• Now IS NOT the time for critique
• Now IS NOT the time for negative self-talk
• Now IS the time to execute
• Now IS the time to reinforce positive habits

In order to do that you will have to learn to take it easy on yourself.  Depending on the size of the change will determine how much grace you need to give to yourself.  A significant change will require more time for mistakes and missteps.  This doesn't mean that we overlook these missteps.  It just means that we need to recognize that change takes time.  Highlight the positive moments and move past the negative ones.

When I started participating in National Novel Writers Month this was my biggest issue.  I couldn't silence my inner critic.  This internal editor kept me revising the same paragraphs.  It also made me restart writing projects thus loosing any forward momentum I might have gained.  The first year I tried NaNoWriMo I don't think I made it to 500 words.  It took me several years of attempts before I could silence this voice and make it though.  As one of my mentors says 1 is always greater than zero.

It is better for you to get your multiple reps in consistently than it is for one perfect rep done sporadically.  Plus, as I have said before perfection doesn't exist anyway.  If you get started and take steps in the right direction you'll always beat the perfectionist.  You'll be so far down the road that the perfectionist will never catch up.

The name of the game is execution.  Execute consistently and give yourself space to learn and grow.

• What are you trying to accomplish?
• What are the next steps to get you closer to your goal?n

Commit to giving yourself the grace to take the clumsy first steps.

In an effort to illustrate what I am talking about, here is one of my early videos.

Stink First

You got this! I believe in you!

I have been asked to share some tips and tricks on starting a podcast. This question has come up in a couple of different forums so I thought I would share some of our podcasting journey. Luckily for me I had access to a full mixer board in the early days of recording. Our church had a lot of equipment along with a full stage so I was able to practice with a lot of different setups.

This doesn't translate into the world of podcasting now, especially if you don't have the budget. The good news is that getting started as a podcaster can be as simple or as complex as you want.

So what do you need to get started in podcasting?

1. An Idea
2. Equipment
3. Host
4. Distribution

Idea

When I say you need an idea I do not mean that you have to have a full show complete with format and outlines for each week. I mean that you need to have something to talk about. You need something that you are passionate about enough that you will stay interested. Podcasting, depending on the format, can have you talking to yourself a lot so you'll need something that matters to you.

Questions to ask yourself

1. What am I passionate about?
2. What do I enjoy doing?
3. What irritates me?
4. Who would I like to talk to if I can get access?

Equipment

I'll split this section up into beginner and intermediate. I am by no means a pro so I will defer to others on pro setups. I want to get you up and recording as soon as possible.

Beginner

If you are just getting started and are not even sure that this is for you I would recommend against spending a bunch of money up front. most of us carry around a full audio rig in our pockets in the form of a phone. Whether an iPhone or Android you can use your phones mic to get started in podcasting. Here are 2 apps that can be used for creating, hosting and distributing your podcasts.

• SoundCloud
• Anchor.fm

The process for both of these is to install the app on your device and record your content. New episode will be pushed out to users of their platforms and other podcast players as you configure them. I think Anchor distributes to more systems than soundcloud natively.

• Voice Record Pro

Lastly I also use an app called Voice Record Pro when I need to record a quick snippet. Here is an exple from series over on Youtube called The Minute Podcast over on YouTube.

Intermediate

If you want to invest some money into your podcast setup than you will need the following:

1. Mic(s)
2. Computer with editing software
3. Optional: Mixer

Here are some example setups depending on how you plan to record your podcast.

Single Desk Reporter

• Mic: Blue Yeti
• Computer: Windows or Mac dependant on software choice
• Software: Audacity or Garageband

Nice and easy for recording a single voice or multiple voices that do not need individual leveling.

Traveling Reporter

• Recorder: Zoom H4N Pro Recorder
• Computer: Windows or Mac dependant on software choice
• Software: Audacity or Garageband
• Optional: Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Cardioid Dynamic USB/XLR

The Zoom is a recorder with the ability to attach multiple mics as well as a single built in mic for use in a roving interviewing setup.

Questions to ask yourself

1. What style of show am I doing?
2. Do I need my recocrder to be portable?

Hosting

If you are going with the Anchor or SoundCloud options than this section is not as relevant for you. Make sure you research the payment tiers for each. Hosting is expensive so there will be a charge for using either of these sites.

If you are recording/editing using your computer than you will need to host your podcast online. Here are some sites that can host your podcasts.

1. Podbean
2. Libsyn
3. PodOmatic

Our podcast Life in the Clouds Podcast is currently hosted on PodOmatic.

Once you have selected your hosts, signed up and uploaded some episodes you can move onto the last step. Distribution.

Questions to ask yourself

1. How much do I want to spend for hosting?
2. Do I need web streaming for my podcast?
3. How much support do I need?

Distribution

Once you have picked your host you will be given a RSS feed link which is what you will need to submit to the platforms where you want your podcast to be found. For our podcast we distribute through:

1. LITC on Apple Podcasts
2. LITC on Stitcher Radio
3. LITC on Google Play Podcasts

Depending on your host you may have to submit yourself to each platform individually. I know that Anchor provides you a way to submit yourself to different platforms. Here are the links where you can submit your podcasts:

1. Submit to Apple Podcasts
2. Submit to Stitcher Radio
3. Submit to Google Play Podcasts

Once you have been approved each time you post new episodes you episode will publish to each of the platforms.

Hopefully this will help you get started on your podcast journey.

Happy Recording

A lot of the media we consume is noise. To get something to bubble up you only have a few levers you can pull. One of those levers is to raise the volume. This is down by ratcheting up the rehtoric. Make it as incindeiary as possible. This drive the clicks and then the comment section takes care of the rest. Many folks don't even read the articles/posts and will go straight to the comments. This is where the money is made whether it is actual cash money or just the personal aggrandizement that comes from viral posts.

My approach to social media is no different than others. I share information that is important to me. Things that I post matter to me. This blog is where I share my thoughts, recollections and ideas. Luckily for me I do not get much traffic. While I am pretty open on the socials. I rarely get into comment threads unless either the topic matters or the person who posted matters.

The top of the article has this,

It has to do with refusing to be fully adult and neglecting to take on, each day, the maturity, grace and self-discipline that are expected of adults and part of their job. That job is to pattern adulthood for those coming up, who are looking, always, for How To Do It—how to be a fully formed man, a fully grown woman.

I have been posting about looking inward. I think that this is a skill that is being lost. Maybe we never had it. I posted not too long ago that Self Awareness is my Superpower and I mean it. I know my own mind. I know what the triggers are that get at me.

This has come at a great personal cost to me. To understand myself is to take stock of who and what I allow around me. It has made me reevaluate how I engage with people. It has made me quieter and louder at the same time. Not contributing to the noise means that I can put more energy into the things that matter.

I think I will stop there and ask you to do the hard work of introspection. Look inward and consider why you do what you do. This will help you to do the amazing work that you want to do.

Go GO GO!

Where trees provided shade and the grass was the only blanket you needed. When I talk to my daughter I don't detect the same level of wonder as she interact with the world. Maybe it is the difference between boys and girls. I remember sweeping adventures that went from one end of one neighborhood to the far end of another.

We had tales about the old homes in our neighborhood. From the story of old man Barry who had killed his brother to assume his familes property to the old boarded up house that was packed full of boxes of money. Then there were the old things we would find in the woods In between the neighborhoods. We would regularly find old cars in the woods and think how did they got there.

These paths were the wormholes to distant lands. Pushing through the undergrowth was emerging through a portal to elsewhen or otherplace. I guess I was just an imaginative kid. I don't know.

In my life God used this sense of awe and wonder to draw me in. As I look back over my life I see how he had set eternity in my heart. How His very creation pointed to something beyond the conventional. Even in my very hidebound mind I see that he was placing in me eyes that were always looking for the miraculous.

Time is a valuable asset that attracts many robbers.Today is May 31. The last day of the year for me. I know, I know. I can hear you saying, "You do know that there are 6 more months left in the year right?" While that is true on your calendar, MY calendar reads differently. A lot of this, looking back on it, has to do with the fact that I am/was incredibly egotistical as a kid. The year for me starts in the month of June for 2 reasons that are important to me.

1. June is my Birth Month My birthday is in June and so, for me, that makes June a special month. It is why I have always counted June as the beginning of my year. Now I keep up appearances for the rest of the world but my internal calender says today is the end of year.

 2. Summer Begins in June As most kids will agree Summer is the best time of the year. It is what we wait. It is what we dream about. Time to just be, do whatever we want, sleep as long as we like, play ALL day. To a kid, at least to this kid, Summer is the pinnacle of the year. Winter is great with snow and Christmastime but nothing beats the heat and excitement of Summer. Colorful leaves and Thanksgiving are refreshing but hitting the pool or a beach in Summer is the best. Spings renewal has got nothing on the revival of our baseball team. Summer, Summer Summertime FTW!

The Point When I started this post I had a point but I am not sure if I still do. As I look at the close of my year and look towards a new one I wonder if I used my moments to their fullest potential? How much time was left on the table? The answer to that is none. That is the difference between time and every other asset. You will spend, waste, or invest your time. It cannot be stored. It cannot be saved. You can't generate any more of it. When it is gone, it is gone. For those of you using the regular calendar you have 6 more months in your year. What are you going to do with it? Each new day is a gift you might not get another one so you better use this one. What plans/projects/milestones can you complete?
Like the quote above says there are many who want you use your gift of time. They will steal it if you are not diligent in how you use it. Choose this day...

*Remember the Days Might be Longer but Time is Short *

"We’re so young. We’re so young. We’re twenty-two years old. We have so much time." - Marina KeeganThis quote was taken from an essay written by a graduating student from Yale. She died in a car accident last weekend. She was 22. How will you use the time that you have been given in a way that will have a lasting impact?

 -God's Man

Well they say that a picture is worth a 1000 words than this should cover today's word count. I present "Adventures in Cake Making." This illustrates an point that I was making a few days back. Enjoy what you are doing. I had no desire to make this ice cream cake but I enjoyed watching Isana enjoy herself. Yes it was messy. Yes it didn't turn out as expected. Yes it was worth every bit of the frustration to see the fun she had working it. We are planning to finish this tonight. I doubt that it will taste good but we are going to have fun eating it.
EnthusiasmEnthusiasm is a state of mind.It inspires actions and is the most contagious of all emotions.Enthusiasm is a combination of mental and physical energy which is seldom found in an ailing body.It thrives best where sound physical health abounds.Sound health begins with the development and maintenance of health consciousness, just as economic success begins with prosperity consciousness.To be enthusiastic - act enthusiastically!Go Go Go

Today I want to talk about being happy. Happiness is one of those desires that people have but it seems to elude a lot of them. One of the Seven Decisions in the Traveler's gift gives the key to really understanding happiness. If you embrace this one thing it will change the way you look at the circumstances and situations in your life. What is this key? The key to finding this hard to find happiness is the realization that you have the choice to be happy.

Choice is such a simple thing. Note that I didn't say that it was easy. It is not. Your mood may not lead you to embrace happiness. Your situation may not "be" a happy one. However you have to power to decide how you will respond to it. You can choose to be happy. The opposite is also true. You can choose to be sad, frustrated, angry. Which one make the most sense to you. If you had the power to choose, which one do you want?

So no matter what you spouse may say. No matter what you children might do. Regardless of what situations you may find yourself in. Tell yourself, I Choose To Be Happy.

Beginning this very moment, I am a happy person, for I now truly understand the concept of happiness. Few others before me have been able to grasp the truth of the physical law that enables one to live happily every day. I know now that happiness is not an emotional phantom floating in and out of my life. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is the end result of certain thoughts and activities, which actually bring about a chemical reaction in my body. This reaction results in a euphoria, which, while elusive to some, is totally under my control.

Today I will choose to be happy. I will greet each day with laughter. Within moments of awakening, I will laugh for seven seconds. After even such a small period of time, excitement has begun to flow through my bloodstream. I feel different. I am different! I am enthusiastic about the day. I am alert to its possibilities. I am happy! Laughter is an outward expression of enthusiasm, and I know that enthusiasm is the fuel that moves the world. I laugh throughout the day. I laugh while I am alone, and I laugh in conversation with others. People are drawn to me because I have laughter in my heart. The world belongs to the enthusiastic for people will follow them anywhere!

Today I will choose to be happy. I will smile at every person I meet. My smile has become my calling card. It is, after all, the most potent weapon I possess. My smile has the strength to forge bonds, break ice, and calm storms. I will use my smile constantly. Because of my smile, the people with whom I come in contact on a daily basis will choose to further my causes and follow my leadership. I will always smile first. That particular display of a good attitude will tell others what I expect in return. My smile is the key to my emotional make up. A wise man once said, “I do not sing because I am happy; I am happy because I sing!” When I choose to smile, I become the master of my emotions. Discouragement, despair, frustration, and fear will always wither when confronted by my smile. The power of who I am is displayed when I smile.

Today I will choose to be happy. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit. In the past, I have found discouragement in particular situations, until I compared the condition of my life to others less fortunate. Just as a fresh breeze cleans smoke from the air, so does a grateful spirit remove the cloud of despair. It is impossible for the seeds of depression to take root in a thankful heart. My God has bestowed upon me many gifts, and for these I will remember to be grateful. Too many times I have offered up the prayers of a beggar, always asking for more and forgetting my thanks. I do not wish to be seen as a greedy child, unappreciative, and disrespectful. I am grateful for sight and sound and breath. If ever in my life there is a pouring out of blessings beyond that, then I will be grateful for the miracle of abundance.

I will greet each day with laughter. I will smile at every person I meet. I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.

Today, I Will Choose To Be Happy.This concept of choice is so very important to your success in the 30 Day Trial Challenge. Everyday you have to choose whether to get it done our not. I hope that you continue to see this through to the end.

Go Go Go

"Suppose you can get what you want..."This weekend at church we had a visit from Bishop Salamat Khokhar. He is an evangelist from the country of Pakistan. He spoke with us about being in a country where the Christians are in the minority. It was amazing how he walks with such boldness. That is the boldness that I have prayed for. I asked him what was the difference between Christians in the US and overseas. His response was, "The American Christian is lazy."

I thought about that alot. I mean I wouldn't call myself lazy but as I thought about it I realized that yes I am. I mean I don't proclaim the Gospel like I should. I don't go out of my way to tell someone about God.

At first I was sad but than it made me have a greater desire to get off of my butt. God gave me a purpose and it is time to really put my heart and soul into it.

The Holy Spirit interprets for us. So even when you don't have the words he will make your petitions known to God. I am always awed by what comes up into my mind when I do this. I don't banish this as a product of a random mind like I used to do. I see now that these things need to be addressed so that my prayers are not hindered.
I laid many things at God's feet. I asked Him to forgive me of the mistakes that I have made. The one that stood out to me was a statement that I made to my father. When Prv31 was in a bible study at our new church he commented that she was with her boyfriend. I told him that the only man that I have to be worried about is Jesus Christ.

He let it go there but I continued rolling that around in my mind. I heard my mind say, "If she gave me half the energy/passion/emotion that she gave to God...". I cut myself off there. First of all, I don't deserve anything that rightfully belongs to Christ. Secondly I know that what she gives to God has nothing to do with me. She devotes her time and energy to the God who has done so much for her.

I really examined what was really bothering me and I learned something surprising. I was not bothered by the time she spent with God. I was jealous of the richness of her relationship with Him. I desire to be in His presence just as she is but because of my own mistakes/lack of priorities/stupidity I have not sought Him. She however is always with Him. I remember a time when my relationship with Him was like that.

A minister friend of mine asked a question once, "If God seems far away, who moved?" At that moment I was convicted in my spirit. I laid all of this at the Master's feet and then I was able to pray for my wife.

I laid out how God had blessed her with health, strength, a sound mind, a loving family, and joyous relationships. I thanked Him for most importantly blessing their relationship. That she would continue to hunger and thirst after Him. I asked that he would put a hedge around their relationship and protect it from anything that would try to come between them. I claimed clarity of thought, intent and action.

I asked God to bring me back into His presence. I felt Him with me as I prayed.
When I was finished praying my wife asked me why I had not prayed aloud. I don't remember my response but if I had prayed out loud it would not have been sincere. I want to always be sincere when I petition for my wife and family.

Keep praying for me. I am a work in progress.
God's man

Isn't that our nature?  God gives us this gift of life and we get so wrapped up we forget what is truly important.  No man knows the number of breaths that he will take.  And we through worry cannot add a single hour to our day.

Make sure that you are doing the most important thing possible at every given moment.

God's Man

I won't get into reasons why and make excuses. I have always been no nonsense my my "students" and now it is time to be that way with myself.