Sometimes We Need A Reset

If you’re like me you try to do a million things and get them all perfectly done. I make lists of things I want to accomplish, who I want to be, goals, dreams, and lots of other things. Those aren’t bad. Vision for life is good.

But my thoughts have been so cloudy lately that I just needed to take a step back. I felt like I wasn’t accomplishing enough. I felt like I wasn’t doing good enough. I felt like there was this huge pile of junk in front of me that I would take something from the bottom and finish it, then more would come crashing down in front of me. It was never-ending. There’s not enough time to do everything I want to accomplish. Yeah, it’s pretty overwhelming. And my life is kinda like that. I won’t have anything to do for weeks, then as soon as I get one job or have something to finish, lots more come to follow.

And then today God reminded me of something he taught me a few years ago. Best advice ever.

If I’m ever in a swirl of confusion and have no idea which way is up then just go to this:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

To succeed in life all you have to do is ask one question. “How do I love God, myself, and people?”

God says this is the greatest, most important thing I can do, so that’s what I will focus on.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all thing, educes all things. Love never ends.”

Hey, Don’t Worry, You’re Loved.

I want to help bring myself and the people around me back to a place of just being with God. Can I just take the pressure off of us right now? Can we stop trying to do a million things. Stop trying to get it right.

God has  one goal for us in life. It’s the reason He does everything. Relationship with Him. He juste wants you to be with Him.

Stop trying to get everything right. Please. He doesn’t want robots. The Church forgets the one necessary thing a lot of the time. The greatest thing is LOVE. We need to embrace that people are people. It’s easy to love people when they do everything right. That doesn’t mean anything. That doesn’t make us different at all. God wants real people. I want to be around real people. And in being genuinely loved in that place of where ever we are is what changes us. People get loved into change. Not the other way around. Love changes. Come on! Let’s love people into change. And allow yourself to be loved where you are. It goes both ways.

Sometimes I feel like I just have to restart everything all over again. Forget everything that I’ve learned or think I need to do. Oh man, it feels good not to have any formulas or rituals. Just clarity and simplicity. Simplicity is a good word right about now. Just talk with God. Talk with other people. Learn how to love and be loved. That’s it.

So let pressure melt away today. You don’t have to do anything for Him to like you. He likes you right now. You’re great. You’re wonderful. You’re loved.

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am…” (John 17:24)

Movie Monday – This one is more for cinematographers

Awesome cinematography & color!

2014: Goals

I just read a blog post from a pretty well known author, and I’m about to do the opposite of what they said. They said not to share your new year’s resolutions with other people. But I believe that sharing can help inspire other people. Plus I love to make lists and goals. I may also like to break rules.

1. Collaboration.

One of my biggest goals this year as far as my work and creativity is to get around other creatives and just do projects. I’ve worked by myself on a lot of my creative projects. It’s not a bad thing always. But I really felt like this year was the year to start learning how to work on creative projects with other people. It’s somewhere where we get to learn and grow. We get to hear feedback and be humbled and be celebrated. We weren’t made to do life by ourselves.

2. Just do it.

This goes right along with collaboration and my creative projects. I’m just going to choose to keep putting out work. Not worry if it’s really good or really bad. Not worrying what people will think about it. I’m not going to try to be a perfectionist. The best way to get better at something is to just go for it. I don’t want to be someone who has thought up so many incredible ideas and not went for them. I want to get over the fear of failure. This is a year of making mistakes and being okay with it and then getting over them quickly. I don’t want to be wishing later on in life that I had tried something. Making mistakes is good for us – especially perfectionists like me.

Movie Monday!

This one might make your hands sweat. Mine did.

Movie Monday

Yes.

Man vs. Canada Goose Monday

My Movie Monday

Hey, here’s my newest short. It’s a promo for a Got Milk contest.

Personal Life Update – Part II

God has really been teaching me not to fear what other people think and to step out and do what I believe I am hearing from Him. That doesn’t mean that I don’t listen to wisdom from people. It means that if I believe something, then I don’t just stop going after it because someone tells me something different.

One of those things is to pursue being an entrepreneur and starting my own film company. It’s who He’s created me to be. And I think I am a darn good entrepreneur. This is what I believe He’s been saying to me and that’s what I want to stand by. I’m loving finding out more and more of who God created me to be. Cause He only creates amazing things. So, you are amazing as well. Really amazing. Sometimes we just aren’t being who God created us to be. And that’s why it doesn’t seem amazing. It’s not what you do, but it’s who you are.

Here’s what God has spoken about me. It’s right above my desk. I usually need a reminder, because I’m not always being myself 🙂

I am a passionate man who inspires the people around me. I am called to counsel with wisdom and encourage people to be who they were created to be. I have hope even when no one else does. I will cause people to be filled with belief in the goodness of God. I am strong and lion-hearted. I am creative and a dreamer. I am called to bring my smile, humor, laughter, and fun. I am a servant of love and a loyal friend. I am someone who is genuine and makes people feel important and loved.

This is who I am. Who are you?

Personal Life Update – Part I

Life is just crazy. Things can change in a moment. Really. In a few seconds.

That’s what God has been showing me about himself for the last year. He is the creator of the universe. He really can change whatever he wants to in whatever timing he wants to. And I personally believe that we can be a part of that by asking Him. And sometimes He just likes us so much that He does it even when we don’t ask.

So, I’m actually writing this from Wheaton, IL. Right next to Wheaton College. I moved out here just a week ago with a couple legit guys from church. You haven’t heard yet? You’re surprised? Yeah, me too. I was not planning this for very long. After being back home for two years after college and IHOP (International House of Prayer – not the pancake house, silly.) I thought I would still be there for at least 3-6 months if not longer.

A month or so ago I felt God asking me to take a step of faith. Being a freelance filmmaker I don’t ever really know how consistent my work will be for the month, so it’s hard for me to schedule and budget things. That was originally why I didn’t move out here a year ago. And so one day I got a call from my roommate, Micah, who asked me if I wanted to move in. Before that day I didn’t really have any plans of moving. But here I am. I made that decision in less than a week and am trusting that God will provide. There has not been a moment where He has not provided for me. And usually in these cases of stepping out it happens in amazing ways. I will keep you updated.