Hold Hope to Tear Tears

To have hope is to live in a realm outside our existence. Our human minds can only pretend to have hope through all the trials we go through. We tell ourselves that we are going to hold on to whatever glimpse of hope we can see with our eyes. When opposition comes to face us dead on, we bow down in surrender, losing whatever hope we thought we once had.

As I write this I start to question myself in the capacity of true hope existing in my life. For years I understood hope to be something we say to give us this emotional stimulus to feel better. Hope to me became like a drug that had lost its potency. Unless I upped my dosage I would not feel better. I started to question hope and why it even exists. We all have hoped for something and been let down. I can count more times I have been let down by hope than times where what I wanted came true.

It's in that moment of failure that truth becomes reality. The hope I seek is not based on true faith, but rather it is to suffice my own need to have joy. It's like living in this fantasy world where we hope to have all the desires of our heart but lack the faith to believe it can happen. Our minds cultivate this existence without seeking the counsel of our heart.

This is where hope and its identity are found. We often hope for something with all our mind, pushing the boundaries of intelligence, but fall down an empty path of deception and hurt. It is with our minds that we are often led astray. Why do we seek hope with our minds? Is it because some of us are dreamers? If we are to believe in something so radical, why don't we use the most powerful tool in our arsenal: our hearts.

This isn't some new age idealism. This is the basics. If you are some mathematical genius, set aside your probabilities and take on this message: Hold on to hope with all your heart, for your heart is in instrument that no equation can relate. The reason many of us lose hope is because we lack heart to believe in it. This is a message that extends to anyone. The nature of hope can only grow within the boundaries of your heart.

Hope cannot grow alone. It takes faith, patience and dedication. Hope is real, it exists. You can find it if you embrace its power.

Whatever it is that you are going through I urge you to not give up. If you have been let down, hurt, mistreated or just feel alone, do not give up. If you cannot find hope within yourself find hope in the One who has something more for you. Don't let this world tell you that you are not good enough or that you will amount to nothing. If you hold on to hope with all your heart, you already have taken out the skeptics. This world does not care about you. But when you have this amazing hope brewing in your heart that is healthy and fruitful, they will hate you. This is the world we live in. We were once harmonious and now we are against one another. You can be the difference and set the trend for a hopeful nation.

Your greatest battles are won when the cost of victory is closest to your heart. Let today be a victory for hope today. Tear your tears away by holding on to Hope.

Selfish Trust

The fear of trust is one that plagues many people out there. Most people have issues trying to rid themselves of something that has become a part of them. How odd is it that trust can infect the soul so much when it is something you have not sewn? How does one expect to reap the benefits of a deep friendship or love when they can't trust the other person? On the surface it seems as if trust can be easy to learn, but in reality it is one of the leading causes to many failed marriages, broken relationships and insecurities.


How does one trust if they find themselves unable to do it, you may ask. Well if there was a simple formula then it would make one a wealthy person. Trust begins from birth and continues till the last breath. A child must trust his or her mother to nurture them, love them and protect them. An elder may need to trust their children, doctors or close friends to do many of the day to day amenities. See, trust is something that is so captivating to the soul that it scares the living daylights out of many.


The first thing to examine when attempting to understand trust is to first examine your own heart. Are you afraid to put your trust in someone else because you don't think they will be able to do the job you think they can do? Are you that superior to others in every capacity? Some of you may answer yes. If this is how you view life, as you being the superior being to all, then do you control time, weather, or life for that matter? With yourself being the only one you trust, doubt is no longer in the picture. You will never cry, hurt, or struggle throughout life. I do not believe for one second that man can go through life and never feel self-doubt for a single moment. The reality is that we cannot do everything on our own. We cannot control time, weather or life. In history, no earthly man has ever been able to be the all-knowing or doubtless.


The beauty of getting hurt is the glorious advent of healing. In that moment when your heart has been torn, the restoration that follows is strong and powerful. We learn from these moments and begin to understand our limits, our angles and the extent of how far we can trust someone. The common misunderstanding of trust is that you need to give up your whole heart to another individual in order for that to be considered trust. By doing that, you leave yourself vulnerable to complete brokenness. Trust should be given in measures. Begin first with your family. These are the ones that have been placed in your life to love you and to entrust their life in you. It is understandable that not everyone comes from a family that is filled with love, joy and strength. Many come from torn homes surrounded by destruction, emptiness and hatred for one another. Some of you that grew up in this type of environment will find it very difficult to trust someone after the hurt you went through growing up. Can I tell you that to judge trust based on the hurt you went through is to do trust injustice. The pain you went through did not stem from a lack of trust, but a lack of love.


Trust and love are two different entities. They cross paths many times. When you fall in love with someone, you tend to put your trust in them. When you trust someone, typically you have a love for them that is different than that of others. In their complete state, they are two different worlds coming together to strengthen one bond. This is an important aspect that needs to be understood when it comes to blaming a lack of trust on failed love.


If you look at trust in the areas of your friendships and surroundings, it should be a slow process. Get to know people, build a bond with them that is more the surface friendships. Some of you tend to pour out your entire lives to a stranger with no thought to how that person may perceive you or take that information to the rumor mill. I highly urge to you to be careful when doing this because you truly don't know someone until there is seasoning, through time, in that friendship. Grow, learn and open up.


What trust enables you to do is to open up about your feelings, struggles and issues that you may need to deal with. As you begin to trust more, you leave yourself more open to being hurt. Understand that you truly can never fully trust someone here on earth because we are all sinners in our ways. I will tell you over and over that you will get hurt in life because of broken trust. In the end, you will understand that the beauty in trust is that it lets you grow and become stronger. Through every journey in life we will have moments of being in the pit, but look up and see that there is always a light at the Top.


One day you will see that there is only one true Trust. He is the one that will never hurt you, leave you or abandon your love. Trust begins and ends with Him.


To give your trust is to lose some of your selfishness


That is Truth

Bottomless Love

Life is not a fairytale and love is not something you just get for free. We often underestimate all the facets that go along with love. Our society and culture teaches us love as the depiction of two lovers on the big screen doing whatever they want and never losing each other. We see men cheating on their wives and women desiring the affection and affirmation of another man. The root of their marriage is not that of love, but one of convenience. So how does one get to the root of love then?


To love another, one must first begin to have respect for themselves and believe wholeheartedly that it is a commitment and not just a season. Love does not come in seasons. It does not enter your life for you to give up yourself for another only to move on to the next person when the time seems right for you. Surely we will have friends come in our lives to love for the time they are with us, but this is not true love that is in marriages. We are often brought to the affection of someone else by the attraction of our absent affirmation. To fill a void in our lives by just having someone there for you to "love" is a recipe for disaster. If you are to enter a relationship, enter it for the long run and build it around two centerpieces: God and love.


For something good to last, you give it your best. But for something great to last, you never give up. If you are struggling in your marriage or relationship, work harder at it. Understand that love has no end. It does not reach a point where you max out. Rather, love grows to the point where you see no end. If the road seems far, keep steady in your walk, for the reward is magnificent. Teach yourself good habits and work together as one. If the two of you have a strong love for each other, then it is better than one. Learn to communicate and talk things out. Give up your pride for it will kill not only your love, but your heart as well.


You will hear people say there is no such thing as true love. Others will say that love is stupid and all it did was hurt them. One cannot discount their feelings for only God knows the hurt that they have gone through. We must accept them and help them. Well, how do we do this? We do it with love. Amazing how one can be restored by the one thing they felt destroyed them. The power of love is glorious and its fruits are good for the soul. It requires hard work and patience. Love will not come easy. One must treat it as their career and put in the time to ensure that there is no inadequacies. One of the important things to remember is to run after the right type of love.


There are two types of love. The first is a lusting love. You give up your body, mind and heart for physical, emotional and even mental satisfaction. This often comes from different people and is not limited to one person. You tell this other person you love them and will do whatever it is that they want. You typically seek to make yourself feel good by doing whatever it is that the other person wants you to do. You will give up your morals, ethics and purity for a temporary high. Soon after your high, you will be left all alone with the feelings of worthlessness, loneliness and emptiness settling in deep in your heart. This is one type of love.


Or, there is the flip side: pure love. With this you respect who you are and keep your body, mind and heart for yourself. You do not need to be satisfied by the physical, emotional or mental practices of another. You dedicate your life to be with another through the thick and thin. You respect who they are and in turn expect to be respected as well. The satisfaction you get is a life long journey of laughs, tears and wrinkly skin. You seek to grow old and to never be away from them. You seek only one to fulfill this. You hold your morals high and do not cross any lines when it comes to purity. Love is not a physical pleasure, but one that resonates deep within the heart. You do not get high for a temporary time. Your love will get stronger with time. Your heart will be filled and the feelings of worthlessness, loneliness and emptiness will want to attack you, but your foundation will be solid enough to resist all temptations. This is true love.


Love will not fail you, it will find you. Seek it.


That is Truth

Uncontrollable Thankfulness

Something we were all taught at a very young age was to say "Thank you" when someone did something for us or to be proper when showing our gratitude. As we got older, the meaning of thankfulness has seemed to disappear and is more of responsibility rather than showing honor and respect. It's as if it's a burden for us to be thankful these days. We struggle to show our appreciation for anything and everything. We are so down in our lives that we don't have thankfulness because if we can't be happy, than others cannot be happy either.


There are two kinds of thankfulness: The first is the kind we show onto others. This comes in the form of words, actions or unspoken body language. These are the outward expressions we were taught from a young age and have progressed throughout our livelihood. As we have gotten older, this kind of thankfulness has changed and no longer is the customary response it was when we were younger. This leads to the second kind of thankfulness. This comes from within and is an internal form of expression.


Something even harder to learn is to be truly thankful from within. It is very easy to tell someone thank you for what they have done, but it is extremely to truly be thankful in your heart. The fact of the matter is you cannot lie to yourself. It is easy to lie onto others and completely deceive them. The reality is that you cannot trick your heart into truly being thankful for all that your life is. Yes, it may not be a perfect life, but you are living, breathing and able to inflict change in this world. Your life can completely suck to you, but may have meaning to someone else. It is understandable that to be thankful for a life that is full of struggles and hardship may nearly be impossible, but for just a second remove yourself from where you are in life and look at others. There will always be someone who is going through something worse and is more thankful then you.


That is hard to swallow and may even feel like a shot in the gut, but it is a reality check that we all need to see. How can we not be thankful for all that we have and are doing when others in the world are going through way worse situations, yet they are so thankful. If we cannot be thankful for the blessed lives we have now, then we will never be thankful ever no matter what the circumstances are. We can be living lavish lifestyles with endless amounts of money, but will never be truly thankful because we will want more. Our inability to be thankful stems directly from within and is the result of the greed we desire endlessly. This adversely affects our ability to be thankful outwardly. We struggle to be thankful to others because we do not know how to be thankful ourselves.


To be thankful, one has to fully release their own desires and see their life in its naturalness. The natural beauty that lies within breathing, seeing, hearing, touching and moving is incredible. To do just one of those is such an amazing gift. How can you not be thankful for a lifelong ability to do at least one of those. You were created by design by Him, and it is our purpose to be thankful always. It's not healthy to not be thankful. It leads to many negative things and can truly hurt you terribly. Make it a habit to see the best in the worst. Be a positive person even when you are positive that everything is negative. Grow in the life you have been given and follow the narrow road to happiness. 


Live to be thankful and be thankful to be living.

Humbled Beauty

When it is said to you that you should put others before you, how does that honestly make you feel? Is it not a struggle to constantly do onto others and never have something done for you? Many of us can relate to this in many different facets of our lives. We can look at work, our families, friendships, or leadership positions as examples of areas where we put in so much effort and pour into others lives, but rarely have something done for us. Now ask yourself an honest question: Do you truly do onto others for no return, or do you expect some sort of reward for your "goodness."


The safe answer is yes. But I can honestly tell you that you not always do things for others without expecting something in return. The way we are built and how we function has this inner selfishness that is very difficult to harness. We may not show it publicly or physically, but mentally and emotionally we are very selfish people. Even the best and strongest of us are selfish beings. The challenge is to somehow control that part of you. In doing that, you need to understand the true essence of humbleness.


What does it mean to be humble? Typically it is referred to in the actions of doing onto others. Its true meaning goes much deeper then just actions. To be humble is to fully strip yourself from every situation that lies ahead of you and for you to be a vessel of love. Never let anything be of you. Accept encouragement and gratitude, but never take full credit for all that you have done. Remember, before you were born, you were thought of and designed in extravagant design. For if you were not designed the way you are, you would never be where you are today. It would be wrong to take credit for things we have not designed.


When you bring yourself to a place of complete humbleness, it becomes recognizable. No one likes a cocky individual who is all about themselves. But someone who is continuously humble becomes like the gravity we exist within. We are drawn to those individuals because humbleness is contagious. When I tell someone they did a great job at something and I in turn have a response of thank you, but to God be the glory, I get chills. When you look into the eyes of another and you see an honest and sincere redirection of thankfulness to Someone much higher then them, it is truly beautiful.


To be humble is a blessing. But to do it without seeking attention and high remarks is where a man separates himself from a child. This is the process of maturity and wisdom. Be humble and do it in secret. Do it only for it is right and justified. Be a leader and set an example for others. People seek out those who are on firm ground and of sane thinking. Strip yourselves of your pride and replace it with humbleness. It attacks every aspect of your life. Be humble to your family who loves you dearly. Act humble to the co-workers you interact with. Give humbleness a try with a complete stranger. What is truly the worst that can happen? Give up your selfishness and throw on an armor of humbleness. Be bold in setting forth a change that will only benefit you.


For within you lies the inner strength to be humble. Grasp it and radiate its beautiful power.


That is Truth

Solemn Faith

Do you believe without seeing? When push comes to shove, and you are backed into a corner, do your instincts sway to that of you having such a deep faith that nothing can knock you down? Sometimes we cannot control our thoughts and our insecurities throughout our lives, but we can always fight against it to the best of our abilities. To be able to fight, we must understand why we lack faith and why we tend to run away from it then to chase it.


To get to the root of your lack of faith, you need to look only to yourself and nothing else. Your first inclination will always be to point the finger at someone or something else. When you do this, you are telling yourself that you are weak and unable to function on your own. Are you an infant and cannot take care of the basic functions of your life? Well if you are not an infant, then why do you choose to not take responsibility of your own actions. Now that you understand that your lack of faith is only derived from yourself, you need to comprehend what it is within you that blocks out faith.


Perhaps you have wanted something so badly that you hoped and hoped for it, but never received it. Maybe every sign pointed to you being right about something or something happening based on a multitude of factors. But then that did not turn into what you wanted and you saw it as a let down. This may have happened to you time over time. Have you ever gone through life wondering, why can I not catch a break? You see all the people around you doing well and having prosperous lives, yet you struggle to make ends meat week after week.


Let me tell you one thing about the fight to overcome obstacles. In every aspect of life, when you overcome, you have built strength and character. That man or woman who lives a lavish life cannot compare to you when all hell breaks loose in their life. The reality is they will succumb to a faithless life and give up. You have fought hard and worked diligently to not give up on all that you pursued. Do you not see that through all of this, you grasped faith and did not notice it? Your ability to fight and focus on your goals ahead of you was the nucleus of your faith.  See, you have the ability to have faith and to pursue all that your heart desires. Understand that sometimes what your heart desires is not what you need, and to run after your desires will always leave you empty. Have faith in what you need and the essentials to grow.


Don't let your past decide your future. If hoping in something did not blossom, then have faith. Hope is not faith. Hope is a deceptive illustration of faith without the true meaning of believing without seeing. Through hope you have imagined your end goal, the result of your ambition. In faith, you do not know what is to come, but you believe with all your heart that everything will be okay. If things seem slow, continue to wait and understand that it is not on your timing that great things come, but it is on His. I am not telling you to give up your dreams and to not chase after different ambitions in life, but I am telling you that if all you do is hope and chase, then where is the faith. When you are let down, you will be hurt. Hope is only a one sided outcome in your mind. Either you get what you want, or it is the end of the world. Through faith, you have understood that no matter what the outcome is, you will accept it for it is what's best for you.


When you fully grasp faith and cling on to it with all that you are, you will see its powers and mighty strength. A person who lives on faith will be like a man who builds his house on solid rock. You need to put in the time to live in faith, because if you don't, then how will you ever be prepared for the storms to come. Live your life everyday with a faith that is stronger then your neighbors. We all have the ability to fill our lives with more faith. We can all afford to release our selfish desires and replace them with faithful ambition. Do not give up when you are told no, but live on to see life one more day.


For I have faith that tomorrow's tests will be stronger then yesterdays. To that, I will overcome for my faith is deeper and stronger today.


That is Truth

Loveless Idols

In your lowest of lows, where do you run to? I am talking about being completely down in the pits, where do you go? Many of you will run to some sort of loved one, or a friend. Some may seek some sort of substance like alcohol or drugs. Others will inflict some sort of harm to themselves to relieve the pain that goes on within them. The one commonality that exists within all these is the limit of time.


You run to these things to escape, but soon find yourself without some sort of hope. For a moment you were relieved from all your struggles, pain, and emptiness. What happened after the moment of relief ran away from you? Did you go back to it again, find some other method of relief, or give up all together? Each of these things you run to will always leave you wanting more and will never fully satisfy you to your full satisfaction. The girlfriend or boyfriend you pretend to love and "gave" yourself to is nothing but a masked dagger in your heart when all you use them for is relief rather then a future of marriage. When you insist to have someone in your life to find affirmation for yourself, you are telling everyone that you are weak, lost and without purpose.


Do not run to those who will not run after you. When we love the things of this world without realizing everything on this earth will soon fade, we are running blindly into a dark, shallow hole digging our way deeper only to never get out. I can guarantee you that nothing in this world will fully satisfy your thirst to fully be loved. The times you get drunk may feel good and fun, but for a second release yourself from your body and look upon yourself and how pathetic you look falling over everywhere drunk and without control. Every time you get high, bring yourself low to gaze upon a person who has to smoke something in order to crack a smile. Crack a smile without being a crackhead and maybe, just maybe you will see life with clear vision, not dilated.


The funny thing is that you continue to run after things that you know will never satisfy you, and that never stops you for a second to think twice. Is there not even a glimpse of doubt within your soul? I do not believe for a second that there is one self-help book that will give you the answers or remedies for your depression, pain and emptiness. There is no author, doctor or psychologist who will be able to make everything go away for you. The reality is that you will go through a life with all kinds of ups and downs.


What will separate you from all those around you is how you will deal with it. Your decision to chase after something will be your deciding factor. What if today you decided to chase after Him for all your struggles, heartbreak and anger? What if you opened the life-book and saw the words within it that screamed love into your face? He is the great Author, Doctor and Psychologist. He will never leave you, forsake you or hurt you. At this point in your life, you have tried everything else and it has gotten you no where. So why not give Him a shot? What is the worst that can happen? If He fails you, then go back to your drugs, your drinking and a life of sex. Go back to cutting your wrists and relieving all the pain you go through. But before you go back to that, give Him and honest shot and I guarantee you that you will not be disappointed.


This is no sales pitch or easy buy. It will be hard work. You will fight hard and run harder. But the relief you will find after knowing you found true love will bring you to your knees in worship of Him. Nothing compares to Him and nothing will ever be close to Him. He makes you go through things in your life so you can chase after Him even harder. I know life is hard and that you all have been to hell and back. I wish I could tell you that it was all worth it. The reality is that we have all lost so much, but not enough. He lost everything to gain you. He gave up His life for every single one of you. If you think it is too late, then I tell you that it will only be too late if you continue to wait. Choose Him for He choose you.


I will chase after the One who chases after my love


That is Truth

Irreplaceable Family

One thing will always remain constant throughout our lives: friends will come and go, just as a rose blossoms then withers away with time. Each has their place in your life and then goes on to other things. Some may stick with you and will be an all-important part to your life. We tend to refer to these people as best friends. They have shared many memories and have for the most part, stuck by your side through the thick and thin.


But what happens when all of a sudden, that person has to move away? Communication instantly becomes an issue no matter how advanced technology goes. Aside from that, even with the advancement and quality of technology, it doesn't replace that closeness. What eventually happens in so many instances is, the distance becomes a reason to walk away. Both parties move on and that deep friendship that was once there has become a mere memory stamped into the timeline of our life story. Over time, those memories fade and the names of each other may even find its way into the abyss. This unfortunately, is the reality of friendships.


There is however, one group of friends that will never be a season or temporary. These are the friendships of your family. The most important God-given gift to each of you that can never be replaced by any one friend or object. There is a love within a family that is unlike a love a friend will have to another. This love exists deep down into the heart and soul of each other. It is the glue that holds everything together. A love within a family can be so beautiful and precious. In its purest sense, a loving family is worth more then anything this world can ever try to compare to. Not the riches of the richest kings can be enough to even come close to the love a family can have for one another.


The loving family is unfortunately not a reality in many homes. Today, there are so many broken families, torn apart by divorces, deaths, separations and just hate. Children are forced to fight a battle that was not in their dreams. No child deserves to have to fight for love within his or her own family. No child deserves to be without a mother or father. There are unfortunate tragedies that have caused children to say goodbye to a loved one. These are prevalent everywhere in our society, as elsewhere. The true tragedy is when a family is torn apart because of a lack of love for one another.


Love does not just get up and walk away one day. It is not a project or craft that can be tweaked with a little bit of Elmers glue and some yarn. Love within the realms of family is created through birth, designed to be pure, wholly and joyous. Within the figments of our blood our love resides. It is unseen, but is fully known. Love is what holds a family together. A family can only stay together for so long when there is not true love present all throughout the home. To see a family broken and dying is just as bad as seeing the endless tragedies throughout the world.


The family you have today, whether it is one or many, is the greatest gift you have. If you lack those relationships, I urge you to pursue them and restore them to the best of your ability. Find a way to bring joy, love and peace back to the bond that was created at the moment of conception. The moment your mother laid her eyes on you and smiled, was a moment of true love. Whoever that person is in your family, whether it is a mother, father, brother, sister or distant relative, find a way to bring that moment of true love back into the equation. I understand that some relationships within the family are so strained that even the pursuit of love will go without fruition. But I insist that you do not give up loving them within your own heart. Think of them often, pray for them, and before you breathe your last breath on this earth, ensure that deep down in your heart, that you do purely and truly love them.


On that day when you are stricken with sickness, the first and the last to your side will always be the first to have ever loved you: Family


That is Truth

Aspirational Dreams

What is it in life that you truly pursue with all your heart? Aside from the relationships and materialistic objects that we come across, what is it that you really want to do with your life? The truth is that we all have some sort of dream or aspiration that we go after in some sort, but this is not without resistance. There are many things that will battle our ability to achieve our dreams to their fulfillment. Unfortunately, this is part of life and one demon we must face in order for it to be worth it.


When you sit down and really think of it, what is it that you really want to do with your life? Some may want to have prosperous careers in different fields. Some may just want to have a loving family, while others may want a long life. These are just a few examples of the dreams and goals people place ahead of them. The difference that separates someone who is a dreamer and an achiever is the ability to overcome every opposition that arises. The dreamer will just wake up and let it all pass thinking it was just a fairytale dream. They are the ones that give up. The achiever will take what is placed on the heart and go after it with everything that they have. They stand up to the face of opposition and do not fret for one second. With each battle, they get stronger and pursue their aspiration with more desire and determination.


Do you not want to be an achiever? It would be so great if everyone who had some sort of goal in their life decided to chase after it with open hearts and strong wills. Unfortunately, many of you listen to the negativity that surrounds you through your friendships, families and acquaintances. Someone says to you that you will be nothing in life and you will fail at everything. Some of you will believe this because you have not be reassured that you can do anything you put your heart to. Who would have thought a hundred years ago that we would be able to have the technological advances we have today. The difference is a dreamer became an achiever. They sought the potential of an idea and progressed it to a reality. Today, you have that same opportunity in your life to do whatever it is that you want if you truly believe in yourself.


It's hard these days at times to believe in ourselves when so often we are told to believe in science in math, rather then faith and hope. Know that every great thing in life came from an idea and blossomed after that idea was put to work. Stop sitting around wondering what your life could be like. Go out and do what it is that you want to do and never regret each step you make towards it. You will never fully understand the greatness within you until you believe in yourself. Stop listening to the voices telling you that you are worthless and that your life is pointless. It is never too late to start dreaming. The only person you ever let down by not chasing after your ambitions is yourself.


I know you can do great things in life. Every single one of you can make a difference in this world. Seek out positive reinforcements and fill your heart with goodness. Understand that great dreams take persistent dedication for pursuit. It is okay to slow down to get stronger and to regroup your thoughts. It is catastrophic to give up. Do not let yourself become a failure. Do not become your own enemy. Be your own #1 fan. Nothing in life comes easy. We all understand that concept. Why would you want it to come easy to you? It makes it that much sweeter to achieve your dreams after you have worked so hard and been through the ringer a time or two. Your sweat and tears will not go unseen and without blessing.


Today you can be great. Tomorrow you can be greater. Within each of you is a dreamer. Live life to its fullest and go after the moon. If your heart believes you can reach it, then He believes in you. Aspire to be all that you can be and grow to be larger then life. Your life will be a testimony to other dreamers. Let your life resonate to all the generations of young and old. Today your dreams can be realities. I believe in you.


For when you cross the finish line, in that moment your smile will speak a thousand words. Dream to Achieve.


That is Truth

Relentless Forgiveness

Dealing with the overbearing inner battle of rage and hatred towards something or someone is at times inevitable and torturous to the heart. The feelings that come to the surface bring out the worst in us at times. We become monsters and criminals of love. We turn our face from compassion and allow ourselves to hold on to the inner city of pain that resides within the walls of our heart. We have hand crafted a fortress to hide our emotions in, which ultimately lead to our demise and inability to love and be loved once again.


How do you truly forgive someone though? You may tell someone you forgive them, but in essence, do you truly forgive them? The reality is that forgiveness is not defined by our words or even by our actions. Putting on a smile and never changing the actions towards that person does not mend the brokenness within you and that link between you and them. You only disguise what you are truly going through. You are cheating yourself and making it harder for yourself to allow forgiveness to take its path. Why do you do that to yourself? Are you afraid that you will be hurt again or that your walls will have to come down? Sometimes by forgiving others for what they have done to you will make you stronger and more prepared for endeavors later in life. For everything we go through, we live and learn. In the pain that we suffer, when we have freed ourselves from doing it on our own, healing comes in as a strong force.


Your natural tendencies will always lean on doing things on your own and keeping control. The fact of the matter is, that you simply cannot control all of life's hardships all within your heart. Forgiveness does not mean that you have to restore relationships and be friends again. This is a common misconception. To truly forgive is to rid yourself of all negativity, hurt and resentment. You take all that you struggle with and throw it into the fire. You lay it down as a sacrifice with the promise to never go back to it. Life was designed for us to be hurt and be brought down to our knees. If we never got hurt, then how could we ever be restored from within?


The amazing thing about forgiveness is that it leads to joy and happiness. It allows one door to be closed and another to be opened. It allows you to teach others about your experiences and how you overcame the different struggles you went through. This becomes part of your life story and another chapter to a life full of disguised blessings. Forgiveness starts and ends with you. Before you can forgive others for what they have done to you, ask forgiveness of yourself for your selfishness in dealing with things on your own. When we become the CEO's of our own lives, we will always fail. Allow failure to be no where near you. Tear down the walls you have built and forgive those who have done unjust things to you.


Stop living a life of shame and sadness. Life is too good to live in the past and way too fragile to be given up for others. For every night the sun goes down, it rises in the morning. Your life is every bit like the sun. When you are hurt, restoration follows through forgiveness. Bring yourself to your knees and have it be that you are free from the chains that hold you down. Tomorrow can be a day like no other, but until then, deal with today. Forgive relentlessly through love and kindness. As hard as it may be, I promise you that it will be the best decision you have ever done. For if a King can forgive every nation for His death, then you can forgive one in a billion. Let today be the restoration that you have sought for. Bring what you need to the forefront and let the battle begin. You will succeed and you will do great things in life. You will change others lives through your testimony and your life will be changed through it all as well.


Give up all that holds you down and stand up to Him who lifts you up


That is Truth

Bountiful Patience

We all struggle with the one thing that requires nothing of us. The inner combatant of patience pegs away at our hearts causing the many fundamental functions of our body to act out of sync. To be told to wait is never a pleasant dilemma in most people's minds. The mind has an uncanny way of creating these vivid dreams of life after we have acquired what we desired. The end result most the time is that of disappointment. We build up these fairytale stories of what life is like based on the desires of our hearts, but we never stop to think of what it will take to get there. Girls grow up at a young age picturing their dream husband, and in the process will date many empty guys that only bear hurt to their tender hearts. Guys will want a good job and the ability to buy anything they want later in life, but will spend their money endlessly on the latest toys or gimmicks.


When you are not patient, you only hurt yourself. If you want to write your own life, go ahead and do it. I guarantee you that you will place all the things you want most in the near future and will move the important aspects far into the future where you can barely see them. Life is about growth, it's about learning the processes to each day. You are meant to get hurt, to be torn down and to be told no. If you were never tested, how would you ever succeed? If the great things in life did not take time to develop, where would the excitement and happiness be? Surely it will pass quickly. The good things in life happen right away, but the great things take time.


It is important to understand that to be patient does not mean that you have to just wait, but can complain, bicker and think about whatever it is that you want all the time. The process of patience is to give everything up wholeheartedly and completely. If even an ounce of your desires lay on your mind or heart, you are telling yourself that you are still writing your life story, but from a distance and in disguise. To overcome the many battles we endure through life takes will, fight and dedication. But most importantly, it takes patience. If things seem slow, wait. For great thing will come of your patience.


Have you ever been in a relationship and had it end abruptly or without peace? Many of you will say it left you heartbroken and sad. Have you ever wanted to receive or buy something so badly, but you had to wait until it was brought to you or until you had the money for it? The feeling of waiting probably brought you anxiety and possibly stress. These are a couple examples of the endless situations we all go through in our daily lives that involve the process of patience. Sometimes to have lost or to give up is only to gain what we truly deserved.


When we have the time to wait, we should be proactive and build ourselves up to be better then we were originally. While patiently waiting for the love of your life to come into your life, take those moments you have to better the person that you are for that person. If you have blemishes in your character or life, find a way to erase them and to grow. Do with time what time will do for you: grow. With age comes wisdom. Through time comes patience. Put both together and you will see clearly that life will only make itself better for you through your sincere patience.


If you tell yourself that you cannot be patient and that you have tried it and it didn't work, then I tell you that you are completely wrong. I know each of you can be patient and see the fruit of your labor through your dedication to truly be blessed. Never give up on yourself or lower your abilities to be great. The only inability you will ever have is to tell yourself you are not able. I tell you right now, that you can be patient wherever you are in life. Life will succumb its fruits to you as soon as you plant the seed and wait. Until then, water your life with purity, honesty and love. The roots of your patience will be strong and withstanding.


When you go to bed tonight, you trust the sun will come up tomorrow. For to know without thinking is patience.


That is Truth

Contagious Encouragement

In the midst of everything you have going on, you sit there quietly and in the distance you notice an acquaintance of yours sitting further out. You sense something is not right with them. It could be the slight hint of sadness in the downward shape of their lips, or the tiny bags underneath their eyes. Whatever it is, this moment has been brought to your attention and you have gazed on one of the most missed opportunities of our generation, the act of encouragement.


What does it take for you to take yourself out of your comfort zone and walk up to that person and say something nice to them, or tell them that you would like to pray for them? Is it truly courage that you seek in those moments, or is it the selfishness within you that tells you to just let someone else do it. The ability to get up and tell someone something nice and encouraging does not take learning or some majestic power. It is the gift we have all been given, but rarely use. Every single one of us can say something or do something to encourage someone. It is as simple as putting a smile on so their face after you just smiled at them.


When I think of what the beauty is within a little baby, I am constantly reminded of the simple and innocent smile babies share with us. There are few things in this world that are more angelic then seeing a baby smile and giggle at us. If we could only mimic the love of a baby and exhort that to others by just showing others genuine baby-like love. See, here is the thing about encouragement that is so often overlooked: encouragement in it's simplest sense can change a person's life. The ability to encourage someone can take them from the pits of hell and bring them to a place of utmost peace.


Encouragement starts within yourself. If you hold yourself back and doubt what you can do by your words, your actions or your perception, then you are only discouraging yourself and allowing others to be further brought down. It is such a beautiful thing to watch children and young teens help out their elders in different service projects or gatherings. But, why does encouragement have to be restricted to the confines of a building or tradition. The central heart of encouragement is to take yourself out of that box that has held you captive for so long and go out to wherever the road takes you and just encourage someone. Tell someone that you appreciate the work they do, or give joy to someone by sharing how beautiful they are. Help someone out with a difficult task, or just do a random act of kindness. The opportunities are endless, but the moments are critical.


Well you ask yourself what does encouragement do for me? Here is the amazing thing about encouragement. Through doing something beautiful for others, you yourself will be blessed the same or even more so. Do to others ultimately for nothing in return, but understand that encouragement is different then giving gifts or serving. Encouragement is a fragment of pure happiness. It is the key that can open doors to lifetimes of joy and love. Start with those around you, such as your family and friends. Learn and seek how encouragement can change your life and others. See the joy that comes out of it. Live in the moments of gladness for you have been giving this life without deserving it. The air you breathe and the ground you walk on was given to you by Him when you least deserved it. Give back what is His and do for others as He has instructed you to do. Don't hold back the beautiful person you are within. You will only sell yourself short.


For the beauty within all of us is the essence of sharing it with others through kind words and thoughtful actions.


That is Truth

Redemptions Surrender

Within each of us there is an inability to give up. We at times hold on to what we believe is right and do not let anyone tell us otherwise. Some of us hold on to things stronger then others and are more dominant in their methods. One of the hardest things to learn is to give up when you know you are wrong or when you know you can't do it on your own. In theory, it shouldn't be very difficult to just lay in surrender to the truth. The well known saying of the truth hurts is as precise as it gets. The truth hurts people because it pierces through the hardened shells we have constructed around ourselves. The dangerous part is when people have designed this hardened wall around the heart.


We all have different fronts and some of us can push our emotions aside so no one could ever see us struggling. The difficult thing is you can never hide from everyone. Each person is not immune to complete deception. Your game of deception in only a manipulation of your lack of being able to surrender. You hide behind the walls of this life, allowing anything to hide your pain. You place your face behind the screen of your computer hoping some world out there in cyberspace will come to love you and take care of you. You push yourselves into the arms of a man or woman you know you may not marry because they provide you safety and unprotected joy. With each bottle you knock down, you are lying to yourself in what makes you happy. With each hit you take life's pains become more blurry and irrelevant. That is until each of those things disappear and you are left all alone with not a single person to say "I am with you."


Why do you let life take you on that journey? Do you not realize that you cannot do it on your own? There is not a man strong enough on this earth that can fight every battle on his own. No man can stand in the face of danger and defeat it every single time. Yes, we may get lucky and are able to fight some of our own battles, but in reality, some of these battles were created to defeat us. If these battles were designed to bring us down, then why do you run to them and stand at the front line. Why do you allow a complete stranger to tell you they love you when all they want to do is use you? Girls, why do you allow yourselves to be treated like objects, rather then vessels of pure and untainted love? Guys, why do you allow your self-worth to be limited to the temptations of your mind?


The beauty of this world is that it was created perfect, but was destroyed by the lack of surrender and unequal love. The beauty within that is now we have a reason and ultimate purpose to run full speed to the One who came to save the world from our own inabilities. We are given the choice to completely surrender our lives to Him for him to cleanse us and fill up those areas in our life where we are empty. If you lack love, He is love. If you lack strength, He is stronger. If you lack direction, He is your Compass. Life can be different for you when you fully decide to get down on your knees, raise your hands high and say, "I cannot do this on my own anymore." The universal symbol of surrendering is to put your hands up. I am telling you that to raise your hands high is only the beginning. With that, you need to lift up your heart, your mind and your everything to Him who created all things. Give up your empty relationship, your destructive habits, or whatever it is that takes you away from true Happiness. The only thing standing between you and surrendering is your inability to truly want pure joy. I promise you, once you have tasted of His glory, you will not turn your back. For we cannot do this on our own, but with Him, we can do all things.


Imperfections were created to bring the Perfecter for us to Surrender


That is Truth

Live to Overcome

Today, yesterday and in the future, you will go through the tragedies of life that will bring you down ever so slowly. That is, if you allow them to. Unfortunately, us as humans have this innate ability to allow things to get to us and hurt us. This comes in many forms, such as friends and family, work, and even death. There are many things we cannot control, although we'd like to think we could. We always think we have all the answers, but what happens when that answer you wanted is just not there?


There are two ways to live your life. The first is to be passive and emotionless. In this state of like, you accept all things that happen to you and have no desire to overcome them. You may have had a friend or family member pass away, but yet you won't let them go or won't allow yourself to move on. Now I am not saying you shouldn't mourn or even grieve over the loss of a loved one, because that is part of the process. There comes a time when you need to look at what has transpired and understand why it happened and find its purpose. Everything we go through in life has a purpose. Remember all the great times, smile about the close memories, and cherish everything about the person. Part of being able to overcome is to take yourself out of the equation and allow Someone higher to take control of your life. Each life on this earth has a purpose and to seek out the purpose before our own selfish desires is so hard to learn, but it is possible. When we try to control our own lives, we always fall short of the glory. When we just sit there and allow life to walk all over us we will not be able to get up no more.

One thing that will always be consistent in life is that it will always throw you curve balls. Things will always change on you and you must be prepared for it all. Part of being a passive and emotionless is not being proactive and driven. You fall short of all your temptations. When life throws drugs, sex, and money at you, the response of no is as far as east is from the west. You stumble and get trampled over like dirt on the road. You are scared of the pressures of everyone around thinking you are weak and weird. You cannot say no to all that life throws you because you are weak, and you will not try to find help or even admit your inadequacy.


The second way to live your life is to be proactive and driven. When life halts itself right in front of you and tells you that you cannot overcome what it is about to throw at you, your ability to step forward and say "yes I can" will be words of fire that will torch any temptation. Be proactive in seeking ways to make yourself better and stronger. When you know you have a struggle, do not find a method to heal it, but find a way to run as far away from it as possible. What good does it do to you to sit in your filth and wait till the wounds close. No, get as far as you can from what is dragging you down and the further you get, the harder you work on never getting near it again. Be driven about wanting to move forward with your life and allow yourself to be encouraged and strengthened by those who love you the most. Drive yourself to be great and do great things. Live to not live in your past and fight the greatest fight in your life. Nothing can bring you down when you have Him on your side.


Whatever it is that you have gone through, know that it has a reason and one of the greatest things you can do is to teach others about your testimony. Every day that you live is a new chapter in your story. With each breath you have added one more sentence. One day when you are old and sitting on your rocking chair gazing out to the distance sky, you will open up your heart and go through the chapters of your life. Why don't you craft a story that is amazing and filled with love. Allow there to be a happy ending and joy. Bring yourself to tears to see how no struggle or pain was ever able to tear you apart. For we have the greatest Director ever and He will make your story worth living.


Life is good when you are happy, but great when you are saved. Live to overcome your past, your future, and this very second.


That is Truth

Clearly Content

Our generation has become one that is always wanting more when what we have is not enough. We seek out all the newest gadgets and toys. We post updates to the newest fads. Our eyes are constantly window shopping even when we don't realize we are even doing it. The struggle to accept what we have and where we are in life is difficult to grasp. Being unable to be content in your life leads to much disparity and pain. We have seen billionaires take their lives because they did not have as much money as they wanted. We have all seen children putting up a fit in a supermarket for that candy they wanted.


Does having all the riches of the world truly bring happiness to you? If tomorrow you won the lottery, would you not play it again because you tasted what greed was like and now you want more. There is nothing wrong in wanting things and having desires. There is however a line, which can be passed in our desires, that leads to our fall as humans.  It is that inner battle that is so hard to reckon with. To learn to accept what our lives look like and all that we have is not learned over night.


The way I've always attempted to deal with being content is to remind myself of others in the world who are not privileged like I am. My parents did an amazing job in reminding us that the wealth of this world can never fully suffice the desires of my heart. They taught that to me with love and the older I got, the more I understood it. I had to fully understand what being content meant in its entirety. I saw being content only in the context of wealth and materialistic things. I did not see it in relation to my heart and to my everyday doings.

It fully surrounds you in all that you do. Look at a few examples: a relationship, love, work, friends and family. These are all things that center around being content. When there is an imbalance, it leads to problems, separation or struggle. Sometimes the best way to get back to that place of being content is to just slow down and baby steps. Get back to the basics of life and learn to crawl before you can run.


Take what you have been given and make the best of it. Lead others by example of your own life. Be joyous in all that you have for others do not have but a speck compared to you. Your life can be beautiful when you set it all down and let it go and accept it for what it is. To be breathing and alive is a blessing in disguise. To be healthy and able to do all that we want to do is overlooked so often when we think about thanksgiving. See your life as the greatest gift that can be given to you. Everything else that is added to it is a blessing and it must be given to Him in complete surrender.


Through being content, you will be much happier and your blessings will increase. Your eyes will be cleared and your future will be seen with stronger vision. Set your anxiety aside and take up His cross. He came and laid down His life for you to live a life that is free from worry and anxiety. He gave up a world of riches to give you a life of happiness. We are all different and each have been blessed by Him differently. But no two blessings can be compared by each other because each blessing was crafted carefully by the Maker of all things.


The grass may not be greener on the other side, so be joyous for the grass that you stand on is alive and rich in life.


That is Truth

Rested Silence

Picture yourself for a second sitting by yourself by the ocean side just listening to the ripples and waves of the water crashing in. Suspend yourself from where you are currently at and place yourself directly in the middle of the biggest rain forest you can ever imagine. Listen to the water droplets, the subtle chirp of a distant bird or the echoing hiccup of a spotted frog near your foot. Paint this picture in your mind for just a minute. You are standing at the edge of a tall mountainside, there is a long river that extends from behind the mountain heading out towards the west where you see with pure amazement, the sun setting. There is not a single cloud in the sky. You gaze upon the beauty of the sun as you have never seen it so big and vibrant before. You reach out your hand towards the west and then raise them high above you in complete surrender, for a moment like this is but a still portrait. And when you least expect it...


Sirens go off, cars drive by honking, and yelling erupts. You lower your hands and turn your back to the sun and start to head back to what you were doing. You quickly forget about that split second in history where for a moment or less, you were free. Is this not how our worlds are designed and constructed? We are constantly moving and doing and never take the time to sit in silence to just rest. I struggle to understand why we do not truly rest away from the constant distractions of our world. Most of us cannot sit more then 5 feet away from our phone without feeling self conscious or in complete bluntness, naked. Our distractions are that which cloth us and make us. We will quickly make plans to do something or go somewhere, but we will not stop and let our bodies truly rest.


When is the last time you sat in a room, a car, in a park, and just did nothing whatsoever? I mean really, when was the last time you placed yourself away from just everything and anything? Some of you reading this may think I am completely crazy for even recommending time away from everything and just spending time by yourself in complete quietness. Honestly, I am okay with you thinking that, because until you have done it, you cannot love it. Many of you are too scared to stand up and be away from your Facebook for more then a minute because of your fear of missing something.


Let me tell you this: all the things in this world will be here and one day will pass. Your distractions will always be there to push you away from building you up. As great as it is to spend time with loved ones, sometimes you just need to be away from them. Even those that love you can distract you. That is hard to comprehend and understand, but the reality is, everything in this world can distract you. The biggest danger does not lie with everything that surrounds you. Rather, it lies within you. The biggest distraction that hinders your ability to find complete rest, is yourself. You will give yourself an excuse to everything and will never fall short of excusing yourself from an opportunity to just find rest. Why are you fighting yourself? Do you not realize that you will never win the battle. You will only hurt yourself and take away from the amazing life you can have.


You need to allow your mind to rest, your heart to be still and your body to heal itself. I know some of you think you are strong and picture yourselves as some morph of Superman, but you cannot do what Superman does, because it is fiction. The only One who was able to conquer all was He who came, taught, loved, died and was resurrected. Through it all, He found time to rest and take sabbath time to be with His father. True rest lies within the Father and no one else. Listen to the still silence and find His voice. Through His words you can be stronger, wiser and happier. He wants to take care of you and hold you near. He will protect you from all your distractions, if you allow Him to.


I encourage you to spend an hour every day, or at least a few days a week and take yourself away from everything and just spend it in complete silence. Allow that time to be spent with Him and listen to the beauty of His nature. Give yourself what you deserve, which is a break. Don't overwork yourself, don't stress yourself and don't ever give up on what you can do with your life. Challenge yourself to find rest, and if you do not feel better I sincerely apologize. I want nothing more then for your lives to be filled with joy, love and peace. I am completely confident, with not even a hint of doubt that He is rest and He is OUR strength.


Within the silence, seek the stillness of love and rest will be laid upon you


That is Truth

Sanctified Courage

The opportunity lurks within the distance. You can see the light that screams freedom directly to your face. You've dreamed of a day like this where you can step up to the plate and hit one over the bleachers to right center. All of a sudden, you realize that your arms are chained down to the ground. Your legs are cemented to the floor beneath you. You begin to sweat. Breathing begins to slow down to a minor faint. Your mind is running and you cannot control it anymore. You've been in the place too many times. The familiarity begins to sicken you. You have literally been placed in the most opportune moment in history, but you have failed to have the courage to overcome all the things others have said you cannot do.


See here is the thing. The sweat you are sweating was by all the layers of stress you have allowed to be placed upon you without asking for someone to help you. You have decided to take the easy way out without having the courage to go to the ones who love you most, and ask for their help. The ground you stand on was laid down with cement by your own hands because before you decided to step forward and act on the opportunity given to you, you believed that you could not do it. You did not have the courage to set the lies thrown at you to the side and walk on solid ground. You step into the cement and stop. Then you have placed the chains around your wrists and nailed them to the ground. You took your life and you dedicated it to this earth, to the one place you currently stand. You have placed the blinders upon your eyes and gave up your privilege to look far into the distance. You've settled for who you are and told yourself that you cannot do anything. You cannot go anywhere, you cannot change lives. Heck, you can't even bring joy to the lonely. You constantly remind yourself of this by chaining yourself to the place you currently stand. The cement you stand on is time. With time the opportunity to get up and go lessens. The only thing that stands between you and the next chapter of your life is your lack of courage.


Why are you afraid to live? Do you not ever think of the millions of people in third world countries that get up each day wondering if they are actually living, or have gone to heaven? The children that run around with nothing but a piece of cloth covering themselves sitting in the dirt and filth begging to eat just a grain of rice. Their bellies so malnourished that they would do anything to be able to walk to the nearest Taco Bell and pick up a burrito. You laugh at the image of Taco Bell and the taste of the burrito, and you have quickly forgotten the child that would give up his life to eat and live like you do. The courage it takes for others who do not have anything to get up and just beg for one more day, for one more breath is courage that cannot be taught.

Yet you sit there right now reading this, and i'm not sure where you are in your life, but I can guarantee you one thing, you have not done what you know you can do. You have sold yourself short because you do not know what you are capable of. If you do not know what you are capable of, let me take one second and tell you what you are capable of doing. I want you to listen with full attention right now, because you may not like what I am going to say. Heck, you may be hating me right now up until this point and this will just push you over the edge. Are you ready to be rocked? Well here it is. You have the ability to live, and let others live. You have the opportunity to take out just 1 minute in each day that you live and do something nice for someone. You have the opportunity to take what has been given to you, and give it to someone else. You have the ability to do whatever it is that you want. You can go to school, you can work, you and get married. Whatever it is you want to do, you can do it. There is not one person in this world that can ever tell you what you cannot do. The only reason someone will ever tell you that you cannot do something, is because they themselves cannot do it like you can. If you want to go out and work in the missions field and give up your lavish lifestyle here, then do not wait one more second. For if you wait, you have lost. You have let the cement dry under your feet and the chains have won their victory.


Release all that you have placed upon you and have the courage to go and do whatever it is you want to do in life. Give all that you endure and experience to the One who gave you it all. For if we do not give up all our blessings, and our sufferings to Him, then we might as well call it a night and forget about a future of happiness. Ask the Leader of all nations for the courage to step up in your life and run with the Angels.


All these words I write to you are not me telling you that you are not a great person. I write this to you today to tell you this is what I have done to myself for so many years. For a lifetime I lacked courage to do God's work. I failed to be His servant and His missionary. I pour out my heart to you in this moment for you to see the vulnerability of man when man does not allow a God so strong to help him through everything he goes through. Through Him, I pray that you find the courage to live your life for all that it is and that you do not ever doubt the power of courage and the power of love.


In courage comes the gift of renewed life. Live and be free for Thee.


That is Truth

The Pursuit of Happiness

Have you ever wondered what happiness really is? I mean honestly, think, what is true happiness? We are born into a world that is consistently burdened with wars and suffering and we hear of catastrophic natural disasters and unfortunate losses. What is happy about all this? It's true that these things are in theory sad things. They're devastating to families and bring tears unlike anything our eyes have ever witnessed. The question that always puzzles me is how can someone be expected to pursue a life of happiness when sadness surrounds them? Can you forget about the sufferings you have been through or forgive those who have hurt you? The questions are endless, but the beauty of the pursuit is that it too never ends.


We are given the reins to our lives and we have the free will to do whatever it is that we want. We can choose to do something really dangerous and thrilling, or we can choose to play it safe and take the road around the obstacle. Both paths lead to our goals' end, but the journey is what shapes you into who you will become. There is a beauty that lies within the journey of the pursuit of happiness that is so unique and individualistic to each and every one of us. Two people will never live an identical life. Two people will never be as happy as each other. Thinking that the grass is greener on the other side, we strive to always want our lives to be better. But at times, we forget what we have been given. For those of you who live in America, do you realize how much of a blessing your life is here in the complete freedom of democracy? We forget; we take for granted the many gifts that have been given to us.


Sometimes. understanding how to get to the place of pure happiness will often require taking a step in the opposite direction. Pause the busyness you call life and take a second to do some reminiscing. Think back to your childhood, middle school years, high school, and beyond. Can you recall each breath? Can you remember each step that brought you to where you are? You were created to run after everything you have ever wanted. For most of us, we tend to run without ever looking back. Let me tell you this: your future would be nothing without your past. From surviving a rough upbringing and true heartache, to being blessed with abundant love, your life would be nothing but an empty vessel without those trials and tribulations.


You think you know what you're running after, to this figurative place the world calls happiness. You continue to race after it, thinking of nothing but achieving this goal. Have you ever run a race free of exhaustion? It's not possible. To achieve greatness, one needs complete brokenness. You need to train, learn and examine all aspects that will hinder this race. I am promising you from the bottom of my heart that happiness is right around the corner. If you want it, you will receive it. If you strive for it, you will never walk away empty handed. The pursuit of happiness in its entirety is a beautiful race. To be healthy, loved, and to have a purpose in life are common goals.


But here's the catch: these things, health, love, money and possessions, they all fade. The dirt on the ground changes from day to day, as does the air we breathe. What if I told you about a pursuit of Happiness that will never leave you unhappy? It will only cost you one thing, but it's something that never belonged to you from the start. What would you say to me? Would you crucify me and beat me till I bled profusely? The last time that happened, my Christ proved that love overcomes all and cannot be broken down. He came to promise us a life of pure happiness and endless love. He showed us this throughout His life on earth how much He cares for us and that's something He'll never stop doing.


If you want to pursue complete happiness, I encourage you to pursue the Maker of happiness and the Designer of consecrated love. In life, you will find many things that will make you happy,  but none of those will ever make you happy forever. Each season comes and goes. But there is One who will never leave you on your own in your tough times. You need His love to overcome all your pains and struggles; to wait is to only be unhappy one more day.


Be happy and be loved. For to be joyous is glorious, and He is Glory.


That is Truth

Unfound Fear

Set aside everything you are doing right now and think about this question: What is it that you are fearful of? This may be a silly question to some. For others, it might be thought provoking and will stimulate some hidden feelings that might never have been dealt with. You may be sitting there wondering where to start. What if I told you that no matter how long you've been dealing with it, the fear you have been battling with can be subsided and harnessed with one step? I have your attention now, don't I?


Well, here is the thing. This step is so big it cannot be watered down into a self-help book that is sold on the clearance racks at Barnes and Noble. For too long, you and I alike have sought out how we can overcome the fears of life. But before we can talk about how to subdue this annoying pest we call fear, we must clarify what fear I am talking about. Think about this for a second: Where is your life going right now? What is guiding your direction? Do you wake up tomorrow knowing full well that no matter what happens, you will be secure in some sort of peace? If life ended for you before the end of this paragraph, would you be alive? Kind of a paradox there to be dead and alive in the same instance, isn't it? The fear of losing all that we have and not knowing what will happen with us is such an unsettling feeling that leads many to run away from the only thing that makes sense. But you are not ready to know what this is yet.


Does your life mean so much to you that you would hold it with all that you have, unwilling to allow someone to help you? Are you that afraid of being hurt or being torn down for some higher purpose? What if I told you that you sit there today reading this, knowing that you are afraid of life in its entirety and have forgotten what life is in its complete essence. I will tell you this: not as a person who is all-knowing or fully wise in the wisdom of my elders, but as a man growing up with fears that are true, fears that are real and common. Life scares the living daylights out of me. But here is where the kicker kicks in. The life I have here is empty. I live each day as if it is my last. I seek out the opportunities to love and be loved. Encouragement at its best is like a breath of fresh air each day. I live with the fear of joy, fear of prosperity, and fear of eternal life.


Yes, there it is. The answer to all questions. The step to overcoming all fear, all doubt, and all pain is the giver of eternal life. He is the maker of life and the designer of who you are today. On this day, you can take your fears, lay them down at His feet, and allow yourself to be emptied of all the burdens you have brought upon yourself. We as people do not ever allow someone to fully surround us and take control of our life. Can you believe me right now when I tell you that there is only One who will not hurt you, forsake you, or give up on you. His name is Jesus Christ. He saved my life years ago when He showed me grace for a life I did not deserve. I was afraid of the life I could live and did not trust anyone. He gave me reason to live, purpose to breathe, and joy to love.


On this day, you can bet set free of all your fears. You can have this fire burning within you that will never be put out by anyone. You can burn for Him and allow others to see how there is life and hope even in our lowest moments. Sometimes we don't understand why God does things the way He does. Sometimes He takes away the things or people we love most. But do not for one second ever blame the Creator of life for what He chooses to do. He has a purpose for all things and one day, you will understand and see how it was part of the bigger picture. Do not be afraid of this bigger picture.


The beauty of this bigger picture is that it can include you. He wants to etch your name into this amazing love story that casts you as its leading role. You can change lives, give hope to the hopeless, and take away fear from the fearful.


Will you allow Christ to take away your fear today and replace it with hope? For your fear is unfound, and His love is pure. Don't let your life slip away knowing full well that life beyond your last breath can truly be the last breath you ever breathe. Give up all that you are today to Him, and He will give you living breath for the rest of your days. He is the Giver of life and the Peace to your unsettled heart today.


I pray you will seek Him in all your ways. For He will wait for you till the end.


That is Truth