Overview

Sorry if there are misspelled words or any other type of grammatical errors, I decided not to proof read in fear that I would start to change to many things. I wrote what I felt called to say and refuse to go back through and change what God had put on my heart.

Before, During, and After SBP 2010

Where do I begin? It has been such a long road in such a short amount of time that I don’t really know where to even start. I guess I will start with a brief testimony and show how I was led to Summer Beach Project 2010, what I learned there, and where I am and what I am doing now. PS: This is going to be very long.

As most of you know I grew up in a Christian home with a father as a pastor. So my entire childhood and early adolescence I was a “Christian”. Then as we all do, I went through my rebellious stage. At an FCA camp before my sophomore year of high school I “gave my life to the Lord”. It was a slow transition, but I was becoming the example I thought I was supposed to be. Going to a small Christian school in a small town opens up many opportunities. I took mine as the leader and was “doing the right things”. My heart wasn’t in it at all and I had no true relationship with God. Sure I went to church, prayed (occasionally), read my Bible at small groups or Bible studies. The truth is that I was only doing the right things because I had to. God knew my heart, and knew that I was not genuine and had no intimate relationship with Him. “But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6. My good works were for the flesh alone. I only cared about my personal image, and was doing nothing for Him. Please, please, please read James 2:14-20, Faith without works is dead! I had no faith. I thought I did, but my true colors were shown when I went to college. My foundation was not built on the rock, but the sand and I withered away for almost 4 long, hard years. In college I was consumed with partying, drinking, girls, all the evil ways of this superficial world. I was living it up and empty and dead inside. I did not hide it, I wore it proudly on my sleeve. I even had talks with my dad, I was the prodigal son, and he let me go, just as a good father should. He told me I could only ride the fence for so long. In my junior year I began my relationship with my girlfriend Natalie. She initiated in me a change to want to be better. The beginning of my senior year at The Citadel I decided to start going to Campus Outreach meetings. This is where I met Tony, this true MAN of God changed my life. I got into a men’s small group study with him and a few other senior guys at The Citadel. We would meet every Tuesday and go to CO meetings on Thursday. I also started attending a church on Sundays, East Cooper Baptist Church. After a long and hard first semester, where I almost got kicked out of school and lost my Army commissioning, it clicked. Tony gave a talk about turning your life over to Christ. He said, “If there is anything between you and God that is affecting your relationship with Him, I want you to ask Him to reveal it to you. Whatever He tells you, if you ask Him, you must turn it over to Him with an open palm.” I was skeptical for a few days; I finally manned up and asked God. He immediately revealed it to me. He told me that my relationship with Natalie needed to change. We did not have a Godly relationship, I was not the spiritual leader I needed to be, and our relationship needed to reflect God. I called her instantly and she agreed. I called her about 5 minutes later and told her that I was done drinking as well, she completely agreed with that also. January was the first time that I truly gave my life to Christ. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves [it is] the gift of God Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9. I finally understood it, for the first time in my life, ever! I had that intimate relationship with God, I had fellowship. I had a talk with Tony a few weeks after and he told me that he really noticed a change in my life. I explained to him above and man was he pumped for me. Then he tried to recruit me for SPB 2010. I was not interested. For the last year and a half my relationship with Natalie has been a long distance relationship of 8 hours apart. She went to Alabama, and we of course did not know what the future held for us. All we knew is that she was going to be going to law school somewhere in the Continental U.S. and that I was going to be stationed anywhere in the world. Needless to say we had both planned on staying in Charleston for 2 and ½ months for the summer and grow in our relationship together. Tony advised that I trust God and go to SBP. I told him that I would pray about it. I immediately went to my spiritual advisors, first God, and then my earthy father. My dad is very wise and is full of so much wisdom. He told me not to be impulsive, because I am, and to pray about it and talk with Natalie. After speaking with Natalie, we both wanted to be selfish and spend time together, but we knew that God was our authority and so we waited on Him. Days later Natalie texted me one night, very late; she explained that she had just finished reading some verses in Samuel where God was calling him, and she felt like God was calling me to SBP. So I took a step of faith and signed up for 9 weeks in Panama City Beach Florida. At this point all I knew was that I was going to be doing training at Ft. Benning in Columbus, Georgia starting February 6, 2011, and that I would also be stationed there for my first post. I had no clue where Natalie would be at law school. With the end of school coming near Natalie had a list of a few schools in mind, nothing solid. I took another leap of faith and committed to a Army recruiting position at AUM in Montgomery, Alabama; because I won’t start getting paid by the Army until 6 Feb. 2011. A few weeks before school ended Natalie wanted to go to something similar to SBP for the summer. She found nothing. I made a call to Tony and he called the head guy and they had 1 spot left. They didn’t know her and had to trust mine and Tony’s judgment. Last minute they allowed her to come. This is when I started raising support.

This is where the blessings started to pour in. Natalie and her mother, Joan, went on a 10 day graduation trip to Europe and she had to show up to SBP late. She did not have time to raise money for the $1525 SPB summer cost. God provided enough money for not only me and her, but some extra to help others out who were low on support. How great is God!? While at SBP we find out that Natalie is accepted to Jones School of Law which is conveniently enough in Montgomery, Alabama. It gets better. SBP, Panama City Beach, Florida was only SC schools. Except for one couple and their one student, Jack Shannon and his wife Chastity where from a school called Huntington which is in Montgomery, AL. They hear that we are moving to Montgomery after Project and are more than willing to help us. (I will go into further detail on this in the next paragraph). If you have been following my blogs from before you can see the growth that I had developed over the past 9 weeks in Panama. I grew to know the Lord better than I ever thought possible. I developed a real quiet time with Him. A time that I spent in the word getting to know Him more. I grew in knowledge of the Gospel and my purpose in life in this world and not of it. Getting to know Christ and to make Him known. I learned the importance of fellowship with other Christians. I learned what true accountability meant and the significant importance of it. I really can’t wrap up all what I learned in those 9 weeks, but I was like a sponge taking in everything I could with an open heart, soul, and mind. I had a desire to reflect Christ though my life and share His gift with others. I learned how to pray, really pray, talk to my Father on another level and listen to His call more clearly. I learned true love, love that only a Father can have for His children, the way I should love others. I was taught about Gods magnificent gift of grace and the truth in His holy Word. I learned about the Holy Spirit and how powerful He is. How He is here living in me, helping guide me daily in my walk with Him. I learned how to study the scriptures and learn from it. Apply the bible to my daily walk with Christ. I learned about suffering and how we are suppose to suffer just as Christ did. It is not meant to be an easy walk, don’t be mistaken. I learned to put my trust in Him more for WHEN the hard times come that I will turn to Him. I built a foundation on solid ground that will last for an eternity with my Heavenly Father. Most importantly I learned how to share the Gospel so that others may know Him. My growth in Christ grew exponentially, and will set me up for success in the future. Thankfully Natalie’s walk went just about the same for her SBP experience. I am so thankful that God allowed us both to experience this great opportunity together. Now I know my true calling, the call that God has for all of us, and that is ministry. We are all called one way or another, and mine is in the military.

The things God has done since SBP 2010 would have been impossible without Him. Just listen to what God has done. As I said before that the only people who were there that were not from SC were Jack and Chastity. They live here in Montgomery, AL. I was going to head to Montgomery and stay in a hotel for a few days, with my own money, until I found a place. No need, Jack insisted that I stay with him and his wife until I found a place. I arrive and went out the next day to find a place to live. After two full days it came down to this; I either would live well above my means at $750 + a month, not including utilities, or live in the ghetto for $400 am month. Easy decision for me, I am going to live in the ghetto. Nope! Jack talked to some guys and there was a chance that I could either live immediately behind Jacks house, in a house that his biggest supporter rents out to college guys or possibly live with 3 other really solid Christian guys that jack knew. So I filled out a few job applications at some restaurants here in Montgomery and then headed home just praying that I have somewhere to live. I need work because I don’t start recruiting at AUM till October. The day that I came back to Montgomery, the house with the 3 guys in it was a house of 4. Conveniently enough the day I arrived, August 1, 2010, their one roommate moved out and they needed a roommate. I met the guys and we all clicked immediately. Needless to say, I moved in that night. I live in a 4 bedroom house, 2 bathrooms, 2 living rooms, a dining room, a laundry room, a HUGE backyard, with all utilities for…. $300 a month! Let me tell you this place is not only nice, but so clean that you would think 4 drill sergeants lived here. I’m serious, I am blessed well beyond my means. Not only with the house, but Jack and His wife Chastity as well as my 3 roommates all go to this awesome Church. So not only do I have a place to live but an amazing church to go to. I also live with 3 awesome Christian guys who are all older and more mature in their walk with Christ. Matt is 30, Brandon is 26, and Jeremy is 22. They are all men of God. So now I also have accountability. It gets better. Jack and two of his friends and I are going to meet once a week for a men’s bible study. We’re starting with the book of Romans. On top of all of this, yesterday I just got the job as a server at bonefish grill. If you can remember this all started with me trusting God. I took a step of faith and decided to go on SBP 2010 back in January. The best part of it is that Natalie is 10 minutes away and she goes to Sunday school and Church with me, and is also going to be getting in a woman’s bible study with a lady by the name of Steph Jones. We have a great Christian community, accountability, fellowship. It all started with trusting Him. He knew what was going to happen, and He said “Daniel just trust me”. It is unreal what God is going in my life. I thank Him every day. Being here a week before Natalie arrived allowed me to help her move in and help set up her apartment. It has truly been a blessing since I left project. Even tonight we have dinner in “Our Honor” at Jack and Chastity’s house with two other married couples. Preston who is also in her first year with Natalie at Jones law school and her husband, and Shannon, a third year at Jones Law, and his wife. How blessed are we?! Three awesome Christian couples to fellowship and learn from. It has just been amazing. I realize that God doesn’t always bless us like this. I understand now that hard times are coming. I daily have to remind myself to not get caught up in good works. I shouldn’t live my life expecting to be blessed. I continuously catch myself rewarding myself for the things that I should be doing. Thankfully He is much bigger than me and keeps me in line.

My future plans only God knows, and I trust Him with it. I know that starting February I have 16 long weeks of Infantry Officer Basic Course (IOBC) followed by 8 longer harder weeks of Ranger school. Then I will be stationed at Ft. Benning, Columbus, Georgia for about 2 years, and will sometime after ranger school deploy to Afghanistan or Iraq. I have an 8 year commitment right now to the Army, and in order to go farther in my career I will have to go back to school. My plan is to maybe go to seminary and become a minister as well as being a soldier. Not a Chaplin or a pastor, but being an infantry army ranger who is also an ordained minister would be pretty powerful. The opportunity to be an Army officer and be in charge of so many men and also to share the gospel with them by my words and actions is only a gift given from God. The opportunity that I feel called to do will allow for me to reach men through God alone that many others cannot. I will continue to be praying about this for many years. Please pray for me, and that my walk with Christ will continue to grow every more, till the day that I join my father.

Serving Him, Daniel

Last Day

This will sadly be my last blog. I know it is sad, but I am leaving tomorrow morning at 8 AM. It has been a long 9 weeks, and now 64 blogs. Geez, just sitting here now reflecting on my time here, it has just gone by so fast. We spent the entire morning, from 9-5 moving out and cleaning the rooms. Let me tell you, each and every room is spotless. Afterwards we all just enjoyed each others company. Tonight was a short little finale, we all gathered and watched a slide show of the entire project through pictures. It reminded me how long we had been here, in a good way. Lots of laughs and smiles throughout the entire group. It is a strange feeling having it be this close to the end. Arriving you never think it is going to end, or end this fast. Now I'm about to crawl in bed for my last night here on project, in Panama City Beach. It's crazy! I have grown and learned so much about my relationship with Christ, and I can't wait to see what He is going to do with my life. I know one thing is for sure, I will trust Him. I could really write forever, but this will be short so that it is not all over the place. One thing is for sure, I don't regret coming at all, I feel so blessed to have this opportunity before I venture out into the real world. Thank you to ALL who supported me on this project, both financially and spiritually. Your support through generosity and prayer can't even begin to be expressed in words. All my growth is attributed to Him first and then you all. It has been a blessing writing these blogs and I am going to miss it. Maybe I will do it again some day, who knows. I keep reflecting on how much has changed since I have been here. I feel like scales have literally fallen from my eyes and heart. I see so much more clear and my heart is full, full of Christ. Don't let this be mistaken for a spiritual high by any means. I have been on those before, and I'm telling you that this is a transformation. I really don't know what else to write. Please pray for my continuing growth in Christ, not just mine but everyone here on project. Pray for safety as we all travel back home or wherever we are going. Thank you.

Serving Him,

Daniel

Make War

This morning was the last meeting and John Muller, the guy I spoke about yesterday gave it. He started off the talk explaining how this world has a battle going to daily. People are deprived by Satan, they are deprived of all the good that God provides. He's like a lion prowling on all of us, the Kingdom of God is under attack daily. Thankfully we have the truth, and we have to battle because Satan hates you. The reality of this world is there are the saved Christians and every one else who is hell bound and there is tension. It is our responsibility to share the Gospel to as many of these people as we can. John talked about how he likes stories, he gave examples of movies and books. A great story he shared from 1 Samuel 14:1-23 is one about the Philistines and how they had the Israelites oppressed. (You have got to read this story). They were in such control that they took all their blacksmiths and weapons. There were only 2 swords owned by the King, Samuel, and his son, Johnathon. Johnathon got sick of it one day and went up with one other and ended up defeating the Philistines, you really got to read this story. He led a huge revolt, and the Lord saved Israel that day because of it. This is so practical to us and our daily lives. In order for God to work, he had to leave camp and go to the enemy. He also had someone with him, they trusted God, and had room for God to make moves. He started a fight. This all should relate to our lives. We all must be willing to start spiritual fights for the Lord. The people in our daily lives are the people that we need to be saving, the devil doesn't want you to. We are the only ones with truth who can help save them. A good analogy would be the Philistines being evil and the Israelites living among them are just like the lost people living around us. The Israelites who hid are just like Christians who hide, daily. We should be the the 2 with the swords and were not, we make excuses. We should be the ones who want to fight. We would look different, just like Johnathon. The Lord used Him to change and save a nation, it literally shook the earth. Why are we not willing to do that. I know I don't. We need to put our selves in a position only God can help you. Only a praying man can do, its bold and we need to take a step of faith. People can tell the way you pray by the way you live your life. We need to identify our comfort zones and stay away from them, or you will never be used. Look for people to challenge and challenge them. Run with those who are fighting. In order to do this you have got to put your complete hope and trust in God, this takes faith. We either under challenge ourselves, don't challenge, and offer weak prayers to God. Set evangelistic goals, you are not going to make anyone if you don't set goals. Even if you don't hit your goals God won't love you less, and if you make them he won't love you more. If you think you are up to it ask God, "What do you want from me" and no matter what money, time, girlfriend, boyfriend, give it all to Him. Praise God anytime, anyplace, anything. Live with a purpose, say "My life is Yours, what do you want to do with it." We ask God this, but we never move out of our comfort zones. Please pray that I will make war against my enemy wherever I go. That I will be strong and stand up. That I will yield the sword and trust God with my ALL. That I will get out of my comfort zones, not make excuses and just trust in my Lord, have faith. Not just now, but for all the days of my life.

Serving Him,

Daniel

Effectively Relating to Others

Today was our first return training. I wasn’t really looking forward to it. After the talk was campus time, which was awesome, we all went out to lunch and spent some time reflecting on the summer. Then we went out to the fields and played some ultimate Frisbee, it was just a great day. An even better night, because one of the CO staff, John Muller and his wife Ashley, went on a double date with Natalie and I. It was just amazing. We went to Longhorn’s for dinner, then went to the talk, and after went to yogurt mountain for desert. Not only was it a great night, but I love John and Ashley and they love us. We were all sad that we we’re all not going to be in Charleston. The talk today was really good, and so practical for me. He started off with a good saying, that involved for when we leave project and go back to reality. Will we die, survive, or thrive. We learned 7 ways to help us be witnesses of Christ, and to continue to stay strong in Him. 1. Keep walking with God, 1 Timothy 4:15-16, James 1:22-25. I was told how important it is to not wait till your "fuel light" comes on. We are not like a car that can run on empty. We need to stay plugged in or we will get burned out, and fast. Here on project, we've been in a "Green House" environment. It has enabled our spiritual growth beyond imaginable. Once we leave, we will be back out in the regular world. No more meetings and singing and prayer time, and fellowship, and so on. It takes effort and we must remain in Him. 2. Seek Godly fellowship, Hebrews 10:24, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10. In order to stay above water you have to have someone there to pull you up. If you think your are above, pride comes before the fall, and you will fall hard. Accountability is huge and enables you to stay focused on Him. 3. Flee from temptation at all cost, Genesis 39:2, 2 Timothy 2:22, 1 Peter 5:8-9. The story of Joseph demonstrates it the best, not hanging around thinking you can stand strong. Running from sin, stay as far away from it as you can. Leaving Panama City we will be entering war, we must know our enemy. He is smart, crafty, and good at it. We are leaving with targets on our backs, but God is greater, much greater. Being a Christian can be costly, but it is more costly not to be. 4. Remember that others had a summer too, James 1:19. This is for when I start sharing with others, not to overwhelm them with all this "Christian Stuff". People love to talk about themselves, listen first. When you do get the chance to talk, Glorify God, not SBP. Share just a little, don't overwhelm people, and wait for them to ask more questions. This one is definitely important to me, I can get on a tangent very quickly, and I must remember this. 5. Expect to be misunderstood, Mark 6:1-6. The people who are my friends weren't here this summer and will not be able to relate to me, they won't get some things. That's expected because they were not here. Plus Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior was not misunderstood by many, Please read Mark 6:1-6 it relates to this very well. 6. Speak louder with actions than words, 1Corinthians 4:20, 1 Peter 3:15. Doing this will really open up the ears of hearers. What does that mean? Anybody can talk, but to actually live this way is another. It is much harder and speaks louder than anything else you could possibly say. Lastly, 7. Pray, pray, pray. We are needy and need to be praying. Praying demonstrates our faith. We need to spend more time talking to God about men then talking to men about God. Praying scripture is very powerful, if you are interested in getting this long list of good praying scripture let me know. Please pray that I will apply all seven steps to my upcoming future, and that I will not just survive, but thrive for the Lord.

Serving Him,

Daniel

Spreading His Image

Today all the campus outreach staff got back today. It was great to have most of them back. My good friend and role model John Muller and his wife Ashley are back and I am so happy. Natalie and I will be going on a double date with them, and we are all so excited. Max, the project director is back and I am a huge fan of him. The first time we met at last semester we immediately clicked, then I find out that he is the project director, he is awesome. All the staff members are back and it was great catching up with all of them and sharing how much I have learned and grown. Tonight we talked about kingdom living and how the kingdom of God is in us, Luke 17:21. Some of this interestingly enough will cover some of what I have talked about the last couple of days. Our God is a God of purpose and a God of plans, Luke 17:24-25. What exactly does "His Kingdom" mean, it's made up of God's chosen people. Being apart of His kingdom comes many blessings, but also many responsibilities. Having a call to salvation does not just mean we are saved , but also that our lives mus be lived by believing the Gospel. The Gospel is God's power in us for our salvation from our calling to our final glory, Romans 1:16-17. It is key to remember that a call to salvation is a call to discipleship. It is a duty, not an option. We respond by committing to discipleship and obedience. Jesus called you to come and follow, Luke 9:23. We must believe and obey, Romans 16:26. Being obedient and spreading His image comes with a sacrifice. I need to be a doer of God's word, not just now when it is easy here on project, but continually doing it DAILY, forever. I need to take action now, and present my body as a living sacrifice for Him. Whatever he calls me to do, I need to submit and answer His call, Romans 12:1-2. Dedicating your total self is pleasing to God. I do this by not conforming to the patterns of this world, Romans 12:2. The world says it is ok, and it is not, this is where the sacrifice and pain comes in. It is hard, but we must renew our minds and God will transform you. This comes when we fix our minds on Christ and let our thinking be shaped by the Word of God. It is very very easy to say, but it only works if we truly walk as Jesus walked, 1 John 2:4-6. By doing this we can spread His image by imitating His walk, Philippians 3:17. Please pray that after project i can continue to live like this and walk as He walked. I know I will trip, stumble, and fall. But, God is good and shows grace. My goal and prayer is that I can imitate Him as well as I can and reflect His light through my life.

Serving Him,

Daniel

Last D-Group

Every Monday night starting at 7:30 we have D-group. Again this stands for discipleship group. Our room leader, Graham, and the rest of our remaining roommates, Mark, Sean, and myself. Just meet, talk, read some scripture, get and give advice, and pray. To some of you this may seem weird, funny thing is it is what the Bible calls us to do. I personally do not know about you, but I believe every word that is in the scriptures and I truly take to heart the guidelines and specifications that are in the Bible. I truly try to apply them to my life, and make them applicable to my daily walk with Christ. One of them that is huge is discipleship, and not a whole lot of Christians do this. Many of us like to stay in our little Christian nut shell, our perfect little life, we talk with other "Christians" at church on Sunday, and that is enough. If that is your attitude, you are wrong. Not only do you need to be meeting with other Christians daily, you need to be sharing the Gospel and adding members to the body of Christ. The verses of focus yesterday were Ephesians 4:11-13. This is not in them, but even Jesus had disciples. Now if we are called to be Christ like then in all aspects of our life should be like His. He had 12 disciples and asked them to go out and share when he was no longer with them. To disciple other men, and get them to disciple other men. If they just stored what they learned, like many of us do everyday, and didn't share God's Gospel then you would have never heard it. Not only you but basically everyone. You might be saying to yourself, "well it isn't my job, or I don't want to others will, or I don't feel comfortable", then you are clearly wrong. We are all called to do this. One thing is for sure, it is extremely awkward and you will be made fun of and persecuted. Most all the 12 disciples were slaughtered for sharing Gods word, and again it did not stop them from eventually reaching you. We all have the most blessed gift, the information of God's Holy word right here at our finger tips. Legally allowed to read it and with no true persecution, sure you will be made fun of, big deal. Yet we have this most precious possession and we still don't share it. I'm not just talking to you, but also to myself, how sad is that? We know and yet don't do. And don't make excuses, we are all called from the creator Himself to share. It is not just for the apostles, prophets, evangelists, preachers, and so on who do the work of ministry. It is the people they equip (ALL OF US). Effective teachers help each believer find their own specific way of benefiting the rest of the church. Not only that, but if you allow Him, God equips us for the work of ministry for building up the Body of Christ (Read Ephesians 4:12). Read 2 Timothy 4:5, Ephesians 4:16,29.... I could list many others. It is our responsibility to tell others. It doesn't just stop there. This is where discipleship comes in. Whoever you share with, should not just stop with you sharing to them and walking away. You should now, to the best of your ability, help them along in their walk with Christ. I find it extremely imperative to get yourself involved in a D-Group. Whether you feel called to lead one, or would rather have someone further along than you lead the small group. I suggest to be in one first and then eventually lead, read Hebrews 5:14, take baby steps. A few last suggestions would be to keep the groups the same sex, meaning guys with guys and girls with girls. It is just better and you can get more personal. Just a small group anywhere from 3-7. This is not only something I was involved with before and during SBP 2010, but after and the rest of my life. I will hopefully lead one in Montgomery and also be in one. I find it, for me, a good idea to not only lead but also find counsel from more equipped knowledgeable people. Please pray that this happens when I go to Montgomery, and that I can start and also be in a D-Group. This will allow me to start my leadership role serving God and enable my walk with Christ to grow ever stronger.

Serving Him,

Daniel

The God of my Future

First off for date day we went and saw Inception, and it was awesome, go see it. Anyways, tonight we talked about the future, and decisions that we will make. All biblical decision making begins with a willingness to submit your intentions to Gods perfect will and humbly follow His direction. The two most important decisions we will make in our lives are, who we marry and what career we pick. When you are picking your future spouse it must be with someone who you are going to run with for God the rest of your life. If they are not running just as hard or harder than you for the Lord, their holding you back. That is huge. Your career is next, because that is the mission field for the rest of your working life. Look to how Jesus made decisions, read Matthew 26:36-40,50-54. Notice that Jesus ultimately submitted to God. It is not bad to question Him, and it is ok to show anguish. Jesus di 3 times in the garden of Gethsemane. It all comes to trusting the Lord. We all need to just look hard times in the face and really know that God is enough. The purpose of our life is to know God and make Him known. Read Jeremiah 9:23-24, are we expanding our knowledge, reading the Bible, books, studying the scriptures, meditating and growing, knowing God and really growing on a daily basis. If not, why? Read 1 Peter 2:9, We need to make Him known, just like when you go see a good new movie. The first thing you do is call and tell your friends to go see the movie. Just like I did about Inception, we are excited to tell others. Thats how it should be when we are sharing God with others. 2 Corinthians 5, Summed up is about how we live by faith and not by sight. Our main goal in life is in all we do is to please Him, everything! Really think about that, in everything you do, do you do it for God? I don't. We need to remember daily that we were bought at a price, way to high of a price to do what we want. If it is not my life but Gods, then it must not be my choice but His. really think about that. 4 tips. Don't make decisions based off emotions alone, Jeremiah 17:9, you're going to be deceived by your feelings and you need to use wisdom. Don't make decisions without counsel, Proverbs 12:15, we're all good at finding excuses, and we need people to put us in check. Don't make decisions without the word, Psalm 119:105, without scripture you are in the dark and will stumble and fall, I promise. What else do you expect, God is the lamp unto your feet. Don't make decisions without prayer, 1 Kings 3:7-10, Romans 8:26-27, sometimes we find ourselves so confused that we don't even know what to ask for. He will give you the things to say and always answer your prayers. Try to wrap your brain around that. Lastly, watch out for the love of money and comfort. It will derail you from walking with God, believe me tough times are ahead, I know this even for my life. My man Tony says, "If we don't battle this in prayer it WILL FAIL!" The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy- Martin Luther King Jr. Their is a cost to following Jesus, Matthew 8:18-22, but it is totally worth it, Luke 18:28-30. Please pray that in all my decisions coming up not only these next few months but the rest of my life, that I will be willing to submit to God and that I will not make decisions off of emotions and that I will seek counsel, read the scripture, and pray.

Serving Him,

Daniel