One Month

It has now been a month since my big move to Nashville, and with the exception of a few funky curve balls, life has been brilliant. After a month of crazy changes, I thought I would update you on a few of my favorite new things....

I have a wonderful apartment and a great roommate, who will be returning from tour tomorrow!! 

I'm working at Brentwood-Benson as a music sales rep, I love the people I work with there, they make it a joy to go to work everyday.  It's great going from a job you dreaded daily to one you actually enjoy!!

I'm attending & helping at Crosspoint Church. Pete Wilson, the head pastor at Crosspoint, is a dynamic speaker and his messages seem to speak straight to me. This is also the where my friend Stephen Brewster is the creative arts pastor, he is helping me get plugged in. 

On Monday nights, I help out with People Loving Nashville, which is a group of people who feed & clothe homeless people. They not only help people, but they build relationships with the people and take time to look deeper into the people's lives, instead of looking past them like so many do. The stories you hear and the things you learn, from the people who show up, are quite interesting and very eye opening to simple things we daily take for granted. 

I'm very grateful to my friends who have helped make this move so amazing. My friend Amy keeps me up with all the cool trendy places...haha.. last night she took me out to see Steel Magnolia... Not only did I enjoy a great show, but we had friend pickles - a totally new thing, I've now experience twice. After the show we went to Cafe Coco and I had Canadian French Fries - if you haven't had them, be open minded and try them. 

My friends/family at CMC are some of the most amazing people ever. CMC alum are slowly taking over Nashville, and now that CMC is located here, it's only going to grow. I love knowing that they are right down the road.

This is all for now, but there is so much more to come!! 

Stand

I was talking to my friend Whitney yesterday, and she made a comment that I can't get out of my head:

"Everybody says its going to be okay, but what do you do till it's all ok?"

I think this song answers that question....

Psalm 20:6-9

Now this I know:

The LORD gives victory to His anointed.

He answers Him from His heavenly sanctuary

with the VICTORIOUS power of His right hand.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

LORD, give victory to the king!

Answer us when we call!

A New Story Begins.....

Blogging has never been an easy thing for me, because I'm not regular with it, however as I begin this new chapter in my life and I believe I will make this part of my weekly/daily schedule.

My "New Years Resolution" was to move to Nashville, TN and get a job in the music industry. As I began making plans to move, I had no idea what would lay before me, I chose to jump when I could have rested conformably at home.

Arriving on the 4th, I had two job interviews scheduled by the end of the day - one on the 5th and the other on the 6th, both interviews went very well and I was hired at Brentwood Benson Music Publishing - I work within their sales department.

I've also found more opportunities opening than I could have ever imagined!

Now, 2 weeks after moving, I've learned that as I completely allow God to lead me, He's always faithful to see every detail through. I plan, worry, and get frustrated over such insignificant things - creating monsters & monstrosities out of teddy bears & pebbles. Sometimes I believe he sits back and laughs at me, and when I finally slow down enough to listen, He comes in and whispers to me that His purpose will always prevail.

….........

Why were you created?

What is the purpose of your life?

Will you ever truly know?

There is a passionate stirring deep within oneself that drives them for something greater than they believe is conceivable. A yearning for what our dream job, our future spouse, and/or our dream home will be. Somewhere within every person there is a belief that something bigger, someone greater, brought this world into existence.

But why?

What is the purpose of humanity?

Is there one?

Is there truly a reason why we exist or was it coincidence?

Many people have their theories…

A big bang occurred and everything fell into place, which happened millions of years ago.

Evolution, which is the belief that life evolved from one creature to another…example: monkeys to man. Similar to the big bang theory, this requires millions of years or everything within evolution crumbles beneath itself.

Creation, in the beginning (time) God created the heavens (space) and the earth (matter). (Funny how scientific God is!) In His Word (The Bible), it shows us He created it in seven real days and he emphasizes this by saying, “and there was evening and morning on the first day… second day… etc.”

Many will still argue that there were thousands of years between each day, however again God was clever! He created plants the day before the sun! Please, explain to me how plants could live 1,000 years without the sun?

Now I don’t talk about this to cause people to argue their beliefs, however that timeline and the others in the Bible are critical to the Christian faith.

Why you might ask? Because God said there was not death before the fall (Adam & Eve eating off the tree of life), but if there was thousands of years, there would have been death before this point.

So the next question might be… What is the importance of death NOT being before the fall? If there was death before man sinned (Sin: an act regarded as a serious or regrettable fault, offense, omission), than the core message of the gospel is invalid.

See the Bible says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.” It was because of Adam & Eve’s sin that caused God to banish them from Paradise and God killed a lamb (the first death) to cover them (clothes). In the same way God allowed his son Jesus to come to earth to die (like a lamb sacrifice). (This is why Jesus is referred to as The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.) The first lamb covered the outside (clothing), while the second lamb (Jesus) covers our inside (our eternal souls).

Now back to Purpose… If God created everything, then an infinite creator who planned and purposed everything created this world! He made no mistakes and he created every tree, blade of grass, star, sunset, snowflake, animal, and human beings (from conception). He created each person different and with their own unique gifts and abilities.

You were created with for a purpose and your creator has a count of every hair on your head, so make each day count and don’t waste a moment.

Listen...Do you hear it?

Listen...

Do you hear it?

SHHH...

Do you know what your listening for?

FOCUS...

Can you hear it now?

Silence...

You still aren't listening...

How many times do people go through life feeling

this way... NO ONE is listening!!

People try to explain what they are feeling and no one understands

or no one cares enough to take the time and listen.

WHY...

WHY is it that no one listens??

We go through each day completely focused on ourselves!

We spend more time on our "virtual reality" of facebook, twitter, myspace, and whatever else our digital outlet is, than we do with real live humans.

Music is great, but take 5 minutes, STOP listening to your iPod and talk to someone!

NOT just "hey, what's up?" but TALK to them...

See what is really going on in their life!

Why are 12 year old girls getting pregnant...

because there fathers & mothers aren't listening!

Why are boys not growing up to be men...

because they do not have fathers setting examples.

Why is depression and suicide rising..

because people feel that no one cares enough about them

and they believe that no one would miss them if they were gone!

WHY?

Why do we think life has to run 500 miles an hour?

Because "The Jones'" have a bigger house and "the Smith's" have a nicer car.

We can never be satisfied, yet we strive for satisfaction...

The next high that takes the loneliness, bitterness, and worthlessness away...

What is it?

Where is it?

How can I get it?

And by the time we get it, we are over it and moving on the the next "New Thing."

LISTEN...

Do you get it yet?

How many times do you stop and listen?

People around you are hurting... crying out for help

and you are so busy fulfilling your own selfish desires that you are missing it....

Look at their faces Look into their eyes See the need!

LISTEN

You could make a difference!

You could change someone's life if you chose to listen!

STOP saying, "woe is me,"

because there is always someone who has it worse than you.

Start helping those around you in need

and you will find your needs don't seem so bad.

You will receive such joy from serving others

that your cares will slip away.

Just listen and be the difference!!

Stepping off the edge

How many times have you wanted something,

but you have feared what it would take to get it?

How many times have you felt something was within reach,

but you wouldn't stretch across the edge to grab it?

How many times have you stopped following your dreams,

because you think you are not good enough to achieve them?

STOP

Stop allowing fear to control the things you do!

If you want it, go get it!

You were created to dream big

and aspire to greatness.

It's not easy to step out, to dream of what you could become,

or to stretch yourself to your full potential;

however it is necessary for you to give your all

and be excellent in what you do.

Bruce Wilkinson says,

"As God's chosen, blessed sons and daughters, we are EXPECTED to attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed...

UNLESS God steps in."

Be willing to work harder.

Be willing to go farther.

Be willing to fight when you feel like giving in.

And watch as what you dreamed to be, becomes your reality.

Be yourself and let the world take notice!

Who are You?

What sets you apart from the rest?

What did God create you to be?

I'm not asking about your job title or what church, gym,

or other affiliation you might be a part of. I'm asking who are you as an individual.

So many times we try to fit in, be another person in a sea of faces, when we were created to stand out!

I'm not expecting you to answer my question of,

"Who are you?" However I'm challenging you to think about it.

Look in the mirror and ask yourself, Who am I?

What was I created to do? What is my purpose?

In Economics they use a production possibility curve,

which shows when resources are used in the most efficient way possible.

What if we had a production possibility curve in our lives, would it show that we are using our God given resources to full potential or would it show we are giving 50%?

Stop being another useless, dead light-bulb

and start plugging into the power source so you can give 100%.

DaRe To StAnD OuT!

Be Yourself, who God created you to be, and let the world take notice!!!