"The Grateful Dread" (podcast)

In this episode I share  a lesson God's been teaching me over the past few months about getting to the place where I'm conscious of how truly blessed I am. Since the garden the enemy has been attacking our minds, trying to convince us that we are lacking something, to believe God has withheld something from us, and unfortunately far too often we believe the enemy, and we wind up in a state of victim consciousness.

The truth is we ARE blessed and HIGHLY FAVORED! There is so much grace on our lives yet instead of appreciating the fact that we are able to walk today, that we aren't suffering from any terminal illness, that our children will have a meal today, that we have running water, etc we completely overlook those blessings and focus our energy on the bill we can't pay, or the car we don't have yet, or the credit score we don't have, and it's FOOLISH and UNGRATEFUL! Over the past few months God's been revealing to me that gratitude is truly the key that opens up that gate of heaven and creates opportunities for God to pour out His blessings on your life. Being thankful, rejoicing, praising, and worshipping God feels AMAZING and will completely shift your energy but more it starts with being AWARE of how blessed you already are and shifting your focus to one that SEES the grace that's on your life.

Bishop TD Jakes gave this incredible sermon entitled "The Giver Comes First" and he told the story of Abraham and the ram in the bush and how God led Abraham to the hill where the ram would be and how he named the PLACE of his provision Javovah Jireh. So many people miss that important detail in that story and call God Jahova Jireh but it was a PLACE and the Bishop talked about how we must get back to the place and how that place is in the spirit and it's where we SEE with spiritual eyes, where we recognize how God is working in our situation and where we walk the path He lays out for us and are in alignment with His will for our lives.

There is no safer place to be than in the will of God. When you give God the wheel He drives better than those parents that have "baby on board" on their windshield. He is THEE all knowing, He knows the turns up ahead, He knows who's gonna cut us off on the highway, He knows when we will be distracted and send a text while driving, and He's got us COVERED.

Sometimes we have to rely on faith because we can't see what He's doing but it's in those moments that we can look at what He's already done and trust that He will continue to see us through. And when you don't have enough faith look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith and rely on His faith. It's in those moments where our faith isn't enough that we can say Lord help my unbelief and let Jesus carry us and experience God's grace. I pray this message blesses you and encourages you to look to Jesus and recognize how blessed you already are. I pray God gives you a peace that passes all understanding that allows you to rest in Jesus when you face any storm. As always, appreciate the blessings and stay grateful!

Jimmy

On this episode I talk about this revelation of how God's grace really works during a game of around the world. There's something about knowing you won't be punished for your misses (sin= missing the mark) that actually frees you to seek progression without fear. Knowing our sins have already been paid for in life because He (Jesus Christ) stepped in and fulfilled the JUSTICE required in the Law of Moses for ALL OF US. Knowing this allows us to willingly follow a God that loves us enough to do that, knowing this frees us from sin consciousness it doesn't bind us to the law. The Law was to make us aware of why we need grace and to help us understand God's character. The Bible may have been used as an instrument to control but the gospel of Jesus Christ is a love story and a tool to set us FREE. We ALL do things that wouldve been considered sin but because of what He did we can recognize just how much we needed and continue to need God's grace in our lives moment to moment. Many people fear this revelation will lead to more evil in the world and I get it but that comes from fear and a lack of empathy and understanding that everyone already has Christ's spirit in them, the very breath of life is from Him. Soooo many people are actually living in sin because they dont feel accepted because they dont love themselves because they don't understand the TRUTH about God's love because they dont in their hearts understand how they can be forgiven for some of the things they've done in their past because they dont yet understand that God decided to put flesh on His very word and Spirit to RESTORE humanities connection with the Divine Source of LIFE AND LOVE by willingly accepting the punishment/justice/karma for every single sin (wrong thought, word, action) ever committed all the way back to Adam not trusting His father and not believing God Loved Him enough to not withhold anything from Him that was for His good.I hope this episode blesses you and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode of "The Grateful Dread" podcast I wanted to share a thought/revelation I learned about what makes God the best father EVER. God understands that we need challenges and adversity to acquire the skills and characteristics needed to  navigate this journey. I hope this message encourages you to embrace the opportunity to grow from your circumstance and to continue to trust God to use it all for your good. As always, appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about "divine redirection" and I share a story of how my plans weren't going my way and how God revealed to me that my priorities were out of order. Many times when we our outside of the will of God and trying to force our own plans there's no grace on our lives I want to encourage you to prioritize getting in God's presence and getting in alignment with His plan for your life. Don't be so married to your own timeline or plan that you reject "divine redirection" God's plan is always better. I hope you get something from this message and as always, appreciate the blessings!

On episode 102 I wanted to talk about that next level gratitude, that "even tho" gratitude, that 2020 learning how to be grateful in the midst of a pandemic type gratitude. It's pretty easy to say thank you "for the" _____ (inset blessing) but it takes a deeper level of gratitude to be able to give thanks while facing trials and tribulations but thats when you REALLY need to practice gratitude. Last night my daughter had a seizure for the first time in nearly a year (way to end 2020 right) it was her 3rd ever but I'm past the point where I feel like "why is my kid going through this" or resenting God because "I should be immune to facing trials in life". Nowhere in the Bible does God promise us that by being in relationship we will not face trials, in fact, it says "the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike". I'm grateful that the Bible does promise that whatever storm I face I don't have to go through alone and that even when I'm not strong enough His strength is made perfect in my weakness. Last night rather than my mind instantly going to why me I decided to pray and trust God that it would be OK and I decided to THANK GOD for the last time he brought her home after she had a seizure and I decided to THANK GOD for allowing my daughter to go nearly a year without having a seizure knowing it could be a lot worse. I thought about how grateful I am to have been given the opportunity to love her for more than a year since the first one she had when I prayed to God to please give me one more day with her. 2020 has taught me a lot of lessons and while I have compassion for those that lost loved ones and those living in fear (I'm praying for you daily), I have encountered countless families whose priorities have shifted for the BETTER because of 2020, people who are now having diner regularly with their children, people who have gotten closer with God, people who are doing homework with their kids, people who aren't avoiding difficult conversations with their spouses and actually making room for healing to take place. 2020 has been CHALLENGING and it has forced us all to grow and adapt but I pray it's been a year filled with LOVE and great joyful moments and a year you can truly be grateful for "even tho" there were unexpected challenges. If you made it through 2020 you are blessed! I love you and as always appreciate the blessings!

For episode 101 of "The Grateful Dread" podcast I decided to get back to the basics of understanding what it means to practice gratitude. I call this episode "Gratitude 101" because it's about appreciating the BLESSINGS, being thankful for what God has given you. We can always chose to look at life through a lens of dread of gratitude and so often many of our are so blessed in reality but we allow our thoughts to rob us the joy we could be experiencing in the present moment. On this episode I share a story about how within a 2 hour timespan I wrote both the saddest song I've ever written and the most joyful song I've ever written and how the only thing that changed was my perspective. I hope this story causes you to examine your life and helps you to become aware of the times where you are allowing thoughts to rob you of your joy. If you get value from this episode please share it and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this 100th episode of The Grateful Dread podcast I decided to keep is ALL THE WAY 100 with you and share with you both personal struggles I've been dealing with lately and the wisdom God has been teaching me in the process. I share my recent struggles with addiction, relationship anxiety, and the biggest struggle for me which is letting go of the need to be in control and stay submitted to God's will for me. I pray this honest testimony and the revelations God has been revealing to me can minister to your hearts and provide encouragement to help someone going through their own struggles. I hope you enjoy today's message and as always, appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I share some experiences I've had that helped me get to a place where I can rejoice and give God thanks even when it rains. For as long as I can remember I've always hated rainy days and in life I've always hated when trails would come. It wasn't until recently that I truly learned to appreciate the rain and understand how necessary it is for growth and how important it is to be able to continue to praise God through it and I just wanted to share my wisdom and offer encouragement to anyone that feels like their dealing with some "rain" right now in their life. I pray you know that you are loved and that God is with you in whatever you are going through and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about my concern for humanity as the world is shaken once again by the unlawful killing of George Floyd. I haven't done an episode in awhile but I felt compelled to share my thoughts and concerns with the hope that my message of hope and love and compassion for one another as human BEINGS can help lift your vibration today. 

On this episode I talk about worry. When you find yourself worrying, try to remember that God is always in control. Trust the big picture plan He has that you do not see. Learn and grow as you go. Don't take yourself too serious, your life story is 1 book in one library in 1 town on 1 planet in 1 galaxy in Gods universe yet Gods Grace and Love are fully present always. The very breath you have been given is a gift. (I think we are all being reminded of that these days) I like to write down lists of what I'm grateful for whenever I'm feeling anything other than blessed. I also like to ask myself what could life be trying to tell me thru this circumstance. Chose to Trust + Thank God. Worrying about things you cant control is a complete waste of time. Learn to lean on God and appreciate the blessings.

On this episode I talk about hope. I woke up this morning to a completely gray sky full of clouds and I thought to myself "today's gonna be whack". I figured the entire day was headed for doom and gloom and to my surprise around 4 o'clock all the clouds had moved and the sky was blue and the sun was shinning again. I was able to go for a nice walk outside and take a drive to the beach and I thought about how quickly circumstances change in life. Some people might be facing a cloudy situation in their life today heck the entire world is dealing with the dark cloud of covid-19 as we speak but the good news is CLOUDS MOVE and the sun shines ALWAYS again. We don't always know WHEN the situation will change but have faith that it WILL change because it always does, it's the nature of life, nothing stays the same! So today, I just want to encourage you to keep the faith and remind you that CLOUDS MOVE, and to always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about the importance of solitude and the amazing opportunity we all have right now to make sure we are all getting a healthy dose of it. Solitude unlike isolation is a choice. Many people are in isolation and feel like they are being forced into it but what if you simply embraced the present moment and chose to use it as an opportunity to connect deeper with yourself and your inner being. Nothing cleanses the soul quite like solitude. You can pray, you can think out loud, you can bask in the peace of stillness or just listen to music or a podcast. Enjoy the solitude like it wasn't. choice made for you but by you and as always appreciate the blessings!

Another day with this Covid 19 pandemic and it's really easy to think about all the things we can no longer do but I just want to remind you to do what you CAN do. You can still read a book, watch a movie, play games with your kids, enjoy a nice walk, write in a journal, research, etc. There are so many reasons to still enjoy your life. Every day on this planet is a gift and we should all strive to enjoy each and every one of them. So today, do what you CAN do and appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about the power of saying "Thank You" and meaning it. Gratitude is the most effective way to change any situation. Even if the situation doesn't change, gratitude can change the way you see the situation which actually changes it for you because you now view it from a new lens. My number 1 goal for this show is to spread the spirit of gratitude and I believe this episode may help you receive that spirit of gratitude by putting it into practice by taping into the power of saying "Thank You"

On this episode I talk about how God like to show up in the clutch. In sports there very few characteristics more celebrated than the "clutch gene". The "clutch gene" is only revealed when the chips are down, when the odds are stacked up against you when it looks like there isn't much time left and it's sink or swim but in life we don't really like God to be clutch because we suffer from anxiety and lack faith and rely on ourselves and most of US tend to get overwhelmed by pressure which is why we celebrate the Tom Bradys and Michael Jordans of the world that are known for being clutch. I wanna tell you a secret GOD IS CLUTCH! His timing is impeccable and he is a SHOWMAN. Read the story about Lazarus in the bible and how when Jesus found out Lazarus was dying he decided to stay where he was an extra 2 days so people could witness his resurrecting power rather than rushing to Judea to save hi before he passed. God has shown up in the clutch in my life over and over and I felt compelled to do this message today at 11:11pm after just posting I wasn't going to continue to do these daily messages because I felt God tugging on my heart to show up for somebody in the clutch tonight with a message of hope and faith. It may be looking dark for you right now but I am here as a living witness to vouch for the fact that God IS CLUTCH and I want to encourage you to lean on him and to trust His timing and to KNOW that just when you think it's over and you're truly about to give up, that's when God will be knocking at your door. Let him in, ask Him for help and believe that he will show up for you and when He does make sure you share your testimony and give Him His glory. And while you are waiting remember that you are loved, be grateful that you are alive and that He continues to bless you with life and try and find a way to appreciate the blessings in spite of your circumstances because gratitude and faith can change any situation.

On this episode I talk about staying connected. Right now the world is telling us to keep our distance but right now we are all connected by what's going in the world. As my guy Steven Furtick said, we may not all be in the same boat but we are in the same ocean right now. I believe we have a real opportunity to unite and through technology we can still stay connected to each other and more importantly no matter what happens we can stay connected to our higher power. I think life has giving us all an opportunity to come together like never before and be amazing. let's stay connected and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I just want to encourage somebody out there who's thinking about giving up to keep going. We all have times in life where we get down and we start to lose hope or maybe we've been trying to make something happen and it's not coming to fruition as fast as we'd like but to that I say keep going! Sometimes we don't realize what's happening and sometimes great things take longer than usual to bear fruit. Keep sowing, keep going, and eventually you will see the fruits of your labor. Pray for courage, ask God to help you endure the tough times, spend time in His presence, and keep going and as always appreciate the blessings along the way!

On this Episode I talk about spreading the GOOD news. These days I can't turn on my phone or TV without seeing some more news about Covid-19 and how many people have been effected and how we need to be careful and while I see nothing wrong with being informed, what about the good news? What about the fact that Jesus Christ gave His life for you and promised to be with you until the end of time? What about the fact that by simply believing in Him you are already saved and promised eternal life. What about the good news that no matter what you've done in your life, God loves you and is for you! What if instead of sharing every fear mongering article we see on facebook and amplifying a spirit of fear and anxiety, we decide to share Good news of Jesus Christ, spend time in His presence, and continue to appreciate the blessings each and every day!

On this episode I talk about choosing faith over fear. With everything going on it can be really hard to tune out the noise and not get consumed with anxiety and worry but it's times like this where faith is needed most. Dis ease or stress is the #1 cause of disease and while it's easier said than done to not worry, you must find a way to stay positive and trust that everything is going to be OK. God got you! Stressing about your fears isn't helping anyone so today I just want to encourage you to chose faith over fear and as always, I want to remind you to appreciate the blessings! 

If there's 1 positive we can take from this "social distancing" I'd say it's the opportunity to get closer to to God. Life has given us all a real opportunity to get in tune with our inner being by quieting the distractions of the world. We all have less to do which leaves more time for our kids and ourselves. I just want to encourage anyone dealing with restlessness to consider implementing a spiritual practice into your daily life trust me it will work wonders and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about asking the question "what if it's better?" What if it's better this way? What things not working out how you planned is actually things working out for the best? What if you not getting that job is because God has something better for you? What if your future is going to be even better than the past your mad you can't get back? There is always a possibility that things are working out in your favor even when you don't realize it. So before you get upset ask yourself "what if it turns out better than I thought it would?" and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about having uber-patience. Patience can only be measured by time and there are times in life when you will have to wait for something for YEARS or even decades to come into fruition. The question is will you continue to have faith and believe that theres still hope after years of waiting? A friend of mine released a song 4 years ago and today that song is the #1 song on the UK charts. He believed in that song the day he made it but it took 4 years for that seed to become what it was meant to become. I've had numerous times when I planted a seed and it wasn't until years later that it harvested. Sometimes God is going teaches you to be uber-patient by making you wait a really long time for things. Joyce Meyer once said patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. Maybe you've been praying for something and you're losing hope because you've been waiting longer than you hoped to be waiting, if so, I just want to encourage you to stay faithful and keep believing God can do exceedingly more than you ask. Be uber-patient and be of good cheer while you're waiting and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about limiting beliefs. Over the last few years I've been becoming really aware of my own limiting beliefs when it comes to money. I realized that since I was a child my subconscious has been being programmed to fear money and to associate it as something bad. How many movies have we watched where the villain is a rich guy? How many people have been taught "money is the root of all evil"? On the contrary how many of us were taught about finance and understand tax law and how the system actually works? Not many of us are taught how to create money or that it can be created in the first place. Capitalism is designed for there to be more workers than business owners so instead we are  taught to be obedient and how to follow directions. Since pre-K we are trained to be good workers. We are told to get jobs where we sell our time for money. We aren't learning creative thinking or how to write business plans or register an LLC or how to search on google. Why aren't we taught about universal law? 

The good news is the internet is changing everything! People today who come from all walks of life have access to unlimited information. People are learning about wholesaling real estate, how to open e-commerce businesses, and how to market products online. Information is abundant and people are thriving yet so many of us still aren't and it's because of our limiting beliefs. As long as we view being wealthy as being bad or greedy, we will never truly attract it into our reality because subconsciously we don't want to become what we view as bad. Also many people don't feel worthy of success which is another limiting belief that you must shake if you want to become financially free and truly enjoy the abundant life Jesus died for you to enjoy. See yourself as God sees you and see money as a resource that enables you to help yourself, your family, and others. Deep down we all want amazing lives and we all have the ability to create the lives we want but we must first fix our mindsets and it starts with recognizing our limiting beliefs and really questioning why we've accepted them as true. Once you fix your beliefs about money and your worthiness issues and realize you were created in God's image to be a creator, you can give birth to that next amazon or whatever idea God gave you and use your gifts to make the world a better place.  Today, I just want to encourage you to shift your perspective on money because it could be the very thing that's holding you back and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about some things God's doing in my life right now as well as some things he's done in the past. God has done an incredible job revealing himself to me over and over again over the years and in doing so my faith in Him endures. In fact, when He doesn't show up I'm baffled because I believe in Him so much and have come to expect His grace. I think it's important we share our testimonies to each other because we never know who may be losing hope and might need to be reminded that He's really out here and today I'm doing just that. To anyone out there that may be feeling anxious or discouraged today I just want to encourage you to keep the faith and to remind you as always to appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about feeling amazingly blessed. Today was an absolutely beautiful day and after a long walk on the beach I laid down on some rocks by the jetti and I was just so grateful to be alive to be present in that moment and to be appreciating the gift of life. I think it's important to take some time out of your day to really just relish in the present moment and think about how incredibly blessed you are. Today was all about appreciating the blessings for me and I pray you have days like this as well. 

On this episode I talk about thanking God NOW for the things I know he's GOING TO DO in my life. Faith is everything and when you are praying for God to come into your situation it's important to feel as though he's already done it. Trust God's credit like you do your Visa or Master card.  The bible says "That is why I tell you, whatever you pray about and ask for, believe that you have received it and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24) It doesn't say believe you WILL receive it, it says believe that you HAVE receivED it . Have the FAITH to say "thank you" now and watch really believe it's done, be patient, and watch what happens in your situation. You are blessed, you are loved, you are a child of GOD. No matter what your are going through don't ever forget that and as always appreciate the blessings!

With everything going on in the world right now it's so important to remember how blessed we are. Yeah they are closing restaurants but I am still blessed! Yes there is a global pandemic and a mass panic but I am still blessed! I am still blessed because I woke up this morning. I AM still blessed because God is still with me. I AM still blessed because I get to give and receive love today. I AM still blessed because my daughters and wife woke up today. I AM still blessed because I ate a good meal today. I AM still blessed because I have a place to rest my head at night. I Am still blessed for more reasons than I can name today I want to encourage you to think of 5 reasons you are still blessed in spite of whats going on in the world. I pray that today brings you joy peace hope and LOVE and as always, appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I just wanted to pray for everyone out there to be safe and blessed.

On this episode I talk about the importance of rest. Whether you've been working to improve your finances, body, mind, or spirit you need rest. Rest gives you a chance to recharge and reset and it allows God room to do His part. Do what you can do, rest, and let God do the rest. Today I just want to encourage anyone that's been going 110 at something to make sure they rest and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about embracing the trials and tribulations in life. The old saying of "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" really holds true. It's through the trials that we are able to learn and grow. Without trials there would be no growth. Life is designed for us to grow and learn and rather than resisting or getting angry when trials come as they no doubt will why not embrace them and see them as opportunities to grow and evolve because you always come out on the other side stronger for having gone through it. Today I just want to encourage anyone going through a trial to embrace it and as always, appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about the importance of washing your hands. While I mean that literally especially with everything going on with the super hyped up boogey man man as the "corona virus" aka the flu's twin brother from another mother. I also mean to wash your hands of the spirit of fear. I've never seen a hysteria like this over any virus in my life. The corona virus from what i've read has a 1% death right like the flu, has symptoms similar to the flu, a recovery time of 7-14 days like the flu yet the TV is treating it like its the thing from the movie Bird Box. While no one wants to get the flu and we should all be careful the best thing to do is control what you control which is washing your hands and having an expectation that everything is going to be fine no matter what. Dis ease is the number 1 cause of disease. Worry and fear are not of GOD refuse to allow yourself to be consumed with worry woo sah and wash your hands of that disgusting energy and as always, appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about a scripture in the bible that I believe is often misunderstood and taken out of context and that's James 2:20 or actually a piece of James 2:20 which says "Faith without works is dead". I think many people believe the word "works" means "work" and in truth they have very different meanings. "Works" in the Bible means actions or deeds and to give the scripture context the person speaking is reminding the listener  of the time God rewarded the action of Abraham presenting his son for a sacrifice. To be clear God didn't actually want Abraham to sacrifice his son but he wanted to see if he had enough faith in God to be obedient. He wanted to see if his actions would match his faith and in showing through his "works" or actions that he'd be willing to sacrifice his own son because he believed in God's word that much, God decided to bless him with the power to bless everyone. The point of the story is that it's not enough to simply believe in thought or in spirit but that your actions must match your beliefs and when God sees your faith in action and that you are moving as someone who believes what he claims to have faith in, He recognizes your body as a place where His spirit can move. I hope this helps and as always, appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about knowing who you are. The bible says over and over that we are all children of God and that God made us in His image. That God created us to be fruitful and that he blesses us to be a blessing and that He sent His son to die so that we could be saved. Many of us have doubters in our lives and people that try and tell us we are less then for whatever reason and unfortunately even more of us are dealing with our own thoughts telling us we are not good enough but that simply isn't true. You are good enough because He made you IN HIS IMAGE and I just want to encourage you to believe what He says about you and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about savoring the sunny days. Today it was an absolutely beautiful 60 degree sunny day here in CT in early March. On top of that I really had no drama whatsoever, no financial problems, no big deadlines I was up against. It was just an easy free flowing amazing day. I got to eat some good food, spend some time with the kids, go for a nice long walk, meditate, watch a few sermons. It was just blissful and it's important to savor or fully embrace and appreciate days like this because life isn't always going to be this way. A life free of challenges and storms is a fairytale but savoring days like this and really letting them seep into our memory bank is going to be important when we experience cloudy days and rainy days and stormy days. It's the memory of days like today that will help get you through the tough days so be sure to really enjoy the sunny days when they come or as I like to say "appreciate the blessings!"

On this episode I talk about the phrase "rise and shine" I never thought about how profound of a greeting it was until today. When I hear  "rise and shine" I think about waking up with a goal of rising to become the highest version of myself. When I think about shining to me that means allow my light to shine. My light being the light of God that exist in all of us, our true self. So to me when we say that to one another that's a really loving greeting to encourage someone to become a higher version of themselves today and to let their light shine on the world. Today I want to encourage everyone to RISE AND SHINE and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about it being your turn and I don't mean that in the way you expect. I don't mean that it's your turn to receive a blessing or your turn to start winning while that may sound great what if it's your turn to GIVE a blessing. What if it's your turn to BE a blessing to someone else? Maybe it's your turn to be there for someone, to listen to someone to give love to someone in need, to encourage someone. It's human nature to want to receive and to look at our own situations and constantly ask God to bless us and to wonder when it's gonna be our turn but what if God is waiting on you to realize it's already your turn to give what you can to others. Today I feel compelled to encourage you to spend a few minutes thinking of ways you can give someone else a blessing today and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about confidence and doing things with faith. Being confident that you are capable and that things will work out for the best. Unfortunately it's hard to manufacture confidence but I have cheat code for you. Pray. Ask God to help you in your journey and use your Faith and confidence in Him as a reason to believe in yourself. God gives us all access to Him and we have the ability to harness His power through faith in Him. Today I want to encourage you to move with faith as you pursue your potential and walk in the purpose He has for you and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about being pressed and the importance of not feeling defeated. Theres a scripture in the bible that says "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed". Pressure can bring out the best in people. If you think of yourself like an olive that needs to be pressed in order to produce oil rather than an ant getting crushed. Life has a way of pushing us even beyond what we thought was our limit and it doing so it forces us to grow and and become better, stronger, more resilient versions of ourselves. If you feel like your being pressed right now take solace in knowing that this challenge is going to help you produce oil and will ultimately bring the best out of you. Be encouraged and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about newton's first law of emotion, "inertia". The law of inertia states that an object at rest wants to remain at rest and an object in motion generally wants to stay in motion un less an outside force influences it. My point is if you are stagnant you gotta work against inertia to get things going, but the good news is once you start taking at least 1 step in the direction you want to go each day you will begin to create momentum and at a certain point you will have inertia on your side. Think of a pedal bicycle if you pedal pedal pedal at a certain point you will continue moving forward without even having to pedal at times. Today i want to encourage you to KEEP moving forward and allow inertia to be on your side and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about find the balance between being eager and being patient. Eagerness can easily turn into anxious or impatient and patience can just as easily become stagnant and complacent. It's important to stay excited about your goals and proactive in walking toward them and allowing God to do his part and in looking for and recognizing the divine opportunities around you that will enable you to realize your dreams. Today I want to encourage you to find that balance and also to encourage you to appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about living on purpose. I looked up the words "on" and "purpose" and discovered that "on" means physically in contact with and supported by and "purpose" means the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. So if we were to live on purpose we'd be in contact with and supported by the reason we were created and exist. Each and everyone of was gifted breath and the opportunity to experience life for a reason. Aside from being witnesses and representatives of God's love, we all have a unique purpose. God gave each and every one of us a unique fingerprint and gave us each our own perspective and he gave us all gifts designed to support our purpose in life. What gifts did God give you? What can you do in a way no one else can do? Are you living your life on purpose? Are you in the pursuit of your potential and making steps toward fulfilling your purpose here on earth? If not I encourage you to take a look at your life, do a self evaluation and come up with answers to those questions and begin living your life on purpose. I pray you have a wonderful day full of love and joy and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about making COMMITTED decisions. To be committed to something means to be wholeheartedly dedicated. It means you decided to do something and you are going to do everything in your power to make it happen. When you decide you are going to do something and are unwilling to accept failure, your chances of achieving that goal increase exponentially.  Decide today to go after that goal you've been afraid to commit to out of fear and go after it wholeheartedly and don't allow anyone to talk you out of what you decide. Refuse to worry about how you will do it and decide that whatever obstacle you face you are committed to overcoming and trust God to provide assistance along the way. Operate from a place of knowing the victory is already yours. End the paralysis by analysis, life is too short for that nonsense! Stop playing around and make a COMMITTED decision and GO AFTER IT! And as always appreciate the blessings.

On this episode I talk about a valuable lesson I learned from some dollar store toilet paper. I was in the bathroom and I noticed this off brand toilet paper called "Strong and Soft" 2 ply toilet paper and I thought to myself in what ways is toilet paper strong? And I came to the conclusion that they were saying when the toilet paper is confronted with friction or "going through so shit" (pun intended lol) it doesn't fall apart and it's able to keep itself together. That same strong toilet paper was also "soft" or had a gentle touch because its used in sensitive places that require that gentleness. Then I thought about relationships with sensitive human beings (all human beings) and how with important relationships we could learn a lot from this off brand toilet paper and how it approaches life as a roll of toilet paper lol. It's stupid but it's real. Be strong enough to keep it together when you encounter friction and a gentle tone or a soft touch goes a long way. That's all I got for you today hopefully it helps as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about believing in what you want (faith) before you see it come to pass. So often you hear people say "I'll believe it when I see it" but the way miracles happen is through faith. Last night I was reflecting on when I first made my song "Home Team" and the moment I shared with my daughter in the living room singing to it, I remember imagining and seeing clearly the crowd reacting to my song playing through the speakers at the Broncos stadium during the beginning of the song and feeling grateful that God had allowed me to birth that song and in that moment them playing that song was real to me. About 6 months later I was in the stadium and I heard the song playing in "real life". I thought about how I had a similar experience with my song "One Shot" and "Let's Go" and "Bruce Willis" and of being at the super bowl and I realized in pretty much every case where I achieved a dream, I had that same kind of experience and I 100% believe you have to believe it FIRST then it will come to pass in due time. Today I want to encourage you to believe in your dreams, see them being realized in your mind, feel how you will feel when it does and be grateful as if it just happened and get back to me in a year or 2 and tell me if it happened or not. Also I want to encourage you to appreciate the blessings today no matter how the day goes.

On this episode I talk about the growth you can't see. Yesterday I came across this video on facebook from 1 year ago where I was rapping a song called "win more" which I still haven't released and in the song I was talking about how locked in I was going to be and all the things I was going to accomplish and I was really disappointed in myself because I hadn't done what I said I was going to do. Then I thought about my life over the last year and all the storms I'd faced and I thought about all the progress I've made spiritually and how available I've been for my friends, and how much my relationship with God had grown since then. I thought about how I have more patience, gratitude, understanding of love, and I realized I've grown a lot this year just not in ways that can be seen on the outside. Today I want to encourage someone who's evaluating their life to look at the areas of your life that REALLY matter. Are you becoming more honest? more loving? more faithful? More grateful? More giving? Are you stronger than you were? Growth is about more than becoming more wealthy or more in shape and if you are growing in the areas that really matter, be of good cheer because you are making REAL progress, the other stuff will come. Stay positive and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about what it feels like to be planted. Being planted is a lot like being buried. It can feel dark, like nothing is happening, and it's easy to find yourself feeling discouraged when you are going through a season in which you've been planted. The difference is when you've been buried it actually is over and there's nothing left for you to do, but when you've been planted there's something inside you that's growing. It might be in your faith or your gratitude or your strength or your character or your capacity to live; many times all of the above. Today I just want to encourage that someone that  feels like they've been buried by their circumstance, who feels like nothing is changing to stay planted in your faith. You will have your season of harvest when whatever has been planted in you is ready to emerge. The bible says "He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper." (Psalms 1:3) Stay positive and as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about taking steps towards your goals. While I' believe in the law of attraction (to an extent), I also believe in the law of ACTION. There is no substitute for hard work and I believe that when you take steps toward achieving your goals, God will step in an ASSIST in the process.  When you have big dreams It's easy to get overwhelmed when you look at the entire staircase but when you focus on taking 1 positive step each day it really does add up and 6 months from now you find yourself having made incredible progress toward achieving that dream or goal as opposed to simply thinking about what you desire and not taking any inspired action. Today I just want to encourage you to take 1 step toward achieving your dream or goal you have set for yourself and as always, appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about stillness. I know many people that are intimidated by meditation but I promise it's not nearly as complicated as some would make it seem and it works WONDERS. While there are tons of guided meditations on youtube I find the simplest way to begin a practice of meditation is to just find a quiet place where you can practice being still. Do it for 10 minutes in the morning, do it for 1 minute if that's all you can do but just sit there with your eyes closed and be still don't force any thoughts in fact try to not think about anything at all just breathe and be still. There is such peace found in stillness and I've discovered that you begin to recognize your own thoughts and after a while you notice higher thoughts. Stillness allows you to tap into that source energy that we all possess. When Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God I believe he was talking about entering that space of complete peace that is found within from the simple act of being still. If you want take it a step further and pray after that ten minutes. I promise you if you spend just 10 minutes a day being still within a month you will notice changes in your life and you will find yourself going back to that safe place whenever you find yourself overwhelmed.

On this episode I talk about allowing your light to shine. Your light was meant to shine but sometimes your thoughts can convince you to wallow in sadness, resentment, bitterness, fear etc. Today I'm asking you to refuse to allow the stories your mind is telling you to convince you to dim your own light. You are BLESSED to be alive and you are blessed to BE A BLESSING! Refuse to be a victim of your circumstances. We need YOUR light in this world. Your light was meant to shine everywhere you go, please please please don't dim it. And as always appreciate the blessings!

On this episode I talk about how important it is NOT to judge others. I am a virgo and one of the major character flaws of a virgo is that we expect everyone to see the world the way we do and tend be very judgemental when people don't. I've noticed myself overstepping my boundaries and not respecting people's personal relationships and journey with God and I also realized how much that goes against everything I am. We are not here to judge one another, we are here to LOVE GOD and to LOVE on another, PERIOD. Today I want to encourage you to judge not! And as always appreciate the blessings!