Have you ever had an innovative idea and then months later you discover your idea has made someone else a millionaire? I have. It seems as if everytime I fly somewhere I find myself glancing through the skymall magazine only to discover another new toy or invention I thought of years ago and never did anything about it.

You see, I pray that this site serves as a venue that invites others to dream and innovate, but don’t allow it to stop at just an idea or thought. “Act, and God will act”. (Joan of Arc) Do something, something hard. Maybe you’ll fail, but you’ll also learn. But whatever you do, don’t allow it to be just another dream that turns into a nightmare because you don’t live it out. Trust me, if you won’t pursue the dream God has placed in your heart, He will find someone who will!

You might be more familiar with this verse in the book of Psalms. But it seems to carry more power when we discover where this verse originated. In 2 Samuel 22:2 David cries out a song of praise, and at the beginning of this song of praise He describes who God is to him, “The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer;” Here we find David towards the end of his life reflecting on who the Lord has been, is, and always will be. Most know David as a man after God’s whole heart, even with the hiccup he had with Bathsheeba. So it is evident that none of us need to be perfect to be a man or woman after God’s whole heart, but what does it require? I believe it begins with a better understanding of the opening lines of his song of praise we find in 2 Sam 22:2. I believe men and woman who have a whole heart for God understand these 3 terms: (more…)

On a day between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection there is no doubt some began to focus on the glass being half empty rather than half full. It amazes me that we give Peter and Thomas such a hard time for denying and doubting Jesus. As if we would’ve passed the test with flying colors. It amazes me the amount of people that surround us who constantly want to view the glass as half empty.
I don’t understand why as followers of Christ we constantly focus on what we can’t do rather than what He can do. Call them haters, gossipers, critics, or whatever, but the truth is those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by those who are doing it!
Perhaps the fact that I have always seen the glass as more than half full has resulted in head butting with several pessimists. I know I won’t change their mind, it’s how their wired, they refuse to see the optimism in every situation. However, the glass could be one sip away from being empty and I would still see it as plenty. How? The water I thirst for is everlasting. The Living Well causes me to thirst no more. So as we approach a week from Easter I would encourage all of you to begin seeing what Jesus can do in your life, rather than concentrating on what you can’t do.

taken from wikipedia.org

Have you ever heard the word Narcissist? Do you know what it means? Narcissist: a person who is overly self-involved, and often vain and selfish. One who admires themselves and the things they accomplish. It seems that humility and narcissism would be on the exact opposite ends of the spectrum. So do we really possess humility when we tweet about ourselves, take pictures of ourselves so that everyone knows we were at some big event, or even take a picture with a celebrity and post it as our facebook profile pic? What is it about the human condition that wants to tell the world everytime we are apart of something important or popular? We all want to feel important, or at least convince other people that we are important. Here are 5 ways you might be a closet narcissist:

1. You check the amount twitter followers you have on a daily basis.

2. You look at your own facebook more than you look at others.

3. You only tweet information about yourself and quotes you thought of. And when you tweet you do it as if you have a million followers versus the 100 you actually have.

4. You won’t follow people on twitter that aren’t following you.

5. You constantly convince yourself that you look better than him or her on facebook and genuinely believe you should have more followers on twitter than you do. If only people knew how important you were.

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Round and round we go. Chasing, wanting, and longing to fill that void in our hearts desire. But it seems everywhere we turn, and everything we take never truly satisfies that void. Relationships seems to suffice, but I say suffice because even after time they no longer satisfy nor fulfill. Achievement only leaves us wanting to achieve more. Popularity sometimes costs us our morality, and only in the end do we realize it was never worth it. Drugs fill the void for a short period of time, but we wake up and now we’re an addict, and as a result we need more and more pills and drugs to numb the pain. To fill the void. Alcohol takes us down the same path. Before we know it we become so dependent on the bottle we can’t function without it, we create these mirages that we think will fill our deepest longings, are deepest voids. but they’re exactly that mirages. We can search our whole life looking for someone or something to satisfy our soul and fill the void, but it will be just that, our whole lives. Unless the ONE we are searching after is Jesus Christ. For it is He who said I will never leave your nor forsake you. He will satisfy your deepest longings and fill your darkest voids. Anytime we ask someone or something to fill a role that only HE was meant to fulfill we find ourselves living in dysfunctional relationships, lives, and vocations. Oh Lord, may You be the only ONE I ever look to fulfill my every need and want.

-The Monday Mindset

Mary Fields Photography

I think we spend a majority of our life waiting for things. I believe it will continue to get worse as technology begins to increase the speed of everything happening around us. Relationships are an area that most of us want to rush into, yet the more time we take to develop them the richer they become. Patience is something that I have had to develop over the years through numerous experience’s in my life. One of those is the chance to share my life with someone. I’ve spent about 26 of my 29 years as a bachelor. Through the years, I’ve struggled back in forth with the direction in my life. A lot of that struggle was trying to establish if indeed I was to pursue a relationship. The waiting game is not easy, but it is so worth it! In Hebrew’s 11:1 it says ‘Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we cannot see’. Whether it’s for a relationship or any other part of life, don’t give up your faith in the unseen. Remember the Lord your GOD is faithful!

The biggest blessing I have received in my life other than my amazing wife, is the gift of  mentors. Since my earliest days of becoming a Christian God has continued to place mentors in my life. For me it began with a Youth Pastor named Keith Harrington in Boise, and then another mentor entered my life named Innocent Egbunike, a former track and field Olympian and coach at Boise State. The timing of their mentorship in my life was priceless. I’m convinced that little to no growth in my spiritual life would have taken place without them.

After my days in Boise my journey took me to the Midwest where I immediately began to get mentored by Joe White, a voice that still speaks strongly in my life. I began to realize how beneficial mentorship was, and how much God used it in my life to sharpen, rebuke, and encourage me. With this realization I sought more mentors like Kyle Unruh and Don Ford. Both voices being equally valuable, as well as completely different. Then I moved and was separated from my mentors. However, I quickly became connected with Don Steadman and have continued to learn from him and gain knowledge from His wisdom attained from several years of faithfully being sold-out for Christ. And now I’m back in Branson where Joe, Kyle, and Don continually mentor and sharpen me.

I don’t know what you may be struggling with today. I don’t where you’re at spiritually. But the truth is you need a mentor. We all do. Whether you think you do or not, you do! How do you find a mentor? Begin by asking God to bring you a mentor, seek them out, and sacrifice your time for them. This may seem a little harsh, but I want to be completely clear, I’m not suggesting you find a mentor, I’m demanding. It’s the fulfillment of the Great Commission. By seeking out a mentor you are blessing an older man/woman with the opportunity to fulfill the very thing they were called to do! Yeah, it takes time, effort, and can be hard to hear what they have to say. But I wouldn’t trade a minute of the time I’ve spent with all my mentors for anything! If you desire to grow in your walk with Christ a mentor is a must!

Mary Fields Photography

Though today is St. Patricks Day, I believe the 5 weeks today I will be the luckiest man alive. That’s because I will be marrying the love of my life. It’s been an incredible journey with numerous ups and downs, but I knew last January that I had found the woman I would spend the rest of life with. So many often ask the question when will I ‘FIND THE ONE’. I had focused on that question for years, when the true focus should have been different. My focus should have been how can I prepare to be ready for ‘THE ONE’ when the Lord brings us together. My focus changed a few years ago and my time with the Lord became sweeter and I truly gave that search over to Him. So I simply want to encourage you in your wait for ‘THE ONE’ over the next weeks as I prepare to marry the girl of my dreams.

‘He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.’
- Proverbs 18:22

In honor of March Madness today, I thought it would only be fitting to create a bracket that has food invovled. Let me know your votes or thoughts.

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Louder, faster, busier, and more distracted. These are all words that the enemy seems to continually disguise himself behind. If only I listen to more music, noise, and television in my life he’ll be able to drown out the Lord’s voice more.

If only I live life at a faster pace where I’m constantly on the go the enemy himself can rob me of my relationships and the time they deserve. It seems the faster I go the further I become in my intimacy with Christ.

If I’m busy, I’m productive. So I think! Paul would probably of called me a busybody. Being busy with the wrong things is never a good thing. It seems as if the enemy has convinced us in order to be effective for the Kingdom we must remain busy at all times. What a foolish lie I have bought into. My busyness has replaced my opportunity to sit a be still before the Lord.

If only he can distract me with consunmerism, trends, and the newest gossip, the enemy is able to remove my focus from the Cross. I don’t even realize the times I’m distracted, yet I see distractions around me all the time. The enemy hates and will not allow quiet distractionless silence in my life. Hence the reason I need to seek it out all the more!

-The Monday Mindset