Jayci Again!!

Here are a few more pictures of my little girl. She is amazing!!! Quiet, but amazing. Funny thing happened today while I was holding her. She was sleeping and out of nowhere she started to giggle. It was hilarious!!

Jayci Grace Wilson

Alright blogger land, I have some awesome news that I am totally stoked to share with you!!! MY LITTLE GIRL IS HERE!!!! It is an unbelievable awesome new season in the Wilson household. As a Daddy I can say the old saying "A Little Girl Will Change Everything" is absolutely 100% true. Life is viewed from a completely different angle. Looking at her sends out this "Protection Factor" that I really can't explain. Is it Love? Is it Great Joy? Is it Unbridled Affection? Is it Deep Connection? Is it Stoked Protection? I don't really know. I think they all can be included in the feelings I have shooting through my rib cage. I am going to be do a whole lot more journaling and blogging updating you on how I disect these amazing feelings.





Well here she is!!
























Hope You Enjoyed!!!

Soooo Bigggg!

I was watching my nephew last night. He is a couple months old. It's amazing to watch how he grows week to week. One thing he loves is when I pick him up, and in a higher pitch voice say; "sooo bigg, soooooooo bigg!" His face lights up, his eyes squint a little bit, and his cheeks puff up because of the smile that shows up. Inside he is feeling the excitement of someone spending time with him and talking to him, and the only thing he can do is smile huge.

Today I believe God wants to pick you up and say "Sooo Bigg!" I believe He enjoys watching you grow, smile and respond to what he is saying to you. Give God some time today to lift you up. Allow that smile to overtake your face because of the excitement that comes through having a great relationship with Him!!

Solid Marks

Solid Marks of Christians -

Love - John 13:34 - 35 says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love for one another.

In a world devoted to self seeking and where love has grown cold, love makes believers stand out.

Unity - John 17:21 says, "That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me."

If the world can see a unified family, or a unified church, people will believe the Jesus Christ is in fact the Savior sent from God to Us. The world understands division, destruction, and an "every man for himself mentality. But to see a group of people live with kindness and gentleness toward one another leaves a mark.

Holiness - Hebrews 12:14 says "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."

A consistent and God honoring lifestyle is necessary for true love to be manifested, to be seen, and to accomplish its powerful witnessing work.

Good Works - Mathew 5:16 says, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Let's be people who take the love that we have in our hearts and put it into action. When this happens the world will be able to see Jesus, and it will forever leave a mark!

Hope - 1 Peter 3:15 says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

The world should be able to see the hope that we have no matter what circumstances we face to the extent that it makes them ask us how we could have such a hope despite what is going on in our lives or around us. Whether things are good or bad, it should be obvious to all that we still believe that God loves us and that God is on the throne.

Be people who leave a Mark!

A Blog By Perry Noble

Perry Noble, has thrown down southern style! And it's way too good to simply link to. So here is the entire post:
One of the lessons I’ve learned while being in the ministry for the past 17 years is sometimes what people say isn’t exactly true…things such as…
(WARNING…you will probably only like this post if you are a pastor or a staff member of a church!)

What They Say: “I’m looking for a church that preaches the Word!”
What They Mean: “I’m looking for a church that preaches MY view of the Word. I think the BLANK translation should be used…I think BLANK should be talked about a lot while BLANK should be ignored. And if you ever stop preaching my view of the Word I will leave and tell others that you don’t preach the Word!”

What They Say: “Lot’s of people have been coming to me and saying they don’t like is…”
What They Mean: “I basically only have three friends…and all of them think exactly like me. The other night we were enjoying a time of self righteousness because, after all, we are right about everything…and were also slandering you (in the form of prayer requests) and thought it would be wise to approach you with our pet peeve. We’ve actually talked to no one else about this but said “lots” because we wanted to validate our dysfunction.”

What They Say: “I’m leaving the church.”
What They Mean: “Beg me to stay. If you will just ask me I will share with you several ways you can compromise God’s vision that He’s given you, thus becoming nothing more than a people pleasing pastor who is more interested in popularity than obedience. If you don’t bow to my demands I will remind you that I tithe and that the church needs my money, reducing you to a mere preaching whore…one who is paid for a service for the pleasure of another person.”

What They Say: “I want a church that is more focused on discipleship.”
What They Mean: “I want a church where everyone knows me and how important I am! I don’t want to reach people who are different from me, be it economic class or race or even musical preference. I already know WAY more than I do…but I somehow equate spirituality with knowledge rather than application and I rather enjoy feeling intellectually superior to those who don’t know as much as me.”

What They Say: “Don’t take this personally…but…”
What They Mean: “I am about to lower the BOOM on you…but you can’t get angry because I told you not to take it personally. Even though you have dedicated your life to this and pretty much invest every ounce of energy you have to this cause…and I think about it once or twice a week…you need to receive my attacks, even when they are personal…and you cannot retaliate because, remember, it’s not personal.”
OKAY, that was fun! I typed it all with a smile. Trust me…I’m not mad or frustrated with anyone…I just thought a pastor or two MIGHT get a smile out of this. :-)
Thanks Perry. Now I'm going to take a deep breath.....

The Boldness

Today I realized just how intimidating it is sometimes to have an idea and try to contact people that have "Rockstar Status" to find answers. There are people on tv, radio, and the internet that we all watch and think to ourselves, "I wish I could just talk to that person and ask them a few questions on how they got started.." The challenge I want to pose today is, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOOSE? GO FOR IT! Make the call and see what happens. If the person doesn't want to talk to you, you'll find out, but what if they do? What if you end up having the best conversation of your life? What if you find the answers you have been looking for? What if it leads you onto a path that you have been looking for? What if you have the biggest breakthrough of your life? If you ask me it is worth breaking through the intimidation, making the call, and see what comes to pass. Don't allow intimidation to keep you from potentially leading you toward the largest breakthrough of your life.

Challenge Yourself

As you get in the habit of challenging yourself and begin to widen your circle of comfort, you will begin to grow in other areas as well. Often times the discipline you use to expand one area of your life can be carried over into other areas as well. The commitment to stretching the limits that get you out of bed and into a health club in the morning could be the same commitment that will stretch you to make one more sales call in your business at the end of the day. As you expand in one area of your life, the others expand along with it. It is like an ever widening circle. You have everything to gain by stretching out of your comfort zone.

Gotta Love Preachin!

This month has been an amazing month! I think everyone of us feels the excitement when things begin to take off in our lives. There is one place the credit should go when this happens in our lives, It All Goes To Jesus Christ! It is truly awesome to know that He is rooting us on and proud of us when we take our victories and give them back to Him. Stay excited about what God is doing in your life. When things are taking off in your life give the glory to Jesus Christ. Let Him know how exciting it is to be here on this planet serving an amazing Creator! Check out the glimpse of how great God has been this summer. I Love Preaching!

Is Your Gift Bigger Than You?

"O Lord, who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with Integrity." Psalm 15:1-2 NAS

You wouldn't give your 5-year-old a 12-gauge shotgun or a big Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Shotguns and motorcycles are great - but they're for adults. You need maturity to handle them. Giving such gifts to your child would endanger them, and everybody else around them. The gifts just don't fit the person.

Perhaps you're a talented individual. God's given you some large gifts like the ability to speak well, or organize things, or create and design. But we sabotage ourselves when our gift becomes bigger than we are. How does this happen? When we begin to lean on the talents God gave us and don't mature emotionally and spiritually - we ruin our chance to use those talents as God designed them. When our character doesn't keep up with our talent, we learn to "wing it" through life. We live on the surface but lack real strength underneath. And it shows up when the crisis hits, the storm comes, or we are under pressure. You can't "wing it" when it comes to character building.

The greater the size of your gifts, the more you must dedicate time to developing your character. Eugene Peterson paraphrases the Psalmist in The Message: "God, who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list? Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. Don't hurt your friend, don't blame your neighbor; despise the despicable. Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe. You'll never get blacklisted if you live like this" (Ps 15:1-5 TM).

So, do you live that way?

Final Day Of Moto Trip.. Arriving Home

Wow! We put 600 miles on our bikes. That is a ton of time sitting behind the bars of a Honda CBR 600rr. The trip was amazing. We rode along side of Lake Superior, stopped in Lutzen and went down the Alpine Slide, and traveled through Wisconsin on our way home. It was a great trip, lots of laughs, fun times and great scenery. It is good to be back home because I missed my wife and boys. And now it is time to get back to work so, if I were you I would look forward to the next blog, it will be a good one.

Day 1 Of Motorcycle Trip

Yesturday was day one of the motorcycle trip, and it was an absolute blast. There was really no agenda, so that always makes things nice and relaxing. It took a while to get to Duluth because the back roads were the way to go. Twists, turns, and a whole lot of trees. I arrived in Duluth and spent time just walking around, eating some food, and enjoying the different sights. There is a phrase that comes to mind that has to do with leadership. "Lead Out Of Rest." I am surely enjoying this time of rest.

Away On The Moto

So I am super excited about the next three days. I am headed out on a 3 day motorcycle ride! Yes, I will be taking my cell phone, but the funny thing is that when your on a motorcycle it is not a good idea to answer it when it rings, so if you are calling over the next 3 days don't be offended if I don't answer, it just means that I would have sacrificed my life to answer the call. There is only one call I will sacrifice my life for, and we all know what that is. God Bless and I am out for 3 days!! C Ya!

A New Month = Fresh Start

So now you all get to get a sneak peak into my thought process, but only for a brief moment.

This morning I woke up, and went to the gas station to pick up my morning coffee. I put the moon roof back in my car, turned up the tunes, and paused when I stopped at the first stop sign. It was an awesome feeling. The wind was coming into the car just right; It was so refreshing. I continued down the road and meditated on how awesome it felt to have that refreshing breeze flowing through my vehicle.

It is August first, this means that it is the brand new beginning of a brand new month. Maybe last month was not real good for you, or maybe last month was absolutely phenomenal. My thoughts today are "Enjoy The Brand New Month." Make every day this month be a day of refreshing. Take it day by day, but make them refreshing days. Don't settle for having a bad month, be refreshed, and feel the awesome breeze life has to offer.

It's In Your Mouth!

You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. Proverbs 6:2 (NKJV)

Your breakthrough is in your mouth! There are some areas in all of our lives that have been dry for a long time. You might be reading this and your marriage is dry. Perhaps your relationships are dry. Your financial situation is dry. Your health is bad. Your mind is troubled. Your emotions are shattered. Or your nerves are on edge. But God is saying if you are going to be delivered, if change is going to come, it's in your mouth. It's not up to God. It is up to you.

What do you say about it? What do you say about the situation you are in? You can speak your own destruction or you can declare that you will live and not die. You can declare that health is yours. Prosperity is yours. Joy is yours. You can speak that your marriage will work. You will get that job. You will get whatever God has in store for you. No devil in hell can stop it. God said it, so declare it. Your victory is in your mouth.

Precious Savior, I am in a situation in which it appears that there is no hope. I'm pressed on every side; everything seems to be falling apart in my life. But I thank you for the power of declaration. Your word says that I am snared by the words of my mouth. I am taken by the words of my mouth. Your word also says that whatever things I ask for when I pray, I should believe that I receive them, and I will have them. Father, I believe your word because your word is true. I therefore declare boldly that I will have all that you have for me, my situation will turn around, my outlook is bright, and I will live and not die. My future is bright because I trust in you!

Check Up

"I am praying...your body is as healthy as...your soul." 3 John 2 TLB
We all know how important physical health is; here's a plan for keeping your soul in shape:

(a) Don't question your faith, question your doubts. We spend too much time dwelling on our misgivings, experiencing faith as an occasional flash-in-the-pan. God's promises are for 'believers.'

(b) Don't be a 'lone ranger.' It's no accident that the Old Testament contains the story of God's people, and that the Epistles were written to congregations. We grow as we relate - not isolate!

(c) Guard your thought life. If your "thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death. But if [it's] controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace" (Ro 8:6 NCV). Practice mind management!

(d) Fall asleep and wake up immersed in gratitude. It'll transform your day. "In every thing give thanks!" (1Th 5:18).

(e) Ditch anything that distracts you from God. Toss the junk reading material, and if you've got the guts, throw in the TV!

(f) Always err on the side of mercy. Philip Yancey writes: "I marvel at the humility of a God who descends to live inside...his 'flawed' creatures...Do I show that same attitude towards people of whom I disapprove?"

(g) Be specific and don't revert to generalities when discussing your faith. Paul wasn't "ashamed of the Gospel" (Ro 1:16); neither should you be.

(h) Be gracious to the people who irk you. God chose them too! Sometimes it's easier to be gracious to non-believers than to uptight, moralistic Christians. But that just makes you a different kind of judgmental.

(i) Forgive those who've hurt you. Harboring hatred hinders healing, so bring your hurts to God.

PROPS TO MY SISTER FROM THE CAROLINAS

I want to give huge props to my sister Jaime Cox!!! She is the one who re - designed my blog site and I think it looks absolutely fantastic. Thanks Jaime for the time you took out of your day today to make this site look poppin!!! You are awesome.

Be The Messy Doctor

Pretend for a minute that you were going to have a major surgery done on the inside of your body. During the consultation leading up to your surgery your Surgeon begins to tell you that he is extremely particular about the apron he wears during your surgery. In fact he is so particular about his apron that he explains that if he gets blood on his apron during the surgery, he will leave you on the table to die, because he believes that a clean apron is a happy apron. Would you allow him to do the major surgery?

Ok, let's get to the point, some people believe a "Clean Life Is A Happy Life" or "A Clean Church Is A Happy Church" or "Clean Friends Are Happy Friends," and if you have a messy life, your not wanted. I have seen how this has impacted people so much that it almost boarder lines judgementalism, legalism, and power trips that keep us from being the Doctor Who Is Not Afraid To Get A Little Messy.

Mark 2:17 says - On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Jesus was not afraid to get messy. He didn't prefer to hang with the "clean people" all of the time, but rather he made a conscious effort to touch the lives of the people who were dirty. Let's be like Jesus and Be The Messy Doctor. Don't be afraid to get your Apron a little dirty, you might just save someone's life!

This Hot Topic Is Worth Your Read

Today I am blogging on an extremely HOT TOPIC, HYPOCRISY -

Many young adults view Christians as hypocrites, meaning they say one thing and do another. They're right. But Hypocrisy isn't the issue. We all believe certain things and then act in ways that are contridictory to our beliefs. One person declares the beauty of the simple life on the balcony of the half million dollar home with a new Cadillac Escalade in the garage. Another rants against all things corporate with a latte from Starbucks in hand. I am a Minnesota Vikings fan, but when Randy Moss played with them I rooted against him.

The problem is not fundamentally hypocrisy. We are all hypocrites at some level. The problem is the air of moral superiority many of us carry around. We stop acknowledging imperfections in our lives. We forget where we came from and all God has done in our lives. I don't see Jesus teaching a call to fake moral superiority. I'm a sinner following Him. I don't have it all together, and that admission is precisely what tweaks the perception of hypocrisy. We as human beings have alot in common no matter where we are at on our faith journey. At the most basic level, we all share the human condition with all of it's brokeness. And we have the hope that Jesus can really transform lives and redeem the future.

Success Through Power

How bad do you want to succeed in life? Most people want to experience success in their endeavors but they are really unsure of how to achieve the success they desire. According to the world's system, success is achieved by how hard you work, whether you have the right connections and whether or not you are willing to compromise at times. But God's formula for success is different. In the kingdom of God system, success is determined by three things: 1) keeping the Word of God in your mouth, 2) meditating on it and 3) acting out on what He says. When you follow His three-part formula for success, you can't fail.
The first key to supernatural success-keeping the Word in your mouth-is vital. People may call you "deep" or super-spiritual when they hear you constantly speaking the Word, but don't pay them any attention. Remind yourself and others that you are working on something and going somewhere! If you want success then you have to talk it, and the only way to talk up true success is to constantly confess the Word. It will take planning, scheduling and discipline, but when you consistently speak the Word, you create a successful life.
Second, you must meditate on the Word. To meditate is to ponder, mutter and consider something. When you meditate in the Word of God, you "juice" the scriptures until you get a revelation of what they mean. God wants to speak to you about His Word, and by meditating in it, you position yourself to hear a specific Word from God for you and your situation. The Holy Spirit will make your victory sweatless by speaking a breakthrough word to your spirit. This can only happen when you spend time in meditation.
Finally, you must act as though the Word you have been speaking and meditating is true, even when your circumstances say otherwise. You have to believe that you receive the promises of God and then act on what you believe. Put corresponding action to your faith and success will be inevitable.
Joshua was a man who experienced supernatural success. The nation of Israel was on the line and God needed Joshua to take over where Moses left off. In Joshua 1:5, He lets this great leader know, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." How would you like to experience the same ability that Joshua did? You can, when you realize that what matters least is who you are or what you've been through. What matters most is that God is with you.
Real supernatural success is not something that just falls out of heaven. It takes courage, faith and God's ability working in your life in order for you to be truly successful. When God is with you, you can't fail. The key, however, is to make sure that you are intimately connected with the Father. You maintain this connection by obeying His Word and turning away from worldly ideas and beliefs.
Success in the world's system comes with a price tag of misery, but the blessing of God will make you rich and has no sorrow attached to it (Proverbs 10:22). The Holy Spirit will save you time, money and energy when you stay vitally connected to God and His Word. Once you put God's formula for success into operation, you will begin to see the breakthrough you've been believing God for.

True Success Begins In The Heart

All success begins with establishing deep-seated values. One of the most noticeable characteristics among leaders who have achieved some sense of wholeness is that they know who they are, what they believe, and for what they stand.

The poison of moral relativism and situational ethics continues to infect today’s global culture. As a result, we have witnessed an alarming deterioration in business and personal ethics. Over the years, the lines of right and wrong have diminished from black and white into various shades of muted and indistinguishable grey. This flawed belief system has materialized so persuasively that, for many in our world, there is no longer any absolute right or wrong. No longer do values have any meaningful definition. They are oftentimes seen as a disadvantage.

I was talking with a guy in the gym the other day and this is what he said; "A few weeks ago I had an opportunity to accept a major deal that would greatly increase our company's profits and generate a lot of money over the course of just a few years. I turned it down. Many didn't understand why I would do such a thing and miss out on a great opportunity to make so much money. But I made a commitment many years ago that I would never negotiate my integrity for anything or anyone. That is one of the very first values I established within my company--to always prize integrity above profit, relationships, or short-term success. I am not interested in any short-term benefits that would cause me to compromise my values."

Your values are what make you the person you are. The same is true with the organization you lead. The values of that organization make it what it is. You may not realize it now, but the future of your company is linked to the values you establish within and throughout it. The reason for this is simple; values guide each and every decision, which then shapes our destiny. Without clear and established values by which your company filters every decision, the lifespan of your company greatly diminishes.

So what values govern your life? What values govern your company's decisions, policies, and protocol? Do you believe in the values of integrity, hard work, honesty, dependability, creativity, initiative, and teamwork? Do your employees know the top three values of your organization?
After years of experience and working with hundreds of leaders, I can tell you that one value overshadows and outshines all others. The neglect of this value is the reason nearly 90% of all organizations fail.
INTEGRITY! It remains the foundation of all success and wholeness. It has been argued that being a person or company that prizes integrity puts you at a disadvantage in today's corporate world. Those who take this position are blind to both the pragmatic and long-term ramifications of their ideology.
Any unethical action can appear to be advantageous for the moment, but wisdom and history prove those who value integrity always come out on top in the end. Just ask Enron.
Let me leave you with a few vital questions that will help you identify whether or not you have established the values necessary to experience wholeness in this life:
• Which principles define you as a person?• What unseen ideals guide your life?• What are the non-negotiable issues for you as a person - the principles you will not break?• Are your ethics guided by moral principles, or by the convenience of the moment?• On a scale of 1-10, what character rating would you give yourself, and why?• What do you need to change in order to achieve a higher rating?• Is God pleased with your character? Why, or why not?
"Aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you get neither." - C.S. Lewis

Real Success

One of my favorite movies of all time is a picture called "Mr Holland's Opus." I know it's an old one. It's a good movie in and of itself, but I will always have a soft spot for this movie because when I saw it for the first time in the theater, it delivered a powerful message to my heart that I really needed to hear."Mr Holland's Opus" is sort of a modern version of "It's a Wonderful Life." In the film, Mr. Holland (played by Richard Dreyfus) is a musician with dreams of making it big as a composer. To make ends meet and to put food on the table, he takes a job as a music teacher in a school. He enjoys interacting with the students and teaching them music, but he still dreams of success, fame and adulation as a composer. He tells his wife he will just teach for a year or so to get them back on their feet financially. That one year turns into two, those two years into ten, those ten years into twenty, and before you know it, it is time for him to retire.As he reaches the end of his teaching career, Mr. Holland is dejected and feels like a total failure. He has wasted his life teaching school and never made it big. He cleans out his desk and heads home for the last time. One of his fellow teachers uses some excuse to get him to come into the school's auditorium and he is shocked by what he finds. The auditorium is filled with thousands of his former students, all of whom have come to let Mr. Holland know how much he affected their lives. Each one of the students has a story to tell how they were touched, inspired, motivated, challenged, or encouraged by this man who was much, much more than just a music teacher to them.Mr. Holland looked around the room and realized that he was not a failure. He saw all these people who had been impacted by his life and he realized that while he didn't make it big in the way he wanted to, there was no way around the fact that he had been a success in his career.

If we are not careful, we can buy into the world's definition of success and that becomes the yardstick by which we measure our lives. But that is not the measure that God uses! He is much more concerned with how you lived your life than the stuff that you accumulate. He is more interested in how many people you are bringing to heaven with you than with the size of your 401K. He is more impressed by the people you invest your time, effort and love into, than your investmen portfolio. It is those things that are eternal that touch the heart of God.

Do you sometimes feel like a failure in the world's eyes? If so, think about the lives that you have touched, and think about the heavenly version of Mr. Holland's surprise party in the school auditorium! Think about all of the people whose lives you have touched by acts of kindness, or service. Think about those who you have shared Christ with who will be in heaven because of you. Imagine all of those people gathered together in heaven to welcome you home and to thank you for touching their lives.

Inward Joy

So a couple of days ago I took my family to the Mall of America. It was awesome. My two boys, Ethan (6) and Kaden (4) are at the age now where they can enjoy the rides and all the attractions of Nickelodeon World. It was hilarious to watch them drive the bumper cars. They would drive around bump into each other, laugh until they almost cried, and when the ride came to a finish they would run around and get in line again. I watched this happen 15 times in a row. We would make the rounds, but always ended up back at the bumper cars. The coolest thing about the whole trip was the Joy that our family had just being together and taking time to really not do a whole lot but hang out. Priorities are one of life's great battles. I will tell you one thing I know first hand, "When your priorities are correct, life just keeps getting more fun." Maybe today is time to take a look at some priorities in your own life and either pat yourself on the back, or take time to re - prioritize some things.

The Day Off

So my family and I took today and dedicated it as a compete day off. We started off by waking up (obviously) and then proceeding down the road to monticello to deposit my check. Is it me or are the gas prices just robbing us of pay checks?? Then after that we went to Home Depot. The lights in my bathroom have been burnt out for a month, and we were all getting a little tired of not being able to see when we did our hair or brushed our teeth. Not to mention it is really tough to shave in the dark, thus, my ugly face. Anyways after that we went albertville and let the kids play in the Burger King Play Land. Kaden not a fan. Ethan Big Fan! Then we shopped until our kids fell over and came home. I played war outside for like 2 hours. Wow what an awesome day it was. Now it's off to some brainstorming and relaxation. So thanks for reading and I hope that your day was as awesome as mine. Later
:>Kevin

Our Purpose Requires A Response

William Marsten, a prominent psychologist, asked 3000 people, "What do you have to live for?" A full 94 percent responded that they had no definitive purpose for their lives. Sadly, Marsten's survey proves that so many people live what Thoreau called "lives of quiet desperation" - enduring, waiting, wondering what their lives are all about, hoping their purpose will suddenly become clear to them in a divinely inspired moment. Meanwhile, they simply survive, mechanically going through the motions of living without ever experiencing the spark of aliveness! They grow cold, begging to lose color, and slowly fade away. They watch their dreams slip through their fingers and become increasingly fearful that life will completely fizzle out before they experience any true joy or deep sense of purpose. God has set us up for success; our role is to respond.

F.I.R.E

Listen to these definitions of Fire -

Luminosity, Brilliance, Liveliness, Enthusiasm, Excitement, To Burn, To Ignite, To Detonate. These are all so powerful. Think about it for a minute, something happens when Fire is around, we naturally look at fire - Camp Fires, Yard Fires, House Fires, Car Fires, and even the T.V. broadcasts raging forest fires.

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, [29] for our "God is a consuming fire."

Everyday let's remember to F.I.R.E. - Fire The Inside Revolution Everyday.

Our God is a consuming fire and He consumes every part of us. Let's not hold in that consuming fire power of God, but let it out.

Jeremiah 20:9 his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

I am ready to see people completely changed by God's incredible power.

Smiley Faces

My mom is a smiley face pheen! She is into myspace and loves putting a smiley face on every comment that she sends out. So I have been thinking about smiley faces a ton!

Psalm 16:9 says "I am happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed. (message version)

We have a huge reason to SMILE. Jesus Christ is enough to keep you smiling for the rest of your life. Others can tell when you don't feel awesome inside because it shows on the outside. If you are truely smiling through the way that you live your life, others will catch that and begin to smile themselves. Let's smile the way that God intended from the beginning of our life, and enjoy the Joy that we have!

New Insight

Denis Waitley (American Motivational Speaker) Said “All the top achievers I know are life long learners, looking for new skills, insights, and ideas. If they’re not learning, they’re not growing, they are simply not moving toward excellence.”

Guy Finley Said “Don’t go through life, grow though life”

Johann Wolfgang Said “Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow.”

E E Cummings Said “It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.”

Roger Von Oech Said “Remember the two benefits of failure. First, if you do fail, you learn what doesn’t work; and Second, the failure gives you the opportunity to try a new approach.”

Just Some Thoughts I Thought You Would Enjoy

T.O.R.C.H. "Taking Opportunity Represent Christ's Heat"

T.O.R.C.H. Someone today! Now that doesn't mean burn someone (lol!) it means Today, Take The Opportunity To Represent Christ's Heat!
Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. [15] Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. [16] In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (NLT)
Jesus is saying “Be Fantastic!” Shine! Take the Opportunity to Represent Christ’s Heat! Give This World The Supernova Treatment, So that those who are Cold, can get Hot, & Those who are Lost, can be Found. Maybe it's been a long time since you have helped someone else. Take today and TORCH SOMEONE.

T – Taking
O – Opportunity
R – Represent
C – Christ’s
H – Heat

RE - PURPOSED

The average person lives 40 million minutes. They spend 1.5 million minutes in the bathroom, roughly 1 million minutes on the phone, but just 300,000 minutes with God. How often do we convince ourselves that something can wait because, "I've got time"? Others of us wonder "if only I had more time." We spend more time figuring out what time it is or how to manage our time than we do trying to leverage the time we have. We have missed the true value of time. The value God places on our time. What would it look like to leverage our time in a way that would honor God? If need be, take the time and RE - PURPOSE the day.

The Great Gamble

MOST OF US WANT TO LIVE LIVES OF PURPOSE. We want to give ourselves to a worthy cause. But years of bombardment by the message of a self serving culture have confused us. Indulge Yourself. Fulfill Your Desires. Satiate Your Appetites. Pursue Plesure.
It's All About You. The thought that I have for the day is what would happen if we decided that we took 2008 and used it as a year to grab the servants cloth, drape it over our arms, and serve others with joy and gladness? Think about it, maybe risk it a little, and give it a shot.

Ridding The G.U.N.K.

Toilet Meets Basement Story – Last year we had a very interesting excursion at our home. It was a Saturday night and we were enjoying our weekend. The kids were running around the house laughing and giggling playing merrily, Annie was in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, and I was sitting on the couch. It was certainly the perfect weekend. We were all getting ready for bed and I thought that maybe I had smelled some very awkward smells, but really didn’t think to much about it because at our house there are always some smells that don’t get identified. So we went to bed. The next morning we woke up and that awkward smell was definitely a little stronger. But we needed to get ready for church and head out the door. So out the door we went.
When we arrived back home that smell was consuming our entire home. It literally made your nose nauseous. So I followed the smell. It led me to our crawl space, which is huge. There under the crawl space I saw something that to this day still haunts me. I saw a mound of toilet paper and poop floating in my basement because the toilet pipeline obviously had some buildup that accumulated over time and eventually ended up in my basement.
Our lives are like these pipes, if we are not careful, G.U.N.K (Godless, Unclean, Nasty, Klingons) will buildup in our lives and keep us from flowing freely. With this new year we have the opportunity to plunge these things that clog us up and flow freely. We may need to plunge a few times this year, but don't get discouraged, when you feel those Godless, Unclean, Nasty Klingons grab ahold of your heart, mind, and spirit, grab for the plunger and give em a couple plunges. James 1:21 says "So get rid of all that is wrong in your life both inside and outside and humbly be glad for the wonderful message we have received, for it is able to save our souls as it takes hold of our hearts."

The Potential To Make A Difference

Over the years I've heard alot of great servants of God describe themselves as
"just a volunteer." I want to make something very clear, the term "Just A Volunteer" should have no place in our vaocabulary. The Church would not exist without the thousands of hours given each month by fired up volunteers. There's not enough money in the world to pay for all the good deeds desperatly needing to be done in the name of God. Without the work hours of volunteers, countless wounds will not be tended, mouths will not be fed, grieving people will not be comforted, broken marriages will not be mended, lonely people will not be embraced, children will not be nurtured. Countless cups of cold water will never be offered in Jesus name, and countless spiritual seekers will never be befriended and coach toward Christ. Whether God has blessed you with forty hours a week of discretionary time, or whether you can barely snatch forty minutes a month from your overloaded schedule, you the potential to make a difference in your corner of the world. You have alot to offer.