A letter from August 19th, 2018

God you speak, I'll type. One year today!! In roughly 8-10 hours 365 days ago, you will send out a risky text and get a daunting answer in return. DON'T STRESS IT THOUGH This breakup & breakdown served as a catalyst for your greatest breakthrough. This moment will serve you for the rest of your life. Little did you know millions of people will be impacted by the way you carry your burdens and pains. BECAUSE JESUS CARRIES YOU ! No curve ball or speed bump on your journey will keep you from continuing to move forward. Your journey will always be forward. There is no passion in living a life smaller than what you are capable of. The world will not benefit from you playing small. PLAY BIG. FAIL BIG. DREAM BIG. BECAUSE GOD IS BIG. HE WANTS YOUR LIFE TO SHINE BIG. TO LIVE BIG. Everything good comes from your father above. Every good relationship, every bad breakup. Every good job, and every difficult task. Every good friend and one who burns the bridge. Every difficult and flourishing season. Every season serves a purpose. (365 days) Singleness. Adversity. Small pockets. Big dreams. Progress in the significant. Fright of the future. Faith>fear. AND FINALLY THE PERSPECTIVE SHIFT. The shift that will alter the course of your life and propel you into the world like a flaming arrow. So that the world may know your story. Your achievements through Jesus. Your family brought together to run the race of life. All lifting one name. Jesus. There's nothing like the feeling of knowing you Jesus. Jesus if you ate with sinners, if you met them at their lowest, so will I. Jesus if you followed where the father led you, so will I. Jesus because you were faithful till death, so will I. Because every soul you put on this earth serves a purpose here, I will bring that purpose out of everyone that crosses my path. No matter how had. -If creation still obeys you so will I. -If the wind goes where you send it so will I. SO many gratifying experiences this past year. So many memories, experiences and lessons learned. So if your hardest year somehow served as a catalyst for your year of greatest growth... WHY WOULDN'T YOU CHASE THE DIFFICULT? WHY NOT SHOW PEOPLE THE GOODNESS IN THEM WHEN INVISIBLE TO THEIR EYE? Why NOT?? There is no reason why. There is only progress. My WHY will serve this world for a purpose greater than myself. I won't just aspire to make a living. I will aspire to make a difference. I will chase greatness, not perfection. I will be patient. So in light of everything I've written, I've decided to send this to myself in 2021. You're peers will be graduating college, and whatever it is you are doing right now, I know you are happy. YOU ARE LOVED SAM. Contempt but not complacent. Speaking this future sends chills down my spine, but know that your present self ( aug 19th 2018) is rooting for you harder and stronger than anybody else in your arena. You ARE capable of greatness. You WILL achieve a life worthy of your calling. This life is the greatest platform you will ever stand on. Live one worthy of your purpose. There is peace in the not knowing. Great is God. You would not be here without surrounding yourself with people that helped you see the good where you saw none. This past year taught you discipling and the value in consistency. You found new hobbies including photography, you killed the guitar this past year and singing!! So many meaningful relationships were made. So much good has come from the past year, but it has been in replacing the mindset of problems. You see, there is value in flipping the script. Failures served as feedback. Problems helped me to learn the meaning of reacting and how the way you react could speak louder than any words could. SO so much, but to recap in one phrase I would like this: God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called. You are called. You are worthy. You are purposed to something so much greater than where you are now. So use every single day as a means to get closer to that calling. God has a place for you in this world and it is your responsibility to find where He is calling you to. BUT never confuse movement with progress. Stay active but keep your energy focused. I wonder what you'll be up to in 2021. The new year is quickly approaching. Who knows what friendships will be re-kindled. And what powerful influences you will have in your life now. I guess we could say you'll be financially free for 2 years now ;) SO USE YOUR TALENTS. WAKE UP EARLY. DRINK COFFEE. WORK HARD. BE AMBITIOUS. KEEP <> YOUR MIND RIGHT AND YOUR HEAD UP. DO WELL, LIVE WELL, AND DRESS REALLY REALLY WELL. DO WHAT YOU LOVE, LOVE WHAT YOU DO. IT IS TIME TO START LIVING !!! Best, Sam