Stepping Out on the Water

Hi everyone,
I am going to try and keep this post shorter than my usual. I want to again this week begin by asking a few questions and please really think about them. What would you do if you weren't afraid? What would you do if you knew you wouldn't fail? What dreams and goals would you chase after if you knew that it was going to work out without a doubt? I have really been thinking on this, this past week. And honestly it has been a war back and forth of what I want and what God wants. I have wanted to say things but have been afraid to lay them out in the open which has caused me to ask myself more questions. Why am I afraid? And the conclusion that I keep coming to is, that I am too afraid of what other people will think. I am too afraid that I am not good enough, that it will be a flop. I am afraid I will be left standing alone with this shattered dream laying in my hands. Yet it is silly because I feel as if it is the very things that God is calling me to do because it is going to require me to step out in complete trust and faith. Do you ever feel that way too? You feel as if you should be doing something or working towards something but you feel that nagging uncertainty. The worry that things won't come through and that you are dreaming too big. We essentially put God in a box. We say, "I know Lord you are calling me in this direction" or may we even have a clear picture of what He is asking, but we are still standing, backs pressed up against the wall, afraid to step out onto the stage He is building for us. We can't see the end result or the big picture so we feel as if we can't move forward. Sometimes He only gives us barely the next step and is asking us to move out in blind faith that He will provide. And isn't it funny how we choose to believe sometimes in our actions that the God who created the whole universe cannot make His plans for us happen or that He somehow made a mistake when He chose us for our purpose in life? We are often like Peter in Matthew 14, who sees Jesus out on the water and steps out of the boat to go to Him in confidence at first but then when we see the waves of uncertainty we begin to doubt, take our eyes off of Jesus and start to sink. Many people in life sink and they don't reach out and takes Jesus's hand, they leave their callings and gifts on the ocean floor. I wonder how many of those people struggle with that the rest of their lives? Time waits for no man. But for those who do take His hand what amazing stories they have to tell! I am continually reminded that God doesn't choose the mighty and powerful in this world to make a difference. (1 Corinth. 1:26-29) He chose Peter who denied Him three times to be the rock upon which the early church was built. He chose Saul who lived the first part of his life killing Christians to become Paul, missionary to the early churches. He chose Moses, a murderer and a man of lowly speech, to speak in front of Pharaoh and lead God's people out of Egypt. He chose Esther, a young ordinary Jewish woman to be the queen of an empire. He chose Mary, a teenager to carry His Son, our Salvation. God makes of habit of choosing everyday, ordinary and even the most unlikely people to carry out some amazing missions. How quick we are to forget these things or think that God doesn't work like that anymore. We put God within boundaries because honestly sometimes, I think it is makes us feel safer and more comfortable. We have these hopes and aspirations of being the best we can be for His glory but when He presents us with ideas we balk and ask Him if He is serious. Now it is something that we should spend much time in prayer, reading His Word, and seeking to understand His will, but at a certain point we have to realize went it just becomes a means to drag our feet. And I'm here to say I have BIG time! I have a business idea that I have wanted to start for over a year now. In some ways I knew I wasn't ready a year ago but now I feel God's pressure in a new way. And perhaps not in the way I originally anticipated. What I have realized, is the past year I have been more concerned about making this business idea profitable and that in a sense has created a certain amount of stress because it never seems like the right time to start. But I believe God is calling me to see more the ministry aspect of it. I envisioned it to be a ministry opportunity when I came up with it, but I almost felt like it had to be more of business type deal before it could become a "ministry". I had to build up the money before I could do other things. I think now God is calling me to step out in complete faith and start doing His work, His way and in His order. I wanted to start a pony party business for children's birthday parties originally and I still would like to, but where my heart is really being drawn to is teaching and educating both children and adults alike about the amazing creature that the horse is. Whether that is at schools and/or various social groups. I want use horses as therapy for people in hospitals, rehab, and our veterans. I want to use horses as a ministry tool and give horse devotionals to different groups. Now these are all things that require faith and trust on my part, because 1. I am not a public speaker. 2. Essentially these things do not bring in funds, and I wish not to ask for such. Essentially is going to require me to rely on God completely to supply all that I need financially and equipment wise. 3. I may have a blog but I am not a social media, get the word out kind of person. I have to learn how to be a promoter in a good way. 3. I am terrified!! :D I want to do this so much but I feel like Moses who is staring at the burning bush in disbelief, questioning what and why God is asking me to do this. Doesn't He see my inadequacy, doesn't He see my weakness, doesn't He see my lack? But I am choosing to rest in the thought that He is going to use my faint heart and stammering tongue to do His will as He sees fit if I will only take the first step. There is also another idea that is in the works that I just need to voice. It is something that I have bounced around for several years and recently I have received some encouragement from people that I believe was God intended. I am considering the possibility of writing a book and specifically more along the lines of a devotional. Once again I have dealt with some fear with this because I honestly can't imagine anyone reading it but it has been something I have wanted to try for actually a long time now and God has kind of given me some direction on it lately. And if it is truly meant to be He will make it happen and I don't need to write a book to sell. I need to write because I honestly love it and I believe it is something I need to do at some point. So please be praying and I will probably be asking for some ideas of what people who read my blog would like to see in a devotional book as I feel if anyone would be inclined to read a book written by me it would be those of you who already read my posts every week! :) I am choosing to be transparent with you all and express all this so that I can maintain a certain level of accountability as I am still going to be dealing with some Moses "cold feet" from time to time. And I believe it is important to get other people involved. We need to stop being afraid of what others may think and utilize the relationships He gives us to be an encouragement for both us and the plans that God may be calling our bothers and sister in Christ towards as well.
Anyway, once again I ask you to really ask yourselves what would you do for God if you weren't afraid? What would you take the first step out on tomorrow or even today if you knew that it was going to all work out? And here is the cool thing that we forget and that I forget...no matter what happens, when we are doing what God is calling us to do, when we are in the center of His will, it will never be a failure. He always has a purpose and plan and if it means that through whatever we do we only help one person then we have succeeded. We plant the seeds and He gives the increase. If it means that through our weakness and not so perfect presentation that people see God working through us, then that will make it all worth. And that is honestly exciting because we don't have to be perfect or all the stars don't have to be aligned for us to follow His plan. He can use us wherever, whenever, and however; we just have to be willing to look past the fear, loose Him from the box in our minds and step out onto the water. Honestly, whatever happens I don't think I am going to regret it, rather I will regret it if I don't. How about you?


"I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."  Philippians 1:6(ESV) 

A Heart Condition

Hi everyone,
So I want to ask a simple question. What is the condition of your heart? Now I am not talking about the physical condition of your ticker but rather what is the condition of your spiritual heart? This past week I have had some circumstances that have caused me to step back and examine my heart. And some things aren't so pretty and squeaky clean as I would like to admit. I let my inner selfish nature take over in a few instances this week and God is faithfully forgiving me and drawing me closer to His heart yet again. I also have been really observing the world and the people around me lately and noting the different heart conditions that are out there. I am doing a Bible study with a couple of friends and we have been going through Romans 12 for the past few months. This is one of the chapters in the Bible that is jammed packed with life altering information that it requires much more thought than you ever imagined. I feel if one chapter could sum up what the condition of our heart should be, this one is it. Recently in this Bible study we have been asked three important questions: 1. Who Am I? 2. Where do I belong? 3. What am I supposed to do? Each one presents us with a question of Identity, Security, and Significance. Each one requires us to look deep into ourselves and question our very outlook on life. Many people never ask these questions because they feel as if the are too "deep" or relevant to every day mundane life, but honestly they are the questions that define your whole life. What you think about this life and about yourself in turn affects how you think about what you do, how you act, how you process things, how you view others, and ultimately what condition your heart is in. As fleshly human beings we are born with natural sinful selfish desires. We are all born with insecurities and weakness as well as we are with strengths and free will to change. It doesn't take long for our hearts to be tainted but it is possible for us to redeem them.
Now what I have noticed with people lately and myself included is that we all have an agenda. We have "built in" hardwired desires, needs, emotions, strengths and weaknesses. It is what we choose to do with those things that determine the condition of our heart. It determines the ambience of our lives. We live in a world that gratifies "YOU". YOU are always worth it, YOU should treat yourself because you deserve it, YOU should do this because he/she couldn't ever deserve YOU, have it YOUR way, if it feels good to YOU then do it. It is all about YOU, YOU, YOU! Allow me to share a verse: "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think..." Romans 12:3 (ESV) As you can see the Bible is in contradiction to the all about ME attitude that the world seeks to ingrain in us from an early age and continues to every where we go on a daily basis. People using and abusing each other because they think they deserve to be satisfied. People using not so ethical means to become "successful" because they think they deserve it. People tearing other people down with their words because they think they are somehow superior. People living beyond their means because they think they are worth it all. We consume and consume and never pause to look back at the trail of broken hearts, friendships, marriages, careers, and homes we leave behind or perhaps we do and just fill ourselves with more junk to ease our consciences. We all are guilty of it to an extent and this week I learned how selfish I can be when I let go of God's hand even a little and turn to my own devices. My agenda was about me and you know what, it makes ME miserable and I think people, if they were really honest with themselves, would agree. It may feel good for a time, but I believe many people at one point or another feel the weight of their heart's attitude like a ball and chain. I believe many people deal with their identity and their insecurities so much in life that it eventually leaks out. It affects how they deal with themselves and with others.
Now what should our agenda really be? ""Do NOTHING from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 (emphasis mine) 

And back to Romans 12: "...present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. (Vs. 1) 

These verses flip the whole world's mentality on its head. Our agenda should revolve around considering others more than ourselves and sacrifice instead of self-service. Instead of the let me get you to help me, it is let me help you, end of story. It is about serving God and others instead of serving ourselves. It is about worshipping Him not ourselves. Now because this does not come naturally as we all are born with a sinful nature to elevate ourselves we have to ask this question every time we face decisions, ever time we interact with someone. What is the condition or the agenda of my heart? Is it about how I can advance myself today, how I can impress the boss over Joe/Jill today, how I can get a compliment today, how I can make myself feel good at the expense of someone else's spouse or significant other, how I can get someone to give me something, how I can be successful? I should mention it is not wrong to want to better yourself and to want to make your boss happy they hired you, or that getting compliments is wrong. But we really have to question our motives and be totally and brutally honest with ourselves. It this just all about me? I have been watching lately how we as people jockey for position, hierarchy, and recognition in this life over each other at times. We want to prove ourselves to everyone. And honestly this isn't coming from a place of bettering ourselves for the benefit of others or the work place. It is to squelch our own insecurities and to please that inner desire to be praised for achievements. We view ourselves as better than others or in need of being more worthy than so and so when really, we all deal with many of the same issues and could learn so much more from just working together instead of against each other.

So how to we fix all this? How do heal our less than desirable heart condition? The first step is admitting that we have a problem. That we aren't so golden as we think we are. We need to stop worrying about ranting about other's problems and deal with our own. "...take the log out of your own eye..." Matthew 7:5 Only then will you be able to truly help others. You will never be perfect but you have to recognize that you can't ask someone else to do something that you wouldn't be willing to do yourself. Jesus didn't ask us to become living sacrifices for Him without it costing Him something and we all know how that story went. (Matthew 7) We need to come before a forgiving God and ask Him to cleanse us. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 And we need to remain in constant prayer throughout the day that God will work in our hearts and change them to an attitude of service and sacrifice to others. Because we all have our desires to be loved and seen as a person with a purpose in this life. But it starts by realizing that it isn't all about me. It isn't about how I can get the upper hand in every situation. Rather it is about, how I can show that you, God matter more than me today? That someone else matters more than me today? How can I sacrifice my wants for the sake of what someone else needs today? Even if that means I don't get a pat on the back, credit for my work, another $100 in my wallet, another win in my book or a plaque on the wall. When we choose to put someone above ourselves we gain something much greater. We gain true fulfillment, purpose, joy, satisfaction and our reward in heaven. Now we must understand that this not mean we allow ourselves to be walked over and cater to people who mean to harm us, but we need the heart that sees us all the same way. Sinners that are all equally undeserving of God's forgiveness but yet He extends it to us all. In the same way we need to extend that to others instead of shooting for our pedestal amongst the stars. What are our true motives and heart condition when it comes to life and others? How is our heart truly? What comes out of our mouths and actions on a weekly basis? Does it say how can I gain in this situation or how can I be of service? How can win or how can I help you so that we can win together? Because let me tell you nothing is worth seeing someone lose at life because of our selfish desires to be top dog. It kills me to see others do it and does that have the same affect in my soul when I fail too? It should because Christ didn't go to the cross for His own acclamation. He did it because He loved us that much even when we were dirty, even when our sins nailed Him there. What state is our heart in? Do we love that much to give up our own will to be a vessel for God's work? It has to start with the heart. 

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 (ESV)

Safe and Sound

Hi everyone,
So my mind has been dwelling on a flurry of topics this week of many things going on in my little world and the world at large and thanks to a little help from one of my fuzzy friends today I have my post for this week. ;) I was brushing little Bella who is the newest member to my family as of this past late fall. We are still working on getting her over her shyness and there is something I realized as I was spending time her that caused me to think on a much larger scale. When I brush her I have to be quiet and soft with my movements and even then from time to time she can get tense and uncertain. But, what I learned today is when I sing or hum she relaxes significantly. You can see the change in her eyes and her body language. She seems much more at peace and calm. Now I can pat myself on the back a little and say I must not be that terrible of singer then haha!!! But no really, it is quite remarkable to see the change. Ok so other than the point of I might be crazy because I am singing "My Only Sunshine" to a miniature horse :D there is a point to all this...
I began thinking about all the upset that has been going on in this country and between its citizens as of lately and even in just the past week. It seems like so many people are on edge and can't seem to relax and just enjoy life anymore because they are worried about what might happen in the near future. People are angry at each other and pointing fingers in our government and that has trickled down into our very communities. There is this sense of unease and discord in our society. Just as Bella is, we are tense and on edge, doubting, wondering what is going to happen.
And then the singing led me to realize the very thing that Bella needed. She needs to know that she is safe and sound. She needs to know that she is secure and that she has nothing to be afraid of. Much like a mother's song that put us to sleep as children or a father's words of assurance, it makes her feel more at peace. And as I thought more and more about this, it came to make sense to me on a much larger scale. We as humans need to know we are safe and sound. We have that desire to be secure which can be manifested in many ways, whether it is through the love and support of our families and spouses, financially, socially, in the work-force, or in our beliefs. We have this desire to feel safe and protected. And when we don't feel secure we get tense and fearful until we lash out. Society today is scared. For some this brings out different aspects, some productive and some destructive. And often in this day and age, that means finding of safety and security is not always the right thing. For politicians it is wealth and power, for activists it is having all of their agendas passed, for celebrities it is getting awards every couple of months it seems, for others it is drugs, alcohol, sex, and possessions. Everyone is searching for that security, that validation that everything is going to be okay if they have a certain thing or something goes their way or if they can fool themselves long enough into believing that, that something is what they need to take away the fear. But really they momentary fixes that don't give lasting peace at all.
So this world much like Bella needs a song. Ok not like the Sound of Music type stuff...but rather particular words. Words from a heavenly Father who is the only One who can truly assure that safety and security. This country has become so set on having a shouting match at each other that we cannot hear the words that truly need to be said. The song that needs to be sung. That every life is valued by God and that all the peace in the world can be found when we put the sticks down and find the anchor for our souls in Him. Violence isn't created by the objects used, it is created in the hearts of people who use them, who are angry and upset because they are insecure about who they are. Banning objects solves nothing. If I removed everything that spooked Bella or for any of my horses for that matter, then there would be nothing left of their world. If I threw away the brush and walked away and never touched her again, what would I solve? Nothing. Instead I have to be persistent, doing what I know is the right thing to do and speaking or singing to her in love. "Speaking the truth in love..." Eph. 4:15 (NIV) In the same way people need to learn to stop screaming at each other, destroying things, banning everything, and start looking each other in the eye, seeing another fellow human being and explaining our viewpoints in firm persistent love knowing that we all aren't going to see eye to eye and we can reach an agreement despite that. The truth must be spoken, Bella has to learn how to function with me in her life, but we can find peace. But that peace can only be found when people feel safe in who they are, what they are doing, and where they are going. And honestly only God Himself can be the solution to all of those things and it isn't always going to be what everyone in this world wants to hear. But when they hear the song that was meant for them instead of the one that they have allowed their brains to accept, then they will never find the security they so desperately seek. And so there will be more protests, more bans, more murders, more scandals, more power struggles, more fear. Until people start hearing the words of a Father who loves them too much to let them go. To feel the touch of kind hand from someone who wants to share with them the truth...that they can be safe and sound. And when you have that safety and security, yes things can upset you and you still need to stand for the truth, but ultimately God has got a plan and everything is under His control no matter what. We need not worry for our future is sealed. And the reason I believe that we are still here today and that this world and Jesus has not come back yet is that even though things are hard God is not finished yet. There are people that still need to hear the truth and feel His love. We still have a job to do. Voices that need to be heard, and words that need to be spoken. A song that will melt away the fear and instill the hope that things can be different. And peace will come.

The Lord is my light and my salvation,
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life,
of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm27:1 (NIV)

I Am Doing Just Fine...Or Am I?

Hi everyone,
Have you ever gotten stuck in a rut? You hit a plateau in your life and things are just pretty much routine? A pattern where you think you are doing just fine? I mean you are surviving right and getting along fairly comfortably? You are pretty confident that you are generally a good person, perhaps who is generally willing to lend a helping hand to others. You don't go out and do anything blatantly immoral or intentionally set out to stir the pot and cause strive with someone. You're confident in your salvation but living under the guise of  just a good person living a good life for the most part and that is "good" enough for you.
So I have a confession to make...plenty of times I have been that person. And lately God has convicted me with a sense of urgency on how dangerous this mindset can be. My personality generally by rule tells me to  "blend in", "don't make waves", "don't do something that will cause people to stare at you"...for the most part I like to be on the low key of things and pretty content to fly under the radar. Not that it is bad to have a quieter personality as a constant "look at me" attitude can be a detriment to your character, but what I have particularly been feeling lately is that when our spiritual lives are in this camouflage focus, it can be very damaging and not just only to ourselves but to others as well.
I have been thinking on the late Billy Graham's life lately. Irregardless of what you think personally of the man's life and ministry, we can all agree he had a major impact in this world. A legacy that continues even beyond his life on earth. It is amazing the amount of people he spoke to and reached in his lifetime. I just want you to remember one particular thing that I will touch on later...no matter what you think about his ministry, he "sowed" the seeds, and God is the one who "grew" the harvest. As the Apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers..." (ESV)  No matter how many people actually took Mr. Graham's messages to heart and made a life change, it doesn't matter in the sense of he was not in charge of that, God was. It simply was His job to preach the Word of God with the platform that God gave him and He was faithful and did. God brought the increase. Mr. Graham did not blend in by any means when it came to his spiritual beliefs. People who are non-Christians even know who he was and what his message was about. Which leads me to ask the question...do people know without a doubt who you are? When you meet people, how quickly would they figure out that you are a Christian? Would it be evident or would they even be able to tell? Am I embodying Matthew 5:14-16? "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 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." I have asked myself these questions as of late.
As a Christian are you blending in as simply a good person on a plateau in life? Have you reached this point where you are basically saying this is as good as it is going to get so I am fine with who I am right now? I mean I am better than so and so, and I know I am going to heaven so that makes me A-ok. You think that you are doing all these good things and going to church every Sunday but during the week you are just skating through on what is "okay" or passible. Honestly God has brought me to guilt over this. I have unknowingly convinced myself that as long as I am doing daily bible devotion, trying to memorize Scripture, praying, and trying be kind as whole, that I am doing just fine and that is all to be expected out of me. And the answer is no! When I die, I don't want to remembered as merely a good person who loved God within the four walls of her house but left it at the threshold when she walked out the door. I want to be remembered as someone who used ever last ounce of strength in me for the benefit of God's kingdom in private and in public. I want Him to push me to be something beyond my limited vision for myself. I need to feel uncomfortable and convicted because I need to wake up to His calling instead of being content to blend in with the crowd. I believe it is such a tragedy of being mediocre and just getting by in this life when there is so much we could be doing.
And something that I have realized is this...people are always watching you. When people see in general that you are different than the norm and especially once you claim to be a follower of Christ, they watch, even if you don't think they are. Just as little children watch and mimic their parents, people continue to observe those around them  even as they grow older. Honestly, I think we underestimate the effect we can have on other people's lives. The power we have to be either a light or a hindrance, an encouragement or a stumbling block. The power to encourage people towards the truth or away from it. Sometimes we might, but most times we will never know what impact we have left in people's lives, we will never know what our words may have meant to someone, or how our acts of sacrifice and kindness may have touched someone. But I believe God uses that to remind us, that our knowing is not what it is about. It is not about our own edification or knowing how people feel about us. That could either give us a big head or discouragement. (Romans 12:3) It is about the purpose and motive in our hearts to do all that we can for His glory and honor. And to me that is true love for our fellow man. That we love them enough that we care more about their needs and eternal decision than we do about being loved equally in return. That is radical love and I want it. I want the world to see that I am different not because of anything that I have done but because of all that He has done. I want them to not see me but to see Him in me. All good that comes out of me is from Him. Apart from Him my life has no purpose and I can do nothing without Him. How many times have I gave in? How many times have I walked away? How many words I have held back because I was afraid...but afraid of what? Reputation can always be marred by human opinions. But your character speaks for itself. We need to be real and acknowledge to others we do still have our struggles, but at the same time apologize when we have failed and commit to becoming better. We need to strive every day to go above and beyond the status quo. We need to not neglect the gifts that God has given us. (1 Peter 4:10, Romans 12:6-8) There is only one of us in the whole world and God has given us a job to do and that job does not end until we draw our last breath. We cannot get caught up in the lulls of life and we cannot waste our time on this earth. Now the devil will feed us lies that tell us that we are only one person and that we cannot make a difference, and it doesn't matter but trust me we can! "...For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20 I can't imagine that Billy Graham had any idea of what his decision to follow Christ wherever He led would become. Remember our job is to "sow" the seeds and "water" them. God will do the rest. But if we sit back and just say that we are doing good enough then I am afraid we are missing out on God's best. He wants to use us in mighty ways, but unfortunately I feel very few actually take that calling or stick with it. These are hard times in our country right now, full of division and strife and the world is watching on. How are we going to react? Are we going merely just survive, look at each other and expect the other to make the first move, or take up the gauntlet and be a light in the darkness? God needs our best, not our "good enough". He wants to continually work in us and grow us. We need His fire back in our hearts to reach out to those around us and to starting speaking the words that need to be heard and doing the things that need to be done. We need Him to break our hearts for what breaks His. Now this doesn't mean that everybody is meant to speak in front of thousands of people at one time in a stadium and believe me that is OK! Maybe it is speaking to that one person in your neighborhood, church, or work who really needs some encouragement. Maybe it is reaching out to the youth in your community who are to become the future leaders of this country. Maybe it is speaking with tough but compassionate love to someone who is making bad choices and are on the path to self destruction in their life. Maybe it is simply standing beside someone in a difficult time. One thing I am learning is that nothing we do for others is insignificant. The smallest gesture can occupy the largest part of someone's heart. We can do all the bible studies in the world, donate money to every mission our church is part of, pray elaborate prayers, and have our private time every day with Him but if it doesn't drive us to do anything in response then what purpose are we really serving? Let His words drive us to our knees in prayer and then rise up, take up the cross and start walking. "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:17-18 (Really encourage you to read the whole passage verses 14-26) Let people know without a doubt who you are and what you stand for before you even speak a word. Let them look at you and see Christ in you. Let them watch you and want what you have found in Him. Leave a legacy that doesn't die with you but lives on in the hearts and minds of others. "And when we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!"