Yesterday I caught the very end of the jim Rome show and it immediately caught my eye. They were debating whether or not Tebow should be allowed to use his platform to be so open about his faith. At first I was like, “Are you kidding me?” But then one of the guys brought up a good point and stated how upset we would be if he was promoting another religion like Mormonism or Islam. He even went as far as saying that Sports should be separated in the same manner as “church and state.” What do you guys think? Should athletes be allowed to use their platform to share their faith? What if it’s a faith other than what you believe? Is it still okay? Leave your comments below.

    What does it really mean to be innovative? The definition of innovate is to create new ideas or products. In other words I like to think of it as thinking outside the box. I love being around people who think outside the box. My friend Andy Braner is notorious for this, and because of this I love being around him. I feel so often we allow this world to constrict our ideas. We fear thinking outside the box because of the criticism we might receive.
    A couple weeks ago I was with Andy and he brought up a great point to me in regards to all the new phones. Apple was the first phone to come out with the new touch screen and all the other gadgets the iPhone comes with. And guess what happened shortly after? T-Mobile came out with the G1 Phone, the Blackberry Storm made it's appearance, and Sprint decided to follow suit. Neither of these companies are innovative, they're just copying a company that is extremely innovative right now.
    This is one of the reasons I think Apple is so successful right now. They never stop innovating, and they aren't afraid to think outside the box! Do me a favor this year, INNOVATE. Who cares if people think you're crazy for thinking outside the box, who cares if people laugh at your ideas, because the people who have been willing to think outside the box have always been the ones who bring about change.

    Some of you may have wondered where the name of this blog came from, well it's actually an acronym. L.I.D. which means: Leadership, Innovators, and Dreamers. All things in which I'm extremely passionate about and desire to see others become passionate about. I love seeing people dream. I love hearing innovative ideas. And I love seeing people take the road less traveled and lead. What does it mean to lead?
There are so many different definitions of what leadership is and so many books written on what it means to be a leader. Here is what I believe is the most important definition of leadership:

    Main Entry:¹lead  Pronunciation: \ˈlēd\: to show someone to a destination by going beside them.

Not in front of them. Beside them. What a concept. To come alongside others and encourage them to dream, to encourage them through struggles, and to come alongside them and just love them. When you begin to look at this definition of what it means to lead I have to believe their is a leader within all of us. Now if we would just take the time.

"Yesterday I wrote out my confessions and it was one of the most liberating days of my life. I was able to let go of something that had been holding on to me for a long time. I had tried to shake it, but it hadn't worked. I couldn't tell anyone, not even my close friends because I was afraid of what the would think of me. It's hard to get the devil off our back when you can't ever talk to anyone about it.
Before yesterday my heart ached. This…sin had wrapped its tangles vines around my heart so tight that I knew only the power of God could take them off. They're not gone yet, it's going to be a long time until I won't have to wrestle this addiction anymore and I know even after it's gone it will haunt me. It's okay though because for now I'm free! I know I'm not alone, that other people have gone through similar things and that the way I was living before was no life at all. Now hopefully, with Christ carrying me, I can have life and live it to the fullest.
Finally the healing has begun! Praise God!!"
                                    -Liberated, Age 19

"Fear. It clouds my mind every day. Shackles me and ties me down. I hate it. I HATE IT. But my fear is different. It's not of spiders, heights or any of those petty things in this world. My fear is of myself. My fear is what I might do to myself. I've been struggling withe severe depression since 7th grade and sometimes I just want it to be over. Sometimes I want to die. And that's what scares me. I'm afraid that one day I might get so sad or mad that I might just end my life without giving it too much though. Any that is my biggest fear. MYSELF! I hate having these feelings. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to not have these feelings. To be normal. But what is normal? Is normal not caring about anyone else? If that's so, then I guess i don't want that either. I have tried to kill myself before. Too many times before. Wow, that felt good to finally say. To get that out in the open. I mean, my parents know. But I wish there was some way to tell my peers. I wonder why I haven't killed myself. I mean, I've come way too close, way too many times. But every time I consider it, something stops me. The thought that if I killed myself then my brother would lose his best friend stops me every time. Because my brother is my best friend. So i guess, in a way, he saved my life. Because if he wasn't here then I'd have been dead a long time ago. I wonder if he knows that. I have told one friend about theses suicidal feelings that I have and she said it's probably God that stops me, and not my brother. But if that's true, then where is God during the rest of my life? I mean, if it really is Him that is stopping me, why is that the only time He shows up?? That's another thing I've been thinking about…where is God?? I am a strong believer in God and I always have been, but lately I've been doubting Him. AHHHHHHH I HATE THIS!!"
                                                Trying To Overcome, Age 17

    "I don't know what's wrong or why this is happening to me. Everything used to seem so perfect, now all of a sudden it's like everything is collapsing on me. I used to think everything in my family was perfect. It hurts me so much to know that they hurt. I can tell that it hurts them. Whenever I have to leave it seems like they are about to cry and in turn makes me want to cry. I feel like I could burst into tears any second just writing this. What frustrates me the most is knowing that they both feel awful and want to fix it. So why don't they? I guess I just don't understand. Sometimes I wonder why God did this to me. But I know that God has a reason He wants me to go through this. Maybe he is trying to strengthen me, I don't know. I just know i need to trust in Him always because He has a plan for my life."
                                        Fearing Divorce, Age 15

  

 A few months ago a friend of mine was visiting me from Denver and we got into a discussion about people and how they want to create their own causes to support rather than support those that are already created. He came up with a really cool idea on how you can support your own cause called DOLLAR25 DAY. Check it out!
    And then yesterday I found this site called GOODSEARCH and it brought me back to my conversation with my friend. This site is basically a Google search engine for good! The thing that kills me is we will still use Google to do all our searches on the internet. Or rather than shopping on ebay through this site, we'lll just directly go to ebay. When if we would use this site instead they would donate money to a charity of YOUR choice. No strings attached!
    However, I fear even with this knowledge we still won't use this free and smart site. We're creatures of habit. We'd rather do what we've always done. Remember when the new facebook came out and everyone was talking about how much they disliked it? Now everyone is fine with the new facebook. They've adjusted and forgot it really ever changed. People fear change and being pulled out of their comfort zone.
    If Google is your habit, stop, nothing against Google, but why wouldn't you take the time to use a search engine that is just as effective but actually has purpose. Be the change! May we no longer be creatures of habit.

    I can't believe that it's already 2009. Last night some friends of mine and I were trying to reminisce 2008 and what stood out in our minds. We talked about the Olympics, Obama being elected, Heath Ledger dying, the earthquake in China, the economy,  and a few other things.
    I hope this year is filled with highlights for all of you! Happy New Year! May it be better than the last!

So I heard two boys arguing yesterday about whether or not Santa was real. Too be honest I found myself quite amused as I eased dropped in on their conversation. Both of them had great reasoning, but the one who believed in Santa kept telling the other boy it was faith. I found that intriguing to say the least. Sounds very similiar to other arguments I've been in before. But my question for you today is, should we allow kids to believe in a Santa that doesn't exist? Isn't that basically lying to them? Let me know what you guys think! 

    Notice the title of this post. It does not say Happy Holidays. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Value the relationships that surround you today. Take a moment to consider others. Reflect on why this Holiday is the largest celebrated Holiday in the world. Acknowledge what there is to be thankful for. Express gratitude and appreciation. Listen to voices rather than your own. Be patient with others. Vocalize your love. Find forgiveness. Give grace. Walk in humility. Examine your motives. Make today not about you!

    For those of you who are still trying to figure out what to get that certain someone, sibling, or friend here’s a great idea!