fear in you.  You begin to think about the “what ifs” and worry starts to set in.  You lose trust that God is leading you and you begin to take matters – your life – into your own hands.  Satan wants you believe that God is speaking to you but the whole time you are not hearing God, you are hearing him.  Jesus said, "My sheep know my voice."  Your thoughts are becoming simultaneous with the thoughts of the enemy and you begin to destroy yourself.  Satan plants the “seeds” and we water them.  We feed into those negative thoughts, ignorant to the fact that we are enslaved to them.  We believe the negativity, we believe the lies and when things start to fall apart, we blame God because He didn’t help us.

We have been fooled.  The bible says to bring every thought to the obedience of Christ.  Jesus simplifies the process for us.  Every thought must be filtered through the voice of love; if our thoughts do not feed us love and peace, it is not meant to be apart of us.  We must lock our “doors,” shut our “windows” and turn the “alarm system” on.  Shut down every negative thought of inadequacy, fear, hate and doubt.  When we do, the life Jesus has promised us will manifest right before us. 

​A young couple sits in darkness in their living room.  The electricity was turned off today.  Despite both of them working, they have been struggling to pay their bills.  The money isn’t enough to maintain the lives they chose to live, so, they reflect in the darkness.  They can’t watch television or check their social media accounts, nor do they have money to go to a hotel.  They are stuck with each other and their thoughts.  Alec wanted to blame his wife for their situation.  Rachel had maxed out her credit cards shopping with her friends.  She was trying to keep up the appearances with them, knowing she knew she didn’t have the means to pay it back.  Even still, in her mind, her husband is the one that should have managed their finances better.  Her thoughts were on the two expensive cars Alec bought them. Unable to reconcile their thoughts, darkness wins.  

As shame begins to rest on both of them, they hear a knock at the door.  Alec opens the door but sees no one.  When he looks down, he sees a package on the ground.  Rachel anxiously waits as he opens it and at the bottom of this package, they find two scented candles and a lighter inside.  There is also a fresh baked loaf of bread and water in the package as well.  A small note reads: "I saw that your electricity got turned off and I made this package for you.  My husband and I have been in your shoes.  Years ago, I remember sitting in the darkness of our home, wondering how it got so bad. I wanted to blame my husband until we received a package like the one I am giving you.  It is the package of ‘hope.’  When we wanted to give up, the package came and brought us together.  We realized we made mistakes but those mistakes didn’t have to define our life. We knew we could make better choices and learn to handle life better.  It was put on my heart to give you this package and encourage you.  Blessings, Your Neighbor."

Tears filled both of their eyes as they embraced each other and shut the door.  In spite of the shame and guilt that was on them, hope found a place in their hearts.  They sat together in their living room, now under the warm glow of candles and began getting to know each other once again.  As the sun began to shine, the light brightened, not only in their room but in their hearts.  Hope had come and changed their lives forever.  

Annabelle is excited. Today is the day she gets to travel to the “big city.”  She has dreamt of being a star her whole life. She bought her train ticket and is trying to patiently wait for her train at the station.  Annabelle is watching as people of all ages get onto their scheduled trains.  She sees their smiles and it makes her even more anxious to get to the “big city.”  A small, simple train stops right in front of her; it’s called the Train of Patience. She doesn’t recall needing to board that train so she tells the conductor it’s not her train.  Not much longer after, another train comes: the Train of Hope. Annabelle is not looking for hope, she wants fame and fortune, so she tells the conductor, again, that it’s not her train and she continues to wait.  As she waits, Annabelle imagines her Train of Fame and Fortune; large, flashy, exciting and nothing like the plain trains she’s seen so far.  Four more trains come through, the Train of Love, Determination, Compassion, and Good Will. Each train comes through the station for all who are in need of its destination. Annabelle rejects every single train because she is still waiting for her train of Fame and Fortune.  She can’t imagine why people would want to get aboard these small, rusted, boring trains. She has waited long enough for her time to shine; what are a few more hours?  

Annabelle sits and daydreams on the bench of expectation about her train. It is plush, comfortable and it serves the finest of foods and beverages. There are dancers, singers, comedians, entertainers and other public figures. She can’t wait; she knows her train is going to be perfect. As Annabelle adjusts her legs to keep them from falling asleep, she notices that she is alone.  The once, busy, loud and exciting train station, is now quiet and barren. Everyone had found a train but her.  The sun has passed, now giving way to darkness.  Annabelle looks at her ticket, broken but still holding out hope that her train will come.  Suddenly, she sees a light coming down the train tracks.  A loud, majestic horn blows as it approaches the station. She bursts with excitement, the train is getting closer and all she can notice is how breathtaking it looks.  It is better than she could have ever imagined.  The beautiful train stops in front of her.  As she smiles at the conductor, he announces, “This is the final train dear, please board.”  Annabelle reads her ticket and she looks at the train’s name.  Her heart sinks as the conductor takes her ticket, closes the doors behind her and pulls off.  The train leaves the station, taking Annabelle and her dreams to their final destination.  The conductor announces, “We hope you had a chance to take advantage of every train that was presented to you. You are now aboard your final train, destination: Death.”

You are more than the labels you live under and you're not who people say you are. You are not a weed, you are a flower; clothed in the beauty of God. Your life is purposeful. You are powerful and uniquely made. You are a masterpiece. Say it! Mean it! Believe it!  

We are programmed every day of our life to live on this earth as "weeds": an eyesore to the beauty of nature. We are told that we are no good and that we must do things to show our worth and justify our existence. We have the freedom to prove who we are but not the freedom to be. Oftentimes, who we are is not good enough so we try to be like someone else. We try to fit in with the "flowers" but we feel we don't belong - we feel out of place and the world agrees with us. We fight for a seat at the table but we don't even know what they're serving for dinner. We just want to be in and not out, included and not excluded. We want it so bad that we don't see who we truly are. We "sit" in the dark and complain about the darkness, yet, we refuse to find the light. We look for darkness to tell us who we are, when the darkness is actually longing for our light to shine on it.

When my oldest daughter was about four years old, we went on a walk in our neighborhood. As I was appreciating the sun and the nice weather, my daughter said, "Look at the flowers, Dada." I looked around but all I saw were weeds. I said, "Those are weeds, I don't see flowers." She said, "No Dada, those are flowers." She picked one up and had the biggest smile; she was in awe of its beauty. As I looked at her, I didn't see weeds anymore, I saw love. The label of "weeds" was lifted and I saw the beauty of God's creation.

We may not look like "flowers," but we are God's creation; uniquely made with a purpose that is designed for just us. When we realize that we are created in love, we don't have to compare ourselves to anyone else. We are who we are and in God's eyes, we are beautiful. God's love lights our path and overtakes any limitation that we thought existed.

You are created powerful and purposeful but most importantly, you are loved. When you understand that, you will not accept a cheap imitation of love when you can have the real thing. No more lying to ourselves! We have a place in the world and we don't have to prove anything. Be encouraged to be you. ​
 
Until next time....

My writing projects have been stretching my writing gift.  I am learning to embrace all of me.  Every one has a gift and it is important to our well being to use it.  I learn more about myself through my gifts than I do any other way.  Gifts have no expiration date they never get old but they are not meant to remain on the shelf.  It takes using your gifts to show you how precious life really is.  I am thankful for every opportunity I get to write.  It does not matter what people think about it, for my joy comes from writing not accolades or praise.  When you do what you love that does not mean others will love what you have done but no one can take away the joy that comes from creating with your gift. 

Anyone that reads this blog I hope that you find your gift and use it.  It will change your life.  It will change your world.  A great sign to find what your gift is, is recognize what comes easy to you.  When you find what your gift is, start spending time learning more about it and it won’t be long before you are sharing it with the world. 

I overlooked my writing gift for years, doing other things that I was not as gifted in.  When I discovered my gift I found life.  Now I am excited about each day for I love what I do.  It does not matter what life brings I have a way to express myself that frees me from the suffering and challenges in this world.  When you discover that gift you will never be the same.  ​

Faith is the evidence of things not seen.  You can not convict someone of a crime without having evidence that they committed the crime.  There has to be proof first then comes the trial.  Faith is not merely speculation.  It is real.  It is the power that frames our entire world.  We all have faith just sometimes we are ignorant to how to operate it.  Like a car without a key we remain stuck until the ignition is turned.  Our faith gets us moving.  It inspires us to purpose our dreams and live a purposeful life.  Having faith does not mean you won't get frustrated or lose your way it just means you are empowered to persevere through the adversity that comes your way because you have evidence that there is more than what you see.  Yes, there are obstacles that redirect us but if we just keep moving we will find our way to where we want to be.  Detours causes us to evaluate if we truly believe in what we are doing.  Will we stop or will we continue?  

The scripture says he that comes to God must believe that He is God and that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.  So our pursuit or journey is not one to obtain things but to be aware of the presence of God in our life.  When we discover God's presence we have found our reward and there are benefits to being in His presence.  Many times I am pursuing things instead of God.  I place my trust in what I can do and don't give God the space to reveal Himself in my life.  When I get frustrated I want to quit but faith refocuses my attention and gives me the inspiration to turn back to God.  When I see God I don't stress the small things and it gives me confidence to do what is purposed in my heart.  

Be encouraged, wherever you find yourself now, know God is with you and if you believe God will direct you to your calling and purpose for this moment.  Don't give up, just keep moving.  

Until next time....

I yearn for peace.  One that is not rooted in the external.  I want an internal peace that rests in hope.  A hope that bleeds passion and positive energy.  Peace can fade in hands of one that places it in the shallow waters of opinions.  Unstable is the footing of minnows. I don't want to be a minnow when I am a whale.  

What is the point of being alive if I don't live on purpose?  I don't get it.  Why following people that are afraid of deep water?  Is there peace if there is no evidence of adversity?  Is there growth if there is no pain?  I don't want people to follow me if I am not going anywhere. It makes no sense.  

We empower people to tell us what to do, what to eat, how to live yet these same people don't participate in living on purpose.  They are spectators that have no vested interest in our success.  They want followers but have no clue on how to lead.  Don't follow me if I am not walking.  

Non action is death covered in laziness.  Our mouths speak but are feet sink.  We dig our graves in the words we refuse to follow.  Allowing worry to be our shovel and fear to be our coffin.  We rest in everything but peace and pass on the slow death to our witnesses.  We tell stories.  Our fiction is our existence and the roles we live only masks the person we are.  
​I don't want to hide anymore.  I am insecure and that is okay.  I am afraid and that is okay.  I am aware and that is where I find peace.  A peace that tells me it is okay to not be perfect.  It is okay to not have all the answers and have it all together.  A peace that leads me to live in spite of my perceived weaknesses.  A peace that frees me from the casket of fear and uproots the worry that has covered me.  Resurrecting me to the present and clothing me in purpose.  I am free and regardless of the results my life is ....all I discover it to be.  I don't need to know to act. I choose life so I live.  Let the chips fall where they fall.