Wake Up, Wake Up, Wake Up 4e6r5f

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including scanning, photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

Copyright © 2021 by Bryce Runge. All rights reserved.

Wake Up, Wake Up, Wake Up Published by Triumph Press

ISBN 9798524575616

Triumph Press is a resource for those who have the ion to tell their lifestories and change the world. If you have a true and inspiring story to share, visit www.TrimphPress.com

Dedication

To my son Braddox, daughters Briar and Bristol, and to my beautiful wife, Suzanne.

Thank you for ing and encouraging me in my walk with Jesus.

Introduction

First and foremost, take a nice deep breath. Do you feel that? Do you feel the air flowing freely through your lungs? Do you feel the blood pumping in your heart? Most people take this luxury for granted, so if you were able to take that deep breath, then let this be your Wake-Up Call.

I‘ve come to realize that as cliché as it may sound, life isn‘t a destination but a journey. Along the way, we will collect countless memories, experiences and, face many obstacles. At some point, we will suffer heavy storms, sleepless nights, and crushing disappointments that bring us all to a place of sorrow.

I have faced obstacles that left me hopeless and shipwrecked in a sea of regret. I‘ve experienced pain and suffering because of careless choices. I‘ve been haunted by the past, pierced with grief and bound by shackles of fear. Although I have trudged through the valley of sorrow, I‘ve learned to recognize and appreciate all of the good while on the journey. I have also realized that tears are only temporary and that the good heavily outweighs the bad.

On this journey through life, there will be no way around the valley. Looking back, I now know that in this sad, dark valley, the very things that brought me discomfort and sorrow were there to transform me; I just had to allow them to. It is in this dark place where we must choose to see the good, let ourselves grow, and trust that God would never bring us to this place if there weren‘t a purpose.

I was born and raised in Anaheim, California. My dad was a barber, and my mom was a woman of many talents, including taking care of four boys, which was, by far, her most challenging job. I am the youngest in the family. There is

an eleven-year difference between my oldest brother Brian and me, six years between me and my brother Brett, and three between me and Bradd. I didn‘t have a great relationship with Brian because of the age gap. As I got older, Brett and I formed a better connection through skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding. Bradd and I were closest in age, shared a similar love for football, and he has been one of my biggest ers, even to this day.

I learned a lot from my brothers and, in many areas, followed their lead. I looked up to my brothers and always wanted to hang out with them, even when they were going out on dates. I wanted to go surfing and skating with them, attend concerts and sporting events, and eventually, I wanted to party with them. I spent most of my young adult life looking at how my brothers lived, sadly neglecting to focus on how I wanted to live.

We grew up about 20 minutes from the beach, and surfing became part of my DNA. It was incredible paddling out with my brother Brett, primarily because he was well known in the surf industry. I was about 12 when I got my first barrel (the act of being covered up by a barreling wave) and fell deeper in love with the ocean. I loved sitting in the lineup (the place where surfers position themselves for when a set arrives) and waiting for the perfect wave to come in. But, the day came when I got tired of waiting and took my talents to rollerblading. It was then when my childhood friend Bob and I strapped on the blades and discovered a talent that led to touring the United States, competing, g autographs, and oh yeah, partying. Our growing fame eventually inspired my brother, Brett, to create a clothing company geared toward extreme sports, but that didn‘t last long, nor did our skating career.

With no college education and the belief that I graduated high school solely because my government teacher “ed“ me out of friendship with my parents, left me feeling “less than“ and incompetent. I had this notion that I couldn‘t succeed independently. Although grateful for the ing grade, it might have been better for me to learn a life lesson at that point rather than living a life by default, with no direction.

I grew up going to church with my family, but I didn‘t grow up in Christ. Going to church and growing in my relationship with Christ was not a priority. I knew of Him but didn‘t know Him, and sadly, at that time, I didn‘t care about Him. Catching the next wave and flipping in the air on rollerblades was the center of my world, and being dragged to church hungover wasn‘t entertaining, and I‘m sure the minister didn‘t appreciate me falling asleep on the front pew either.

Eventually, I completely ditched church, and skateparks became my place of worship. In high school, I played football too, which my dad forced. I wasn‘t a huge fan of football during that time of my life, and I almost didn‘t go out for it my senior year, but I decided to play anyways. I started on defense, offense, and special teams, and I wasn‘t all that bad. I focused most of my energy, however, on skating and partying, and now when I look back, that was a disservice to my teammates who gave their all during practices to get in on a few plays during the game.

After the football season and barely graduating in 1995, the rollerblades completely replaced the cleats, and I never looked back... until six years later. I‘ll get to that in a minute, but after high school came numerous random jobs, skating competitions, more tours, autographs, and more partying until one got wildly out of hand.

At a party I hosted at an undisclosed location, people got severely hurt, destruction took place, and because of it, I was terminated from my place of employment and had nothing to fall back on. My skating career had ended; I earned a poor reputation, and I had nowhere to go.

My brother Bradd saw the writing on wall. He knew everything that was going on in my life and knew that I needed some intervention, so he asked if I would consider helping him coach and work at the high school we graduated from.

Although I was far removed from football, I accepted his offer and began coaching. During one practice, I was working with an athlete when I had flashbacks of when I played. Later that night, I had dreams of playing football. I was unsure what to make of it, so I talked with Bradd, and after some discussion, he said, “go for it; you need this.“ After removing myself from the party scene and most of my friends, I trained for one year, preparing physically and mentally. After that training, I walked onto the football field at Fullerton JC, six years after I graduated high school.

I was ready, focused, and knew that getting a college education was the next best step. I played two years at Fullerton, received numerous Division-One offers, earned an associate degree, and eventually a full athletic scholarship to play football at the University of Hawaii, at the age of 27.

About five months before my island adventure, I met a girl who would later become my wife. Regrettably, when I took off for the islands, I left a lot of my focus and ion behind. While in Hawaii, my attention became focused on a female and the possibility of increased finances, so after my Junior year, I declared for the 2005 NFL draft. Although I went undrafted, it wasn‘t long after when I received my first opportunity with the Buffalo Bills. I was beyond excited and believed my decision to leave Hawaii early was about to pay off.

However, during my workout will the Bills a player representative pulled me aside to inform me they could not work me out, that I was not eligible. “Not eligible?“ I repeated, with the volume of my voice increased. I quickly called my agent to figure out what was going on. I was devasted, embarrassed and angry. Come to find out, during that time, when you leave early from college and want to enter the draft, you have to be granted eligibility by the Commissioner of the NFL, something to which I was oblivious.

I kept trying because I was determined to play in the NFL. In 2007, I got a call from the head coach of the Hamburg Sea Devils to discuss plans for playing in

the NFL Europe. I was pumped and knew this was my time.

The day of the NFL Europe draft was a day I‘ll never forget. I received a call from my brother, Bradd, saying that our dad was in intensive care and it wasn‘t good. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, we were informed that our dad had suffered a massive stroke and would, unfortunately, become a vegetable.

The patriarch of the Runge family went down, and more depression pierced my heart. Although football wasn‘t on my radar anymore, I never did get that call to play for the Sea Devils that day. Although I had worked out at a few other NFL camps over the next few years, I never landed on a team, eventually snapping my dreams of playing in the NFL.

About six months later, my then-wife and I moved 1,400 miles away from Anaheim, CA., to Prosper, TX, leaving all of my family and friends behind. A few years later, my son Braddox was born, and obtaining the father title changed my perspective. I fell deeply in love with him the moment he entered the world. Since I left Hawaii early, I never completed my degree, and I could not get the employment I wanted because those types of jobs required a degree. I knew I loved education based on my experience working with my brother, Bradd, in California, so I stayed the course, and worked as a paraprofessional educator, supplemented my income with a lawn and landscape business, and took care of my son.

With the pressure to be more financially ive, I decided to enroll online to finish my Bachelor‘s degree. After completing a few courses, I landed a teaching role with a private school in Plano, TX. Operating under the belief that things were falling into place, another crushing blow took place.

In August of 2011, my then-wife decided to leave me and, after reporting to my

employer that I had personal issues, they decided to politely fire me.

With the absence of faith, secretly battling depression, and operating with a “cruising through life“ mentality, I sank deeper into a sea of sorrow. I was left divorced, without a job or a home, and, by far the worst, bearing the title of an “every other weekend dad.“

With no job, home, and nowhere to go, I decided to move back to California, which completely crushed me. While in California, I helped coach high school football with my friend, Shawn, and eventually landed a part-time job working with at-risk high school students.

With minimal funds in the bank , another good friend of mine, Derek, an airline captain, graciously added me to his “buddy list“ so that I could fly for free to see Braddox on “my weekends.“ The flight took me as far as Austin, then I would rent a car and make the 200-mile drive to North Texas to see my son every other weekend.

I was ecstatic every time I landed in Austin and made that drive to see Braddox. We thoroughly enjoyed our weekends, and I tried to create as many memories as possible, but sorrow sank in when our weekends came to an end. Every time I would leave him, the pain grew worse. I could barely keep it together on my drive back to Austin via highway 35 because of tear-flooded eyes. It was on that drive that I constantly questioned, “why?“ With the driving and flying back and forth for about a year, depression and doubt continued to overwhelm me, and the further I got away from my son, the harder it became to deal with the pain.

The one thing that was crystal clear to me was that I needed to get back to my son. I applied for a few different jobs, and on one of my weekend visits, I had two interviews set up. One with a landscape company and the other at a high

school. After I met with the landscape company, I was hesitant and almost canceled my interview with the high school. During my transition, I stayed with some wonderful and loving friends, the Crawford‘s, who took me and Braddox in. I recall explaining my doubt and lack of interest in going on the interview, but they encouraged me to go for it anyways. So, I took the interview, and that is where things shifted.

The job I applied for led me to meet a man who would eventually help change my life. Mr. Wright (no pun intended) was the high school principal. We talked about a position that would be a perfect match for me, and he genuinely expressed interest in me. He made me feel worthy, and when I left the interview, for the first time in a long time, I felt wanted.

Later that day, I drove to Austin and boarded a plane that took me back to California. When I got off the plane, I turned my phone on and received a message from Mr. Wright. His message was brief, but it inspired my belief and validated my decision to move back to Texas.

I accepted the job, packed up my belongings, and in August of 2012, I returned to Texas. I spent three years working at the high school. During my time there, I completed my Bachelor‘s degree, received my teaching certificate, and encountered transformational wisdom from Mr. Wright and many other educational leaders and educators. I developed amazing friendships and finally felt I was headed in the right direction. But something was off. I still had a void that I constantly felt and often filled with insignificant things. I struggled with doubt and depression and fought daily against the pain from my past.

I had a friend who would regularly invite me to church, but to every invite, I gave an excuse as to why I couldn‘t go. His consistency eventually paid off, and I attended a church service with him. I didn‘t get much out of the sermon, and after church, I thanked my friend and went about my day. But during the week, I felt something I never had before. I spent nights crying uncontrollably and

experienced things that would take my breath away. I spoke to my oldest brother Brian, who had established a more positive relationship with me through the divorce, and it was Brian who had the insight I was seeking.

I explained to him all I was experiencing, and he tenderly stated, “I think only Jesus can fill the void you‘ve been trying to fill on your own.“ In desperation, I asked my brother what to do, and he lovingly explained how simple it was to receive salvation. I knew then, that church is where I needed to be. During the first service that I wanted to be there, I sat crying while attempting to get the words out of my mouth that would free me from the pain. But it was as if I had claws in my back preventing me from running toward the Savior. When church ended, I stood frozen. My friend James, who had invited me recognized the SOS signal through my tears, took my hand, and walked me to the altar where I gave my life to Christ.

That Sunday morning, my life changed. I entered a relationship that sealed shut the void in my life. I instantly felt empowered to remove myself from that desolate sea of sorrow. I resolved I would change the trajectory of my future. I declared I would never let myself settle or be ok with the pain and suffering that were so determined to keep me from moving forward into a healthier and more abundant life.

I felt like a completely new person. I called my brother Brian, and I could hear the joy in his voice. Little did I know, he and my sister-in-law, Lynn, had been praying for my salvation, and that day they‘re prayers were answered. I couldn‘t wait to see my son the following weekend as I knew God would become the center of our life.

I briefly (and appropriately for a 4-year-old) told Braddox about my experience, and he was excited to go church. The following Sunday, when he walked inside the building, Braddox jumped with joy and, with enthusiasm, questioned, “Where‘s God?“ We chuckled over his comments, then I knelt, looked into his

eyes and said, “Our legacy starts here. We are going to leave an imprint that no one else can ever leave because our lifeguard has arrived.“

I believe what has happened in my life has served to advance the gospel that I ignored for 30 years. I am so grateful I chose to climb out of the valley. I am so thankful I reached for the Savior, who walks with me every step of my journey. If I hadn‘t, I quite possibly could have lost my battle in the valley. Instead, with my beautiful and brilliant new wife, son, and two daughters by my side, I‘m enjoying a view so majestic, I know that God could have only orchestrated it.

Every day we have the choice between living in the past, lingering in the present, or creating a great future. Simply put, we cannot move into the future while gripping tight to our past. While in the valley, don‘t lose hope, don‘t give up, and don‘t give in. Keep pursuing because purpose is on the other side of your pain.

, you‘re only ing through. Fix your eyes on Jesus, stand firm on the Word of God and choose to believe things are not falling apart; they are strategically being put into place.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.“

–John 16:33

How to Use this Devotional

First, decide the time...

While there is no right or wrong time of the day for reading devotionals, first thing in the morning when you Wake Up is the best opportunity for avoiding interruptions. Can you the last time you received a phone call, text, or knock on the door at 6 a.m.? I encourage you to make time to discover the right time that works best for you.

Next, decide how long...

There‘s no official measure of time for doing devotionals. But that‘s the beauty of choice. You decide how much time you‘re willing to commit each day. I suggest Waking Up, with a goal of 15 to 20 minutes in mind, then grow from there.

Then, decide the location...

Finding (even creating) an atmosphere where you can experience uninterrupted time in your devotional is essential. If you attempt to spend time with God where there are mass amounts of distraction, then you‘re setting yourself up for disappointment. This is your time to spend quietly with Jesus, so make sure you protect it.

Lastly, when you determine the time, length, and place, read each devotional slowly and allow God to Wake Up your ions and dreams. As you open the pages of this book, invite the Holy Spirit to wake you up to a new way of thinking and living.

I hope that on this 40 day journey, you are strengthened, inspired, and transformed. I pray that as you read the stories, intentionally answer the questions, and pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), that you will discover your greatness, unlock your full God-given potential, and Wake Up each day living a life that points to Him.

Although Waking Up and reading this book has the ability to help you overcome challenges, live on purpose, and reach your dreams, it is not a substitute for the Word of God. I encourage you to open up the Bible to discover a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus.

Contents

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

Day 23

Day 24

Day 25

Day 26

Day 27

Day 28

Day 29

Day 30

Day 31

Day 32

Day 33

Day 34

Day 35

Day 36

Day 37

Day 38

Day 39

Day 40

DAY 1 Find a Mirror

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.“ -Matthew 6:19-21

You can often tell what a person values by what they leave behind when they depart from this world. I enjoy reading about the late UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden, and learning how his legacy extended far beyond the court.

When Wooden took over as head coach at UCLA in 1948, he immediately started pouring a foundation for what would become the greatest dynasty in sports history. Despite taking 16 years to win his first national championship, his devotedness, consistency, and transformational leadership would eventually lead the Bruins to 10 N.C.A.A. championships in 12 seasons, but it seemed to be the last thing to define him.

Wooden, who died at 99, was a devoted Christian who regularly studied the Bible and attended church. He was strong in his faith and lived it daily through his words and actions. Although he achieved significant success during his career, Wooden made it known that there were more meaningful things beyond the court.

A robust relationship with Jesus linked with Christian principles is what gave birth to the foundation for success.

In 1948, when Wooden designed his awe-inspiring “Pyramid of Success,“ he offered individuals and organizations a roap for growing better. The pyramid

that Wooden taught daily encomes principles and character traits like diligence, loyalty, initiative, self-control, intentness, poise, and friendship. From celebrities and coaches to athletes and business leaders, his philosophy on life has reached millions, and his pedagogy continues to be relevant, meaningful, and impactful today.

Many have a ion for gifting the world and their families with something that summarizes their life. Some have a desire to leave wisdom or wealth, others want to be known as a person who was generous, kind, positive, loving, and selfless.

Thinking about legacy might be new for you. You may be a bit like me, roaming through life without developing a thought-life. If you are married, it‘s possible that you haven‘t considered your legacy, and if you have a family, maybe you‘ve never talked about your family heritage.

Legacy wasn‘t something that was talked about in my family growing up. I came from a dysfunctional home which provided excellent grounds for learning. However, making time to understand the lessons didn‘t take effect until I gave my life to Christ. Since then, legacy took on a whole new meaning, and I immediately realized that I needed to Find a Mirror because that‘s where my legacy begins.

Scripture shows us that the most incredible legacy we can on is of much more value than money. Jesus was clear on this topic when He said, “where our treasure is, that‘s where our heart is.“ A person‘s real value isn‘t found in their abundance of possessions. Leaving money, property, or assets to loved ones can be beneficial, don‘t get me wrong, but something more valuable is leaving a legacy of faith.

Unfortunately, marriages, families, businesses, sports teams, etc., unknowingly fight against what they actually want, because they never took the time to set the course towards a conscious destination. Your legacy is significant because life is a gift. We only have one life to live, and we can choose to build something great or ignorantly waste it. Legacies that influencers like Wooden have left are great examples, but I encourage you to look at the life of Jesus and the legacy He left for all of humankind.

The pattern of Jesus‘s life, death, and resurrection stands as a true testimonial to humanity. He provided a perfect example we are to follow, and He was clear that our heritage is not limited to just what our family . Our influence has the potential to reach our friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and even strangers.

Today is a great day to look in the mirror and start thinking generationally and cultivate a legacy that intentionally extends well beyond your bloodline.

“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. “-Psalm 145:4

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What does legacy mean to you?

2. What have you allowed to prevent you from building a legacy that will reach beyond your bloodline?

3. How can Jesus‘s life help you create a legacy of faith?

4. What can you start doing right now to become all that God has designed you to be?

PRAY

Ask God to help you recognize the important things in life and fully understand your legacy‘s significance. Ask Him to help you prioritize, strengthen your relationship with Jesus, and intentionally build a legacy of faith.

DAY 2 Atmosphere Engineer

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.“ –1 Thessalonians 5:11

Have you ever been around someone that you can‘t stand? Have you ever been in a room when that one person walked in, and the climate instantly changed for the worse?

I have encountered them several times, and in many of those situations, I felt uncomfortable and eager to escape their presence. I have met people that have made me feel worthless and unimportant. I have experienced the dark clouds people carry with them, and at times those clouds have rained on my dreams and have drowned out the good.

Despite all this, the atmosphere can certainly change. No one says we have to put up with it or be negatively influenced by a toxic environment. It all begins with a choice. It starts when you choose to engineer excellence and steer away from mediocrity. It begins when you decide to bring an immense amount of good wherever you go. It starts when you choose to develop an attitude of gratitude, and you stop allowing the bad to drown out the best.

At work or home, I believe it‘s essential to do what it takes to preserve, protect, defend the culture you want around you, and be an Atmosphere Engineer, setting a dynamic and vibrant tone. When we enter a building, home, or are just walking about, we can either create a sense of fellowship and connectedness or set the mood that is detrimental to the overall environment.

There is a life-giving impact when we listen to and act upon what God instructs us to do. When we live by this truth, people move with a spring in their step and

purpose in their direction. People often live in turmoil, so be the person who shows up, and someone‘s day instantly gets better. Be the person who rises above the darkness by being the light. Be a person who provides hope and comfort in others‘ discomfort and one who contributes to a better, not bitter, atmosphere.

The power to serve others rests upon our shoulders, and I encourage you to establish an atmosphere where service to others is the cornerstone. Be the person who lifts others out of their everyday-selves to a higher level of excellence. Be someone who controls the climate with an increased energy level and one who brings light into others‘ darkness. Be an Atmosphere Engineer and fill the environment with generosity, love, and hope.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.“ -Matthew 5:16

CRITICAL THINKING

1. In what ways can you intentionally serve others?

2. How can you practice being an “Atmosphere Engineer“ at home and at work?

3. What kind of results do you anticipate your positive energy will produce?

PRAY

Pray for peace, understanding, and a quiet atmosphere where you can listen without interruption and be equipped to better serve others.

DAY 3 The Power of Hope

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.“-Romans 15:13

There is increasing scientific proof that hope transforms us mentally, physically and significantly makes a difference. Hope is to expect with confidence. Hope provides us with the belief that we will overcome, persevere and survive anything and everything that comes our way. It‘s not a wish, but a conviction that things will get better.

Sometimes hope appears non-existent, but people will point to hope in times of difficulty as one thing that got them through a challenging time. To have hope is to empower yourself to withstand the most difficult times and rise as an overcomer.

Unfortunately, people lose hope when they‘ve experienced loss, failures, or come face to face with the seemingly impossible. Like most, I understand all too well what it‘s like to feel hopeless. For over a decade I felt like I was swimming in a sea of sorrow, distress, and regret. I spent countless nights crying and questioning why things turned out the way they did and wondered if the pain would ever go away.

I never fully understood how powerful alignments in life were until the day I met Jesus. Before ever knowing Him, I was lost. I aligned with people who didn‘t add value or bring hope, and at times I brought others disservice and dark clouds. When I met Jesus, I was broken, bitter, and desperately in need. But through our relationship, I have discovered The Power of Hope.

This real hope enables you to be steadfast regardless of your circumstances. It

encourages you to stand firm and confident that God is in control and working all things together for your good (Romans 8:28). There is a story in the Bible that tells of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. When he arrived, the people starting laying down their garments and branches while shouting, “Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.“ When Jesus showed up in Jerusalem, he brought peace and hope. He showed up with a heart pointed toward loving and serving others.

Know that no matter what challenges you may face, you can stand firm because you have hope. You see, hope is the most powerful force in the universe. It keeps us going when times are tough. It gives us strength and courage to stand tall, look to the future, and continue pressing on.

Let this message encourage you to stand up to your fears and doubts. Let it inspire you to live on the side of possible. Let it enable you to courageously speak up and seek help when you‘re struggling or feel like giving up. Let this message help you discover a relationship that will bring you peace and hope.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.“ – Deuteronomy 31:6

CRITICAL THINKING

1. How can you cultivate moments of hope in your life?

2. How has having hope helped you through difficult situations?

3. In what ways can you bring hope and peace into someone‘s life today?

PRAY

Ask God to empower you with the dynamic will to succeed in the areas of your life where you feel hopeless. Pray for boldness to stand your ground and keep pushing through difficult situations.

DAY 4 Pull Back the Bow String

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock“- Matthew 7:24

I used to teach a class in middle school called Outdoor Education. It focused on recreational activities such as hunting, fishing, boating, and archery. I found that archery was most popular, but before allowing students to use the archery equipment, they had to go through a three-day training course. On top of that, students had to a test at the end of the training to participate. I know, cruel, right? But putting a weapon in a twelve-year old‘s hand who has no experience using a bow put me on edge; plus, safety was our number one priority.

When the students were finally able to take their place on the shooting line, they soon realized how valuable the training and testing was to their success in hitting the target. I loved watching the look on their faces as they began to Pull Back the Bow String. Not as easy as you think, but this step in the shooting sequence is called “draw,“ and it is the most active and complicated part.

For some, it was a struggle to draw, while others had no problem at all. Then the arrows flew, and I could hear the gasps as the shafts soared past the targets landing in the grass. It takes some strength to pull back the bowstring, but to hit a target, it also takes discipline, focus, patience, and intention prior to releasing the arrow.

There are many archery steps and after you draw comes the most important action of all: aiming. When I saw those arrows flying in the air, missing their targets, I couldn‘t help but think, “that‘s how I‘ve lived a lot of my life, missing the mark.“ In my opinion, this is where most of us are in life. We pull back the bowstring and just release (sometimes with eyes closed), sadly missing the target.

Aiming at your target purposefully is vital; otherwise, you run the risk of missing the mark. When challenging times come, and you want to flip the “quit switch,“ to anchor in faith and hope, focus on God, and operate in your vision, not your circumstances. Keep your head up straight and your eyes focused on the target. Breathe and relax.

In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic ignited terror around the world. With a disease that sadly brought death to thousands, wearing masks to fight the spread was a mandate and traveling was prohibited. Working from home took on a whole new meaning, students learned virtually, and fear continued to take over. People experienced discomforts, loneliness, uncertainty, doubt, and disappointment.

Even though tragedy struck, there were many lessons to be learned. It‘s through earth-shaking events that God can give us instructions we could not learn any other way. I believe we are all in the hands of a powerful and loving God who drew us back with intention and for divine intervention.

Some will argue that God does not intervene in human affairs, but His most extraordinary intervention in humankind was the gift of a baby named Jesus. His perfect life, death, resurrection, and the proclamation of the gospel authenticate His intervention.

If anything, 2020 taught me to slow down, be patient, and enjoy the precious gift of life. Unfortunately, in this day and age, we are all surrounded by weapons of mass distraction. Those distractions lead us to miss the mark, miss out on lifechanging opportunities, and to miss out on making lasting memories.

Modern distractions abound, and everything seems to compete for our attention.

I encourage you to focus on what you can control, give up uncertainty, and take the archer‘s approach this year. Pull back the bowstring and intentionally aim at your target. Intentionally aim at loving others well. Aim at being generous, comionate, caring, and kind every chance you get.

I encourage you to shove negativity, uncertainty, disappointment and doubt to the bottom of your quivers and never pull them out. that diligent plans lead to abundance. How we handle the now will determine how we see the next season of our life.

Intentionally love, lead and serve. Deliberately create and aim for your milestones. Today, start being intentional about practicing life-giving, heart transforming habits, and release your arrows with purpose and meaning as you conquer the next season of your life.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.“ -Ephesians 5:15-17

CRITICAL THINKING

1. In what ways have you been unintentional with your decision making?

2. How can you aim at the next season of your life and ensure that you hit the target?

PRAY

Ask God to provide you with vision, clarity, and discipline as you aim at reaching your milestones. Intentionally pray for peace so you can focus and hit the mark.

DAY 5 On What Side of Life Are You Going to Live?

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God‘s will for you in Christ Jesus.“ -1 Thessalonians 5:18

Studies show that people who exercise gratitude experience much more happiness, positivity, content, comion and generosity toward others. Here is the kicker; people who have a grateful heart are less likely to encounter health issues.

I never understood this until my son and I slept on an old mattress in a onebedroom apartment, living off government assistance. I often complained about our situation and continuously looked back in anger at those who contributed to our forced lifestyle. I was unhappy, angry, and bitter at times, but for some reason, on those days, I always seemed to come across someone less fortunate. While driving my old beat-up truck, there was someone broken down on the side of the highway. After my embarrassment, because at that time I was purchasing groceries with food stamps, as I walked out of the store, a homeless person was sitting outside with a sign that read, “hungry.“ These were clear reminders of how blessed I am.

After finally recognizing how good we had it, I decided to shift my mindset and began cultivating an attitude of gratitude. I started giving thanks when I thought life was tough. I began to exercise my gratitude muscle and viewed all that I did have as more than enough. It was then I asked myself, “What side of life are you going to live on?“ I decided I was going to live on the gratitude side.

Consistently cultivating an attitude of gratitude helps to remove the negativity from your life. Practicing gratefulness overrides any thoughts of complaints and replaces it with content. When you choose to be grateful, you transfer your “not enough“ into “all you need.“ When you are grateful for all that you have, you begin to show more love and generosity toward others.

Making generosity a priority in your life helps you to achieve significance. Helen Keller once said, “Life is an exciting business and most exciting when lived for others.“ I am a firm believer in adding value to others, and I believe that the position of the heart matters. If our heart is in the “all about me“ position, we are bound to end up living empty and insignificant.

Sometimes we fixate on things like clothes, shoes, cars, homes, and even the way we look, but those things are not all that important at the end of the day. We should be people who obsess over giving thanks and being grateful in all circumstances, and we should be anxious to serve others. We should obsess over assisting the hurting and those less fortunate. We should be focused on encouraging others and being kind. We should strive to make time for others and show them that they have a purpose and are greatly valued.

I have found that viewing life through a lens of gratitude has empowered me to discover a more positive attitude and belief that whatever I‘m full of will influence me. I believe that if I am not full of praise, I will be full of pride. I also think that if I live with an “only“ mentality, I‘ll never have enough, and that will prevent me from being a catalyst for change.

As an essential mental health principle, the benefits of gratitude stretch far beyond what we could ever imagine. Gratitude changes the way you think and speak. It helps you see the best, regardless of life‘s circumstances. It changes your perspective and enables you to recognize that people all over the world need more love, positivity, hope, and encouragement.

Tips for Developing Gratitude

Start small! Developing an attitude of gratitude starts with the small things and appreciating every good thing in life.

Capture it! Being grateful for positive experiences is one thing, but thinking positively about adverse or challenging circumstances can help capture all you have to be thankful for.

Take inventory! List five to ten things you are grateful for. Reflect and revisit the feelings you receive from that list. This action will reset your thought-life, ultimately leading to more peace.

Give back! The key to unlocking more gratitude can be discovered through giving back. Studies show that serving others enhances our well-being, leading to more gratitude.

Don‘t keep it to yourself! Writing notes and connecting through FaceTime or even Zoom calls with the people you care about doesn‘t just brighten their day but increases your levels of happiness in the long run. Make time to express appreciation through a simple note or directly through a phone call. It‘s the small things!

Be in the presence of others! When you‘re struggling and can‘t gather up gratitude, spend time with those you love. Make time to connect and grow in your relationship with your family and friends. When you do, you‘ll find that quality time leads to thriving relationships.

Cultivating a grateful heart draws more of what you want and value into your life. It shifts the focus from seeing the worst to seeing the best in all situations,

and exercising your gratitude muscle has an enormous impact on the quality of life.

Practicing gratitude can help you grow physically healthier, increase your psychological well-being, and improve mental toughness. Through gratitude, we can develop humility, and through humility, we can better serve others. Everything in life has the potential to become better if you position your heart toward gratefulness, so let‘s be GREAT-FULL today.

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.“ -Luke 6:43-45

CRITICAL THINKING

1. How can having a grateful heart draw more of what you want and value into your life?

2. How does practicing gratitude increase humility?

PRAY

Talk with God about developing an attitude of gratitude and ask Him to help you

shift your focus from seeing the worst to seeing the best in all situations.

DAY 6 Why is This Happening to Me?

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.“ James 1:2-3

Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? Why is life so unfair? In life, we often find ourselves asking these very questions when we encounter difficulties.

Asking “Why me?“ is a default way of thinking to shift into victimhood when confronted with a difficult circumstance. Unfortunately, many have been conditioned since childhood to live as victims and not victors.

So how do we vacate the victimhood mentality? How do we recognize the good and demonstrate optimism when facing obstacles? How do we remove the “smokescreen“ and cultivate a mindset that deploys perseverance through challenging circumstances?

If all you do is point out the negative, you will continue living a pessimistic life, and those around you will be impacted by your negativity as well. It‘s crucial to understand that what you focus on will expand. Depressing thoughts can imprison you, leading to paralysis that unfortunately prevents you from living in peace.

That is why our thought-life is vital to success. Our thought-life forms the basis for and is primarily revealed in our actions and words. Our thought-life constitutes an essential part of who we are. Paul the Apostle to the Philippians writes:

“Summing it all up, friends, I‘d say you‘ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.“ -Philippians 4:8-9

Instead of asking ourselves, “Why is this happening to me?“ instead ask, “Why is this happening for me?“ The first question steers us toward victimhood, distress, and the belief that something is wrong with us. The latter guides us toward more profound growth, mindfulness, gratitude, and healing.

Letting go of a victimhood mentality is not easy, and most of us have years of practice. But adjusting your thought process and replacing a single word can transform your life, and it can liberate you from living a negative life.

Choose to control what you can and let go of things that you can‘t. , your present situation isn‘t the final destination. Your condition isn‘t the conclusion. Trust the process and the loving God who works for the good of those who love Him.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.“ -Romans 8:28

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What is something you are allowing or have allowed yourself to be “full of“ that has ended up guiding your daily decisions?

2. Reflect on a time when you were ungrateful about a situation or even a person. How can you lead yourself to think differently and with a grateful attitude in the future?

PRAY

God, as I face challenging situations, help me to move from victim to victor. Help me see the good and trust the process. Help me develop a new mindset that will enable me to remove the negative thinking and use challenging times to learn, grow and draw closer to you.

DAY 7 Be the Thermostat

“As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.“ -Luke 19:36-37

When you think of a thermostat, you probably think of that device on your wall that regulates the environment. The thing used to adjust the temperature levels in your house and manage your energy use. Although it‘s something that keeps a home comfortable all year long, most of us take it for granted.

When you go to work, who are you? Are you one who manages energy and brings excitement when you enter a room? Do people experience a change in their attitude when you arrive? Do they instantly receive joy and peace when you enter their environment? Or do you go about your day taking care of your needs and basically “punching the clock?“

Over 2000 years ago, a man showed up full of love, leadership, comion, and the willingness to sacrifice for you and me.

He was a leader who came to bring peace and joy and who made the most excruciating sacrifice imaginable to provide us comfort in our lives. As you sit at work, relax on your couch or enjoy your latte‘ in your car, take a second and ask yourself this question: Would you sacrifice yourself to bring comfort to others?

In most cases, that don‘t involve our children, the answer would probably be “NO.“ For me, I would most definitely sacrifice my life for my children, that being the most extreme and intense case of sacrifice, right? God willing, none of us ever have to endure that. But would you be willing to sacrifice even little

things to bring joy, peace, and comfort to others? Have you ever stopped to think that perhaps small sacrifices may save your job or someone else‘s, bring peace to a child in need or even save your marriage?

I think most people don‘t quite grasp the concept of what it means to sacrifice, or if they do, they choose not to do so because they‘re just plain selfish.

I encourage you to be the thermostat today. Enter your workplace and regulate the environment. I don‘t know about you, but I want to be the person that enters a room, and everyone‘s day instantly gets better. I want to bring joy and peace. I want to provide a different level of encouragement, energy, and excitement. I want to be the thermostat that gives comfort in others‘ discomfort and provides a better, not bitter, atmosphere.

“Commit yourself to be a thermostat that provides peace, encouragement, and comfort to others.“ -Bryce Runge

CRITICAL THINKING

1. When you go to work, who are you? Are you one who manages energy and brings excitement when you enter a room?

2. What things can you sacrifice to bring peace and comfort to others?

PRAY

Ask God to help position your heart toward loving and caring for others. Pray for wisdom and a new lens to see those who are struggling and in need of comfort.

DAY 8 Have Courage

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.“ -John 10:10

The definition of courage is “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, without fear; bravery.“

My dad owned a pretty successful barbershop in Anaheim, California. Despite the location being in a rough part of town, the shop did well. The city had a few nicknames like “Anacrime“ and “Anaslime“ for a reason, but it was home to me. All kinds of crazy things happened near and even to my dad‘s shop, but one rainy day sticks out to me the most. As my father was cutting a customer‘s hair, he looked outside and noticed a man wearing a long black trench coat, pacing back and forth.

Seconds later, my dad heard the sound of glass breaking. He stepped outside of his shop to see what was going on and noticed the suspicious man swinging an ax and robbing the jewelry store next door. Not thinking twice about it, my father ran towards the man, tackled and restrained him until the police arrived.

In my opinion, that‘s the definition of courage, but I‘m sure to others that‘s the definition stupidity. Regardless of what the ax-wielding robber could have potentially done to my dad, he stepped up with courage and stopped him.

I often think of the story of David and Goliath, where David, a young adult, confronts a giant Philistine man close to 10 feet tall, whose sole purpose was to wreak havoc and steal all that belonged to the Israelite‘s.

But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father‘s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.“ Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.“ -1 Samuel 17:34-37

On a deeper level, I think we all struggle to find the courage to confront the thief who comes to steal our joy, happiness, and success. Some of us are currently staring into the eyes of a giant. It might not be ten feet tall, but indeed your most significant challenge of all.

I encourage you to take a step toward your giant today and know that God is with you, guiding and protecting you. My dad didn‘t think of the consequences that could have taken place with the thief that day. He decided with courage flowing through his blood to step up and stop someone from doing wrong.

Believe in the power and courage within you and take that step toward the giant. Be strong and courageous, and let God do the rest.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.“ -1 Corinthians 15:58

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What‘s preventing you from being courageous?

2. What opinions do you have of yourself that are holding you back?

3. What‘s the worst that can happen by confronting your fears?

4. How can focusing on God help you take down your “giants?“

PRAY

Pray for courage to confront the thief. To trust God fully and to always stand firm in your faith.

DAY 9 Don‘t Worry, be Happy

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?“ -Matthew 6:25-27

“Here‘s a little song I wrote; you might want to sing it note for note, don‘t worry, be happy. In life, we have some trouble, but when you worry, you make it double, don‘t worry, be happy.“ the song?

In 1988, Grammy Award-winning artist Bobby McFerrin was on to something when he wrote “Don‘t Worry, Be Happy,“ and yes, it was that long ago. However, according to a 2019 Gallup report, about one-third of people around the world reported feeling stressed, worried, and/or angry. Additionally, approximately 284 million people worldwide have an anxiety disorder. (Our World in Data, 2017)

I often hear a voice in my head saying, “where is your faith?“ when I‘m dealing with the struggles in my life. Like many, I have doubts, fears, insecurities, and I tackle my share of demons. Honestly, I am one who worries and probably a little too much. I worry about a lot of little things that I really shouldn‘t, and maybe you experience the same?

It‘s important to recognize where these thoughts of worry, doubts, and fears are coming from. Be aware of pointless worry, so you don‘t become discouraged due to uncertainty. Be aware, and don‘t let your guard down. Don‘t settle into your fears and lose your sense of purpose because the prowling one has a purpose also. The Bible tells us to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the one who is trying to devour us:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil‘s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.“ -Ephesians 6:10-18

Put on your armor and stand firm. Be fortified by knowing there is a God who encourages us to cast our worries, doubts, uncertainties, and fears onto Him and to not worry. In a world that is struggling with stress, anxiety, doubts, and fears, take a moment to The One who came to take that all away so that you could be at peace.

Choose to be worthy and not worry, choose to love, and not to complain. Take courage, embrace trust, decide to be happy, and most importantly, choose to stand firm in your faith, believing that God is for you and stands firm in the face of those who come against you.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.“ -1 Peter 5:8-9

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What has you constantly worried? Write those things down on a piece of paper. (From that list, determine how many of those worries you have control over, then wrinkle up the paper and throw it out.)

2. What part of the challenges you face do you have control over?

PRAY

Ask God to help you lay down your worries and to never pick them back up. Pray that God will help you focus on the things you have control over and trust Him to deal with the rest.

DAY 10 The Price of Procrastination

“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.“ -Lou Holtz

When I was in high school, I did very little to prepare myself for a successful future. I constantly put stuff off, and did the bare minimum required to graduate. Then I embarked on a journey with no plans whatsoever. I lacked in preparation, and I developed the habit of procrastination. Because of that, I encountered many obstacles and hardships along the way.

One of those obstacles I faced was in 2002 while playing football at Fullerton JC. After my freshman season, Lou Holtz, the head coach of South Carolina at the time, reached out to me. They needed a long snapper and Coach Holtz had heard that I was the best in junior college. Coach Holtz and I talked about the opportunity to play for the Gamecocks, and we were both very excited. Holtz said, “Bryce, you are the best long snapper out there, and I‘d love for you to play for us.“ After discussing transcripts and the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores, Holts then asked, “You did take your SAT‘s, right?“ With regret and embarrassment, I answered, “No, I did not coach.“ Because of that, it cost me the opportunity to play for Lou Holtz. Suddenly anger and regret arose within me.

I decided then I was going to place preparation on top of the priority list. I wasn‘t going to allow opportunities to vanish before my eyes due to the inability to prepare effectively. I continued on my journey, training, and preparing. After my sophomore year at Fullerton, I earned my associate degree and received a full athletic scholarship to play football at the University of Hawaii at the age of 27. I was planting the right seeds in the right places. I was preparing and doing the groundwork required while God was doing His.

I am not blind to the fact that we can plan our ways and think we have done

everything correct and still not have things quite work out the way we envisioned. “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.“ (-Proverbs 16:9) It happens, its life, and this is where we can fall into complacency, and on many occasions, we abandon our goals and dreams to avoid future disappointments.

Procrastination is ive resistance. It requires both delay and denial. Delay is the “I‘ll put it off until later“ where denial is “I‘ll put it out of my mind completely,“ and both approaches are not beneficial.

Procrastination can produce a belief that “later“ will never come, causing us to run in circles generating every excuse under the sun, and leaving us to wonder why nothing ever gets done. Chances are, later is going to come. Make sure you‘re preparing and not procrastinating. Make sure you‘re planting the right seeds now so that you‘ll harvest what you sow in due time. Most importantly, make sure you‘re preparing for the life to come.

If you fall into the pit of procrastination, please take the time to determine why. Recognize the negative consequences that follow by not preparing and setting goals. Establish a renewed mindset and positively speak encouragement and confidence over your life.

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.“ -1 Timothy 4:8

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What have you been telling yourself you‘ll do when you “have more time?“

2. What are you saying you‘ll do “someday?“

3. What do you need to stop doing now so that you can establish habits that promote preparedness?

PRAY

Ask God to empower you to put aside all delay, all procrastination. Pray for the motivation and energy needed to accomplish the daily tasks. Pray for guidance, discipline, and confidence when you feel like putting even the most minor things off.

DAY 11 A Higher Perspective

“The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can‘t receive the gifts of God‘s Spirit. There‘s no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by Spirit— God‘s Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God‘s Spirit is doing and can‘t be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah‘s question, ‘Is there anyone around who knows God‘s Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?‘ has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ‘s Spirit.“ -1 Corinthians 2:14-16

Over the past few years, I have come to realize the importance of perspective. When you think about it, perspective changes everything and has a very powerful effect on everything. Perspective is an understanding of something with a vast frame of reference. A Higher Perspective equips us with the ability to discern how things are interrelated which allows us to determine the comparative importance.

I enjoy flying, I like being closer to God, and having the ability to see things from a Higher Perspective. I distinctly my son‘s first time flying. He was so excited about our adventure to California! Braddox had a window seat, and I was in the middle. As the plane roared down the runway, Braddox became more and more enthusiastic. Seconds later, we were off the ground and ascending into the clouds. Beaming with wonder, iring all that was out there, Braddox paused and said, “whoa, Daddy, look at all the broccoli!“ I looked at Braddox with great curiosity and started hearing giggles from nearby engers. I said, “what do you mean, broccoli?“ He said, “look, look at the broccoli.“ I laughed and scooched over to see this “broccoli“ he was referencing. I soon realized that the trees we were flying over resembled broccoli from his perspective.

From a spiritual standpoint, a higher perspective is seeing things from God‘s point of view. The benefits of seeing life from a higher perspective are astonishing. To see things from God‘s point of view can help you love Him more, gain a better understanding of how deep His love is, and how to love

others better. Without this perspective, we fall to our understanding and encounter more difficulties dealing with doubt, temptations and decision making. With God‘s perspective, we can better handle all of life‘s challenges.

For me, everything becomes clearer at 38,000 feet. When we are equipped with a higher perspective, we can see the good during the most challenging times in life. Having a higher perspective is what enabled Jesus to endure the cross, and with this same perspective, you too can see past the pain, doubts, and disappointments.

Next time you fly somewhere, look out the window and check out all of the broccoli!

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God‘s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God‘s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.“ –Romans 12:1-2

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What is preventing you from fixing your eyes on Jesus?

2. How can seeing things from God‘s perspective help you overcome any challenges you may encounter?

PRAY

Ask God to equip you with a higher perspective, a perspective that enables the Holy Spirit to adjust your way of thinking so you can love Him more which empowers you to love others the way He loves you.

DAY 12 Dying for Acceptance

“We are to be confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.“ -2 Corinthians 3:4-5

People are dying for acceptance. It is a severe addiction for one to seek approval from others. Striving for approval and acceptance can immobilize you; it can leave you helpless, lonely, and incapable of experiencing a joyful and abundant life.

Before finding myself in Christ, I was in the market of pleasing others, seeking approval of “man,“ doing what others wanted me to do, and it often came with negative consequences. As my relationship with Christ grew, so did my understanding of perspective.

No doubt, that struggle is real. We desire things in life, we want them now, and we often behave in certain ways, searching for approval. I have experienced the desire to be accepted by others. That outside approval is an addiction; we work to get approval, and when we do, we seek more and more because it feels so good, and in the meantime, we become delusional. True freedom never comes until we fully realize that we don‘t need to struggle to get from others what God so freely gives us.

Knowing that God created us, that He placed a destiny on our lives full of good things, should be a clear indication that we have the needed to live a fruitful and abundant life, and we don‘t require the approval of others.

How to ACCEPT acceptance issues:

•Accept that you were designed and uniquely created for a purpose.

•Accept that you have a fingerprint to leave, an imprint unlike any other.

•Accept that you cannot please everyone.

•Accept the fact that seeking acceptance can lead to addiction.

•Accept His desires over your own.

•Accept Christ!

God wants our security to be in Him, not in anything or anyone else. As walking proof, I share with you that the proper position for us is in Christ. That is where we find unconditional love, approval, and acceptance. Until we understand and embrace that truth, we open ourselves to an addiction that will manipulate our time and drain our energy depriving us of peace.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.“ -John 14:27

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What are some limiting beliefs that you have accepted about yourself, causing you to be held back?

2. How has dealing with the acceptance from others prevented you from becoming who God has called you to be?

3. How can knowing that God accepts you as you are help you move beyond the addiction of acceptance from others?

PRAY

Jesus, come into my heart, free me from the worldly way of seeking and thinking so that I can experience a joyful and abundant life through you and you alone.

DAY 13 Interrupted Sleep

“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.“ -Isaiah 50:4

Do you ever find yourself wide awake in the middle of the night? When this happens, does your frustration rise? Do you toss and turn and think, “why am I wide awake?“ Sometimes God will wake us up in the middle of the night to get our attention. It‘s not so much happening “to us“ but more “for us.“

During the summer of 2013, I was going through a difficult time. I was trying to figure things out and continued to struggle with brokenness in my life. One Monday at 3:56 a.m., my sleep was interrupted, and I was wide awake. My mind was racing, my emotions were mixed, and I couldn‘t go back to sleep. The following day at 3:56 a.m., I was wide awake again with the same feelings, and more racing thoughts, but with tears running down my face because I didn‘t know what to do. On Wednesday at 3:56 a.m., my sleep was interrupted, and once again, I was wide awake, but this time I turned to prayer and then to my Bible. I searched and prayed, trying to figure out why this was happening to me. I finally turned to Proverbs 3:5-6:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.“

It‘s easy to go about your daily routine without giving thanks and recognizing The One who created you. It‘s easy to become so self-absorbed that we forget about God. We get sucked into the TV, social media, and clutter from the day. We are so concerned with meaningless stuff and how significant our challenges are in life that we forget how big and good God is. We try so hard to fix things that are entirely out of our reach because we refuse to give up our attempts at being in control. It‘s pride that keeps us in a rut.

Through prayer and humility, we can turn over our problems and trust that God will pick up the heavy loads of life. He even tells us in Psalm 55:22 to “Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.“ Easier said than done because most of us cast our cares and then chase after them only to pick them back up again.

Those heavy loads we let weigh us down are the very reasons God wakes us up in the middle of the night. If we don‘t listen during the day, perhaps we will listen to Him during the night? God knows what we need and when we need it, and He wants us to trust Him. Don‘t get upset over having your sleep interrupted. Be grateful that God cares and wants to share something with you, something unique, maybe something life-changing.

I‘m glad God woke me up three nights in a row that summer, and I‘m so happy I listened because if I didn‘t, my path wouldn‘t have been made straight. The lessons God tries to teach us in the middle of the night are very personal and specific. They are part of His redemptive purposes, so listen up.

“Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.“ -Lamentations 2:19

CRITICAL THINKING

1. How often do you find yourself wide awake in the middle of the night?

2. How can you utilize being WIDE AWAKE during the middle of the night to grow closer to God?

PRAY

Ask God to help clear your thoughts so that you can focus and listen to Him. Pray for discipline to refrain from turning to Google and turn to God when you don‘t know the answers.

DAY 14 My Way or the High-way

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.“ -James 1:6-8

Not long ago, I experienced jury duty for the first time, and I had the privilege of being selected as one of the 12 jurors. After being chosen, I was instructed on the next steps and which courtroom to attend. Almost a year prior, I sat in the same courtroom with the same judge, fighting for more time with my son.

Although it felt as if my efforts that day were in vain, I learned a lot, and I am incredibly grateful for the time Braddox and I do get to share. I paused, reflected on that moment, laughed, and then headed to the courtroom with the rest of the jurors. During the selection process, potential jurors are asked if they recognize anyone in the courtroom. I raised my hand, and the judge asked who I knew, and I said, “you, your honor!“ She and a few jurors chuckled, and she asked if I had any issues with her, the court, or anything that would prevent me from serving as a juror and I said, “none at all, your honor“ and I meant it.

After the selection process, we were asked to head back to the deliberation room for further instructions before being released for the day. As I returned to my truck after being released, one of the jurors who was not selected approached me in a frantic state. She itted she was scared, and I noticed a vehicle driving by us very slowly, only to realize it was the defendant from this case in the vehicle. Shocked by what was going on, the female who approached me said, “I‘m a little freaked out, and that is why and I can‘t say anything to you!“ Then she just walked off.

Later that evening, I explained to my wife what had happened, and she encouraged me to bring it to the court‘s attention. That following day, still

baffled and battling whether to say something or not, I went ahead and told the bailiff. After a few minutes, the bailiff came back and asked me to enter the courtroom. Not knowing that the room would be full of people, including the defendant, I approached the bench. The judge asked if I would state to the court what happened the day before, and I did. She asked if I had any issues moving forward as a juror, and I said, “none at all, your honor.“ She was thankful for my testimony and released me back to the deliberation room.

After that awkward moment, I asked God what on earth is going on here, and why was I selected as a juror? After an hour or so of listening to testimonies, another witness approached the stand. This time, it was a police officer who I have known for several years. I was shocked, and so was he, when we made eye . I started trying to figure things out, and it began to consume me. Indeed, I have a crucial role to play with these connections, and what has taken place, I thought.

As I sat quietly in prayer that evening, I found myself starting to overanalyze the past few days. I was attempting to solve the case and figure out my purpose when suddenly I heard, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand“ -John 13:7

Most of us have a hard time waiting until later because we have been conditioned for things now. Have you ever thought that your way of thinking and your need to be in control might interfere with what God wants to do? We have such a limited vantage point, but the creator of the universe sees everything from beginning to end. He sees the entire story, not just the current page in history. This truth is very evident when we are tested. We ask for help, then turn around and become a barrier because we still want control and believe we can figure it all out. If we profess God‘s sovereignty, we must stay true to that and live it out daily.

Sometimes we become fixated on trying to control situations and overanalyze

things to the point where we forget that God is in control. Give up trying to control every situation. Give up trying to figure everything out. Be present, focus on what you actually can control, and let God do the rest.

My encouragement to you is to take the high way and lean not to your understanding and trust that God has things all planned out from beginning to end.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,“ declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.“ -Isaiah 55:8-9

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What situations in your life are you trying to control, that you really have no control over?

2. Do you think that you‘re a barrier to what God wants to do in your life?

3. What steps can you take to “get out of the way?“

PRAY

Pray that God will help you identify the cause of your control issues and for strength to let go of the things you have no control over. Pray for courage and trust that God is in control over all things.

DAY 15 It‘s Always on Our Side

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.“ -Psalm 32:8

The choices we‘ve made throughout our lives have ultimately determined where we are and who we have become. The way we choose to live creates a ripple effect not only in our lives but also in others‘ lives, which is either negative or positive. Our daily decisions open the door to what we truly want in life. This powerful truth invites us to take responsibility for our choices, even those smallest decisions often neglected that can lead to big things.

A recent study showed that our emotions are not beyond our control. They do not just happen to us; we are responsible for them. Our inability to control emotion relates to our limits in managing our beliefs and thoughts. We are able for our choices, and we must accept the consequences of those choices, whether positive or negative. The effects of today are yesterday‘s choices, and what we choose today will dictate our tomorrows. The bottom line is: the door handle is always on our side.

Fourteen years ago, I didn‘t fully realize the consequences of my decision to leave The University of Hawaii early in pursuit of the NFL. Never mind what the Orange County said about me being “Older and Wiser,“ leaving a full athletic scholarship in Hawaii was not an excellent decision, and I‘m sure many who knew me then would agree. Unfortunately, I didn‘t have a relationship with God for most of my life, and not knowing Him directly, resulted in my inability to make wise decisions.

I‘m grateful to have since chosen to align my life with God. I‘m thankful that I have decided to accept His wisdom and guidance, and because of that, He has taken what I once thought was a mess and turned it into a message. Today, I have the opportunity to speak into others‘ lives and be a difference-maker, but I first

had to listen, and then I had to choose it. I could have remained bound to bitterness, regret, and fear or open the door that ultimately gave me access to hope, wisdom, and peace.

The Bible instructs us to make excellent choices that radiate from a heart committed to serving God. When we have discernment and knowledge, we make wiser decisions. Making choices with excellence in mind proves that we are not only honoring God, but creating a positive ripple effect on our lives and that of others as well.

I believe life is about choices. Some are easy, and some are hard, but we must live with the results of them all. I can tell you from my life‘s experiences that how you think, what you say and choose to do, matters. When you recognize that you must live with the results and your choices don‘t just impact you, but many others as well, you become detailed about the decisions you make in your life. God chose us for a purpose and designed us to strive for excellence, but that you were made to excel to benefit the greater good. Before you open the door to leave the house today, choose who you‘re going to be and decide on purpose.

I encourage you to choose an attitude of gratitude and appreciate what‘s right in front of you. Choose to be an incubator for greatness. Decide to carry yourself with character and class. Determine to be positively contagious and have an attitude worth catching. Choose to live a life that honors God and His commandments.

I hope you are inspired to know that transformation is possible and freely available. It comes down to a choice, and the door handle is always on your side.

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ“ - Philippians 1:9-10

CRITICAL THINKING

1. Do your choices lead you closer to or take you farther away from your values?

2. What motivations and desires are driving your daily decisions?

3. When making plans, are they aligned with God‘s purposes?

PRAY

Seek after God‘s wisdom, and He will provide it. Pray that as you read His Word, that it shapes your decision-making and desires. When faced with difficult decisions, pray that God will create a new and healthier path.

DAY 16 Climb Out of the Basket

“The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.“ -Proverbs 11:24-26

Recently, my beautiful wife and I were fortunate to explore Washington D.C. We experienced the friendly and vibrant culture, a dynamic city, and some delicious food. As we walked the National Mall, I couldn‘t help but be overwhelmed by the amount of history in one place. I was enamored with all the majestic monuments, immense and extravagant museums, and the impeccably manicured landscape of D.C.

On our last night, Suzanne and I decided to head to “District Wharf“ for some clean air, live music, and fresh seafood. As we walked up and down the wharf with indecisiveness over dinner, we finally landed at “Chesapeake Bays finest,“ an open-air fish market called Captain Jacks. While waiting on our food, I looked over the counter to see a basket of live crabs and thought to myself, Holy crab! The crab basket theory is real. I watched the basket full of crabs trying to climb out, only to be pulled back down by other crabs. I‘ve heard of this analogy before but have never witnessed it first-hand.

While watching the crabs unsuccessfully attempt to climb out of the basket, I couldn‘t help but think how easy it is for people to act the same way. We are constantly pulling at each other. We are regularly criticizing and showing hate. We are continually dredging up people‘s past in hopes of pulling them back down into the pit where everyone else is suffering. Like crabs, humans have complex behavior patterns and are sometimes more inclined to be aggressive. Crabs exist worldwide, and unfortunately, the “crab mentality“ does as well.

“If I can‘t have it, neither can you.“

Have you ever experienced someone trying to prevent you from succeeding? I have, and it seemed as though the closer I got to reach a pinnacle moment in my life, there were people in my life (like the crabs) that would pinch tighter and pull me down even harder. I realize now that with new levels come new devils. Every time we get close to reaching our goals, the harder it gets, the more attacks come, and distractions try to engulf us, but that‘s when you must not quit because a breakthrough is just around the corner.

After our crab dinner on the pier, Suzanne and I hopped in an Uber and headed to the Lincoln Memorial. The monument is quite the sight during the day, but at night, it‘s even more majestic and humbling. Over the past few years, I have read several books on the life of Abraham Lincoln. Although I have never really been big into politics, I have grown to appreciate and ire his leadership attributes, what he did for this country and what challenges he faced before and during his presidency.

Abraham Lincoln had a character level that wouldn‘t allow him to accept the “status quo.“ Standing humbly at his feet, I couldn‘t help but reflect on how he not only “climbed out of the basket“ but put ion and sheer grit into ensuring others could do the same.

After we quietly took in the sights of this iconic memorial and quietly turned to walk down the steps of the monument, it wasn‘t by chance that we noticed a group of tourists taking pictures of a quote etched into the stone under our feet. I turned to Suzanne and pointed out that we were standing where Martin Luther King Jr. stood when he delivered his “I Have a Dream“ speech. It was a compelling moment for us that compounded our respect for the visionaries before us that made helping others “climb out of the basket“ as crucial to their survival as filling their lungs with breath.

I make it a point to reflect often on a simple question, “am I living in my vision or my circumstances?“ Gather up your gumption and make a choice to climb out of the basket, and when you see others trying to do the same, give them a boost. Rise above and don‘t let the “average crab“ pull you down, and when you see the tugging on someone else, offer your strength, even if you‘re not sure you‘re strong enough. I can say with certainty that you are.

“Life‘s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?“ -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What do you think you‘re capable of in life?

2. What significant things could you accomplish?

3. What is something you could change about the world?

4. What could you add to the world that would bring honor and glory to God?

PRAY

Pray that God will help you pause and listen for His direction. Ask Him to order

your steps and to help you from deviating from His plans. Pray for an increased leadership capacity and to bring people into your life that will help you “climb out of the basket.“ Thank God for His guidance and His strength during times of opposition as you pursue significance.

DAY 17 Go the Distance

“An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.‘ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel [which means God with us].“ –Matthew 18:22-22

In the 1989 film “Field of Dreams,“ an Iowa farmer begins hearing voices that encourage him to build a baseball field on his farm. He put his family, health, and livelihood on the line to create this unique field. Throughout the movie, he hears the voice that directs his steps to build this field. In one scene, the farmer becomes perplexed by the voice‘s comment, “go the distance.“

As the farmer puts two and two together, he realizes that by “going the distance,“ others benefit from his obedience. Facing financial struggles and judgment from locals and other family , he pressed on and continued to build the field.

Once a year, we celebrate Christmas, which is a significant and extraordinary day. Not because of the presents under the tree, but because of the gift of salvation. Christmas is the gift of Jesus, the Savior of humanity, the Light of the World (John 8:12). Christmas is about a man who went the distance for humankind.

Over two-thousand years ago, three wise men traveled a great distance to see the newborn King. Despite having no GPS or Google maps, they listened carefully to the voice that led them to the baby Jesus. Armed with their faith and their trust in God, they traveled over 1000 miles guided by an extraordinary celestial event, a star that led them to the Savior of the World.

Throughout history, people have gone great distances to make a difference, seek change, and chase their dreams regardless of any harsh judgment or insults for their efforts.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.“ -John 8:12

CRITICAL THINKING

1. How far are you willing to go to help someone in need?

2. What are you willing to give up to follow Jesus?

PRAY

Ask God to enable you to seek significance rather than success. Pray for increased stamina so that you can go the distance for those in need.

DAY 18 Are You Preparing Yourself to Serve or be Served?

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.“ -Mark 10:45

Every morning when I look into the mirror as I get ready for the day, I ask if I see a reflection that is representative of Jesus, and honestly, there are times that I don‘t like the response I get. Most of the time, we look in the mirror to prepare ourselves to be aesthetically pleasing. Sure, let‘s look good on the outside, but preparing what is inside is more important. If you glance into the mirror and the image you see is “all about me,“ then perhaps the things you‘re serving are the very things leaving you empty.

God created us to serve, and since businesses, families, and organizations are all composed of human beings, shouldn‘t they be service-oriented?

When environments based on service-to-others-first are established, amazing things happen for all involved. Creating this environment starts with you. It begins when you realize that you weren‘t designed to put on make-up and look good for the world to see. You were created to build up and not tear down. You were given a mouth to bless and not curse. Your eyes were meant to see the good in others, not to condemn, and your ears are meant to obey, not judge.

When you look into the mirror, stare intently, are your thoughts of the image you see one seeking to serve and enrich others‘ lives or seek to enhance the flesh? , your life mirrors your thoughts.

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.“ Galatians 5:13

CRITICAL THINKING

1. People spend time and energy developing their outward appearance, careers, and relations but often ignore the spiritual aspect of their lives. How can you actively pursue spiritual growth?

2. How can you use the “mirror“ to enhance the internal parts of your being?

3. What things are you serving that are leaving you empty?

PRAY

Ask God to help you see internally so that you can enrich the lives of others. Pray for wisdom and guidance for creating an environment (at home or work) where service to others is a cornerstone.

DAY 19 You Don‘t Live There Anymore

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.“ -Philippians 3:13-14

In life, we will go through a process that involves hurt, pain, and disappointment. I like to refer to this as the pruning process. We can choose to remain bitter and hurt, or use it as a growth opportunity during this process. We can choose to use them as opportunities to stretch and reach closer to God and trust that He is good and in complete control, or we can choose to clinch onto the things that have hurt us most.

Hanging onto hurt and bitterness from the past only leads to a contaminated soul. Gripping past pain will paralyze and prevent you from being the man or woman God has created you to be. It‘s important to realize that you become emotionally stuck when you feed the hurts and disappointments of the past. Yes, negative experiences affect us more deeply than positive experiences but, we have a choice. We can choose to let them go emotionally, decide to get past them, and resolve to learn from them, or we can continue living in the past.

If you don‘t find ways to learn from your past pain, you‘ll likely find yourself in the same situation while everyone else around suffers at the same time. Every day you get to rise from bed is a gift from God. Allowing the past pain to impact your life now blocks you from fully appreciating all God has for you in the future.

The bitterness and hurt cemented on the inside won‘t just disappear by turning the other way or brushing it under the rug. It‘s like an infection that requires treatment, and if it goes untreated, it only gets worse.

Start making choices that invite God‘s hope into your life. Employ an attitude of gratitude and sincerely look at life as a gift. Stop looking back and focus on all the good that waits ahead. Choose to see the best and stop focusing on what you are not. Ask God to break down the walls that have imprisoned you. Surrender your past, and God will transform your pain into healing and wisdom.

When I gave my life to Christ, I surrendered my past and allowed Him to transform me. I learned to forgive instead of feed the desire for revenge. I have learned that forgiveness is the gift we give ourselves, which enables us to stop digging at the wound and start healing. I have learned to focus on the solution instead of dwelling on the pollution from past hurts and disappointments, and I have focused on being better, not bitter.

God offers us a new portion of mercy and grace every day. You can choose to live it that way or allow the bonds of bitterness to take your joy away.

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.“ -Ephesians 4:31-32

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What past pain, hurts, or disappointments are you holding onto?

2. Have you taken time to learn from those disappointments?

3. What are you doing to cope with the pain?

PRAY

Pray that God will give you a new mindset and that He will help you relinquish the pain that is stuck inside. Ask God to help you release the bitterness that is preventing you from being your best. Ask God to help you learn from the past and provide you with Godly tools to cope with the pain.

DAY 20 It‘s Getting Hot in Here

“I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it‘s your faith, not your gold that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.“ -1 Peter 1:6

I growing up and watching my mom make cakes, sell crystal, do hair, and much more. One thing in specific that piqued my interest was her ability to make ceramics. She used to make all kinds of things, and she always reminded us to stay away from the kiln because it was scorching. Of course, we had to test the waters to determine that the small thermally insulated chamber produced temperatures anywhere from 1500 to 2500 degrees.

Kilns have been used for thousands of years to turn objects made from clay into beautiful artworks. The soft and rough clay goes into the fire, endures some intense heat, burns off the rough edges, and comes out greatly improved, shiny and smooth. In essence, kilns can transform.

During the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, refused to bow and worship the king, and because of their refusal, they were tied up and thrown into a fiery furnace. After being tossed into the fire, King Nebuchadnezzar wanted to get a look inside the furnace. When he did, he didn‘t see three men, he saw four, and when they came out of the fire unharmed, the only thing burned off of them was the rope that tied them up.

In the fire, God will protect what we need and burn off what‘s holding us back, and often, we will have to endure the heat so that others can see the hand of God working in our lives. The young men that were thrown in the fire went in full of faith and trusted that God would bring them out, and during the entire process,

they were rejoicing and giving thanks to God.

It‘s hard to rejoice in the heat of the moment. It‘s hard to say “Thank you“ when hardship happens. We should understand that in the fire, refining happens. In the fire, transformation happens. During these times, we need to establish a new mindset that says, “this isn‘t happening to me; it‘s happening for me,“ and if we grow through what we are going through, then we can experience a breakthrough.

In this life, we will experience some intense heat. We will go through seasons where God might turn up the heat, and maybe you‘re experiencing the heat right now. Let me reassure you that no matter how hot it is, no matter how hot it gets, you‘re going to make it.

“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty‘s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.“ -Daniel 3:16-18

CRITICAL THINKING

1. When life is good, it‘s easy to feel that God is on our side, orchestrating everything flawlessly. But what about when life gets difficult? What about when we encounter pain and loss?

2. Other than the three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the story, do you know people whose faith in God is so powerful that, at times, you would define it as astonishing? What is it about them that makes you consider their trust in God is so strong?

3. How can you trust God when things in life get really “hot?“

PRAY

Pray that God will equip you with unshakable faith. Ask God to give you boldness while enduring moments of intense heat and to burn off all the things that are “tying“ you up.

DAY 21 Does your Life show Signs of a Weak Foundation?

“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.“ -Matthew 7:26-27

I believe people put too much effort into maintaining their “surface“ and don‘t give much thought to their “foundation.“ I mean, isn‘t the foundation the most critical aspect of a structure? Or, more importantly, isn‘t the foundation the most vital aspect of building a legacy? Successful businesses, teams, and families alike have all realized, at some point in time, the most critical part of building a successful legacy is the foundation. Intentionally pouring values, knowledge, wisdom, experience, love, discipline, leadership and sealing it with faith helps create and sustain a legacy.

I often think of the storage shed that my father built in the backyard of their house. When he made it, it looked good and appeared to be a sound structure built on a solid and lasting foundation. Little did I know, it was built on some sand, dirt, and a few 2x4‘s. I don‘t mention this to throw stones at my dad. I‘m simply pointing out that if we don‘t make time to pour the proper foundation, we risk leaving a liability and not a legacy.

I‘m constantly observing my foundation‘s temperature because I was satisfied with hanging pictures over the cracks in the walls for many years. I neglected my foundation to the point that everything in my life came crashing down. It has taken years to rebuild a safe, healthy, and flourishing foundation. Now, I know I have a good foundation, but that‘s not good enough for me. I‘m not satisfied with a good foundation because I‘ve lived enough life to know that even a good foundation will eventually settle. I want a great foundation. I want a foundation that can withstand all of life‘s heavy load. Fortunately for me, I‘ve gotten to know an excellent carpenter, and fortunately for you, he‘s always available.

I hope you build on the proper foundation. I hope you look for cracks, and when you happen to find them, I hope you make time to understand and identify the source. Most importantly, I hope you find great peace in knowing you know exactly how to fix them.

“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person‘s work.“ –1 Corinthians 3:10-13

CRITICAL THINKING

1. How much time do you spend on the “surface?“

2. How often do you check on your “foundation?“

PRAY

Ask Jesus to help you recognize that He is the only one that is good for building a solid foundation. Pray to be equipped with wisdom to build a Godly structure formed with love, faith, and hope, and strength to tear down ungodliness centered on selfishness and pride.

DAY 22 My Mind is Playing Tricks on Me

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God‘s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.“ -Romans 12:2

A long time ago, there was a stowaway who traveled the country by train. One night this man snuck onto what he thought was a boxcar. Once aboard, the door closed and locked shut. He then realized he was inside a refrigerated car. The man became terrified, and worry began to consume him. He screamed and beat on the door, but nobody heard. The man fought for hours against the cold and began to question, is my mind playing tricks on me? Then, he engraved a message on the floor, explaining his unfortunate and imminent death.

The next day, a repairman from the railroad company opened the door and found the man dead inside. The man appeared to have died from hypothermia, but the truth was that the repairman came to fix the boxcar because it was broken. The stowaway died because he thought he was freezing to death.

Doctors and scientists have concluded that our mindset is our most effective weapon for recovery, even more so than our physical status or prognosis. The brain is indeed very complex, and clearly, I am no expert, but I am one of the fortunate ones who knows the expert that designed both the brain and the body. Every situation we see starts with a thought, then based on our thoughts, we develop an attitude about it, whether negative or positive. Our attitudes direct the way we think and act about situations that happen in life, and that attitude will dictate what we receive from that situation.

Here is what I know: a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) determines so many variables, and we have an innate ability to achieve greatness through positive thinking. We cannot control other people‘s actions, opinions, feelings, or mistakes, but we can control our attitude, effort, behavior, and actions. We can

take captive our thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5), and our thoughts ultimately determine who we are. I believe nothing is more powerful than our minds. Our minds matter, and how we choose to think will significantly impact everything that takes place in our lives.

I think it‘s imperative to call on God to intervene in our lives, especially when our brains tell us we have reached the point of helplessness. I think it‘s essential for routine introspection to maintain the right attitude in all of life‘s situations because it‘s much easier than regaining the right mental attitude once we‘ve let it slip away. How we think determines what is in our hearts, which ultimately defines who we are.

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.“ -Proverbs 23:7

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What does it mean to capture our thoughts?

2. What steps can you take to de-clutter your thoughts and develop a Positive Mental Attitude?

PRAY

Pray that, regardless of the situation, God will equip you to operate with a Positive Mental Attitude and that He will transform your way of thinking.

DAY 23 Speak to the Storm

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.“ -Genesis 50:20

A tornado is a very violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of up to 300 mph. Tornadoes can destroy large buildings, uproot trees, hurl vehicles hundreds of yards and their destructive path can be up to 50 miles long.

Several years ago, I encountered a devastating storm. It ripped through my life like a tornado leaving me stranded and homeless. It was on such a destructive path that it destroyed relationships, families, jobs, my dignity, and my pride. Looking at the carnage left from this devastating storm, I had a choice to make. I could keep staring at the devastation and sink deeper into the pit of sorrow, remaining without a home or a job, staying on food stamps. I could choose to remain bitter and infected with hate or choose to speak to the storm. So, with boldness and conviction, I spoke to the storm and refused to give up.

Les Brown once said, “No matter how bad it is, no matter how bad it gets, you‘re going to make it.“ Did I encounter setbacks, sleepless nights, doubts, and fears? Yes, but when Jesus asked me, “where is your faith?“ I responded, “here it is!“ and things drastically and instantly changed in my life and for the better.

With a supercharged faith, a solid foundation, and a renewed spirit, I soon recognized that obstacles aren‘t meant to stop us; they are intended to strengthen us.

When you feel as though you‘re being swamped and you‘re about to drown, hold

steady. When a supercell forms around you, that you have an anchor that is immovable. Don‘t hide, do not fear, and be not dismayed. Instead, believe that God wouldn‘t allow such a storm unless there was a purpose. Believe that what appears to be devastation is a storm producing healing, courage, and wisdom. Choose to see the situation as a growth opportunity, and a storm intended to strengthen you.

“One day Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let‘s cross to the other side of the lake.‘ So they got into a boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we‘re going to drown!“ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?“ The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?“ th ey asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him.“ -Luke 8:22-25

CRITICAL THINKING

1. C.S. Lewis writes, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.“ How do you handle the storms and adversities of life when they come against you?

2. What “storm(s)“ are you afraid of?

3. How can “speaking“ to your storm help you to overcome them?

PRAY

Pray that God will strengthen you with storm stopping power. Pray for boldness to stand firm and rebuke the storms of life.

DAY 24 Get Your Shoulders Dirty

“Don‘t pick on people, jump on their failures, and criticize their faults unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don‘t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you‘ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you‘ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.“ -Luke 6:38

While reflecting on this past year, I pondered how dirty my shoulders got and how sore my muscles were from lifting others up. As a harsh critic of myself, I quickly said, not that dirty and not sore enough. Sure, “get your shoulders dirty“ may sound a bit offbeat, but it truly is a powerful piece of advice that one can give. Servant leaders get their shoulders dirty by lifting others up and by letting others stand tall on them.

Over the past few years, I have come to realize that servant leaders always have dirty shoulders. They know they were born to serve, to lift others up, to help others reach success, and that comes through letting others stand on their shoulders. There are also those leaders who believe that people exist to aid in their success. The boss-at-the-top leadership style only cares about themselves; they take all the credit and want all the glory, but a genuine servant leader doesn‘t care who gets the credit. They expect nothing in return. They care about serving and enriching the lives of others, period, the end!

In this next season of your life, I encourage you to be a wellspring of hope. Be a person who loves and leads with optimism. Be a person of generosity and create a culture within your family life and work-life where service to others is the cornerstone. Be a servant leader that goes home every day with dirty shoulders.

“Thousands of books have been written on leadership, but few on servanthood. Everyone wants to lead; no one wants to be a servant.“ -Rick

Warren

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What does it mean to you to “get your shoulders dirty?“

2. How can you grow in your servant-leader capacity?

3. How can you live with a transcendent mindset?

4. What is one thing you can do this week to serve another person?

PRAY

Ask God to help you understand what being a servant-leader is truly about. Ask Him to reveal those who need you to serve and encourage them. Pray for the endurance to live life by getting your shoulders dirty.

DAY 25 Sticks and Stones may Break my Bones, but Words will Never Hurt Me

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.“- Proverbs 18:21

Have you ever said a hurtful word or two before? Sadly, I have spoken terrible things. I have ruined relationships because of the words that have spewed from my mouth. I have even used an inappropriate hand signal or two to demonstrate my anger toward someone, which is pretty typical for many people who get cut off while driving!

Growing up, I was conditioned to adhere to the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.“ Now that I am older and somewhat wiser, I find that saying to be 100% false, and that doesn‘t mean I‘m soft or need to grow an extra layer of skin either.

When I have discussed this topic with others, most have said, “They are just words.“ True, they are words, but this small weapon inside our mouth produces the power to bring life or death. Don‘t be deceived; this small muscular organ can do great things and shouldn‘t be underrated in its ability to harm. The book of Proverbs is a great place to understand better the powerful punch we can deliver with our tongue.

God never intended for us to use our tongue to spread hate. It wasn‘t created to criticize, put down or belittle others. If you‘re using it for that reason, you need to understand that you‘re being used by the one who has come to destroy, spread harm, and eliminate hope. God, on the other hand, created the tongue for us to speak love and truth.

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear, and the blind can see“ -

Mark Twain

There are many options for us to demonstrate kindness, and I encourage you to start with your words. I encourage you to effectively and appropriately use your comments so that you spread positivity, kindness, and love. I‘m not willing to run the risk of being turned away because I know that God will bring every deed I do into judgment.

When you speak today, be encouraging, positive, thoughtful, and loving. That certain someone may need life spoken into them. Don‘t forget we are all fighting a battle, so bless someone with your words and , Sticks and stones may break my bones, and words will most definitely hurt me.

“For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.“ - Ecclesiastes 12:14

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What comes to mind when you think of the word “kind?‘

2. How can you change what you say to positively impact others?

PRAY

Pray that God will enable you to use your tongue for good. Pray for confidence to speak life and not death, and to encourage those who you come in with every day.

DAY 26 Don‘t Look Back

“For I know the plans I have for you,‘ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.“ -Jeremiah 29:11

Every January when the calendar shifts, many find themselves trying to establish new goals and resolutions for the New Year. Some are trying to figure out what can be done differently to improve physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially. Some are celebrating and embracing the change while others fear the change, and there are some who are sinking into bitterness from the past hurts, failures, and disappointments.

At the end of each year, I reflect on the miracles and the memories as well as the mistakes. I reflect on the lost nights of sleep, the things that worried me, the times I cried, and at times felt as if I was losing hope. I reflect on the roadblocks, disappointments, and delays but decide with confidence and hope to look at them differently. I choose to view them as opportunities to grow and trust God even more. I use those times to pray more, worry less, develop ruthless optimism and resolve to learn and not look back.

Know what you want to grow

I‘ve learned over the years that whatever you pay attention to tends to grow, and I believe what motivates a person most is what‘s growing on the inside. I think it‘s important to focus on the things that are aligned with your vision, with your goals, dreams, and most certainly, your values. Because, if we fail to pay attention, we run the risk of being pulled in a direction we never intended.

Does every year go as planned for me? No, and I anticipate that every year will bring challenges and disappointments for us all, but if responded to correctly,

those moments in life can be used for a higher purpose, and that‘s a decision each of us needs to make. From my observation, most people who encounter disappointments don‘t respond correctly, and tend to quit too easily.

The past is where it belongs, so why do we struggle with leaving it there? I have been challenged by this most of my life. I beat myself up over mistakes I‘ve made or things I should have done or said differently. I‘ve insisted that I would “drop it“ but find myself shortly after picking it up again. Last year has come and gone, and it is no longer here. We can carry the weight from the past and focus on things that didn‘t go as planned, or we can choose to press on, allowing God to do something bigger and better in the future.

Coming to an end of yourself creates room for God to do new and amazing things in your life. This allows Him to turn your pain into purpose and to transform your thinking. But you have to be willing to accept it and close the door on yesterday; the door handle is always on your side.

No matter where you‘re going this year, know this, there will never be a moment where you won‘t be wrapped in God‘s love, mercy, and grace. Suspend your disbelief and change your perspective on the person you see in the mirror. Learn to slow down, take care of the little things, and avoid getting caught up in what‘s meaningless. Strive to be mindful, to listen deeply, and breathe. You were designed to fulfill a purpose, a purpose that only you can satisfy. Surround yourself with the right people, be committed to excellence, do your very best in everything, in every way, and don‘t be afraid to leave the past where it belongs. Do your part so God can do His.

Don‘t allow life to come with a death sentence, live life to its fullest (Ephesians 3:19). , we can‘t control what happens around us, but we can most certainly control what happens in us. We can choose to be offended and harbor bitterness or increase our level of execution. Pursue your ions, strive to make a difference, and choose to be great this year because, truthfully, there is

no excuse for not being great.

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.“ -Isaiah 43:19

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What pain or regret do you struggle with letting go of?

2. What reasons do you have for holding on to this pain or regret?

3. What would happen if you chose to let go and free yourself?

PRAY

Ask God to release you from the strongholds that have hindered you from overcoming past hurt and regret. Ask God to ignite a fire within your soul that will free your mind and enable you to focus on what you can control and let go of the things you cannot.

DAY 27 Is Your Retirement in Check?

“Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.“ -Luke 12:33-34

I often wonder about retired life. How much money I‘ll have; how much golf I‘ll get to play; how much of the world my wife and I will see, and how many grandkids there will be. As much as I plan and save for this so-called retirement, there are no guarantees that I‘ll ever get to experience it.

Retirement can be described as one of life‘s ultimate goals and signs of freedom, but is it? Retiring is terrific, so I‘ve heard, especially if you have planned appropriately for it and can draw from a retirement fund with no worries whatsoever. But is retiring the ultimate goal? According to one statistic, 74% of pre-retirees say their biggest fear about retirement has to do with finances. Will there be enough money? What if I outlive my money? Will I ever get past the burden of debt?

We see commercials asking couples how long their money will last or if the lifestyle lived now will carry on into retirement. There are plenty of other marketing gimmicks companies use to promise a stress-free, relaxing retirement. Most people fail to recognize that preparing for the golden years isn‘t the final stage of preparation.

Perhaps the golden years should be lived out with a greater purpose in mind. Maybe the goal should be adding valuable and fulfilling work. In preparing for these days, plan to get involved with the community, serve those less fortunate and seek to enrich others‘ lives. The years after retirement aren‘t meant for one to become stagnant. The Great Commission still applies, so we should have the time and resources to concentrate on those things by planning accordingly.

One day our life will indeed be retired, only God knows when, and reaching heaven should be the ultimate goal. We don‘t leave here with a material harvest; in fact, we go with nothing but our character and the impact we have made on the world.

Our investments should be in the Kingdom of God, and we should draw from Jesus, not a retirement fund that won‘t last. To experience authentic security, we need to invest in what lies beyond a retirement on the golf course and live for The One who gave us His all. Make sure your retirement is in check because Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,‘ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.“

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.“ -1 Timothy 6:7

CRITICAL THINKING

1. Reaching heaven is a compelling reality; is that where you want to spend your retirement?

2. What investments are you making today to ensure your heavenly retirement is in check?

PRAY

Ask God to help you put things into perspective. Pray that God will equip you with wisdom so that you can thoughtfully plan for your “retirement.“

DAY 28 Rebuild the City

“Things aren‘t that bad. We can handle anything that comes. If our buildings are knocked down, we‘ll rebuild them bigger and finer. If our forests are cut down, we‘ll replant them with finer trees.“ -Isaiah 9:10

In 1871, the city of Chicago suffered blazing devastation. The Great Chicago Fire burned for three days, destroyed thousands of buildings, killed approximately 300 people, and caused an estimated $200 million in damages. That October inferno that burned for three days was used by a man named David Francis Bremner as inspiration to birth a business and establish a legacy that is still alive today.

David Francis Bremner was a bread maker who started his business amid the ashes left from the horrific Chicago fire. In fact, the story goes that he located an abandoned oven and started his company the day after the fire. Many saw it as a city in ruins; Bremner saw it as a way to serve comfort food that was desperately needed. Bremner was genuinely interested in serving those affected by the damage and was fully committed to rebuilding the city. Bremner was dedicated and determined to fight fire with fire by spreading hope and inspiration through a bakery and what would become his widely popular dimpled biscuits.

Following the fire, Chicagoans and Bremner chose to create beauty out of ashes (Isaiah 61:1-3) by reconstructing the city. They decided to be “atmosphere engineers“ and ignited a comeback-spark fueled by tremendous economic development that ultimately helped population growth.

During the painful period of starting over, Bremner was producing perseverance and cultivating confidence. In what was considered total devastation for Chicagoans, Bremner was using yeast not only to raise his bread but to raise hope that spread throughout the entire city. David Francis Bremner took a little yeast during a time of devastation and grew a company that would eventually

spread worldwide. People could smell hope from his bakery, and when they tasted the goodness, they started to experience transformation.

Bremner saw the answer in his hands. He applied his gifts and, through his generosity, made miracles happen for thousands. He made it possible for others, and God prospered the Bremner family for five generations now through Bremner Biscuits Co.

More often than not, our limited thinking cripples us from conquering and creating something powerful. Decide to think differently. Don‘t think “disaster,“ but develop a mindset that sees adversity as an opportunity and deploys greatness so you can overcome and eventually achieve the impossible.

Let me encourage you not to limit God based on what you have or don‘t have. Don‘t limit Him based on what you think is possible. Develop a mindset for action, focus on creating solutions during times of difficulty, and pray for the dynamic-will to succeed. Don‘t allow the wreckage that happens in life define you; let the challenges that you‘re facing in life refine you.

The purpose of the yeast used in Bremner‘s biscuits was to grow and change the dough and the city in which it came into . Through his crackers came hope, such that the door to the past was shut, and a city was reborn.

The same is true of how grace works in our hearts. When we accept Christ, His grace grows in our core and changes us from the inside out. God creates diamonds out of dust through the refining process, and our part is to be open to it.

I‘ve spent too much time living in the ashes and blaming others for the devastation that took place in my life, too prideful to see that I, along with the ashes, needed to be reborn and refined. I asked Jesus to change my way of thinking. I asked Him to give me the strength to handle the fire that He was walking me through, and He did.

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.“ -John 6:35

CRITICAL THINKING

1. How are you using your gifts?

2. How can you make a miracle happen for someone else?

PRAY

Ask God to help you develop a mindset that deploys greatness because of adversity, using it as an opportunity to overcome and achieve the impossible. Pray that you can use your gifts to bless others and to be a miracle to someone in need.

DAY 29 Committed to Inconvenience

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?‘ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.“ -Matthew 25:37-40

In December 1938, a young London stockbroker was packing his bag to ski the fresh powder on the Swiss Alps when he received a friend‘s request to cancel his trip to Switzerland and come to Prague. The friend needed help with something, which required the sacrifice of his trip.

If I had an expensive vacation planned and received a call from a friend who wanted me to abandon my trip to help him, I could honestly say that I would decline his request. I mean, what a crazy petition! This young stockbroker likely worked hard and saved for his vacation, which would have been filled with anticipation and excitement.

However, to the London stockbroker, canceling a trip wasn‘t an inconvenience, and what many [including myself] would see as an inconvenience, he saw as a deliverance. Leaving the skis behind led to an opportunity to sacrifice and save hundreds of lives. Sir Nicolas Winton rescued over 600 children from perishing in the Holocaust by successfully arranging to have them transported by train from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to the U.K.

“Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is.“ -C.S. Lewis

We are all going to experience inconveniences on our journey through life, but how we respond to those inconveniences will determine the position of our heart.

Being Committed to Inconvenience requires selflessness, a different attitude, and renewing the mind.

For example, how many times have you experienced vehicle troubles? And how often did you respond with aggression toward that inconvenience? For me, it‘s happened quite often. It‘s easy to react with aggravation and stress out over the trouble, but have you stopped to think that maybe the inconvenience was a lesson or, better yet, perhaps a blessing in disguise?

Our maturity is unveiled during times of inconvenience, and if we never remove the blinders and allow frustration to distract us, we run the risk of missing out on what God is trying to teach us or, even more so, how He can use us. The Bible is full of stories of people encountering inconvenience, and through each of those inconveniences, astonishing things occurred.

Jesus was Committed to Inconvenience every step he took on his way to the cross, knowing that the ultimate sacrifice was on the horizon. Jesus showed us the most significant demonstration of self-sacrifice. He was willing to be inconvenienced so that God would receive the glory.

Inconveniences can teach us so much, but we must come to the end of ourselves to understand and learn what God teaches us. If we see inconvenience as a lesson, we open the door that leads to a deeper, more intimate relationship with Jesus. Instead of allowing inconveniences to frustrate you, view them as opportunities in disguise that lead to blessing others. Inconveniences can teach us how to manage anger better and control what we have control over with the

proper perspective. All of life‘s inconveniences can show us something powerful, but that requires us to trust God and accept His teachings.

Don‘t allow inconveniences in life to confine you. Be committed to life‘s inconveniences by pressing in and developing your prayer life because prayer is the catalyst that leads to transformation.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.“ -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

CRITICAL THINKING

1. How do you respond when experiencing an inconvenience?

2. In what ways can you use inconvenience as an opportunity to grow?

PRAY

Ask God to help you to see inconveniences as opportunities for growth. Pray for a new lens that enables you to see inconvenience as a blessing. Pray that God will help you to use any inconvenience to trust Him more and develop patient endurance on your journey in life.

DAY 30 Quicksand of Comparison

“Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.“ -Galatians 6:4-5

Throughout my journey, I have struggled with comparing myself to others. Being active in sports most of my life, I would continuously size up the competition. Whether it was in my professional rollerblading or football career, I would focus on how others were performing, and that, unfortunately, caused me to lose sight, which almost always resulted in poor performance.

Some will argue that comparing is a good thing and that it drives us to achieve success. Don‘t get me wrong, using comparison as a motivator to be successful and afford nice things isn‘t necessarily a bad thing, but if the desire to look a certain way or expand your material wealth outweighs the importance of achieving significance, then I believe your view on life is a little skewed. Having this view is precisely what the enemy wants. The enemy wants us to feel unfulfilled, inadequate and to live with a “grass is greener on the other side“ mentality.

When things were bad in my life, I would tend to get stuck on how I thought things weren‘t fair, which ultimately led me to compare. I would see the big homes and fancy cars, and the more I focused on what others had, the deeper I sank into a quicksand of comparison.

“We forfeit three-fourths of ourselves to be like other people“ -Arthur Schopenhauer

I‘ve learned that none of us are exempt from the pitfall of comparison.

Comparing ourselves to others prevents us from becoming who God created us to be. Comparison implies the possibility of choice and that we can somehow acquire what others have. Society has done an excellent job manipulating us into believing that. The world has tried to condition people to look, act, and live a certain way and has pointed people toward the idea of getting rather than giving, and this, unfortunately, has led to entitlement.

God didn‘t design us to get all we can; He created us to love and serve all we can. He didn‘t create us to live someone else‘s life, nor did He call us to do what He called someone else to do. God has provided every one of us with unique gifts and talents and urges us to discover them, develop them and deploy them, not destroy them.

I believe there are a few reasons to bring comparison into the equation. A recent study showed that 86.9 million Nigerians are now living in extreme poverty, which represents nearly 50% of its estimated 180 million population. When we compare in this manner, it should spark an appreciation for what we do have and generate the desire to sow into those who are less fortunate. The other would be comparing ourselves to the Word of God. By doing so, you kill comparison with content and begin to see life from an eternal perspective.

I believe that God puts us through a series of tests, not to punish us but to prepare us. But, if our focus is on comparing, then we are placing a limit on our potential. If we spend more time comparing and not enough growing, how can we thrive in the next season of our life? Comparing can lead to fruitless endeavors that eventually make us feel even more insecure than ever before. Our focus should be on who God called us to be and to become the best version of ourselves. Our focus should be on growing and being better than we were yesterday. Our focus should be on being significant and making a positive impact.

This morning when you look in the mirror, ask yourself a question, is today the

day I compare and complain or the day I commit my time, effort, and energy pursuing my purpose? Today, I encourage you to be grateful, content, and ready to be a difference-maker. Don‘t waste another second living in comparison because God has so much more waiting just for you. The door handle is on your side.

“We won‘t be distracted by comparison if we are captivated with purpose.“Bob Goff

CRITICAL THINKING

1. Do you think of yourself in of the things you value most or the things you are most dissatisfied with?

2. Are you pursuing something you hope will give you peace and contentment?

3. Have you ever thought that perhaps the reason the needle isn‘t moving in your life the way you want it to is because you haven‘t fully appreciated and taken care of the things that are right in front of you?

PRAY

Ask God to forgive you for comparing yourself with others. Declare that you are God‘s workmanship created in Christ for good works. Pray for strength to put away the measuring stick of comparison and boldly confess that you are

uniquely designed for a greater purpose.

DAY 31 Caught in the Current

“We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.“ -Hebrew 2:1

Growing up in sunny southern California was quite the experience. I was the youngest of four boys, and we all shared countless memories. Living so close to the ocean, I grew up surfing. I loved paddling out and sitting on my board, just iring the waves. My brothers made fun of me for paddling out further than others to sit there, but my theory was that I would wait a little further out for the big waves to roll in. I also wanted to sit further away from being caught in the current. It was sometimes a battle paddling out, and often the harder I paddled, the more tired I got and the further I would drift away.

While recently surfing the web, I was surprised to find that rip tides takes more lives per year than shark attacks, tornadoes, and lightning strikes combined. When we are young, I guess we don‘t worry or pay attention to those things. I know that I didn‘t care if there was a rip current or if I was surfing in shark territory.

Along my journey, there were many unfortunate times. As I drifted in the ocean, I also drifted in life. I was exposed to many “worldly“ things, and I spent many years running with the wrong crowds, chasing others‘ acceptance and approval. The rip currents of life had pulled me in a direction that I struggled against, and those struggles had drowned out God‘s voice for more than thirty years.

I was caught in a current that caused me to drift further and further away from the one who created me. Unfortunately for me, I thought riding a wave toward money, fame, acceptance, and status was most important (1 Timothy 6:10). As the current took me further away, I found myself in a place where nothing I was seeking existed, except for the emptiness inside.

A couple of years ago, I was able to take my son, Braddox, to the same beach I surfed as a kid. He was so excited to feel the sand between his toes and the waves crash into his knees. As I stood on the shore watching him play without a care, I ed the times I spent on that beach. I ed all the fun my brothers, and I had in the water, and then all of a sudden, Braddox was gone. (I know, bad dad award). I quickly scanned through the crowd in the water, and then I found him. There he was, laughing, bouncing up and down in the water about 40 yards away. He, unfortunately, got caught in a bit of current, and it happened in a flash. I walked into the shallow water where he was and reached out for his hand. At that moment, I looked up with peace and gratitude in my heart, not only because I quickly spotted my son, but because I was finally at a place in my life where I could hear the voice of God.

In life, there are times that we don‘t pay attention. I know this because I often can‘t recall if I‘ve run a red light or if I shut the garage door after leaving for work. We have become so accustomed to our daily routines and habits that often; we drift through life not paying attention.

As easy as it is to get caught in a rip current, it‘s even easier to drift away from God, especially when we are not paying careful attention. Those are the moments when the enemy will deceive us. The enemy has no bag limit (Habakkuk 1:15). If we are not careful, we can easily be caught in his net and taken to a place of destruction.

Just like the seafloor influences the location, direction, and speed of a rip current, temptation and lack of attention can alter our plans and pull us in a direction not aligned with God. Lack of discipline and mindless attention cause many to drift from their hopes and dreams. As you can‘t underestimate the power of the ocean, you can‘t underestimate the power of temptation and the destruction that drifting away can cause.

Maybe today, you feel as though life is a washout. Perhaps you have been caught in the current, and you seem to be struggling and drifting further and further into a sea of sorrow and hopelessness. Let me remind you that a lifeguard is standing by, ready to rescue you.

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.“ -1 John 4:14

CRITICAL THINKING

1. Do you feel that you are drifting further and further away from your dreams?

2. Are you placing money, fame, stature at the top of the priority list?

PRAY

Ask God to empower you to steer clear of temptation so that you will not get caught in the enemy‘s plan for your destruction. Today, pray for strength to withstand the current and to reach for the savior of the world.

DAY 32 The Eye in the Sky Doesn‘t Lie

“So, we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.“ -2 Corinthians 5:9-10

Have you ever heard of the phrase “the eye in the sky doesn‘t lie?“ The late Gene Murphy, my head football coach at Fullerton JC, would often use that phrase, and he was always right. Our practice and game films revealed everything, showed our every move, our mistakes, and provided a way for us to grow and get better.

Day in and day out, we see people exposed on camera for making poor choices. We also see people on social media posting their not-so-good videos for the whole world to see; thank God Instagram was not around in the ‘90s. But why do people still insist upon making poor choices knowing that someone is always watching?

Have you ever received a ticket in the mail for running a red light? Well, I have… a few times. Highways, street lights, gas stations, and department stores are all watching, recording our every move, and with all the new technology advancements these days, cellphones and smart speakers are listening to what we say. They are even recording our every word.

A recent study revealed that Google Home smart speakers have recorded people‘s conversations and then randomly sent those recordings to friends and even bosses. Although Google does offer a way to delete the recordings, what about the days before Google or Alexa? How do we delete the not-so-good things from the past?

My point is, we can‘t just go back into our past and hit the delete button on the poor choices we‘ve made. The Bible tells us in Psalm 33:13-14, “From heaven, the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth.“

While it is a little scary to think that Google listens in on our conversations and traffic cameras record us, it‘s even more eye-opening when you realize that God watches all who live on earth. He watches everything we do.

I don‘t know about you, but my past poor choices and mistakes inundated me. I constantly tripped on what was behind me until one day; I was offered an opportunity to delete the past pain and remove the shackles and receive freedom I didn‘t know existed. I was offered a new life and, just like that, out with the old, in with the new.

The great news is that God doesn‘t issue citations for stupidity, and I am personally grateful for that. What He does offer are mercy, grace, and His everlasting love. The question is, will we receive it?

When we come to Christ, all of our sins are washed away, and He removes our transgressions (Psalm 103:12). I don‘t think that means to go ahead and do as we please. As followers of Christ, we are encouraged to live and act a certain way, promoting love, character, integrity, and honesty and a way that inspires a relationship with Him.

When you sit down to watch the film on your life with God, what will it reveal? My charge to you is to live each day knowing that God is indeed watching, so live the kind of life that will leave a legacy and not a liability.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.“ -2 Corinthians 5:17

CRITICAL THINKING

1. How does knowing God watches over all influence your behaviors?

2. If you were to sit with God right now, what would the footage from your life reveal?

PRAY

Ask God to prepare your heart and mind for change. Ask Him to help you understand and acknowledge His presence in your life. Pray that God will empower you to readjust to His way of thinking and living.

DAY 33 Heart Issues

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.“ -1 Peter 4:8

The first time I heard my father say “I love you“ was when he was about 60 years old, lying in a hospital bed after suffering a heart attack. While standing at the foot of his bed, worried and concerned, all I could say was “Dad, I love you,“ and at that point, I‘m not sure what pained him more, the heart attack itself or him saying “love you too.“

When my children were born, love instantaneously took over. I make it known to them daily that I love them. I want them to know they are loved not only through my words but, more importantly, through my actions. I want them to understand the importance and power of love. I want them to love on to the generations that come next and fulfill the greatest commandment of all. Our family is choosing to live by design, not by default. We are far from perfect, but we have chosen to act early, never to find ourselves suffering from Heart Issues.

Love doesn‘t keep score

I have come to realize that God uses people to speak into the lives of others. Not long ago, I was catching up with a childhood friend of mine from California. Updating each other on life and sharing some current struggles, my friend Brian reminded me of a quote he heard a long time ago, “Only a fool trips on what‘s behind him.“ I said, “wow, I have some unresolved heart issues that need attention.“ I realized then that the score I was keeping was preventing me from moving forward in a more positive and healthy direction.

The longer we hold on to pain from the past and the hurt from someone doing us

wrong, the harder our hearts get. Holding on is choosing to keep score. Holding on is choosing to ignore the warning signs that are actually in place to help us forgive, learn and grow. We have to develop our choice-muscles and choose love because if we don‘t, fear will choose us. I‘ve learned that if we don‘t treat the heart by forgiving and loving others, we choose to give bitterness, anger, and the pain from the past authority in our life that produces hate in our hearts.

If you are experiencing symptoms like anger, regret, and bitterness, I encourage you to seek the one who can provide healing first and develop the habit of loving others well. Unfortunately, I‘ve spent my share of time holding onto anger, regret, and bitterness. Through my transformation, I have learned that building off of yesterday is much healthier and wiser than living off of it.

I encourage you to chip away the hard cast that has covered your heart and don‘t allow the presence of pain to squeeze out the presence of God. Don‘t forget; we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Choose love, not fear.

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.“ -2 Timothy 1:7

CRITICAL THINKING

1. Do you have a heavy heart that is weighed down by bitterness, regret, anger, or hate?

2. Are there unresolved issues in your life that have held you back?

PRAY

Come to Jesus today with a surrendered heart. Surrender your struggles and despair. Pray that the pain, bitterness, hatred, and regret be removed so that He can fill you with His love, comion, and grace.

DAY 34 Grow There

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.“ -Galatians 6:9

Discipline is doing what you don‘t want so that you can do what it is you truly aspire to do. Successful people consider excellence to be a continuous, habitual, moment-by-moment commitment to doing a lot of little things well. It all comes down to paying the price in the little things that help propel you into achieving the significant things. To move from here to there (wherever your here and there is), you have to possess disciplined thinking, disciplined emotions, and disciplined actions, and most importantly, you got to have faith.

Simply put, our unwillingness to grow here will always prevent us from ever getting there. No matter what your dreams or goals look like, they will require you to Grow There; otherwise, your dreams may never become a reality.

Often, we allow bitterness, negativity, anger, or what someone said to restrain us from achieving what we were called to do. Let me encourage you never to allow bitterness, anger, or any negative words from your past to negate the positive future God has for you. We have a unique calling in our life, so don‘t allow the uncontrollable to sideline you.

Your position will determine what is possible, so don‘t allow conditions to affect your calling. Let faith propel you into the unknown so that whatever is improbable becomes possible. In life, we have to fight these battles; otherwise, we won‘t win any at all, so punish your doubts with your belief system and that your ion must be greater than your challenges.

When we fight the battles, we upgrade our vision on life, our jobs, and our

relationships, and we begin to see things through an eternal lens. It is through these battles we gain wisdom, strength, and maturity, and we grow one step closer to unleashing our full God-given potential.

Rough days did not come to stay; they will , and if we choose, they can be used as moments for building character. One thing is for sure, we don‘t know the details of the future, and when you feel as though you are burnt out and have reached the end of the rope, hold on because God‘s strength can be found there. not to be disappointed with where you are now, but choose to be optimistic about where you are growing.

When I sought a Master‘s Degree in Educational istration, it was essential that I disciplined myself in the little things and made myself ready and willing to fight the battles that came my way. I had to choose to be optimistic about where I was growing and continually live with an eternal perspective. I have to be a good steward with what I do have and embrace the process that will lead to great things.

A great future awaits you, but only you can possess it. God has a calling on your life, so don‘t just sit on the sideline. Believe, Act, and Live by Faith. Activate your willingness to grow and embrace the battles that come your way. Pay careful attention to the little things, and to always be grateful.

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.“ -James 1:12

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What areas of your life need improvement?

2. What do you want your life to be like in five years?

3. Take a moment to analyze where you are currently. Are your goals aligned with where you want grow?

PRAY

Declare that you are strong in Christ‘s power and can do everything you need to do today. Declare to not live ive, but on purpose, and believe that you are NOT pathetic, but powerful. Ask God to prepare your heart for change and that His Divine Will may be crystal clear. Pray that God will empower you to grow on your journey and equip you to achieve the impossible.

DAY 35 Show Up

“Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.“ -Ecclesiastes 11:6

We frequently just expect things to happen for us, but all too often, aren‘t willing to Show Up to attain that expectation. We talk about and pray for financial provision, healthy relationships, healing, a better job, a better body, fill in the ______, but fail to put in any work to achieve those aspirations.

Jesus has made it very clear that we must show up to receive what we are asking. If I want to reach new life levels, I can‘t be idle and hide in the shadows. I must act and show up for the things I want to achieve.

Sometimes we treat God like a genie in a bottle and expect Him to show up on demand, but that‘s not how it works. God asks us to do our part, and He will do His. You can‘t get a new job if you don‘t show up for an interview. You can‘t get that beach body if you don‘t show up to the gym. My point is, if we want to reach a certain level in life and want our dreams to come true, we must show up and do our part, and God will do His.

What‘s more significant and impactful than receiving a blessing is being the blessing. The scriptures teach that God blesses us, not so we can live with greed, but so we can bless others, and God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). When God sees that we give (time, talent, treasure) freely out of love, He blesses us even more.

The list of people who showed up in my story is long. People showed up during some dark and desperate times. God used people who were close to me and, at

times, even total strangers to encourage, inspire, and fuel me with a ion for continuing the fight. Romans 15:2 says, “Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us.“

Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?“ The other day, I was driving and grew irritated with the radio commercials, so I turned the radio off and suddenly, I heard the Spirit enthusiastically shout the words, “SHOW UP!“ I had a good laugh and continued listening to what God had to say. Later that morning, I showed up at my in-laws to help with their landscape and little did I know, it was an enormous blessing, given their current circumstances. Unfortunately, my in-laws are not in excellent health. My father-in-law has cancer, and my mother-in-law, dementia. When I showed up that day, the weeds were overgrown, bushes were out of control, and the home‘s overall exterior desperately needed help. It was a direct correlation to what was going on inside of the house. The outside of the home was falling apart, and showing up that day, overhauling the landscape, sparked hope, and ultimately planted peace that directly impacted my in-laws.

Today is a great day for you to get your shoulders dirty and show up to be a blessing in someone‘s story.

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, ing the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.‘“ -Acts 20:35

CRITICAL THINKING

1. If you have yet to create the success you want, what is standing in your way? Is it you or something else preventing you from showing up?

2. Are you creating impact in the environment that feels good to you?

3. When was the last time you intentionally helped someone else?

PRAY

Ask God to help you identify those people that are hurting and in need. Ask Him to lift them up, bless and heal them. Pray that He reveals to you the people He wants you to Show Up for, fulfilling their needs. Pray that God will help you remove the barriers that are preventing you from attaining your dreams. Ask Him to help you Show Up, especially when facing challenges.

DAY 36 See Yourself There

“Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!“ -Matthew 6:22-23

There is clear and convincing data confirming one‘s choices made actively (spoken out loud or written down) are considerably more probable to guide someone‘s future than the same choice left unspoken. Goals and one-words are essential, but are more impactful when publicly made and visibly posted. When establishing goals, it‘s crucial to write them down and tell someone else about them. When approaching goals this way, we can act upon them more courageously, ultimately leading to fulfillment. When goals aren‘t written down, and no one else knows about them, dreams end up being abandoned.

I wrote an article titled “Vanishing Dreams of the Grid Iron“ for a magazine where I shared a story of my journey to the NFL. Although I worked hard to make the NFL, what I didn‘t realize was that my dreams of playing on Sundays vanished before I ever got to Hawaii, where I played college football. At some point, I lost my ion and vision for what I wanted, and I forgot why I was playing football altogether.

I think this happens to so many because often we forget why we started something. We forget why we created a business, why we started working out, or why we got married. The “why“ is the key ingredient, and often we receive more in life of what we don‘t want because we forget or never figure out “why“ in the first place.

A lot has happened in the last decade. There have been many ups and downs, doctor visits, surgeries, divorces, weddings, sleepless nights, disappointments, setbacks, outstanding achievements, unanswered and answered prayers. Through

it all, God has been good and has intended it all for good (Genesis 50:20). Much of what happened over the past ten years, I never saw coming, but there were many things that I wanted to see come to that did because I saw myself living in that vision, not my circumstances.

It‘s a new day, Wake Up, and believe that God has great things in store. Believe in the beauty of your dreams and start seeing yourself there. The first steps to maximizing your vision‘s clarity are being grateful for everything, worrying less, strengthening your thought life, praying about everything, doing the right things, loving more, and trusting God in all circumstances.

I posted a picture on Facebook several years ago of my son and I in front of an entrance sign of a nice neighborhood. At that time, we were in a one-bedroom apartment, barely getting by. The day we took that picture, we were serving with the local rotary club putting flags out for the 4th of July. As we drove through the neighborhood putting flags up, I imagined my family living in a house like the ones we saw that day. Later that evening, I said to Braddox, “one-day, we are getting out of this place, and we are going to live in a nice house like the ones we saw today.“

Over the next several years, we rode through many challenges, including many address changes, and one of those moves just so happened to be in that same neighborhood I envisioned years prior. Now it didn‘t just happen. I had to pray hard, make the right choices, stand firm in my faith, take action, and trust God fully to orchestrate the rest.

Hard work and ability are essential ingredients of success, but it comes down to mindset over matter backed by an unshakable faith. In our pain, we can see God‘s purpose. In our weakness, there is God‘s strength. Embrace the process, know what you want in life, and grow for it. God can handle those difficulties in your life and give you the eternal perspective needed to see past any struggles that stand in your way.

You can‘t see what you don‘t believe. You can only see what you choose to believe.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.“ Philippians 4:6

CRITICAL THINKING

1. When you don‘t have hope and can‘t see the way ahead, do you have people who can you, and encourage you to be optimistic?

2. Where is your faith currently?

3. What do you need to do to be in tune with God‘s direction for your life?

PRAY

God, despite my current situation, I trust you. I pray that you will awaken my dreams. I pray that you give me discipline and a clear vision to see your purpose for me and give me the strength to work intentionally and efficiently toward accomplishing your will.

DAY 37 What Values Drive Your Behavior?

“We are a part of God‘s family. The person who knows God will listen to us. The person who is not a part of God‘s family will not listen to us. In this way, we can tell what is the spirit of truth and what is the spirit of false teaching.“- 1 John 4:6

One of my goals is to make sure that my children have a nest egg when they are older and that their children‘s children have the same security. Albeit a smart goal, it is nothing compared to making sure that the generations that follow have an unshakable foundation of values, something that no currency can ever replace.

A recent study showed that values and life lessons are the number one thing to on to the next generation, whereas financial assets are placed dead last. Core values help us define what matters most. They set the course of life and influence everything we do. They guide us in the decision-making process, how we treat and respond to others, and they ultimately provide direction in our lives. Like a navigational system guiding us in a car, our core values serve in the same manner. They keep us pointed true north despite our emotions and keep us focused on our purpose. They hold us together in times of crisis, and they shape our culture, determine our character and bring clarity.

“It‘s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.“ -Roy E. Disney

Any successful organization, business, or family must possess shared solid values. All stakeholders must own them; otherwise, a fracture in the foundation is inevitable, leading to the culture‘s downfall. Often, people perceive that motivating others is about pushing them to do what you want them to do. I have realized that a key to inspiring others is to adhere to simple yet powerful core values like integrity, encouragement, and forgiveness.

I encourage you to investigate to determine what values are driving you. Have you been shaped by Godly values or by the conditions of the world? We can‘t have certain values for work and a completely different set for the home. We should strive to possess Godly values in all realms of our life. We should aspire to align our values with God‘s and do our very best to them on to the generations that follow.

Don‘t allow anything or anyone to compromise your values. Constantly communicate them and apply them in all that you do. Arm yourself with core values because they are the undeniable truths that encourage our behaviors.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.“ -Joshua 24:15

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What are your top 5 values?

(If you are unable to define your values, use this time to intentionally determine them)

2. What values do you want driving your behaviors?

PRAY

Pray that God will help you align His word with your heart. Pray for help adopting His values and to consistently apply them in all that you do.

DAY 38 Initiation of Greatness

“First pride, then the crash, the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.“ -Proverbs 16:18

I have found that constant and consistent communication, while sometimes running the risk of sounding redundant, is the single most influential and encouraging thing I can do. Despite what the inner enemy says, I continuously seek to serve and inspire others to live positive, productive, and principled lives both at work and home, especially in times of difficulty.

I‘ve realized that the key to a sustainable relationship, family, team, and work environment is within our grasp, but too often, self-centeredness and pride restrict us from unlocking its full potential. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “life‘s most urgent question is, what are you doing for others?“ Seeking to enrich the lives of others is an Initiation of Greatness. Servant-leaders don‘t act as a barrier but as a bridge that helps others get to the next level of success. Servantleaders curb disruptive behaviors and keep the focus on the pursuit of excellence, not on the path of mediocracy. Servanthood is about lifting others out of their everyday selves to a higher level of effectiveness, enthusiasm, and dedication. Servant-leaders are clothed with comion, kindness, humility, tenderness, and patience and cultivate the soil of success that ultimately produces a harvest. By serving others, you shift the focus from selfishness to enriching the lives of others.

When you operate with a service-to-others mindset, personal recognition is put aside and you better understand that families, sports teams, and businesses grow on a daily basis and can be quickly destroyed by disengagement and prideful practices.

Servant-leaders don‘t allow pride to be in charge, they demonstrate humility and understand that pride can threaten the vital organs of the things they are trying to

grow. Whatever you are trying to grow will never reach its full potential if it doesn‘t access the key that unlocks the door to engaging all stakeholders with a higher purpose.

No matter who you are or what your title is, you can lead and make a difference as long as the vision, mission and values are in a firm grip and the focus shifts from self-serving to servant-leading. Self-serve individuals spend most of their time protecting their status and collecting public praise, whereas servant-leaders have a mind-set on a higher purpose. Seeking a higher purpose leads to personal growth, professional fulfillment, and significance.

When you show up prepared to serve, you cultivate confidence and inspire others to action, and you encourage others to live in the vision, be on a mission and operate according to the values.

The keys that unlock possibilities:

The Vision serves as the heart of a team, organization, or family. It exemplifies the purpose of its existence and is one of the main organs. If people don‘t grasp the purpose or aren‘t motivated and ionate about it, people begin to drift aimlessly toward devastation.

The Mission will unlock the possible. The mission reminds others of the expectations and keeps the focus on a higher purpose. Organizations and families may have mission statements, but they only work if the people are on a mission seeking a higher purpose. Are people on a mission?

The Values are essential because they drive people‘s behaviors while constantly

serving the mission. Honoring the values helps us stay focused on the pursuit of excellence. What are the key values?

Serving and enriching the lives of others is a life-changing experience, an altruistic act, and an ongoing investment. The real challenge starts now, and time is of the essence. Are you willing to Initiate Greatness?

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.“ -Mahatma Gandhi

CRITICAL THINKING

1. In your opinion, is Christ-like service fast and easy, or does it require that which is often inconvenient?

2. What would it take for you to become more aware of others? Does it require a change in attitude or behavioral change?

3. What do you want to be known for?

4. What are you doing for others?

PRAYER

Lord, you didn‘t come to be served but to serve others. Help me position my heart toward loving and serving others. Help me see things through a new lens to identify and respond to those in need. Help me cast a Godly vision for my life and my family. Please give me the stamina needed to stay on a mission while leading others to a higher purpose.

DAY 39 What are You Reaching For?

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.“ Matthew 11:28

I love the story in the Bible that is told of a woman who had a bleeding issue for 12 years and received healing from Jesus just by touching the hem of His cloak. For over a decade, this woman had seen doctor after doctor, and used up all her resources only to experience more pain as her condition worsened. She didn‘t know Jesus at the time, but heard of Him and when she got news that He was coming to the nearby town, she knew that she was out of options and had to see Him as she believed that He could heal her condition.

“And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.“ Immediately her bleeding along with her suffering stopped.

At once, Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?“ “You see the people crowding against you,“ his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?“ But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.“ -Mark 5:25-34

How often do you reach for your phone to ask Google how to fix your problems? How often do you research symptoms and possible cures for your illness or disease on WebMD? When you‘re struggling, are you reaching for the bottle or other unhealthy ways of coping with the heaviness in your life?

I‘m not condemning anyone, because I‘ve been the person who‘s looked up a health concern and, based on my research, determined that I could have cancer. I too, ask Google for answers that somehow, miraculously appear in my search based on my conversations, creepy right? Looking things up on the internet isn‘t the worst thing to do, but we are conditioning ourselves to reach for our cell phones in time of trouble, instead of the one who came to offer peace, comfort, and healing. Instead of researching website after website, which half the time are filled with inaccurate information, try reaching out for something more significant, something more lifechanging.

The woman with the bleeding condition believed that if she just touched the hem of Jesus‘ garment, she would be healed. Jesus wants to heal us from our pain and suffering too, but for that to happen, cell phones need to be put aside and Bibles need to be picked up so that we can be transformed on the inside. Jesus is waiting for us to show up with faith like the woman with the bleeding issue. He‘s waiting for us to reach past the cellphones, and initiate a relationship that brings healing and hope into our lives.

For twelve long and painful years, this woman suffered from a blood disorder, and I wonder if she ever thought to herself, “why didn‘t I deal with this sooner, or why have I let this go on for so long?“ Have you ever had a medical concern that you left untreated? Or have you gone years with a condition that has grown worse? My wife and I, for some reason, enjoy watching Dr. Pimple Popper. I know, it‘s pretty gross. But one thing I always ask is, “why do these people wait so long to get help?“ Then I quickly retract my judgment because I believe Jesus can ask me the same thing.

On that show, the Dr. will sometimes ask the patient, “why didn‘t you come to me sooner?“ The patient usually has no answer, or if they do answer, it‘s filled with excuses. The amazing thing about Jesus is that His mercy and grace are new every day, and He can heal anyone who comes to Him late.

I‘ve never experienced a serious health issue, but I have had my share of surgeries and sicknesses. I‘ve covered up the pain with unhealthy practices, struggled through mental health, and I pushed aside every promise God has because I believed I had no purpose. When I hit rock bottom, I felt I was out of options and the pain on the inside was too unbearable and I would often wonder what I was reaching for? I knew that I had to set aside my unbelief and reach for someone who was willing to love me back to life. Someone who loved me right where I was and for who I was, regardless of my past or the demons I dealt with daily.

Instead of reaching for that cell phone, bottle or any other unhealthy vice, I encourage you to reach for the Savior. , Google doesn‘t care about you, God does. The liquor doesn‘t permanently take the pain away, the love of Jesus does. Simply reach out and receive what‘s in the waiting.

“Let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.“ -Matthew 14:36

CRITICAL THINKING

1. What resonates with you most from the story of the woman with the bleeding issue?

2. Are there areas in your life that you feel you are uncontrollably losing?

3. What steps of faith can you take in this challenging season?

PRAY

Ask God to help you develop extraordinary faith so that you can boldly reach for Jesus when you need healing of any kind, believing that He will always help you. Pray that God will empower you to walk away from unhealthy choices leading you into the arms of the Savior.

DAY 40 Initiate and Invest

“Walk with the wise and become wise for a companion of fools suffers harm.“ Proverbs 13:20

Looking back on my life, I can pinpoint certain relationships that aided my success, and I can also recall those that led me down dark paths. Neuroscientists have gone to great lengths to prove that having healthy relationships leads to happiness, prosperity, and overall performance. Contrary to that, if you are not intentional about who you surround yourself with, you‘re likely to live a life full of dysfunction and distress.

I never fully understood how powerful alignments in life were until the day I met Jesus. Before ever knowing Him, I was lost. I aligned with people who didn‘t add value or bring the best out of me, and, at times, I was a disservice to others. For over twenty years, the enemy had his way as he led me astray until February 3, 2013. On that Sunday, I walked into a church broken, bitter, and desperately in need. As I sat there crying, a friend of mine who had invited me to church that day was aware of the dysfunction, recognized the distress call, and quickly initiated a prayer that forever changed my life.

Healthy relationships make life enjoyable, but obtaining that joy comes by being intentional about keeping them strong. We actively try to “find“ time or “make“ time, and relationships flourish when they are a priority. Recognize each other often. Make time to write notes, perform random acts of kindness, and spread words of affirmation and appreciation. Positive reinforcement is powerful when it comes to guiding and shaping our relationships.

If I want healthy, positive, and sustainable relationships, I have to invest in them. The quality of our relationships will determine the quality of our lives, so I believe we have to reach beyond the norm to initiate and invest in having positive, life-changing relationships. If the focus is on being an energy producer

that adds value to others, our relationships will inevitably turn into one of the key ingredients that lead to positive outcomes.

During some of my darkest days, there were loving, kind, and comionate people who not only invested financially but, more importantly, invested their time and hearts in both my son and me. They didn‘t buy into any excuses and limitations. Instead, they invested in my hopes and dreams that I thought were once lost.

When we make time to invest in others, it continues to yield a return. I believe in the magnitude of serving others and finding ways to add value to them because adding value to others is one of the most extraordinary things we can do on this side of life. Jesus laid the foundation for healthy and loving relationships. He regularly modeled it with qualities like comion and humility, and even stressed its importance by commanding it. (Mark 12:29-31).

Healthy relationships matter and I want to experience thriving relationships. To achieve this, I have to put aside any anger, slander, and negativity and instead be clothed with comion, forgiveness, empathy, and love. Sure, there are days when I struggle to put on those clothes, and I sometimes say, “I don‘t feel like it today,“ but I have to ask myself this compelling question, what if Jesus didn‘t feel like going to the cross?

Not long ago, my life completely changed when Jesus initiated a relationship and invested all that he had so that I can be saved (1 Peter 2:24). If today you happen to sense a knocking on your heart, open the door and access the missing link that ultimately leads to the healthiest relationship known to humanity.

, the door handle is on your side. Knock, knock!

“Therefore, as God‘s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with comion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.“ -Colossians 3:12

CRITICAL THINKING

1. Where can you add value that you are not adding now?

2. Do those you align with help you identify and deal with your blind spots (areas where you need to grow)?

3. What blind spots do you need to address right now so that you can better understand God‘s will and develop habits that will fully unlock your potential?

4. How might you live differently today if you were to seriously apply the command of Jesus?

PRAY

God, thank you for loving me unconditionally. Thank you for deg me with a purpose in mind and for your good pleasure. Thank you for sending your One and Only Son, Jesus, into the world so that I might have Eternal Life through Him. Today, I choose to enter into a relationship with you. I resolve to put away anger, bitterness, disappointment, and doubt so that I can love you with all my

heart, soul, and mind, and love others the way you love me.

“…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.“ -Isaiah 40:31

Acknowledgments

To my beautiful and brilliant wife, Suzanne. Thank you for loving me completely. Thank you for strengthening, encouraging, and helping me be better. Without a doubt, God orchestrated our meeting, and I am so grateful that I get to do life with you and build our beautiful family together.

To my daughters, Briar and Bristol, buckle up; it‘s going to be quite a ride. I am grateful that I get to be your dad. Thank you for keeping me on my toes and for adding joy to my life.

To my parents, I love you! Thank you for always loving me and for providing for us. Thank you for ALL of the memories.

To my brothers, Brian, Brett, and Bradd, what a ride we‘ve had. Thank you for all of the memories and experiences we have shared on our journey. Thank you for your and encouragement. I love you all!

Randy, Denise, Landon, and Cameron. Thank you for ing Braddox and me. Thank you for consistently being there for us. You helped me become a better father, friend, and man. I am forever grateful for you all, our “Texas family;“ I love you.

To my Illinois family, you‘ve all been such a blessing to my family and me, and I am so grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for all of the and love.

Mr. Greg Wright, thank you for seeing the best in me. Thank you for giving me a chance and for exposing me to what excellent leadership looks like. Thank you for making me feel worthy and for encouraging me in my walk with Jesus.

To those not mentioned, you‘re not forgotten. Thank you for the love and while on the journey.

Braddox, my life changed for the better when you came into the world. We have stacked up memories upon memories, and I pray that never ceases. Whether you recognize this or not, you‘ve helped me become a better father, and I am grateful to be your dad. Ox, I SO love you, and that will never, ever change!

God, thank you for loving me. Thank you for forgiving me and for your new portion of mercy and grace every day. I can‘t wait to be wrapped in your arms when we meet in heaven; until then, I pray you will continue to use me for Your glory.

About the Author

Bryce Runge is ionate about culture development, mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and motivational speaking. As a former Division-1 football player and professional Rollerblader, he now aspires to satisfy his need for adrenaline by helping people overcome challenges, understand their purpose, and discover their potential.

Bryce draws from his personal experiences to transmit energetic, practical, upbeat, and inspiring messages that relate to people, regardless of age. Bryce digs deep to cultivate confidence and ignite hope. He encourages people to develop a mindset that deploys greatness through opportunity so they can overcome and become triumphant.

Bryce Runge is a husband, father, author, educator, and speaker.

Bryce at www.BryceRunge.com