Vintage

I've come to realize the greatest moments of my life have been great because of their quality and not their length. A word that comes to mind is "vintage". Some people use the word to mean "old" but it doesn't just mean that. It really conveys something as "Classic, prized, and stylish".

It's kind of like buying an old car. There are a bunch of old cars I could save up to buy if I wanted to do so. If I spent a few thousand on a 1984 Oldsmobile some might wonder what the heck I was thinking. However, if I saved up and bought a 1969 Mach 1 Mustang (Pretty much the sweetest car ever!) no one would question my taste despite it being a much older vehicle.

Many times I have been outside at sunset. Tonight I taught my son how to play baseball as the sun faded in the background casting an orange hue onto everything outside. Watching him laugh as he hit the ball and "line-drived" me and then me picking him up and pretending to throw him in the back of my truck for it is forever etched into my brain. I've seen many sunsets. Most I will not remember. I remember that one though. Like a vintage car stands out from the rest as being memorable, tonight sticks in my brain because the quality of it.

That's what I think about life. I want my time on earth to not just waste away but be spent in the best quality possible. By quality I don't mean to refer to financial quality but relational quality. Let my days be filled with peace and not drama. Let my obstacles make my victories sweeter and my enemies become the fuel to ignite my heart with passion to do and to be more! At the end let me look back on this life and say I left nothing undone and I put it all on the table.

When my time comes let it not be thought of as just another soul moving on but a soul that was made fully alive. One of my favorite movie lines is from the movie Braveheart which says, "Every man dies, Not every man truly lives".

Self Destruct

I'm starting to realize that one thing that separates people who accomplish little from people who accomplish extraordinary amounts is their ability to bounce back from defeat. Often, it's easy to feel like successful people always win. Nothing can be further from the truth. Everyone fails. In fact, it seems like the harder you try new ways to get ahead in life the more opportunities there are to fail in the process. The difference between a successful person and an average person then is that a successful person will not spend time wallowing in their defeat. 

"It seems it's really about how well you can take a hit and bounce back. It's also about how long you are going to take to feel sorry for yourself before you decide to get up, dust yourself off, and move forward." -Barbara Corcoran

I've found that most people think that they bounce back from failure quickly but in reality most don't. Sometimes we like to stay angry because it's easier and it feels good. Other times we allow our sarcastic inner voice narrate our behavior for weeks until we are ready to let go of the fact we missed the mark.

I recently realized this truth in my own life. I had set a personal goal to achieve in two months and about a month and a half into it I failed miserably one day. My first instinct was to say internally, "I suck. I failed again. I might as well binge and continue failing until I can muster up enough willpower to start over again later". Luckily before I could carry out that destructive thought process it hit me that that is why some people continue to lose in life. Not because they failed once but because they internally say, "Oh well" and wallow in their defeat until their conscience feels they have payed the debt for their mistake. This is how people keep themselves from growing, getting better, and experiencing breakthroughs in their lives and in the changing of their character. It's self-defeating behavior that most never realize they are even doing (Including me). 

The sad part is that many people who aspire to live healthy, live pure, and live successfully will never live that way because they are so busy self-destructing that they miss opportunities day after day to reach new heights. They suppress themselves. Lord, help us not to be our own worst enemies! Help us to be what You want us to be! 

  

I'm Happy for You

It's often said that when one finds themselves in a bind and in need of help, they can truly find out who their real friends are. Although I agree with that statement I'd like to propose an even greater litmus test of friendship. Success. You can find out who is truly your friend when you experience huge success. Something about success seems to trigger a host of insecurities inside people that will absolutely challenge a friendship to it's core.

Everyone likes hearing phrases like, "Good job!", "I'm happy for you!", or "I'm proud of you!". Yet I am amazed at how little most people use phrases like this. It takes almost zero effort and it actually ends up charging your own batteries in addition to the other person. So if it's so easy to do and it helps others to fight harder in life, why don't we do it all the time? I narrowed down a few possibilities:

1. Insecurity
Despite the polished appearance people try to put forward, many people are extremely insecure about their current place in life. When they see someone else surpass them from an earthly viewpoint, it makes them feel like they did something wrong. It makes them feel like they didn't try hard enough or take advantage of more opportunities.

It makes them feel like they didn't measure up in life. Sadly some people think that your success is somehow connected to their failure. For them, life is a competition of money, power, and fame.

2. Jealousy
They feel like the person reached success by chance when they have striven so hard to no avail. The truth is all too often people say they want to see you go far in life....but not too far. In other words, "I hope you do really well...just not better than me".

3. Malice
They may not like the person and only want to see them fail. Let's face it. We have all at some point wanted to see someone not succeed. Before you say that you haven't think about that guy  that is a total jerk and thinks that everyone should bow down to their demands. Think about that person that hurt you deeply. Think about those people who hurt innocent children. Think about terrorists. Do you want to see people like that have huge success in life? Absolutely not!

One of the illusions in this life is that financial success determines the validity of a person's path. It's like David said in Psalms, "For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness". 

4. Pride
They may like the person but see themselves as way more capable and deserving of success. This is probably because often times from the outside looking in, only the surface of the success iceberg can be seen. The 75% of what it took a person to succeed is never seen.

Sitting here typing this in my living room my mind reflects on the many names and faces of my past of the people who were utterly entangled in these weaknesses. What a sad life it would be to have our hearts stopped up and clogged by insecurities that keep one from loving. On occasion, that person was me. As I grow in maturity the more I'm learning to be truly happy for others. I've learned the value of celebrating their victories with them. I think maybe one day if I've sown enough encouragement in the lives of others they might be there for me in my days of success in the future. We shall see!

My mission for now is to encourage, support, and give to as many people as I can. It's always humorous to watch peoples reaction when you offer them unexpected, undeserved, and unprovoked support. Some people who have been burnt try to figure out what your angle is. Others think you must be in desperate need of friends or something if you are doing something nice for them. Some people don't know what to make of you. Then there are always those who are in so much need of help, inspiration, and love that they truly appreciate everything you do for them. I think I've reached a point that I'm secure enough with myself to help all of them despite their reaction to my outstretched hand. Who in your life could use some reassurance, relief, and a boost of confidence that you can cheer on? Find out! God Bless!!

The Sixth Sense

If you were asked to name the top three most memorable experiences of your life, what would they be? I'll bet whatever those experiences were they all shared one thing in common. They were packed with emotion!

Have you ever thought about how odd it is that an Almighty God would subject Himself to emotion? Emotion certainly makes life interesting. One minute you can be in the heights of ecstasy and the next you are in anguish. It makes you wonder why God allows Himself to be vulnerable to a broken heart at all.

Imagine for a moment if you could shut down your emotion completely for a week. I'll bet you could get a lot more done. With no distracting tugs on your heart you could probably focus more on work and other goals. When you think of your life like that however, there is undoubtedly a certain staleness that goes along with it. With no emotion, life would seem pretty boring. Yet, I believe the ability emotion has to propel a person forward to do amazing things is incomprehensible. A heart activated is almost unstoppable!

Being blessed with a higher consciousness has plenty of benefits. We run this earth with our intellect as stewards. Yet, there is more to us than our intelligence. We feel. We are not robots. We live these short existences and every day is a gamble. Every day might be our last. Each day could bring fame, fortune, love, disaster, ruin, or sadness. This creates quite a spectacle for other created beings to watch. The angels enjoy watching our fragile existences. Our eternal spirits housed in jars of mortal flesh make for an interesting mix.

Despite not having all the answers for why God chose to make us like this, there are a few things we do know:

1. God the father shows signs of being extremely emotional in the Bible.

2. Jesus wept for His dead friend even though He knew would soon be resurrected.

3. The Spirit is able to be greived which is an emotional response.

4. We are built to be emotional beings. (Tear ducts and all)

5. God expects us to love Him with all of our emotion. It is a requirement.

6. God seems to respond to our strongest emotional outpourings.

Perhaps being made in His image means that in addition to being highly intelligent we also feel our way through this life. It's like we have a 6th sense that separates the way we make decisions from the rest of all creation. I am always intrigued by stories where a family member 'senses' that a loved one is in trouble. I had such a feeling several years back. I suddenly had a heavy heart and knew something really bad had just happened. As it turned out, at that exact time my sister had an automatic weapon pulled on her in a robbery several states away! There are countless stories just like this. Our hearts are an extra means by which we experience this reality.

Life is about more than using our logic. It is also about love. It keeps us from carrying out "Survival of the fittest", ideology  or looking out for yourself first and doing whatever necessary to others in order to promote yourself.

This gift, the ability to love, helps us connect with our Creator in ways no other created being or animal can. We can understand fully what Christ's death for us really cost. We can understand how great the sacrifice was for a Father to give up His perfect Son. It's not lame. It's AMAZING! It appeals to each human heart.

Our nation's sixth president summed up Christianity this way: “The fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion is the extirpation of hatred from the human heart,” continued Adams. “It forbids the exercise of it, even towards enemies.”

How much do you want to be like God? Start loving people unconditionally-regardless of their income, appearance, social status, or behavior and you'll be well on your way to being God-like. We typically think being a god would be about unlimited power and freedom. However, God tells us if we want to be like Him, love people, even our enemies! Do that and you will start acting like your Father. I hope that I can learn to love people in this manner and become a man after God's own heart.

How good are you at loving others? How do you treat your waiter/waitress when their service is subpar? How well do you respond to erratic and aggressive drivers? How do you respond when others treat you poorly for no reason. An honest answer to these kinds of questions will reveal to you where your heart is at and what you need to ask for help from God on. May we all strive to have the heart of God! God Bless!

The Voice of God

Recently, I was commenting on social media how sometimes we get upset when God closes a door and we forget that we asked Him repeatedly to show us the way He wants us to go. What I've found is that almost every Christian has their own unique beliefs about how God does or does not speak to us. Even though I wish God would communicate verbally because it's easier to understand, He has His methods and His timing that He decides on. In this post I'm going to be dealing strictly with the verbal method of communication from Him.

I had one of my unique verbal experiences with God this past week. I woke up early this past Thursday and I was wide awake. Since I was up I decided to get ready and go to work an hour early. Although I've never done this before, I began listening to some music on my Ipod and walking the property at my work. Despite the upbeat music it was so peaceful. The strong wind was blowing off Lake Whippoorwill sending the 50 degree weather through my wet hair and it didn't seem to even bother me. I had plenty on my mind. I followed the coquina walking path down to the lake where the sun was just peering over the trees. It was breathtaking. I was forced to take a seat on the bench facing the lake. I heard God say, "Take out your headphones". I did. Then He said, "Are you ready to trust me?" I countered, "When you ask me that it makes me worry about what is about to be coming my way. God I've been through a lot. Have I not faced enough trials? Has there not been enough pain in my life for the last several years?" Then I looked and I saw the flock of birds flying overhead. I saw the lake and its system of life that it supports, the aquatic animals, the fish, the plants. Although the county does its part to protect and preserve it, this system has existed for thousands of years without the help of man. Suddenly my fears didn't seem so valid. I thought if God makes everything work for the animals He certainly has been working behind the scenes in my life too making things work for my own good. There's no need to worry about finances, my business, or circumstances. He's hid His face but He's been there all along. I got up and walked back to my office with a renewed sense of enthusiasm that's been absent for a long time. 84 minutes later I received a call that I've needed for literally several years. A complete answer to many prayers for guidance. It was Him. By the lake I heard Him. It had been a long time but I heard Him once again.

I was brought up in churches that taught you could here the voice of God on a daily basis if you had enough faith, enough purity, the right Bible translation, etc, etc. To that I'm going to have to call bull honkey. Now maybe there are people reading this that can attest to hearing a literal voice day after day but I am not one of them. Don't think me a heathen. I would encourage you to test what I am saying. Try this for two weeks. Keep a journal. Ask God specific questions about specific unkowns in your life that you need direction on. What you will find is that God may choose to answer you but it will not always be in the form of a voice. Sometimes it's in the form of circumstances which dictate a definite answer. Sometimes it is quiet impressions you perceive are not your own conscious. Sometimes He does choose to speak through your conscious. Sometimes He does use a voice. I can count on one or two hands the amount of times I have heard His voice and knew there was no way it could be anyone else but Him.

So where am I going with all of this? I don't have a theory, a formula, or any magic tricks to hear from God repeatedly. What I do have is scriptural examples and what I have experienced firsthand, and a theory about all of it. So here it is:

God leads, guides, and directs all the time through various methods depending on what He sees fit for each person in each circumstance.

I like to hear the voice but sometimes He gives me the circumstantial answers. It was the same for Moses and the Israelites. Now I understand that those days were different because the death of Christ had not occurred yet which opened up the veil allowing each believer direct access to God. You would think since God gave them the Ark of the Covenant, the Urim and Thumim, and prophets that He would always speak directly to them...but He didn't. When God led the Israelites out of Egypt sometimes He lead them by a pillar of fire to follow. Other times it was cloud. At times it was a path carved right through the sea.

He used different methods for each circumstance depending on what He thought was most effective. For me personally, I think all methods He uses are effective and equally valuable. I place different weight to His verbal messages though. It's not that it's any more important. It's more like when you place an exclamation point on the end of a sentence to designate the presence of emotion in a sentence. His voice is like that exclamation point saying, "Take note, this is important". When does He typically speak to us in a verbal manner? For me, it has been only in certain circumstances.

1. In order to lead His people

When I served in a pastoral setting I can attest that I heard from God on a more consistent basis. I've often wondered why. My theory is that He was more verbal because it was involving the direction of His people in a church setting. He wanted to communicate His directions clearly.

2. In order to direct our steps

Most of the occurrences where I heard from God verbally involved life-changing decisions that had to be made. Where to work, where to live, who to marry, etc. It's not that everything isn't important to Him. I think most would agree that some decisions we make carry more weight than others and will impact our lives substantially and sometimes forever.

3. In order to give life changing information

I have a friend who used to use drugs heavily in college. One day he was literally at a crack house waiting on his buddy to return with more drugs and God said to Him, "You are better than this. If you don't stop you will die". He never touched them again and started the slow climb back to a normal life.

Another friend I worked with in college recounted a story when he was younger and lost. He picked up a demon possessed prostitute on the streets of New Orleans (Now there's an interesting date!). She took him to an open grave and told him to look inside at the deceased. He said when he saw the dead body He heard God say to him "If you don't change your life this will be you in a grave". He changed his crowd and began following after God's ways.

There have been times in my own life where God would speak to me personally. It would never be more than a sentence or two. He would usually start off by saying my name. It was personalized. It was healing. It was revealing. It was always needed. It changed things.

He doesn't follow a formula because He's not a scientific law. He's a person with emotions just like us. We never communicate in only one way with our family and neither does He. If your family is unable to be present you might call, skype, or use social media. If your about to hang out with friends you might text that you're almost there. If you are about to ask someone to marry you you might wanna do that one in person (Free tip!). God is the same way. He uses the method He wants for whatever the situation calls for.

Now certainly let's not pretend these are the only three times He will speak verbally. It is always a danger to try to place God's methods in a box and say He would never choose to do this or do that. These are my own personal experiences and my own observations. I would love to hear some of your experiences with hearing His voice. Hit up my email if you would like to share: stephenflint1980@yahoo.com. Have a blessed week!

Please do not email me to debate because this isn't a textbook or the Bible, it's my experience.

Your Brand is Beautiful!

What brand are you? I often will try generic brands at the store in order to save a few bucks. There are a few things, however, that I do not compromise on. I have to get the name brand. I want to know that when I buy that product it has a name behind it that has a proven track record with me.

What do people think when they hear your name? Our names represent a unique brand-a culmination of all our actions and behaviors. In our culture people, media and special interest groups often try to guilt trip people into changing their personal brand.

I'd like to share why I think it is a good thing for you to go against the grain and be yourself. I think that part of the reason American Christianity has a bad reputation is because of a widespread lack of genuineness.

I am me. Stephen Flint. I've found you either love me or hate me and I'm ok with that. There's usually no in between. I think that's in part because wherever I go and whoever I'm with you get the same 'brand' of me. When I'm with a group of dudes you will hear me act and speak the same way as if I were around a group of ladies. You might think I'm joking. I'm not. When I'm speaking to a homeless man or the CEO of my workplace you will get the same person. Those who know me well would probably verify this. If you talk to me at a party or wake me up at 2 am, the same speech, the same jokes, the same 'me' will emerge.

Now you might think that I'm bragging or that this is some lousy article about 'Jesus is always watching you' kind of deal but it's not. What I AM talking about is living your life consistently.Trust me, living this way can lead to some interesting encounters because everywhere you go people can sometimes have different expectations of how you should live your life, how you should talk, and how you should act. I refuse to conform to that. Now first let me tell you what I'm not saying about living consistently because there is often misunderstanding about this way of living.

1. It's not about being offensive
I know a lot of Christians who really believe that if we don't offend people then we are not living the gospel properly. Seriously? While the gospel is an offense to the world that doesn't mean the world MUST hate us or that we have to be a bunch of angry jerks.

In fact, Paul tells us that if we know there is something that would offend a brother or sister then we should by all means strive to avoid doing it. Offending people is never the goal.

2. It's not about being crude
When I say that I use the same speech and same jokes with everyone most people think I'm lying because it's easy to talk one way when you're around a bunch of Christians and another around the lost. Therein lies the real problem I think. You do realize the world sees that discrepancy right? They aren't fooled by our acting. I speak what I think is acceptable. I speak in public what I am in private. If my jokes are acceptable with the guys then they should be acceptable at church and vice versa.

Want to make me angry? Act one way in private and then rebuke me for that same behavior when you're around church buddies. It's called "Jesus Juking". I had a friend once that tried to get onto me for saying something they felt was off color (Even though it was about my wife who was present). Now my opinion on saying things of a suggestive nature to friends regarding my wife is that it's actually a good thing. I waited a long time to find her. She needs to see that that part of my mind is occupied by her. I guess there is a line in there somewhere where you wouldn't want to share too much info and gross people out but to elude to it, why not?

I'm a real person not some lame dude that never has any fun. That Victorian line of thought where things of a sexual nature cannot be acknowledged and must be ignored in public is damaging to marriages. It's not spiritual. If you do not say those kinds of things to your spouse someone else will gladly do it for you.

This same person had told me earlier how they couldn't wait to see the 'fifty shades of grey' movie and they had already gone to see a popular movie about male strippers. Hmmmm. A little inconsistency there you think? I guess me referring to the fact that I love my wife in 'every' way in public was too much but to watch movies about strippers and BDSM between two unmarried people is ok because it was done in private?? Maybe they were going to witness to all those other 'wicked perverts' in the theater?

3. It's not failing to tailor your message. 
When I am addressing a group of fifth graders my words will be different than when I'm addressing a group of senior citizens. When I address someone in a church setting I use different terms than I do with the lost. This is not hypocrisy and it's not being inconsistent. It's called doing all things for all men that I might indeed save some.

When Paul wrote a letter to a church he would always include parts of scripture so they could identify with the message. When he addressed a lost group he would use less scripture and use examples from their culture that they could identify with.

In the world of sales it's called qualifying the customer. You basically find what they are looking for and try to meet that need with what you have to offer. Its smart. It's not being inconsistent.

4. It's not displaying your dirty laundry
There's a lot of confusion on this subject in relation to being authentic. While the Bible does say "Confess your faults one to another" I don't believe that means we should tell everyone about all of our private struggles. I think the writer intended that to mean faults between each other not every sin of the heart or speeding tickets we've ever gotten. I don't want to know everyone's deep dark secrets, it would scare me. I try to remember it this way, God can forgive and forget anything we do, but men cannot. It's not necessary to reveal every fault, every weakness, and every sin to others. We should, however, admit that we do struggle with sin without going into the nitty gritty details of it. Humans have a tendency to look at others sins and say, "Well I've never done anything like THAT before," and then excuse their own sins.

What being consistent IS about is being you-the real you-all the time. I'm thinking of a friend right now who recently got mad at me and for the first time I felt like they were being real with me. In a weird kind of way it made me happy to be talking with the real them even though I would have liked it under different circumstances. I would prefer to deal with a person who was angry with me and genuine about it than a person who says 'Have a blessed day' or 'I'm praying for you' or 'How have you been doing?' When they really don't care.

Guess what? The world wants the same thing from us. Now it might despise us because of the offense of Christ to some degree and that's ok. But it's tired of visiting churches across our nation and seeing people try to act all holy there but then acting a different way in the workplace. It's tired of fake phony Christianity. I agree with that viewpoint 100%. You know why? Because God is sick of it too. Our hypocrisy has reached His nostrils in Heaven and it stinks!

We should be repenting of our sin but instead we go to church every Sunday, put on our plastic faces and throw our hands up in worship, maybe even shed a tear for Him. That would be wonderful if it lasted for more than an hour a week. That would be world changing if it compelled us to change our falseness for good. But it doesn't. We continue our masquerade week after week year after year all the while expecting a lost person to come to our services, come to know the Lord, and become just like us. The world says, "Thanks,...but no thanks". It would rather wallow in it's sin than be a fraud.

So without delving into too much detail, let me give you the reasons I think it is better to be YOU than anyone else.

1. Because God made you that way on purpose!

2. Because you aren't happy until you get to show others who you are without the mask!

3. Because putting all of who you are up front with people in the beginning will save you lots of time and hurt down the road when they discover who you really are!

4. Because being the real you will draw the lost to you. They want to see what a real live Christian does in today's times!

5. Because your brand is beautiful so stick with it and stop trying to be someone else!

May God have mercy on us all! May we all be one and be genuine so that we can complete our mission of spreading the love of Christ to the world! God bless you all! (And I mean that!)

Perfect Timing

At times I just want to fix a complex situation. I don't know if it's part of who I am or if it's just being a man but when I see a problem I want to fix it. I guess from a practical standpoint there's nothing wrong with that. It only becomes a problem when you factor in God's timing.

In our culture everything is fast. Cars, planes, computers, phones, food, music and more. We like to take action, be proactive, maximize our efficiency, and everything else to squeeze every last ounce of time out of each day.

What I've found in my own journey is that it is extremely difficult if not impossible to hear God's voice in the middle of the hustle and bustle of life. For that it takes real effort on our behalf. I don't like it. I wish God would shoot me a text while I'm at work that says, "Stephen, give to this cause, encourage this brother, send your kid to this school, keep your mouth shut on this issue, open your mouth on this one...". Unfortunately He doesn't communicate like that most of the time. In order to get a clear understanding of His directions it typically involves quietness, searching, praying, asking, and at times, fasting. Even doing all of those things it can prove to be quite a challenge.

I often wonder why He chooses to meet with us in this manner. I mean, if it was my world and my way I would allow each human to hear directly from me through telepathy or something. Why keep them guessing? Why keep them waiting? I'm not sure. All I know is what is. So since I'm not God and I don't make the rules I have to accept the way things are.

I tend to think that it used to somehow be different for people in the Bible like they had a cell phone God would call them on when He needed them for something. When I study the scripture however, what I see is the same thing that we face today.

*Jesus made the disciples almost wet their pants when their ship was being tossed in a storm. He made them wait until His nap was over before calming the storm.

*Jesus made Mary and Martha wait until their brother had been dead for four days before He would come to heal/resurrect him.

*Jesus watched the disciples work their tails off all night before telling them where to cast their nets.

*Jesus made the disciples wait three days and three nights before He rose from the grave. 

*He made them wait again for the Holy Spirit.

In each of those situations one might conclude that God is not concerned at all with syncing His schedule with our calendars. That's frustrating. Just keeping it real but seriously, if we were honest we might say something like, "Oh sure God, it must be nice not having any time limitations like You but we actually do. Maybe you can throw us a bone here while we wait?".

Yet, I have found on numerous occasions that God has a specific timetable for everything that happens and when we rush His timetable it messes things up. Here is what I have learned about His timing:

His timing is superior to ours because His viewpoint is superior to ours.

Let's say for instance that you wanted to invest in the stock market. You don't know much about investing so you need financial advice. On the one hand you have an adviser who has over 50 years of experience with trading stocks. On the other hand you have a guy who doesn't know a lot about stocks but he has the unique ability to see one day into the future. Which one would you choose? Anyone with any sense would choose the guy with the ability to see into the future because his viewpoint could tell you to buy or sell. His viewpoint alone is reason enough to trust him over 50 years of experience.

This is why God's timing is so much better that ours. Our viewpoint is limited by time. God's viewpoint is not bound by the constraints of time. He looks into the future clearly. For this reason alone it makes sense that we trust His timing. That's actually not the only reason we should trust His timing.

His timing is superior to ours because His knowledge base is more vast than ours.

It's not just that He can see what will happen but He also knows all the hidden details that we can't see. There are times where I want to help a situation but I experience resistance from God. He purposely makes it extremely difficult if not possible to "fix" things and He says, "Step back. Wait. Not yet."

As frustrating as it can be, we have to trust that He sees more than we ever will in regards to what's going on behind the scenes and what is going on on the inside of a person's heart. In addition, He's worked in the lives and hearts of humans for a long time and knows what will work and when. He knows when a person is hurting too much to hear you. He knows when a person's heart is perfectly ripe to listen. He knows all of our secrets.

Many times God has sent people into my life at just His right time. A young kid at my last job had a very rough upbringing. He got made fun of his whole life and his family was verbally abusive. He was searching. One day we got onto the subject of his past and he began to go into detail about some of the things that family members told him as a child that I could tell still affected him. As he began to share I just began crying. Not like I have a tear here and there but seriously breaking down into crying (Which Stephen doesn't often do) because it was like I felt the hurt he must have felt going through it. It really touched him. I could tell he probably had never come across anyone that actually cared about him like that and it meant alot to him. He was only at that workplace about two weeks after that and I was gone from that job several weeks after that. He still texts me now and again. I think he needed to see that God still cared about him despite his trauma. God orchestrated that event.

His timing is superior to ours because His power is so far beyond ours.

Mankind has made some pretty impressive strides in technology. We can split an atom, transplant an organ, talk to people on the other side of the globe, and travel at speeds faster than a bullet. Sounds impressive! Now try creating a new universe on a specific dimension different than yours full of galaxies, stars, planets, and asteroids. Keep the number of the grains of sand on each planet in your mind at all times. Now orchestrate the functioning of each of these galaxies in this universe together. Got that? Good. Now insert a species of several billion individuals each with a stubborn will of their own. You have to keep every hair on their head numbered too. Answer all of their conflicting prayers according to your plan.

Hopefully you see where I'm going with this. It's not just that His plan is a little better than ours. His plan is so far beyond ours it's not even funny. He has more than enough power to fix your situation. His power keeps the universe from exploding on itself. Part of His strength is the management of our world. That management includes a path and a plan for your life. Do we really think we can fix a situation better than He who created us and our surroundings? An Egyptian Pharaoh thought he could fix things better than God once. That was right before his army got plastered on the bottom of the sea. There have been many who sought to eliminate God's chosen ones over the millenia. They all ended in failure and annihilation because the were up against an unbeatable foe.When we realize the enormity our Creator God we can't help but want to wait for His timing because timing truly is everything!

The Hidden Reward

"You prepare a feast before me in the presence of my enemies..." -Ps.23:5

One of the most difficult challenges Jesus left with us was to love our enemies and to do good to those who use us and treat us badly. Let's face it when someone does us dirty the last thing we want to hear is that we should start praying for them and even bless them! This goes against all that is within us naturally.

The heart of His command is that anyone can forgive and pray for another but it takes a power from somewhere else outside of us to truly love an enemy. That's the mystery of God's grace. It doesn't make sense, it's undeserved, and it breaks through calloused hearts.

Now what if even though learning to love them takes time I told you I could make that task extremely beneficial, maybe even easy? What if I could help you make your enemies a tool in your hand to catapult you light years in your spiritual, mental, and emotional maturity?

Let me give you three ways you can turn your enemies into your own personal growth catalysts. After you read this you may wanna throw a party and celebrate the presence of your enemies in your life. You may even want to call them and beg them to come over for dinner. Not kidding! (Ok maybe a little).

1. Enemies can reveal your areas of weakness.

So right now your thinking, "Um, yeah everyone knows that-why would this be a good thing"? It's a good thing because in order for you to move forward or grow you're going to need to improve in your areas of weakness. You can't sweep them under the rug forever.

Here's the problem with that, you often never see yourself clearly enough to know all of your own weaknesses. Even though the Bible will tell you about your flaws it's still possible to read it with a biased self-vindicating lens.

If your thinking your friends will tell you what you need to work on-no they won't! They don't want to hurt your feelings especially to comment on issues of character. No one wants to comment on your issues for fear that someone might point out theirs. (Not to mention it's not their job!) We all are stronger in some areas and weak in others.

This is where your enemies come in handy. They will show you exactly what to work on. They have no problem telling you about those ugly areas no one (Even you) wants to address because they have no interest about how it makes you feel. That's what separates friend from foe. So even if they obviously have issues about how they should treat people, it gives us the opportunity to mine the gold from the situation.

Now obviously every accusation and complaint that's thrown your way is not automatically true. But behind every complaint could be an issue that needs work. There's a chance that addressing that flaw in yourself might turn you into a much more beautiful person. It could make you a better manager, employee, or Christian. Don't automatically discredit everything they say because you could be throwing away a huge opportunity to strengthen yourself! You might be throwing out a hidden reward!

We have to remember that anytime you want to grow or change for the better there must be an honest assessment of what is. Enemies will give you that!

2. Enemies bring out what is truly on the inside.

One time an acquaintance of an enemy of mine came to tell me that my enemy was going to do all of these awful things to get at me. I knew he wasn't joking too. I was dealing with some really shady people. Now I had so much dirt on this guy that I could have seriously sank his ship a long time before that instant. But somewhere in the middle of the 'battle' I realized something about myself. I never wanted to! Even after all of the terrible things he said and did and would likely do again I had no realistic intentions of harming him or his reputation. I told his messenger I didn't care what he was going to do because I was not going to allow it to turn me into someone I'm not! That enemy gave me something I couldn't have gotten anywhere else-the knowledge of how I would treat someone that truly sought to hurt me. He allowed me to catch a glimpse of what's really on the inside.

By the way, my enemy did do all of those awful things he threatened to do and I kept my word. Sometimes when people throw their worst at you they are actually helping you by giving you a chance to really test your faith. What would you do if someone threatened to try and ruin your reputation? Would you try to ruin theirs first or counter attack? Would you say, "Father, forgive them"?

Until your enemies or other trying situations test you, everything you believe you would do is nothing more than pure speculation. I meet people all the time that brag about all of these amazing things they would do and all the things they are going to do when things get tough. Then when things 'hit the fan' they cower. You don't know what you are going to do until you are faced with a situation.

When you get backed into a corner with no way out, that's when you get to see what you are truly made of. On 9/11 The world got to hear amazing acts of everyday employees, firefighters, and citizens that proved their true heart and beliefs because there was an enemy that created a chaos so great it tried many people to their cores. It revealed they were superheroes. As painful as the process might be, enemies have the ability to draw out the contents of our hearts!

3. Enemies can provide the fuel necessary for higher levels of success.

Can you think of a time when you were young that someone said or did something to you that was very hurtful? I'll bet you can. Think about it, you lived for hundreds and thousands of other days that were forgotten about and lost from memory. Why do you retain that memory? You remember it because of how it made you feel. The voices of our enemies stick in our heads whether we like them or not. It's kind of like a recorder that constantly replays itself. Sound depressing? It's not when you come to the realization that the voices of our enemies in our heads can drive us to succeed!

I can fill a book with some of the bad things people said to me and about me growing up. I used to carry it around with me everywhere I went like a weighted duffle bag. My luggage affected how I felt about life, myself, and others. Luckily, somewhere along the way in college it finally dawned on me that maybe it wasn't me that had the problem. Maybe it was true that only hurting people hurt people. From that point forward I decided that every time those negative comments and hurtful things replayed in my head I would allow them to play so that I could use them as fuel to achieve way more than they said I ever would. I would hear their voices saying, "You're not smart enough to graduate college and you'll never be able to afford that!". "You'll never live in a nice home or drive a new car because that cost a lot of money which you aren't going to make." I did all of those things by the time I was in my mid twenties and some out of pure spite just to say to them, "Watch me".

Some victories I experienced later in life were WAY out of my comfort zone but I attempted them simply because someone told me that I couldn't.  I would not have had the motivation to try without the fuel of my naysayers pushing me to prove myself. I can thank my enemies for raising the bar of my expectations. I can thank God for showing me that I am not subject to the opinions of others.

Besides the fact that enemies can give us fuel for higher levels of success there is something even more exciting than that they can provide for us. They create scenarios which evoke a response from God. You see God avenges those who do not avenge themselves. If you want to see God act then don't react to your enemies. Allow God to fulfill His job description, "Vengeance is mine thus saith the Lord".

If people at your work or in your family accuse you of things and say all kinds of things about you falsely don't react! Step back and allow God to elevate you. He rewards those who handle mistreatment without retaliation. So relax and rejoice! Trust that your day is coming! God has seen your mistreatment and will not let it go! God knows how to protect His people. If you haven't read the story of Joseph in the Bible it's worth your time.

Each of these three things are huge assets to you and I if we will learn to harvest them. None of these benefits seem worth the pain while our enemy attacks us but afterwards we have huge potential for growth. Assimilate those painful lessons learned into your thinking and don't allow your painful experiences to shut you down! God Bless!

Forged

Before modern warfare came about, wars were always fought with weapons that were forged by a blacksmith. They weren't mass produced in some factory but were hand crafted by a skilled expert. The metal was taken, heated to extreme temperatures, and then pounded into shape. After the metal was shaped as desired, it was then plunged into water to rapidly cool the metal. It was locked into shape to serve the one who wielded it.

God, the master blacksmith, uses the experiences we go through to transform us into a mighty tool in His hand. We just have to let Him complete His work on us. Our experiences and how well we deal with them forge us into the people we become.

Luckily, God is the most skilled at shaping us. He has an eternity of experience. In order to shape us He has to turn up the heat in our lives. Why? Because it's the only thing that will melt our stubborn wills into obedience.

When things are great, we often feel we have no need to seek His advice, His ways, or His plan. So He turns up the heat in hopes that our stubbornness and our pride will conform like steel.

Many times God has sought to turn a person into a weapon in His arsenal but the person would not conform, would not bend, and would not relinquish control.

I wish I could tell you that I always respond well to critics, tragedy, and frustrations thrown my way but I don't want to lie to you. Sometimes I'm not sure if I write these blogs to help others or for my own therapy.

Sadly we cannot choose our circumstances. It would be nice if we could make every day problem free, make the sun shine, the weather perfect, and all our relationships perfectly healthy but we can't. God made it that way on purpose though. He purposely put us in a place where we have to face unpleasantness. This is the environment that wills are broken, hearts are healed, and lives get transformed. There is no shortcut.

Circumstances and how we respond to them change us. It's sort of like a dog who was rescued from an abusive owner. Sometimes, the dog might will crouch down in front of men if a male owner hit him. Sometimes it might growl and stand alert because his traumatic experiences hard wired his brain into thinking that men are evil. The trauma changed him. That's what all of our circumstances and experiences do to us-they have a positive or a negative impact on us depending on how we handle it.

Now over time if the male owner were to treat the dog with love and care the dog can gradually come to trust men again. Likewise if we recognize the heart and intent of the Master we can trust His actions.

Do not despair because all of the grief you endure and all of the junk that goes on in your life today is for another purpose tomorrow. If we will trust the heart of the Blacksmith the heat you go through will not seem all that hot. You will be forged into something mighty that no other human can offer!

Outlive your life

The older I get the more I become increasingly aware that my time on earth is short. The Bible describes our entire life as but a vapor- here one moment and gone the next. Lately I've been  wondering what my legacy will be.

When I was younger and more self-centered I used to assume that the world might pause for a moment when I finally leave this earth. Now that I'm older and a bit more seasoned I realize that the vast majority of people who lived before us are completely forgotten about. All that remains of most is a slab of stone with some dates on it.

There are about a million articles written about living life to the fullest and making the dash between your birthdate and death worthwhile. While I agree with that, I'd like to turn your attention instead to focusing on the years after you are gone. I'm talking about your legacy. I'm talking about what you leave behind.

Every person says they want to be remembered but few ever stop to think about how that can be done. When we're gone no one will care how we dressed, what we drove, what neighborhood our house was in, or how much we made per year. The things we typically fill our minds and hearts with every day don't even matter in the grand scheme of things.

So what does matter? What kinds of things can we do to make an impact on this world long after we are gone? I jotted down a few things.

1. Come up with a world changing invention
2. Trigger an important event
3. Be exceptionally talented above all others
4. Get a platform with a large public audience

I suppose most if not all the people who ever read this will not fall into one of those four categories. Luckily, there are other ways of outliving your life that almost anyone can do. Try these for example:

1. Train up the next generation to follow God.
If you want to know the future of society visit a public school. They are our future. This is why there is always a battle for what is taught in our schools. What we fill our childrens heads with today will manifest itself tomorrow. That can be a scary thought.

You may not be able to take on an entire school board but you can make a difference in the lives of the little ones you have contact with. The Old Testament was absolutely clear that the ways of God must be taught to each upcoming generation. This is not the job of the school board! It'd be nice if they could reinforce good values and morals but don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen.

2. Write
How do you speak to someone in a future generation to come who you will never get a chance to meet? Make video recordings and bury them in the Anarctic ice? Maybe but there aren't many flights headed that way- fyi

We could do it the same way Biblical authors and Jews did thousands of years ago-write. Writing thoughts down on paper can enable you to speak directly to people you will never have an opportunity to meet in person.

If I could challenge the church with one thing in which they could bring about change for years to come it would be to write. We need authors, screen writers, and script writers with a willingness to flood our land with the positive good news of Jesus Christ.

3. Focus on actions that have an eternal value
Anytime you have a part in planting a seed of faith or explaining the good news of the gospel you ARE making an eternal impact. Anytime you stop running the rat race and start producing works for eternity you are making an eternal impact. Whenever you help those who cannot help themselves nor pay you back, you are making an eternal impact.

We have been called to stand out and be a shining light in our dark world. The question we must ask ourselves is how bright are we shining?

If we never stop to think about the things that are most important-eternal things, what was the purpose of our being here? If we live for ourselves, when we die we leave it all behind. If we live in the light of eternity our actions will live well beyond our time on planet earth.

Deeply Rooted

I recently wrote an article about things that keep us from going deeper in our relationships, (Friendship blockers), so I think it's only natural that we discuss what makes existing relationships blossom  into lifelong connections, (Or friendship builders)

The relationships that we have now and will have in the future all will have a certain depth to them. Close relationships are like live oaks and accquaintences are more like water oaks. This is the part where you say, "Stephen will you please tell us the difference between the two?". Of course I will.

Deep, lasting relationships. They're kind of like a fully grown live oak tree. Live oaks can live for hundreds of years. Part of the reason they live so long is that for all of the mass of their trunk you can see, there is an equal amount of roots underground that supports and sustains the tree generation after generation. The deep root system soaks up an enormous amount of moisture that's needed to sustain all of it's giant limbs, branches, and leaves. This root system also keeps the tree from toppling over in high winds.

This is similar to our inner circle of friends. Our inner circle, or "pit crew" as I call it, will to a large degree affect how well we thrive. The better the support system the better it's ability to sustain us through all of life's turbulent times.

Too often our friendships are like the water oak trees. Although they both come from the same family, water oaks and live oaks are very different. Water oaks typically don't make it past 100 years old. This is a short lifespan in the realm of oaks. The reason for the shorter lifespan is simple, water oaks take on water that rests in the trunk which in turn causes the tree to rot from the inside out. What looked like a beautiful tree was actually dying on the inside for years before finally causing the death and collapse of the entire tree.

So in our relationships what are those things that differentiate our inner circle of true friendships from the short lived ones? What are the qualities that will make our relationships like the Live Oak?

1. Loyalty
Loyalty is something that is proven over time and cannot be forced. Real friends stick up for each other to the end. When their friend is in a pickle they've always got their back. (This is turning into a country song).

2. Laughter
Every one of my close friends have this in common, they could each recall a different story where we were crying from laughing so hard at something. As we build a portfolio of memories together, we begin to see the hilarity of everyday occurences.

3. Listening
At any time, my 'bros' that I would consider part of my inner circle could be called up if I needed them and would lend a listening ear. Ever have one of those friends who unload all of their problems on you while you patiently listen but the moment you have something to share with them they want to end the conversation? Yeah, don't be 'that guy'.

4. Looks
(Sorry, I needed a word that started with 'L"). What I'm referring to is that close friends know how to decipher each others many looks and mannerisms. They know the 'real' (insert your name). We all have a 'public me' and a 'private me'. There's nothing wrong with that. Even Jesus had a few disciples that He let see the more personal side of Himself on occasion. In a public setting I may say, "Wow Mrs. Smith this pie sure is like nothing I've tasted before" and based on how I said it my inner crew know that in my head I'm thinking, "That's the nastiest thing I've ever eaten in my life. I think I might vomit." Close friends know what each other is probably thinking.

5. Leaning
This is a bit different than mere listening. The idea here is that real friends lean on each other when life throws a curveball their way. It's not just about listening to problems and offering up advice. Sometimes when people hurt you just need to be there even if there are no words that can fix or soothe.True friends are there when needed. Acquaintenances are not. True friends will sacrifice their own happiness if needed to help out a true friend. They don't find excuses, they find a way.

Even though it's hard to find friends who actually do all these things, that doesn't have to stop you from offering that kind of friendship to those you come into contact with. There will always be people beaten down by life who need a good samaritan to show them what it's like to be treated with love, dignity, and respect. That's the guy I want to be.

The Walls We Build

It has been said that when we die the people who attend our funeral that were true lifelong friends can be counted on one hand. I believe that is a true statement. It's crazy to think that if we are lucky enough to last 75-100 years on this earth we will only find a handful of people that were with us through thick and thin.

Why is our journey filled with so many relationships that never move to a deeper level?   I'm not sure I know the answer to that but I have three guesses as to why people don't develop deeper relationships and build walls instead:

1. No need for extra relationships
Some people already have a large support group and have no interest in adding to their group. They aren't interested in adding your or my name to their list of supporters. Also, there can be a mindset that more people in their inner circle increases the chances of a phony friend. I'm not sure if this is true but even Jesus had one in His inner crew.

2. Fear
Some people have been burnt in the past and are very protective of getting burnt again. Nothing wrong with this, I think people should have to earn the right to deserve your trust. Fear is never a good thing though, especially if it hinders us from nourishing our God-given need for others. Walls that we construct to keep out enemies can also keep us from needed friendships if we're not careful.

3. Lack of trust
Let's face it, not everyone on planet earth has your best interest in mind. Some people will use everyone around them as a stepping stone. Some people will gladly throw you under the proverbial bus, change the context of what you said, lie about you, and more in order to get ahead (So they think).

I suppose there are other individual factors as well such as personality, social class, sense of humor (Or lack thereof) which affect developing friendships. For myself, I don't believe one could ever have too many friends. I can't imagine a time where I would be unfriendly to someone because my friend count had "capped"

Although I've been burnt by plenty of people in my lifetime, I refuse to be fearful and neglect to reach out. In some ways, learning to love other people will teach us to conquer our fears and reach out. It requires a certain vulnerability to listen to another person, experience their pain, and risk being burnt one more time.

So that's my take on relationships. You may agree or disagree with it but I do believe regardless of your views you have to know that the relationships you develop during your time here on earth are what really make it worth living. Especially your relationship with the one Friend who would never do you wrong.

So learn to trust, strive to reach out, and be a friend to someone who needs you! God Bless!

The Beautiful Mess

This world is a mess! The Earth itself is a very beautiful place full of beautiful things but one species in particular creates all of the ugliness on it. That would be us in case you were about to blame the pigeons.

It reminds me of the transition most every young couple goes through when they have their first child. As newly weds many times the focus is on acquiring new things, cars, houses, etc. and looking nice. That all changes with the arrival of their first baby. At first, it's extremely nerveracking and disgusting when that baby begins vomiting and everything else all over all their nice stuff. But by the time that baby is a toddler usually the parents have accepted the fact that it comes with the territory.

In some ways, I love to visit a couples house that is littered with baby toys than a house that is kept as spotless as a museum. When I see a bunch of chaos created by babies I instantly feel a connection that every parent has experienced. It's a sign of life, activity, and love. It's a beautiful mess!

This is similar to our world. Originally, it was wonderful, amazing, and perfect. But with the introduction of man it didn't take long before things got a little messy. When you insert imperfect people that each have a will of their own, agendas can collide and things can get, well, a bit messy!

What's interesting to me is the way messiness gets handled. Many times people attack the faults of others and judge their sin. Most people do this when they've lost sight of the ugliness of their own sin. I cannot call people names, label them, slap a scarlet letter to their chest and humiliate them when I keep sight of my own faults and failures. There's simply no room for it! "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

I cannot have a "You made your own bed now sleep in it" mentality and truly love people. Every person who is successful has had a "pit crew" behind them at some point encouraging them and picking them up. No person reaches the top or becomes anything for that matter without a support system.

So the question you must ask yourself is who are you pulling up? You're either pulling up or putting down. Remember, the way we treat others will be directly proportionate to the way we deserve to be treated.

This world is such an imperfect place but if we can fill it with people who are filled with the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ it can be one giant beautiful mess!

Bringing down the Giant

I love the story of David and Goliath! In fact, who doesn't? A massive warrior spewing out blasphemies and smack talk taken down by a little shepherd boy with a sling who happened to be in the area. I think we all love to hear stories about the underdog winning despite all the odds stacked against him.

I believe that every person has a giant of some sort in their lives. Each of us struggle with some kind of unhealthy habit or sin that continually beats us up and leaves us for dead. How is it that in relation to the 'giants' in our lives, we can experience defeat after depressing defeat?

I believe that we struggle with these things because they get rooted into our hearts and minds so deeply that it's not just that it's hard to remove but it's hard to even identify sometimes. Have you ever done something stupid more than once and you knew it was stupid before you did it but you did it anyway? Some things are rooted in us as thought processes, patterns, or coping mechanisms and we do them without understanding why.

I'd like to share with you how to break free from these things. After applying some of these things in my life. I've seen some chains that bound me for years break away.

1. Calculate the cost of your habit

I think the first step in defeating the giants in our lives is realizing what keeping your habit is actually costing you in terms of time, happiness, money, intimacy and companionship, good health, or a host of other things.

2. Get angry enough at your habit to meet it in battle one more time.

Sometimes the problem we run into with habits is they have been a part of our lives for so long. We may have waged war against it many times in the past already and lost. Because of this we might even downplay the cost the giant has had on us. We might just toss it up as a weakness we have and accept it's existence in our lives as part of who we are. But if we are going to get rid of it, we have to make it our enemy all over again. We have to recognize it for the life-stealing, joy-sucking, leech that it is. When we get angry enough at the giant and tired enough of how it makes us feel and what it has stolen from us-this is the beginning.

3. Plan your attack

How do you eat an entire elephant? One bite at a time. Big giants and big controlling habits intimidate us. We look at their size and run away like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs. But you can defeat anything given enough time if you can break it down into steps.

Many times we fail because the thought of fighting the giant seems like such an insurmountable task. "Give up tobacco?" One might say, "Impossible, I can't go one day without it much less a lifetime". This is why you must ignore what you will do in the future and focus only on right now. You have to set a goal for today and only worry about today. Thoughts of long term resistance will most likely lead to failure but today, I can kick that habits tail today!

Set your goal for a short term victory. For instance, "I WILL NOT drink today". Anyone can defeat anything if they only have to do it for a short time. Determine what your reasonable threshold is and dont be afraid to challenge yourself! Big giants are taken down by breaking them down into small steps and hacking away at them bit by bit.

4. The pledge

The truth is, all of us have the ability to resist anything and everything we want to if we know the Lord. We simply need a motive to activate that resistance. For instance, if I put a gun to your head and said "Stop eating doughnuts or I'm gonna blow your brains out!", most would suddenly find the power within to not take another bite. It's because a motive to stop was supplied. Now setting goals to quit is not enough. In my experience accountability groups are not enough. What you need is divine help that only comes from God.

In my car salesman days I once sold a car to an addiction specialist. We began discussing his career and he told me the overwhelming majority of his patients that find success in overcoming addictions and habits believe and rely upon the help of a higher power. He said it is the one branch of western science that actually acknowledges the influence of Divine help.

If you want to see that giant fall this year you're gonna have to ask for help from above. The truth is God requests of us over and over again to purify our lives. He is more than eager to help. He's very likely been waiting on you to ask for a long time.

Making a pledge to God is serious business. You don't break a pledge to God. This is why we have to make sure we are up to the task when we make our pledge. We have to make sure we are biting off a bite we think we can handle. A pledge to God would sound something like this,

"God I am sick and tired of....... God I don't want to ........ anymore. I believe you dont want me to..... anymore. Lord I pledge to you that for the next ....... I will not do this. I am asking for your power to help me. I am asking that you steer me away from temptation. I am asking that as a result of me ridding my life of this sin or habit that you would bless me beyond measure. Amen!

After you complete your first pledge successfully you will find a sense of confidence over your giant and this is the beginning of you controlling your habit. But it doesn't end there. You have to create another pledge slightly more ambitious than the first.

I wish I could tell you that it ends there-that you will never be tempted in that manner again but I can't. What I can promise you is that you will learn how to control your habit more easily. It will no longer hold power over you as before. I believe we all are hard wired to be prone to certain sins but this does not mean we have to obey them. To the contrary, we can learn to use them to our advantage.

Are you ready to declare victory? Sharpen your swords for 2015. You have some giants to obliterate! Do it for God and do it for YOU!