7holycrap Holy Crap, Life Lessons, Living Like a true Christian

The Holiday Season and Dealing with People in Depression

holiday-depression
I think Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. Not only do I get to be around people (which I love) it is also the time that Ghirardelli Peppermint bark hits stores, an excuse to watch one of my favorite movies Elf, and because my primary love language is gifts, presents are exchanged!!

For others, the Holiday season can be just the opposite in about every way. Coming from a family where there was so much love and a true celebration of the holidays it can be hard to imagine the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas could be anything other than enjoyable. That is, until I got sick with my eye condition. Then the full reality of the depression, angst and despair that people can experience was brought into perspective.

People have family members that they have not talked to in years because there was something said or done that caused real hurt in them. Some people lost a loved one or are currently going through some challenge medically, emotionally or spiritually.

As humans, we are naturally selfish not only in our actions, but also in our thinking. We can base our reactions towards people on things that we assume they should know or get. We can think or say things like, “Why would everyone not be happy this holiday season? They need to just get over their issue with family” or “Why did that person snap at me when I asked her a question at work? Don’t they realize this is the season of love and joy?”

I always want to be considerate of where people are in life because of the things I went through with being sick on Thanksgiving and Christmas for four years in a row. I was not always the most pleasant person to be around during the holidays even though it was nothing personal with anyone around me but more with my anger at God. I didn’t need someone to pull me aside at a gathering and try and counsel me out of being sad/mad. I just wanted to be left alone and would lash out at times because of the mental and physical pain I was in.

We MUST be intentional with loving those people who seem to be having the hardest time with the holiday season. It is not even so much about saying something to them but just showing love where you can and praying for them. Think of it this way, if you were in their shoes and dealing with some kind of pain over a holiday, how would you want someone to treat you? Jesus was the best example of having TRUE empathy for people who didn’t understand the peace that they could have by just trusting in God.

If you are someone who is hurting this holiday season, know that if you are reading this blog then I am praying for you to find hope and peace in your mind and heart.

Being an agent of change by loving people and acting like Christ in EVERY way is not easy, but necessary for those looking for hope in their hopeless world.

7holycrap Holy Crap, Life Lessons

Three Key Takeaways from The Election

2016-presidential-election-us
Many things were going through my head the past few weeks as I watched the election season unfold and even the past few hours after the election. Here are a few things to consider for us as a country and as individuals.

1. Social Media has been a great litmus test as to depth of friendships

I can remember a time in life where Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms didn’t exist. I have really appreciated the ability to stay connected and reconnect with old friends and make new ones. It is awesome to be able to share my life with people and for me to feel like I am physically around them more than I actually am. That is about where the appreciation stops for me. The problem is that we create relationships with people online that are “an inch deep and a mile wide.” I can remember getting into arguments when I was younger and I would always know who was a true friend and was not by the outcome and spending time with them to know their heart.
I believe we have allowed our connections on social media to make us shallow with one another instead of really knowing and loving each other regardless of our differences. We need to take a look inside and the things that would cause us not to be friends with someone. They may be legitimate because it is a toxic relationship, but we need to be careful with things that offend us. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t mean they hate you.

2. Wikileaks has taught us something; if you don’t want anyone to find out, don’t do it

No matter where you are on the subject of the hacked emails and the ethics of Wikileaks, we are becoming an increasingly transparent world. I was searching for cool looking backgrounds for my iPhone a few years ago and found an image that said “If you don’t want anyone to find out, don’t do it – Chinese Proverb” There is so much truth in that little statement. The entire Wikileaks situation gave an example of thinking first before you do something illegal or something that you will regret. This is not a Democratic thing or a Republican thing or even an American thing. It is a HUMAN thing to evaluate your actions and words and how they will affect yourself and others around you. That is the reason why I read the Bible and ask God for guidance everyday; to help me make the best decision for myself and be the best for everyone around me.

3. Donald J Trump is not the new Messiah of America

Even though I think the election was a move in the right direction and against the political establishment, electing Donald Trump for President is not the single answer for America. The ONLY answer is followers of Christ reflecting Biblical principles in their speech, actions and love. Each person who calls Jesus the leader of their life has a RESPONSIBILTY to not only love God with their heart but to share that love with others in meaningful ways. Some would see George W. Bush or maybe Barak Obama as the issue for the situations we see ourselves in but the truth is that the people we elect for President are a direct reflection of the hearts of the people. The point I am making is that we need to be focusing more on the HEARTS of people more than the VOTES of people.
We need to be a healer of hearts and brokenness with the people God puts in our path. If people say, “That Christian is a reflection of the love, heart and Godly correction of Jesus” then we have done our job on this earth.
For those of you who supported and voted for President Elect Donald Trump, please be VERY careful of your words right now on social media and with each other. Remember that Jesus was ALL about being a PEACEMAKER and not a CRAP-STIRRER when it came to interaction with each other.

I am praying not only for America but my part in helping bring healing to a divided country that needs Jesus more than they realize. I understand the responsibility of being in media to tell stories that make people want to make Jesus the leader of their lives but also to help bring us together as a divided country. Today, ask yourself what is YOUR part to help bring healing and what are you doing to make those things a reality to the people you interact with this week.

7holycrap Life Lessons

Generosity has to do with HEARTS not HANDS

generous
I was talking to a friend about generosity and what motivates someone to give. I am the kind of person that if I have it I will give it. I can remember praying and having a conversation with God early in my life where I told him the more He gives me the more I will give.

During our conversation I said something that I think really sums up giving and meeting the needs of others.

I said, “Generosity is not what is in your hand, it’s what is in your heart.” Wow. I just sat there and looked at Aaron and said, “That statement is ending up in a blog post or on Facebook in some way.”

I think it is SO important to realize that generosity really has NOTHING to do with whether or not you have lots of money. Even the term “lots of money” is relative because “enough” to one person may be barely any to another.

The heart is the primary factor when it comes to a person giving to others and not what they see in their hand. When we only see what is in our hand we limit giving to simply a physical expression instead of really letting it be an expression from the heart.

God ALWAYS wants us operating from a place of heart and not simply evaluating what we think WE can afford to be without. Giving is not learning to go without because we gave to others. It is being content enough with what we have and being able to trust God for what we need so that we can be a blessing to others in their time of need.

Have a great day and, as always, I am praying for you!

7holycrap Holy Crap, Love of Jesus

Caution: Your Candidate for President MAY Lose on Tuesday


I cannot remember an election season with so much anger and dissension as this one. I have never in my adult life gotten into an argument with a friend about the presidential election EVER but cannot say that anymore. I absolutely understand the passion that people have for the current election process that is happening at this time in our country. I also have a couple of reminders for us ALL concerning the current election and what the Bible says because the fact is that there is a chance that the person you are voting for on Tuesday will potentially lose.  

1. Make sure that your temper is in check and not just your flesh trying to “defend the honor of God and country.” 

James 1:20
– For the anger of man does not promote the righteous life that God desires 

I mentioned in the opening paragraph about how I got in an argument with someone about the presidential election and realized that I moved into the flesh and jeopardized a friendship that was more important that the result of the election. We need to pray and vote according to the Bible in every way but when we let our personal passion for something override what we are saying to someone (not just about the election) then we get in the flesh and become destructive.

2. No matter the result of the election, we need to pray for our country and our leaders

1 Timothy 2:1-3
 – The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live. 

I am in full agreement that the results of this coming election will most likely determine the condition and state of the United States for probably the remainder of my life. I am doing my part to vote the principles of the Bible but I cannot discount the directive from Paul who wrote these words when he was living under the rule of Nero who would burn Christians on stakes to light his gardens. I say this because, even to that extreme, God took care of the church and actually GREW the church in times of persecution. We need to commit to praying for WHOMEVER wins the presidency.

Like I mentioned before, I totally understand the passion that people have for their candidate in this election cycle but the President of the United States does not help give me direction, or peace or my purpose. Those things are reserved for my relationship to God the King of the universe who can actually MOVE the hearts of Kings and Magistrates and owns the cattle on a thousand hills. That is who I am putting MY hope in.

For this country to change it doesn’t need a Republican, Democrat or Independent in the White House. It needs people who call themselves followers of Christ to step up and BE the love, the arms, the tears and heart of Jesus to a lost and dying world desperately looking for peace and not finding it. Let them find it in YOU.

7holycrap Holy Crap, Life Lessons

Two Choices in Life: Worry Backward or Pray Forward

holy-crap-quote-10_18_16-noweb
Below is a paragraph that I know God impressed on me to help people going through pain and is just one example of many helpful points for people in my book.

Worrying backward and praying forward is a statement that summed up my life for four plus years of dealing with things that were beyond my comprehension and a process that took me to the very end of myself. I became a professional at “worrying backwards” in life, trying to regain who I once was and working to find a path back to where my life had been before I was sick. The problem is the person I needed to be NOW was forward and not back to the old me. Enjoy this quick section and think about your life today and if you are “worrying or praying” in life.

Excerpt from Chapter 15 – Answers to Consider 
“We all have two decisions in life when pain hits; we can either worry backward or pray forward. Backward is familiar to us because it is something we experienced, and we have a point of reference of a time without pain. When I pray forward, I decide to look ahead with an expectation of solutions that bring even greater levels of contentment with God leading my life, using a roadmap that I could never access without Him. A fact of hiking that is true in life as well is that maps lead to destinations, but guesses lead to being lost. I trust God much more with my navigation than I do my best guesses in life or worrying about situations that, in reality, I will never be able to control anyway.”

My hope is that people pick up a copy of my book not for me to make more money but that I can use my experiences in pain to help others hang on, even if it is just for one more day.

7holycrap Holy Crap

“Holy Crap” Book Signing in Florida!!

book-signing-florida-image

Join me for a book signing in Florida at WCLF Christian Television Network in the parking lot! (Yes, it cracks me up that I am selling a book called Holy Crap in a Christian TV parking lot).
Join us at 9am (because the afternoon still gets too hot this time of year 🙂 I am looking forward to seeing all my Florida friends and family! If you are in the Florida area, I would appreciate a share of this post on your Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks everyone and see you in a couple of weeks!

7holycrap Holy Crap, Life Lessons

Tim Tebow and His Ten Magic Fingers!

tim-tebow-prays-over-man
It has been all over the news this week about Tim Tebow being at batting practice and while he was signing autographs, someone in the crowd had a seizure. He laid hands on the guy, prayed for him, the seizure stopped and the guy was fine. I think it was awesome that Tim thought to pray for someone and that he was able to help.

It is funny to read the storylines from the media and their perspective on the healing. It was like, “Tim Tebow was minding his own business when suddenly, a gentleman fell to the ground with what seemed to be a seizure. So, for whatever reason, Tim laid his hands on the man and magically the seizure stopped! We are checking into the incident to see if the man was a plant in the crowd to make Tim look good and for the Mets to put him into major league rotation.” (I made up that last bit, but would it surprise anyone that the media, at this very moment, are doing a background check on the man who had the seizure?)

There are a few principles that I think are important to highlight and use to examine our own lives and the world we live in.

First, It should not surprise anyone who understands this was a healing, that the media or people watching the event unfold did not understand what was going on. There is even a verse in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that states people who don’t really understand Jesus are not going to realize or recognize his power on display or the fact that they can have even GREATER things and an eternal life with God in heaven.

Second, these kinds of things are not just for the mighty Tim Tebow to have an opportunity to do and see God move in a miraculous way. Many times, we put people who we think are more “religious” than ourselves up on pedestals and think that they can do things we cannot. I am sure if you asked Tim, he would admit that it was only the power of God that worked through him in that man’s life and not the ten magic fingers on the end of his arms. If we are asking God for opportunities to help work miracles in people’s lives he will meet those needs and give us doors to walk thru. The big question is will we take the opportunity to step out from the crowd and be willing to do what God is calling us to do?

Third, I have a “what if” scenario for everyone. Tim Tebow got cut from football because he was not the commodity the NFL wanted to promote. He also apparently had some fairly glaring issues with accuracy (I am no expert) but the fact is that he was out of football. What if Tim’s WHOLE ENTIRE desire to now play baseball was God positioning him to be in that exact place to pray for that man and be a part of his healing? Those are the kind of things that can be hard to wrap our heads around. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t about Tim Tebow but it was about God using events in his life to position Tim to be in a place to be a blessing to someone else.

Maybe you are reading this blog and don’t understand what I am talking about with God healing people. That SAME POWER can reside inside of you and even comes with an amazing relationship with the creator of the universe. Maybe you are reading this and you always compare your relationship to Jesus to others who you feel are more spiritual than you. You have a unique anointing to be the person that God needs you to be on this earth and a circle of friends that need what you have inside. Maybe you are a follower of Christ and are getting wrapped up in the circumstances of life and wondering why negative things are happening to you. It could be God positioning you for something greater for yourself, or even more importantly, because there is someone you will interact with that needs what you have.

These were just a few things to consider today in how we will live today on this earth. Tim Tebow is living his life to glorify God first, and in the process, getting a platform to share even more about the love, grace and peace of God that EVERYONE needs. We can all do the same if we just choose God over us.

7holycrap Holy Crap

Selling My Book on SECOND Chance Gulch!


I did a run and pray last night on the walking mall in Helena around the area I am going to sell my book. I felt like God gave me an amazing revelation about the Last Chance Gulch actually being the SECOND Chance Gulch. The naming of the area was based on the prospectors who came to Montana with the mentality that it was “get the gold or bust” and the “last chance” to strike it rich. God showed me that people in Helena and the surrounding areas need to know that they can have a “SECOND chance” at life and being free from the shame, hurt and guilt of situations and issues in their lives through what Jesus offers. 

One of the BIGGEST reasons why I wrote “Holy Crap” was to provide a possible door to get people from where they are in pain to an understanding that God wants to help give them a “second chance”, and with God’s help, to be able to walk through those struggles. There are also people who once had a relationship with Jesus and felt like they have done too many things to not warrant His love. God is ALL about second chances and helping people realize that no matter where they are in life that they can turn to him and find love and acceptance.

As I have said before, I am not the end all when it comes to knowing about pain in life. But I can say that I have had enough challenges physically to want what I went through to make a difference in the lives of people I come in contact with on my life journey. 

So I know that I am here today to provide the hope of a second chance to people in Helena and it is no coincidence that I am interacting with people in the heart of the Last Chance Gulch to help them find their SECOND CHANCE.

Have a great day and please say a prayer for me if you think about the book that it will be a start to healing and help for people who desperately need it!

7holycrap Holy Crap

The Change that Pain Causes Can Be for Good or Bad!

pain_in_life

Pain will happen in life no matter who you are or where you come from. The question is not IF pain will happen but what you will do with pain WHEN it happens.

When we stop asking God “why” pain is happening and start asking “what” can we learn from it, we go from a survivor to a THRIVER mentality and attitude. When we only seek to survive in life we lose the ability to gain some wonderful perspective and actually USE the things that happen to us to make us stronger.
Praying for you today to get through the pain you are in and see the great things that can come from change that painful situations can bring.

7holycrap Holy Crap, Life Lessons

Talkers are Praised While Listeners Go Unnoticed

Listening
I cannot say that I know very many people who are great listeners, including myself. Someone who, when their name comes up, is known to others as an exceptional listener. At the same time, we can name numerous amazing speakers when it comes to people we think have full command of the words that come out of their mouth. It is an interesting thing to me that we praise talkers but great listeners in life go unnoticed. Maybe it’s because we feel like if we don’t share how we feel we will not be able to change our corner of the world. Maybe you grew up in a large family and if you were not able to express yourself well that you were ignored or even forgotten.

As a follower of Christ, I was ALWAYS taught growing up the importance of telling others about my relationship with Jesus. Even now, Christians far and wide believe the most important thing is telling the world about how much Jesus loves them. We even sing worship songs about “telling” and build vision/mission statements around talking! When was the last time you read the vision statement of a religious organization that says, “We will listen to the broken and answer with love first and words second.”

Please hear me. I am not poking holes in religious organizations or churches but just making a statement about maybe some of the pacing we do as followers of Christ that tries to mimic the people who don’t have a relationship with Jesus yet. The world is all about telling others who they are, how they feel and the convictions they have and operate by.

There is an incredible power exhibited when you LISTEN to someone who either disagrees with your stance on something or even says things based from a place of hurt or pain. Stop trying to come up with a witty antidote to something being told to you and just tell yourself to shut off your mouth and engage your ears and mind to just listen.

The amazing byproduct of listening is that it encourages others to hear what YOU have to say because they felt honored that you would listen to them. So it is not whether you ONLY listen or ONLY talk but that listening opens up the channels of communication with others and helps you share what is on your heart. Maybe it is a priority of listening with a result of talking. Even Jesus would interact with people in a question format, listen to what they would have to say and then share. The greatest communicator to walk the earth was first and foremost the greatest listener, and He is who I want to be.