The Wonder of Christmas

Christmas 2024 is finally here! After a seemingly long year for the world, it feels refreshing to celebrate the holiday season.

The lights, the gifts, the carols, the shopping for gifts, etc. It’s all a part of the fun. And who can’t forget the Christmas cookies!

If you’re like me, you enjoy this time of the year a lot. But it can become mundane, routine & even stressful in the blink of an eye.

And sadly for some, the holidays are dreadful because it reminds them of painful memories or the loss of a loved one.

But I think it’s important to take in the reality of what Christmas really means…

Humanity had sinned against God Almighty.

The punishment and satisfaction of His wrath for that crime was death.

We were without hope, lost and destined to be eternally separated from Him.

He had every legal and moral right to leave us alone, permanently condemned in our failures.

And yet because of His great & eternal love, He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He took on flesh, lived a perfectly sinless life & paid the price for our sin before rising from the grave three days later.

The reason why Christmas can even be celebrated at all is because of Him. And He stands with His arms open, ready to love, care for & receive anyone that would admit their need for a Savior & King.

The wonder of Christmas isn’t another gift, wish list or even Santa himself. It’s the fact that Christ came to rescue us when He didn’t have to.

So, whether you are quietly wishing for Christmas to quickly end. Or you are excitedly rushing to another holiday party…

My prayer is anyone who reads this would experience the love, joy, grace & peace that only Christ can provide. The best is yet to come.

The Attitude of Gratitude

It’s the evening hours of Thanksgiving 2024 and by now, most people are waking up from their afternoon nap to start on their 2nd plate of food.

Because after all, it’s widely known that the second helping tastes better than the first.

Families & friends are gathered together, football is on the tv & people everywhere are plotting out their routes in the mall for Black Friday.

Yet there’s so much about our world currently that is dark, chaotic & frankly concerning.

Even on a day like today, many people are huddled around hospital beds and praying for a loved one to recover.

Others are struggling financially to survive...

There are people who are mourning the loss of a friend or family member…

And then there are those who are experiencing the crippling effects of loneliness, depression, brokenness & anxiety as they live isolated.

Still, whether in good or bad moments, there’s still so much to be thankful for.

To be alive.

To be able to see the sun rise.

To have the hope & prospect of a bright future is a true blessing.

So, if you’re reading this, please know that I’m grateful for you. Your life has meaning, purpose & is worth living.

May we always, in every moment of life, maintain an attitude of gratitude.

“I’m Busy.” 1 Easy Step To Living A Full Life.

If you’re like me, life is moving at a much faster pace these days. It seems like from the time that my alarm clock sounds to the time that my children are asleep, life is being lived at full throttle.

Most of the hours of the day are claimed by something important. In the occasions where you get to see friends & ask how they’re doing, it’s not uncommon to hear a version of “I’m busy.”

In today’s society, busyness is worn like a badge of honor. From the employee who stays at the office too late to the stay at home parent, it has become socially acceptable to be busy. The busier that you are, the more impressive that you come across as. But what if our busyness isn’t all that great? What if being busy with life, work, & our precious schedule has led us to the point of exhaustion? Or even worse, being brokenhearted at our inability to get it all done? What I’m learning currently is that being productive is great. Go for it. But if you are so preoccupied with the busyness & breakneck speed of life, you can/will miss out on the important things instead. You’ll accomplish, accumulate & achieve. But look back & realize that it was all for nothing & no one. You’ll miss quality time spent with family & friends. Seeing the sun rise/set each day. Vacations. Playing with your children. Memories that can last a lifetime. So, if this a struggle for you, here’s some advice. “Lay it down”. Push away from the computer or your phone. Prioritize your priorities. Learn to use the full & complete sentence of the word “no”. Life is truly worth living. Instead of being busy, what would happen if you could honestly say “I’m living life to the fullest.?” As always, keep going down the road of life & God bless.

Looking For A Little Bit Of Light

It seems like this year has moved so quickly & now the Christmas is here. Like for many others, decorating the house and driving around to look at Christmas lights is one of my favorite holiday activities.

My family and I even have a couple of neighborhoods that we’ll occasionally visit that are guaranteed to have some of the best Christmas lights in town.

I think the idea of looking for the light is symbolic of where things are in the world today. Wars, famines, illness and mental health issues are seemingly everywhere.

With a few swipes on your phone, you can be inundated with the latest negative news. It seems like the world is getting darker, day by day.

And yet, the light of this season still reminds us of something. It gives us hope. It’s a physical reminder of what this season is all about. That there was once a newborn baby who would grow into a man.

That innocent man would later die for the sins of the world and rise from the grave three days later. And that even in the darkest of moments, His light is there to guide us home.

So whether Christmas is full of joy, laughter and too much food. Or it’s a day that you’re just trying to get through, the Light of the world is here for you. So keep being kind to the people you meet. After all, “everybody’s looking for some light.”

One Step To A Better Life In 2021.

2020.. What a crazy kind of year it’s been. It seems like this year has been full of events that have negatively impacted so many people around the world!

From the death of Kobe, Gigi and Chadwick. To COVID being the cause of so many families losing loved ones, it’s been a rollercoaster of a year. With some really high ups and very painful downs.

And if you’re like me, you are ready for a fresh start & to watch 2020 fade away quickly! Like every year, we all make resolutions that will hopefully benefit our lives as we move into the months ahead.

Maybe your resolution will be to join a gym. Or to run in a marathon. Or to finally write that book. Or start your own business. Whatever it is, you should do it!

But I’d like to add one more possible idea that will benefit all of us in 2021.

Ready?

Here it is…

“Leave what’s lost behind.”

Meaning, there are some things that came into our lives in 2020 that frankly need to stay behind & not travel with us into 2021.

Maybe it’s a negative attitude.

Or a destructive habit.

It could be that bad friendship that you know isn’t healthy for you!

Or a relationship that may feel comfortable but has slowly become toxic.

Whatever it is, we all have some things that need to be in the rear view mirror as we run into 2021. So, I want to encourage you with this last thought. Take inventory of your life as it is right now.

What are some things that you need to say bye to so that you can welcome all of the blessings in 2021 that are coming? This next year may not change right away. But that doesn’t mean that your life can’t. THE BEST IS YET TO COME FOR YOU.

My Plans<2020

2020 has been one different kind of year, right?? I mean, who would have ever thought that things would get so crazy in such a short time? I remember coming into 2020 and seeing statements like “this my year!” or “20-20 vision in 2020!” Well, I don’t think anyone saw this type of year coming at all!

Literally, from the first week in January until now, there’s been major change that has swept the globe. Life this year can definitely be described as a roller coaster ride for sure. And just when we thought things were calming down and picking back up, Covid-19 became a thing.

And then the shelter in place orders locked us all in our homes.

From explosions in Lebanon to explosive corruption being exposed in the political realm.

From the loss of Kobe, his daughter and the others who were with him.

Or the loss of a personal loved one, the loss of a job or a retirement fund. To the millions of people who are unemployed and unsure of how to get their basic necessities.

To the countries at the brink of war. And then there were murder hornets. MURDER. HORNETS, y’all.

And so much more that could be said..

The fact is that that we’ve all experienced some sort of trauma this year. And let’s not start on the mental health aspect of the challenges that 2020 has provided. Only time will tell how many people, including myself, have experienced all time highs of crippling anxiety, depression, fear and heartache that these past few months have provided.

So, what do we do????

How are we supposed to deal with the rest of this year? I think the answer starts with something like this…

Over the past few months, I‘ve had some people ask about how I’ve been doing. In the great country of Texas, this isn’t anything new. “How are you doing?” is a greeting said to strangers & is usually said as you walk by each other. But these people genuinely wanted to know how things were going for me.

I noticed that my knee jerk reaction started to become “I’m taking it one day a time.” And then it hit me. That’s the answer or at least a part of it. We may not know what the rest of this year holds for us. I’m hoping and praying that it’s full of good news and that we enter 2021 on a high note!

But there’s no way to know unfortunately. And for people like me who love to plan things and their life in general, that’s so frustrating! But what we can do is this:

We can decide to make TODAY the best that it can be.

Think about it. Sure, we all plan for the days and weeks ahead. But today is all that we really have in our hands, right? So, what are you going to do with it?

Now am I saying that there isn’t real pain that some people are facing? No. And I would be naive to pretend that some people aren’t facing very real & difficult problems.

But each day, you and I get to decide whether we will find reasons to have joy or not. And most of the time, that joy is found in the small things that we take for granted. Like being able to see the sunshine. That we are alive. That we have family and friends who love us.

For example, I’m living and breathing. I’m not in a hospital. I have a home to live in that allows me to have a great view of each sunrise and sunset. I’ve been blessed with a beautiful wife that I get to come home to. I’ve been blessed with a few great friends. I have all that I need and more than enough to share. Sports are back on TV. Whataburger & Chic-Fil-A are still open!

There are so many reasons to celebrate or be thankful. And sometimes the best emotional pain medicine that we can give ourselves is to find a reason to be grateful.

For you, you may have to take each day of 2020 by going from one hour to the next. And that’s totally ok! But today doesn’t have to be full of hopelessness. Today could be the start of something great in your life. And if it isn’t and you are given tomorrow, look for the joy in that day as well!

Like I said, I don’t know what the rest of this year holds, But I know the One who holds it. And I also know that the chaos of 2020 will end. Better days are on the way. The rain will stop. The sun will shine again.

Helpless: One Thing To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do

PREFACE: My faith is the foundation of my life as well as my writing. And if that’s not the case for you, that’s fine! You don’t have to believe before you can belong. My goal for writing is to always help & encourage people. I’m just glad that you are here!

If you are like me, you would consider yourself to be a somewhat resourceful type of person. Yes, I go through tough times just like everyone else. But I’m thankful that I have a personality that usually will stay calm and think of a possible solution when a problem arises.

But if you are like me, then you’ve also experienced situations that were simply overwhelming.

•A phone call that’s filled with bad news.

•The loss of a loved one or a job.

•A bad diagnosis.

•Or maybe it’s an ongoing issue that just won’t leave. And there isn’t any one true solution to what you are facing.

These problems, along with many others can leave us feeling vulnerable. They leave us feeling… helpless.

As you know, there’s a global pandemic that’s currently happening. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost. And millions have had their lives drastically changed as a result of this virus.

Sure, very few of us have lived through a moment in time quite like this one. But there’s always a sense of “I need to do something” that takes over when difficult times show up.

For some, it was buying more groceries. Or finding ways on how to suddenly become the best homeschool teacher for their kids. And for others, they felt the need to buy toilet paper.

Lots. Of. Toilet. Paper.

But even in all of our doing, it can still feel like it’s not enough. So, as promised, here’s the one thing to do when you don’t know what to do.

Ready???

Here it comes…

NOTHING.

That’s right, nothing.

Now, I know what you are thinking. “Seriously, Travis?! That’s the best that you can do?” But let me explain.

In the Old Testament of The Bible, there’s the story of Moses leading the Israelites. And in one specific part of the story, the nation of Israel was in a crisis. A BIG crisis.

They were pinned against the Red Sea with their former slave owners, the Egyptians, coming in hot pursuit after them. But imagine if you are there with them. Feel yourself being overtaken by their relentless sense of fear. Imagine how strong the wave of crippling anxiety for those people was in that moment.

And yet Moses says something that frankly may have seemed a bit out of place. “Stand still and see the salvation of God!” I wonder if the people had a collective “Dude, are you serious?!?!” thought running through their heads as he said that. But look closer at what Moses said.

Stand still.
Stop moving out of a sense of panic.

Stop the need to make decisions out of fear.

Let go of your anxiety and your worries.

Stop and be still.

If you read the rest of the story, you’ll see that God did a miracle before their eyes. He opened the massive Red Sea, let the Israelites walk on DRY ground and then closed the sea on their enemies. All of that to say this.

Even in the middle of a worldwide plague, the same God who delivered the nation of Israel is the same who is standing strong for us now. His power, comfort, undying love and strength are available to us now.

So, do we wash our hands a little more often? Yes. Do we follow the lead of our doctors and nurses? Of course. But sometimes the best thing to do in moments like the one that we are in is to do nothing. To rest. To be still. To trust in and allow God to lead us to the other side of what seems impossible. The storm will pass. The virus will leave. We just need to be still and trust.

“LOVE YOURZ.” Or 1 way to live a really great life.

Have you ever heard of someone who’s living “the good life?” Maybe you’ve heard it described as “living the dream” or “living their best life.” It seems like every other picture and status update on social media is showing the highlight reel of someone else’s life.

It could be from that celebrity that you follow on Instagram. Or it could be that friend of yours on Facebook that you’re secretly competing against for the most likes. (It’s ok, we all do it.)

Maybe it’s seeing people go on beautiful vacations with friends or the love of their life. While you spend another night, scrolling on Instagram by yourself on the couch.

Or seeing your friends landing their dream jobs while you take a lunch break from the job that you can’t stand but do anyway. It seems like the comparison trap is one that a lot of us, including myself, fall into repeatedly.

And if you’re like me, you’ve had the thought that says “if only I could get more of this or that, then I’ll finally be happy!”

And our society makes it really easy to believe that getting more of _____ will finally do the trick of making life more enjoyable. But what if I were to tell you that the secret to living a really great life is actually a lot easier and WAY less expensive that what our culture says?

Ready??…

Here it is…..

“LOVE YOURZ”

I know, I know. That doesn’t exactly make sense. Allow me to briefly explain…

A young, urban poet once said this phrase a few years back. And I think it had more power to it than even he realized. In other words, he was telling people that in order to live a really great life, you first have to be content with the life that you have. You have to “love yourz.”

Getting more of _____ may give you a feeling of happiness for a little while. But it never lasts. But being content is a feeling that lasts a lifetime. The reality is that more of____really won’t make you happy. And doesn’t lead to living your best life either.

Being truly happy is an inside job. Meaning, that if you want to be happy and live a really great life, start thinking of the awesome things that are currently in your life. In other words, “love yourz.” And slowly start to watch yourself really life a great life.

5 in 32, part two

Have you ever wondered what you would say to the younger version of yourself? What if you could go back in time, Avengers: Endgame style, and talk with yourself back in a certain time period? What would you say? What pieces of advice would you share?

For this blog post, I decided to dive into the rarely seen photo archives and see how far I’ve come in a few years. Looking back, I instantly noticed the full head of hair and the thin waist line!

But if it were possible to go back in time, I’ve always wondered what I would say to the younger version of myself. There’s been a lot of highs & lows since the picture that’s posted above was taken. But if I could go back in time and talk to young Travis, here’s what I’d say:

1. Take care of YOU. You have good intentions of helping other people. Don’t lose that! But you can’t give what you don’t have. If you aren’t in a healthy place in most or all areas of your life then you’ll become drained and exhausted.

   Yes, you don’t like the vegetables in this picture. Eat them anyway. Pray. Go to bed at a decent hour. Exercise. Look after your mental health. You’ve only got one body and one life to live. Live it well.

2. Life is made up of fast moving moments. Be present. Why? Soon, there’s going to be this thing called social media that will eventually take over the world. You’ll then have a small, palm sized computer in your pocket that will give you access to what’s happening in the world at all times!

Enjoy using it. But not at the expense of missing valuable time with friends & family that will only be around for so long. Live life in the moment.

3. Character>Talent. The world is full of talented people everywhere and you’re one of them too. But there’s one thing that’ll set you apart from a lot of folks. Integrity.

Your going to make mistakes, some bigger than others. But do yourself a favor, be a man of integrity. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Make wise decisions. What are the optics of what you are currently doing? Integrity will open more doors for you than any amount of talent ever will.

4. “Beeeee yourself.” Not only is that a classic line from the movie Aladdin, it’s also great wisdom for life in general. Learn to be comfortable in your own skin.

Yes, you should always be improving and growing. But don’t lay down your interests and likes at the altar of wanting to be a people pleaser. Be yourself. Your loved ones love you that way. And that’s what really matters most.

5. In the year 2019, one of your all time favorite basketball players, Dirk Nowitzki, is going to retire from the Dallas Mavericks and you’ll see it happen live on tv. You’ll instantly miss him. Brace yourself and bring lots of tissues…

Until next time,

Travis

The Waiting Game

I sometimes hate waiting for certain things.

Waiting in traffic. Waiting for the stop light to turn green. Waiting for the food to come out at a restaurant when I’m hungry. Waiting to open Christmas presents until it’s actually Christmas Day!

Waiting for a certain movie to come out. (looking at you Avengers: Endgame!) Plus, it doesn’t help that we live in an instant gratification type of culture. And yet life is full of wait and see moments..

Maybe there’s a special event or a certain season of your life that you are looking forward to.

Maybe it’s graduating from a particular school.

Maybe its finally marrying the love of your life.

Or it’s seeing the beautiful sparkle in the eyes of your newborn baby.

Maybe you are desperately waiting to land your dream job.

Or maybe you are hoping for a certain season of your life to end. It could be due to the pain from a breakup or the loss of a loved one..

Regardless of where you find yourself, I think everyone can relate to this on some level. We all want to be in control and waiting makes us realize that we actually aren’t. But as I’m waiting on some things in my life to happen, I’m slowly realizing a secret to life…

There is value in learning to be patient.

While it is true that “patience is a virtue,” I also believe that patience is a blessing in disguise.

Why?

Because the pain of waiting leads to patience, patience leads to character and character leads to hope. And hope is the thing that sustains us when we want to give up or quit.

So whether you are excitedly waiting for something to happen, have barely any hope left or you are waiting for a tough time to end, allow me to be the person to encourage you.

Keep your head/hopes up! Don’t lose your hope even if what you are waiting for takes awhile to happen. You’ll be glad that you hung in there when everything in you said to quit.

Until next time,

Travis

“Do you see what I see?”

There she was, walking on the outside of the local restaurant that I was sitting in. She had her backpack on with what seemed like all of her earthly possessions inside. With worn, black clothes, a faded brown shirt underneath and a weary look on her face. 

It wasn’t her clothes that caught my attention or even the fact that she appeared homeless as she slowly walked the streets of L.A. that broke my heart. It was the look in her eyes that said it all.

She was alone.

Broken.

Wandering. 

It doesn’t take much to realize that you and I are living in a world that is quickly and sadly becoming a really cold place. A quick look at social media or your tv will tell you that things like racism, sexism and prejudice seem like they are at an all time high with stories of such things being spread in the media.

The statistics on the sickening & worldwide problem of human trafficking/slavery are terrifying! Especially when you learn that a big part of that activity comes from large and suburban cities in the U.S. 

Even in myself, as a Christian man who’s called to love others, I have been wrestling with the question that I’ll ask you as well.

“How do you see people?”

Like, how do you really see them? 

As items to be used for your own needs? A means to an end? Do you consider the nice and kind people as good and the rude and criminal as bad people? Or just breathing objects that you pass by each day on your way to handle your business?

The reality is that we all have people that we love and cherish. And have others that seem to rub us the wrong way, annoy us and frankly can’t stand at times. Not sure who those people are? Sit in traffic for more than thirty minutes and you’ll find out pretty quickly!

But lately I’ve had this thought. The hardness of my heart towards certain people that I may come in contact with has a cure! A cure that would cause things like love, compassion, kindness, empathy and mercy to grow in my heart towards even the worst of humanity.

Instead of seeing people through my own lens, I should see them through this one instead.

”They are made in the image of God.”

Each person.

The black people, the white people.

The tall and short people.

The skinny and not so skinny people.

Your boss.

The man in prison.

The single mom of three.

The homeless man on the corner.

The kids playing in the park.

Mother Teresa.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Hitler.

Stalin.

Former and current presidents.

Democrats & Republicans.

The scared girl parked in front of the abortion clinic. 

All of them were made in the beautiful & priceless image of God.

“Well, some people have done such evil things!”

That’s true! And loving people doesn’t excuse wrong behavior. But I think there would be a lot less hatred and a lot more love on our planet if we viewed people as having the same heavenly design to them as we have.

That regardless of their past or current mistakes or their current economic state. Or whether they are an immigrant currently at the border or the person sitting next to us in Starbucks, there is an Almighty God who cares deeply for them. 

So I can’t treat people as less than or allow prejudice or even hatred in my heart towards others when I’m seeing them as valuable and loved by Someone who’s way greater than I am. By doing this and with the help of our Creator, you and I can change the world. One person at a time.

Until next time, peace!

PURPOSE and what it means to be alive.

Have you wondered why you are here? Like why you are alive on the Earth at this very moment? What makes you come alive when you do it? I think most if not all of us have wondered about these things at some point. I definitely have.

You see, almost two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to be the guest speaker at a youth event that some cousins of my wife and I were leading.

And to top it off, they even asked me to speak to their entire church that Sunday morning.

Now, this isn’t meant to brag but I’ve been speaking in these types of settings since I was fourteen years old. And I’ve thankfully had the chance to speak to thousands of people since that time.

And yet here I was, in the woods of southeast Texas in a small-ish town at one of the best speaking opportunities that I’ve ever had. You may ask “well, what was the difference?” The honest answer is, not much really.

Except the fact that for the first time in a long while, I felt alive.

Like, really alive.

As if this was the reason why I was put on the Earth.

For the past three or years, I’ve felt like I was just floating/drifting through my life. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some really great things happen to me during that time!

But something was missing.

Life felt like I was moving on autopilot while driving through a thick fog. Not really engaging in life. Just hung up on past mistakes, living my life looking backwards.

Just floating.

Coasting...

I felt like I had lost my way. 

But the reality is that after speaking to those families a couple of weeks ago, I find myself more invigorated to live a passionate, purpose filled life. To not just let life pass me by. But to chase after my passion with all that I have. 

The truth is that each one of us, regardless of your background or past mistakes, has a purpose in life. You aren’t an accident. You aren’t just another face or another employee at your job. Your life has meaning!

You aren’t just meant to float through life, achieve the so called “American Dream” and then retire on a beach somewhere. Or slave your life away at a job where you are miserable. Or as I’ve heard it said recently:

“You aren’t here to make a living, you are here to make a difference!”

After I was done speaking to those students and adults, I realized that I found it again.

“Found what?”

I’m glad that you asked!

 I found the joy of life again. 

So for you, find the thing or things that make your soul come alive and do them! Don’t settle in life, do it!

If you don’t hear it from anyone else, hear it from me. Find your purpose and go for it! You’ve got one life, live it on purpose!

Until next time,

The best cookie that I’ve ever had & 4 steps to achieving your dreams, Pt.1

Do you have a dream? Maybe something that you’ve always wanted to do? Some may call them resolutions. Others may refer to them as goals. Maybe it’s “living your best life!”

But it’s safe to say that everyone has had a dream at some point. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “What does a cookie have to do with any of this?!” I’m glad that you asked. Allow me to explain..

Last month, my wife and I took a small vacation to New York and got to visit some of our favorite areas in the city. One of those places is a small but really cool bakery named “Milk Bar.”

If you haven’t been there before, go order some desserts today by visiting https://milkbarstore.com/! Not only are they a well known bakery but the owner, Christina Tosi, has become a world renowned chef. 

As I learned more about her and how she started her business, I could easily see that Christina is one of the most imaginative people that I’ve ever heard of. She’s said that she moved to New York to be pastry chef. But she’s isn’t your ordinary chef. She uses cereal milk(yes, cereal milk) in her desserts! And has built a successful, multi-million dollar company doing so! 

And that’s when it hit me...

​Achieving your dream requires you to first dream outside of the box!

It doesn’t matter how old you are, your background or where you are from. You can achieve your goals! But don’t settle for doing what someone else has already done. Find your lane and be the best in it!

Unfortunately, we live in a world where others may hear someone else’s dream and say “that’s impossible!” or “that’s never be done before.” Don’t let that hold you back. Allow that to be your invitation to dream on a larger scale!

In part two of this series, I’ll give the next step to making 2019 a year of seeing your dreams come true. Until then, think big!

Highs & Lows

2018. What an interesting and fast moving year! For me, as I’m sure for most others, this year was full of great and not so great memories. Just like in the picture below, it seems as though this year was full of joyful “mountain high” moments. Along with deep, painful “valley lows.” 

For me personally, I had one of the best days of my life in 2018. I got to say “I do” to the woman of my dreams. To say that it was a “mountain high” type of a day would be an understatement. Other than my faith, she is the best thing that’s happened to me.

We’ve traveled to a couple of different places across the world. We’ve laughed so much, moved into our first home and have so many great memories. And yet this year has also included some very tough moments as well..

From the death and burial of two family members, health issues and other tough times, my wife and I have been severely tested in just seven months of marriage.

I would imagine that as you read this, you can probably relate to what I’m saying. Maybe you’ve had a really difficult day, month or several months this year. Maybe you’ve experienced so much joy that you can hardly believe it.

You may be excitedly going into 2019, looking forward to what lies ahead. Or just excited to get away from 2018. Or you could be entering 2019 with a fearful dread as we head into the unknown.

But whichever category you find yourself in, I’d like to offer the solution that’s carried me through my life’s greatest and worst moments.  

“Go in the way of peace.”

Peace is more than a temporary feeling, peace is a person. No matter how high or how low life has been for me, it is Peace that’s kept my life balanced. And I’ve only been able to find true peace in the person of Christ.

And that same peace is offered to you and I in 2019. If you’d like to talk or learn more about this peace, feel free to head over to my contact page and reach out to me. May this next year be your best year yet! The best is yet to come.

Until then,  

5 in 32.

1. Character>Gifting. When I think of the word integrity, I think of things like the Empire State Building. Not only is it large and beautiful but it is specifically designed to withstand the strongest of winds. Having character is a lot like that. Strong, secure, uncompromising.

I’ve learned that it’s better to have a little bit of talent but be trustworthy rather than be able to impress people but no one trusts you. Talent gets you in the door but it’s old school words like integrity, faithfulness and dependability that keep you in the room. 

2. When it comes to your dreams, swing for the fences. You only have one life. One shot to knock it out of the park. Think of the people that the world admires. These are people who had a dream in their hearts and a willing hand to work at it. Don’t quit on the dream in your heart. Give it to God as a seed. Watch Him bring to blossom as a garden.

3. “Friends are friends forever...” If you can’t finish the last part of that lyric, Google it and enjoy the song. Trust me. My mom used to always say to me “Be careful who you call friend.” I wish that I would have listened to her more often. Some friendships are short. Others are seasonal. And yes, losing them is a painful feeling. But once you find true friends, hold on to them. 

4. Life is shorter than we think, it’s better to be reconciled than right. I like to say that life is too short to live being offended. Some mountains are worth dying on, some fights are worth fighting. But sometimes they aren’t. Pick them wisely. But offering or receiving forgiveness is always the best idea. Saying the words “I’m sorry” or “forgive me” can heal even the worst of hurts.  

5. “The choices you make might be a mistake. But it’s never too late to turn around.” Mistakes and errors happen. Almost daily. But you can have a comeback after a setback! You aren’t down and out. Repeating the mistake isn’t the way to go. But you can not only recover from your errors but you can become better because of them. Don’t stay down. There is a greater day ahead! 

The Greatest Showman and lessons about life

*DISCLAIMER/SPOILER* If you haven’t seen the movie, “The Greatest Showman”, stop everything, go watch it and then read what’s below. It’s probably one of the best movies to come out in recent years and it’s incredible! If you have, let’s continue..

There’s a scene in the movie that especially caught my attention. P.T. Barnum’s show has just sold out and the crowd loved it. But as he was celebrating at home with his wife and daughters, his wife begins to question why he is doing all that  he’s doing. He says that it’s for their kids, for her and their future together. 

But as most wives, mine included, she lovingly but firmly tells him the truth. He wasn’t working so hard for them but for himself. They bought a huge house in the same neighborhood as his father in law, who despised P.T. He put their daughters in the best school. He’s made a lot of money. And finally, he admits that he doesn’t want their kids to deal with what he had to. Having people treat them as less than. He was proving a point.

But as I watched the movie, I saw something in P.T. that I didn’t expect to see...

Myself. 

I saw a man who was working overtime to try and prove something to the people around him. I think we can all relate to this at some point. Myself included.

Whether it’s working really hard to get the promotion, buying a certain type of car, marrying a certain person or even posting all of the #blessed highlights of life on social media, it seems like we at times want to prove to others that we have it all together.

The sad part about that lifestyle is that nothing is ever enough. No amount of money, success or likes on Facebook will be enough until you get the approval of the people you are wanting to notice you. 

But what if there is a different way to live? What  if, instead of proving a point to others, we realized the truth about life. That on your best day, you can’t earn the acceptance you are looking for. But you can receive it. Whether you believe in Him or not (and it’s ok if you aren’t sure), you can find the approval and acceptance in Christ that you may be looking for. 

You no longer have to live to prove a point to anyone. You can simply just receive the fact that because of Jesus and what He did for us on the cross, you are accepted. You just have to receive it. If you want to know more about that, feel free to email me at t.hodges56@yahoo.com. If not, thanks for reading.

Until next time.. 

"I don't have the answer."

​If you're like me, you enjoy learning about new things and facts. Reading through Wikipedia was a hobby of mine. Yes, I know. It's nerdy, let's move on. Even as a kid in school, I always seemed to enjoy knowing the answer to my teacher's questions. Being in the know, up to date and being able to solve problems was and is something that I like.

​As I've gotten older though, I began to realize that there are a lot of questions in life that I don't have the answer for. But the biggest question I've faced is "why?" Maybe you can relate to that also. Frankly, there is a lot about life that most if not all of us don't understand. Here are some questions that I've wrestled with lately:

​"Why did my father leave my mom and I?"

"Why did I have to go through that painful situation?"​

"Why is that person the president of that country?"

"Why did that family's newborn child pass away?"

"Why did those kids in Florida have to die at such a young age?"​

​Again, I'm sure that if we're honest with ourselves, we can all admit that we've asked why something did/didn't happen. And in our search for answers, we look to God. We want an explanation for what's happened and we want it now. 

 I'm a firm believer that God is fully able to answer the deepest, most desired questions that we can ask. I don't think He hides from our questions, even when we ask them in a state of pain or anger.

But I also believe that instead of giving the answer sometimes, He gives us what we really are looking for.

Peace.

One of my favorite speakers put it like this recently. "When we ask God for peace, He offers Himself!" Maybe something has happened to you or a loved one and you aren't sure of why it occurred.

You may read this and think "well if you knew what happened to me, you would be angry at God too!" I get it.

But one thing that I've learned as I've aged is that I don't have to have all of the answers, all of the time. What I can do though is ask for peace and let God satisfy that need. Check out the video below and ask God for His peace. Why? "Peace is a promise He keeps."

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"One Word That Could Change The World

Growing up as a kid, I heard a lot about the problems of the world and how I can be one of the people that could help to bring change to our planet. The term " you can change the world!" brought images of giving rousing speeches, having international influence, solving global poverty and inspiring people around the globe as I travel from place to place.

It seems as if my generation, the Millenial's, have heard this since the time that they were young. I mean, everyone wants to be a hero of some sort, right? And while all of this could be said about some of those who have changed our world, I learned a couple of years ago that this isn't always the case.

Just like this title suggests, I'd like to offer a word that I believe will in fact change the world. It's not a common word. In fact, it's not even an English word. But if we all practiced it, I firmly believe that things would change for us sooner rather than later.

Ready? Lights. Camera. Drumroll please...

 "Chesed" (Pronounced "heh-sed")

I know, you are probably thinking "what does that even mean?" I'm glad that you asked. It's a Hebrew word that means "loving-kindness, kindness, love." When I learned what this word meant, it made me think. "What would happen if each of us made a decision to put this word into action? Imagine what our world would be like?"

Regardless of whether someone deserved it or not, what would happen if we just decided to show the people around us more loving-kindness? Racism? Gone. Hatred? Not happening. Sexism? See ya later. And while we may not be able to provide this for everyone, we can give this to someone.

That person in front of you at Starbucks. Your neighbor. Your co-worker. Someone who annoys you. That relative that you haven't spoken to in years. Even the people that you don't like(we all have at least one.) Just try it. You may not make the world news and have people singing your praises. But you can change the world, one life at a time.

New Beginnings

Hi, my name's Travis and if you are reading this, I want to say thank you for visiting my website. I've always known that I had a gift when it came to writing. I've also had a strong desire to use that gift to encourage other people and offer hope to those who are needing it. That's the plan for each of my blog posts.

So what can you expect from me? I'm glad that you asked. You can expect to read blog entries that are real, honest, truthful and that offer hope. Plus, some cheesy jokes and puns. Lots of puns. You're welcome. So join me on the journey as we walk through life together. Here's to new beginnings.