Time

I am a firm believer of the old cliche' that says "Charity starts in the home." Although most people correlate charity with money, charity in its most sincere form is TIME.  For this reason I truly enjoy every moment I get to spend with my family. Every TIME we get together for a holiday or gather for a family reunion I savor each and every moment. Money and material things can be regained, but TIME is the one thing that is lost once it is spent. How, Where, and with Whom a person spends their TIME defines their character. This is probably why TIME is said to be the tester of all things.  Words can say one thing, but actions over a period of TIME will reveal a person's true intentions. Some of us use our TIME as a gift to be a blessing to others, while some of us are selfish and use it wastefully.  I am 1000% (yeah I really meant 1000%) positive that at some point in TIME each and every one of us has longed to go back to those "glory days" even if only to relive just one of them. For some, those days are distant memories and for others it seems like yesterday.  At TIMES I have to remind myself to count each day as a blessing while at the same TIME understanding that each day brings me one closer to my last. TIME waits for no man, so it is imperative to chase every dream and seize every opportunity because that moment in TIME can never be revisited. Watching my son grow these past 11 months has really driven this point home to me.  "It seems like only yesterday" I could only watch him eat and sleep, but now I seem to have TIME to do neither. I constantly run behind him saying " NO Brayden, STOP Brayden, and SIT DOWN Brayden!!!!!!" (to no avail might I add) as he tries to run away. Even though I spend most of my days off from work with him, I still long for the seconds, minutes, hours, days that I do not get the opportunity to watch him grow. Because of this I cherish the TIME I do have with him and use it as an opportunity to help mold him into a respectful young man. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that TIME is being spent every second. How are you spending yours?

Leadership

When I was young, my parents, as well as other influential adults in my life would always tell me that I was a LEADER. "How did I become a LEADER?" was always my first thought, followed by "I don't want that type of pressure." This agitated my father especially because he could see the potential I possessed and knew that the possibilities would be endless for anything that I put total focus into. Over time I formed the opinion that LEADERS are born. A person can be trained in LEADERSHIP, but only natural-born LEADERS have all the necessary tools from the beginning. As with any talent or gift, LEADERSHIP has to be groomed and the traits cultivated, but a LEADER is who they are, not what they have learned. Their charisma is the reason followers grasp their message and take ownership of their vision. It takes determination, confidence, the ability to motivate, as well as charisma to truly become a great LEADER. After reading a book titled "Leadership By The Book" I am thoroughly convinced that a servant LEADERSHIP approach is most effective. Servant LEADERS understand that helping those they LEAD achieve their goals is vital to growth. The authors of the book stated that a LEADER should explain the task, demonstrate it, let the task be attempted, and either praise progress or redirect focus depending on results. It is the obligation of the LEADER to provide followers with the necessary tools for success. A true LEADER should strive to help create LEADERSHIP qualities in those they LEAD.

What is FEAR???

What is FEAR??? After all of my experiences, questioning, research, etc..... I've come to the conclusion that FEAR is nothing more than a feeling.  Something that can be overcome by confidence in the one true living God, Jesus Christ to lead and guide us and being confident enough in ourselves to realize that we were born equipped with the most powerful tool known to man, our minds!!!! FEAR is a tactic used by Satan himself to hinder us from achieving our goals and accomplishing feats most will only dream of. Satan understands that God has promised to give power to him that believes and has faith in God. Now I don't claim by any means to live a devoted Christian life, but I've been to church enough to understand that God does not condone FEAR.  He clearly states in scripture that along with liars, adulterers, and so on that the FEARFUL will also have their place in hell.  We may not realize it but God wants the best for us. In most cases, He wants better for us than we want for ourselves.  He gives us instruction on what needs to be done in order to accomplish these things.  Many times we a FEARFUL because the things He instructs us to do may seem unorthodox or outside of the box, but these are character traits common to innovators and entrepreneurs. Ultimately when we allow these concerns to hinder us from stepping out on faith, trusting in God, and overcoming our FEAR, we not only miss out on the blessings that God has in store for us, but we are also being disobedient to Him. In my opinion, this is why the scripture states that the FEARFUL will also have their place in hell.  So from this day forward I vow to put my trust in God to direct my path, have confidence in myself to know that I am fully equipped with the tools necessary to succeed, and overcome any FEAR that attempts to stand in my way to success.