A new chapter or season begins in your life new giants arise. We must gather up all our own smooth stones and sling and ready for battle. Over the last several months, scratch that probably the last couple of years I have started focusing on what is important in my life. Rather than being driven by my career and working crazy hours I have started to slow down. Instead of sitting on the couch or in front of the computer I began working out. I began to listen more and to ask for less. Started to have conversations that mattered rather than just to fill the empty air. In doing all this my heart began to change, I wanted more out of my life. The more being that I wanted to give more than I received. I slowly evolved from the callous person everyone knew me to be. Revealing the heart buried deep inside hidden for so many years. Like young David I picked up my sling while others stood by and finally began to slay the giants that ran my life. As many know one of those giants was the fear of finishing school. I know that sounds odd but for someone who rarely finished anything (just look at my honey-to-do list and all the unfinished projects), finishing a goal was not normal for me. I had heard all my life whether in real life voices or the ones that lived in my head that I would not amount to much and for years […]

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This article was originally published and distributed on Medium.  Recently I started a 40 Day devotional with a group of online friends. Little did I know that by the end of the first week this would need writing. On day 3 entitled a Tale of Two Fathers the author paints a picture of fatherhood. Fatherhood is a loose term as many of us envision a father different from what we had. There are some where the father was absent or distant. Some where their loving hearts reflects the heart of Christ. Whichever father you did or did not have, neither can match the love of your heavenly Father. Men tend to get consumed with work, hobbies or the hopes of never growing up that their children never know them. Careers come before family, success matters more than anything. Meanwhile small hearts break wanting just to be noticed by their fathers. I spent most of my own childhood going unnoticed. Click To Tweet It seems in today’s world the only way these children get the attention they seek is through pain. Attempts to obtain a father’s approval seem to be in vain, the only time they are noticed is when they are in trouble. Many boys that want to become men turn to their friends as their fathers are absent. These friends are not friends really as they soon will find out when they abandon them too. Instead of focusing on the dreams of tomorrows, their dreams get squashed. Where their fathers should stand encouraging them […]

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Once again as I prepare for my upcoming graduation I am handing the reigns over to a guest blogger. Today’s post is by Tom Swan, who usually blogs at ask Tom Swan. Take a moment and welcome Tom to the conversation and read his contribution. Capes and matching red tights not required Ask any child under the age of three what they want to be when they grow up.  Most likely they will tell you they want to be a super hero.  You might even be lucky enough to hear about all of the super powers they will have. Somewhere between the age of three and adulthood, we stop dreaming.  We lose the belief that we can be a super hero!  We trade in our capes and super powers for student loans, a mortgage payment, credit card debt and a 401(k).  We may or may not get married and start a family. Before we know it, the life we dreamed of as kids is nothing like the one we are living now.  We say things like, “There are just not enough hours in a week.  How am I supposed to get this all done?” We trade our time for a paycheck.  Maybe we are lucky enough to be doing something we love, but for the most part, we do the work that pays the bills.  When we’re not at work, our days and evenings are filled with PTA meetings, soccer games and dance classes. We get home just in time to fall into bed, so […]

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