Tip #40: Live Through the Pain.
I think we would all agree that when we're in pain, it sucks! The bottom line is that if you live long enough, you will endure some type of mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual pain. Whether the pain is the result of an accident, loss, caused by health conditions, or just poor decision-making, pain is inevitable (if you're riding on "cloud 9" right now and you're doing well, good for you but be sure to bookmark this post because you may need it at some point in life). I
Tip #39J: Don't Lose Control!
This is the final topic of the Fruit of the Spirit. It has to do with self-control. "Boys will be boys" and "it just happened..." or "we were just having fun and then things got out of control" are all phrases I hear teenagers say when things go wrong. I had a chance to talk with a teen a couple of weeks ago about getting intimate in relationships and what to watch out for. He said "sometimes you can get caught up in the moment and things just happen". I was like "yeah, you'r
Tip #38: Expect Resistance.
The weather in Florida is usually beautiful. Sunny summers (and most winters), beautiful beaches, and semi-tropical climates make some of what I consider the most gorgeous scenery God has ever created. But there comes a time that Florida has all of it's natural beauty snatched away. It's called hurricane season. From June 1st to November 30th, Floridians are on watch for anything brewing in the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. As soon as there is a hurricane on the way,
Tip #34: Grab the Lifesaver!
I shared this story with the FCA Huddle at my school last Friday. Imagine, for a minute, that you’re on a family cruise to the Bahamas. You’re just cruisin’ away when all of a sudden, you have that Lio DiCaprio moment from Titanic (you know how he gets up on the bow of the ship and yells “I’m the king of the world!!!”). So you jump up on the bow of the ship and yell “I’m the king of the world” but because you don't realize you stepped in some water before you got up on the bo
Tip #17: Get to Know Others.
Right now, the nation is sad over the news of the recent school shooting in Newtown, CT. Everyone is trying to figure out why. What could have made a person take the lives of so many innocent children? The world may never know but now there are a lot of people on a quest to find a solution fast. Stronger gun laws, arming teachers with guns, locking up the schools, etc. are some of the things being discussed. What I think is probably an overly simplified fix but I'm sure it pl
Tip # 12: Play the Hand You're Dealt.
My family loves to play cards. Their game of choice is Spades and when we play, it gets pretty ugly and loud but it's so much fun. I don’t play Spades that often but when I do, I play to win. Sometimes I’m dealt a good hand and sometimes my cards are a bunch of junk. Either way, I have very little choice in the cards I’m dealt but I have to play my hand the best I know how and hope my partner has something good to help us win the game. As you know, there’s always a life analo
Tip #10: Never Give Up!
I'll be honest and say I have been thinking about this tip for nearly a week and I never thought I would need it the most this week. Life is tough sometimes and if you have never experienced the ups and downs yet, keep living. You will be disappointed, have friends that let you down, make poor decisions, and things sometimes seem to turn out for the worst. You have to keep moving and never give up. If you know that you have God-given dreams, goals, and passion, stick to them