Morning Inspiration .

Since I've been waking up at 5am most mornings nowadays, I've taken a little bit of extra time to really just ease my way into the day a bit. This usually includes checking email, the weather, and catching up on all the wonderful blogs that you guys write. It's a nice way to start the day for sure, and I savor that time before I head into work.

This morning, as I began to peruse my email, I found something that hit me, from one of my daily Bible verse services. I tweeted it and it even ended up getting some favorites. Anyways, the verse for the day was Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

I feel like there is constant battle between those who believe that their fates are designed entirely for them, and those that believe that they have the freedom of their own choice for the entire life. Being the religious guy I am, I think that there is a plan for me that is much bigger than those plans or goals that I set for myself.

Faith is not so much about blindly following, I don't think. I think rather it is a choice -- to believe that you are being watched over and watched out for, to trust that no matter what happens that in the end you will be in the best place possible for you, to trust that you will never be entrusted with some challenge that you cannot overcome. No doubt, there are stops along the way that will royally suck. No doubt there will be things that you're not sure how you will get through (been there, done that). But in the end, I think that I'll be able to look back on life with a smile, knowing that I was so blessed and led to the right things in life.

I believe that God doesn't force you down paths. I think that He guides you. He puts opportunity in front of you -- but it's up to you to take the initiative to seize those opportunities. It's not always obvious, but that's part of the reason for prayer. Prayer and regular mass attendance is not about obligation, but rather about an avenue through which you can build a spiritual relationship, and have a sort of communication with God. Once you can communicate, you can understand the directions you are being pointed in.

Just as with anything, sometimes the communication can get muffled. Sometimes you don't hear it clearly. And sometimes you do, and just don't understand it. But you have to trust that even if it doesn't make sense at the time, it will later on. It takes a lot to get to that point where you can have that sort of trust, especially when a lot of people you come across in your life may prove that trust is not the answer, and that you maybe should automatically distrust others. I don't like living like that though. It's just doesn't seem healthy.

Just like any other recent college grad, I have goals and dreams, future plans, desires, things I want to spend money on, skills I want to better and practice more regularly, places I want to visit, and career aspirations. But with all of the grab bag of little hobbies I have, I know that I'll have a guiding hand to push me in those directions which will truly enrich my life and allow me to live life to the fullest. I just have to remind myself to carry that trust with me always and through anything.

See My Tears .

In a world of darkness, violence, killings and mass murders, gruesome death, war and a growing distaste for religion, values and morals, it's always a beautiful ray of sunshine when something inherently good crosses my path. That something comes in the form of rapper Machine Gun Kelly, commonly known as MGK. Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, MGK is yet another that keeps it very real, and has an amazing ability to inspire people.

Exhibit A: Ryan Yex, a teen from Ohio born with cerebral palsy, who had never walked a single unassisted step in his life -- until now. A huge MGK fan, Ryan met his hero at a Blink-182 concert, and they hit it off. He promised Kelly that one day at one of his shows, he would walk. And he did. See for yourself:

For all those who think music doesn't make a difference, think again.
For all those who have lost hope, let this re-instill it.
For all those who lack inspiration, let this re-inspire you.
For all those who think they've got it rough, or have a big challenge ahead, or can't seem to find your way out of a hole, let this be a message that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.
For all those who hate our generation, or hate rap, or hate this scene, let this be a lesson that there are amazing people out there, and their enthusiasm and charisma can lift anyone to extreme heights, to where they are walking on clouds.

For all those searching for the good in this scary world, you've found it.

Lace up.

The Wonder of Traveling .

Recently a Youtube ad popped up that captured my intrigue in the first 5 seconds (the general amount of time it takes before you're allowed to skip said ad). I don't know how it did it, but my attention was focused. Here's the video:

This video captures the whole idea behind exploration and travel experience. The music goes along well with it, and you can read the awe on the faces of the people, you can see their wonder and they magically transform into a child again, driven by curiosity and yearning for more. This is the sort of thing I love about traveling so much. Every new thing that you see, every picture perfect view that you remember, every person you meet, or food selection you try, holds this sort of extraordinary wonder. That kind of satisfaction seems almost unattainable sometimes, but in this moment you are traveling the globe, going from Norway to Russia and everything in between, you see the remnants of history, the beauty in all kinds of nature, the daily lives of locals and of course all the while you are spending the time with close friends or family while doing it.

This video makes me want to jump up out of my bed, hop on a plane to anywhere, and see what there is to see. So many go through their lives and don't get out of their own country, some not even out of their own state, to see the world. There are so many different cultures, languages, traditions; different types of architecture, traffic patterns, and beauty in all of it everywhere.

As the video says:

"Feel the majesty, embrace intriguing cultures, awaken your senses, discover new horizons, marvel at grand expressions, immerse your spirit, indulge your dreams; our world, your world."

How much more inspiration do you need? Get out there and explore!

Got a topic you want to hear about? Got questions or comments? Want to chat? Shoot me an email at asmallpieceofgodsplan(at)gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

If you enjoyed this post, tweet it or share it, and check out some other ones below:

devotional inspiration .

Every once in awhile my daily emailed devotionals smack me in the face with some serious thought-provoking material, and today happened to be just one of those days! While I would love to post the whole thing, this is the part that stuck out and hit me the most:

"Love simply means treating others like you'd want to be treated. Love means putting other's needs before your own. And love means caring about your imperfect family...even when they drive you crazy."

a touching story .

Every so often you come across something that just really touches you. Well, today was one of those days and I couldn't help but watch this video about Josiah Viera with tears streaming down my face for the majority of the second half.

The video is here: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5788144
I recommend watching it before you keep reading.

why military ?

Ever since I started to finish up high school and look at colleges I have pondered the idea of joining the military. For a long while I had my heart set on the Marines, and I struggled, unbeknownst to my parents, with the idea of going straight into active duty after high school or going to college. As time progressed, I began to realize that I couldn't make life work the way I wanted to. I had to pick one path: school, or the military. I thought about joining the Army Reserves, or the National Guard. But there was always that burning desire to just drop everything at home and go for it. To leave everything behind and not look back; to forget all that existed and to just devote my life to the army and the government.