bradglenn79

There comes hard times in life. We all experience them. There has most likely been a time in your life where you have had nothing, if you haven’t been through a time like that beware it’s coming. I’m not necessarily talking about having no money, or no food, or no one, but it could be any and all of those things.

I have struggled most of my adult life. Lived paycheck to paycheck, had to ask for help with bills and groceries. I have even had to go without eating so that my kids could eat. At one time I was working 40 hours a week just to be able to keep a roof over our head. We had no car, we had no luxuries, I would do odd jobs each day after work so we could buy groceries one meal at the time. I felt more worthless than I ever had before. What kind of man can’t take care of his family? What kind of man can’t do for his wife and kids? What kind of man has to walk to the store each and everyday to find enough food to feed a family of five for the night on less money than most people spend on coffee?

Me. I’m that kind of man. People frowned on me looked down on me, and I’m sure some of them felt pity for me. One thing through it all though, without a doubt the most important thing is I never gave up. I would muster all of my strength and all of my courage and I would look at each day as an opportunity to do better, to be better. I also never stopped doing for others. I probably done more work for free than I got paid for at that time for people that needed help and couldn’t afford it. I was at a place in my life, in my struggle where everything I had was because of God. I could not see a way to provide, to survive, and definitely not get ahead. God continued to place opportunities in front of me each and every day to allow me to keep moving. I am most certainly not sharing this to make you feel sorry for me, or to make it seem like I am stronger than I am. I am sharing this to let you know God has placed a calling on your life. God will never change his calling and he gives you all the strength and courage necessary to achieve that calling. God never gives up on you, he never loses faith in you, he never doubts you, so don’t doubt the amazing creation that God has made. If God has called you he has qualified you.

When you have nothing you have all that God says you’ll ever need. You have enough strength, courage, and fortitude to change the world in his name. Let’s see that courage and let’s change the world. I love you.

I know I have talked about my life, my family, my friends, and my God. One of the things I have shied away from was my younger life. When I was in school. When I was in school I lived with my mama. My mama has always worked way too much and given up way too much for me. She gave up dating so I would never doubt her love for me, she gave up new clothes for her so I didn’t have to wear old clothes, and most importantly she gave up time with me so she could provide.

As any of you know meeting all of your needs when you’re a single income household can be a struggle. What’s even more difficult is meeting all of the wants of an often times too ungrateful child. Mama done what she could, but I didn’t always have the nicest of everything. I was excluded from some groups because I didn’t dress a certain way or have the things they thought were cool.

The things…..I was denied because of things. People overlooked my personality, my heart, my friendship over the fact that we didn’t have as much money. Being overlooked for any reason is disheartening but being left out because of things is hard for a kid. They didn’t understand my mama was doing all that she could, they didn’t understand that she went without new shoes for years so I could have new Nikes, they didn’t understand that my mama would have our cable cut off two months before school so she would have enough money to buy me new school clothes and supplies. They didn’t understand this but neither did I. I blamed my mama for falling short, I thought it was her fault I didn’t have, it was her fault that I couldn’t fit in with the other kids.

As I got older I realized what she had done, I realized what she had given up, I realized how hard it was and how hard she had worked to make it as good as it was. Without realizing it my mama had taught me one of the greatest lessons about life that I could ever have hoped to learn. My mama had taught me that what you have in life is a lot less important than what you give.

I have always made sure my kids had everything the needed, most of what they want, and tried to teach them that giving is more important than having. One thing I have failed at is practicing this outside of my house. I will do better about that. I will do more, help more, and give more.

When your time on earth is done you can’t take all of your stuff or all of your money with you. At the end of this life would you rather be known for what you had or for what you gave?

I love you.

You ever knew something was going to happen or not going to happen? Have you ever been so sure of something you’d bet all of your possessions on it? Have you ever been convinced something was one way, and then find out it was another? You know that kind of surprise? Well that’s gonna happen to a lot of people.

When I close my eyes here on this earth for the last time, and I open them up in heaven there will be shocked faces I’m sure. How could a person like me make it to heaven? Doing a lot of self reflection this morning has me feeling like I will be one of those shocked faces.

I have the Ten Commandments tattooed on my leg. Those are God’s rules for us. Laws for his people while here on Earth. The Bible says to break one is to break them all. So all of us have in theory broken them all, but what about me? I have broken them all. I have at some point in my life broken every commandment. I have lied, cheated, stole. I have worshipped at the altar of the almighty dollar, had a heart full of lust, and have been a disgrace to my mother and father that I am to honor. I have taken the Lord’s name in vain, I have worked or partied and refused to keep the sabbath holy. I have killed for sport, and murdered people with my words. I have coveted the life and the possessions of others.

So how does someone like me get into heaven? Surely when they read through my sins they will realize they have made a mistake. I belong in Heaven because I believe what the Bible says. The Bible says God’s grace is enough. Jesus died for your sins and mine as well. We have a place in heaven because “For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life”. My everlasting life will be in the kingdom of Heaven that Jesus went to prepare for me. You are never too far away there is a spot for you too.

Jesus died for us all because he loved us. I love you.

What are you doing with what God gave you? This question came through my email this morning. I thought at that time about this blog about the ability he gave me to seemingly unashamedly put my feelings on display for the world lol. Then I thought about my gift, the unlikely ability to be a comforter (not the blanket Phil).

After I was fairly happy with myself then I felt an immense conviction. Like God himself asked if that was all that he had given me. I felt guilt and sadness. I have been given so much more than just that. I have been given a family that deserves the world, friends that are more precious to me than they can even imagine, and so much ability to learn and do and to fix and repair.

What am I doing with the abilities that God gave me? I work everyday to provide for my family, and to help where I can. Now the question is do I help enough? Are there more things that I could do with my talent? Could I help more people, could I provide better, could I use these talents to help others learn and grow? The answer to all of these is most assuredly a yes, so today I have decided that help more is what I shall do. I will help more when I see people struggling and I will help anyone who wants to learn what I know to learn.

What am I doing with my friendships? Am I being a great friend? Am I being a decent person? Am I helping them on this earth, or am I helping them for what comes next? I have tried to be a good friend. I have tried to be around for all of them whenever they needed me. I have not been a good follower of Christ. I have made sure that my friends know my position on God, and how I follow him and serve. I have failed on finding out where they stand and making sure they know how to get to heaven. Starting today I will be a better friend. I will not only make sure my friends know I love them but I will also make sure they know that God Loves them.

How about my family. These are the most amazing people I could imagine. They are forgiving, loving, accepting, and I wouldn’t want any of them to be any different. So how can I take better care of them? I have to change the way I deal with situations. I have to be more like them. I have to be more accepting, more understanding, I have to show them the love of Christ through me. I think back to watching the funeral of Billy Graham when his daughter spoke about coming back home after a second failed marriage. She was afraid of the judgement, the disappointment, the I told you so’s. When she pulled up her father was waiting with arms wide open, he wrapped her up and told her he was so happy to have her back. She said “my dad was just a man, he was not God, but he showed me the love of God that day.” That is the way we should all strive to be. That is the way I WILL be.

God has given us so much, and to those given a lot a lot is expected. We are responsible for all of the things that God give us. We need to be good stewards of what we have received and not try to use it for our glory, but for the glory of God. All things done for the glory of God and done through love will grow amazing fruit.

I love you.

What does it mean to be defiant? Does it mean you don’t listen, don’t do what you’re told, are unteachable, unreachable, and hard to handle? Or does it mean that you are steadfast, strong in your convictions, and won’t take no for an answer? I guess that depends on the individual.

When I was a child I was very defiant, not out of meanness but just because I was testing who I was as a person. When I was in the third grade I had decided to stop doing homework. My mom was called in for a parent teacher conference due to my grades falling. As we are sitting there Mrs Morgan tells my mama “I don’t think Brad is smart enough to be in a regular 3rd grade class”. Of course like any mom would she questioned as to why. It was because I had stopped doing any and all homework. I was asked why I wasn’t doing my homework because my mama knew I was smart enough. “Mrs Morgan says homework is to practice what you learned in class, and my lowest test score is 100. So I don’t think I need more practice”. Mrs Morgan verified that in her grade book, and mama politely responded to her that it was obvious that I was smart enough and she assured her I would start doing my homework. I being defiant promised her I wouldn’t and I remained grounded to my room for eight months with no phone no tv no contact with the outside world. Because I was being stubborn.

Later in life when it come to my career I have been defiant because I thought I was the smartest person around. I had decided my way was the best way and that’s the way I was going to do it. I have risked my job, my health, and my safety just to be right. You tell me I can’t get it done and I will show you. Both of these kind of defiant can be harmful. They can put you and others in a place you’re not comfortable, safe, or prepared to be in.

Defiance doesn’t always have to be bad as I have come to discover later in life. In this culture we are forced to conform to public want even if it’s not what you want. We are made to accept things and allow things to keep from offending others. We are taught that we can’t follow Christ because it may cause others to get their feelings hurt. This is where my defiant human spirit takes over. I will stand up for my family, I will stand up for the ones I love, I will stand up for my church, and I will stand up for my God. Because one day soon I will be standing before him to answer for all that I have done on this earth. For the way I treated people, for the way I led my family, and for all of the times I have fallen short of God. One thing I will not have to answer for is why I refused him.

Sometimes your way isn’t the best way, sometimes you’re going to have to follow, sometimes you’re going to have to put your foot down and buck the system. I will rely on God to lead me in each case. I love you.

Who among us has battle scars? Who feels like they have been at the end of their rope and struggled to hang on? Who feels like they are there today? Now the most important question, Who knows you’re struggling?

This hits home with me so much more than anyone but God knows. I have battled depression for so long that it isn’t like second nature it is just who I am at this point. As I decided before I have not been depressed but instead in a depression, a dark hole that is often so deep that escaping it seems like an insurmountable obstacle. Being in this depression is hard enough by itself, but then I have anxiety compounding the problem. My anxiety comes from feeling the need to wear a mask to be happy to make others smile to encourage others when I am not sure if I can even continue through today. Being strong for others when I don’t have an ounce of strength for myself.

Now you see the real me. I am not always strong, not always happy, not always full of encouraging words. I have decided that I know where to find that joy, where to find that peace, where to find that strength, and that encouragement. I have found it in God. I have found that God created woman because he saw that man alone wasn’t good. We were put on this earth to be in relationships. We were put here to help each other, to lean on each other, to make each other better, and to love each other. No one is strong enough to bear the troubles of this earth alone, and you don’t have to. You have the Bible, you have prayer, you have God, and you have friends. No one wants to see you struggle but more importantly if you are struggling tell someone, ask for help. And to those who are not struggling be a listening ear, a strong shoulder, and a prayer warrior for those that are.

I am not free of my demons even today, but I have a plan of attack. I will conquer them with the help of God and you. If you feel like you have no one just remember God is always there and I’m not much further than a phone call away. I love you and thank you for loving me.

My life has been an interesting one at times. Not a good thing or a bad thing just a thing. I have had more fun than I should have and done things I shouldn’t. I have done things that were borderline against the law and some that flat crossed the line. I have also done things that were morally reprehensible. Those things I am the least proud of. I was in a time in my life where I was farther from God than ever before. Honestly I was at a place where I didn’t think he could see me and I wasn’t looking for him.

While working one day driving from call to call I was just riding kinda zoned out. All of a sudden I am snapped to attention by an object on the side of the road that caught my eye. It wasn’t shiny, it wasn’t big, and it should’ve been passed right by, but it wasn’t. I pulled over and stopped on the side of the road and walked back to see what it was. What I found was a coin about the size of a fifty cent piece. The coin had a cross on one side and on the other side it says “with God all things are possible”.

This coin found me, or I found it, or God put us together when I was farther from him than you could imagine. I was living my life completely in sin. I was not leading my family my wife my kids in the way of the lord. I was a terrible person but God left me on the side of the road that day with that coin in my hand and tears in my eyes. It was just a simple coin but it has carried so much weight in my life. It has changed my outlook, changed my desires, and changed my heart. Have I been perfect no, have I had problems yes, will I continue to struggle my entire life to be more Christ like without a doubt. I will continue to struggle and push forward because if God is willing to use me then I should at least be willing to be used.

No matter how far you think you are from God today you are not out of reach, not out of sight, not out of earshot. God wants to use you to change your life, and the lives of the people around you. We are never too damaged to be loved, or to be used by God to change the world. Join me in changing the world.

I love you.

Humans are creatures of habit. We like what we like and that’s what we will continue to do. Unless challenged we will not step out of our comfort zone. The problem with that is the fact that we can’t grow inside our little comfy bubble.

When I was working in management my company thought it would be a good idea to send a few of us to a Dale Carnegie course. To help us with our people skills. We had to learn how to better deal with people and found ways to find commonality so you can “win friends and influence people”. Most of this course for me was review, not because I had been through it but because it’s the way we in the south are raised. I was taught most of these lessons from very young by my Mama.

One part of the course that wasn’t review for me was public speaking. I’m not going to say it was a fear but it was definitely outside of my comfort zone. I cringed at the thought of having to get up in front of those thirty people and tell a story or talk about a topic. Maybe because I’m such a bad preparer, maybe because I think my speaking voice is horrible, or maybe mostly because I am up there alone vulnerable and under scrutiny of all of the people in the class.

One of the assignments was to write a story to tell the class about a painful situation. I chose to talk about the loss of my father in law. It was an incredibly difficult time for me but they wanted emotion they were going to get it. I didn’t prepare I decided that the story would tell itself. I stood up there and shortly after starting I had tears rolling down my cheeks, three minutes in I was in full tears, and by the end I couldn’t talk through the crying. I felt like I was going to have to run out of the class afterwards afraid of what they might say or how they might feel about me now, but to my surprise there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. They weren’t laughing at me they were crying with me. They felt the pain they took something away from the words I had to say and more than that I grew.

We all go through this life differently. We have different stories, different trials, and different tests. One thing is certain though all of these things are placed in our lives as opportunities to grow and as long as we stay in our comfort zone we won’t grow, we won’t mature, and we won’t be able to fulfill God’s calling on our life.

Today find the courage to step out of your comfort zone, step out on faith and let yourself grow. It could change someone’s life and will definitely change yours.

I love you.

Here we are again. Ugh why does Monday come so soon. If only I could find a way to stop Monday from coming. Gotta get back on the grind. I hate Monday’s.

I have said everyone of these and heard so many others say them too. Why do we have such a disdain for Monday? Monday is just a day of the week, a day in a calendar, the first day of our work week in most cases.

I have decided to look at the day a little differently. What if instead of hating Monday, what if instead of looking at Monday with dread we looked at it as an opportunity? A chance to be with our family with our friends.

How about instead of being upset we start out Monday with a smile, a full heart, and the desire to live this day to the fullest. Thank God it’s Monday. Thank you God for another day with the ones I love. Thank you for another day on the grind so I can support my family. Thank you for another opportunity to do better, to be better, to love more, and another chance to show someone the love and forgiveness you have shown me.

I have every confidence that if we start our Monday thankful that we get another Monday it will turn our whole life around. We are called to have a grateful heart even in the worst situations and we can start by having a great Monday.

Love someone today because God Loves you. I love you.

Maya Angelou was an amazing author and a talented poet. She had very interesting perspective on life and how we live it. One of her most famous quotes is “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you’ve done, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

This is true in almost every single situation. I have had people say things to me that upset me at the time that I don’t remember enough to be able to write about it. I have had people hurt me physically, but I can’t tell you a time. I can tell you how nearly everyone has made me feel. I remember when people would do something to put a smile on my face, and I remember when people left me crushed.

I think as a group we tend to be more concerned about what people think of our outward appearance. We are worried about what the outside world thinks of us and how they feel about us and we are less worried about the way we make the ones close feel.

We need to be aware that our words are as sharp as swords. We can speak death to someone’s dreams to their confidence to there life. When we do this we are planting a seed that breeds contempt. We can also speak life, love, and support. This will plant a seed that can grow into a beautiful tree. A tree that comes from Gods love that will continue to share life into others.

Life is hard, but if we are considerate of the way we make others feel we can make it easier. You don’t have to go through this life alone and you don’t have to do it sad. I love you love someone else.