A truth that no one seems to understand-"Why I hate religion but love Jesus"

I found this video on Facebook and I think everyone should watch it. It really gives a very real perspective into religion. In my opinion, the biggest reason that people do not like God or Jesus is because they do not understand what it means to know Jesus. They are turned off by the hypocritical practices of the people that claim religion. This poet is truly gifted and has a way of explaining the truth that Jesus and religion are very different.



-EC

"Stay" by Jeremy Camp

Here is a wonderful song I found yesterday that I felt was worth a share! Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful day



-EC

God does not talk just to talk

Today I attended an out of town church for the first time in a while. I was expecting to be super inspired and uplifted and left feeling a little disappointed. I often times find myself comparing churches to the church I attend in Austin and they just don't seem to measure up.

Today's message was about the elderly and how we are called biblicly to care for the elder. At first thought, I don't have many elderly people in my life that I interact with frequently and thus the message did not hit home. But as I was driving back to Austin a few hours later it really became clear how selfish my mindset was in all of this and how I was failing to see His big picture.

I frequently find myself "judging" church because it does not fit my immediate needs or what I think I need. When it does not jump out and speak directly to my heart in the most obvious ways I often make an excuse, check out mentally, and wait for the next week. But today I realized that God is in control and that He has certain messages and words He wants us to hear, whether we like it or not. We are all part of His grander plan and we must work to remove the selfish thoughts from our mind and center our focus on Him and His call.

Yeah, I don't have a lot of elderly around me every day but could that be because I have not been caring for the elderly like He expects? Maybe that is the exact reason God lead me to that church today. I am sure there are elderly out there that could use my help.

We are constantly wanting God to be on our terms, to meet our expectations and needs. We want Him to tell us exactly what we want to hear and get upset or turn away when He tells us something completely different. We want God to be convenient in our lives and we want our petty problems to be the most important thing in the world. When we aren't jolted out of our seat on Sunday we quickly lose focus and tune out. How disrespectful can we be that when God does not "entertain us", we turn?

The point of this message is not to encourage you to help the elderly (although this is a great thing) but to understand that God is in full control whether we want Him to be or not. Having faith and trusting in Him is the hardest part about walking in Christ and it is so easy for us to close our ears and hear only what we want, when we want. But when God speaks we must listen. If we really give it some thought we realize that the times that God's words are spoken and do not seem relevant, are actually the times we need to go back for a second look. I don't think God talks to us, just to talk. He has something He wants us to hear. An old teacher from middle school used to say "A hint to the wise is sufficient".

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is~Ephesians 5:15-17."

#listen
-EC

Checked by God

So it has been a little while since my last post and its funny because sometimes I am full of things to write about and share and then other times its as if I never had a blog. I never want to force a post just to have content, it has to come to me, and it did.....

So last weekend while having lunch with my parents my dad recommended that I go and get a physical to check out everything, particularly my heart. He has no reason to recommend that other than the fact that I have been running and training at a high level. Of course, I did not take it serious and pretty much ignored the doctor's order. Sure enough, a friend sent me an article about a young man that died recently while running a half marathon in San Antonio, the very next day. Of course, this hit me hard and so I scheduled an appointment and went in for a visit. During my visit the doctor noted high blood pressure and some potential abnormalities with my heart that could mean time away from running.

As you could imagine, I was immediately so frustrated that something could potentially be taken away from that I love so very much; running! I did not care about my health all I could think about was the fact that I may not be able to run and train like I love to do. How could it be? I have never felt better in my life or been in better shape. I was finally getting the results I wanted and could see my hard work paying off. I had a goal and how could something like this come in between me and that goal? Of course I was in denial and blamed it on a bad diagnosis.

But as I thought about this more and more it finally started to hit me. What I realized is that I have put my fitness in front of God. I train so hard, eat perfectly, never miss a work out but I wasn't doing the same in my relationship with Him. In fact, my fitness and training has become a false idol and has pulled me away from God without me even realizing it. I definitely forget to pray, to read the bible, to keep God on my mind but yet I can maintain incredible discipline with my fitness. It never crossed my mind that a seemingly positive thing could pull me away and be a negative. But yes, fitness of all things has pulled me away from my walk with God. The bible makes it very clear that we are to have no false idols. It does not say that we can have false idols if they are "good" for us.

"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."~ Exodus 20:3-6

God Himself has checked me yet again. Our God is a jealous God and wants us near Him always. He is a God that has reached down and grabbed me in the midst of me straying. If I really believe in God that means that I believe that He is in total control. That means that I accept whatever He throws at me because it is all for His great purpose.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your sould and with all your strength and with all your mind"~Luke 10:27

#thatswhatsup
-EC

Look Again

Look again....opportunity is everywhere. As we live out our daily lives, each situation we encounter presents opportunity no matter if it is positive or negative. Sometimes, however that opportunity is not obvious and we get caught up.

If we believe that everything happens for a reason, or even more, His reason, then each trial and tribulation we encounter must be an opportunity. Could it be a test of our will? Could it be a chance to gain something for our journey? An opportunity to inspire someone else? To learn and grow? We must trust that each circumstance we encounter happens with good reason to prepare us.

"If you do not stand firm in your faith then you will not stand at all"~Isaiah 7:9

I had lunch with a friend today who was not enjoying his current career and was considering a change. As we talked, something hit me that really made great sense. That is, that it does not matter what the situation, we must seek the opportunity. As we continued talking, I asked him what he wanted out of life and what he was trying to accomplish. As we discussed these, I could really see the opportunity that was being overlooked. I recommended that he really think hard about what he wants out of life and his career and then do everything he can to get there.

His current job may simply be a stepping stone to his real passion, but if he fails to see the available opportunity he may miss out on his dreams. He must see the current job as an opportunity to learn as much as he can and grow. He must think about what skills he can learn and acquire in his current job that will help him get to his real passion. He must be ready when the opportunity he has been waiting for, presents itself.

If we respond negatively to adverse or even positive situations then we are defeated. I have always learned and seen that the devil is constantly at work in our lives trying to tempt us to fall. The devil wants nothing more than for us to give up and take the easy road. He wants us to sit their miserably at our desk while hating our job and quit; without having a new one.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”~Winston Churchill

I firmly believe that we all have a purpose on this earth and that each of our purposes has something to do with what we love or are really good at? It may not be the thing we think we are good at but maybe a hidden talent or skill that we never noticed. Being closed minded about the opportunity that is all around us will likely lead us down the wrong path. I personally am impressed and inspired by how people deal with adversity. I love hearing how someone positively responded to a seemingly terrible situation. I love to see fight in the dog.

Life is hard, business is hard and only the strong survive and thrive. When a situation is thrown at you that you did not expect or ask for, how will you respond? Will you learn from it and grow? Will you find a way to see the positive over the negative so that you can move forward with something to take away? Look again and make the most out of it.


Havin' a second look
-EC

God is Able

Here is a cool acoustic version of a new song they have started playing at the Austin Stone. God is Able by Hillsong. Great song, with even greater words!




I also found this piano only version that is incredible. Talk about talent, this kid is off the charts!



#praiseGod

A selfless life...Is it possible?

Imagine a world where everyone cared about everyone around them more than themselves. Imagine if the most important thing to you and even your purpose was to do everything you could to help those around you and make the world a better place. Imagine a relationship with a friend or spouse in which you only cared about their best interest and in return they cared only about yours. Wouldn't this world be a much different place, a better place? Would the way decisions are made in our country be different? Would the way we spend our time and money change? Wouldn't everyone be "looked out" for and taken care of by their neighbor?

The call is to live a selfless life, but is that really possible? I mean isn't this world a tough place in which we must fight for our survival and "get ours" or else someone else will take it? We must worry about ourselves, make money, put food on the table and live the life we want to live.

Today's society has trained us that we must win. In order to survive we must strive to be the best we can be in order to better than those around us and thus succeed. We work hard to gain the approval of ourselves but more importantly those around us. Do we really care what happens to our neighbor, or only as long as it does not affect our well being?

This last weekend in church at the Austin Stone, Pasture Matt Carter made a very interesting analogy between the Holy Trinity and the way we are called to live our life. He pointed out numerous examples of how the Father, Son and Holy Spirit interact with each other. They are selfless, praising of each other and not self, they have the utmost respect for the other and are constantly sending all the praise outward. They are not self seeking but rather are always assisting the other. This interaction is perfect in every single way and provides a model for how we are called to live out our lives.

One would argue "how could I do that when no one else is living like that", and rightfully so but isn't the Lord our God our provider? Does He not promise to give us everything we need and more?

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"~Mathew 6:26

I would imagine that living a selfless life would be somewhat contagious. We cannot stand around and wait for someone else to step up and start the trend. We must take a stand and begin living as we are commanded. We are more valuable in God's Kingdom than the birds, so we best start acting like it!

-EC

Pay attention

Pay close attention to what God is trying to tell you. God is constantly working in all of our lives and trying to get us close to Him. He brings adversity into our lives every day and takes things away that we value more than our relationship with Him because He loves us.

Faith is believing that God is working every day in your life. If you have true faith in God, rather than seeing the negative when adversity comes, you pay close attention to what God is trying to tell you. God is graceful and only wants the best for His people.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."~ Jeremiah 29:11

Plain and simple God tells us that He has a plan and it is a plan that will not harm you but rather a plan that will give you everything you could ever need and more. So rather than seeing adversity as a bad thing, look at it as a sign that God is near and that He is speaking directly to you. He has something He wants to tell you. Don't force Him to yell.

#listen
-EC

Listen to the sound

Here is another amazing song that I wanted to share. Its called Listen to the Sound by Building 429. Fires me up every time I hear it! Pay attention to His plan cause His grace is reaching for us.



#HappySunday
-EC

My hope is in you Lord- Great song!

Great song with great words by Aaron Shust. My hope is in you Lord!

I pray that no matter what you put in front of me that I stand strong in your name with the faith to persevere! You have always provided for me and that has always been Your promise. Thank you for Your grace!




#praiseGod

Doing what I love.......for God

Today I was thinking about this blog and how it came to be what it is today. If you look back at old posts you will see the transition that I made and am making each day based on the posts I write. It started purely as a motivational blog and has slowly shifted to a faith based/spiritual blog, still with a positive outlook. As I was reflecting on this, I remembered a time when I prayed that God would give me the passion and creativity that I have for my business for Him.

As you may or may not know, I love marketing and social media. It is so easy for me to get fired up and talk for hours about these topics because it interests me, it excites me. In fact, I have recently started speaking publicly about these marketing practices and have been blessed with the knowledge and ability to do so. I always have a million ideas running through my head about business and marketing at all times because I have passion for it . As I started thinking about all of this passion, I literally sat down and asked God to use that passion, that excitement, those ideas for His kingdom. I have always struggled, and still do, with following the Lord's commands, with making the time to study His words, to spend time praying, serving, etc. I never have a problem working a lot or thinking up new business ideas. So I imagined a day when I could have that passion for the God and asked God to make that happen in my life.

Today, while talking with a friend and follower of this blog, it dawned on me that the prayer has been answered. These posts I write are not me talking, but rather God talking through me. I do not have the heart or mind to come up with this stuff but God has truly touched my heart and inspired me to share what I am learning and struggling with, with you! In fact I am using the most powerful marketing platforms ever created, Facebook and twitter, to share His word. I am using my passion to share what He has done in my life.

As I was reading some scripture I found a verse that speaks exactly to this idea:

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever."~1 Peter 4:7-11

At Austin Stone a few weeks back, the Pasture talked about how God calls the musicians "to play the most beautiful music" and the artists to "paint the most beautiful paintings" and the photographers to "capture the most beautiful pictures" so that we can fully see the beauty of God! He challenged the congregation to live for God and extend His grace in all that we do. I extend that challenge to you! What is your passion? What do you love to do and how can you use that to serve God? When you start thinking like this its pretty incredible how you find yourself enjoying things that you likely hated when you were a kid, like going to church, or doing community service, or saying your prayers before you go to bed at night.

Mission is not about moving to a foreign land and preaching. Mission is about loving the people around you, serving your community, making the world a better places and loving the Lord. Whatever you love to do in your everyday life, is it possible to do it for God?


Marketing for God
-EC

Marriage advice from the unmarried

So my best friend is finally tying the knot at the end of this month and last night he called and asked me for a recommendation for a good bible reading that pertains to marriage. It seems like more and more of my friends are getting married and as I have personally grown stronger in my faith I really started thinking about how little God is referenced or acknowledged in many weddings and marriages that I see. Now I am not saying that everyone I know does not love the Lord or that no one gets it right but I think we can all agree that more God in our lives is not a bad thing.

As I started reading last night and looking for the right verse, I began writing down some goods ones that I really liked and felt can be real tools for a successful marriage. Now keep in mind that I have never been married so my experience here is very limited. In fact, if you would have asked me two years ago if God mattered in marriage I would have said "no way". But as I come to know the Lord more and more, I now understand how wrong I was.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.~Mathew 22: 37-38

The most important factor is that both of you love the Lord, more than each other. We have seen time and time again that relationships between humans will always fail, but if each other has a real love for God you will keep it together and make it work for God.

In order to love one must know God:

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."~ 1 John 4: 7-8

Remember that you are now a team! God has called you to be together as one flesh. No longer can you make selfish decisions but rather your responsibility is now for yourself and your spouse. Every decision you make must be made in the best interest of both of you. Do not ever let anyone or anything separate you.

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”~Mathew 19:4-6

I also believe that it is very important to love as God loves us. God loves us unconditionally even though we turn from Him every moment of every day. He loved us so much that He gave his only son for us so that we may be saved. This is the example of true sacrifice and willingness to do anything, no matter the cost, for someone else. Your marriage will be the most successful when both give each other everything they have and do not hold anything back; both of you will be completely taken care of by the other. Be an example for your family as well!

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant sacrifice to God."~Ephesians 5:1-2

There will be days when your spouse annoys you are drives you completely insane. There will be things they do that challenge your heart and love for them but remember that God calls you to fight through that:

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" ~Ephesians 4:2-3

One of my favorites has to do with pleasing each other, and yes this means sexually! Now that you are married this is something you can enjoy sin free and as your unmarried friend I say "Take advantage!". Remember to work at this and keep it interesting and fun. This is one of the many gifts of God and He gave it to us so that we can enjoy it. Never forget that and always find ways to make it as enjoyable as possible. :) FYI- the parenthesis is really a modern day translation of this verse.

"The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife(should fulfill his wife's sexual needs), and likewise the wife to her husband." ~1 Corinthians 7:3

Remember to keep the marriage bed pure but also live a life for God and not for money or success. You two have been blessed with each other which is more than you need or deserve. The best things in life are the hardest to obtain so stay true to who you are and don't bend on these things. Give everything you have to the Lord and I promise you will be more than blessed forever.

"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." ~Hebrews 13: 4-5

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

Lastly I leave you with the most important of all. The Armor of God will protect you from the brutal world that exists around us. Make sure that you equip yourselves with God so that you can stay strong in faith; faithful to the Lord and each other. Do not just go to church but make God the priority because you need Him to survive! Challenge each other, encourage each other, pray together, give thanks together and make sure that God is #1 in your household.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kind of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.~Ephesians 6: 10-18

The last part of that verse is the most important and that is to pray constantly. We cannot do it alone and we need to be in constant prayer with God in order to keep our focus and receive his blessings so that we may persevere.

Remember this:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Make the Lord the priority in your lives and you will have the best marriage you could have ever imagined. No one said it was going to be easy.

reconsidering this whole marriage thing : ), JK!
-EC

Excess of anything is too much

Do not take more than you need. Excess of anything is too much. We are all materialistic in some way or another and I am the first to admit that I like nice things. What I am learning is that "nice things" don't matter in God's kingdom.

"Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be"~Mathew 6: 19-20

Think about this, many people get nice things because they want to portray a certain image or impress certain people. Now step back and ask yourself this question: Do you really want to build a relationship with someone that likes you because of what you have? Isn't there something so wrong about that? People also buy nice things to make themselves feel better. Won't you lose or break that "thing" at some point? How is that going to make you feel?

The wealthiest people in the world are not wealthy because they spent their money on expensive things. They are wealthy because they spent their money on only what they needed and invested in things that had potential to grow. Luxury items such as cars are depreciating assets and will only lose their value. If you can't afford to lose that money then why spend it. We as a people are often times so focused on the now and fail to realize that we have a long road ahead. If you want to have financial independence later, you must make sacrifices now to obtain that.

Another point I would like to bring up is about spending a lot on excess when you can be helping out someone else and still have what you need. If you believe in God, He calls us to love our neighbor. Taking more than you need while your neighbor struggles to make a house payment is not how you love your neighbor. What if you could have a nice house and help your neighbor out at the same time?

The true test is to figure out what is the most important thing in your life. If "that car" or "that boat" is the most important thing to you, I feel sorry for you because the day that car is gone will come. If God is the most important thing to you, you will find acceptance in Him and that acceptance has nothing to do with material things. So being right with God would naturally make you not place importance on those things and would call you to spend your money in other areas or even save. Let me also add, that these sacrifices may not be about helping people you don't know but rather the people you care about most. The way you spend your money now may affect what your son or daughter (which you may not even have yet) has down the road. It would be a shame to have expensive clothes now and not be able to provide food on the table later. Or how about getting a call from a family member or friend in desperate need and you cannot help them out because of that stupid purchase.

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."~Mathew 6:24

I struggle with this a lot because I do like nice things and I also have nice things. I also like to make money. But maybe we can all make a conscious effort to pay attention to this excess and try to limit it going forward. Paying attention and calling it out is a start. The richest men in our world, may not even be the wealthiest. The richest men in our world are right with God and may or may not have money. I believe that God will entrust His money to those who He knows will use it for His kingdom.

Now many people will say "I work hard for my money and I should be able to spend how I please" and yes you are right. Wouldn't it be nice if what pleases God, pleases us?!!

Think about it
-EC

The Battle for my heart

This is a new song that is amazing that I thought I should share. For those of you that have heard it, you know what I am talking about. If you listen closely to the words its spells it out so perfectly!



There are a million things in this world that are constantly at war with our hearts, trying to pull them away from what is right. No matter how hard we try, no matter what situations we try and avoid sin and evil are everywhere. Evil is constantly at battle inside of all of us and that will never stop. The call of God is not an easy path as it is said in the bible but it IS the path to which we are called.

I have had many great conversations over the past few days about the call of God and how, we as humans try and alter it just a bit to "meet our needs" and allow us to still maintain our own lives. We try and justify our weakness to the evil with our own false words. But again, our call is very clear. It may not be comfortable or what we "want", but it is the call of God and with that comes his promise for eternal happiness, righteousness, grace,etc.; super hard call with an even greater reward.


I struggle every second of every day. Evil eats at my heart always. But the good news is that the battle for my heart has already been won! Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sin so that we are released from the shackles and become pure through God the Father!

#HappySunday
-EC

One thing has changed

I am a sinner. My mind and heart are filled with selfish desires. I lust, I cuss, I have a hard time forgiving others. Its really hard for me to always love my neighbor. I struggle with faith and I am easily knocked off the path for which I am called. I am constantly feeling self righteous and forget to give the good Lord all the glory that is His.

"No one is righteous-not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one."~Romans 3:10-12

But one thing has changed. I love the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart and soul. Knowing Him has created a desire to live as a son of God, to try and live as Jesus lived. You see, I have always been full of sin and the hardest thing for me to accept is that no matter how hard I desire to be better, I will always fall short of the glory of God. As a human, it is impossible to live a sin free life. However, rather than accepting that fact I desire to be better and to always improve for God.

Today, when I sin, I feel that I have sinned against God who has been so faithful and has blessed me beyond what I could ever imagine. The same sin is still prevalent in my life but God works in my heart and reminds me what is right and wrong. Because the task of living as Jesus is impossible, it makes it easy to give up and just accept that. But rather than accept that fact, I am constantly asking Him to help me to be better.

Before when I sinned, I knew no God. So for me, the sin was not sin but rather my "right". Knowing God has not made me not a sinner, but rather has helped me to understand that I am sinner. Knowing this fact has allowed me to take my burdens and sin to God because His acceptance is all that I need.

We often judge religion based on the people that practice it saying "He/She is such a hypocrit". And we are right, we are all hypocrits. We preach one thing and practice another but that is a reality we all must accept. Rather than me judge you or I, we should praise the great God who loves you and I. What an amazing and loving God that would love someone like me. Jesus died on the cross so that sinners like me could exchange their sin for God's love. But no where in the bible, does it say that I am no longer a sinner because I know God.

Many people that read this blog may know me personally and feel as if this is a front or not who I really am. And again, you are right. I am not what I preach, but I want to be. I desire to be the most faithful servant of God, to not lust and love my neighbor; to never judge and to always remember that all the glory is God's above. The posts that I write, are not me making a claim that I live a certain way but rather are a way for me to share what God is working in my heart with others. Don't judge my God based on me, but rather praise God for accepting me.

Without a doubt, my life is better today than it has ever been and for that I am thankful to God. Walking with God is a very hard call but that hard walk continues to bring blessings into my life. These blessings are not monetary blessings but rather lessons that I am learning about how to live as a Christ follower. The blessings are as simple as realizing right after I sin that I have sinned and feeling guilty to God for that sin.

As I walk in my faith I pray for brothers and sisters to come together and help me walk with God. I need help and assistance in more ways than you can imagine and I hope for God to bring Godly people into my life that will help me get back on tract when I stray. The same as these people help me, I pray that I can have the wisdom and strength through God to return the favor. Its a tough world we live in and the only way to make it is to know God.

I know what I want to be but I also understand what I am. One thing has changed....

-EC

A little reminder

Here is a little reminder as we kick off our weekend!

"Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in faith because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power for ever and ever"~1 Peter 5:8-10

Have a super awesome Saturday. Don't forget to #praiseGod

~EC

This world needs us...........

This world needs you and I, and failing to understand that responsibility is affecting the world around us. We are called to serve our brothers and sisters not just because, but because we need each other.

I heard this song this morning on the radio about people that want nothing more than to be loved for who they are. This song really hit me because it made me stop and think about people out there that are hurting and are in desperate need. When we make selfish decisions and forget about those around us we are failing to live out our intended purpose. It breaks my heart to even think that people are hurting like this and that every day I could be helping someone who really needs it and give up nothing!



Too often we get caught up in our own issues and forget about the purpose for which we are called. I have no doubt in my mind that if we help our brothers as we are called we too will be taken care of. The bible says that He will take things away from us and bring us adversity so that we may seek Him out. So maybe those "things" happening in your life are on purpose; better yet, with good purpose.

Imagine if 30 minutes of your time could change someones life forever. Do you have anything in your life that is more important than helping a lost soul? Imagine a small act that gives that person at rock bottom a sliver of hope. The tiniest acts can have the biggest impact and too often we lose sight of that. This world needs us to go out and be the hands and feet of God so that more people can understand and see His beauty and grace. When we make selfish decisions we are not only hurting ourselves but we are hurting others around us. You never know when you will encounter someone that needs you. Failing to understand that responsibility is detrimental to others. We need to know that we have a purpose and other people's lives are affected by that purpose. We are called, by God, to help others around us.

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."~Peter 4;10

You remember when God met you right where you were and helped you out in a time of need? The world needs us to love and serve our brothers and sisters just as we are loved by God.

Steppin'.My.Game.Up. #ushould2
-EC

Want it like you want air...

I shared this video a few weeks ago on Facebook and I wanted to share again because I think it is so awesome and applicable. I really believe this not only applies to success but also love for the Lord! Nothing in this world comes easy. We all want things but it is so much harder to actually obtain them. If you want something bad enough we will do everything we can to achieve it. That means we must persevere through the the things that knock us off course. We must be willing to do whatever it takes and often times this is a hard call.

You can have or be whatever it is that you want as long as you want it bad enough. For example, when I am tired and distracted at church it is no fun; I get very little out of it. However when God is a priority in my life I plan my life around Him. I go to bed early so that I can be fresh and ready for whatever He is trying to tell me. I make church a priority so that I can arrive early and do not feel as if I have other things I should be doing. Those are the times I get the most out of it. The same holds true for prayer and bible study. The days I try and squeeze time in for God I usually try and do it at night, before bed, when I am tired. Typically I fall asleep first, #fail. But if God, or success is a priority it becomes the first thing I do, before anything else. Everything I do is done with that goal in mind.

You see, our most valuable resource is our time which requires us to pick and choose the things that are most important. Sometimes we have to give up fun things or things that we feel are important in order to make time for the things that are really important. As a small business owner, I struggle with this because it is so easy to get caught up in the 17 million things I have to do each day and more times than not I forget to make time for the things that are most important.

Success at anything takes drive and determination. It takes will power and a desire to succeed! It takes making that "thing" a priority in our lives. It means we must give up those things that are keeping us from that goal.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run, with perseverance the race marked out for us" ~Hebrews 12:1

Be sure to watch the entire video, I know its long but worth it!

How Bad Do You Want It from Greyskale Multimedia LLC on Vimeo.

Eyes on the Prize
-EC

This song fires me up #awesomesong

Here is another song that I love! Every time I hear it, I get the chills cause I can feel the presence of God in Austin, Texas! Hope everyone is having a wonderful day.....




Praise God
-EC

#AwesomeSong

Thought I would share this great version of this song by "Owl City". This was shown to me by my friend Andrea Moore and I could not help but pass it along. Happy Hump Day! Enjoy