Lane Jumper

Well patience has been my biggest lesson this week.  Let's start with a quick story.  This week I had to travel to Peoria, Illinois to visit one of my customer's.  I left normal time on Tuesday and looked at the weather before leaving as there is a stretch which can be pretty treacherous.  Everything was clear and I was making good time,  looking forward to getting into the hotel a bit early and getting a nice workout in and catching up on some homework. Well just over half way there and 10 miles from Chicago the traffic sign says 10 miles 156 minutes.  Must be a misprint right.  Yeah I wish.  I was stuck in a huge snow storm and it took me over 4 hours to go 10 miles in complete whiteout conditions.  This trip did not end there as on my way home I hit white out conditions throughout my entire trip and had some of the worst roads I had ever driven on.  I thank the Lord for the safe travel as for others this trip caused many issues.

While sitting in the huge traffic jam and storm on Tuesday my blog for this week came to me.  No one was moving, the semis were putting their trucks in park and walking around.  4 lanes of traffic were completely stopped with no route around.  You just had to wait it out, you had no choice.  Well one lady was not so patient.  She constantly jumped lane to lane for the next 4 hours.  I never changed lanes and she was always within two cars of me even though she was determined to get out.  This really got me thinking about each one of us in our lives.  How we get caught up in moving quickly and not sitting down and being patient.  When we get stuck in a traffic jam are we the first person to jump from lane to lane to find a way out.  Have you ever thought that God may be slowing you down for a reason?  It is very easy to get impatient and keep moving as their is so much going on in life and most of the time we all feel we don't have enough time in a day to get everything done.

Patience is a virtue and it is not easy to always be patient.  Our society teaches us not to be patient.  When you go to a fast food place and you don't have your food almost instantly you are taught to be upset.  It is so easy to not sit back and take the time to relax.  Life puts road blocks in front of us daily with some being bigger than others. Have you ever thought to take that time and instead of getting upset and pushy to sit back and look at the blessings you have?  This time can easily be spent freaking out on a situation you cannot control or it can be a time to reflect on your relationship with God.  Did you ever think maybe God wanted you to slow down?

I can tell you I am normally the person who is mad at the fast food people or trying every way around that road block but this week I realized that I couldn't change my situation.  I was still antsy to get moving and get to my destination but was able to relax and focus on my relationship with God.  I want to challenge each one of you this week to slow down when a "traffic jam" is put in your life and look towards him.  Don't be the one who is moving lane to lane to gain nothing but use this time to gain a deeper relationship with him.  Relax and have some time with God.  We have a hard time getting a break from everything that is going on so when you get a break that wasn't expected use it for the best.  Strengthen that relationship with your Father.

Colossians 3:12

New International Version (NIV)

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Treating others with respect

In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the prophets.

—Matthew 7:12

I hope everyone has been having a good week.  So much has happened for me this past week and the one item that really stuck with me is something that I experienced just the other day.  Have you ever thought about how you treat others?  Do you treat your friends, co workers, family, or significant other with respect?  Is this respect at all times or only in particular situations?  

Trust me I understand it is hard sometimes to treat other's with respect.  It is hard to go against the grain with the way that the world says you should treat others.  Unfortunately, I am seeing this more often than not.  That disrespect pushes people to that edge where they may turn to drinking, drugs, or slip into a depression.  People turn around and start to beat themselves up for the mistakes they have made in their life.  They get upset at the weight they are or the situation they may be in.  Have you ever turned this around and thought about how you would feel if people were treating you the way you treated others?  This is very difficult to do as you get caught in the moment of people laughing a lot of the time because they don't know what else to do.  Is that the person you want to be remembered as?  Think about the way the world starts to view Christians.  I just got done reading the new book by Kirk Cousins the quarterback of the Washington Redskins and he said it in a way that I never thought of.  Here is a paraphrase of the words that he wrote.  When you are a Christian you are putting on the jersey of God.  Just like any sports team this jersey has the team name (Jesus, Christian, God) on the front and your last name on the back.  When you look back at your day are your actions representing that name on the front in the best way possible?  What about the name on the back?  Are you leaving the legacy that you want?  

Each one of us no matter our education, physical attributes, or family history can leave a lasting impression on thousands of people during our life.  Think about the amount of people you come in contact with in one day.  Do you smile at them, say hello, hold a door for them, or encourage them?  Having a positive attitude and representing that name on the front could change someone's day.  Maybe your smile to one person will turn into a smile for another and everything begins to multiply.  It doesn't have to be anything crazy but showing others you respect them and that they are special.  

I struggle with these items each and every day.  I have noticed by starting my day in God and listening to Christian music throughout the day allow me to be more positive and build others up.  That necessarily won't work for you but I challenge you to go out and find what will get you focused on God and respecting others.  I want to challenge you this week and think about putting the jersey of Christianity on each day.  Remember the name that you have on your chest with your actions throughout the day and the way to talk to others.  If you see someone disrespecting another stand up and put an end to it.  If we show respect to all those we meet in our lives we can make a change in this nation and truly show that Christianity is more than what people see from the outside.

1 Timothy 4:12

New International Version (NIV)

12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

New Year

Happy New Year everyone!

So what is your resolution this year?  Is it the typical hit the gym, or eat healthy?  Have you already broke it?  While celebrating the new year and looking forward to what 2014 would bring my way I really got thinking of the excitement which surrounds this one day a year.  It all surrounds the new start, the forgetting of the past and looking forward.  It truly is great to put everything in the past like the choices you made and look forward.  To look at the new life and your dreams you have for yourself.  But what really got me is why do we only celebrate this once a year on a specific day?  Why do we choose this night to be around our best friends and not have time so many other nights?

When you look at a new year it is perfectly similar to the new life we receive from Jesus Christ.  Every day is new year's eve for Christians as God clears the past and pushes us to look forward.  Have you ever thought about living your life this way?  The joy looking forward to what is new.  If you can treat everyday with a new beginning and put new goals in front of you.  Let's focus on those goals being faith goals, growing your faith, reading the bible, helping the less fortunate, or turning against your sins. Just like on New Year's eve we need to surround ourselves with other believers.  Having a solid group who pushes you to know the Lord more will help you keep your resolutions.  This group shouldn't be someone you see that one night a year but people that you see and talk to so often that they are family.

I challenge you this year to treat every day as a new year, as in Christ it is.  Surround yourself with a good Christian group and have them hold you accountable for your resolutions.  Be the person you want to be in 2014 each and every day.  With the gift the Lord gave each and every one of us, each day is a new year for us.  Take the happiness and joy you have looking at the new year and use this everyday in your life as a Christian.

Worth Dying for?

Have you ever thought about that title?  Are you worth dying for?  I would believe that 99% of people out there would never believe they are worth dying for.

I was listening to the song "Someone worth dying for" by Mikes Chair which really got me thinking about the life that I live.  Do I believe I am worth dying for? Do I live a life where someone else should put their life on the line for me?  As I was thinking I did not think I was worth dying for.  I did not see my life as something someone should give up their dreams, or worldly family for.  I am a sinner and even though I try to be wiser with my decisions everyday I am still a failure in living up to the perfection God has put in front of me.  The true person we should look at dying for everyday is Jesus Christ.  He lead a perfect life yet we choose to push him to the side.  I think this song and message has two sides and want to challenge you with both.

The first side is believing that you are worth dying for.  If you believe this statement or not one person already believed that you are worth it.  He put himself through terrible pain and sacrifice for you to realize your worth.  It wasn't a quick death or a simple sacrifice.  It was the torment and pain he went through for years all coming to a peak right before he was crucified.  You can see some of the persecution Christ received in these passages from John. 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled,Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”[c] 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”[d]  This decision by the Lord was not a split second reaction to jump in front of a car or pull you from a subway but his grand plan.  You see the stories in the news all the time about an individual sacrificing themselves to save another if it is by pulling them out of a burning building or pushing them away from an oncoming car.  These are great acts that were performed on a split second reaction.  I am sure that these normal individuals did not believe that day they would be the one to save someone or even sacrifice themselves.  Christ knew about this from the beginning of his life.  He knew his mission and knows the worth of all humanity.  He believes you are worth dying for and you should too. 

The second side is Christ worth dying for.  You have seen stories of this in the news before also.  The one that comes to my mind is the situation at Columbine High School when a gunman approached a girl and asked if she believed in God.  Her answer "Yes".  Unfortunately this was the end of her earthly life but the start of her eternal life with the Lord.  She answered the question I posed at the beginning of this paragraph and stood up for her faith.  Would you do the same?  Maybe we shouldn't look at it to this extreme as I pray that you would never be physically killed for your belief.  Do you stand up for your faith at your work, your family events, or your times with your friends?  When others question your stances on abortion, going to church, giving to others do you just sit there and agree? Or do you stand up and explain why you believe what you do?  It is so easy for each one of us to sit back and not share our thoughts because it may create an awkward situation or might change someones view of you.  When we sit back and don't express our faith we are saying Christ is not worth dying for.  We allow ourselves to be bigger than him.  You might not literally be dying for God by standing up for him and your faith but mentally you are making that choice.

I challenge each and every person that reads this blog to look forward and decide how you can die for Christ.  Is it a co worker who is challenging your faith, or a family member that does not know God?  As you grow in your faith it will continue to be easier to make these daily decisions and the sacrifices to die for him.  Also remember that before you were born Jesus had already decided to die for you.  He went forward and mentally and physically was persecuted for you because you are worth it.  Society always pushes against every person for not being skinny enough, not having defined abs, not having a socially accepted job, and many other things but that is not where your worth comes from.  Your worth comes from the love of the Lord.  His love makes everything worth it especially you.  Waking up in the morning and knowing that you were worth dying for will affect your decisions throughout the day.  You don't want to waste someones sacrifice for you because you are putting yourself first.  

I hope you can take something out of this blog and it will help you look at your faith in a different way so you can continue to grow it.

Someone worth dying for music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ-pz1rc900

Dents?

Hey everyone hope you are having a great day. Sorry I did not post this past week I had my family in town and was doing touristy stuff with them. I hope everything has been going well for each one of you. I have finally found a church down here that I truly grow in and am super excited about that. It has given me inspiration for more blogs and has made me consider doing more than once a week. So let's not waste anymore time and get right into it.

This blog is all about the past. I started to think about this blog when I was watching Cars 2 with my buddy Andy last weekend. Yes I do watch Cars, they are great movies. Well if you have ever seen the movie there is a scene when they take Mater (the tow truck) and are fitting him with disguises. They see all the dents he has and decide they need to remove them. Mater stops them in their tracks and proceeds to explain where each dent came from and how they are a part of who he is. This kids movie got me thinking about my life and my journey with God. There are may times throughout my life that I have made mistakes and I am sure that is the same with you. These mistakes are numerous different sins that I should have never committed but unfortunately I did. Many people, and I do this to, say we should forget about our past and move forward. I completely agree with that but with a stipulation. It is the past for a reason but also it is something we can learn from. Jesus Christ gave us a second chance so that we would not receive the punishment of hell for the mistakes that we made.

Some times we are so quick to forget about where we came from or who we are. You see this all the time with professional athletes. They come from broken neighborhoods and never having money and then all of a sudden they sign a multi million dollar contract to be in debt 5 years later because they forgot about where they came from and got spoiled by their new riches. Each one of us has parts of the past or experiences that we want to forget but they will always be a part of us. This movie helped to show me that we should look at what has put "dents" in us throughout our lives and learn from them. We should work to make sure that the specific dent does not occur again or get bigger but it is who we are.

Each one of us have gone through different experiences if it is the jobs we have held, the neighborhoods we grew up in, the lifestyle we choose, or the friends we surrounded ourselves with. It is important to share your "dents" with others so they can learn from the things that have shaped you. By telling others about your dents you allow yourself to be vulnerable and a part of that person's life. You never know what how that one experience could change something for someone else.

We all have had "dents" in our lives but they are part of who we are. Those dents might not be out favorite part of who we are but they are still a part of us. We need to show these "dents" and not try to cover them up. Show others the real you. Don't put up a mask just be you. The best news is Jesus Christ died on the cross for each one of us to knock those dents out. His love allowed each one of us to approach him on judgement day dent free. But for now let others see your weaknesses and flaws. Let them help you and allow them to show you there "dents". Having a dent is not a bad thing. It gives you an opportunity to tell a story and start a conversation. Maybe that conversation will allow someone to see God or maybe it will be as simple as letting them have a new friend. Whatever the case be proud of who you are and what has happened to you throughout your life.

John 3:16

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Your last day?

So lately I have been thinking a lot about the way I live my life. I thought about the choices I make each day and how I live my life out around others. If I change who I am depending on who I am with or am I always the same person. That made me start looking into the question of if today was my last day would I be happy with who I was? If I died in my sleep tonight did I make a positive impact on the world?

This brings me back to my step cousin who passed away after a fight with Cancer. She left two young kids and her husband behind. It was a very tough time for all in my family even though she was new to my family. The anniversary of her death made me realize any of us could be gone tomorrow or get the news that our time here on earth is limited. It made me evaluate myself and start asking the question of would I be ok with the impact I made on the world today.

Everyday each one of us is faced with thousands of decisions some decisions small like what are we going to eat today to big decisions like what am I going to do with my life in the future. There are many choices that we have to make but I tell you right now every one of those decisions are important. You may not see what you choose to eat or choose to wear in the morning as something that is important but it is. Do you know just by the clothes you were you can change someones perspective on you. And I'm not saying by not wearing the "in" thing but just your choices. I see all the time people wearing shirts with inappropriate words on them. What do you think that says to others around you? I'm not saying go out and just wear shirts that have a cross on them or say God all over them but think about what your wearing and how that represents yourself and how it could influence others. Those are the little choices that we can make daily to change our lives and others.

Now there are many big choices we can make also. Would the way you have given back to the community and treated others be what you have always strived for? I notice it so many times everyone going along with the group. Some people are different from you but isn't that what makes us a community. If we were all the same we would have some serious problems. It is easy to go along with everyone else and I am guilty of that too but what about standing out from them. What holds us back from stepping up and being the person God asked us to be. Can you honestly say that a majority of the people you have touched in your life would miss you for the joy you brought to there life. For the way you always treated them and the kind of person you were. I know we all wish this would be true but we all have work to do. There is thousands of people that you will contact in your life, are you leaving a positive impact on each one of them?

As a salesman part of my job is building relationships with my clients. In my short time in sales I have probably sold to close to 200 people. It is my duty to make sure that they feel special and everyone in their group. Sometimes I have to go into work early or leave late, sometime I have to respond to emails from home or miss part of the games to make sure that happens. That is a reason I do love sales but it makes me think why don't I do that with every person I meet in my life. Why don't I take the extra second to hold the door, why don't I smile most of the time, and why don't I take that extra time to step out. This is something that I will be working on for the rest of my life. I need to do exactly what I do in my job and turn it into what I do in life.

I challenge each one of you this week to take that extra time and help them out. I push you to go out and make 5 people feel special this week. I pray that you can have a positive impact on every person you come into contact with even if maybe your political, sports team, or religious beliefs don't match up. Take that time and meet with others. Make everyone out there feel special and let them know if they ever needed anything you are right there for them. Take the time to show your love to someone else TODAY!

1 Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Giving

So today I was having a hard time of coming up with a topic that I wanted to talk about tonight. Then I remembered the news that my dad told me this weekend. My church is currently going through a large growing period and lots of new projects are getting started. As many of you know my church has a very good social outreach program lead by Dan Karlin. This man has a heart to give like nobody I have seen before. So Dan is a very connected individual and is working everyday to find a new way to help the less fortunate. He is the founder of Motown Soup (I suggest checking us out on Facebook GREAT SOUPS!) and works with many organizations within the city of Detroit. Well with this new expansion we had to add parking and this big ordeal had to be approved by the city for all the permits. Due to some code which I am not going to even try to explain the church is planning to set up a building for Dan to run a free medical clinic with. This is a great step to help so many new people.

Dan has had his struggles in our church unfortunately and has had those who have not supported every decision. But he has always pushed on. He has continued to push the envelope and develop new ways to help others. His outreach has reached hundreds of people and made an impact on so many. He uses himself and the volunteers to take these opportunities to tell others about God and show them His love. When nothing may be going right for them Dan is making sure someone is there to lift them up. For some people they do this by donating money. For others it is by purchasing the products that we sell and for others it is by donating their time. There are so many different ways to give back to the community.

With so many different ways to give back why do we not do it more. A lot of times we have these stereotypes that people in these situations abused a drug or alcohol. We see that they are lazy and are just looking for a free meal. And yes that is sometimes the case unfortunately but most of the time they have just feel on hard times and need a little help to get back on their feet. We need to use the tools we have to help them. Sometimes we are lazier than them by having a good job or supportive family and getting used to our blessings. By giving back to others it's not only following God's will but it will help our economy. By putting a little time or money into organizations that work to help others we are ultimately helping ourselves.

I challenge each one of you to find a program or company that gives back to the community and start supporting them. I challenge you to give an hour of your time a week to help someone else in the community. If that is by sitting down and talking or serving them a meal, everyone has their gifts and will give back differently. Take the time today to find out how you can give back to the community. Look for the organizations around you that you can support and in turn pour back into the local community.

Ask yourself How can I make a difference today?

2 Corinthians 8:7
But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.