Dressed in the robe of integrity is
The man I want to be.

   In the recent weeks, God has been teaching me much about how I don't possess the level of integrity I thought I did. I have always thought that it was simply not doing what you said you wouldn't do, and doing what you said you would do. But as Henry Cloud says, "Integrity is the courage to face the demands of reality." This is what I want to attain to. I desire to be so clothed in integrity that I win the battle in facing the demands of reality. So this is a tribute to the lessons God has been teaching me about integrity and being a man.

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He radiates dignity and honor.

He is shining with respect.

He is comfortable to be around

To those who know him best.

From a boy to a man:

The tale of his advance.

Dressed in the robe of integrity is

The man I want to be.

A man who keeps his word is

The man I want to be.

A man without regrets is

The man I want to be.

Any time, anywhere,

She feels safe in his care.

A free-spirited pioneer

In control of his spirit.

In the midst of every storm,

Always faithful, despite the norm.

Dressed in the robe of integrity is

The man I want to be.

A portion with the respected has

The man I want to be.

A pathway paved with honor has

The man I want to be.

My future past the dashboard.

My legacy in the mirror.

May those behind me find inspiration

Year after year after year.

Always faithful,

No matter what.

Dressed in the robe of integrity:

The man I want to be.

Get serious.
Get serious about your life.
Get serious about your mission.
Get serious about your relationships.
Get serious about building new friendships.
Get serious about hard work.
Get serious about doing what you know is right.
Get serious about prayer.
Get serious about serving the helpless.
Get serious about worship.
Get serious about making a difference.
Get serious about Jesus.


If you can read this, you cannot afford to let your next day slip away. Every minute you have been given is precious. Your culture is screaming in your face that you must enjoy yourself, or face the horrible consequence of boredom! Oh no! As if that were the worst thing that could ever happen.


But what if I told you that your life isn't about you and your pleasure?


I think that so often we just assume subconsciously that our lives begin and end with our own enjoyment. Maybe we wouldn't say it out right, but if you disagree, just look at how you have spent your last three days. We spend our lives wrapped up in a whirlwind of selfish pursuit, broken up by the occasional 5 minutes of prayer, kind word, or altruistic action. It is ingrained in our thinking. We think about ourselves all the time. But you must get serious about fighting it.


Your life is about worship, not about enjoying yourself. You will make a difference in this world when you worship and when you draw others into worship with you. You will make a difference in this world when you pray like never before. You will make a difference in this world when you listen to the voice of God. You will make a difference in this world when you deny yourself and serve others. So it's time to get serious about a lifestyle of worship.


This is a call to fighting selfishness. 
This is a call to abandon your previous pursuits (yeah, I'm that serious). 
This is a call to refocus your life.
This is a call to full-time worship.


This is a call to get serious.

"While they were eating, [Jesus] too some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

~ Mark 14:22-25 ~

   Why do we take the Lord's Supper? It is a time to remember Jesus and what he did for us, corporately and in a multisensory way.

   The Lord's Supper began the night before Jesus was to be crucified. It was his final time with his disciples before the cross, and he chose to teach them during the Passover meal. The Passover meal was designed to be a time to teach Israel through a multisensory and symbolic meal about God's deliverance of his people. Every year they would remember how God saved them out of slavery in Egypt.

   So as Jesus was about to perform the act of atonement necessary to set many free from slavery to sin, he chose to Passover as the time to teach them about it. He said, "Do this in remembrance of me." Whereas previously they were to remember the Exodus, they were to now remember Jesus. Jesus is essentially saying, "Do this in remembrance of what I did to rescue you from slavery to sin." This is why Jesus came. If you remember in Matthew 1:21, the angel told Joseph to name his son Jesus "because He will save his people form their sins."

"Do this in remembrance of what I did
to rescue you from slavery to sin."

   We eat the Lord's Supper to remember Jesus and what he did for us. His blood had to be shed, his body had to be broken, and he had to drink of the cup of the full wrath of a holy God in order to pay the penalty that our sin requires. When we drink of the cup and eat of the bread, we remember how costly this salvation is that we have been given.

   So the next time you eat the Lord's Supper with fellow believers, be filled with gratefulness and praise to our wonderful Savior!

   I dedicate this post to my mom for Mother's Day. There is something she used to always tell my brother and I: "Never underestimate how much you can do in 5 minutes." So in her honor, this post is about what you can do with just 5 minutes of your day.


   There is so much you can do in 5 minutes, but often we underestimate the power of 5 minutes. If we only have 5 minutes, we usually just dink around for 5 minutes. Also, the last 5 minutes of any given task are usually the least productive. Or how about the 5 minutes between your morning devotions and what you have to do next?

Often we underestimate the power of
five minutes.

So from what I have found, here are the top 30 things that you can do in just 5 minutes:


1. Make a fruit smoothie.
2. Update your voicemail message.
3. Cleanse your garbage disposal by running it with a cut up lemon, baking soda and ice cubes.
4. Write a love note to your spouse, or your fiance, or your boyfriend, or your girlfriend, or especially this week, to your mom.
5. Plan your dinner menu for the week.
6. Clear one clutter "hot spot."
7. Make a quick call – one you want to stay short.
8. Play rock-paper-scissors, 20 questions or hangman with your kids.
9. Floss your teeth and brush them too.
10. Make yourself or your family a healthy snack.
11. Make your bed or help your child make theirs.
12. Sharpen your mind and work on a Sudoku or crossword puzzle.
13. Self-massage. Rub your neck and shoulders, your hands right at the fleshy part between your thumb and pointer finger, massage your scalp, or rub your feet. This is a great way to relax for a moment.
14. Stretch.
15. Read a poem.
16. Drink a bottle of water.
17. Hit a punching bag.
18. Dance.
19. Pet your dog or cat. This is a great stress reliever.
20. Uninstall 3 apps from your phone that you never use.
21. Do some sit-ups, push-ups, or jumping jacks.
22. Walk outside in the sunshine.
23. Kiss your sweetheart for the full 5 minutes. I've heard this does wonders :)
24. Read 35 verses in the Proverbs.
25. Email a fellow leader that you heard was struggling and encourage them. (Tell them you will call later, you only have 5 minutes).
26. Call one of your kids and ASK THEM on a date! Set a specific time, they will love the attention!
27. Pray Isaiah 45:2-3 over your pastor, fellow pastor, mate or another leader. Pray using their name in the first person. Then text the scripture and tell them you are believing that for them today!
28. Listen in silence to God. Find a quiet place, sit STILL for five minutes. Just say, "Here I am God, what’s on your mind for me?" Don’t think or pray, just listen.
29. Ask someone close to you, "How can I be praying for you?" Then write it down, and remember to pray for them. Follow up a week later and ask them how it’s going. Sincere love and caring go a long way!
30. Order flowers for your mom over the phone.