“Let your lives be built on Him . . . then you’ll overflow with thankfulness.” -Col. 2:7

“The blessings of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” – Proverbs 10:22

Everybody wants to enjoy life. God wants us to enjoy life. I know a lot of people who have the desire to enjoy life, but aren’t. Often we are looking for joy, success, and happiness in all the wrong places. I’ve found that enjoying life comes from:

• Having a relationship with God – this is the foundation and fulfillment of true joy and happiness.

• Having great relationships - There isn’t anything more important in our lives than our relationships with others – cherish and cultivate them.

• Recognizing that changing a life, not drawing a crowd, is true success.

• Creating great experiences and memories – not gaining more material possessions. Create them often.

• Living with High Standards, Integrity, and Character -  I live my life according to the Bible. God created us and He knows the way we should live to enjoy life. He gives it to us in His Word!

• Serving - “A life not lived for others, is hardly a life.” -Mother Theresa

• Giving your life for others – right now I give my life to the students at Revolution – I love all of them so much and it is one of the greatest joys to go through life with them, pour into them, and have them pour into me.

I think Ralph Waldo Emerson sums it up well:

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of earnest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;  to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Are you enjoying life? If not, start doing some of the things I mentioned and watch as joy comes into your life.

What have you found joy and happiness come from?

This book was a gift from Zack Blair, what a great gift it ended up being! (I think books are the best gift someone can give!) This book is definitely a must read. We’re all in need of discovering how much God loves us, and this book really helps you grasp that truth. I’m really learning that all I need to do in life is know and pursue God with all of my heart. A simple thing to talk about, a little harder to live. This book will point you in the right direction toward total surrender.

Final Grade: A+    Buy it here

Here are some highlights to spark your interest:

• We forget that we have everything we need in Him

• The point of your life is to point  to Him, whatever you’re doing, God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is his.

• In about fifty years, no one will remember you

• God will ensure my success in accordance with His plan, not mine

• Are we in love with God or just His stuff?

• Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with neighbors, coworkers, or friends

• Would your life look differently if you stopped believing in God?

• Jesus call to commitment is clear: He wants all or nothing.

• “Our greatest fear as individuals or the church should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”

• Would you be satisfied in Heaven if  you had all your friends, family, houses, etc. and didn’t have Christ

• Giving that is not motivated by love is worthless.

• What are you doing right now that required faith?

• The thing that matters most is how we use what we have been given, not how much we make or do compared to someone else.

• Let God be as original with you as He is with other people.

• The greatest thought that has ever entered my mind is that one day I will have to stand before a holy God and give an account of my life.

I love to learn, read books, blogs, listen to podcast’s, and ask people questions. I try to learn as much as I can, as often as I can. However, I’ve found one lesson that keeps coming back to me over and over again. It really is the best lesson ever:

Love God

Love People

In a world where we over complicate everything, Jesus made the true secret to success very simple, didn’t he?

What if we just focused all of our time and energy loving God and loving people?