New Year...New Hopes and New Dreams!!

2011 came way too fast...I was just getting use to saying 2010 and now I need to get use to a new year! Our lives get so complex and scattered it is really hard to believe that time goes by SO FAST!! Because of this, I am trying hard to put into practice the statement on the bottom of my email..."relentlessly remove hurry from your life..."

I just finished reading a book called CRAZY LOVE!! goto www.crazylovebook.com - It will ROCK your world!! It has mine! I really recommend this book to anyone that has a desire to know God and to understand the TRUE meaning of what Jesus called us to. We have...at least I have, not been a good example of what Christ called us to in the scriptures. I have taken His sayings and found ways to make them mean something else, just so they would fit better with my lifestyle! I am currently working on a new world view...a new personal and spiritual paradigm. I am challenged like never before to look at the way I view "stuff", the way I view the poor, the way I view hardship (and even how I define hardship!)

The more gadgets I have in my life, the easier life gets...the harder it is to hear the voice of God and to really believe that what He said was true...We block out certain things because of what that truth will cause us to do. If we really believe the things Christ said - and take them to heart...they will cause a response!! Sometimes that is scary!!

CRAZY LOVE is the best book I have read in a long time...I am not a big reader, but I could not put this down...two 3 hour sessions and the book was done. I could not put it down!!!

SIMPLIFY your life...FOCUS on others as much as yourself...GIVE radically...allow yourself to be OBSESSED with Jesus.

WOW - when you look at what those statements say...on the surface, I am ok with them. When you dig a little deeper and start to uncover what they mean, and how they cause us to act - they are far bigger than I have ever felt before.

I am in the process of growing my music business, trying to sing and perform well, trying to help others do the same...I want to earn a living to support my family...I want to win a Grammy one day - HOW DO I DO ALL THAT IN LIGHT OF THIS REALITY!??? That is what I am working through even as I write this!!

This is not a one size fits all...God calls us each to follow Him in our own individual way...I desperately want to live radically and find out what this new paradigm will mean for me and my family!! I haven't been this excited in a long time!!

read the book - watch some of his videos...and lets journey this together!!

Kevin

Inner and Outer = ?? Really??

Strange title...I know!! Here is the idea behind this...

My life over the last 5 years or so has been very frustrating...Spritually, Physically, Financially and Professionally. I have been trying to better myself and my family - doing a lot of the same things over and over and over and over...expecting things to finally fall into place and therefore gain a different result. I know that you dont do that...I understand that is the definition of insanity - BUT I never really equated that to what I was doing - I didn't think I was doing the same things, they always looked different.

I came to this conclusion a little while ago but never put it into practice...I fought the same demons in my life, seemed to battle the same things, frustrated by the same things...always in a financial bind...never having enough but always being so close to something big - looking and feeling like a loser! I was waffling and didn't really know what to do...

I use to always tell Wendy that I felt that my physical body was a representation of my relationship with God - hang on let me explain my theology!!

I really felt that when I neglected my body it effected my spiritual growth, my relationship with God and others were also effected negatively. When I keep my car clean, my room clean, the house clean, look after my family, work hard and stay in shape...ALL of those things feel like an outward representation of my relationship with God. My mind seems clearer, I seem to have the capacity to be a better person...

This last week has only started to skim the surface for me, but I have noticed that my level of patience is a bit better...my thoughts are clearer...I feel an inner growth because I am starting to care about the outer again! Does this make sense??

I know this is really "out there" thinking but I do feel that there is a corelation between looking after the "temple" and the health of my relationship with God!

Maybe it is just that I am allowing God to speak to me as I run...as I empty myself of the "toxins" I am able to fill it with HIS presence. Maybe all of this is teaching me to take control of the "flesh" and anytime you do that you allow God to speak to you...

ANYWAY - I don't always explain myself very well, but I know that the more I look after the outer person, the better my inner person becomes and my relationship with God is allowed to grow!

So - here's to a sub-4 HOUR Marathon and a better INNER Kevin Pauls!!!

KP