If You Try

If You Try

Thursday, February 27, 2014

The Slow Road is Often the Best One



Something that I have come to appreciate as of late is the slow road. While, it is not as enjoyable as being in the fast lane, it has a way of making you mature. Slow cooked blessings are the best for the soul and tend to outweigh the quick fix meals many of us often crave. Even though I want to move faster, a relaxed pace enables me to learn more and get a greater sense of my purpose for being on the road anyway. If you want to be significant, you can't rush the process.


Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Success is Built From the Materials of Failure



Learn to see your failures as the building blocks of success. Each failure teaches you what not to do and this information helps to better hone in on what is needed for the desired outcome. Experts are those who have had the most failure, but eventually got it right. And when they got it right, it was on a massive level that the world had to take notice of. The more you fail, the closer you are to hitting the jackpot. Therefore, don't give up. Embrace failing and view it as a necessary part of accomplishment.

Coming to a Youtube channel near you...

Friday, February 21, 2014

Be Willing To Try Something New


Changing your methods will many times determine your success or failure in a given area. The rigid mind is unable to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of life. It is important to take advice from others and get outside of your own head often. I have learned this and am continuing to learn this. If you surround yourself with good people, they are going to share knowledge that you don't presently have and this will take you to the next level. Be willing to adjust and roll with different punches even if you aren't the one throwing them.


Tuesday, February 18, 2014

New Trailer: Sharp Skills ft. Gwen Phillips "If You Try" Music Visual/Video

Check out the new visual for Sharp Skills' single "If You Try" ft. Gwen Phillips. This song is on Sharp Skills' latest album "Anno Rebelio." The visual was shot and produced by Moon Buggee.




Anno Rebelio is available on iTunes (click album cover)


Thursday, February 13, 2014

Put in the Work and the Passion Will Come



I recently heard an interesting concept that sort of goes against even what I have come to beleive is true. And that is you discover your passion after you put in the work for what you are involved in. In the 1940's and 50's, the idea of "follow your passion" started circulating around and American culture bought into that notion. The interesting thing is that hardly anyone knows what their passion is when just starting out in life (you are super blessed if you're one of the rare few). Author of So Good They Can't Ignore You (click the link to watch his talk on it), Cal Newport, stated (I'm paraphrasing) we sort of stumble into our passion as we hone our skills and build up the career capital necessary to become an expert. He postulated that that is when passion for what we do is born. It first starts with an interest, that interest turns into hours and hours of practice, and then we cross over into the threshold of passion. A very interesting idea.



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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Build It Yourself



Sometimes, the most discouraging feelings in the world come over you when you are striking out into new territory. When you dare to do something great and go beyond what you know to be reality in search of better, there will be times when you feel the ice cold winds of lonliness and a lack of those who share your vision. The challenge is to overcome those feelings. That's the hardest part. You must continue to build even if you have to build what you see by yourself for a season. God will always send people to help you if you trust God in your periods of isolation. It is in this refining fire of aloneness that He builds your character, makes you strong, and solidifies your absolute confidence in Him and no other. While we are building our vision, God is building us up one brick and one layer at a time. So I guess a better title for this post would be Build It With Him.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Why You Need Lecrae and Why You Need Bizzle



For those of us who pay attention to or consider ourselves a part of the Christian Hip Hop (CHH) movement, you have more than likely heard the response by Bizzle to Macklemore's "Same Love." Bizzle's been known to make some bold statements, most notably when he took on Jay-Z in the song "You Got Some Explaing To Do", which sort of put Bizzle on the map so to speak. In my eyes, Bizzle is that unbridled warrior who will take on all comers as it pertains to the faith. AND WE NEED THAT!
Then you have Lecrae, who is probably the most influential and widely recongnized artist in Christian Hip Hop. He has crossed boundaries that many of us probably didn't think were possible, though we craved to see the day when it would happen. In my eyes, he is the Jay-Z of christina rap due to his iconic status and broad appeal. He has been positioned to be a bridge to the non-christian hip hop world in order to create conversation and hopefully allow a "seat at the table" in the larger hip hop universe. AND WE NEED THAT!
As an artist myself, I have struggled with finding acceptance in both the CHH and "secular" hip hop communities. I think part of the reason is becasue I really don't fit into either, I'm really a product of the two. What we are witnessing in today's rapidly changing CHH and overall Hip Hop market is a space for artists who are misfits for lack of a better word. I was so excited to see Bizzle and Lecrae on a track together, because it symolized to me unity of two facets/expressions of CHH. Many times, the Christian Hip Hop community has a tendency to attack what we don't understand or agree with. However, the Kingdom movement of Jesus Christ is so much bigger than any of us know and God uses strange methods that do not always fit into our boxes in order to touch human kind. I really hope that Lecrae, Bizzle, and other influential artists of differing points of view (as well as functions in the Body) will continue to come together and create something the broader world has to recognize.

"I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one, as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe that you sent me." -Jesus of Nazereth

Friday, February 7, 2014

Newborn Babies Sleeping in Dirty Cardboard Boxes



Had a super eye opening conversation recently with a friend of mine who spent half of her life in Mexico. We discussed politics, health care, education, and a host of other things. What really shook me was when she informed me of the condition of many people in Mexico who live in overwhelming poverty. The type of poverty where mothers are giving birth to babies who don't have access to clothes, medicine, or even a bed. She said sometimes mothers have to lay their kids in whatever they can find, even a dirty old cardboard box! Can you imagine laying your beautiful and precious newborn child in a nasty, beat and torn up box on a dirt floor? Well that is the reality for many people living in rural Mexico. She also spoke about how the Drug Cartels pretty much run everything out there and that you can't even wear jewelry or look like you have decent money. I don't want to paint the picture that there aren't positive things happening in Mexico, such as good schools and highly professional people. But for many, the reality is bleak and dark. I am encouraged to pray for  Mexico and the downfall of these ruthless cartels that are destroying this beautiful country. I'm also counting my blessings because my son had a beautifully furnished room to sleep in when we brought him home.


Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Keep Reinventing Yourself

                                                     This is a photo of one of the world's greatest inventors, George Washington Carver.

The way to stay relevant, cutting edge, and have longevity is to keep reinventing yourself. Never allow yourself to be satisfied, always find ways to improve and become better. Don't become a trend maniac, but watch them closely and see what things you can emulate while staying true to you. The moment you resist change and progression, your creativity becomes stale. Whatever becomes stale eventually molds and then rots. Be the type of person that death itself loses its breath trying to catch up to. Always be a student and try new ways of doing things, especially the things you are already good at.




Monday, February 3, 2014

Humble Greatness



I was really inspired by what I saw from Russell Wilson during Super Bowl 48. While impressed by what he did on the field, what shined the most to me was his ability to carry a mantle of greatness while embodying natural humility. Usually the line between arrogance and confidence is razor thin, but Wilson demonstrated that you can walk in authentic humility and confidence at the very same time. It made me think about how to implement this characteristic in my own life. Its very cool to see people who have such grace on a very large platform yet remain seemingly approachable and God centered. And that's how I want to be too.