Where is your confidence, Soldier?

“Endure hardness, as a good soildier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Timothy 2:3)

Times of hardness are inevitable. Stop playing. Life happens fast. Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don’t. When living is easy, it’s hardly a fuss from your lips. Money isn’t funny. All is well. But everyday isn’t so sunny.

Just when the tables turn, living shows up with chaos and drama. In a fret, the attack is closer than the hair in our nose. It stops all passage including the air flow. We can’t breathe. Where’s the victory now? What about the rescue scriptures?

Child of God, did you forget what you are? You are a soldier in the army of God. You are as the dictionary describes, (1) one engaged in military service and especially in the army b : an enlisted man or woman c : a skilled warrior (2): a militant leader, follower, or worker.

War is hard, you think!  Um… it’s war. Stop playing. It is suppose to be hard. Endure the hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Meaning, put on the whole weaponry of God to battle against the attack. Don’t shriek or lament in combat. It’s time to fight. Man/Woman/boy or girl, you are the called, the equipped, ordained and anointed. You are the vessel of honor for God’s victory.

Historically, the levites were on the front lines charging ahead in battle. They ran with zeal because they were confident of victory. They new the secret: It is God that goes before you to make crooked places straight. If God is for you, who can be against you? Today soldier, get your confidence and move forward!

No matter the climb or struggle within, trust God with every heavy situation and circumstance. He is still the God of catching cares. His glove is never frayed or broken.

Stay encouraged in the heavy– and move Forward

Real Ministry: VeeVeca

We recently had the pleasure to catch up with a new and rising author in our community, Sotonye Diri. The 23 year old Role model has toured the nation over the past year promoting her book titled “No Excuses” and motivating young people across England.

The book encompasses Sotonye’s own life experiences and the lessons she has learnt off Role models in her life.  Teaching how she and others overcame challenges in their life and built on the belief system that they can achieve anything they put their mind to.

Above is a preview about the book, also to order a copy at http://www.sotonyediri.com/

Every Monday, I meet with my college staff. I know some people H-A-T-E meetings – especially if they’re pointless… but consistency in meeting is so important. Today, we met simply for us to encourage one another. We spent the entire time going around the room just building one another up. We do this because it’s Biblical. But we also do it because if we’re not encouraging one another, how can we expect others to be an encourager to their peers.

So here are some of the things I’m thankful for in our team (we said more, but I’m trying to keep things short):

Tim – I love how you care for others – deeply. I love how you pursue righteousness in all things – this keeps me accountable, and also our ministry.

Greg – I love your teachable spirit. So many “music guys” just want to be famous and will try to use the church as a crutch to their own selfish desires… but that’s not you.

Ashley – I love your ability to keep us on mission. Not for one moment do you allow us to let something slip through the cracks… it’s indispensable.

Audrey – I love how you people matter to you – and it shows. You don’t just say, “I care about you” you prove it by your love.

JR – (you weren’t at the meeting but I know you’ll read this and I’ll need to have said something about you) I love the fact that after working 70-80 hrs at your job, you’ll exert an extra 10 for us. Thanks. It matters.

How does this land for you? Take time to encourage those around you – it is good for your soul, and good for those you’re walking through life with.

enjoy

In the spring of 1996, I was heavily entrenched in a “life stage” transition from high school to college. My mom and I were traveling up and down the east coast for soccer recruiting trips to figure out where I would be spending the next four years of my life.

Penn State, UPenn, Tufts, St. Mary’s, Maryland, Lehigh, Colgate, Bucknell…these were a few of the places that were scouting me for soccer. They were a range of schools. Some were big (100,000 students), while some were small (1,200). Some were highly recognized for their academia, while others were acclaimed for their sports programs. Some were Division III programs, and some were Division I. Some were offering scholarships, and others were offering a warm hand. But what they all had in common was that they were claiming to want ME.

I had been accepted to every program (over a dozen) except for one. My heart was set on UPenn, but they were claiming that I needed 20 more points on my SAT’s in order for them to get me in. At the time, Penn State and Maryland were top tier Division I soccer programs, but I knew that if I went to play for them, I would likely sit the bench. They wouldn’t even guarantee that I would make the team.

In the end, it came down to two schools - Lehigh and Bucknell. It was a great feeling to know they were fighting over me. They had both claimed that I was their #1 recruit, and they were both Division I programs. They weren’t a top 20 program for soccer, but at least I would be starting as their goalkeeper. Academically speaking, they were on par with each other, and while they weren’t technically an Ivy League school, they pooled from the same caliber of students each year. So I had a tough decision to make. Bucknell or Lehigh?

What made the difference was their confidence in me. Bucknell wanted me more, and it felt good to know that I was what they wanted. But that didn’t last very long. The honeymoon was soon over after the season started 6 months later. I was their #1 recruit, and I did start over a senior goalkeeper my freshman year, but that quickly ended. Playing Division I college ball was bigger, tougher, faster, and meaner than I had ever imagined, and I was in for a rude awakening.

I went from starting and playing the whole game, to barely playing 10 minutes by the sixth game of the season. Some of it wasn’t my fault at all. Apparently the fourth year goalkeeper had a lot of political clout with the head coach, and despite the strong support of other players and even the assistant coach, it wasn’t enough to get me playing time. But if I were to be completely honest, I simply didn’t live up to the expectations of the Head coach. I was a disappointment…or at the very least, not quite as good as he had hoped for.

It was a fair assessment though. I certainly wasn’t any worse than the other goalie, but I wasn’t unbelievably better either. So when push came to shove, everyone was disappointed with the result – including myself. I wasn’t quite the superstar that everyone expected me to be, and I wasn’t the superstar that I was used to being.

But four years later…I was ranked #1 in the country for a Saves Per Game stat amongst the NCAA’s Division I goalkeepers, achieved Defensive Player of the Week in the Patriot League, and helped to lead Bucknell into unprecedented wins against rivals such as Lehigh and Colgate. At one point, we had even placed in the Top 25 NCAA Division I men’s soccer rankings, upsetting a couple Top 10 programs in the country.

The reason this all came to mind is because I feel as though I’ve been experiencing a bit of Déjà vu. The past 17 months of my career at Immersion Active have been a steady uphill battle of finding my mojo, chi, or in layman’s terms, my confidence. And although everyone has been extremely supportive and patient (as well as invested in my success) at Immersion Active, I haven’t quite lived up to the hype of someone with a Director of Business Relationships title.

So, it has been decided (and I can’t say I fault them for it) that I am no longer a “Director”.

So last week, I didn’t want to continue reflecting myself as this position, despite their insistence that the changing of my title could wait until business cards had arrived, so I logged onto my account on LinkedIN and edited my title to “Business Relationships Manager”. Within 24 hours, I had received a warm note from a client which I found to be quite humorous and ironic:

Lol. Little did she know, I had just been DEmoted, not PROmoted (in title only).

Even though this story doesn’t have a happy ending (yet), I know that the story is still waiting to unfold. The book of my life is still being written, and I’m anxious to see the story that God will write for me.

As we near Thanksgiving this year, I am reminded of how thankful I am, of how far I’ve come, and how much I’ve accomplished. I may have had my share of disappointments and unexpected outcomes, but I’ve also had my share of things to be thankful for as well. Pastor Steve wrote something that “stuck” with me a couple of weeks ago,

When you face an enemy, obstacle, or setback, you can either see it as a wall or a door.

As he explained, the Israelites chose to look at Goliath as a wall…and they waited for 40 days hoping it would go away. David, on the other hand, saw things differently – and God blessed him for it.

Every champ has his/her chump moments. But they’re a champ because they never stay a chump.

This chump is moving on.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
★★★★ / ★★★★

I find it an uncommon experience to watch a movie that really gets involved with my emotions, but it’s rare that I watch a movie that has the ability to completely transport me in its reality. Directed by Lee Daniels, “Precious” tells the story of an pregnant, obese, illiterate African-American teenager (Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe) who has grown accustomed to the physical and emotional abuse inflicted by her mother (Mo’Nique) and how she eventually found strength inside of her to stand up and take her life in a positive direction. A few people who genuinely took interest in Precious were Paula Patton as the school teacher, Mariah Carey as one of the people who works for the welfare system, and Lenny Kravitz as a male nurse who took care of her after she had her second baby.

I have to admit that I choose to ignore or even actively stay away from people like Precious, partly due to fear since she came from a terrible neighborhood and partly due to how she presented herself: very quiet yet volatile and someone that seemed like she had no interest in taking care of herself. That stereotype that I often rely on doesn’t come consciously to me anymore and it was nice, through watching this film, to be reminded that despite physical appearances, everyone has a surprising (and even touching) story to tell, a story that transcends all the stigma and the pain that a person shows and hides. Even though the subject matter of this film was depressing, it found enough moments to insert not just amusing lines and moments but actual hopes and dreams of the lead character’s. Such scenes illustrated that although Precious didn’t like herself (when she looks in the mirror, she sees a completely different person–Caucasian, skinny, happy), she wanted to break out from her violent living environment and ultimately be loved for who she is and what she has to offer.

I thought the scenes of physical abuse from her father were done in a sensitive and insightful way. Instead of actually showing us the act, I admired how the picture chose to dissociate itself from the scene as when Precious would dissociate herself from the experience and think shiny, happy thoughts. From what I learned in Psychology, rape victims, especially those people who were raped ever since they were children, dissociate their minds from their bodies as a defense mechanism. So I thought the film’s craft was spot-on. Mo’Nique’s character was beyond cruel but just when I thought she was a complete monster, the movie shows us that she does indeed have a heart. It’s just that she became angry and bitter over the years because of how she interpreted certain events and how she saw certain realities. Again, I saw this through a psychological lens so her reaction made sense to me even though I do not agree with the way transfered all her frustration and anger (that should have been directed to her husband and herself) to her only daughter. Mo’Nique has been getting a lot of strong Oscar buzz for Best Actress and I believe she should be nominated because out of the many movies I’ve seen in 2009, her performance stands out by a mile.

The reason why I consider “Precious” one of the strongest movies of 2009 is because, despite its gloomy premise, it’s ultimately a very inspiring story about a seemingly hopeless girl from Harlem who chose to break the chains of abuse and find an alternative path so that she could grow as a person and maybe even reach her potential. This is a great film to show to kids from the poorer neighborhoods because it might give them enough courage to speak out and discover a role model that they might not have in their respective homes. It’s been a while since I saw people actually crying in the movies and people talking about it right when we were walking out of the theaters. Even though I saw this film alone (For some reason, I almost always watch the best films of the year by myself), I felt connected with the world and wanting to embrace everyone in it.

Exhortation: Still need saving?

People who experience a life change with Jesus often declare, “I am saved.” The excitement and expectancy is all over their faces. Over the years, though they are still saved, some of the thrill is gone.

Where is your excitement today? Have you gotten weary in well-doing. Is your happy gone and your down is now your norm? Honey, don’t trip. We have all been there. There is absolutely nothing going on that God hasn’t seen in you, me, and the rest of the believers of the world. The same ‘I am saved’ is the same ‘saved’ that will turn your frown to a smile.

Allow me to share some encouragement. God made a phenomenal promise in Zechariah 8. He is talking about saving Zion, which is conveyed toward us. Believers are Zion. He mentions the city of Jerusalem, which is primarily regarded to being wherever he is. If you really need saving today, I send these words to encourage you.

Zechariah 8 (The Message)

And then these Messages from God-of-the-Angel-Armies: A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies: “I am zealous for Zion—I care! I’m angry about Zion—I’m involved!” God’s Message: 3″I’ve come back to Zion, I’ve moved back to Jerusalem.Jerusalem’s new names will be Truth City, and Mountain of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, and Mount Holiness.” I’ve come back to Zion, I’ve moved back to Jerusalem. Jerusalem’s new names will be Truth City, and Mountain of God-of-the-Angel-Armies, and Mount Holiness.”

“Old men and old women will come back to Jerusalem, sit on benches on the streets and spin tales, move around safely with their canes—a good city to grow old in. And boys and girls will fill the public parks, laughing and playing—a good city to grow up in.”

“Do the problems of returning and rebuilding by just a few survivors seem too much? But is anything too much for me? Not if I have my say.” A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies: “I’ll collect my people from countries to the east and countries to the west. I’ll bring them back and move them into Jerusalem. They’ll be my people and I’ll be their God. I’ll stick with them and do right by them.”

“Get a grip on things. Hold tight, you who are listening to what I say through the preaching of the prophets. The Temple of God-of-the-Angel-Armies has been reestablished. The Temple is being rebuilt. We’ve come through a hard time: You worked for a pittance and were lucky to get that; the streets were dangerous; you could never let down your guard; I had turned the world into an armed camp.

“But things have changed. I’m taking the side of my core of surviving people: Sowing and harvesting will resume, Vines will grow grapes, Gardens will flourish, Dew and rain will make everything green. “My core survivors will get everything they need—and more. You’ve gotten a reputation as a bad-news people, you people of Judah and Israel, but I’m coming to save you. From now on, you’re the good-news people. Don’t be afraid. Keep a firm grip on what I’m doing.”

No matter the climb or struggle within, trust God with every heavy situation and circumstance. He is still the God of catching cares. His glove is never frayed or broken.

Stay encouraged in the heavy– and move Forward

Real Ministry: VeeVeca
Blog with me: www.verbalconquest.blogspot.com and www.verbalconquest.wordpress.com

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” James 1:2

That sure seems upside down. I would understand, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you get invited out to eat” or “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when the tax return check comes back a little bigger than you expected” or “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you go to the doctor and he doesn’t put you on a diet.” Those are things to be joy-filled about, right? A lot of times, what we think in the “natural” is not right side up spiritually.

Recently, I read Chippie’s story—Chippie the Parakeet. I want to share it with you.

Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage singing his little songs, and the next he was sucked in, washed up and blown over. The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it into the cage. The phone rang and she turned to pick it up. She barely said “Hello” when Chippie got sucked in. The bird owner gasped. She dropped the phone, turned off the vacuum and opened the bag and there was Chippie—alive, but stunned. Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was choked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do. She reached for the blow dryer and blasted the pet with hot air. Poor Chippie never knew what hit him. A few days after the trauma, the reporter who had initially written about the event contacted Chippie’s owner to find out how the bird was recovering. “Well,” she replied, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore. He just sits and stares.”

Sucked in, washed up, and blown over—that’s enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart, isn’t it? Don’t let what you’re going through right now steal your song, remember: “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.” Psalm 18:2-3

“Doing wrong leads to disgrace, and scandalous behavior brings contempt. Wise words are like deep waters; wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.” Proverbs 18:3-4

It’s not often that I watch a cartoon that I really enjoy and keep on quoting, but these wonderful scenes from the latest Disney Pixar movie “Up” I just can’t get over The movie itself is an interesting creation with very serious themes such as death of a loved one, loneliness, an absent father, inability to have children, and how to let go when a loved one dies mixed in with lots of silly stuff and laughable characters. The movie is held in a surprisingly melancholy tone, and yet it’s uplifting with beautiful, bright colors and delightful music throughout the movie. It’s definitely worth watching!

Meet Russell and Mr. Fredrickson:

And the dog, Doug:

Blessings, Torben

I’ve been away for a while, the truth is I’ve been trying out Tumblr.

One day I might bring the blog posts over from there to here, but I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you. It’s a good site, but at the end of the day I think it’s aimed at people who want to be a damn sight more creative than I do, at the end of the day I just want a blog.

So what have I been up to? Plenty, but I wont bore you with the details, suffice to say it’s been a busy period in my life and it’s about to get busier.

I think that’s one of the reasons why I want to start blogging again. I think that speaking to, and seeing a couple of friends who I know also blog, and reading their entries has reminded me of how cathartic I find it, and how much I enjoy getting my experiences and thoughts out into the world in some form.

I’ve made a couple of decisions in the last few days, mainly around my training. I’m going to stop messing about, basically. Despite the fact that I’ve had a damn good year for training in terms of general fitness I have managed to drift for more than 12 months without actually having a serious goal, or, indeed, any goal.

I don’t think that’s good enough, so I’ll be looking for a few 10Ks in early 2010 and then trying to get into the pool and out on a (hired) road bike with a view to maybe some sprint Tri mid year or some half-marathons, moving on to a marathon sometime around October.

I love running, and haven’t been doing enough of it lately, I think that’s the first thing that needs to change. I have a 5 miler planned on the treadmill tomorrow, but that’s not the sort of running I’m talking about. I mean getting out there, in the wind and the rain, braving the elements and the dark and really doing it, I miss that. I miss the sense of adventure and achievement that go with that, I need to get that back.

Although, first things first, I have a 2 week holiday in Australia starting on Friday, once that’s out of the way it’ll be time to get some new trainers and hit the roads.

Time to get some focus, time to take control back and stop drifting.

Time to walk on the Average Side again.

“Learn how to separate the majors and the minors. People don’t do well simply because they major in minor things.”

– Jim Rohn

[ ...these would be 5 of the top videos in rotation. ]

[ thanks for watching! meet us at austin's historic victory grill this wednesday afternoon nov. 18 for the mojoe, "strange revival" feat bavu blakes (produced by symbolyc one) video shoot ]

Ani wielcy i popularni artyści, ani bogaty label, w którego skład wchodzą gwiazdorzy muzyki trance, nie są potrzebni aby wydać świetny singiel. Najlepszym przykładem jest Insight Recordings, które 17 grudnia zaprezentuje świetne wydawnictwo, w którego skład wchodzić będzie nowa produkcja Colderoy – “Rock Guitar” wraz z trzema remiksami. Co najważniejsze na singlu “Rock Guitar” najciekawiej prezentuje się remiks naszego rodaka - Arctic Moon. Zapraszam do zapoznania się z krótką recenzją wydawnictwa, które światło dzienne ujrzy za niespełna miesiąc.

Świetną wersję Arctic Moon mieliśmy okazję usłyszeć w ostatnim epizodzie audycji A State Of Trance. Dziwię się, że numer ten nie był Tune Of The Week 430 epizodu. Dla mnie był to najlepszy numer tej, i kilku poprzednich audycji. Produkcja stworzona z polotem, jak większość wychodzących spod ręki Arctic Moon. 10/10

Remiks Stowers & Young jest już zupełnie inny. Ciekawy, klimatyczny (to co najbardziej lubię) breakdown i delikatnie zarysowująca się linia melodyczna. Następnie elementy breakbeat’owe i… rozwiązanie w postaci szybkiego bassline’u. Całość bardzo energiczna za wyjątkiem spokojnego breakdown’u. 8/10

Sean Truby postawił na moc i wyrazistość. Utwór zawiera silny trance lead, mocny bassline, jednak zachował spokojny breakdown. Produkcja świetna na event, która z pewnością jest w stanie ponieść tłumy. 7+/10

Całość zapowiada się naprawdę okazale, a to za sprawą magicznego breakdown’u i świetnych remiksów. To wydawnictwo pokazuję, że nie potrzeba “starych” wyjadaczy i “wielkich” labelów, aby wydać coś na wysokim poziomie.

Colderoy – Rock Guitar
Data wydania: 17/12/2009
Label: Insight Recordings
Wersje: Original Mix , Stowers & Young Remix, Sean Truby Remix, Arctic Moon Remix

Inspiration is everywhere. Opening my facebook page today I was welcomed by more inspiration by a video on How To Live Your Dreams by Dr Randy Pausch who was dying of cancer. It was uplifting and oh so inspiring. Not gruesome or morbid or sad it was wonderful . It was called the last lecture and just reminded me of the principals I try and focus on everyday. BE HAPPY, be grateful and always look for the good in people.
His message was powerful as it was real and came from a man who had lived the principals but now only with weeks to live wanted to leave a message for others to experience their best lives. I hope it brings you as much joy as it bought me and I’m sure his children, who were the real reason he gave the lecture.

Look for the Video “The Last Lecture” in my Vodpod collection and enjoy

Gratitude

Did you know that grateful people sleep better?  According to the results of a recent study that were printed in the November issue of  the Good Housekeeping magazine, this statement is true.  It stated that grateful people go to bed with less negative attitudes and therefore sleep better.

According to other studies, grateful people seem to do better all around – they have better health, are less depressed, are happier with their lives and are more satisfied with their relationships.

A quote from Melodie Beattie says, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ”

A friend recently posted a challenge to her facebook page:  that each day during this month of Thanksgiving we post one thing we are grateful for.
Are you up for this challenge?  What are you grateful for today?

So I was browsing the web and I know I’ve already posted but I think all of you will enjoy this website full of uplifting quotes, and the animation and photography is great as well.  http://www.wix.com/missfroggygirl/rose Keep up the great work SRW I enjoyed your site.

If you have a site you want to share or you like link it to me and I will go check it out and link back to it

An uplifting start to your day . . .

http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org      click on “More Videos” – there are many to choose from!

plymouthcongregational.org