Stay thankful!

 I work with kids, and one of the things I say the most is " don't forget to say thank you!". 

What's funny is that something that is so simple, something that I have to tell 2 year old's on a daily basis I can forget to do myself. 

Many of us say thank you to people who are around us that do something for us that we can see in the moment. But, how many of us thank God on a daily basis for what we have? It's so easy to just expect the things that are around us to always be there. 

Everyone has been talking about how hard of a year that 2020 has been, and indeed it's been extremely difficult and life changing for many. But if you are reading this now, you have made it through 11 months out of this year. 

I know it can sound cliché to say "be grateful". but in times like these we should be singing praises from our lips more than we find time to complain. God knows everything that we are going through...but imagine everything you have gone through this year without the presence of God. 

it's time to remind ourselves that we are MAKING it. It's time to remind ourselves that despite our struggle there are so many things around us that other people would do anything to have. It's time to remind ourselves that we can not forget to stay thankful. 

We have to go back to that childlike gratefulness where  the simplest things are a reminder to us that it's not so bad after all. 

Go in Peace

            Luke 7:50 - “And Jesus said to the woman “Your faith has saved you, go in peace”


During this crazy time in the world it is so easy to fall into a place where we only focus on what is going wrong, it’s easy to let our fear lead the way during times of uncertainty.

The woman who washed Jesus feet, who seemingly had nothing gave her last to make sure she could truly worship Jesus. People were mocking her because of how little she had, and they even asked Jesus why he was accepting what she offered. What's so funny is Jesus points out that the people who seemingly had more didn't make sure that he was good. How many of us know people who are quick to point out your flaws, without recognizing that they too are flawed. Thankfully Jesus is not man, and he does not hold us to the standards of this world or turn his nose up at us, despite how we fall short.

 In this season God isn’t looking for people who are worried about giving a perfect praise. He is looking for people who have enough faith to say, even though I have sinned, even though my life doesn’t look how I thought it would…. i still will give you everything I have. God is looking for people who do not spend time trying to protect and cover up their mess, but instead hand it over to him and say "even still" i will serve you. 

I want to encourage you today. I want to encourage you to keep him first in the midst of chaos, I want to remind you how truly powerful you are no matter what is happening in this world. Last week my first lady talked about being bold, and in this time that is what the world needs. People who will bring their best, and who will show up when others around you may not have the strength to.

Not only does Jesus tell Mary “your sins have been forgiven, but he tells her to go in peace.”

He doesn’t want to just forgive you but he wants you to walk in the peace of that forgiveness. No more carrying baggage or shame or feeling like this world can disqualify you for anything that God has called you to do. No matter the times, no illness, no recession, or anything else can stop the hand of God on your life.

I pray that you seek God and evaluate your life, like I have been doing during these interesting times, and I pray that you find what your best praise is in this moment, doesn’t have to be pretty nor does it have to be perfect but God deserves your best.

The Good Mistake

Sometimes, we think that disobeying God comes with these huge earth-shattering consequences. But there are times when we do things outside of God's will and it doesn’t appear like it’s all that bad. Honestly, this is a dangerous place to be.

I have been guilty of doing things in my life without seeking God first, or even worse seeking God and talking my way out of what I thought I heard. You know those moments where you REALLY want something and you ask God and he says “that thing isn’t for you.” And you say Oh, that’s just my fear talking.

If I can be honest, not all of those times ended in a huge disaster, sometimes it was even clear that God was present despite my disobedience simply because he was showing me grace like he often does.

I call this the Good Mistake. The mistakes and choices we make when we choose Good over God. You know the good opportunity, the good spouse, or the good job. It is the thing that doesn’t seem so bad, and it what keeps us in our comfort zone. It is the choice the enemy loves us to make.

Every time we choose good over God, we are not only robbing ourselves but the people around us as well. The people God has called us to deserve us at our best, and that is only with God. Sometimes, we don’t know that we are choosing good because we don’t seek God. We often disguise these good moments as blessings from God because of how nicely wrapped It is. I learned a long time ago that the enemy will send a counterfeit or something Good when you get close to getting to the God thing. He loves for us to be delayed for however long it takes for use to realize that what we chose was just good.

I’ve gotten to the place in my life where I cannot move unless its God. I have fallen for enough good tricks; I have lived enough mediocre life to waste any more time on good things. I have had a lot of good moments in my life, but when I look back, I can always tell that something was missing. God has so much love for us that even when we make the good mistake, he will still show up for us, or protect us.

Good will not serve you or your family, good will not break the chains off of your life or others, and good will leave you stuck. When you have or come across that God thing, you will know. It may be the thing you have to fight for, it may be the thing that seems like it’s impossible, and sometimes it’s the very thing that seems unreachable.

Anybody can get good things, meet good people, and have a good life. But it is the ones that are different and the ones that truly stand out that have the patience to wait for God.
 God knows the desires of our heart, and you better believe that when you TRULY want something that is when it gets the hardest not to settle. It is these moments that you have to stay close to God, you have to make sure that your desires don’t turn into desperation because that leads to you just taking any good thing that comes along.

 The wait for the God thing is always worth it.

Why we need Kanye West

*This isn't about how much you like Kanye's new album or if its the greatest hip hop album of the year. This is not an album review, that can be for another post. 

Lately, I have been completely confused with the response that Christians have had about Kanye West, his last album, and his faith.  I am not sure why things that get posted on social media ever surprise me, but I often feel like we forget that we are responsible for our words and there are people who are watching how we react to everything.

I am not ignorant to the fact that A lot of people do not like Kanye. That’s not what this blog is about. I personally do not like every Christian or non- Christian artist, pastor, or person in general, but this is so much bigger than a “personal feeling.” Even if I do not like someone I can acknowledge that they are making an impact.  What this really is about, is how the church responds as a whole when people start changing.

The other day I saw a video posted of Kanye West speaking at Joel Osteens Church, (Click here to watch) and what caught my eye was how many people left a negative comment under it. From people questioning how long it was going to last, to them trying to figure out if it was “real”, It made me understand how non-believers can feel when they enter into the church. Here we have a man who has lived a very open life, and despite his status in the world, we have had an insight to a life of struggles. When he talks about being changed and what God has done for him, there are some “holy” people who don’t like how it looks. Since when has salvation been some pretty package?

 My real issue is I have seen this before, but not with Kanye west. I have seen it with the person just released from prison who goes to church and is being judged on their past and how they look. I’ve seen it with the single mother who was told she couldn’t serve in leadership because she wasn’t married. I’ve seen it with the teens who are struggling with their faith and go back in forth between living for God and living for the world. I've seen it in the people who spend more time defending their faith than having their own relationship with God. What some people do not want to admit is that Kanye is what salvation is supposed to look like.

We preach that anyone can come to God as they are, we preach that even if we waiver God will always be there with open arms, and we always say “Only God can judge”, so why is Kanye west the exception? If any part of his salvation is not real, HE has to answer to God, not us. What makes it so hard for us pray for others? If we don’t understand them, and if we doubt them, it is our job to take it straight to God; not the nearest comment section for all to see.

Ultimately, I want people to know that what may look like harmless bashing of a celebrity is the direct reflection of how so many people feel walking into the church for the first time or going back to church after a while. We run a dangerous risk when we play God. There are too many people who don’t know God who need to know that if someone like Kanye can start living for God then so can they.

I have learned that people will not always like or believe the new version of you. It makes people uncomfortable when change starts taking place in others around them because it can convict them of the change they haven’t made. The truth of the matter is that people who may have never stepped foot into a church now are, others who would never listen to music that mentioned God are now blasting it. Good is taking place. I pray that everyone pointing a finger and passing judgement is doing all they can to lead people to God. Lets focus on making sure that people truly know they can come to God as they are without being judged by a million Christians in the process.