Give Me a Title

My friend Chris showed this to me.  What would be an appropriate title for it?

My True Christmas Wish List

This Is my true wish for Christmas. You remember how I said I was tired of the gift giving for Christmas a few weeks ago?  Well I wont have to be an official Scrooge!  This is how I’m giving.

What do you want for Christmas?

Get That Swagga Up

Ok so I was talking to a dear friend of mine and without knowing it she reminded of all she has taught me about having Swagger.  Therefore I thought I would demonstrate swagger through pictures and small explanations of who she is.  I thought I would point out that this is no attempt to hook up with/date/”holla at”/”get at”/or any sign that I want this girl as a facebook official girlfriend.  (I know how some of you are and where your minds would go so I am clearing that up now!!)  Here is swagger the Molly Aper style (go check her blog she is BOSS!)

1.) You Must know when to take it easy.  Molly is the BEST at relaxing and letting things unfold around her.  What is even more awesome is that she is not in a rush to make things happen. 

2.) You MUST be a fierce competitor!  Life is hard, but like Aaliyah said “Dust yourself and try again.”  Molly is the baddest chick on the volleyball court but also I know firsthand that she is a very well driven person who will not be slowed down or distracted from doing what she has been called to.

3.) Keep your friends close to you.  When everyone else quits on you, your close friends will always be there.  Molly is the biggest encourager I can think of and I would say all her friends would agree.

4.) Keep yourself in check.  Ironically, swagger is about having this prideful thing about yourself (which is contradictory to Molly) and when I say keep yourself in check I mean if you are to cool to laugh at yourself then you’re probably to cool to have solid relationships.  Stay humble, Molly wouldn’t say she is humble but that’s because she REALLY is!

5.) The is the most important.  Love Jesus and follow what He is leading you to, even if no one else has done it.  Molly was the only student to study abroad from Johnson Bible College (officially), she left comfort and went to Costa Rica. Awesome!  There is no greater example of a follower of Jesus.

Molly is a dear friend and I have learned a lot from her life and her dedication to following and serving the Lord.  And no one has a swagga like her! (but seriously go check out her blog)

Who has made an impact in your life?

Abe Lincoln and the Five Legged Sheep

I was reading in a leadership journal and they were talking about people restating ideas, evidence, concepts without fully knowing the truth.  Well they told this story of Abraham Lincoln (one of my favorite leaders of all time):

              “It seems that when Abe Lincoln was a young trial lawyer in Sangamon County, Illinois, he was arguing a case with a lawyer whose version of the facts came more from his imagination than the testimony.  Lincoln, in his argument, turned on him and said:

                Tell me sir, how many legs has a sheep got?” “Why, four, or course,” the fellow answered. “And if I called his tail a leg, then how many legs would that sheep have?” Lincoln asked.  The answer came, “Then he’d have five.” “No!” Lincoln roared, pounding the jury rail, “he’d still have just four legs. Calling his tail a leg won’t make it a leg.  Now let’s look at the actual testimony and see how many tails you have been calling legs.”

Abe Lincoln was the original wordsmith! 

How many times do we as Christians say “well it’s in the Bible!”  But we can’t provide any proof of where it is.  We, me included, need to stop talking out of our imagination and start READING the truth, and then communicate from it!!

Tell me what you think!

Here You Go Cheap-O’s

Ok so I know a lot of you are cheap, especially now that’s it’s Christmas…Don’t get me started on shopping for people that already have to much junk to begin with.  Call me a scrooge, I just struggle with this idea of buying gifts for people with too much stuff when people on the other side of the world are dying of dirty/no water and starvation.  But anyway when you’re headin’ to WalMart for a Robotic Guinea Pig the guys at University Baptist Church (David Crowders church) released a free Christmas album.  Just click on the picture. 

What are the strangest gifts you’ve ever recieved???

Stop Making Excuses

Ragamuffin Soul 30 Day Holiday Health Challenge from Carlos Whittaker on Vimeo.

So my twitter/blogging/cyber friend that I have never had an actual conversation with posted this video over the Thanksgiving holiday, while most people were stuffing their faces with good food!! I have decided to take this challenge head on, it’s easy (kind of….ok so maybe it won’t be but it WILL be totally beneficial in ALL areas of my life).  Here is the link the Los posted, ragamuffin soul, check it out and then I will tell you my 3 in 30.

The three areas in my life are: (drum roll please)

1. Physical: Lose 40 pounds (this will obviously not be done in 30 days, but in 30 days I will see how much more I need to work.)
2. Spiritual: Pray for 30 minutes everyday. (so tell me how I can pray for you)
3. Relational: Take the four men that have poured into my life over the last year or so out to lunch, to thank them.

Ok there it is, it’s on. If you feel inspired to join, let me know so we can bust each others butt if we are slacking!

Tell me your thoughts.

So here are three albums I have been listening to over and over, for some reason they haven’t been getting old!  That must mean they are good and you should maybe check them out.  I will say this, I am eagerly anticipating the release of the Carlos Whittaker EP…by excited I mean EXCITED…

What do you think?

For All You Photographers…Give Someone Back Their Dignity

I have run across this amazing project from a man that I admire for his musical talents as well as his passion for Christ Carlos Whittaker.  This is a project that I may just have to bust out the old balck and white film camera…that’s right film!

Little Bit of Life Change

When I came to Indianapolis to intern at an incredible church I had no idea what I was getting myself into!  Traders Point Christian Church has some of the most incredible leaders I have ever met, not only are the leaders amazing but the people who make up this place have some amazing hearts.  I stayed in Indy and at Traders for the relationships that I had developed in my short time here.  Well my time is coming to an end at Traders within the next couple months, a part of me is sad but for the majority I am excited for what God has in store for me.  I will continue to stay in Indy until the summer and then I will move back down to Knoxville to finish up the rest of my degree at Johnson Bible College, I am looking forward to learning from men and letting them become mentors in my life.  One of them being the great Rafael Rodriguez!  God is so good!

Many of you may be wondering what the future looks like.  Well to be honest, so am I!  I have a strong passion and feel called to serving the local church.  God has blessed me with a passion to preach the Gospel and I intend on preaching the Word with boldness and preaching it only through the grace that Christ provides.  I am nothing without Him.  I also feel called to working with the community in which I am serving, I am very passionate about helping people grow in their relationship with Christ and however I can help I want to do that.  I am excited for what the future holds and excited to see how God will work in and through me.

 

Time Out on Jimmy Johns

I wont give my opinion, yet, but please read this article and let me know what you think.  I will be updating soon with my thoughts, but please leave a comment I would really like to get a conversation going. Peace I’m out, like Kanye West’s sanity.

click here for article