Super. My Thanksgiving Post.

This is how it goes. Life takes a dump on you and it stinks. Most people say how they are thankful to God even for the bad things. But I don't.  I'm not thankful for the fact that after a long horrible day all of my really nice video equipment was stolen. That's like saying, "thanks for demons. I know there bad but I'm still thankful!"
No. God knows my heart and He knows I'm pist. It's an upsetting thing to have all your business taken away and have almost no way to recover. The insurance isn't covering enough to get me back to where I need to be. As far is I can tell my video production is at a stall.
I could look at this as a defeat.  A closed door. A dead end. But it's not.
No. God knows my heart. He knows my weakness and my strength. And I know He didn't give me a passion just so I could give up on it. He gave me a direction so when I came up to that closed door that was between me and where God wanted me to be I would take out His Word. In scripture it is called the sword of truth.  In my case it's an ax. After kicking the door and springing my ankle I'm picking up the Ax of Truth and  busting down this "closed door". Screw looking for a window. Screw saying, "I guess it wasn't God's will." After all, this isn't a door it's opposition.  And opposition comes to those who are doing what's right.  And in this case the opposition is getting an ax to the head, Rick Grimes style.
So what am I thankful for this Thanksgiving blog post? I'm thankful God gave me the strength to see this bad thing and not give in to it. Not to fold. I'm thankful He is letting me be on His side and to show the world that God is in control even when evil robs all we have. God has the final say not my self pity.  God knows the way and I just need to push forward through the oceans of doubt. The walls of lies. The armies of terror.  God know they are there and He is in control and His plan to glorify Himself through the opposition is what I am thankful for.
So I'm asking you to do the same. Identify the evil in the world and thank God for the victory over it instead of folding and assuming that this is just how it is and whatever demons that come your way win and you will be content and thankful. God has bigger plans. Are your plans a reflection of His power or your understanding?

Forgetting How To Fail

I once had a dream to be a YouTuber. That is, I wanted to be someone who makes YouTube videos for a living. So I set out to do it and it was a lot of work and it wasn't motivating. So after about a year of trying to make videos that other people might like I gave up. I was making videos I didn't like so I didn't want to promote them. I couldn't really get the word out.
I gave up because I couldn't figure out how to change what I love into something others would love too. And that is the way of art. If you do what you love you will love doing it and even if no one else likes it at least you do. It doesn't always lead to a carrier but if you allow yourself to be happy with what you do than can't you carry it over?
I've decided to change my tactic. I'm going to make something I'm proud of and that I like. and then I'm going to have the confidence to promote it. It's simple but even if it doesn't sell at least I will have something to cherish for myself. So really, with that how can I fail? I can't, and I won't.

Hope and Be

Over the last seven years I have heard a lot of discouraging things. I've lived a lot of discouraging things. So many of them have made a deep impression on me.. I don't think I'm alone in this. I think you most likely can relate. So I'm hoping that you might hear this simple plea and that it might transform your outlook. The plea is this "Hope in what is good and be what is right."

Hope in what is good...

Hope often refers to what we want. We want good things to happen. So we say things like, "I hope so!" when people tell us something good that might happen. "I might get a promotion." Response "I hope so."  

So often that hope is full of doubt. We live an oxymoron. Hope and doubt can not coexist in our plans for the future. If you think "well I'm just being a realist" your right. As long as you doubt yourself you most likely will not get what you want. That will be your "real" reality.

Be what is right...
Sometimes "Hope" is outside of reality. My question is "can you dream?" It's those dreams for what is right that take lives of discouragement and turn them into lives of fulfilment. Martin Luther King Jr. lived a life of fulfillment because he served a dream that he believed in. His hope was real. He died by the opposing view.

When our opposition kills us we normally view it as a failure but I don't know many that viewed MLK Jr's life as a failure. His hope and his dream were fulfilled by his faith that was made known by his passion. He believed despite a life of what could have been discouragement.

If you really dwell on the opposition MLK faced every day you wouldn't blame him if he doubted. And I'm sure he had his moments of weakness.  But his hope carried him through along with so many others even after his death.

Hope and Be...
Do you have hope? I do. I realized that the biggest obstacle in my life was self doubt. This year I realized that God wants what is good and right for my life. And by realized I mean I believed it. It is giving me the hope I believe God wants for me. That is an authority that I can stand on. It's not just a hope in myself it's a belief in God's word. He said he wants good things for me and I believe it!

Most importantly this hope is giving me the strength and self confidence to help others have that same hope. I hope this simple idea can give you the strength to overcome the discouragement of this world too.

I know I'm not alone. What awesome things have encouraged you to rise above the daily discouragement? I don't check my blogger comments very often so please send me a message on twitter or facebook because I am looking for an encouraging group of friends to help build each other up. twitter @danielsanchez20

Thanks guys for reading. I'm looking forward to this next year!
~DS