You know where I want to be...it's right here, right now.

Not in the future.
As I write this I ask myself if it is true.
Not in the past.
As I write this I ask myself if it is true.

I've worked all my life to get right here.

You can take a forward step off the cliff in front of you or turn 180 degrees around and take a forward step.
Which is progress?

The solution to a lot of the world's problems is to turn around and take a forward step.

The best way to ruin an apology is with an explanation.

"Man, I'm really sorry. I just..."

How to follow through with your resolution?
I know, I know. The "how to" stuff is considered a load of junk most of the time. But remember the reason that it is called "how to" is because it tells you "how to" actually get it done.

1. Pick one.
We're far enough into the new year to have forgotten most of them already. So think about thing that is most important for you to accomplish in the next year.
2. Make it smack you in the face.
Set up ways to remind yourself about the resolution tomorrow, next week, and in June. Do the reminder setting right now.
3. Small version.
You can't run a marathon (or whatever the resolution is) today. But you can do the small version of a marathon (run to the end of the driveway) as you close out of your internet browser.
4. Pump up the jams.
Very very very...very few people in my generation do what they say when they say it. And the thing about my generation is I'm in it. So find someone to share the goal with and pump them up and have them do the same for you.

Do I desire to have Christ as my helper or as my ruler?

I think you can answer this question by listening to yourself pray.

If someone came up to me and said...
"Hey man, this is my first time ever thinking about this, but how do I follow Jesus?"
...what would I say?

What is step one?
Many of my initial answers had a lot to do with "being better."
But Jesus never once made that the initial requirement.
He just said, "Follow me," and they went somewhere.

You have one sentence.
Where does it all begin in that first moment?

Is my hope in the One who is great, or the greatness of my love for Him?

There is only one way to be sure that you are only putting your hope in something that can never fail.

The song of surprises.

The nitty gritty.
The dirt.
The goods.

Good times.
Thanks Ryan.

Here's how it all went down.
The new album is up on iTunes.
Thanks for listening.

"The End."
That what it says on the last page of my great grandfather's Bible.
My grandparents gave his Bible to me for Christmas.
This gift made me realize there is a difference in buying someone a gift and giving someone a gift.
Many great gifts are bought, but then there are the gifts that are given.
Gifts that are given require sacrifice on the behalf of the giver.
I could feel the sacrifice in this gift as I flipped through its brown pages.

Thank you for giving me this gift.
It holds my history and my future.

"The End" made me realize that all of this (look not only around the room but out the window for this to have the proper effect) will end.
The ironic thing is that when all of this ends the book does not.
It is sad to think about how much effort I put into things that will end.
But there are things that don't end as well.
My goal this year is to see the unending things more often.

So "The End" is really just a new beginning.

Once you can explain something, you can master it.
Once you can master it, you can control it.
Once you can control it, your pride can take it over.
Once your pride can take it over, you can ruin it.

What are you glad to not be able to explain?

It was 10:34 p.m. when I remembered.
I had committed to thinking, "Now I'm getting ready to..." before every action on Christmas day.
Except I didn't even one time.
I left the idea in the dust of celebration.
So I told myself I would reschedule the same goal to January 1st "because it would be even better to do it the first day of the new year."
Except I had to wake up early and fly back to Atlanta and after remembering when I woke up, I forgot as I walked out the door.
"I'll do it tomorrow for sure. It's the first day of Passion Conference and would fit perfectly into the purpose of the day."
And it did.

Here's what I learned:
"Now I'm going to judge that person's character based on my first introduction to him."
"Now I'm going to not give this dude twenty bucks...wait."
"Now I'm going to get impatient in traffic at the airport. Why? Just chill."
"Now I'm going to realize that we are all the same. All 45,000 of us at this conference have the same opportunity to do good."
"Now I'm going to thank God for giving Lauren the wisdom to say, 'Isn't it crazy that all of those words (Scripture scrolling on screens) are reality?'"
"Now I'm going to think about what it would be like if my life ended right now in the Georgia Dome. Would I consider it to have been lived abundantly?"
"Now I'm going to acknowledge that Jesus is divinely interrupting my right now."
"Now I'm going to realize that no one is above anyone else because of their success."
"Now I'm going to tell myself that I need 'my money' more than enslaved children do."
"Now I'm going to try to talk myself into not trusting the charitable organization because 'who knows what they're going to do with my money?' God does. 'Oh yeah.'"
"Now I'm going to assume things about this person's motives."
"Now I'm going to learn from that guy the incredible witness of authentic kindness."
"Now I'm going to tell myself I am supposed to be doing exactly what I'm doing in this moment. Am I doing it well?"
"Now I'm going to pray for my desires before I thank God and ask him about his."