The Replacements

Crash dieting is not your answer. Some believe that in order to lose the maximum amount of weight in a minimum amount of time requires an abrupt stoppage of food. These diets are mostly unsustainable and, in the long term, extremely unhealthy. A safe, effective and proper way to lose weight, cleanse your system and get healthy is to replace foods. Instead of sweets, try certain fruits. Instead of the massive cheeseburger, eat something smaller with less carbs. Save yourself the torture and replace foods instead of banning them.

Crash dieting is not your answer spiritually. Maturing in Christ and in His Word is not as simple as just stopping bad or sinful habits. A choice to do so is extremely hard to sustain and could potentially leave you frustrated and doubting. Abruptly ending the wrong things creates a void that needs to be filled with the good things of God. Here's what Paul said in Colossians 3:

⁸ But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

⁹ Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

¹⁰ And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

¹² Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

¹³ Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

¹⁴ And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

¹⁷ And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

I see three steps here; 1) Put off    2) Renew your mind    3) Put on.

To mature in Christ is put off things that are sinful and evil. Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language has to be brought to an end in all our lives. But it doesn't end there. Next, your mind needs to be placed on Him. In other words, change the way you think because as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7). But that's not the end either. Finally, we must put on the right things. We have to replace the wrong habits with the right ones. Spiritual replacement is the foundation of spiritual maturity. 

We try so hard to end the wrong in our lives. This cycle can be so frustrating if we don't learn to replace the wrong with what's right. Put off, renew your mind and then put on. 

10 Things I've Learned After Having a Son

Oden James Smith arrived at 6:42pm on May 14th. I knew I would never be "ready" for kids and Oden reaffirmed that opinion. I had never changed a diaper or even held an infant for more than five minutes prior to his arrival. Yet, here I stood with my newborn son and a lifetime of experiences ahead of me. It's been six weeks since his birth, but the memories and the lessons learned have sent Ashley and I into a time warp of emotions, schedule changes and newfound priorities. Through this process we've learned quite a bit about ourselves, life and others. I expect to add many more lessons and even edit a few, but this list pretty much sums up the top 10 things I've learned. In no particular order....

1. Slow down. I've quickly learned the pace of my life is not appropriate for leading a family. I have allowed myself to let work and social schedules to control my day to day living. This has turned my days to weeks and weeks to months. I can't afford to let the speed of my life leave my family in my dust.

2. Capture those moments. Mental pictures are great, but my memory is far too limited to capture and remember the details. Small things, such as Oden smiling, laughing or even hiccuping, mean too much for me to take for granted. I'm no longer concerned with being the dad who always post pictures. Special moments deserve special attention. If I ever question if a moment is picture worthy, I go ahead and take the picture because I know I'll never get that chance again.

3. It's OK to let my priorities change. Honestly, I felt really guilty when Oden first came home. Certain objects and priorities instantly became neglected and new priorities slid into place. A prime example is our dog Bella. As silly as it sounds, we really love our dog. But when Oden came through the front door, our priorities shifted. Our organizational standard, the time we devoted to certain personal hobbies, our lunch and dinner routines were all changed. We had to learn to be ok with rearranging our priority list. (Btw, Bella is not neglected)

4. Grow Up. Becoming a dad brings an instant maturation process. Mainly in the area of time and attention. Extended family and friends tend to be more excited about seeing the beautiful baby boy than  seeing me. I had to learn to be ok with these new guidelines. I had to learn that I can resign my position as King of the Universe. By growing up, I had to replace selfishness behavior with compassion and humility. (see #7)

5. It's your baby, so it's your choice. In the world of parenting there seems to be some unwritten rule about competition. Whether parents choose formula, cloth diapers or fast food stops, judgement should be withheld entirely. It's not a competition and as long as the child is healthy, preferences shouldn't cause attacks. I believe we can all agree that it gets overwhelmingly annoying when people become instant experts on your child. Parents are allowed to make choices for their children based on what's best for their family.

6. I've become much more patient with other people's children. Oden has taught me a lot about the needs of children. I used to joke about crying babies, but now I can empathize with parents. It's a tough task to carry newborns through everyday routines. I will now stop and think before I crack a joke about crying babies or misbehaving children.

7. Parenthood is a constant lesson in humility. Nothing will knock you off your proverbial high horse like projectile vomit or exploding diapers. We always need those moments that bring us back to reality and parenthood is full of them.

8. Be intentional. The idea of raising another human being is quite scary. I really hope my lifestyle doesn't accidentally teach Oden habits that could be destructive. As Oden grows, he will watch and study me. I want to make sure he discovers a dad that lives on purpose. I want Oden to be taught biblical principles, healthy habits and practical wisdom because he saw it practiced at home.

9. Your time is not your own. Your schedule becomes your child's schedule. Every single decision and action is now based on the needs of your child. This serves as a refreshing reminder of the value of time. Ashley and I embrace the moments we can spend together as a family and we've learned how to put our needs behind our son's needs. It's a tough lesson but extremely necessary.

10. Our marriage matters even more now. I value my marriage more now than I ever have. I can't allow a child to weaken the bond between Ashley and I. It's easy to pour your focus on a brand new baby and neglect that marriage that allowed Oden to join this world. Ultimately, a healthy marriage is the best thing for our son and future children.

The Solution for Resistance: A Simple Look at Temptation

1 John 2:16"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not the father, but is of the world."

Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ringtailed monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it's simple. They've been catching this agile little animal with ease for years. The method the Zulus use is based on knowledge of the animal. Their trap is nothing more than a melon growing on a vine. The seeds of this melon are a favorite of the monkey. Knowing this, the Zulus simply cut a hole in the melon, just large enough for the monkey to insert his hand to reach the seeds inside. The monkey will stick his hand in, grab as many seeds as he can, then start to withdraw it. This he cannot do. His fist is now larger than the hole. The monkey will pull and tug, screech and fight the melon for hours. But he can't get free of the trap unless he gives up the seeds, which he refuses to do. Meanwhile, the Zulus sneak up and nab him. 


Temptation plagues all of us. Too many times we are caught in a behavior we know we should avoid, a situation we know we shouldn't be in or a place we know we shouldn't be. Just like the monkeys, we care more about the pleasures of the seeds than we do our long-term stability. We choose a moment of gratifacation over what's best long term. We grasp at seeds while the enemy grasps at our lives. We are tempted, we choose to sin and then it cost us something. So my goal is to address the root of the problem... Temptation.


Before we go any further we must understand the simple truth of temptation. Temptation is not a sin. Just because you are tempted to do something wrong doesn't mean you've chosen to partake in that action. Jesus was tempted and he never sinned. Likewise, never base your spiritual level on the amount of temptation you face. You're not less in the eyes of God because you face more temptation than someone else. Stop destroying your determination by discounting yourself every time your tempted. You are flesh and until you pass the pearly gates, you'll always be tempted.


1 John 2 makes it clear that ALL sin, and therefore ALL temptation, falls into three areas: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life. 
Lust of the flesh - Evil desire for things of the flesh. An appetite for what pleases the carnal things you can taste, touch, smell, hear and see. It's a sensually impure desire.
Lust of the eyes - To covet and desire more material gain. Jealous, envious or greed centered around what you have or don't have.
Pride of life - Vain craving for honor, applause or recognition. Seeking pedigrees, title, position or status. 
You're tempted in relation to these 3 items and then you make the choice to act or resist. Ben Franklin said "It's easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that will follow." The struggle is within the choice. Do I have the strength and courage to say no? Do I have the focus to be stay the course? In our moments of weakness we might not have good answers to those questions but I believe it's not all about my ability; It's His help.


Hebrews 2:18
"For in that He himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted." (Succour means to help or to aid)
I don't believe Jesus wanted us to attempt to navigate our temptations alone. He didn't die on a cross to abolish sin and therefore we can choose any lifestyle we want because God will forgive us. Likewise, He didn't choose to let us wander alone and determine our own path. God's grace was never intended to just be a bandaid that covered up our mistakes. It's a changing agent that teaches us how to not fall back into the same pattern. Jesus came to teach AND live out the way to resist every temptation of the enemy. Not only did Jesus die for all sin, he lived as an example of how to overcome the battle of sin each of us face.  


In Matthew 4 Jesus is led by the spirit into the wilderness for 40 days. While he is alone Satan tempts Jesus in 3 separate areas: lust of flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life. Jesus never sinned because He knew how to appropriately respond to each of these temptations. He wants to teach us to do the same.


Lust of the Flesh
Satan: If thou be the Son of God, command these stones be made bread
Jesus, I know your fasting but your flesh really wants food so go ahead and feed it. You're the Son of God, right? This means you should have the power to satisfy your own needs. Satan appeals to a legitimate need in an illegitimate way. Your flesh wants this, so go ahead and feed it this way. At any cost, Satan wants you to satisfy the craving of your flesh. This teaches us a very important lesson on the word appetite.


Your appetite for carnal things will never be fully and finally satisfied. We often think that some amount, some appropriate size or some goal will fulfill our appetite. But the truth is your appetite wants more and it wants it now. You'll never satisfy your flesh and ultimately a temporary fix can lead to a permanent regret. Andy Stanley preached a message about appetites and brought out a story in Genesis 25. If you'll notice the Bible always refers to the Lord as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but it was supposed to be Abraham, Isaac and Esau. Esau was promised the birthright and more than likely a heritage, but because he sold it for a bowl of soup, he lost everything. His appetite for a temporary fix created a permanent mistake that destroyed his legacy. Don't let Satan tempt you into satisfying a legitimate need in an illegitimate way.


Jesus: It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God
There are lots of areas in this response you can point out, but one glaring and simple focus is clear. Jesus points out that your spiritual needs must exceed your carnal needs. As long as you focus on satisfying a carnal, fleshly need in your life, you will neglect the spiritual areas that will help you overcome addictions. As long as your mind is on the desires of your flesh, your mind can't dwell on the power in His word. My appetite must consist of feeding on His word instead of my momentary desires. 


2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in rightouesness"
Psalm 119:9 "How shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Your word"
Psalm 119:11"Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against You"


Pride of Life
Satan: After he sets Jesus up on the pinnacle of the Temple "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is written, he shall give his angles charge over thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash they foot against a stone"
Ok Jesus, this is your perfect moment of self promotion. Just go ahead and demonstrate who you really are so you can receive the honor and recognition you deserve. Let everyone know your greatness, THEN they will know you are the Son of God. Satan tempts Jesus to step out of God's divine will and develop an agenda of fame and recognition. He attempts to build pride.


Pride is such a tricky spirit to catch. It begins internally so quiet, with motives and attitudes, but it ends externally obnoxious with arrogance and shameless self promotion. Satan would like nothing more for us to develop so much pride that we push God out of the equation in order to take control of our own lives. He would like us to have so much pride that we lose the need for repentance, submission and humility. Pride says "I deserve a place of authority." Sometimes we are tempted to manipulate God's will so it align with what we think is best. 


Jesus: "It is written again; thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God"
Again, Jesus' answer is clear and simple. By attempting to manipulate the will of God we can tempt God into something He does not have planned. Relationships with Jesus Christ are not built on tempting God to do what we want, but trusting God that He is always in control. Trusting that he will "...keep thee in all thy ways."


Satan quotes Psalm 91 but he misleads and misquotes what it actually says. He leaves out the second part of Psalm 91:11 where it says "to keep thee in all thy ways." Satan wants you to think you need control. He wants to make you forget that the Lord will keep you in all your ways. No matter the position and title or lack thereof, the Lord will keep you in all your ways. The solution to pride is humility. Humbling yourself to the point where your opinion means nothing and His will means everything.  It's trusting that God will always take care and keep you. Don't let pride force you to tempt God to get on your terms, but trust that as you walk with Him, He will always take care of you. His will is ultimately the best thing for you, not your will.


Proverbs 29:23
"A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor"
Proverbs 18:12
"Before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor"
Deuteronomy 8:14
"Your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord "


Lust of the Eyes
Satan: After he takes Jesus up on a high mountain and shows Him all the Kingdoms of the world, "All of these things I will give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me"
Satan tempts Jesus like he does us; You can have this world if you sacrifice your spiritual stances. Think about the money you can gain if you just let down your morals, convictions or callings and choose this particular career. Think about the fame and honor you can receive if you just live differently. Think about all the time you will have if your not wrapped up in the "God thing." Think about all the places you could go and all the things you can have if you would only forfeit these beliefs you're holding onto. Wouldn't it be better if you were able to do ________. Wouldn't it be better if you didn't have to do __________.


Coveting eyes will consume every part of you. We all have a desire for "better," but if "better" cost us biblical truths or personal convictions, its not "better," it's destructive. The first passage that comes to mind here is Mark 8:36 "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" It always bothers me when a Christian places a price tag on their convictions. When a conviction, a God given direction or stance, becomes conditional, spiritual digression is occurring. Convincing ourselves that we've matured past our previous convictions is like removing a brick from a house's foundation. There's a reason it's been established and messing with one brick will affect other parts of the foundation, and ultimately the house.


Jesus: "Get thee hence Satan; for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." 
I imagine Jesus is pretty tired of these temptations and he knows this is the last one He will have to face. His answer is concise and full of authority. No other being is worthy of my worship because I serve the one true living God. My service to the King is the lifestyle I desire above everything else. The temptation to desire what I could have is not as appealing to me as what I have already attained and what's promised to me in God. While coveting pulls us to jealous, envy and bitterness, service to the King calls us to humility, love and being content. When your service and your worship is all directed to the King, you'll have an authority to resist all the devils temptations. 


James 4:7
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Exodus 20:3
"Thou shalt have no other God's before me"
Psalm 95:6
"O come, let us worship and to bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker"


Remember this:
1 Corinthians 10:13
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
You can have the knowledge, ability and authority to resist and escape any temptation. When the choice comes during the temptation, you have the solution to resistance. 

Kony 2012 - A Week Later

My fear of not posting on a regular schedule has occurred. I'm working to improve on that. For the next few minutes I'm going to attempt to convey my feelings on an incredibly popular current subject: Kony 2012. It's just my opinion. My goal isn't controversy or debate. I've read lots of blogs, had lots of conversations, heard many opinions and I figured why not post my own. Here we go:
(If you're a grammar nazi, don't judge me for this piece)

What Kony 2012 WILL change:
The social media strategy of Invisible Children was nothing short of brilliant. The presentation to create awareness on a horendous injustice was first class. The idea and execution of creating an unprecedented amount of buzz from a 30 minute video that captures a worldwide audeince in less than 72 hours is astounding. Men and women from several various religious, economic and cultural backgrounds were united for one cause by watching one video - Stop Joseph Kony. This wasn't just a tug on the heart strings of the financially able, it was an idea, a plan and a calling.

In the first few minutes of watching the video, something became abundantly clear... the rules have changed. Invisible Children set the blueprint for pushing a social agenda. Facebook, Twitter and all social media sights are officially the medium for societies information. If you want something to be made public instantly, it can be accomplished by one click. This doesn't sound like a new idea to us who have used social media for years, but the Invisible Children just opened a new door. They created a system where awareness to any issue can be achieved worldwide by focusing on the people who have the ability to help. Spread word though the people first and then let the media markets catch up. This "Propaganda Parade" demonstrates the power an individual holds with social media. It wasn't just a video. It became a call to action for the individual, which in turn became a call to action for the masses. If Joseph Kony is captured because of this campaign, it could fundamentally change the approach of every group fighting for a cause. It will demonstrate the power of uniting all various types of people with a purpose greater than themselves.

I believe men and women who lead churches, civic clubs, non profit organizations and other groups have taken notes from Invisible Children. Any leader with a passion to spread a mission has taken a step back and asked themselves the question, "How can I be more effective on my social media sites?", "What can I produce to help advance our mission?", "What can I do to make a particular cause famous?".

But I don't think it stops with social media. I also believe leaders across this country now have a new burden to stop injustices that exist, not only worldwide but in America too. It's my hope that people, including myself, will stop jumping from cause to cause and find their one calling and fight for it until their dying day. I believe people, especially leaders, are constantly looking for something to be apart of - something that's bigger than themselves. Imagine what could happen if godly Apostolic leaders became invested in stopping social injustices. Enhancing rescue with the Gospel and then witnessing the King deliver, save and restore. That's a beautiful picture of redemption that we can help paint.

What we don't know:
Let's just make one thing clear. There is no perfect organization. Give me time and little resources and I can write a negative blog on any group. Negativity is easy. I don't stand for everything the Invisible Children stand for, but I do stand for the abolishment of slavery, sex trafficking, violence and evil. I don't have the ability to go to Africa and help, but I am blessed with the ability to give a small amount monetarily. I'd rather give a little and hope for the best, than sit at my computer and be a skeptical jaded American who doubts everything. I can't do much but I can do something. Because of this video, I feel called to do more. We don't know how the average individual who watched Kony 2012 will respond, but what we can hope is that something has been started. We can hope that change is coming.


We don't know exactly how every Ugandan feels about this campaign but their opinion does matter. Yesterday I ran across some tweets from #UganadaSpeaks:
@AJELive "The Kony video is not relevant and the moment we needed help these people were not there"
@ElleAfrique "Majority of #Ugandans do not agree with what was portrayed in the #KONY2012 viral video."
I understand that posting two negative tweets can seem presumptuous or misleading, but appropriate knowledge is necessary in order to prevent inappropriate action. Before we jump on the "America is a super hero and we need to save the Ugandans" train, take a look at what the Ugandans are saying; "Al Jazeera’s Riyaad Minty told Co.Exist that “we launched Uganda Speaks to get responses from people across Uganda via text message, email, Twitter, and Facebook. The idea is to have ordinary Ugandans talk about the [Kony 2012] video in their own voice, as this has largely been missing from the conversation.”"(Link)(Also go to this UgandaSpeaks Link)
From glancing through some of the post on the Uganda speaks page, you find a lot of mixed reviews from Ugandans on Kony 2012. I relearned the fact that knowledge is a powerful tool. By educating ourselves on the full truth we can then decide the appropriate action to take. I never want to be overly skeptical of a campaign that seeks justice, but I feel it's my responsibility to educate myself properly before I stand up on a soapbox.


At the very core of my decision to write this blog is my love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's obvious that we should be trying to make Jesus more famous than Joseph Kony, but let's also not forget that sometimes you have to meet people's physical needs before you can address their spiritual needs. It's always been an all or nothing Gospel. It's always been about having Jesus' Heart, Mind, Feet & Hands. We were commissioned to get people from earth to Heaven, but let's not neglect bringing Heaven to earth. It's a death, burial and resurrection Gospel that couples with a Matthew 25 lifestyle that identifies us with Christ. It's repentance, baptism in Jesus name, infilling of the Holy Ghost, holiness and social justice. It's giving to missions, children, youth and to worthy causes outside of our denomination. It's still all about His Heart, Mind, Hands & Feet.

20 Miles A Day

First, let me begin by telling you that Jim Collins at Catalyst this year rocked me to the core. From a leadership standpoint he asked a simple question; "What makes some organizations great while others remain mediocre?" Such a penetrating questions will not be entirely answered in this short text, but it has to be asked. Maybe not in an organizational context but definitely on a personal level. In lemans terms, What do I need to do for my life to stop being average and start producing the extraordinary?

This was the answer for me: 20 Miles A Day

Scott vs Amundsen is a little known story about the race to the South Pole. I'll refrain from lingering over the entire story, but the premise is astounding. Ronald Falcon Scott (I want to name our child Falcon whether its a boy or girl) raced against Roald Amundsen to reach the South Pole in the winter of 1912. Scotts tactics of using horses and reaching milestones failed miserably. The horses froze to death, literally, and the milestones were too far apart for the frigid conditions. Eventually, Scott made it to the South Pole but died on the return trip, along with his entire crew, from exhaustion, starvation and the extreme cold.

Amundsen, however, adopted a different plan and philosophy. He spend 6 months prior to the expedition living in the South Pole region studying the natives and questioning their geography. He used sled dogs and planned a path that would limit the extremely conditions and he set the pace. 20 miles per day. There were days his team was willing to travel more and days his team could barely make it. But he stuck to the plan, 20 miles a day. Not only did Amundsen reach the South Pole first, but him and his entire crew survived the journey.

My convictions lately have been centered around Luke 12:31 "But above all else seek the Kingdom of God, and He will give you everything you need." Above all my other goals and so called dreams for my life, His Kingdom is to be sought. Everything else must take a backseat. I'm not sure how I'll get to where He wants me to go, but I know this; If I'm obedient to the things he ask me to do every day then the Kingdom won't be far.

What does that look like for me? It's my 20 miles a day. It's the consistent seeking and the constant obedience that will ultimately let me arrive at the destination of God's choosing. My 20 miles a day is a literal list that God is asking me to accomplish every day, week and month. It's my slow walk by faith. When seasons arrive and I feel the urge to over exert myself, I slow down. When seasons overwhelm me and I want to quit, I push forward. If I learn to just go 20 miles per day instead of 35 miles some days and 12 miles the next, I'll learn the meaning of seeking His Kingdom. I'll become the person God is trying to mold me into. Personally, I feel like God is pleased with consistency.


Nate

Storytellers

The past year has taught me a very valuable life lesson; there is power in a story. There is meaning and life and hope and lessons and fears and frustrations and doubting and hate and love and healing and hurting in everyone’s story. Simply put, your story is what you’ve done, where you’ve been and what you’re doing, where you’re going. Some would argue, but I see little to no difference in a person’s “story” and their “testimony.” Semantics really.

In some circles, the phrase “live a better story” has become a life mantra. Regardless of personal preference on semantics, your story has the power to make a difference. If your goal is to be like Christ, then the life you live is your greatest witness of Jesus Christ. What you do echoes louder than anything you’ll ever say. With such a convicting thought process in place, would anyone be changed by your story? Would anyone be inspired or encouraged to pursue God after hearing about your life? Would others enjoy reading or hearing your testimony? Are you satisfied with your story?

For me, it has all boiled down to one simple word. Legacy. Am I leaving the legacy I want? Am I acting on things that will one day be talked about by someone I never had a chance to meet? Please don’t mistake that for arrogance. It’s not me wanting fame or fortune. It’s simply me wanting to matter. It’s just me wanting to do something in God’s kingdom so big, it affects people I’ll never meet. I want to live a better story. I need to live a better story.

The United Pentecostal Church International has lost some spiritual giants over the last few years. Honestly, too many names to post in this short blog. Nevertheless, men and women who lived some of the most profound and inspiring stories I’ve ever heard. Whether they set goals to leave a legacy or not, I’m not quite sure. What I do know is that their story changed my life. It changed the weekly church services I attend.  It changed the books I read. It changed the way I study my Bible. It changed the way I pray. It changed the conventions and conferences I attend. It changed the way I approach my marriage. It changed the way I want to raise my future children. Their legacy, their story, changed my life. But the most convicting part of their lives hinges on the fact that I never personally met any of them. Imagine leaving such a legacy, living such an incredible story, that it affects people you’ll never meet. It changes the way an entire generation approaches the Kingdom of God.

I’m not sure how God will do it, but I hope my story matters. I hope my story transcends my passing. I hope there is power in my story. 

Pour Out Your Cup

I’m not 100% original. In fact, none of us are completely original. My sense of humor, my fashion sense, my personality, my quirks, my pet peeves, my reactions did not originate with me. I’m a collective sum of all the key influential people in my life. We are all a collective sums of all the key influential people in our lives.

All of us, whether intentionally or unintentionally, have been “poured into.” We’ve all had those voices in our lives that weigh heavy on our choices, decisions and actions. And, we’ve all had those voices that teach us more about what not to do. Most of “who we are” is a complete reflection of what the people around us have helped create us to be.


You really can’t determine who you are until you embrace where you’ve been.  Where you’ve been is directly related to WHOM you’ve been around. This brings to life a statement by Jim Collins, author of Good to Great; “It’s no so much where or what you do in life, but who you do life with.”

I’m incredibly grateful for the “whom.” I’m thankful for parents who taught me the meaning of integrity. I often reflect back on my Youth Pastor, Kevin Talbert, who spent hours every week pouring guidance and wisdom in my life.  I’m thankful for the peers that spoke things into my life. I’m glad I had elders who have blazed trails for me to follow spiritually. I’m thankful for the people in my life who exemplify the type of leader I want to become. I’m thankful that men and women throughout my 25 years of existence have taken the time to pour things into me. Most of all, I’m thankful I learned that this trend must not stop with me.


However and by whomever your cup was filled, its time to pour it out. Call it mentoring, call it apprenticing, or call it friendship, it's simply time we become intentional about pouring ourselves into others.


Psalm 71:18 says “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come.” If we say we love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all He has done for us, it’s time we empty our cups.


A candle never loses it’s flame by lighting another. A cup will never be empty by filling another.