Constructive Criticism

Two years ago if you would have come to me and told me you have constructive criticism for me, the first thought in my head would be to grab my shield and sword and get ready for an epic battle.


My wife was the best at this.  Since marriage is tough and something you constantly have to work through, she would be the one to approach me with a relational update.  It was predictable.  Usually we would be sitting down for dinner talking and all of a sudden she gets quiet.  After a couple years I picked up on these ques knowing that the floodgates were about to burst open.  Credit to her, she never used the words "constructive criticism," but that was what she was trying to do.  She was trying to change me!  Or so I thought.

The Fear of Failure

Whether it be with business or personal issues, it seems failure is an issue we all have in common.  Growing up I knew kids who's parents would try their best to shield their child from failure.  That would show itself by not letting the kid participate in activities, or making them become over competitive to ensure success.  No matter how you were raised, at some point you have had to face this issue.

High school is where I really started to define what failure meant.  Since I did not have a good home life and always felt like a failure there, I would escape into things I knew I could succeed in.  I participated in sports year around and was captain of my teams, I was vice president of many on school clubs.  My grades were good, when i was never really pushed to get good grades.  I was internally always trying to win my moms approval because I was afraid to be found a failure in her eyes.

Business As Usual

For those of you that don't know what I do for a living, I am a Financial Consultant.  I get the opportunity to show people a glimpse of their dreams and help them get on the road to achieve them.  Many parts of my job are rewarding, but sometimes challenging.

Most of my clients are in the stage of their life planning for their retirement.  They have 401(k)s, IRAs, insurance policies.  Every now and then I will have a client just looking to make extra money on their investments.  But majority are hard working, driven Americans that want to retire comfortably.

Community Worship

One of the great opportunities I have in life is leading a small group for Sandals Church.  The fact that Sandals is in Riverside and all of the group members live in Beaumont, creates a tight sense of community.  Five years ago when Stephanie and I moved to Beaumont, the thing we were disappointed in most was that we were moving away from our church family.  Thank God today not only are we church members together but have grown to be best friends.

Ten months ago I stepped up and became the small group leader.  It has been my goal to be vulnerable, open, encouraging, and supportive of each other.  Occasionally we will switch the routine schedule and do something different.  Last week I decided to have a worship night.  With some inspiration from our marriage group leaders, I asked each member to pick the song that has been the most moving, inspirational, reflective song in their life.  I compiled the list and made a CD with all their songs to play.

Identity Recovery: The Hobbyist

Recently my wife and I watch the movie 127 hours with James Franco.  If you haven't seen the movie what the story is about is a guy goes out for an adventure and comes face to face with a problem when he falls and gets his arm wedged in a rock.  As you watch the movie, you realize it is about much more than that.  As hours and days go by, Franco has the opportunity to think of all the times he lived for himself, seeking his own pleasures.  In the meantime, people all around him are craving quality time with him.  At the end of the movie, he realizes that he got life wrong because of his selfishness.


The movie really spoke to me and made me look back on my life of when I first got married.  Through my college years, as I have shared before, I lived a very selfish life.  My goals and hobbies were my priority and I would not let anything get in the way of that.  When I decided to marry Stephanie and "settle down," I realized I did not know what it meant to "settle down."  For me, I wanted to pursuit my hobbies at the same rate.  The transition into marriage was very hard.  Now I had to call to tell someone where I was at?  I couldn't go straight from work to go rock climbing or snowboarding?  Why would my wife want to hold me back from things I love?

What's the Point?

In a Washington Post poll, the study found that 92 percent of Americans believe in God or a universal spirit.  Out of those polled, more than half said that they prayed at least once a day.  The study further goes on saying that most Americans believe that angels and demons are active and nearly 80 percent think miracles occur.


Our founding fathers had formed this country under Godly principles.  John Adams said, "Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only Law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited... What a paradise would this region be!"