The Little Things

The Little Things

Paul Martin: “Hey man, I figured out what your first assignment is going to be when you get here!”

Me: “Oh yea! And what’s that?”

Paul Martin: “Well… we have 3,000 American flags that we are going to plant in the front yard of our church building in two weeks. You are going to assemble a team of volunteers, come up with a strategy, and get them all planted….oh and I want them to spell out a word…a word that has something to do with memorial day….can you do it?”

Me: “psh, no problem, I got this”

            That was the last conversation that I had with Pastor Paul Martin before driving half-way across the country for my ministerial internship at New Life Church in Leominster, Massachusetts. And right now, I am going to be brutally honest with you. When I said, “ yea, I got this”, what I was actually wanting to say was, “Yo, are you nuts man?...No I can’t do that!, I’m training to become a pastor, not a landscaper”. But somehow, I just didn’t have the…guts, to say how I really felt. So naturally, I did what any overconfident 21 year-old would do. “Daaad…?..Daaaaaaad…?...I need help!” I felt like I was back in 4th grade asking my dad to help me with my math homework. I was just lost. Nevertheless, I knew that eventually I would have to figure this one out on my own and just try my best. And honestly, 3,000 flags isn’t too bad right?

One week later

Paul Martin: “Hey Austin! So glad that you are here, can’t wait to get this thing started! How was the trip?”

Me: Hey! “The trip was nice, but I never want to drive through Pennsylvania again haha!”

Paul Martin: “Yea, that is a gross drive for sure. So did you hear that we decided not to put out the 3,000 flags?”

Me: “No way! Seriously? (At this point I was ecstatic)”

Paul Martin: “Yea…we decided we should plant 6,280 flags instead.”

Me: “wait, is this a joke?”

Paul Martin: No way man, I’m serious. We will plant one for every soldier who has fallen in the Iraq and Afghanistan war. Can you get it done?”

Me: “yea…umm…sure thing….yea, I got this!”

            Ok, at this point, the only things that I wanted were my blankly and my mommy; and maybe my stuffed bear if mom could find it. The bottom line was, I was scared out of my mind. I tried to play it cool like I had everything under control, but once again, my, “yea, I got this”, should have been translated as “oh dear God, I’m in huge trouble”. I was 1,400 miles away from home, I didn’t know anybody, I had never done any kind of landscaping job in my life (not even the simple decorative kind). And I had certainly never used 6,280 American flags to display a patriotic message in a church lawn. And conveniently enough, the church sits on Main Street in Leominster and has 22,000 cars driving past it on an average day. Translation: This project needed to look perfect because the whole city would be seeing it!

            As the “project day” drew nearer, I became more and more nervous. I was stressed, a bit frustrated and losing sleep over this looming task. Between pastor Mike Maleto, Pastor Paul Martin and myself, we had somewhat mapped out the logistics of the project, however it was still up to me to get the team of volunteers and execute the plan. I honestly thought to myself, “there is no way I can do this”. I had to just face the facts: we were a few days from project day, we had almost 6,300 flags to plant, it had to display a one-word Memorial Day message, and I only had three guaranteed volunteers? Awesome! My recruiting skills were looking worse than the Kansas City Chiefs football team up to this point, which is just terrible by the way. So I started to get desperate. And in my desperation, I started to pray. When I started to pray, I actually felt kind of foolish. Here I was asking the God of the universe (who looks after more than seven billion people daily) to send me helpers to plant American flags in the grass. Seems a bit selfish right? Well, I had nothing to lose so I gave it a shot. And God, like he often does, shot back.

            Three days, one 16-foot tall word (“Remember”), 20 volunteers, and 6,280 American flags later, our little (or should I say “ridiculously massive”) project was completed, and adorning the front page of the local newspaper. Now, I don’t like to over-spiritualize situations, but I can honestly say that this was a God thing! I prayed that God would send the right volunteers with the right imaginations to get this project off of the paper and on to the grass. And that is exactly what He did. One guy named Paul showed up with a massive tape measure that stretched from end to end of the lawn, another guy named Dennis showed up with large spool of string which we stretched across the whole lawn for strait line boundaries, and one guy even brought pitchers of fruit punch and iced-water to keep us hydrated (I nearly bowed to him as he pulled a stack of cups out of his pocket). It was just awesome to see people, whom I had never even met or spoken to, show up to help with this project. I know that it was the provision of God. And to be real with you, I felt like a dummy for having such little faith during the whole process.

            I should have known that God would work it out. But that is just how we are isn’t it? Many times we think that God is too busy being Superman and saving the world to actually show up when we have a seemingly small need. The Great thing about God however, is that, unlike superman, He can be in every place at every time on every day. And he has the ability to move in every situation if he so pleases. One of my favorite examples of this dimension of God’s character comes out of 2 Kings chapter 6.

 1The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live.”

And he said, “Go.”

3Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?”

“I will,” Elisha replied. 4And he went with them.

They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh, my lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”

6The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. 7“Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.

            See, God didn’t have to use Elisha and retrieve that Axe out of the water. That was just a petty need that seemed so small in the grand scheme of things. Still yet, retrieving the axe was important to that man who dropped it, therefore it was important to God. And God decided to work on his behalf, even in this small matter. You see, God cares about the little things! For me, both the experience that I had with the flag project and this passage, have opened my eyes to the fact that God cares about the little things (my mom has been trying to tell me this for years by the way). Many times it seems like we don’t ask for God’s favor or miraculous work in a situation because we don’t want to bother him, but guess what, that bothers him. I believe that our non-requestive spirit often bothers God. It seems that God desperately wants us to take every need to him, no matter how small, wouldn’t you agree?. In Matthew chapter seven, Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you”. Our God cares about the little things, but how often do we fail to ask him? God will act in our favor, according to his will…but first, we have to bring the situation to His feet. Even when we feel awkward about it. We have to lay the needs down, even when it feels a bit foolish, or petty, or even selfish. We have to remember that God cares about the little things even when He has big things on his plate!

Peace

Love

God Bless

            Now that the “Remember” flag project is completed, I can say that I am truly blessed to have been a part of it! Shout out to Pastor Paul Martin for dreaming up this project and believing that I could lead it! He taught me the true meaning of the Matthew 9:38 instruction! Shout out to all the volunteers from New Life Church who helped make it possible! And Shout out to God who signed, sealed, and delivered the entire project!

Discovery!

Discovery!

As I’m writing this, I am sitting in the upstairs bedroom of a 300 year-old home in Leominster, Massachusetts, which is just outside of Boston. Leominster will be my home for twelve weeks as I complete a pastoral internship at New Life Church. So far, my experience here has been very educational and I have been very busy (in a good way) working with the staff and church. Most of the tasks that I have had to perform and events that I have had to be involved with have taught me a lot about how a professional workplace operates. I have also had to meet a lot of new people and remember a lot of new names. I have a handful of new surface level friends that I am sure will develop into great friendships over the summer. However, there is someone here with me whom I have already gotten to know very well over the past two weeks. That person is….me. (A bit ironic right?) In the midst of meeting new people and trying to make new friends, I have actually gotten to know Austin Westlake better than ever. To be completely honest, I have learned more about myself in the past two weeks, than I have learned in the past two years combined. I have learned that I love to read, I have learned that I love to explore, I have learned that I love hot coffee in the mornings and iced-coffee in the afternoons (also learned, “the hard way”, that too much coffee makes me sick), I have learned that I love silence almost as much as I love music, I have learned that I like to wake up before 7:30 every day,  and finally I have learned that when I am exploring a new place, I don’t like to stop for food, I would rather just skip the meal altogether.

            The past two weeks have been full of new self-discoveries for me, and it has truly been a cool experience. There is a key ingredient however, that has made this“season of self-discovery” possible. That ingredient has been alone time. Since I have arrived in Massachusetts, I have spent more time alone than in any other two-week period of my life. (I am a very strong “people person”, I thrive off of relationships. So, for me, alone time is a foreign concept.) On two occasions I have explored the 4.5 million person-city of Boston all alone, I have taken the ferry between New York and Connecticut alone, I have spent hours alone on the back porch of this house reading, I have spent hours on the train between Leominster and Downtown Boston alone. I have spent plenty of car rides alone, getting lost on these windy New England roads. And to top it all off, my cell-phone service is absolutely terrible out here, so trying to make phone calls is basically a failure (foul play on AT&T). The bottom line is, I have had a ridiculous amount of alone time…and to my surprise, it has been awesome! Although not as great as having other people around, I have gained a friend in myself that I honestly didn’t even know I had. Austin Westlake and I are genuinely becoming homeboys.

            So as all of these thoughts of self-discovery started to swirl around in my brain,I noticed that I also started to realize a different discovery in my life. A more significant kind of discovery; a God Discovery!  This concept of God Discovery is basically self-explanatory;it is when we, as people, make a new discovery about God and our relationship with Him. So then let me ask you a question, when was the last time you made a God Discovery? When was the last time you learned something new about your relationship with God? When was the last time you had a spiritual breakthrough? When was the last time you felt like you were in His presence rather than in this world? Until recently, for me, it had been too long since I learned something new about our creator. It had been too long since I learned something about my relationship with Him. It had been too long since I made a God Discovery!

            Now that begs the question, “how on earth do we make a God Discovery?” Yes, you probably guessed it. We can make God Discoveries in the same exact way that we make self-discoveries. By getting alone. By spending some time getting to know our creator. By setting aside quality alone time with God almighty. In Psalm 91:1 the statement is clear, “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the almighty”. And I believe that in the shadow of the Almighty, we get to know the Almighty. And in getting to know the Almighty, we make our greatest God Discoveries! So let this be a challenge to you. A challenge to get alone. A challenge to start spending some one-on-one time with God. A challenge to put the cell-phone down for a few minutes (this one is tough for me. I wish God could just shoot me a text) and give God the time he deserves. Pull out your Bible and read a chapter, talk to God, read some Christian literature, just give Him some quality time (Quality time is definitely God’s love language, but that is a whole other topic). When we give God that alone time, He will give us ridiculous God Discoveries! I mean, look at Moses. The guy walked up a mountain to get alone with God and he came back down with the 10 Commandments. That sounds pretty ridiculous to me…ridiculously cool though!

Now is the time!

            Get alone with God!

                        Start making discoveries!

           

                       

Peace

Love

God Bless

            

Just Do It!

            Let me start off this week’s discussion by asking you a question. Have you ever been asked to do something that you just didn’t think you were capable of doing? Has there ever been a time when you were about to attempt a job or task that was assigned to you, and you literally told yourself, “there is absolutely no way this is going to happen, I can’t do this!”? I would be willing to bet that we have all had some of those, “I can’t do this”, kind of moments. I can remember one specific situation back in high school when I had a huge “I can’t do this” moment. The year was 2006 and I was at a youth service at Sheffield Family Life Center on a Wednesday night. As the night wore on and the service ended, my youth pastor, Kevin Brown, approached me and started conversation. “Hey, Austin…are you going to be here over the next couple of weeks?”, I figured he was just wondering so I said, “Yea man! Why? What’s going on?”. Well, he wasn’t just wondering, he had a proposition. Pastor Kevin quickly said, “Do you want to preach in service two weeks from now?”. Now, most 16 year-olds would have at least thought it over before answering the question. However, as you may know, I was not (and still am not) always the sharpest tool in the shed, so naturally I responded right away with, “Sure, I’ll do it”. Well, about two minutes after the conversation ended, the weight of the agreement I had just made started to hit me in the chest like a 100-pound dumbbell. I thought to myself, “Hold on, did I just agree to preach?...are you kidding?”.  I seriously doubted myself, and honestly I doubted God as well. You see, my youth pastor asked me to preach in the physical, but I honestly believe that God was using my youth pastor to push me forward in a spiritual sense. God was pushing me to start pursuing my calling.  Meanwhile, in my doubt, I honestly said, “Wait, what am I thinking, I can’t preach to 120 of my friends. There is no way I can do it, I am not qualified for this!”. However, God was working in this situation and was teaching me this lesson: With God, Qualification means nothing, because He is the only qualification we need…Period.

One of the greatest examples of this concept comes out of the Bible in Jeremiah 1:5-10

5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew^a you,before you were born I set you apart;I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 6“Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” 7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. 9Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

            You see, despite Jeremiah’s fear, doubt, and lack of qualification, God used him to speak to an entire nation on the Lord’s behalf. That is a pretty cool thing to think about. Just before Jeremiah was used by God, he was telling Him that he couldn’t do what the Lord was asking. Jeremiah was basically saying, “God, seriously man, you got the wrong guy”. Still yet, God used him mightily! And as we look at that situation, we need to remember this: God can use anybody to do anything in anyplace at anytime!

            Two weeks after I agreed to speak in youth group I preached my first sermon on a Wednesday night from Galatians chapter five. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that it was probably awful because it was my first ever sermon and I was shaking scared. I think I might have even peed a little…ok the pee part is false (haha). Nevertheless God used me, and He has used me to preach almost 25 times since then. Which is far more than I ever thought I was capable of, and far more than I originally planned on. But that is one of the great attributes of God; He really can use anybody! God used a shepherd boy named David to kill a giant and become the greatest king in world history, God used a self- conscious, stuttering man named Moses to lead Israel out of slavery, God used a young man named Jeremiah to be His mouthpiece to Israel, and God used a young virgin women named Mary to carry the King of Kings in her womb! Incredible!

            Even in my own life God has been using me more than I ever thought possible, and if He can use me with my non-intellectual mind, he can seriously use anybody. Trust me on that! Regardless of qualifications, God can and will use us! So if we feel that God is calling us to do something that might freak us out, or put a lot of pressure and stress on us, lets readily accept the challenge and…Just Do It!  One of the most well known catchphrases, from one of the most well known clothing companies in recent history, is simply that, Just Do It! This phrase, Just Do It, is almost always applied to sports, but why not apply it to our spiritual lives as well.  If God gives us orders, lets Just Do It! If God gives us instructions, lets Just Do It! If God gives us a vision or a goal, lets Just Do It! No matter how unqualified or inexperienced we may feel, we can have faith and know that God will use us regardless. Some of the greatest things in history were done by some of the least qualified people! And how did they do it.? God gave them a task and they decided to Just Do It! So lets hear his directive to us, and lets Just Do It!

Peace

Love

God Bless

10 Minute Challenge

Take The Challenge!

  In this weeks edition of A Day On The Lake I want to be a little more simple and practical. I just want to throw out a simple challenge, with the possibility of a complex effect . The challenge that I am referring to is something that I like to call The 10-Minute Challenge. Now I know what you might be thinking, but let me reassure you; this challenge has nothing to do with eating a bunch of cinnamon, or trying to guzzle a half-gallon of milk in 10 minutes, or trying to see if you can drink half the bottle of Ex-Lax  in 10 minutes without losing it (although I have always been tempted to try that one haha). No, This is a challenge that could potentially have a more…lasting effect. The 10-Minute Challenge is something that I have recently started and it is simply a challenge of Prayer. I am challenging you (and myself) to pray for 10 minutes straight, every day, with no distractions. This seems pretty easy right? Well, there is a catch, just a slight one though. I want to challenge us to pray for 10 minutes straight…with no distractions…FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. What does that mean? Well, you have probably already guessed it. We have to wake up 10 minutes earlier than normal (and if you are like me, you will need to set the alarm 15 minutes earlier because you will need the first five minutes to convince yourself to get out of that bed). Yes, I know, this seems tragic! This probably seems even more tragic if you are not a morning person. However, I believe that this challenge is critical! Not because I am saying it, but because the first 10 minutes of our day are critical, and should be approached as such. The first 10 minutes of our day are liable to set the pattern for the next 1,430 minutes of our day. Therefore, I think that it is totally necessary to start off our day by talking to the one who created our day. The Lord Almighty.

 

Former football star Reggie White once said, “Every morning, I make sure that my knees hit the floor before my feet do”. I love this statement because he is referring to a consistent prayer habit that we should all strive to mimic. Now, was Reggie saying that we should roll out of bed sideways and fall to our knees so that our feet never touch the ground? I highly doubt it. However, I do think he was demonstrating that our first priority of the day should be talking to the creator of our universe. Although many people already have formed this habit, I know that most of us have not. For me personally I have always done my devotion and prayer time at night, and I will continue do that as well, but now my mornings start 10 minutes earlier (well technically 15). So, I dare you! Take The 10-Minute Challenge! Wake up, get out of bed and find your place to pray (praying in bed is probably not the best choice, I have tried that many a time…zzzz). Take it one day at a time and see what God does in your life. See if you don’t have more energy, joy, confidence, hope, and Love to share with your world. 

Peace

Love

God Bless

Y.O.L.O

You Only Live Once

“You Only Live Once”, or, as my generation has deemed it, “YOLO”, has become one of the most popular sayings in our society over the past year. This term has become so popular among teens and young adults that it has gotten difficult to go even a day without hearing or seeing “YOLO” in some fashion. Whether at the movies or the mall on a weekend, or even just on Facebook or Twitter, the term “YOLO” seems to pop up all around us. It has truly become a movement among so many of America’s young people, and for all the wrong reasons. Popularized by a song called the “The Motto”, which was released back in 2011, this term, “YOLO”, has become so much more than just a saying that people mutter to themselves before getting on a huge roller coaster at Six Flags. It is no longer just something that people say to their friends just before taking their first bite of the “Blazing Challenge” at Buffalo Wild Wings. “YOLO” has literally become a way of life for thousands upon thousands of young people in America. On any given day, a person can log onto Facebook or Twitter and see many status updates or tweets saying things like, “Crazy night last night haha don’t remember half of it! Oh Well! #YOLO”. Or another classic one is, “It’s the weekend! I’m finally off work! Time to get faded! #YOLO”. As I read these statuses I just think to myself, “Really?, you’ve gotta be kidding me. Are you serious?” I mean, in the mind of many young people, the term “YOLO” has become a legitimate motivation, and justifiable reason to get wasted, cause destruction, do hard-core drugs and have sex as much as possible. Now, I know that all of those activities were obviously prevalent long before this “YOLO” fad, and of course the moral-free lifestyle will live long after “YOLO” is dead and gone. However, I believe that there is much more to this whole “YOLO thing” than we have seen. I honestly believe that this is something that can be used in an incredible way, we just have to look at it from a different perspective. 

So as we take a look at this “motto” that is sweeping across pop culture in America, I think that it is appropriate for us to first look at the real origin of “YOLO”, or in it’s purest form, “You Only Live Once”. This simple saying “You only live once” was actually first made popular back in the early to mid 1900’s, by none other than Mae West. Mae West (1893-1980) was a famous American Actress and Screenwriter who was very active in the entertainment industry for nearly 70 years. As it stands, Miss West is the one who gets the credit for the original thought of “YOLO”. However, when she first made this monumental statement, there was another piece of this phrase that is often forgotten about in today’s society.  The original quote from Mae West went just like this: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough”. Awesome right? Go back and read that statement again and tell me it’s not great. This statement is so very simple, yet absolutely profound. You see, here we have the mouthwatering “YOLO” concept that is so popular today, but it’s also followed by a tasty piece of Truth-Cake. Now, I don’t know about you (and I can’t speak for Mae West because I don’t know her heart behind the statement), but for me, this statement screams “Truth”! A truth that we need to incorporate into our own lives, and help others around us grasp as well. See, just like many young people in our society are using this “YOLO” concept as a grounds for living a moral-free life, we should use it for the exact opposite. Yes, I know, this should be common sense to most of us, but sadly, many of us, even many of us Christians (myself included) struggle to take this seriously.  

We need to understand that we only have this one life to live, but even more importantly we need to start living our lives according to that knowledge. If we look In Romans 2:6-7 we see that Paul the Apostle said this, “He (God) will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.” This is such a great truth that God wants to see play out in our lives. If we follow God’s commands and live our life for him, this life will be the only one we need to live. It will be spent in eternity with Him. “You Only Live Once, but if you do it right, once is enough”, Lets take this as a spiritual challenge! In our everyday lives, Let’s focus on changing the heart behind “YOLO”. Lets take ownership of this by using “YOLO” to implement Christ-like values into our lives! Lets let “YOLO” be the motto for our lives, but let’s allow it to show Christ to everyone that we come in contact with. So next time you hear a song that brings up “YOLO” and next time you see a status update or a tweet that ends with “#YOLO”, be challenged!! Be encouraged!! Be inspired!! Be inspired to represent your creator by showing others what “YOLO” means to you!

Peace.

Love

YOLO

God Bless

Starting Off On The Right Foot

Starting Off On The Right Foot

As I take the first breath of my "Blogging-life", I have to admit that I am extremely disappointed in myself for using a classic cliche. However, in this situation I believe that the cliche is completely excusable and necessary. "Starting Off On The Right Foot", it is a saying that we have probably all heard and have most likely even used ourselves. As much as it disgusts me to admit, I am so guilty of such ,"teacher-like", lingo. I sometimes catch myself saying things like, "Come on man, you need to 'start off on the right foot'", or "lets go guys! lets do this thing right, we gotta 'start off on the right foot!'". Yes, I know, it's terrible and it kinda makes me want to puke. Nevertheless, I feel like we use that cliche so loosely, that the statement becomes simply that. A cliche with no real value or challenge. However, as I have been thinking on this statement recently, it has become very apparent to me that our society as a whole, and even our Christian society, fails so many times because we do not understand this simple cliche. Now i'll be the first to admit that this seems a bit elementary, but lets be honest, we need to learn and understand the importance of "Starting off On The Right Foot". 

 Let's look at a track runner for example. When a track runner is running a sprint, one of the most important techniques for him or her to perfect, is the starting position and takeoff. As a sprinter trains to perfect these techniques, he or she has to practice starting on the correct foot with the correct form. Often times a sprinter will spend hours practicing nothing but his or her starting position and takeoff, so that when that gun shot sounds, the runner "starts off on the right foot". This technique is so important in sprinting because it can change the entire race in a split-second. When performed correctly, the starting position and takeoff gives the runner a slight physical edge at the beginning of the race. Which then gives the runner a jolt of mental confidence. Which in turn, allows him or her to be in position to compete for the win in the final seconds of the race. When the starting position and takeoff are performed incorrectly in a sprint, it can set the runner too far back to catch up and win, or it can even lead to disqualification. Either way you look at, a poor start results in a loss. So naturally, the instruction would be, "Start off on the right foot". Simple right? Well, maybe in the world of sports it can be looked at as simple, But what about in our personal, social, and spiritual lives? yes, you probably knew it was going to end up here. And yes, this is where it becomes a bit more complicated.  

In all areas of our life, "starting off on the right foot" is absolutely crucial if we hope to reach our full potential. Just like a track runner, there is a certain confidence that comes when we start something off strong. Whether it is a new job, a new class, a fresh dating relationship, a new friendship, a new workout plan, or even a new hobby. Whatever new situation we find ourselves consumed in, if we learn to "start off on the right foot" or start doing things the right way from the very beginning, there will be a propelling confidence that pushes us along. A propelling confidence that helps us accomplish our goals and reach our potential. One area that many of us have probably experienced this, is in the classroom. Whether it be a high school class, a college course, or even a post-graduate course, I'm sure we have all had that class that just "didn't go so well". Now I am willing to bet that if we went back and did that course over a second time, it would go much smoother and the final grade would be better. Not because we have already seen the material before (chances are, if we did poorly, we crammed for tests and wouldn't remember any of it anyways.), but because we would take it more seriously from the very beginning. We would "start off on the right foot". So that should get us thinking, why don't we start implementing this concept into our everyday lives? Why don't we buckle down and do things right from the very beginning? As we look at this concept of "starting off on the right foot", I just want us to be challenged. Whatever new situation or responsibility that we are all about to head into, lets "Start off on the right foot". Lets make a commitment to ourselves and even to God, that whatever new journey we begin, we will start off strong and do our very best. In Colossians 3:23 Paul says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." We are called to a high standard, one that requires us to accomplish every task as if we are doing it for God himself. We are called to do things right, so lets start off right! You see we as people are called to greatness, so let's achieve it from the very beginning! "Start off on the right foot!"  

Peace

Love

God Bless