Eight One Twelve

Eight is a number that represents new things. This eighth month, August, has always been one of my favorites because it shows signs of newness--school begins, cycles start over, signs of life everywhere.

I'm also very much about first things. You can help set the course and the tone for the future with the way you do the first things. With this being August 1st, you can help set the tone for the rest of your year (and for the new things that are in your heart) by making sure you put time and effort into the right things today. In plain English: don't worry as much about the time-consuming tasks and little things today. Focus on big picture, your future, and realigning your priorities to how they should be. Yours won't look exactly like mine, but here is where you should start:

1. Relationship with God
   
2. Family
3. Everything else

This is August 1^st, 2012 and this day will never happen again. Make the most of it by taking time to look at the big things. Asking tough questions and facing issues that you’ve avoided needs to happen. Your excuse of busyness needs to get buried.

Lord, steady my mind and heart and lead me to the things that You have for me. Let Your voice echo in my mind and heart so that I can hear You above all the noise...I want to hear Your voice and nothing else. Thanks for loving me. I love You. In Jesus Christ’s Name, Amen.

Set the Tone

Hey guys! Happy New Year! I hope 2011 has already gotten off to a great start for you!

I’m betting a lot of you are resting up and hanging out today, watching some college football, or some movies. I just wanna encourage you to throw in a few things of substance today as well. Let today set the tone for the rest of your year --> whatever you are passionate about and plan on doing this year, go ahead and get your feet wet. I’ll use myself as an example.

My top priorities never change: 1. God, 2. my family. Thus, I have already had some Jesus time today, and already called up my family to talk to them for a bit. After those two things, my plate gets really jumbled up, and I juggle priorities depending on what I feel the Spirit is leading me to do, what I feel is most important for the particular season, and the urgency of certain tasks. Since today is January 1st, I am going to spend a little time on all the biggest things in my life. After I finish this blog, I’ve got a whole list of things I’m gonna spend a little time on b/c I’m wanting to set the year off right in all of the areas I’m passionate about… I’ll spend some time at the church, I’ll write some music, I’ll hang with friends, I’ll do some worship, I’ll hit the gym, and I’ll do some business things. I’m gonna do it all!

I hope you take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to set the tone for an entire year. Use the start of 2011 to reflect on the goodness of what God has already done, take a look at your life from a fresh perspective, reanalyze where your heart and your passions lie, reprioritize how you spend your time, reenergize as you let the love and joy and peace and power of the Holy Spirit flow all over you, and get yourself ready for big things to happen!

May the God of Heaven bless you all as you seek after Him and live out your passions according to His purposes and for His glory. In Jesus Christ of Nazareth’s holy lovely awesome and righteous mighty name, Amen!!!