Something true...

I have been doing research for Dr. Shoup for that last year and a half, reading many books, journals and periodicals. In my time reading these things and learning to ghost write for him, I usually am interested in the material but rarely inspired. Well, today I was creating a power point presentation on the Four Principles of Enduring Success by Christian Stadler from the Harvard Business Review.

I came across this quote and it has inspired great perseverace for my senior recital. Take a gander and chew on this for a while:

"To people who have never reached a national or international level of competition, it may appear that excellence is simply the result of practicing daily for years or even decades. However, living in a cave does not make you a geologist. Not all practice makes perfect. You need a particular kind of practice—deliberate practice—to develop expertise. When most people practice, they focus on the things they already know how to do. Deliberate practice is different. It entails considerable, specific, and sustained efforts to do something you can’t do well—or even at all. Research across domains shows that it is only by working at what you can’t do that you turn into the expert you want to become."

Stumbled upon this one...

14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[c] so that we may serve the living God!
Hebrews 9:14

Sometimes my emotions get the best of me. You know the feeings of guilt after you have realized a mistake and you wish that it could be taken back or disappear? A couple of weeks ago I was in this predicament and I wish that I had found this point of truth then. The beautiful point is that when God allowed Jesus Christ to pay the retribution for sins on the cross with his unblemished blood, He satisfied His own need for reparation and I am the beneficiary of that painful sacrifice. It was not done for me, but for the Father's satisfaction. The reason why I try not be a liar, a cheat, a coward aren't just because getting caught womps, but that those things breed death. gobs of death. Rather than allowing my conscience to become infested with these mistakes, serving the living God means choosing life over death. Confession sets these acts to the freedom of forgiveness. This is life. Community brings these up through accountability. This is life. And greatest of all, the Holy Spirit's lively voice becomes louder than all other competitors; truth empowers the servant. ahhh. So this is Life.

I <3 mom

My mom is the best. I know you might think that yours is, but mine tops all moms. My mom inspires me to care about people and love them even when it is not easy. She shares everything she has and inclusively loves each of her children. She spoils us and takes care of us, even when we are adults. My mom brings life and happiness to those around her. I just thought I'd let you know how great she is.

and she's pretty hot...