A letter to _____; My Future Wife

Have you been thinking of me? What do you picture? Do you think of the sound of my voice? Do you wonder what my personality is like? Do you wonder if I am like you? Do you wonder when you'll meet me? Or if you already have? I do. 

I think about you constantly. I think of what it will be like to hold your hand. But oddly, I think I already know what my future wife will be like. I know what to look for at least. I know the kind of woman I want to marry and I know you will satisfy all of my prerequisites and more. I pray to God for the day I meet you! Although it has not happened yet, I rejoice, for God has given you to me. Such a special; wonderful woman as you. Of all  the women in the world.. he selected you for me. As you're reading this, I say hold on! I am waiting as well. We have our whole lives to look forward to, together. 

I'm already thinking of all the things I want to do with you. To go on adventures that last a day or a week. To rediscover our love for each other date after date. I long to finally have a woman who I can confide in. The only person that I will be bound to for a lifetime. 

I can't wait to have nights alone with you, just you and me. I can't wait to make new friends throughout our lives and compile memory after memory into my heart. I can't wait to have moments with you that take my breath away. I can't wait to have our own bible study time. Learning about God in a whole new perspective. Me as a husband and you as my wife. 

I'm telling you now just like I will tell you when I ask you to marry me. I promise to be devoted. I know I am not perfect, but I will always be devoted to you. I will be devoted to my faith and yours. I will be devoted to our children and their faith. For as long as I live I promise to be devoted. 

So keep waiting, but don't make waiting your goal; have fun! I am waiting too. Until the day our lives become intertwined, enjoy life and praise God. He will decide the hour that we meet. I look forward to the day I get to learn your name.

                                                                                    -Hunter

Be Successful Today, not Tomorrow

There is no difference between today and tomorrow. None. Time is man-made, therefore if you want to be successful tomorrow, you must be successful today. Otherwise the success you want tomorrow will never come. We always live in the present, no matter what we do. That's what society tells us to do. So do it, but be mindful of how you do it. 

The first big leap is to view yourself as successful right now. If you can do this, you can become successful, you must look for a market no one else has done, or a variation of a market, you must see it- you must create it. You must see it now, you cannot expect to see it tomorrow because you are always in today and tomorrow will never come- because it doesn’t. You can't let yourself think like that. Tomorrow is always tomorrow, tomorrow is a "today" to come. "I'll do it tomorrow" is NEVER good enough, do all you can do every day and this will help you succeed more profoundly than any self help book. Living in the now is one of the most important functions man must learn to be able to shape tomorrow. You have heard the expression "he lives in the future." NO he doesn’t, he lives in today because his future will one day become today. You have to see today as your future. Your perception of accomplishment is one of the biggest hurdles you have to jump in order to be able to achieve greatness.

Breaking this down: if you see the future as today, and are successful right now, you are allowing yourself to build on that tomorrow (your next "today"). The snowball effect then comes and your success gets bigger and bigger with each "today", and you are now in the future you were focusing on in your first "today". You see, you were are already concentrating on the next day by being the best you can be today, without realizing it. You just continue to grow. 

Be the man you want to be TODAY.

Christianity and Irony

Easter 2015

I find it quite ironic that Wisconsin beat Kentucky during Easter Weekend. To the majority of people watching basketball, I am sure this came as quite a shock. Roughly 2,000 years ago, there was a much larger event that shook our world. The death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I also believe a majority of Christians would agree the ideals and values of Christianity are constantly under attack by the media, government, and surrounding social groups. This disappoints me because I am sure they do not know who my God is. I can't see how a God who wants YOU to be a part of the greatest story ever told, is offensive.

My Lord, is The Lord of all who walk the earth. As foretold in the Old Testament, Jesus came speaking words of love, praising our God, and one mission. He was not afraid. He was not meek.  He wasn't a sheep… or a wolf. He told you how it was. He believed every man was equal, he believed every man had an opportunity to be saved, he believed in you. Jesus wants to share with humanity the greatest gift we could ever imagine, eternal life. All you have to do is believe in him and the rest comes naturally. He has already done all of the work. He sacrificed himself for you, first.

He didn't come to this world and sacrifice himself for the sins of Christians. He came here for you and me. He came for the Jews, Christians, non-believers, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. 

All of you. 

All of you are forgiven and welcomed to be a part of His way.

Christianity is not offensive. The only way my religion can be construed as offensive, is by welcoming you to be a part of it.   He is Risen.

I'm a Christian, but I'm also a Sinner

I'm not the perfect Christian, and I don't think I will ever be. And that's okay with me.
That's what is so awesome about my religion. That's what is so UNBELIEVABLE about my religion. God knew me before I had life. God knew I was going to say this. God knew you were going to read this. God is everywhere, God is in the air we breathe, God is in the beautiful things we see, God is in what we feel. 

When I tell people I'm a Christian, I do it because I want to share my faith. I want to tell them how indescribable the feelings are. That I know something that no matter how much I study I will always learn more. That I pursue something that I will never fully grasp, but only hope too.
I'm not special. I am a human just like you. I am weak, I am no better than the person next to me, I stumble off the path, I do things I know I'll regret, I am a sinner, and I am lost. 

I base my faith on Jesus' teachings of unconditional love. Despite my sins and all the wrong I will do from this day to the end of my time, I have already been forgiven. I love how God is the only one that truly knows me. I love how God has shown Himself to me at some of the most pivotal points in my life. I love having Him as my teacher. I love how God gave His only Son to me and how Jesus gave up everything he had for me First. That is unbelievable.... and that is why I believe in Him.

In Case You Don't Know Me...

I believe a man should be free, so I act accordingly

If you aren't doing things that scare you, then you're boring

I've never had a filter, I speak honestly

I've been to hell and back and plan on going again

I have enemies because I stand up for what I believe in

My family name is rich with history

I keep Christ close and believe in his story

If your environment isn't changing, you aren't improving

Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing

Moderation is for cowards

I have wit, grit and the spirit of an Indian.

A regular ol' cowboy born 100 years too late

I have one fear, the lack of progress

I demand more than I'll ever be able to achieve

I'm stubborn because I believe in myself

I am not a sheep… or a wolf

I do things differently because I refuse to be like anyone else

I fill every minute with 60 seconds of intensity

I am a man

So You Got Your First Job? Here's 20 Steps on What to do Next

1. Pick a role model and copy them.

   -They're the best person at their job.
   -Watch how they work, what they say, and learn how they got to that position.

2. Dress the part.

   -Your experience with work clothes is probably lacking.
   -Ironed shirts and pants that are the right length go a long way.
   -I choose to wear socks that stand out to show my personality.

(AND Bush Senior started it)

3. Arrive 30 minutes before your mentor or boss.

    -Use this time to figure out what you will do that day, that way you are always prepared the first time you see them.

    -Side not: Never talk about your hours. When you arrive or leave work. It’s not about the hours you put in, but the work you put out. Work productivity.

4. When you're given a deadline, give the final product to them a day in advance.

    -They will catch things you need to fix. Adjust yourself to have them corrected by the actual due date.

5. You graduated cum laude in college? That’s just a piece of paper hanging on your wall now.

    -Just because you remember something from class last semester doesn't mean you know all the moving parts. Watch how you talk about things.

6. Go to your company events.

    -Show commitment not just to your job, but to the company.

7. Never turn down an lunch invite.

8. 20 minutes before a meeting go over anything someone might ask you about.

    -It sucks not knowing the answer.

9. Remember, your mentor has a job AND you.

    -Be courteous when you need help. He has deadlines too.

    -Always say thank you.

10. Organization for a job is leagues above your college workload. Find a way to stay organized.

    -I keep a word document that has the project name, my notes entailing what I need to do, and the status of the project (with red font).

11. Tap different resources.

    -It doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion.

    -Plus you get to talk to co-workers that have the same job as you.

12. Email yourself at the end of the work day for what you need to do the next day.

    -Especially Fridays

    -You will forget.

13. Say hello to everyone!

    -Make it a point to create relationships.

14. Inquire about your co-worker's work.

    -Try to understand more than what your specific job role is.

15. Subscribe via email to your company's Investor Relations page.

    -It's key to stay in the loop of your company's operations.

          -Read your company's quarterly filed SEC 10-Q.

          -Read your company's annually filed SEC 10-K.

16. Sometimes meetings will be over your head. It's easy to get sleepy.

    -Lift your legs off the ground, it helps.

(Or this)

17. Drop the teenage lingo.

    -The project in your presentation was not a "cool" experience.

    -Stay off your phone and company computers are for company business.

18. Yes-sir / Yes-mam

    -Respect goes a long way.

19. Stay up to date on sports, weather, news, and industry information.

    -It's 80% of the conversations.

20. You can't smile enough.

And just for kicks watch the movie Office Space. The parallels are hilarious.