Go Hard, or Go Home

The Makings of a Man

2010-12-06T22:41:00.000-08:00

I dedicate this to my Grandpa Frank Michno, I love you Grandpa, you will be missed

The Makings of a Man

It’s amazing how easy it is to get distracted in life. I think all too often we fail to take the time to slow down and think about what really matters. If it all ended today, what would you be remembered for? What is the true value in life? How can we use our time wisely? And, probably the greatest question of them all, when is our time going to come to an end?

Everyday in this game called life, we are forced to make choices. With every choice that we make, there is a consequence: some good, some bad, but nonetheless there is a reaction to every choice you make. One can’t help but ask, “How can I make the most of my time?”

Just think about how many people you’ve met that have said, “I want to go down in history. I want to be remembered…” Everyone leaves a mark in life. Some will be remembered for doing great things, like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, George Washington, and Mother Teresa. But in the same light, you can also go down in history for being a complete monster. Look at Adolph Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussein… the list of famous people goes on, but what will you be remembered for?

You can chase the dollar every day of your life and make millions, have everything you’ve ever dreamed of, and still be depressed. Not only depressed, but cold because of all the people you’ve stepped on along the way, pushing yourself to the top. I once heard a man say, “If they say it’s happiness but you can’t look back on it in a year and still be glad you did it, then it’s not really happiness.”

If you have to look back on a choice you made, living in sorrow and regret, that’s not joy... It sounds a little bit more like torture. I’ve met people who don’t have much, but they would still give you the shirt off their back to make sure that you are ok. They give their lives to make sure that other people have a chance, they give their money to provide hope for people who never had anything in life, and come the end of their days, they can look back and truly appreciate life. You can either live to please yourself, or live your life helping others.

So how then should we live? Everyone likes to have money, don’t get me wrong, money is awesome. But when you let money consume your mind, it will ruin you. You also have to take into account the fact that even if you want to be a nice guy, you still need to provide for yourself and your family... there is this balance that must take place. Anything taken to the extreme is not a good thing. If you’re always giving to everyone else in life, but don’t take care of yourself and your family, then you’re not that great of a person either. You don’t have any discipline or sense of responsibility. You’re just drifting. It’s easy to drift because you don’t have to do anything. You just go through the motions, and life goes on. But you won’t have a lasting impact on anything if you fail to commit. Most likely no one will even remember your name.

The reason why discipline and discernment are so important in life is because they determine the kind of life that you will live. What makes discernment so important is that it helps us to gauge how much time we will put into something, what we should invest our time in, when to slow down, and if need be how to get out. It is through discipline that we gain the ability to push ourselves to go beyond our comfort zone to achieve new heights, greater depth, and to secure our future. How do you expect to reach for the stars, when you are too afraid to stretch out your hand?

We are all called to do great things in life. In fact I am convinced that every one of us is meant to leave a legacy. But the problem we face is that we put so much value on material things and being famous, like a movie star, that we tend to completely forget the people who labor daily helping people, like a medic, a nurse, or a teacher. The dollar sign isn’t what makes a man, but it can definitely break one.

So what are the things that make up a real man? What is it inside someone that causes them to never give up, never lose heart, to face adversity, and to leave an impact? It’s not the love for money, or the lust for power. It’s not the desire to be famous, or the fear of being nothing. What makes a man is his heart. He can either be self absorbed, or filled with compassion and love. Everyday we make a choice, we determine our own destinies, and I understand that some people may seem to have it a little bit harder than others, but that doesn’t change the fact that you still have a choice.

I once knew a man who was filled with love and compassion, who had to overcome so much adversity in life, who had to endure so many hardships. But still, he worked so hard his whole life to provide for his family, while reaching out and helping as many people as he could. Now this man might not go down in history as a king, but he definitely did the most with his time, making something out of nothing, and if that’s not legendary, then I don’t know what is. Even though he won’t go down in history as a millionaire, that man did more with his life than most can dream.

Everyday we are forced to make choices. The choices that we make will always hold a consequence, some good, and some bad. The decisions you make daily will show people who you really are… What will you be remembered for?

2010-12-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

Discipline is Everything

My name is Daniel Michno. Ever since I was a kid, I struggled with being significantly overweight. When I was in the third grade I weighed more than 200 lbs, in the 6th over 270, by the 8th grade I weighed over 300 lbs, and as a senior in high school I weighed more than 350 lbs. I was huge, but even though I was so big, my life wasn’t marked by just being big. It was marked by all the horrible experiences I had gone through.

At the age of three, I fell into a bonfire that was in my backyard where I was severely burned, losing the skin on my hand, and getting third degree burns on my face and eyelids. When I was seven, I was hit by a car on the side of the road, which put me in a coma for three days fighting for my life. When I was nine, I got into another car accident where the glass went through my gums after my face had slammed into the windshield. When I was eleven, I was in a boat accident, which ripped off the right side of my nose. I had lost so much blood that when we got to the hospital, they didn’t have time to numb me. They started to stitch me up, and I felt everything. When I was twelve, I got into another car accident. We rolled off the road into a ditch, and I wasn’t wearing my seat belt, which nearly caused me to break my neck. When I got out of the car, I realized that my knee was wrapped in barb wire, and I had to take it all off. I could go on all day talking about the rough experiences I faced as a kid, but I think you get the point.

In the spring of 2007 though, I faced a new threat. The doctors told me that I was 375 lbs. I remember the doctor looking me in the eyes when he said, “You’re going to die young. You aren’t going to live to see your kids grow up, you’ll be lucky to live over 40.” I remember hearing him say those words and thought, “I’m not ready to die.” I was sick and tired of being overweight, so I started pushing.

The first time I walked into the gym, I remember all the looks I got as I waddled up to the treadmill. It took me 16 minutes to run a mile. Everyone looked at me like I was pathetic. I felt pathetic, but I wouldn’t give up. Being disciplined became more than just an idea, but a lifestyle. Over the course of a year, everyone was shocked at what I had done.

I had lost over 100 lbs! It was never a cake walk, but I never gave up. I would wake up daily and go run on the basketball court at Capital, or hop on the treadmill at the gym. But after a year, I hit a plateau, and at 265lbs, I just couldn’t lose anymore weight. I looked decent, but I just wasn't satisfied. I picked up Strong Man training, cross training, biking, and swimming, but nothing seemed to really take me to the next level. Then one day, I met Mitch Coats. I had already heard of him because I wanted to start training with Kettle-bells, and he was one of the only guys in Idaho who did any sort of training with them.

I went to his gym, and he was very cool. He taught me the snatch, the clean to press, and the two arm swings. He then followed it up by asking, “Have you ever considered training Jiu Jitsu?” I didn’t even know what it was... I told him I used to wrestle, and he had me throw on a GI.

I got on the mat with a little guy named Anthony. I laughed and asked, “How much can you bench?” He simply replied, “Don’t worry about it” then Mitch said go.

It was about 5 seconds before that little guy had his legs around my neck and began to choke me out. I was furious and didn't want to tap out because of my pride, but I was turning beat red because I couldn’t breathe. I was forced to tap... It was an extremely humbling experience, and I had to come back. Mitch told me to buy a GI, and the rest is history. I started training Jiu Jitsu at 265 lbs, and it kicked my butt. I would go home satisfied because it was very fun, but spent because it took all my energy. I started to become tougher mentally and physically than I had ever been before. But then, I hit another bump in the road.

I wanted to compete in a triathlon, so I was biking, training, and running more than ever before. Until one unfortunate day, I was biking down Fairview, and was hit by a car. The doctors said I had the Trio Tear. That is, I had torn the ACL, the MCL, and the Meniscus. They didn’t think I would ever be able to run the same, and competing in the future didn’t look like it was ever going to happen. But I didn’t lose hope, and I never gave up.

I started doing physical therapy as soon as I could, I trained hard, but I trained smart. I knew what my limits were, and I wasn't an idiot about it. Over the course of 9 months - and it was a very long 9 months - I had nearly fully recovered. I wasn't at the same strength that I was, but I was running, jumping, biking, swimming, and training kettle-bells. It was time to put the puzzle completely back together again, so I called Mitch.

I stepped back on the mat. It was a slow start, but I have surpassed where my ability was, and I now compete at 205lbs. For anyone trying to lose weight I would say Just Keep Pushing, you’re closer to your goal than you realize. Nothing is impossible, just believe.

Thomas Edison said it like this: “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Losing weight, or any great feat for that matter, has more to do with your mind than anything else. Be disciplined in how you think, nothing is impossible if you can believe.

Hope Doesn't Disappoint

2010-07-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

Hope Doesn’t Disappoint

Have you ever come to the point in life where you just don’t know what to do? You remember pushing for so long, but now you find yourself stuck in a rut, and you can’t help but ask why? How did this happen? Why me? What did I do wrong? Where am I going? A heap of questions can find themselves creeping up on you bringing doubt and fear when you are facing obstacles in life. How do you maintain your vision when trials come up in life? It's crazy to think how quick we can loose hope over the smallest little bump in the road.

When thinking about bumps in the road, I can't help but think about the life of King David. One day the man is a shepherd minding his own business tending sheep, and the next he's used by God to take down a Giant and defeat an army; then he is forced to flee for his life from the king whom he served, and then later on he becomes king... David had plenty of opportunities to loose hope, and throw in the towel, but he didn't. When you have a vision of where you are going, and most of all what you are doing to get there, the biggest obstacles in life become just another bump in the road.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid." Psalms 27

"Sing Praise to the Lord you saints of His, and give thanks at remembrance of His holy name, for his anger is but a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:4-5

If I had to compare this to my life, I would simply go back to when I was hit by a car. In June of 2009 I was training to be in a triathlon; I had lost over 140lbs and thought it would be amazing to compete in to show how far I've come. One day I was biking down Fairview when a lady who wasn't paying attention hit me. It tore my MCL, and left a slight tear in my ACL and Meniscus while slightly twisting my spine. It's easy to get side tracked, thrown off coarse, a bump in the road can mess you up, but don't let it get the best of you, get back up, and keep pressing, the best is still yet to come; This was simply another bump in the road.

"Many are the Afflictions of the Righteous, but THE LORD DELIVERS HIM OF THEM ALL" Psalms 34:9
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"I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears" Psalm 34:4

I remember lying on the cement in pain thinking, "could this really be happening?" It was. When I got to the doctors, he looked at me and said that I had "the trio tear", that I had tore all three major ligaments in my knee. When I heard this news, it was somewhat devastating, but I didn't let it get the best of me. You can either hope for the best, or assume the worst in any situation in life. It doesn't matter rather you are in the middle of a storm, or living the dream, God is faithful; he isn't going to leave you stranded in the middle of a desert without a hope, or a way of escape. God always provides a way of escape; he wants to be the strength of your life, the thing is, you have to let him.

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty, I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in him I will trust."" Psalm 91:1-2

This wasn't the first time something bad had happened to me, or received a bad report; but instead of getting bitter and going emo, I simply started serving the church in any way I could. Since I wasn't cleared to work, I had plenty of time to lead prayer watches, and read my Bible. Then the craziest thing happened, as I began to seek God, all my fears, and doubts, just started to fade away. I just pressed as hard as I could, and watched as the doctors reports got better and better, week after week. It went from, "you probably won't be able to walk the same or run very good" to, "looks like you'll make a full recovery". God is faithful.

"BLESS the Lord, oh my soul; And all that is within me, Bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, And Forget not all his benefits." Psalms 103:1-2

Guess what, in the fall that same year, I was back running on the track with no pain in my knees, and faster than I was before. How did this happen? I was just hit by a car, tore the ligaments in my knee, and 4 months later I'm running and faster than I was before... how? Well the answer is actually quite simple, GOD IS FAITHFUL! The Bible says that those who put there trust in him won't be let down. The Bible says He's a loving dad who wants to give us all that we need, the problem most of us have is we simply don't understand the Love of The Father.

Isaiah 40:30-31 "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

God is faithful, he will always meet you at your point of need. All you have to do is simply draw near to him

James 4:8, 10 "Draw Near to God, and he will draw near to you... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

God is the one thing you can put your hope in, and never be let down. God never fails, he will never leave you or forsake you. Guess what, that car in the summer of 09 wasn't the first time something bad has happened to me. I've been hit by 4 cars, I've burned alive, I've drowned, I've been nearly died numerous times, but I'm still here, and God is Faithful!

Philippians 4:19 "And my God shall supply ALL your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus"

Isaiah 41:10 "Do not Fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand"

Nahum 1:7 "The Lord IS Good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him."

Why doesn't our hope disappoint? It's because God never fails.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).

Trust in God, He will never leave you, or forsake you.

Be Blessed

Dan Michno

Trust vs Trying

2010-07-21T23:29:00.000-07:00

Trying vs Trusting

Have you ever been at the place in life where you’ve tried everything you can think of to reach a goal, but just can’t seem to achieve it? Could it be that the one thing you are missing is trust?

Lets look at David, In 1st Samuel 17 we see David fight Goliath and slay him, and we can see through most the Psalms how David put his hope, and all his trust in God. Some people fail to realize that if David failed to trust God, nobody would’ve ever heard his name, because he never would’ve stood up to Goliath. If it were not for David trusting God, he probably would’ve given up when being persecuted by the king. David had faith in God, he trusted that God would protect him, even when he didn’t understand what was going on, or where he was going, he trusted God.

We could go on talking all day about people in the Bible who trusted God no matter what the circumstance, just look at the life of Abraham, Joseph, David, Samuel, and John are among so many others whose lives illustrate how much they trusted God. They trusted God more than anything, so much that they didn’t care if they faced death, because they trusted that God would deliver them.

The problem I know see is how many people try, and try, and try, but fail to simply trust. Faith is key, in fact the Bible says that, “Without Faith, it is impossible to please God.” So here is the question, how could you possibly have faith in something if you don’t trust it? Isn’t that a contradiction? According to Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of faith is “belief and trust in and loyalty to God”.

God can’t use you if you don’t trust him, but once you put your trust in God… well that changes everything. Only once you put your trust in God do you give him the right to use you, because until you say you trust God, all you’re really saying is that you think that you could do better, which is making you out to be smarter than God… Just saying, when trusting isn’t easy, that’s when it is actually worth something.

Have faith in God! He desires the best for you. Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have toward you says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope"

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths “ Proverbs 3:5

Hope you liked this,

Trust God

Be Blessed

Dan Michno

This paper was inspired by a message Pastor Krist Wilde gave at Remnant Camp 2010

Common Sense

2010-04-30T13:01:00.001-07:00

Here's a question, Why do they call it common sense?

You ever go the gym, and walk in just to see someone trying to lift way more than they should? You know what I'm talking about, that dude who seems to be doing some kind of weird body sway dance, as he's attempting to do a simple bicep curl. You look for a second, shake your head and probably think, "what an idiot" as you go and hop on the treadmill.

It's interesting how sometimes it's so easy to get sidetracked and distracted. We sometimes find ourselves acting like we are the best, boasting as we walk with our chest all puffed up, nose up, feeling like the king of the world. The problem we encounter here is that the only thing that pride really does is set you up for a fall. Think about that kid doing the sway dance, he doesn't understand the damage he is doing to his body, nor does he realize that he isn't actually targeting his arms, so he will actually get less out of lifting that massive weight, than if he just lowered it and had the correct form. So here in lies the question, why is he doing that?

The answer is actually quite simple, they have a problem with pride, and it's rooted out of issue insecurity. He Thinks, "I'm better than that. I can lift more than that. I'm stronger than that..." The problem is that when you get prideful you tend to ignore reality; like that guy who thinks he's getting a good workout for his arms, when in all reality he isn't targeting his arms, he's hurting his back... But I guess that's the worst thing about deception, it's kind of like bad breath, you're the last one to know you have it; and as I've said before, when you are insecure, enough just isn't enough.

Anyone who is serious about athletics would tell you that it is all about mastering the little things; because success in the little things is what equips you to be able to accomplish great things. So why is it that people tend to try to just jump in and expect to be able to do great things without any preparation, practice, or training? If you eat correctly and workout, you can reach any fitness goal, but it takes time. So many people go out and start pushing toward a goal, then get discouraged when they don't see results overnight. Guess what joker, it takes time... If it were easy, everyone would run a 4 min mile. If it were easy, everyone would have a 50 inch vertical jump. If it were easy... We could go on with that all day long, the thing is, it's not supposed top be easy; if it was easy, you wouldn't appreciate it.

Nothing really worth having in life comes for free, it's going to cost you something. Rather it is time, money, effort, whatever the list goes on. The key is endurance, how hard are you willing to press? What if it takes years? What if it requires you to change your lifestyle, will you do it? Then you have to ask yourself, is it worth it? Why do you want to reach the top so bad, will it really change how you feel about yourself? What are you going to do once you lose 100lbs? What are you going to do once you can bench 350lbs? When will it be enough? I guess the real question you have to ask yourself is, why are you trying to hit that mark? What will it accomplish? What good will come out of this, what bad, and is it worth it?

Some people might ask why would you ask so many questions before trying to do something, because I'll never get anything accomplished. My response would be simple, If it's serious, it's worth the assessment. Before you get involved in anything you should always ask where this could take you ten years down the road, and if it is worth the effort you are going to put into it. Once you have done this you can start mapping out how you are going to reach this goal.

5 Key steps I use when reaching for a goal

1. Be real with yourself

The very first key to being successful when reaching for a goal is being real with yourself. If you are 5'10 and 375lbs, you aren't going to be able to do a triathlon anytime soon. First you need to get off the couch and drop some pounds before you think about doing anything significant in fitness. Or another example, lets say you want to write a book; have you even educated yourself enough to consider that? Have you positioned yourself in such a way that you can attain what you are reaching for? Once you see that you have positioned yourself, you are ready to take the second step.

2. Make a time frame.

You aren't going to hit this goal overnight, make a time frame that you would like to accomplish it by. Say you are going to try to lose 30lbs; first look at your current activity level, then take into account what you are going to be doing, and go from there. You won't be able to drop 30lbs in two weeks, sorry won't happen. But say you'd like to lose 30lbs in two months, well that's feasible if you take the proper steps, and are discipline, about what you are reaching for. And I can't stress enough that You Must Be Discipline...

3. Make goals leading up to your ultimate goal.

This is a huge key. If you want to run a 6 min mile, and you currently run a ten, make steps that you will reach before you attempt the 6. Like being able to run 3 consecutive miles in 24 min, or 2 in under 15 minutes... If you were to look at writing; first start writing essays, blogs, and letters. Then progress to research papers, like a 30 page paper on ethics, history, or whatever. You don't just jump from insignificance to greatness without taking a few steps, and hitting a few speed bumps, along the way... but don't let it distract you, keep pressing forward. Once you have a time frame in mind, it's time to start cleaning.

4. Make a list of things you will have to change. This requires cutting out, and inputting new things...

Look at the way you are currently living, what are you going to change to reach this goal? What are you going to have to add into your schedule, and what are you going to have to replace? Lets look back at the 375lbs man, first off he's going to have to check his diet. You'll never do anything great in fitness if you don't eat right. Next, what does he do when he's not at the gym, or outside running? It might be a good idea to study the body, go to the park, or read instead of watching television and playing video games. Don't set yourself up for failure by hanging around things that will bring you down. If you are trying to lose weight, it probably isn't the greatest idea to watch food network all day because it will consume your mind. If you take in garbage, you're going to put out garbage; in other words, if all you focus on is food, your action will probably be you going to find something to eat...

5. Commit with Excellence

When you are pressing, do it to the best of your ability. If you are going to the gym, don't just hop on the treadmill and walk for five min, call it good and go eat a donut, that's just stupid. No instead, if you're trying to lose weight, set up a regimen that you will do daily, make a plan, and stick to it. If you feel like you can run more, and aren't tired after 15 min, then go for 20; you don't need to over-train, but you do need to up the resistance/tempo or you will never progress. Or we can look at writing; don't just write a paragraph with a bunch of run on sentences, on the same subject you've done ten times before. How about you try writing a page with good grammar, with unfamiliar subjects that require you to do some research. The list goes on about things you can do, but I think you get the point.

That's it. You do those 5 steps, and watch as the hardest goals become just another walk in the park. The biggest thing you will get out of doing these things is that it creates vision. When you can see where you are going, and know how you are going to get there, it takes a huge load off your mind. You have to look at what you are doing, and where you are going before you start, because there is no age limit on regret. It can happen to anyone who doesn't think before doing. There will still be resistance even when you map it out, but you have a certain peace because you know where you are going, and how you are going to get there. I hope you enjoyed this, these are just a few things that I've placed in my life that have helped me reach my goals, and I hope that they can help you as well.

Be Blessed

Dan Michno

Generation Unleashed

2010-02-08T10:44:00.000-08:00

So over these past week, Pastor Mark Francey, Derek, Kenrick and I took an incredible road trip to Portland Oregon to attend Generation Unleashed

It was an incredible conference where my great friend and Pastor Mark Francey spoke a message on being Blessed and Broken. It was very cool, and inspiring, to see teens passionate about God, engaging in worship, and getting as much as they could out of the sermons. Pastors Judah Smith, Doug Lassit, Chad Veach, and Frank Damazio delivered powerful messages to over 4,000 people, teaching about the Importance of Devotion, the power of Discipleship, the Cross, along many other topics. Incredible weekend, and it was very nice to get out of town with a few of my best friends.

WaR

2009-10-20T01:49:00.000-07:00

It's an interesting thing to think about how the Bible say's that we do not war in the physical, but in the spiritual realm. This brings me to the question, what hope is there without God? How does a man intend to fight off a demon without God? Here's something I don't understand, how is it that people can be engaged in spiritual warfare and not even know it? How is it that someone can say that there are demons, then turn around and say that there is no God?

Psalms 14 says that, "the fool has said in his heart there is no God", now I understand this, however how could you possibly say that you don't believe when you are watching the war, when you can see the affects taking place in front of you? How can you explain good and evil for that matter without God? Where do they come from? There has to be moral absolutes in life, if not every atrocity is justified, because there is no difference between right and wrong, making it so Hitler did absolutely nothing wrong. Now that is completely insane, we all know that there is a difference between right and wrong, we all know that murder is wrong so obviously there are moral absolutes. So if there has to be a moral absolute, who set the bar?

So we know God exists, we know that he has power and dominion, but this brings up a whole new topic, why are Christians so afraid? You know I once heard a man say that fear is a shadow, that it can't actually hurt you. Now I love that, but fear can grip you, it can hold you back, it can cost you your future if you let it. There is so much power behind fear, that if you don't take control of it, it will master you, and can ultimately force you to become something you never wanted to be. It may be just a shadow, but that shadow can cripple you. Here's something to think about though, who places fear on you?

Did you ever think that maybe the devil is trying to keep you down because he knows that you are meant to do something great? Could it be that God has a plan so awesome for you, that it makes old lucy shiver in fear? If the Devil sees all that potential lying dormant inside of you, of coarse he is going to try to shut you up, I mean why wouldn't he, he doesn't want you to succeed. The Devil certainly doesn't want you to allow God to use you to do the impossible, so he tries to stop you, with a tool called fear. I would have to say that next to confusion, it would have to be one of his greatest tactics, because so many people fail to take control, which just allows fear to lye dormant in them, which is a door that the devil will use to speak doubt, confusion, distrust, anger, depression, and even hate into you. The list of things that the devil could try to bring in through that gate could go on, and on, but I'd rather not focus on the doom and gloom anymore, but instead, what does God say.

What does the Bible say? Does it not say that, "He has placed all things under his(in reference to mankind's) feet"...

Does it not say that, "Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord"... or when it says that, "at the name of Jesus, every knee must bow"

When reading throughout the Bible, you can see that God has given us authority, so why don't we use it? If your not pushing for God, who are you pushing for? If you have the authority to cast out fear, why would you live in it? If you have the authority to cast out any evil spirit in the name of Jesus, why would you let it(lust, hate, depression, etc) have power over you?

God loves you!!!! He has given you all power and authority through his son Jesus Christ to take authority over evil spirits, over fear, over anything. In the name of Jesus... well the Bible says it best in Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength." and never forget John 8:36 "He who the son has set free, is free indeed."

God Loves you!!!

Hope this spoke to you in some way.

Be Blessed

Dan Michno

Forgetting

2009-07-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Forgetting

It’s interesting to me to think about how quick people can forget. Someone has something great happen to them, like an amazing experience, something supernatural, and over time, they seem to just let it go. Everyone is so quick to bring up the Israelites, and how they were stuck in the desert for 40 years because of there doubting and complaining, are we much different?

So many times I see people go and have an authentic encounter, where there lives are impacted, and over time they grow numb to it. They seem to ignore what happened, or try to call it an emotional high. At the same time, you could look at how many people deceive themselves into thinking that they can claim, “I’m a Christian” and live like everyone else. Clearly ignoring 2nd Corinthians 6 where it says, “come out and be separate says the Lord”… how does this happen?

You know what’s interesting to think about, it was only 40 days. It was only 40 days from the time where the Israelites saw the mountain covered in smoke, saw the fire, heard the thunder and lighting because God was moving; to where they made a golden calf to be an idol. 40 days after seeing God work miracles, the Israelites forget what happened. You can read in Exodus 32 how Aaron, who was Moses’ right hand guy, was the man who molded the idol for the Israelites after only 40 days. How could that happen? In the same way, how is it we can go to a camp, and get radically touched, only to forget about it after a couple weeks? How can we go to church and get transformed on a Sunday, then go and smoke a joint on Monday? How can we take our eye off the prize so easily after seeing God move?

I think the biggest thing is we get distracted. It’s easy to get distracted, in fact, it’s natural to get distracted. Why is it natural to get distracted? Well lets think about this, there’s this dude, he hates you, wants the very worst for you, and he sees that you have caught something that will change your life, and make it worth something. Do you really think he’s going to want to sit back and watch you reach for the stars? No, of coarse not, he’s going to throw every curve ball he can at you. He will try to overcome your emotions, might even throw you into some weird situations, because he hates you. He wants you to loose so bad, that he will give you something that seems kind of good, just to keep you away from this amazing plan God has for your life. Unfortunately, the scar of the church today is too often, we give in. It’s crazy how your mess will mess up your identity. Think about how many people you know are insecure, could even be one of your weaknesses, and how it cripples them; it consumes there mind, you can see it through how they talk, and it determines how they live. Here’s a crazy thought, you don’t have to fall back. How about you turn your mess, into a message.

Satan is real folks, and guess what, he’s totally content with you being a silent, back row, Christian. Someone who likes to live decent on Sunday, then walks through, and lives like, hell for the rest of the week. That kind of person will never have a real affect on anything, so the devil really isn’t intimidated by that. But when little old satan sees some kid, with a fire in his eyes, the look like he wants to take over the world for Jesus. That kind of look makes the devil a little nervous. That’s why he tries to hit you so hard right after your experience, because he knows that he needs to get you to fall quickly, because if you can keep this fire going, you will be unshakable. So he does everything in his power to make you doubt, because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, so you murmur and complain, preventing God from taking action. Sounds kind of like the Israelites, here's something to ponder on, easy doesn't make you happy...

It breaks my heart to watch people lower their convictions, for a piece of temporary pleasure that ends up haunting them for the rest of their life. It looked so good at that moment, what happened? How did you get to this point? Would you have ever done this during your encounter? How did you get distracted? It happened because you took your eye off the prize, and instead of focusing on things to come, you got stuck thinking about the now. You probably got kind of selfish, as you started to wonder if it was really worth the sacrifice, and you stopped reaching for the stars, and settled with crap. You can’t stop God, but you can miss him.

God has a purpose, and it is going to be fulfilled with, or without you. You have to commit, look back and remember what God has done in you. John 8:36 says, “He who the son has set free, is free indeed.” People get discouraged when looking at what is seen, focus on the unseen. Focus on the Promise! Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts I have toward you says the Lord, Thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you a future, and a hope.” Don’t throw in the towel, you’ve just begun. God will give you all the strength you need.

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

Psalms 11 says, “In the Lord I place my trust…”

Psalms 27, “The Lord is the Strength of my life…”

And if you have screwed up, and you don’t know what to believe because you feel as if God’s plan has passed you by, don’t quit. It’s never to late to make everyday for the rest of your life count. Make it count, if God can use a man who used to lock people in church’s and burn them to the ground, surely he can use you. In fact, that guy wrote most the new testament, his name was Paul, just think about what God can use you to do. God never kicks us out of his will, we leave. "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" James 4

CS Lewis put it like this, "Aim for heaven, and you will get heaven and Earth; aim for Earth, and you will get neither" Make your life count, allow God to be the strength of your life. The problem we often encounter isn't that God isn't speaking, the problem we face is that he is, and we aren't listening...

Draw near to God, and Remember what he has freed you from. Don't focus on your situation, or the circumstance you may be in, instead focus on the promise and Where God is taking you.

Be Blessed

Dan Michno

Hope

2009-07-06T23:00:00.001-07:00

So I think it is interesting how something like hope, can make us ignore pain. It pushes us to limits we never thought we’d see, but keeps us from going insane. You ever see someone push until they get to their strongest point, just to watch them break. One minute it looks as if you are untouchable, now we can see that there are even things that strong men can’t take. I can see the hard truth when I read about lust in the bible, I see how it says that, “all of her victims were strong men…”

now you might have thought that this is story was over, but it’s only just begun

How is it, that people can get so caught up in life, that they take their eye off the prize? Why is it that after a little bit of resistance, people just give in? Last time I checked, the only way to get stronger is by adding resistance. Could it be that God allowed the temptation because he wanted to get you strong enough to take you to the next level? If you accept corruption, where does your faith lie?

How can someone call themselves a Christian, yet get so angry, fearful, and depressed? What part do any of those things have in Christ?

Isaiah 40:31 says “But those who trust in the Lord shall renew there strength, they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Where does that say I can’t do it, where does that say that if opposition comes, quit.

Psalms 34:19 says, “Many are the Afflictions of the Righteous, but the Lord shall deliver him of them all.”

The Bible never says we won’t encounter problems, but it does say that God will see us through them, that He will protect us.

So here in lies the question, how do the strongest men fall?

The answer is actually simple, it’s the same as why someone would accept corruption, it’s because they put there hope in man. Rather it’s in another person, or yourself, doesn’t matter; whenever you fail to put your faith in God, be prepared to be let down. Be prepared to have some hard times, with no peace. The Bible does say that God will draw near to you, James 4, but the key thing is you have to take the first step.

Why do you call yourself a Christian? What was the defining moment in your life where you said, “God I want to live for you, I give my life to you” When you say “I’m a Christian” that’s saying God, I die to myself. Yet I see so many people who call themselves Christians throwing pity parties, getting depressed, getting angry, fighting with each other… What? I thought you were a Christian?

To be a Christian is to be Like Christ. But for some reason, everyone seems to think that they can live like hell all week, then put on a little grace Band-Aid come Sunday, and it’s all good. That’s crazy! 2nd Corinthians 6 says, “Come out form among them and be SEPARATE says the Lord…” yet we think we can be just like everyone else. As a Christian, when you find yourself getting angry, or depressed, or feeling insecure and not knowing what’s next, here’s what you need to start doing

1. Stop worrying
2. Start Reading the Bible and Praying
3. Praise God for what he’s given you

We always have a reason to rejoice, and to be thankful; but when you aren’t praying, when you aren’t reading your Bible, and you aren’t rejoicing, that’s a signal for the devil to try to get into your head and mess with you. It’s the battlefield of the mind. If the devil can consume your thoughts, he can control your life, take every thought captive.

Biggest thing is, where does your hope lie? If you put your hope in people, you will be let down. If you try to put your hope in yourself, well on your own, you can do nothing of eternal significance. Just think of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things with Christ who gives me strength” well just think of the opposite, without Christ, I can do nothing.

Commit

It’s not easy to be a Christian, but it’s worth it! Nothing worth having in life comes for free, and it’s the same with Christ. It will cost you your life, but you’ll get one better than anything you could of ever dreamed of. If you only knew what God wanted to do in and through your life, it would crush you. It’s so awesome, that just the idea would overwhelm you.

Yup, I could go on all day with this one, but I’ll end with a quote

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear” - Ambrose Redmoon

Be Fearless and Do the extraordinary, Live For Christ!!!

A Bump in the Road

2009-07-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

A Bump in the Road

So this time around, I think I’m going to really dive into a subject which has been stuck on my mind for the last few days, hopefully I word it all right.

What is the one thing that takes place after a mountain top experience? After an experience where you were impacted undeniably, vision was birthed, and your life was changed in an instant; what is something you can expect to take place after it’s all over? It’s interesting how after you have one of those life changing experiences, how life seems to throw a curveball at you. One thing after another, until you begin to wonder, “what happened? Was it even real?” and when you come to that point, that’s a good sign to start pushing a little harder.

I once heard a man say that, “If you aren’t moving forward, you are drifting, and in order to drift for a while, you need to be going downhill” It’s crazy how once something amazing comes in our lives, how we’re willing to forget about what happened, after a little bit of resistance. Why is it that when we catch ourselves drifting, that we do nothing and expect to get pass the struggle the same way we always have; only hope for, maybe even expect, something different this time around? This is insane.

How can this happen? How is it that people can forget so fast what God has done in there lives? It kills me how some people just fail to realize that they can succeed. Some people feel as if they don’t have the strength, and that’s the problem, you’re not supposed to rely on your own strength.

The Bible says that, “The Lord is the Strength of my life” Psalms 27. Why would you try to do something on your own, when the creator of the universe desires to have a relationship with you, make you stronger, and guide you through any storm? In Psalms 11 it says that, “The Lord is my refuge” yet we act like money is everything, as if looks are everything, that our popularity… honestly, is it worth it? Is it really worth trading your destiny over something as little as popularity? Is it really worth letting go over something as stupid as wanting to satisfy the flesh? Do you really believe that money is the key to happiness? Which by the way, being a Christian doesn’t mean you have to live a poverty stricken life.

I truly believe that the greatest athletes, should be Christians. That the greatest minds, releasing the most mind boggling inventions should be men, or woman, of God. But we somehow get caught up on this mindset, that in order to be a Christian, you have to live some kind of boring life, and I’m tired of it. This deception runs ramped until eventually people say, “It’s not worth it” and throw in the towel.

The Bible I read says that, “I can do all things, through Christ who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13. I find this interesting because people come out and say, “there’s no way that can be done…” my response is simply, “Joker have you even read the Bible?”

You’re called to be the head, not the tail. The Word says we are more than conquerors, that you will do greater things, that the holy spirit gives us the words to say when we need them, and you’re trying to tell me that you can’t do it… ok, you’re right. On your own strength, you can’t do anything of eternal significance, that’s why we look to God, the author and finisher of our faith, who desires to help you, all you need to do is draw close to him. James 4 even says, “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.”

Draw close to God, and he will supply all your needs; trust him, and he will take care of you. I was hit by a car yesterday while biking down Fairview, and jacked up my knee, hurting my ACL, MCL, and Meniscus. I know what it’s like to have obstacles come your way, the key thing is to see God in the midst. Never take your eye off the prize, and praise him for what he’s given us, despite of the trouble you might be facing. Sure I hurt my knee, but it could’ve ended a lot worse, like me lying on the ground dead…

Just something to think about

Never Give up

Jesus Loves you

and Be Blessed

Dan Michno

Deploy

2009-06-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

Deploy

So this past week I was in a camp up at Quaker Hill, and God showed up.

I walked into the camp not knowing what to expect on Wednesday. That week changed my life.

How is it that God could care for me? Why would he Care what I’m going through, or doing? That’s pretty much what king David was saying in psalms chapter 8:4, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” I can’t understand it, but I’m so thankful for James 4 where it says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” This is awesome, because no matter where you are in life, all you have to do is draw near to God, expect him to do something, and he will!!!! I watched as kids who had some of the hardest challenges in life walk in confused, and somewhat intimidated not knowing what’s next; to walking out with hope, with peace, feeling joy, and I couldn’t be more proud of them. I watched as boys turned into men when they decided to pick up there cross and chase after God.

This past week was one of the greatest weeks of my life, and the greatest thing was seeing the fruit of my Sacrifice, guys that I’ve invested in chasing after God, and leaving everything else behind. It was powerful, and I’m so excited to see what is to come!

God is faithful!!!

If God can use a pathetic, Fat, depressed, kid who was addicted to pornography, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, who didn’t really know what love is, or how to show it, he could use anyone. I was Fat Dan, but now I am Daniel Michno. I’m a leader at Generation Church Boise, and I’m so excited to see what God has in store for the rest of the summer, and for GCB live.

John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Good Stealing Your Best

2009-04-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

I Find it interesting, how sometimes something will come up that is awesome, just to distract you. Sometimes, something will come up that will make you think, "this is it, this is my chance" when really it is nothing more than a distraction.

Think about it like this, the Devil will give you something good, maybe even awesome, to keep you from the best plan that God has for your life.

I know I've encountered this problem a few times, and I haven't always made the right choice. For example, while I was an intern at Capital Christian Center, I lost a lot of weight, and everyone at the gym found it amazing. I ended up placing more effort, and focus in the gym, than I did in my internship. Now, the question isn't if I did anything good at the gym, I did many good things at the gym, the question is what could I have done had I not taken my eye off the prize? I went from being, "Big Dan" the man who stood on a table at his school and told everyone about Jesus, to being "Danno" the guy who loves to workout... what happened? I got distracted. I put more focus on my achievements at the gym, then I did the kids I was trying to lead, or the call that God had for that momment in my life.

Did I do anything good at the gym; Yes, without question. I helped a person loose 30 lbs, helped numerous people deal with their insecurities, taught a group of football players the value of endurance and balance with strength, and taught my good friend Mike how Christ is my foundation, and how I can do all things through him. So yes I did do good things at the gym, but it came at the cost of all the people I had influence on at Capital. I didn't even go on the intern camping trip because I wanted to train, which is insane when considering how much I love to go camping. It's amazing how you can push so hard, and at the same time be slowly getting off track, untill eventually you are running in the wrong direction. Now it is hard for me to even hold a conversation with a most of the people I did interns with.

The Bible says in Proverbs 16:3, "Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established." It is so easy to get caught up trying to chase after our own dreams, so much so that we completely forget that God has something better than anything you could ever dream of.
I once heard a man say it like this, "He's either Lord of all, or He's not Lord at all." This is huge! Yes, I said He was Lord, but did I give him every area of my life completely? Was I completely sold out for Christ, or was I trying to please myself?

It's easy to get sidetracked, that is why it is so important to pick up your cross, and die to yourself daily. You've got to die to your selfish desires, drop your pride, and choose to live for him. Once you come to that place in life, he will use you to do awesome things.

Who knows what God has in store for you, just know that it's better than anything you could do for yourself.

Galations 2:20I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I Hope you enjoyed this...

Be Blessed

Dan Michno

Being Led by Your Feelings

2009-03-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Being Led by Your Feelings

So, the other day I was looking at the Life of David, and I started wondering, what if David was lead by his feelings? I started thinking about feelings, and how often they change; what would have happened to David if he was lead by his feelings?

The problem with feelings is that they are always changing; sometimes you feel good, then for no good reason, you feel bad. Sometimes you feel up, then you feel down; sometimes you feel like a nut, other times you feel like the world is centered around you... It's dangerous to be lead by your feelings!!! You can't live out of what simply feels good, because doing what is right, usually doesn't feel all that good...

I once heard a man say that to achieve anything in life, you have to go through a process, and if you aren't willing to go through the process, you are not worthy of the prize. Just Think about a tree; for a tree to produce fruit, it must go through a process. First it has to grow/mature, this process takes time. While growing the tree has to be nurtured, if it doesn't get the nutrition it needs, water and sunshine, it will die. Then the last step, but just as important as the first, the tree has to be pruned, you have to cut some branches, so that you can produce good fruit. Now look your life, and compare it to that tree.

Some of you are saying, Danno this is common sense, then why is it so many people live their lives simply off of simply what feels good? I'm talking about people who are in the church, who call themselves Christians. It's not always easy to love, sometimes, loving your neighbor is really hard, but that's what we are called to do. Sometimes, being bitter towards your neighbor is much easier, and feels better than loving them, but that's wrong, and it needs to be addressed. There are times in life, where someone does something that hurts you, that hurts your reputation, that causes emotional, and possibly mental scars; and everything inside of you wants to hate this person, but that's not what we are called to do. We are called to love, but if you are guided by your emotions, that's the last thing you're going to want to do. You're emotions will make you bitter, a root that will choke out your soul.

I'm going to ride this thing till it breaks. If you are lead by your emotions, you won't be stable; if you are not a stable person, God won't use you. God can't use you if you are not discipline enough to take your thoughts captive, or if you can't ignore what your emotions tell you to do; You have to be discipline. I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again, Discipline is Everything. If you don't have self control, if you lack discipline, you'll never achieve anything great in life... Think On That!!!

Christ calls us to be Holy, 1st 1st Peter 1:16, “For you must be holy, for I am Holy” NLT. Bitterness and Holiness don't mix, nor does hate, nor does envy, nor does strife, anger, malice, rage, etc... the Bible calls us to be separate. 2nd Corinthians 6:17-18, “Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. 18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” NLT.

The problem with your emotions is that they are centered around you. You want whatever makes you feel good, and if you don't get it, you get mad, angry, sad, depressed, and the list goes on... but here's something for you to think about, it's not all about you. We are called to love, and to serve, that's not the most popular thing to do, it's counter cultural. There's a huge shocker, you mean culture doesn't agree with the Bible, I would've never guessed that... You need to cut off that bad relationship that keeps bringing you back into the sin you are trying to get out of, or know you need to get out of; that's not just a boyfriend or a girlfriend, that's anyone that brings you down. Proverbs 13:20 puts it like this, “A man who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” NLT. Don't set yourself up for failure...

It's not easy to mature, or to overcome temptation, and it's not supposed to be, but it's necessary, you have to prune yourself, so that you can produce good fruit. Nothing worth having in life comes for free, you have to work for it. If everything you wanted in life was just given to you, you wouldn't appreciate anything...

Well I could go on with this all day, but I think you get the point.

I hope this made you think, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Be Blessed

The War Inside

2009-02-13T00:42:00.000-08:00

The War Inside

I find it interesting how we can want to do what is right and what is wrong at the same time. How is it that we can try our hardest to do what we know is right, and at the same time crave what is wrong? You never see a fight between light and darkness, when light enters a room, darkness is forced to leave; or take gravity for example, you never see a falling rock choose to go the opposite way, defy gravity, and start rising up… so where does the fight inside of us come from?

When I watch TV, I see how culture, modern science, and Hollywood all try to scream out the same thing; that one thing being, that God doesn’t exist. Now I simply sit back and start thinking about how absurd that is, which raises many questions. If God doesn’t exist, where do Morals come from? If God doesn’t exist, why does everyone seem to think about eternity, and wonder what happens after death? And I guess the biggest question, if God doesn’t exist, and there isn’t a spiritual realm, then where does good and evil come from?

Let’s look at morals, if I were to show video footage to twenty people of some ten year old little girl being raped and murdered, all twenty would most definitely say its wrong and disgusting, most would be sick to their stomachs. So why is it disgusting? If there is no God, then there is no grounds for morals; there is no say on rather porn is totally fine, or if it is wrong. If we just live by the laws of nature, then there is no say on if drugs are wrong, if rape is wrong, or if murder is wrong. We are not animals!!! If nature as it exists is the standard for men to live by, cruelty becomes equal to non-cruelty.

This also pretty much knocks out good and evil. If there is no God, then there are no grounds for good or evil, because where would good or evil for that matter come from? No two people are the same, so how is it that thousands, even millions, can agree on one thing and say that it is right, or wrong, what is the standard they are coming from? What truths are they basing that off of if there are no morals?

Now when it comes down to Eternity, the Bible says God has placed eternity on our hearts, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3:11).”

Man can’t fathom eternity, try to wrap your head around this, your falling, in a bottomless pit, when does it end? Or space for example, what’s at the end of it, is it a wall? If so, how thick is it? What is on the other side? Is it nothing? Wouldn’t that be a continuation of space?

We can’t understand Eternity, that’s why God didn’t put it on our minds; he placed it on our hearts, to remind us that there is more than just this life. It’s a fight.

It’s not supposed to be easy; do you really think that anything worth having comes for free? Even if it did, it would be worthless once you got it, because you didn’t have to earn it.

What are you pressing towards?

Who are you pushing for?

What is driving you?

I hope this made you think a little bit

Be Blessed

The Power of Words

2009-01-12T00:14:00.000-08:00

The Power of Words

So over this past week, one thing that has completely consumed my mind is this, how much power do words have? How much can words do, what affect can they have, how much power truly is behind words?

I heard a quote Friday night which really only made me think about it all the more, Dick Iverson said that, “Your life, rather a success, or a failure, will be lead by your words.”

This was huge to me, because earlier in the week I was having a pretty good conversation with a friend about how our confession can determine the outcome of a situation, rather for good or bad. If we get into a circumstance in life and say, “Oh, I’m going to loose, it’s hopeless” you are probably going to loose, because you have a wrong mindset and are already putting out a statement of defeat; but when you declare that you are going to win, well that changes everything.

Why is it that so many people struggle to control what they say? I read in a book once that, “the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire” I love how they compare words to a forest fire, because that is how gossip tends to work.

Words have so much power! Take a look at the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Equal rights were finally given to a people because one man wasn’t afraid to stand and speak up; and on the other side of the table, take a look at World War 2, it was started over 1 mans rhetoric…

I know personally this is something that I’m working on; it is so easy to say something bad that can hurt people. You have no idea what your words can do to someone, that’s why it is so important to watch what you say. People already tend to have a problem with being insecure; you don’t need to add to that…

Well, I think I’ve said enough on that, so I’ll end it with this, a letter from James to, “the twelve tribes”

“Controlling the Tongue
Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.
People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.
True Wisdom Comes from God
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”

Be Blessed!!!

Value

2009-01-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

Value

So the other day I was thinking if I died today, if something happened and tomorrow didn’t come, would my life leave an impact? I started to think about all the things I do, and everything I’ve done, when I came to realize that the question isn’t if you’ll leave an impact, the real question is what kind of impact you will leave.

Everyday we make decisions that affect other people, but how often do we go out of our way t help people, even if it is inconvenient to us? How often do we give something that will actually cost us something? How often do we help people?

I know at Capital, and especially at the gym, I see people who are just barely holding on. They don’t know how much they have left, where to go, what to do, and everything inside of them is telling them to quit. When I see that, I take the initiative to go over, ask how they are doing, I’ll generally tell few jokes, hang out with them for a few seconds while trying my hardest to get them to laugh or smile, then wish them the best and say goodbye. I do this because I know what it feels like to feel like you’re all alone, and that none cares. It’s called being afraid and insecure.

Problem is, so many people are afraid, and even more are so insecure that if they don’t have someone beside them cheering them on, pushing them every step of the way, they will feel as if nothing really matters, and that they should just quit. You don’t need a huge fan club; all you really need is Jesus. Now as cheesy as that may sound, guess what, it’s the truth. You can have all the money in the world, all the fame, the cars, the house, everything this world has to offer, and still feel like nothing. Think on that for a second.

We live in a society that screams that if you don’t have everything, you’re nothing, when that isn’t true at all, it‘s absurd really. Do you really think that that car can make you happy? Do you really think that once you’re married, all your insecurities will just be a thing of the past? Not the case, you need to understand that if you don’t find your true worth, your identity, what gives you your value, you will never have peace. The reason why I do what I do is because want everyone to experience the peace, and the clearness of mind I have.

How can a man be at peace when he doesn’t have everything, or complete control? The man finds peace when he comes to the understanding that this life isn’t all about him; that he isn’t made to have control of everything, and that even if he wanted to, he could never have complete control. So he approaches every situation in life taking them as they come, and he doesn’t worry, or stress, because ultimately, neither change a situation. He does not care that he doesn’t have everything in life, because he understands that objects don’t bring happiness, or value, to a person. The most important thing for the man is this; he understands that he will not be remembered for what he had, but for what he gave; so everyday he makes it his main goal to serve people, and to honor the king.

Who is the king of your life?

I live for Christ, no secrets here…

Galatians 2:20
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I end with this, an old saying, “If a man doesn’t live for something, he will die for nothing.”

What are you living for?

Fruitless

2008-12-27T23:37:00.001-08:00

So today at work, a friend of mine was talking, and I said something that caught her off guard. I said, "I'm not religious, I can't stand religion."

This kind of struck her as odd, and she replied, "See Dan, that's what I don't understand, you're so discipline, and religious, but you hate religion. How does that even work?"

I looked at my friend and simply replied, "I have a standard, that doesn't make me religious. I don't live the way I do because I have to, nobody forces me to live like this… it's because I want to." She was profoundly confused, and didn't know quite what to say to this.

How can a man believe in God, live a certain way, and not be religious? When someone hears the word religion, they usually automatically think rules. I don't do anything I do because I was told I have walk and talk a certain way, I choose to live the way I do.

I don't look at porn, because I don't like to degrade woman, and lust after another man's wife… What is so weird about that? I don't drink because all you are doing is poisoning yourself, and I value my health, I also like to be in a clear state of mind. I don't swear because people only swear when they can't think of anything intelligent to say, and I don't like looking like a fool.

So in the end, I must say people are confused, you don't have to be religious to have standards!!! And when it comes to being religious, I am anti-religion, because it's against my relationship. I don't live out of rules and guidelines; I live out of love and relation. And for the record, what even makes someone a Christian? I hear so many people say, "I'm a Christian." yet they drink like everyone else, party like everyone else… how does that even work? All I have to say is this, a tree will be known by its fruit. I don't care what you say, let's see some action.

What Might have Been

2008-12-25T22:34:00.000-08:00

What Might Have Been

In life unfortunately, sometimes we find ourselves looking back and wondering what might have been. It’s a hard thing looking back at a situation knowing that you could have made it better, but didn’t choose to take any action.

I’m not talking about a situation were you might have, or might not have been able to make a change. I’m talking about the time you knew you could do something, and you knew you could make things better, or that it would have been awesome, but you never took action.

I know for me, there are a few situations in life where I totally dropped the ball, now I’m wondering, we do we set ourselves up like this? If you know you can help, or make a change, and you know it won’t hurt you, why wouldn’t you?

Why do we let fear hold us back so many times in life? Why not do something, what if this could change your life, if it’s the thing that will help you break through, or advance on to the next level? Why hold back? If you’ve already assessed a situation, and know that there really aren’t any huge consequences, if any, than why not? The dream you don't fight for, could haunt you the rest of your life.

I guess I’m just thinking out loud… I can tell you this much though, I’m inspired not to hold back, I’m tired of saying what if, or thinking about what might have been. Get out there and “Do”. Don’t just say something, make a change.

2008-12-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

Perceptions

2008-12-15T00:24:00.000-08:00

Perceptions

So the other day, I heard someone talking about perceptions. He said how we let our perceptions throw us off, and how many things aren’t always the way we perceive, then it led me to thinking about how sometimes we have preconceived ideas that cause us to miss out in life. Which ultimately led me to thinking about how we perceive life, and value.

It’s unfortunate how our perceptions and preconceived notions can actually cost us in life. So many times we say, “I don’t know if can go on.” When there is so much left in us. We think, “I don’t have anything, or anyone.” When there are many people who care for us, and we have more than we really need.

The problem most of the time isn’t that we are lacking something; it’s that we are insecure, and have forgot how to be content. So many people, especially athletes, come out and say, “I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me “but totally ignore the verses right before that in Philippians 4:11 - 12

Philippians 4:11 - 12
11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. #

I love how Paul comes out and says “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.” This is so relevant to society today, because we are never satisfied. We always want just a little bit more, enough is just isn’t ever enough; we need to learn how to be content…

Another huge problem is we have the wrong preconceived notions walking into situations in life. How can we expect to do well, if we are walking in with the mindset that we’ve already been defeated? Why do we act like we know everything that is going to happen? We let fear take it’s coarse in our lives, when the real question is what good does worry do for anyone?

Fear doesn’t change what’s happening, all it does is make you loose sleep, and makes you stress out. If something isn’t going good, worrying isn’t going to help, you need to “be the change you want to see in the world” if you don’t like a situation you’re in, change it. We need to be good at making the best out of every situation in life, no matter how bad it is, even when we do fail.

Failure is a part in growing, if you are too afraid to step out of your box, you will never do anything great in life. Failure lets you see what you can do better. Unfortunately, instead of taking a risk, we sit back and think, “Well if I screwed up…” and the consequences of failure run wild through our heads; and most the time, we make the consequences much worse than they are. If you are afraid of the horse, forget about going pro, or being bucked off, you’ll never get on the horse in the first place…

You’ve got to have the right mindset in every situation in life, and we need to realize that things usually aren’t what they seem. You’ve got to have an overcoming mindset, or else you will fall victim to fear, and to insecurities. What is driving you?

Psalms 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation—
So why should I be afraid?
The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
So why should I tremble?

Well ya, that’s all for now.

Be Blessed!

Distractions

2008-12-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

Distractions

So I was just reading James, I love James and I read it a lot, when I started to think about Staying focused, and the Power of words. Lately we’ve been going through the series at Capital, and the main thesis is to go out and “Do”… or as Judah would say, “Don’t just say you’re a Christian, live it.” Then I started thinking, what stops people from going out and putting some action behind there faith? What kind of attitude do we have? What is our demeanor? How do we talk? What do we actually say, act like, and do when we go out and put some action behind our faith?

When looking at my own life, I can look at specific times, where I’ve gotten distracted. I spent more time in the gym then I did at the church I was doing an internship for during my second year there… What Happened? I lost focus, I took my eye off of the prize, and got distracted.

One of the biggest problems we see today is people simply get sidetracked. They say, “I’ll go out, and do that as soon as I’m done with work…” They get home and realize they didn’t do it, then say, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Tomorrow comes and they say, “I’ll do it sometime this week.” Saturday comes, and they say, “The Pastor was just talking to the general public, he wasn’t actually telling me to go out and do something…” We need to learn how to prioritize. Which is more important, your hour of Bible study, or Lost? Which is more important to you, the Gym, or ministry? Which is more important, doing what the Bible says, or fulfilling your own selfish desires?

Now I’m not saying that everything you do should be centered around Christ, although it should, I’m simply saying that if you don’t prioritize correctly, you will never fulfill the purpose God has intended for your life.

Another huge question is our demeanor, and what do we talk like when we go out and “Do”? If you read James 3, The entire chapter is about the power of the tongue, and how we need to watch what we say. If you are going out, with the attitude of, “well I have to do this, better get it out of the way…” and complain while looking angry, how does that show the love of Christ?

Are we distracted? Have we become so self centered, that everything we do needs to benefit us in some way? Are we Selfish?

Colossians 3 8-17 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,# circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized,# slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.#

Everything we do should represent Christ…

Well I’m challenged… God is Good!

Be Blessed

Go Hard (continued)

2008-11-25T23:23:00.001-08:00

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Now playing: Red - Fight Inside
via FoxyTunes
This kinda goes off of Go Hard

Think about all the people who actually made an impact in Life.

I'm just going to name 3

George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr.

All three of these men had incredible opposition, if they would've thrown in the towel when things got tough, who knows what the world would look like today.

People often ask me, "Why do you push so hard? Why do you do what you do? How much do you have left in you to give?" and the most recent, "Do you know haw many people hate you at the gym, because they are intimidated of what you've done, and how passionate you are?'' Now a truthful, but kinda weak, of a reason is simply that I'm a passionate person. Truth is, I love to help people... When I look at how many people I've helped, I don't care about what a few jokers think about me, because I'm helping people.

When I was an intern For Capital, I had many opportunities to help people, loved every second of it. When I'm at the gym, and people know how far I've come and want some advice, I'm more than happy to give it, and I'll go and workout with them, simply because I want to help them. There is a certain feeling you get from helping people that I can't describe, it simply makes you feel a little bit better about yourself. If you're depressed, you want to know something that will help, give. Give something that is important to you, or just give to someone who is actually in need. It makes you feel better.

I love to help people, that's just who I am. I always tell people, "Smile." Why?

Is it because working at the mall is fun?..

No not really.

Is it because I want to get a rise out of them?

No...

Why?

Because when you smile, it does something inside of you, it makes you feel a little bit better. So if I see someone, and they look kinda down, I look at them and smile as I say, "hey... Smile :)"

I know that life isn't always good, trust me on that one, I've been through my share of hell... but even when you're going through hell, doesn't mean you have to act like you're going through the ringer, bringing your friends down. I've said it a thousand times, and I'll say it again, you have to overcome, and overcoming isn't easy, it's not supposed to be.

If you feel as if you don't have the strength, or you don't know how much you've got left in you, I simply have one question for you, What is your foundation, and what is driving you.?

Neither George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, or Martin Luther King Jr. would've ever accomplished what they did if they simply did everything for themselves, or were driven by their own selfish motives. So I guess here's the real question, what did all 3 of these men turn to for strength? What was their refuge?

Is it in you?

Never Give Up

2008-11-06T21:05:00.000-08:00

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Now playing: RED - Let Go
via FoxyTunes You ever push so hard, and get so close to something you want to achieve in life, just to see it temporarily delayed/possibly slipping away? Thats what I experienced today.

I've been pushing very hard in Wrestling, and mainly Jui Jitsu, for a while now; and today, after doing so well sparring, I injured myself doing the simplest thing, something I've done every other day. It was crazy to me, I said to myself, "I do this practically everyday, how can I possibly be hurt" So I tried to muscle my way through it, but I couldn't I had been injured.

Looking at it now, It takes me back to When I heard a man say, "sometimes, we hit bumps in the road, and we have to pull over and examine the car before we get back on the road. Some bumps don't do much, if any, damage; others can make it so you have no choice to pull over, and may take some time to fix." The key thing to acknowledge in this scenario, is either way, eventually, you get back on the road. Yes one might set you back for weeks, maybe months, could cost you, but that doesn't mean you quit.

Today while simply rolling with one of my friends at Alliance, I bruised a rib. I remember thinking to myself, "this is nothing, I'm fine" as I went on to spar with a few more people. By the time I got to my third partner, I couldn't deny the facts, I was injured, and needed to check myself out. I said, "sorry man, I'm done" and shook the mans hand. But this doesn't mean you quit.

After being injured, I went home, got pretty upset and took some medicine, along with some adrenalin pills to help me cope with the pain at work, then went on with the rest of my day. After Work, I went to Golds to examine how bad the injury was, and set up a time line for when I could get back to working out, and sparing with my friends at Combat Fitness with Mitch Coats, and all the other people that go through Alliance. Just because I'm injured, doesn't mean I give up. You take care of yourself, take the time you need, then get back on the mat. Like the old saying says, "You've got to get back on the horse."

Once you've been kicked in the teeth, that's when you find out who you really are, you find out what's in you. Do you have what it takes, or do you trow in the towel?

The problem we are seeing today in society, is that as soon as opposition comes, we throw in the towel. Hoping that someone else will do all the hard stuff for us, so we can sit back, take it easy, and still reap a harvest from it. All I really have to say to that is nothing good in life, comes for free; and Real men aren't afraid to fall, because they have what it takes to get back up. Getting up isn't always easy, it's not supposed to be, but it's worth it. You have to Break Through

Breaking Through

You ever come to the point in life,
Where it feels like your passion has been lost?
You look back and remember saying how you'd hit your goal,
No matter what it cost.
Remember when everything in the world,
Seemed as if it were going your way?
Now it is a struggle,
Just to make it through another day.
You ever wake up and Wonder,
If there's even a reason for you to get out of bed,
You feel like all hope has been lost,
As thoughts of worthlessness run through your head.
You remember pushing so hard,
But feel like you may have pushed in the wrong direction,
Now you are all alone,
And would do anything for some affection.
I remember a man once told me,
That nothing worth having in life comes for free,
Now I sit here and wonder,
If I've let my own selfish desires get the best of me.
It feels like I've been given a piece to a puzzle,
That just doesn't seem to fit.
But I'll do my best with what I've got,
Because I've come to far to quit.
I don't know how much I've got left,
Or what else I can do.
But still I'll push with all I've got,
Because this is the art, in breaking through.

Ya, you'll see me back on the mat, you better believe that. In fact, I'm going to do what I can till I can go all out, but believe me, when the time comes, you'll see me tearing it up, you can count on that. So I guess this would be a charge, never give up. Opposition comes, learn from it, if the world starts pressing in, push back... Never Give Up

Go Hard, Or Go Home

2008-10-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

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Now playing: LeCrae - Go Hard (feat. Tedashii)
via FoxyTunes
So the Other day, I was hanging out with one of my old Friends at Golds, and somehow we got on the topic of going all out in the gym, "Max out, or Get out!"

Then I started thinking, why don't we do that in everything?

Why is it that people only tend to commit to what is easy and comfortable?

If it is really worth having, then you aren't going to get it easily, and probably not for free.

Take a football game for example, You want to win, but Your opponent wants to crush you, if you only go half way in, game over...

Or take a wrestling match, if you don't give it your all, leave it all on the mat, you will loose, because the opposition isn't planning on going easy, and you shouldn't either.

But this just doesn't go in fitness, it goes in every area of life. If you plan on doing something, do the job, don't commit half way and quit when it gets difficult, it's called overcoming...

Just because School is hard, doesn't mean you quit; that means it's time for you to be discipline, and press a little harder. What I can't stand is when someone tells me they are going to do a job, and they only do a halfway decent job, and expect respect. I would've done the job myself if I would've known you were going to do a crappy job, why would I pay you for that. You need to put pride in what you do.

When I wrestle someone, I go as hard as I can, and when it's over, I look my opponent in the eye, and I shake his hand. If I loose, I gave it my best, what do I have to be ashamed of, or to be upset about? Now if I win, I shake my opponents hand in respect, because he gave it his best, and I wish him the best of luck. But you have to go all out...

So Ya, I think that's good for now...

Go Hard, Give it your all; and if you don't, step down, and go home.

2008-10-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

A Compromiser Never Makes An Impact.

So the Other night I was studying James while watching the Olympics, and a thought ran through my head, the thought was "compromisers never make an impact." I started to think about it, then read James 2, and came to realize that compromising is the easy way of saying, "I quit," or that "I'm not strong enough, make it easier." Then I started to wonder, why do Christians compromise?

Where in the Bible does it say we can live like everyone else, or that we should just act "normal" and try to fit in? When thinking about it, two main verses pop into my head, the first of which is 2 Corinthians 6:14 - 17 and James 2: 17 - 19

2 Corinthians 6:14-17
Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil[? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:
"I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don't touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.

James 2:17 - 19
So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.[a] Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.

So if we take a look at the first chunk of scripture, it says "come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves form them…" This is huge. So many people say that they are Christians, but fail to back it up with a lifestyle which leads right in to James 2 where it says Faith without works is Dead. Saying that you believe that God is real simply isn't enough, you have to have something to back up what you believe in, you have to live the Lifestyle.

"Don't call yourself a Christian if you are going to act like that." Pastor Judah Smith said this in a sermon addressing people who don't live up to what they claim to be. He continued to say, "Don't mock the sacrifice of Jesus, of what the disciples went through, of my life by calling yourself a Christian if you act like that." He was very passionate when talking about this, and I started to wonder, do people even know what being a "Christian" means.

Back when the Romans were persecuting the Church, the name Christians came around because they said they acted like little Jesus', they acted like Christ, and they had nothing else to call us. So you call yourself a Christian, do you act like Christ, do people confuse you with God?

I hear so many people say, "I believe in God, that makes me a Christian." when in all actuality, saying I believe in God doesn't really mean anything. James 2 says that Even the Demons in hell believe in God, and Tremble at his name. Faith without works is dead. Faith without the lifestyle to back it up, accounts for nothing.

This leads me to babying people, if you call yourself a leader, or even a Christian for that matter, I've only got three words for you, suck it up. Seriously, when I see someone going back and forth, back and forth it really only tells me two things. All, it tells me is that either you never wanted to quit, and never truly repented, or you simply aren't committed or discipline. I say never repented because when you repent, it's saying, "Lord I'm sorry, I'm going to try not to do it again." That's why I don't Baby people, people need to commit.

Being A Christian isn't supposed to be Easy, that is why you have to pick up your cross daily, you have to die daily. Nothing worth having in life comes for free, it costs you something. What does being Christian cost you, your life. Only when you loose your life will you truly find it. That is what makes Galatians 2:20 so significant. It says, "My old self has been crucified with Christ.[a] It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

There is nothing fun about a crucifixion, it's painful. Galatians 2:20 screams out, "I give you everything." It's more than just an idea, or a statement, it's a lifestyle. When you give your life to Christ, you submit to his authority, and are choosing to do his will instead of your own.

Christ asks for all you've got, is it in you? Are you discipline enough, or are you compromising.