fear

The greatest thief, murderer, and liar in the world is fear.

Time and time again, it has stolen precious things from me and from others around me. The paralyzing power it has can stop words from coming out of our mouths, kill progress, silence dreams, drive people apart, and quell the storm of passion that brews in each of our hearts. The saddest part is that our world needs that passion more and more with each passing day.

Fear plays a game with our hearts, whispering quietly to us that we don't deserve the very things that we do.
"You aren't good enough."
"You aren't smart enough."
"If you say that, they won't like you."
"If you do that, it won't be good enough."

I am guilty of listening to and believing this bastard on more than one account.

I have waited until the last minute to do something before purely because I didn't believe my best would be good enough.

I've listened to the snake-ish whisper that I'm not good enough to allow countless people to walk over me. All this happening while the truth rests as a voiceless lump in my throat.

I'm done.

We owe it to ourselves and the fragile life we live on this intrepid earth to live to our potential, to dream outside of the box. Who says you can't accomplish that? Prove them wrong.

"Sometimes, it's the people who no one imagines anything of that do the things that no one can imagine."

What is holding you back? Is it that voice that has plagued you for too long?

It's time to take back the ground we so unreasonably give up. You were put on this Earth for far more than you will reasonably have time to achieve, but as long as there is breath in your chest, shouldn't you be doing something about it?

This world that is tainted by jealousy, envy, rage, hatred, and so much more needs the passion that brews deep in your soul to come alive. If we took stands against the tyranny of fear, then I believe that so many of the ugly things of this world would not exist any more.

Stop believing the lies. Stop holding yourself back form what you can truly become. Don't let fear tell you to fall on the sword, when you should be heading into battle.

Let's change the world. It starts with you.

Philippians 4:5-7
Exodus 14:14
Psalm 46:10
Psalm 27:1
Romans 8:31-39

the death of comparison

We come in all shapes, sizes, colors, etc. and our uniqueness is beautiful. There is no one else exactly like you on this earth. I think we far too often forget that. I know I do.

I have struggled for a long time with my physical appearance. When I was young, I wanted to be like Michael Jordan - athletic, 6'6", famous, successful, black (kidding...wait, no I'm not). If you have met me, or perused my photos on the interwebs, then you would be aware that none of the above are true.

Most of the time, I have covered over this self-professed flaw with copious amounts of sarcasm.
Oddly enough, it turns out that sarcasm is not the cure for self-loathing. Who knew?

But, it turns out that I was never meant to be Michael Jordan, or anyone else for that matter. I was created to be Kenny Bump. And despite my unique flaws, I am successfully myself every day.

One of my favorite stories ever talks about a young boy who would be king. He was the youngest of his brothers, not as handsome, not as big. But, the story reveals after he is chosen king, much to the chagrin of his brothers, that his heart was what made him worthy to be king. He would lead his country to the highest point of it's existence. He would slay giants, increase in wealth, crush all of his enemies, and win the hearts of the people. Not too shabby for the not-as-handsome duckling, huh? Now, he was not without fault, but he was the only person to be called out as being "a man after God's own heart". Verily, my favorite verse in the Word says, "For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

I have always believed that there is purpose in everything. So, with that thought in mind, wouldn't that mean we are all created just the way we are for a specific purpose?

God already had a Michael Jordan on this earth. He needed a sarcastic, pale, skinny, ambitious Kenny Bump. That's my cue.  So, it's time that we stop comparing ourselves to others and live the lives we were made to.

Don't drink the arsenic of looking at other people's lives and wishing you were them or had what they had. Too often we don't know the whole story.

If we focus on living our own story, just imagine the kingdoms that could be built. It's time for a funeral, folks. Let's bury comparison once and for all. You in? Good. I brought the shovel.

Do not go gentle.

what is the cost?

What if you were told that it would cost you everything to achieve your dreams?

Would you still aspire to them? Or would the cost be considered too great?

Recently, I have been asking myself these questions, trying to determine my level of commitment to what I truly want to achieve. I have learned that nothing worthwhile comes easily. This is proven again and again through those that achieve lasting greatness. And by greatness I'm not talking about money or fleeting success by everyone loving your mugshot on facebook.

James Truslow Adams said, "The great use of life is to create something that will outlast it."

What if we lived our lives like that every day?

I believe we would create a world that no longer settled and was enamored with fleeting success, but we would cultivate a society that excelled.

Jesus told his disciples that no man sets out to build a tower and does not first consider the cost. Otherwise, he will look like a fool when he is unable to finish because he can no longer fund it.

So, consider your dreams and aspirations. Are you pushing yourself to be the greatest you could possibly be? What is holding you back?

Eleanor Roosevelt said, "We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot."

Reality check. Are you willing to go through anything, to brave the darkest storms and mightiest waves, in order to become what you were made to be?

Stormy Sea - Marcus Larson

 After all, I've heard it said that a smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.

I'd rather live my life using every last drop of talent I have, than to hoard it away and play it safe, settling for less than I deserve.

Let's take that step. Let's set out to sea on the adventure of taking full hold of our lives. Fear is only holding you back from what you were truly made to be.

Saturday

It is Saturday. Sunday is coming.

As frail as we all are, we tend to operate out of strength and purpose when we feel the safest. We get jobs that offer benefits, and vacation days. We get insurance to provide peace of mind from something bad happening. We operate with safety nets. We do not dare to dream beyond our bed sheets. It's not safe out there. You could fail.

What happened to us living in real strength? The type of strength and purpose that comes without a net. The type of lives that blaze new trails into the unknown.

Maybe you have allowed yourself to become complacent and you have settled. We all have. If we hadn't, this world would be vastly different. But, it's time for a change.

We need to live without safety nets. We need to dare to dream impossible things and then go live them. There is a great adventure out there that needs to be lived. You are worth more than your 401k. You are more precious than your bottom line bank account. You are more valuable than that person you're dating, or wish you were dating, thinks you are. Start living like it.

It is Saturday. Yesterday, the Creator of the universe stooped down to pay the ransom for our sins with His own Son's life, the ultimate sacrifice. On Sunday, He rose to prove that there is nothing on this earth that can separate us from His love, even our own doubt and unbelief.

So, it is Saturday. Sunday is coming. If your life is valuable enough for the God of all creation to rescue you, then shouldn't it be valuable enough for you to live it with a purpose?

I'm an addict.

The irony of this post is it's effect on my addiction. I'm addicted to what others think of me. I have always thought I had to be attractive, or smart, or funny, or successful to have anyone like me. It's true.

Recently, I've been reading a rough copy of Donald Miller's upcoming novel, Scary Close. I'm always amazed at how he says what's in my head already. In his words, I find someone else who struggles with this same addiction. It's comforting, but also awakens me to the fact that so many of us do the same thing. We hide behind what we hope people like about us, and therefore, we are never our true self. 

That's scary to me.

I'm admitting my addiction to you, so that maybe I can start to heal from it before it's too late. Honestly, I want to be liked for who I am at my very core. 

No matter what the future holds, the people that authentically love us, will be there until the end.

So, I am not my past. I am not my future. I am me. I was formed in the hands of a perfect Creator, and I poorly represent myself and Him daily. I have inside this meager flesh a heart of a lion. Anything good or impressive that I have ever done is not me, it's the One who made me making diamonds from coal. 

I'm an addict. But I don't want to live that way anymore. Today, I want to be free.

the space between

What is it that makes us feel complete - like we have nothing else we could possibly want? In our world, we too often profess "if I had that job", "if I could get more money", "if I could find true love", "if I could look like that", or "if I could lose 10 more pounds" - if, if, if - a life built on "ifs" isn't much to live for, is it?

Each day, I try to choose to live in the place where I am already happy, counting my blessings and things that I already have in my life, instead of what I don't have. Trust me, this is not always easy. In fact some days, I have to lay in bed a few minutes longer to let the reminder set in, coaching myself through each step. After all, if I start out my day wishing for a bunch of things to happen to make me happy or to complete me, then I miss out on every moment in between -  I miss the sun shining down on me, or the simple grace of having a door to lock behind me, or a bed to roll out of, or the wonderful people who are in my life right now.

 The most quoted Psalm in the Bible says "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." (Psalm 23)

Think about that for a moment.

Where do you find your rest and contentment? Why do want those things? Would we really be better for having them?

I learn everyday how there is nothing else I need other than Jesus. I came into this world with nothing and I can take nothing with me when I go. So, why am I trying to find happiness with things in the space between life and death?

Live on purpose. You are not defined by possessions, or relationships, or status - you are meant to know one thing - you are loved. From the moment you are born you already have everything you will ever need. And there is an indescribable God who stands in the space between, loving us regardless of anything.

Be blessed.

Do not go gentle.

Ephesians 2:8-9
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Philippians 4:6-7
"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving lt your requests be made known to God."

Matthew 6:25-
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteous, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Hi, I'm Kenny and I sincerely apologize.

In case you missed the title, my name is Kenny and I am really sorry.

"What have you done?", you ask. Well, aside from the general missteps, nothing. 

But I feel the need to apologize.

Many of you (standard 12 to 14 who look at this blog regularly) may have noticed that recently I have been posting about my faith a lot. This has always been something important to me. And as I have explored it further, I've uncovered a litany of hurts for others. Hurts as in, many people who have been misled by the very people who also post about their faith, but litter their posts with "you need to", "you should", "if you don't", and the like. Let me apologize for that misconception, and offer this instead: I do not know everything, nor am I in any way better than any one else. Period. Exclamation point. And those others who post those things, know in their hearts the same thing.

So, let me put it simply. I have been introduced to someone who revolutionizes my life daily, who pushes me to excel in areas beyond myself and who loves me despite everything I have ever done wrong or I ever will do wrong. I know Him, but I meet Him new every day. 

He is Jesus.

He is my best friend, and so much more. I don't always understand what He is doing in my life, but I learn daily to trust Him and be vulnerable so that I grow and become better than yesterday.

So, I apologize for the misconception that have been presented before that others who know Him have their lives together, or can tell others what to do, or are in any way better than any one else. 

The truth is, we are all equal.

The truth is Jesus loves all of us, no matter where we are or what we think.

I have a friend that you should meet. He's far better than I'll ever be, and I'm so thankful for that. 

Anything good I do comes from Him.

I hope you get to meet Him, and maybe He will bless us both to meet Him together. 

Do not go gentle.