Busy Summer!

June has been incredible! Thank you to all those who came out to the shows! As well as the incredible radio stations that opened their doors to me! Thanks to The Lighthouse radio station in St. Mary's in SE Georgia, who had me in to perform for The Rock event (6/7) broadcast live on the air (my parents even listened online in their living room in MN!). Also thanks to HOPE FM in Palatka, WAFT in Valdosta, and Toccoa Falls Radio. I loved meeting the folks at Anastasia Baptist Church in Saint Augustine (6/8). Then I shot north up to Rochester for a show at the cool UTurn Event Center, and then a great weekend in Crosslake - including a concert at Crosslake Lutheran which ending with their choir joining me for "Pilgrim Man." Awesome! And thanks to KTIG The Word radio in Pequot Lakes for talking up the show and playing my music more than what seemed reasonable! I'm certain I'll be heading back to each of these places sometime soon!

The Life of Your Dreams - Pt. 5

What are the two most powerful words that will transform your life? This week I’ve been exploring how to live the life of your dreams. And today I want to talk about the discipline that has transformed my own life, perhaps more than anything else. It’s the discipline of gratitude. So you can probably guess that I believe the two most powerful words that can transform you life are: Thank and You. Thank you. It’s sounds so good, doesn’t it?

Most of us would say, “I’m so grateful for everything I have. My life is so blessed.” But how specific are you willing to get? How much thanks are you willing to express? When you see a beautiful sunset, or have a great conversation with a friend, do you say thank you for that specific event? And even more importantly, who do you say thank you to? I believe God loves it when we point to Him as the source of everything we have and everything we experience. When we show Him that we are grateful, I believe it somehow frees us up to start seeing more and more how God is continually dumping His blessings on us. That has been my experience.

Part 5 - Two Big Words

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The Life of Your Dreams - Pt. 4

So you’re on the right path. But things are getting tough. What’s the best way to power through the hard times? This week I’m exploring some ideas on how to go after the life of your dreams. That’s what I’ve been doing. I moved to Nashville almost 18 years ago from Minneapolis to go after my dreams of doing music. I was anticipating moving here to rounds of applause and parades thrown in my honor. “Finally, he’s here,” they’d cheer. Well, no parades ever happened.

But I can see that now, after 18 years, all my dreams are finally coming true. And yes, it’s taken almost 18 years. Could I have given up 10 years ago? You betcha. But I’m sure glad I didn’t. Did people tell me I was crazy? Of course they did. Did they tell me that perhaps I was dreaming a little too big? Yep, they sure did. Did people tell me I was too average, too nice? Yes they did, and about a dozen other adjectives, as well.

Part 4 - Don't Give Up

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The Life of Your Dreams - Pt. 3

What is the one thing that has held me back from living the life of my dreams? This week I’m exploring the topic of going after the life you truly desire.

I believe the most powerful force that holds us back from living the life we truly desire is fear. Fear of the unknown…fear of what might happen. For me, the big one has always been the fear of what other people will think. What if I go after the life I want, and everything goes horrible wrong, and I just end up in a pile on the side of the road? (This is where my mind can go sometimes!)

I believe we don’t go after our dreams because we prefer the comfort and stability of where we are at, even if it isn’t exactly where we want to be. It’s what’s familiar; it’s what we know. And even if it’s not completely fulfilling, it’s better than being seen as a failure, or bringing pain and discomfort into our life.

Part 3 - The Big Hurdle

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The Life of Your Dreams - Pt. 2

What’s holding you back from living the life of your dreams? Yesterday I talked about the importance of having our identity firmly rooted in Jesus Christ before we set out on this journey of desire. If you’re like me, you’re already on board with God. But you’re probably thinking, “There’s got to be something more to life than what I’m experiencing right now!” And you’re ready to move from the mundane to the magnificent.

So what is the first barrier that must be climbed over before you can live the life of your dreams? I believe the biggest hindrance to living the life of your dreams is, drum roll please…a lack of vision.

Part 2 - Vision

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