MD, Amputated, Rare Diseas And Whatever Else

I have been following different stories on the Internet of people who have all sorts of different difficulties that they navigate through daily. One of my favorite stories that I have been following is of a young marine who's lifelong dream was to be in the marine corps until retirement. On a night deployment in Iraq his vehicle was hit by an IED that wounded his hand and was eventually amputated, therefore changing his life plan. Now he is consistently making improvements to adapt to everyday life. Along with only having one functional hand, his daughter is diagnosed with a very rare disease that in ables her to sit up, walk, talk, and is fed through a tube. My heart is burdened and I find myself at a loss for words and extremely emotional. What am I able to do to help him and his family through their daily challenges?

Many of you don't know that I have a daughter who three years ago was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy with Marosin Deficiency. She has very low muscle tone, she is unable to walk at this time, and sit up on her own. However, she can scoot around the floor, play, and when it comes to a vocabulary, watch out! She...is... Witty! Every day we thank God for the blessing he has given us, and we are faced with new challenges that keep us believing for daily miracles, monthly miracles, big miracles,  and the small miracles.

I know there are so many other stories out there. I know that as I read,  I find a new story of someone who is facing similar circumstances and I find myself asking, "what can I do?"

What Can I Do? Thank you to those who submitted prayer requests in regards to this post. It was good to be able to pray for you. I hope that you are able to see the hand of God moving on your different situations.
My Daughter Jayci's Story http://www.jaycisplace.blogspot.com/

Popcorn! Really? Popcorn!?

Popcorn! How in the world did I get the idea to write about popcorn? Seriously! I like a good bowl of popcorn from time to time. There is nothing like the smell that fills the room, the creamy butter that you can melt and dump on top of the lonely little white kernels, and every once in a while you get that annoying piece stuck on the back of your throat and you honestly feel like you are going to die because you can't cough enough to get it off your throbbing tonsils. I have always eaten popcorn the same way. Lots of Butter, and medium salt. That's my normal menu when it comes to popcorn. But this month my popcorn world was flipped upside down. I went to a popcorn stand that I thought was just the normal popcorn, but when I took my first bite, something amazing happened in my field of taste buds. It was no normal piece of popcorn, not even close! It was this amazing burst of creamy ranch flavor that I was not expecting, but after I finished my bag I was shocked! I was excited! I was pumped up and couldn't wait to get another bag of that flavor of popcorn. So here is the flavor I am trying to pour on you today. When life seems to be the same day after day, don't be afraid to switch up the flavor. There are so many things that life has to offer, and so many opportunities, but sometimes it means switching your flavor.

Daily Work Goal #4 For 2012

I heard a quote this week that I really appreciated. "Remember, Smoke Isn't Necessarily Fire." During the work week we all experience a little smoke. For example, a disagreement with a co worker could be considered smoke. Our boss letting us know we need to improve our performance, and it rubs us the wrong way could be considered smoke. We accidentally oversleep and arrive at work late could be considered smoke. Some of the gossip that goes on during the work day, and you know "that" person is running their mouth, could be considered smoke. And it's ok, in my opinion, for us to experience some smoke in the workplace. Now don't twist my words and tell someone that you read a blog and the author said it was ok to smoke in the workplace. Ha Ha.. The problem arrives when we take the smoke that comes during a normal work week and turn it into fire. Fire kills, destroys, and spreads quickly. It is intimidating and even scary at times. If it is not managed well, it gets out of control, and people can get hurt. Make it a goal this year to take the smoke during the work week and recognize it's only smoke. Don't take something small, ignite it, and allow it to burn those around you. Let the small things remain small, and when you experience a true fire, find a noble way to put it out.

Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 4:11 "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you.."

Daily Work Goal #3 For 2012

Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday! Do you have the Mid Week Blues? I am trusting that your answer is "No Way Kevin!" This morning I pulled into a parking spot and the person who pulled into a parking spot on my left got out of their car and said the following: "You sure parked with a lot of space on your right side. Maybe next time it should be the left side you focus on." I could have let that bother me, but instead I decided to try and bring a little humor into the situation, so I decided to respond with this statement: "Well, I noticed you are pretty skinny, so I didn't think you needed too much room to get out of your vehicle, and I don't know the other person I parked by, so I may have blessed them with a little extra room." She laughed, I laughed, and the entire situation was a motivator for the morning. I call this bringing a little "LOL (laugh out loud)" to the mid week. Wednesday should be a day that we focus on bringing a little "LOL" to the day. Let's admit it. We have all been working hard to get our week off to a good start, and mid week is usually a time where the weekend starts to look pretty good. Unless you are in retail Ha Ha! As Wednesday rolls around this year, don't forget to bring the "LOL!" Laugh a little, and if it is possible, make someone else laugh too!

Key Verse: Proverbs 15:23 "A man finds joy in giving an apt reply - and how good is a timely word."

Daily Work Goal #2 For 2012

Have you ever had those mornings that you are not motivated to go to work? Those are awful. Especially if you have a couple of them in a row. We do funny things when we are having a non motivated morning. We drive slower to work. Maybe, even take a longer route, pull in slowly to the coffee drive through hoping the line is long, make a couple phone calls, and then try to hide in our office for a while.
Tuesday is "precision focus" Tuesday. Every Tuesday think to yourself "I need to have precision focus." On your way to work, visualize the things you want to accomplish at work. If you are giving a presentation, spend time thinking about how you want to look and speak during the strong points of that presentation. Get focused, get excited, and take the ability that you have been given to do your job to the next level. Whatever it takes, have precision focus when you show up to do your job. There are things you can do to start your "Precision Focus" for the day. For example, there is a song that I play on my way to work that gets me totally jacked and focused. It takes my mind from sleep mode, to "let's do this!" mode. By the time I open the door and step inside my workplace, I am energized and focused. Hit your workday hard on Tuesday! You have what it takes to do amazing things. In fact, I would go as far to say you have what it takes to do things you don't think you can do. Stay energized, stay excited, and hit your day with Precision Focus.

Daily Work Goal #1 For 2012

Most of us are employed somewhere in the World. We wake up, go through our morning routine, jump in our car and head toward that workplace where we spend 8 hours of our day. Calculate this for a minute. Lets say you start your full time, 40 hour work week career at the age of 21, and retire at the age of 65. If you do the math, you will have worked 91,520 hours, or about 23 percent of your life will be spent at work. That is an astonishing amount of time! With that in mind, I want to help you have the best days at work that you can have, so every Monday Keep this in Mind:

No Body Likes To Be Around "Whining Whitney" or "Complaining Clarance". Think about the person at work who always complains or whines about everything? They are just a ball of fun aren't they? If you can feel the negative energy oozing from their life, I would be willing to bet that your boss can also sense the same thing. When you go to work every Monday of this year, don't be this person! You will drag down those around you, and cause drama that is not needed. When the Monday work day ends, don't bring the negativity of the day home with you. Your Husband/Wife, Kids, Mom/Dad need you to be positive and uplifting. Spare your home from the stress of the workday, and the negative things you have encountered.

Key Verse: Philippians 2:14 "In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing."

A Few Things I Learned In 2011

Here are a few things I learned from 2011.

1. I hit a wall about half way through the year. I started to compare myself to other pastors in the country. I know that I have blogged about not doing this, but I found myself watching so many different people online preach, and thought "wow, if I could just preach like that.." This is something I will absolutly not do in 2012

2. I gained insight into how urgent it is to keep a good name. I am reminded that a good name is important, so doing whatever is necessary to make the right decisions is what must be done.

3. Words are strong. Speaking positive even when I don't want to is the only option I have. Even when people royally tick me off, I am obligated to speak positively to them and about them.

4. Praying daily is essential for spiritual momentum. Staying connected with God on a daily basis needs to be a top priority.

5. Don't let your family go too long without you. Your kids need you, your brother and sister need you, your wife need you, your husband need you, and your parents need you.

There is so much more that I could write on what I have learned this year, but it would take hours to read, so I hope this little burst encourages someone out there in internet land.

My Almost Minor Addiction

This is no secret to my friends who live around me, but to the rest of you that I am not able see at least once a year, I want to let you in on a minor addiction of mine. That's funny, I can tell that you are hooked now! I happen to have a bit of a passion for xbox live. It all started with Call Of Duty Black Ops. I vowed I would never play first person shooter games, but Black Ops was extremely theraputic. Ok, that's a little over exagerated, but I spent a ton of time honing my trigger pulling, and grenade tossing skillz. I thought I would never spend that much time with a TV and Controller ever again! I thought I was freed from stayihg up late and talking with people all over the world. I thought I was actually going to be able to sleep without seeing crosshairs in my dreams. How could I have overlooked the fact that we live in a world that is constantly competing for a better online gaming experience? When I started to see the advertisments and trailers for Modern Warfare 3I knew I was doomed! I knew The late nights and crosshair dreams were going to strike with a vicious force all over again. And trust me, they have! Once again I find myself spending time in front of my TV holding a Wireless Controller, and strapping on my Headset so I can communicate with the voices on xbox live. With 2012 only 6 weeks away I have a new goal that these theraputic, (ha ha), games have taught me. My goal is to spend more time with my bible, alone in a room, strapping on a headset to hear the voice of God. 2012 starts NOW for me. I strongly desire to hone my faith so I can toss strong words that will impact people for the greater good. When I fall asleep I want to dream of how blessed we can be when we spend time intentionally getting to know God. Let's gear up for a year where our focus is on HIM!

Who Fails Who

Tuesday morning I take a little time to check into the NFL stats and highlights. We all know that our favorite teams and players fail the fans from time to time. Trust me I know this really well in the fact that I am a Vikings fan. Here's kind of a humbling thought. Our friends will fail us, our employers will fail us, and sometimes we even fail ourselves. With that comes great dissapointment, and feelings that are somehow tough to manage. But here is a great promise: Hebrews 13:5 "I will never fail you, I will never abandon you." It is a promise that can bring comfort when we experience all different kinds of failures. God will never fail you, He will never fail me, let's take that promise and intentionally apply it to our daily living.

Live With An Intentional Mindset

As we were together as a family my mother would always say "we better enjoy this time we have together, because we might not get too many more opportunities to enjoy each other." It never failed, we knew it was coming before we would all part and go our seperate ways. The idea that time flys is so real! Think about it for a second. We are in the middle of October! Crazy! In just a few short weeks we are going to be driving slowly through our neighborhoods dodging goblins, spongebobs, superheros and other masked characters looking to fill their bags with candy. After that we only have 2 months before the new year arrives. How do we navigate through these fast paced years and make the biggest impact we can make? It all begins with becoming Intentional. If we are intentional our expectations become real, and we are able to turn our thoughts and desires into reality. If we are intentional we can bring focus to our day, and capitalize on what we have identified as important. If we are intentional about becoming a better parent, we will become a better parent. If we are intentional about helping others, we will help others. If we are intentional about growing spiritually, we will grow spiritually. Go ahead and add your own sentence, and you will do whatever that is, if you are intentional. I am excited to see what happens as we live with an intentional mindset.

10 More Pounds

Anybody else out there having a tough time losing 10 pounds? That's all I want, lose 10 more pounds and I will be at my goal that I set for the end of the summer! So I decided for some motivation, I will watch the new season of The Biggest Loser on Hulu, up my cardio workout in the gym, and see if the weight watchers points plan might work. I was really excited when I found out that it is possible to calculate how many points I am allowed per day. I was even more excited when I found out that a Mcdouble Bacon Cheeseburger from Mcdonalds is worth 7 points. I love that burger! (lol, I saw your face when you said "eww.") But here's the other thing I took note of. Even though that burger is allowed in the weight watchers point system, it's not neccesarily good for me. All of the fat grams, sodium, calories, and carbs, still affect my body. This reminded me of a principle that comes righ out of the Bible -

1 Corinthians 10:23 - "Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but not everything is constructive."

So, I guess I'll have to change to eating those Olive Garden Breadsticks! (O come on... I'm JOKING!)

Ahhh!! The Rapids!

In college a group of us decided to go to a great place for cliff jumping. Once we arrived, someone thought it was a "fantastic" idea to swim across the river to the cliff jumping site. So, the ego side of all the men chimed in, and we started our swim. I remember the rapids in the middle of the swim. They grew stronger and stronger. I was getting tired, and I remember thinking to myself, "I am going to drown out here because I am so tired." There is not a whole lot you can do in the middle of a river with strong rapids but swim, swim, swim, and push through the pain. I was wearing shoes because cliff jumping is easier on your feet if you have some padding. However, I felt they were working against me, so I took my shoes off and let them float away.

Have you ever felt like you are going to drown because of some sort of life situation? Maybe it's a financial situation, or a relationship situation, or a health situation. Maybe you feel like you are stuck in a rut, and as you grow tired your first thought is, "I am not going to make it, the rapids are too strong!" When this thought hits, find the thing that is holding you back, and let it float down stream. Get rid of the pieces that you think are going to kill you, and swim! swim! swim! You will make it to the other side.

Back To The Blog!

WOW!!! I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get back on the BLOG! I want to be transparent and let you know why it has been such a long time since I have been writing. This Summer Has Been Crazy! Alot of great things have happened, but also alot of things have been going on that I have never had to face before. Have you ever had things happen in your life where all you can say is "I hope this all works out for the good?" Or how about this, you thought something was going to work out one way, but it totally went a different direction and threw you off the wagon? That has been my summer in a nutshell. Here is the key thought I have had all summer long. Stay The Course, Be Open To New Direction, And Trust For A Bright Future. Be Confident When Things Are Going Great, And Be Confident When Things Are Going Crazy. Don't Allow Worry To Consume Your Heart. Fight, Fight, Fight, and Rest, When You Can't Fight Any More. I hope you all had a great summer!

30 Days To Live Part 2

Brief Humorous Story - a man was given six months to live. Upon the hearing of this news he asked the doctor if there was anything that could be done medically to extend his time. The doctor replied “ no, but I would suggest this – move your mother in law in your house to live with you” – puzzled by this reply he asked the doctor “will this make me better? - the doctor replied “no but I promise you it will be the longest six months of your life“

30 Days To Live is more of a reminder to do the important things in life on a daily basis. I think every day goes by so fast and we sometimes forget what is important. Here are a couple of things I think are awesome to keep in mind on a daily basis.

#1 Help Others Who Are Experiencing Your Same Struggle. If you found out that you had 30 days to live, wouldn't you find yourself helping anybody with whatever issue they were facing? We always think we need to have it all figured out before we help, but what I find is when I help someone who has a similar issue as to what I am facing, it actually helps me through my struggle as well.

#2 Help Others By Giving Your Support. Have you ever had someone unload their life junk on you and while they are talking you are completely overwhelmed, you can’t believe what you are hearing, you know that you have absolutely no answer, and when they are done talking you know you are going to give them that embarrassing blank stare? Here’s the good news, you don’t always have to have an answer. Sometimes the best statement you can make is, “I have absolutely no idea what you are going through, but I’m standing with you. You don’t have to do this by yourself.”

#3 Help Others By Leading Them Toward Stability. Peoples lives are always being moved, and changed, and frustration can take over really quickly. When they lay their heads on the pillow at night they find themselves begging for stability.
I think we can lead others towards stability by saying, “Even though the whole world is changing, Jesus is the same and he cares deeply for you!

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

#4 People Need Significance. There is a pastor that I watch a couple of times a year on TV, and every time I have watched him he has said this phrase, “There’s A Champion Inside Of you.” I won’t watch him for like 3 months and I turn him on and there it is again, “There’s A Champion Inside Of You.”

People just need to hear that from time to time. If I found out that I had 30 days to live, I would become the Significance Cheer Leader. “You… Are… Significant…” “Who Rocks The World, You Rock The World.” Your Significant… You’re You’re Significant…
S I G N I F I C A N T.”

There ya have it. A Couple of things we can start to do today.

30 Days To Live

This weekend I have been thinking "What If I Found Out I Had 30 Days To Live?" Powerful thought isn't it? I think there would be some changes I would make. For instance, if I had 30 days to live I would most likely spend a whole lot more time with my family istead of using phrases like; "yes, let's do that in a little while," or "I'll be able to play with you in a little bit." If I had 30 days to live I would spend longer nights talking with my wife at night before I go to bed, and maybe even watch her as she sleeps. If I had 30 days to live I would most likely say no to some things that are a waste of time. All in all, I look at this concept and I am hit by the thought that we spend alot of time doing things we really don't need to do, and we miss out on the good things in life. What if you had 30 days to live? Would there be any changes you make?

.....MMM....

"WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON!!" You're reading this right now. Do you ever find yourself asking that question? Vent it out. What is going on in your heart right now?

Something God Doesn't Know

Did you know that there is something that God doesn't know? You're reading that line thinking to yourself, "Wow, this guy is doubting the all - knowing power of God." No really, there is one thing that God doesn't know, and here it is, get ready.... pay attention... focus... GOD DOESN'T KNOW THE IMPOSSIBLE. Consider this thought as you begin to dream about your future. Consider this thought when you think to yourself, "It's Never Going To Happen because it's..... Impossible :(

Michelangelo said "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that our aim is actually too low and we reach it."

Here is a pretty cool thought. In the bible there is an amazing verse in Mathew 19:26 that says, "...with man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible." God doesn't know the impossible. I believe that if many of us would stop saying "that's impossible" we would see God move on our behalf and watch the impossible become possible. Put a little trust in God, and watch how those things you once thought were impossible, become possible.

You Want Me To Set What?? GOALS!

What's up everyone in Internet land! HAPPY NEWYEAR! Can you already feel the excitement of the new year? If you can, make a little noise right there where you are sitting (woop woop. I remember exactly where I was a year ago today. I thought I was setting up 2010 as year that would simplify my life, but instead I ended up complicating it. Ahhh, what a horrible feeling. Hear are the two questions I asked myself at the beginning of 2011.

1. Where Don't I want to be by the end of the year?
2. What Do I need to Do to make sure I make great decisions for 2011?

If you had a tough year last year, I want to say "DON'T GIVE UP!" This year is going to be a better year for you. I don't know all of the things you have going on in your life, but I promise, if you set some goals, simple goals, you are going to move through this year with confidence. Take one day at a time, don't get stressed out, don't think about all the things that are going wrong, and don't think "I QUIT!" You are going to make it. Let's set some goals together this year.

Lessons From An 8 Year Old

So there we were enjoying our time together and all of the sudden the door bell rings. My 8 year old son and I were playing a little xbox and one of his friends came to the door. He threw his jacket on, slipped his boots on, looks at me and says; "Peace Dad, I'm Out!" And out the door he went. PEACE! WHAT!

It's Christmas. A holiday season known for "Peace On Earth." But for some reason here are the words I hear around this holiday season; Fear, Worry, Anxiety, Discouragement, Stress, Depression, and Drama. Where is the Peace? Here is one simple thought I want to give you with our short time together.

Peace Is Not The Absence Of Crisis. It Is The Presence Of Christ. We will never find true lasting, deep abiding peace, by trying to create a perfect little world without Crisis. Crisis is apart of life, but Christ gives life. Here is an awesome verse from the bible that I hope encourages you during this Christmas season - John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Hope Is A Funny Feeling

Hope is a funny feeling isn't. The word has 4 letters, yet the feeling has immense power. A recent situation compelled me to write a little about hope. 2010 has been a tough year for a ton of people. Think about all the struggles you've personally heard over this last year? Here are a couple categories that you and I have heard a ton about this last year; Health, Finances, Business, Lack of Faith, Family Issues, Depression, and the list goes on and on. Most of the time, Hope is all we have, and if a person loses hope, what is left? 2011 is right around the corner. If your hope tank is empty, then take the next 3 weeks of this year and begin to fill it. I am praying for you. I don't know many of you, but I am praying that 2011 is an awesome year for you. I pray that your plans succeed, and friendships improve. I am praying that you find the job of your dreams, or the man/woman of your dreams. I am praying that your family is healed, and your relationships are sizzling with passion. I leave you with an old proverb:

As long as we have hope,
we have direction,
the energy to move,
and the map to move by.
We have a hundred alternatives,
a thousand paths and infinity of dreams.
Hopeful, we are halfway to where we want to go;
Hopeless, we are lost forever.