The Gift of Life

Yesterday one of my best friends had his baby boy! I was able to go to the hospital and see all of them and it was such a blessing. As I sat there and watched him sleep, I couldn't do anything but smile. I was able to hold him and talk to him for a little while and he could barely open his eyes. It was such a beautiful thing to sit there and just watch the little boy breathe. As I sat there, I marveled over life. His small feet, his small hands, his head full of hair, and his soft skin were just precious. It was so awesome seeing the gift of life before my very eyes. I thank God for the blessing of kids and yesterday was a humbling experience for me.   I didn't want to leave him. I actually just wanted to bring him home with me, but I guess I will just have to spoil him whenever I can! Thank God for the people that raised you and took care of you!

Proverbs 22:6

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Why Not?

Many times in our lives I think we find ourselves asking the question why? Let me throw this out there.. why not?  A few years ago, I went to watch my little brother at a football camp in Tennessee. One day while I was there, I began talking to this man and we ended up talking for most of the day. He told me of a story about his mother and it has forever impacted me. His mother was diagnosed with a disease that I can't recall, but what he told me after all of this has never left me. He said he sat at her bed side and asked her "mother, why you?" I think we could all see ourselves asking the same question. What is awesome is his mother's response. She said "why not me?" Wow, right? What makes any of us exempt or free from bad things happening in our lives? We all deserve hell, but God has given us life because He loves us. After he told me this, I began thinking to myself why not in my life. Why not be the best? Why not have big dreams? Why not change the world? Why not leave a legacy? I challenge you to ask yourself this today. Why not you?

Romans 5:8

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Take the Time, Tuesday

I hope your week started off on a good note yesterday. If not, make today a great day and finish the week strong! I want you to take the time to give someone something today when you see them. It may be a couple of dollars, a snack, or buy them lunch. If you are in line today at a restaurant or store, pay for the person behind you and tell them you do it in the name of Jesus. You never know what kind of impact it could have on someone! Have a terrific Tuesday!

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Godly Men and Women

I hope all of you had a great weekend! I enjoyed all of the activities we had going on this weekend with track, football, and baseball. I was able to go to the track meet and watch our track team do work for the first time in a few years! It was so much fun watching people use the talents that God has give them. Last night in our FCA bible study, we talked about various topics that were on our hearts. One of the topics that was brought up were the characteristics of a Godly man and a Godly woman. I feel like many men have the misconception of what being a man really is. Media and society have brought corruption into our minds and satan has used this to affect the lives of men and women everywhere. I want more men to step up to the plate and be Godly men. What does that look like? I am searching it out now, and I have come across a few verses that will help. I challenge you to search the Word and find out what a Godly man or woman looks like so you will know! Have a magnificent Monday!

1 Kings 2:2-4
Psalm 112
Ephesians 5:25-30
Titus 2:2-5


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Family and Friend Fellowship, Friday

I hope all of you had a great week. It was hard for me to get back in the swing of things after being gone on vacation last week, but I found a way to make it through. The Lord is really showing me His faithfulness lately, and I encourage you to take refuge in that. I know things can get tough for you, but just remember that God will remain faithful at all times! As you approach the weekend, take time to relax and enjoy it. While you are doing that, just thank God for the family and friends that you have in your life! It is a blessing to have those people in your life! I am looking forward to Saturday because we are having a track meet here at Mississippi State! Go Dawgs! Have a great weekend!

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Going Beyond

The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
-Arthur C. Clarke

I thought this quote was a good one, so I wanted to share it with you. I want more people to set goals and expectations that are above and beyond the ordinary.  Many times we don't know what we are capable of until we go into a situation and then finish it. I believe that if we knew some of the situations and things we were going to face in our lives, we would choose not to enter them. But, if we did that, we would never end up where we need to be. Believe that the impossible to others can be the possible to you. Don't allow other people or anything other than yourself stop you from achieving and finding the limits of the possible! You have to first believe that you can overcome the impossible, and once you do that, you will begin to see the limits of the possible!

Philippians 4:13

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Non-Profit

I have been thinking about potentially starting a non-profit organization that reaches out to people of all ages. I am still praying about it all and I am not sure yet if I will do it, but I am pretty close to pursuing it. I feel like there are so many people who live life aimlessly, and I want to try and help them gain a vision and pursue it with all they have. If you know of anyone that would be interested in helping me or if you would be interested in helping me, please send me an email and we can talk about it. As I continue to pray about the direction in which I should go, I would appreciate your prayers and your input as well. Let me know if you know anything or if you would like to potentially join in. You may read this today and be struggling with direction or decisions, and I want you to know that God has a plan for you and it will be fulfilled! Today's verse will hopefully set your heart at ease if you will pursue Him with all you have! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Matthew 6:33

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Take the TIme, Tuesday

I hope all of you had a great Monday! Today is take the time Tuesday, and I want you to take the time today to pray for the people of Japan! Take a few minutes and pray for their protection and provision over the next few months as things will be very difficult for so many! Whenever I saw the news last week about Japan, all I could do was just be thankful for the things I have. It takes tragedy sometimes for us to really become appreciative of the things we have. Tragic events often make us change our perspective and put things in the order they should be in everyday. I want you to take the time to pray for all of the people that were directly and indirectly affected by the earthquake and tsunami! Have a terrific Tuesday!

1 Thessalonians 5:17

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Formula for Failure

I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure - which is: try to please everybody.
- Herbert Bayard Swope

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. I am now back in Mississippi after a great spring break in Breckenridge, Colorado. I would not mind being able to spend another week out there with all of the people I was with. I thought this quote was a good one, so I included it into today's blog. Many times we all want to make the people around us happy and that is not always best. Trying to please people is not always the best thing to do even though it may be hard. I have struggled with being a people pleaser, but at the end of each day, it is not about pleasing people but pleasing God and being pleased with yourself. Don't allow pleasing others to become a priority for you, but live life pleasing the Lord. I hope you have a magnificent Monday!

Colossians 1:10

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Day 4

Well I ended up staying at the house in Breckenridge today and just being lazy but it was much needed. I watched the NCAA basketball tournament most of the day and did some washing since we are leaving tomorrow. I can't believe spring break is almost over, and we have to leave Colorado and head back home. I wish we could stay another week at least! It has been so much fun just being able to get away for a little while and have a good time with friends! I can honestly say I am not looking forward to the long ride back home! We actually cross through 6 states during our twenty plus house drive. I hope all of you wore your green today and didn't get pinched for St. Patrick's Day! I hope all of you have a great weekend, and I will be back in Mississippi soon!

Psalm 23:1-3

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Day 3

Well today was my last day to snow board for the week. I think I have said ski in all of the blogs this week, but I actually snow board. It was warmer today on the slopes than it was yesterday. I felt like I have gotten pretty good after a few days of practice. I am going to try and make it back out here again soon. I would love to try and come out here once a year in the future so we will see how that goes. We have eaten at the house each night, but tonight we are going out to eat at a famous pizza place here in Breckenridge. Things are still going well out this way, and I am enjoying the break from school and work. Tomorrow I think I am going to Denver for the day, so I will let you know how that goes!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Don't forget to wear your green!

Colossians 3:12

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Day 2

Well it was another great day on the slopes! It got pretty warm out there today and it is supposed to be even warmer tomorrow! My body is already so sore from the first two days and all of the rough falls I had. Today we went down some black diamonds which were extremely tough but awesome once you got to the  bottom. We were on the slopes from 8 until 4 today and now I am extremely tired. Being on the slopes for that long is very tiring but well worth it all. The house we are staying in has a hot tub, so that has been very nice to come home to each day. I look forward to tomorrow because it will be jersey day and everybody is wearing the jersey that they chose to bring with them. I hope you are having a great week!

John 15:13

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Day 1

Well, I woke up feeling a little better today, so I was able to hit the slopes with our group. Seeing the snow and mountains has been absolutely beautiful and just a reminder of what a great God we serve! The weather was great all day, and it is actually snowing right now, so tomorrow should be another good day. I know when I wake up tomorrow morning I will be very very sore because of all of my falls today. I had so much fun, but I fell so many times. Not only did I fall a lot, but I hit the ground pretty hard when I did fall. The group I am with has been so much fun and we have had a blast. I am exhausted from everything we did today, so I am about to call it a night. I will let you know how day 2 goes tomorrow and keep you posted on anything that happens!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

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Colorado

I hope all of you had a great weekend! After a 24 hour car ride, we finally made it to Breckenridge, Colorado.  What a trip it was. We would have gotten here a few hours earlier, but our GPS system took us the wrong way. Once we arrived in Colorado, it began to snow and rain on us very hard for about 2 hours, so it made the last part of the trip even tougher. I have never had to drive in that kind of weather, so it was pretty difficult to get used to. We got to our house about 6 in the morning and went straight to bed. Today has been filled with eating, chillin, and just having a good time. I have not felt good all day, so hopefully I will get to to feeling better, so I can hit the slopes tomorrow. I believe I have altitude sickness, and I am here to tell you it is no fun! I will keep you posted on my trip this week and how things are going! Have a great Monday!

1 John 2:12-14

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Grindin' For My State

I hope all of you have had a great week! I am so glad it is finally Friday and Spring Break 2011 has officially arrived! I will be heading out to Breckenridge, Colorado for a week with some friends to hit the slopes, and I can't wait. I am looking forward to trying to snowboard and just relaxing for a little while. Friday is family and friend fellowship day, but I just had to change today's blog to "grindin for my state." While I was at work yesterday, I read an article written by a teacher at Mississippi State. After reading the article I was so pumped up all I could do was thinking about ways I can grind for my state.  I want you to read this article with your family and friends, and think about what you can do to join me in grindin for our state!!!! Just copy and paste the link below and check it out. I hope it gives you the same feeling it gave me! Let's grind! Have a great weekend and next week I will be blogging from Colorado so that should be fun!

http://mississippistate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1198705&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

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Everybody Does It

Do you ever find yourself doing things alone and wonder if other people do it too? Well, I am here to tell you that everybody does.  Many times, I do something and I want to ask other people if they do it, but I am worried they will think I'm weird or crazy, so I don't say anything at all.  Well, usually that is. Every now and then, I will ask people anyways because I want to know and the only way to find out is to ask them myself.  Do you ever do this? You are sound asleep and the phone rings. It is either your cell phone or the house phone. Once you wake up, you clear your throat and answer the phone like you have been awake for a little while. And then, whenever someone asks you are you asleep you tell them oh no, I have been up a little while now. Sometimes you will even say something before you answer the phone so you can warm your voice up before they hear you! Everybody does it so don't feel alone! What are some other things you do that you wonder if other people do them as well?

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Dream and Do

All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.
- T. E. Lawrence

It is one thing to think about things. It is one thing to dream about things. It is another things to put into practice the dreams that you have! Don't simply dream about it. Don't talk about it. Be about it!

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Take the Time, Tuesday

I want you to take the time to write down one thing that seems to be a problem in your life. It may a person or it may be something else, but I want you to write it down on a sheet of paper. Once you have written it down, I want you to pray over it. Give it to the Lord and don't let it bother you anymore. The more and more you think about it or dwell on it, the harder it will become. So, take the time today to write it down and allow God to remove it from your life! Have a terrific Tuesday!

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Forgives and Forgets

I hope all of you had a great weekend! Mine was great although it flew by like usual! But hey.. a week from today, I will be hitting the slopes in Colorado for spring break so it's all good! Yesterday in church I heard a woman share her testimony and it was so powerful. I was able to see how God can work in one person's life, but I was also able to see how God can work in my life as well. Many times in life, we make mistakes and although days, months, even years pass on, we allow those past mistakes to define who we are. Satan is an accuser and he will do everything he can to hold you back from living the life that you have been called to live. By bringing up your past mistakes and your past sins, it only  hinders you from doing the will of God. One thing I have seen is that each person has things in their life that can distract them or hold them back. I don't know what it is in your life that may have been haunting you and bothering you for a time period, but I want you to let it go. Understand something that is so awesome it is hard to comprehend.. God forgives and He forgets! Unlike us, He loves us so much that He will forgive us once we repent and then forget our sins as well! There may be something in your life that has held you back; I pray that you will let it go.

Jeremiah 31:34

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Family and Friend Fellowship, Friday

I hope you all had a great week! It is finally Friday and the weekend has arrived. I want you to take the time to pray for a family or friend that is going through a tough time right now. Maybe they are struggling with financial situations. Maybe they are struggling with health issues. Maybe they are struggling with certain decisions that need to be made. I don't know where that family or person is, but I want you to pray for them today. Your prayers are much appreciated for those people! Have a great weekend, and I will talk with you again Monday!

James 5:16

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Perspective

Have you ever felt down? Have you ever felt inadequate? Have you ever felt like just giving up? If so, I have been there in my life and I want you to know that you can overcome these things. Many times in life, we find ourselves battling situations that we sometimes don't understand. School becomes hard. Relationships become difficult. Our family and friends are not what we thought they were. Our jobs are not what we want them to be. Our boss treats us like dirt. I want you to know that by changing your mind set, things look differently. I feel that life is so much about perspective and relativity. We will talk more about relativity some other time. Whenever you find yourself in a situation like this, just take a moment to remember that you have it better than someone else, and often times, you have it better than a lot of other people. We have all heard the phrase, "don't judge a man until you walk a mile in his shoes." I think that is so true because your perspective may be one way about something, but you can't fully understand someone else's until you have been where they are. Keep fighting! Keep pushing! Change your perspective!

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Grit

First of all, the movie True Grit is a good one. I like going to check out a movie in the theater whenever I can, and I saw that one recently and enjoyed it.

The man who makes success an important venture never wails for the crowd. He strikes out for himself. It takes nerve, it takes a lot of grit; but the man that succeeds has both. Anyone can fail. The public admires the man who has enough confidence in himself to take a chance. These chances are the main things after all. The man who tries to succeed must expect to be criticized. Nothing important was ever done but the greater number consulted previously doubted the possibility. Success is the accomplishment of that which most people think can't be done.

-C. V. White

Take a chance. Take chances. Even though someone says can't, believe that you can! Don't allow doubt or fear hinder you from taking a chance!

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Take the Time, Tuesday

I hope you enjoyed reading about my weekend and all of the drama it had! I want you to take the time today to write down one goal you want to achieve by the end of March. Writing things down can sometimes help in the process of achieving goals! It can be small or it may be big, but write down a goal you would like to achieve by the end of March. Once you write it down, put it somewhere that you will see if pretty often. I look forward to hearing some of the goals and things you write down. I think you will be surprised how much writing your goal down will help you.

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