In my previous post - Home Is Where You Make It - Part 1, I explained how my wife and I have been traveling the world as homeless nomads for the past 2 years.

You can read this post as a stand-alone article, but it will make much more sense if you read Part 1 first.

It has felt as if we have been swimming upstream against the currents of our modern society. Our society and especially our economy encourages people to accumulate and accumulate and accumulate until we are forced to pack our garages, get storage units or even buy bigger homes just to make sure we can keep all our stuff.

We just made the choice to attempt to live a lifestyle where we only acquire things that are essential. It really is amazing to think about how little you need when you evaluate everything you purchase and keep as essential vs non-essential.

As promised in Part 1, I wanted to share my observations and valuable lessons that I have learned as we have traveled this very odd but cool journey:

People Are Fascinated By Our Lifestyle

But people really do not understand how or why we live the life we live.

Everyone that we talk to says that they would love to do what we do. Travel and live free and see the world and just go wherever we feel led to go. Then they pause and think for a few seconds and then the reasons "why not" begin to flow into their brain and out of their mouth. 

They say something like, "I can never do what you are doing because..."

My kids have to be in this particular school system
I have a great job and I can't leave it
Our business keeps me trapped in this location
I have to work here for another 10 years before I retire 
I only have 12 more years before I pay off my mortgage and then this beautiful 1800 square foot ranch in suburban Muskogee OK will be mine
We could never leave here because BLANK lives here (in the BLANK insert Mama, Daddy, Great Grandma, our 29 year old son Junior, our grandkids, etc...)
Our children need us
I will stay here until I die

I do not mean to belittle any of those responses, but a few years ago I was begging the Lord to use me in a big way and he told me that he could not send me anywhere because I was too attached to my location and my stuff. That was when we began the process of eliminating those things that keep us tied down. It took almost 3 years, but when we had removed all of our encumbrances of location and things, He started showing us how exciting life could be. And, that was only the beginning. 

Life Is Simpler

For all the advancements we have in our modern lives, we have also created complications. 

I appreciate tools that make my life easier, but the more electronic devices we have, the more they have to be charged, synced protected, and updated. The more things we have, the more they have to be stored, insured, paid for, cleaned, and protected. The less you have, the simpler life is. 

Stop Being Controlled By Money

Many people are controlled and consumed by money whether they have millions in the bank or 2 nickels in their pocket.

It seems as if I have been chasing money most of my life. There are times that I caught a bunch of it. There have also been times that it seemed to allude and run away from me the more I chased. 

It is very difficult to describe the mental changes that have occurred over the past few years. It may be that I have just matured. It may be that I reached a low point when some businesses failed. Or, it may be that I finally stopped putting money on a pedestal. 

We all have idols in our lives. I think that the process of earning (sometimes chasing) financial success was an idol for me. I also think that it is an idol for many people in our current society. It is so liberating to just relax, not be anxious and enjoy life. To be able to have control over money instead of letting it have control over me and my thought processes. Now money and business and blessings seem to just find me.  

Do Not Let Things Own You

Things are related to money. 

They can take on a life of their own when we begin to fear that we may not have as many things as we should. Possibly because of our self image or possibly because of ego. Or, when we hold on to things because we think they have value that is either real or perceived. Or worse, we put some sentimental value on a item because it was Grandma's or Junior's or it reminds us of our high school days. So we store it and keep it or we put it on a shelf to collect dust. And many times, the longer we keep it the harder it is to let it go. 

People have value. Experiences have value.

Things only have value when people give them value. In our modern world many people put more value on their stuff than they put on other people.  

Experiences & Relationships Really Are More Important Than Things & Money

Glori and I were in a car in the middle of the south island of New Zealand. We were driving for almost an hour down a gravel road toward a valley that was 2 miles wide and 10 miles long but completely surrounded by snow capped mountains. With a beautiful flowing river running through the middle. 

It was Mt Sunday which was the location where Peter Jackson filmed the scenes for Rohan in his Lord of the Rings movies.

A longtime friend from high school and his wife were in the car with us. The drive was stunning. The views from the valley were breathtaking. Take your breath away "How Great Thou Art" beautiful. We spent almost 3 hours in the valley and never saw another car or another person. Complete solitude. Not an easy place to get to. No ticket booth. No gift shop. No long lines. No parking lot. No amusement park. Just me and my wife with some friends in a secluded spot on the planet. Very few people ever visit this place. Money was not involved. Things were not even a consideration.

It was 100% experience and sharing that experience.

I am confident that we would have never been to Mt Sunday or even New Zealand nor would our friends have travelled across the world to visit us if we had not started on this journey a few years ago. 

It was a priceless. 

Experiences and sharing experiences with people you love and care for have a much higher value than money and things. It is critical that we limit the control that material items have on our lives so that we can appreciate what we have experienced and the people we have in our lives.

The Spiritual Journey Is The Most Important Thing 

Material things seem to clutter our minds and keep us from gaining a better understanding of the bigger picture of life.

Life is so much better when your primary focus is nurturing and growing your relationship with the Lord instead of being anxious about buying things you cannot afford to impress people you do not even like. Or acquiring things that become a burden to you and your family instead of a blessing. 

Worry and anxiety will eat a person alive physically, mentally and spiritually. It seems that money and thinking about money that you do or do not have is the root of much of the anxiety that people experience in the world.  

In Luke 6:25-34 Jesus talks about worry and anxiety while teaching on the side of a mountain. He basically says do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will wear or even about tomorrow. When we are able to relax our mind and stop worrying about things and accumulation, we can focus on the kingdom that Jesus teaches about in this sermon.

Total Contentment & Happiness Is Possible

It is very difficult to be content...and therefore happy...when you are in constant pursuit of something that really is impossible to obtain. 

The way the economic system continues to flourish is that new and more improved and better things are created and offered so that we constantly feel the need to upgrade. That is not a bad thing in and of itself. But, it is bad when the upgraded model or the "new and improved" begins to consume us to the point that we are constantly yearning for something better. Never being content with where we are.  When a person steps off that vicious treadmill it slows life down and one begins to realize that the upgrade or the newest version may not make life better. 

True happiness and contentment begins to be attained when we are comfortable with who we are, who we are with, where we are, what we have and who's we are. Not needing external accumulation to briefly satisfy us so that we can get a temporal burst of satisfaction is a nice place to be. "Home" (and happiness) really is where you make it.

The Essentialist Lifestyle Is Not for Everyone 

As a disclaimer I should say that I am in no way saying that everyone should live the way I live. 

You should seek your own course and path in everything you do. 

I do know that there are millions of miserable people trudging through life on this earth, and many of them have a nice, big comfortable home with 5 flatscreen TV's and 3 nice cars in the garage. And most have become slaves to those things. Or they have become slaves to jobs and debt so that can pay for those things. It is time for them to break that cycle, if they so desire. 

My purpose of writing this article is not to say my way of living is better than your way of living or any other way of living for that matter. My purpose is to encourage people to seek a life of purpose that is not controlled by material things.

Home is not a place or a structure or even a place with a bed. It is a mindset that should allow you to be peaceful and at rest.

I am not sure that I have reached that place of total peace. I am confident that I am much closer than I have ever been, and I expect this journey to continue adding more and more peace to my life.

While it is difficult to capture our journey in a succinct way, there is one word that jumps into my mind every time I get a question or I give thanks for where we are in life. That one word is simply "freedom."

I am not sure if quoting a line from the movie "Joe Dirt" is appropriate for the beginning of a serious article that is meant to cause reflection and inspiration. But the damage is done, so I will explain and continue.

In the crude, repulsive and extremely funny movie "Joe Dirt", the main character spends most of the movie searching for his parents and his "home." In an odd scene with an almost unintelligible Cajun he seems to finally get the message that "home is where you make it."

My wife and I have been homeless for over 2 years. No home, no apartment and definitely nothing permanent. And, it has been the greatest 2 years of our lives.

Now that I have your attention, let me explain.

We sold and gave almost everything we own away 3 years ago and have been traveling as nomads for over 2 years. 

I thought it would be easy. I have always enjoyed getting rid of things. I love order and truly enjoy creating order out of chaos. But when you have lived in a 6000 square foot house for more than 10 years and during that time you have raised children from the preteen to college years, you have more and more things that creep into the home and start filling up every crack and crevice. 

I never realized how challenging it would be to purge not just the "things" but the accumulation mindset that most people in our modern culture (including myself) possess. The desire is to only focus on those things that are truly significant - spiritual growth, relationships, experiences and essential items that will enhance my spiritual growth, relationships and experiences.

Some may think that I sound like some monk that wants to sit on a mountaintop and "find the true meaning of life." Maybe that is what I am doing. I will say that life is so much better than it used to be. And I have always thought life was pretty awesome.

Many people use the term minimalism to describe how we are living. Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist writes some fantastic articles on the topic and I love reading everything that he posts. Our daughter claims that we are more essentialist than minimalist. That is probably splitting hairs but we do seem to seek out only things that are essential in our lives. Some minimalists may just want less for the sake of having less stuff. We only acquire things that will bless our lives. Not things that create a burden.

We do get some odd looks and some questions. But, I have really enjoyed living differently than the masses. It is very difficult to capture in words how great life is when you have no material items that have any control over you. 

I thought it would be beneficial for me to do my best to share my observations about this unique life we are living. Before I do that I thought that I would address the most common questions we get from both friends and strangers:

What is like not having a home? 

It is different but I love it. No grass to cut. No maintenance issues to deal with. And best of all...no electricity payment, no gas payment, no water bill, no internet or cable bill. Even better than best of all, no mortgage payment! 

Sleeping in different beds and using different pillows can be difficult to get used to, but it is also nice to be able to "try out" different kitchens, homes, beds, and furniture so that you really know what you like and dislike. It is a huge benefit to feel free to travel anywhere you heart desires without being anxious about recurring maintenance and household bills piling up back at "home."

When/where do you expect to settle down?

I am not one to use the words always or never very often. Once you have felt the freedom of not being attached to a place or location or geography or a structure, it is difficult to imagine going back to that life again. I do think that some people can allow themselves to feel locked-in to geographic locations and areas because of jobs, schools, family, relatives, friends, a house, mindset or many other reasons. With modern technology being what it is, many people can work, educate themselves and their children, and communicate almost anywhere via the internet and other tools. 

I believe that instead of using words like "home", and "settled down" and locking ourselves into a place, we should seek our assignments and callings in life that lead us to a greater purpose. If that means staying in one place for a season or period of time, great. If it means staying mobile so that you can move and go in a moments notice, perfect. The key is to be able to listen and hear your inner voice or the voice of a higher authority that gives instructions and not let things and an image of what "home" is keep you from your true purpose. And, that purpose may require one to venture beyond a 25 mile radius of their current location.  

Many people may be missing bigger blessings because they have "settled down" and said that they will always remain geographically planted. I am strong believer in a large tapestry that is being woven by a loving Heavenly Father and I think that if I say I am always going to live in Georgia or I am never going to leave Colorado then He may not be able to send me where He needs me to go. I desire to be available and obedient.

Do you travel in a camper or RV? 

Everyone seems to ask this question. As if we took all the items that we had in our home, crammed them in an RV and then started traveling. I have nothing against RV's or campers or houses on wheels, but they require as much if not more energy than a house. 

The answer to the question is no...we do not travel in a camper or RV. When traveling in North America we drive our trusty 2002 Honda Van with over 330K miles. When we travel overseas, we fly. I do not want to own another home anytime soon and I definitely do not want to own a home on wheels. 

NOTE: I have had the experience of owning many homes. We negotiated and completed over 500 real estate transactions between 2001 and 2009.  There were times that our company owned over 100 single family homes. Plus we coached, trained and mentored over 3,000 real estate investors nationwide during that time. So I do understand real estate and how to buy and what the value can be. I also may know enough...possibly too much...about real estate that I do not put a personal home high on the investment pedestal. It's just concrete and lumber built on dirt.

So you really do not own anything? 

Very little. We own a storage unit near some relatives that is the size of a single car garage. It is about half full (or half empty depending on where your beliefs are on that issue) but we leave things there that we may not want to carry with us as we travel. If I had a few spare days I could probably eliminate half of the items in storage primarily because I have not needed any of it the last 2 years. 

My entire wardrobe could fit in a small rubbermaid box. My wife has a slightly larger wardrobe (not by much) but everything she owns fits well, coordinates and looks great on her so she enjoys getting dressed. That's good for both of us and I am sure most husbands would agree with me.

We did put some furniture in a relatives home. I guess we could technically get that back at some point, but I doubt it will ever be moved. 

Last year we spent 7 months in Australia and New Zealand and when we traveled home (in an airplane, not the Honda Van) we had one rolling duffel bag as luggage and we each carried our backpack briefcases with our computers and electronics. We are currently on a 7 week visit to South Florida and we could have almost fit everything we are traveling with in 2 carry on bags.

Is your wife OK with this lifestyle? 

Yes. There have been times when one of us may have been farther along in the process than the other one. But for the most part we have been in agreement and have been having a blast. 

There have been some challenges. For instance, Glori is a great cook that writes cookbooks and enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. At one point years ago she had almost every cooking gadget a cook could have. She even insisted that we carry 3 big boxes of her "favorite" gadgets and kitchen tools with us 2 years ago when we embarked on our journey. But she has gradually realized that she can make great meals in almost any kitchen. And if something is missing, a store is just around the corner that is stocked floor to ceiling with more items than one can ever imagine. 

Plus, as an extra bonus we seem to be embracing a "less is best" mindset when it comes to eating. Smaller portions, better quality, and less gluttony leads to a healthier life. 

Is it fun being on vacation all the time? 

I would not know because we are not on vacation. We are living our lives as we travel and stay in really cool places - New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Breckenridge CO, Austin TX, Ft Lauderdale FL, Lake Tahoe NV, Los Angeles CA and many other places. We are running our businesses, coaching and consulting, writing and creating all along the way. 

Vacation is what people do when they have to cram all their fun into 1 to 2 weeks of the year. And vacations can be very expensive (see the next question). We just live our lives wherever we happen to be at the time and of course we do attempt to enjoy all that the locations we stay in have to offer.

Are you rich? Is that how you can travel all the time? 

The answer to that question is no. I am not against being blessed financially. I have owned businesses in the past that have provided very bountiful financial resources to our family. But we have also learned how to live with much less after seeing how quickly large real estate based businesses could disintegrate a few years ago. 

There are times during the last few years when we have had very limited financial resources...less than $100 in our bank account. However, it seems that was part of our journey to get to the point where money became less significant. It seems that when we stopped attempting to chase money, it began to chase us. 

We now have thriving businesses but still have no reason to acquire and accumulate more stuff. That feels really good. We are still not rich, but definitely richly blessed. I could also spend an entire article explaining how we live in nice homes while we travel without paying a single dime for rent or utilities. But that will have to wait for a later time.

To be continued....

In Home Is Where You Make It - Part 2, I will share my observations about how the essential lifestyle that we are living is different from the accumulation lifestyle that most people live in today's society. 

How long have you been sitting in the same place? Not just physically. But mentally, spiritually, financially and geographically.

It is easy to go though life without ever changing or making major adjustments. The “path of least resistance” is the way most people live their lives without even thinking about it.

Life and circumstances around you will change whether you want them to or not. The difference is whether or not the individual is initiating the change or if the change is being forced on them. It can be very stressful for the person that allows external change to be forced upon their life. But it can be exhilarating and exciting for the individual that is pushing for growth in their life and controlling that process.

It is very rare that someone would admit that it has been years since they have read a book or learned a new skill. But one can just look around and it becomes obvious that most people never learn and grow beyond where they are in their mid 20’s. Don’t be that person.

Most people claim to love adventure and travel and they want to see the world. But years go by and they may never leave the comfort of their own home.  It is too simple to say that people that travel are adventurous and those that do not travel are boring and stuck in a rut.

This article is not written to encourage everyone to parachute out of an airplane, learn Chinese or even road trip and hike across the country. I just happen to believe that everyone should embrace change in at least one area of their life. Even if you are content and successful and growing in the areas you desire growth. Find something new to shake up your world and experience new things.

Do something fun. Do something new. Do something crazy.

Living organisms can never remain static. Plants are either growing or dying. Animals are the same way. And humans are no different. We can attempt to keep everything the same in our lives but we are always in the process of living and growing or shrinking and dying.

The task of embracing change may sound daunting. but it can be a simple as doing one of the following:

Drive a different route to/from work
Meet someone new
Reconnect with an old friend or acquaintance
Schedule a trip
Clean out your closet 
Change your morning/evening/daily routine
Eat some new types of food
Sign up for a training class
Visit a new church even if you attend one on a regular basis
Volunteer in your community

Just a small, incremental change can build momentum so that you can begin making larger, positive changes in relationships, business and other areas of your personal growth.

Don’t get stuck in one place and a year from now be the same person that you are today. Do something different… do anything different. And start today.

Photo Credit - La Dulce Vita

Don’t be offended, but the odds are very high that you are moving through life on a day to day basis just existing. That may be your goal. But I doubt it.

Just existing is boring. It is not attractive. It leads to lethargy and bad attitudes. And it can actually repel people and opportunities. If left unchecked it can also contribute to unhappiness, depression, addictions and other unhealthy behaviors.

It was Henry David Thoreau that profoundly said “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” He could have said that most men (and women) just exist. But I guess that is what makes him the classic writer.

People were born to create. To build and to grow. But most people spend their time just breathing the air and living from one moment to the next.

I am not writing this to make you mad. Even though I have no problem ticking people off if it will wake them up so that they can realize their full potential. There are times when a person has to ask the tough questions. Some people may need more than question and answer, but it is difficult for me to smack someone in the forehead with a 2X4 in an article.

Why do people slip into a mundane existence when they know they are born and created to make a difference? To make an impact in the world in a way that can only manifest with that individuals skills, talents and gifts?

Is it because we get lazy?
Or do we meet some powerful force that suppresses us?
Or do we just “settle” for mediocrity because it seems to be the path of least resistance?
Do we let excuses overcome us?
Or do we just forget we were designed to create?
And then we just stop creating and develop the habit of existing?
 
“Change the world” is a phrase that is overused in mission statements and goals. But you were designed to change the world that you live in. To make an impact. To live life to the fullest. 

I was recently working with a client that was stuck and she admitted that her attitude was at a low point. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to stay in one place in life. You are typically moving forward or moving backwards. At least when we talk about out attitude and outlook on life.

This client is a talented writer that has massive potential to create books and use her words to inspire and motivate people. The only challenge is that she was thinking about writing but not actually putting any words on paper. It was not because she lacks ideas or topics. She was just stuck in “think” mode but needed to breakthrough into the “do” mode. She needed to create. Not exist.

For those that are business owners, they can easily slip into the mundane, day to day maintenance of the business and lose the creative habit of building, expanding and growing.  

What should you do if you know or think you are just existing?

The simple answer is start creating.

Write, build, invent, innovate, market, expand, paint, draw, plant, birth, speak, sing, dance, coach, teach, encourage. You will know when you are creating. You spirit will jump and your energy levels will increase.

Don’t just exist. Create!

My wife and I have been traveling between Australia and New Zealand for the last 7 months.

Time zones are a challenge when we communicate with family or for business back in our native USA. But being in a different hemisphere also means that we are living in opposite seasons and our bodies are not acclimated to spring in October and winter in June. We are currently in the middle of the Southern Hemisphere spring while friends and family in North America are cooling off during fall.

I have always loved the spring season. It is second only to fall in my top 4 seasons countdown.  

Fall is number one because almost all of our family’s birthdays and anniversaries are in October and November and I also like the weather when we start cooling down from our hot Georgia summers. Spring is number 2 because it represents so much AND to me it is all about rebirth and growth. 

I would never be confused with someone that has a green thumb or someone that has vast knowledge about plants, dirt or things that grow. In fact, I have the ability to stare at some species of ferns and cause them to start wilting within 5 minutes. But, I do understand the concept of seasons and I can relate the process to other things in my life such as my business.

A bunch of weird stuff happened during the 1960’s. Most of you were either not born yet OR you do not remember anything that happened during that fabulous decade of chemical experimentation. A song by The Byrds in 1966 became almost an anthem about change and the seasons. The lyrics went something like this:  

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.”

Ok, I know that some of you are Bible scholars and you know that this is actually from Chapter 3 of the book of Ecclesiastes of the Old Testament. And, for those of you that are not history buffs, the Old Testament was written a few years before the 1960’s. The Byrds just used this as the basis for their lyrics.

Before I typed out the verse I had planned to provide comments and commentary on each of the lines. But as I was typing I realized that each line is powerful all by itself and there is no reason for me to add anything. And, it is just like God to cover all the bases, regardless of what you current circumstances look like. The seasons of the year represent all of these things.

If winter is a time for life to slow down and sometimes die, then spring is the time for new growth and rebirth. This is the time of year for you to grow and possibly awaken from a dormant state. Some of you may even think that your business is dead or dying. Just remember that winter eventually turns into spring therefore you should begin preparing for new life, new growth and new business.  

The bottom line is this...if you and your business have been stuck in winter for some time it is time to move into spring and move beyond your dead or dormant state. To do that you need to get busy and create some momentum. Make changes, reinvent yourself, add marketing funnels, get some outside help.  

Now is the season for you to plant and prepare to grow!

I must admit that I am getting to the point and place in my life where nothing surprises me anymore. I read headlines and at times catch some news that seems shocking to many people, but it doesn’t really phase me. 

I read an article recently in a Robb Report from a few years ago that didn’t really surprise me, but it did catch my attention. I am still intrigued by the story as I think about it again while writing this article.  

I know many of you look at some magazines that are mostly pictures and tell everyone that you look at the magazine for the articles. Well, I readily admit that I read the Robb Report for the pictures of the luxury real estate, airplanes, cars and yachts. While I have become a minimalist when it comes to consumption, I still enjoy some of the finer things in life. 

It started with a 3 word idea a few months ago as I was reading early one morning.  I wrote the idea in my journal just as I have written many other ideas over the years.  At times the ideas grow to plans and something bigger.  Sometimes they evolve into something totally different.  And some ideas just die in my journal.

Then something strange happened in the middle of a long, rainy night last week while I was laying wide awake in a campervan in the middle of the North Island of New Zealand.  The idea began to grow in my mind and the thought began to form as a story with a message and a plot and characters.  In other words, the idea was now becoming a book.

I have said before that everyone has a story to tell.  Many people have a desire to get that story out to other people in the form of stories, blogs, movies, books or just posts on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.   Some people are content just keeping their stories to themselves.  

I have always thought about writing a book.  But it was always easier for me to talk.   I have been speaking and teaching and training for almost 40 years.  I have written training manuals, some educational books, contracts and other essential items for business over the years.  I was even interviewed for an "autobiography" type book about 8 years ago.

But this is very different.  Characters, plot points, dialogue, chapter cliffhangers and other story lines have rushed into my head over the last 3 days and I am boldly admitting that I am now working on a full-fledged fiction book.  As quickly as I dump the ideas onto paper or my computer more dialogue and plot comes rushing in.  My wife even expressed surprise as I grabbed a stack of paper from the printer paper stack a few hours ago.

"What are you doing?", she asked.

"I need to write some things down and I am going to use PAPER", I replied.

"Oh, have not seen you use paper in a long time", she said.

So I now sit here with multiple pages written on my computer, printer paper with my scatchy notes on them scattered on the sofa, 12 chapters with a synopsis for each completed and ready for the nouns and verbs to be inserted.  And more ideas and dialogue flowing into the brain even as I am writing this.

I think I need more paper!

This is going to be fun.

Tim Winders has over 25 years experience as a business owner, entrepreneur, coach and consultant. He founded Accelerate Growth NOW to provide business owners with the training, coaching and resources to double, triple and 10X their business. To learn more and to claim your FREE business growth resources, visit AccelerateGrowthNOW.com.

Let’s get controversial.  Evolution vs Creation.  This may be one of the most basic questions that humans must decide.

If you are on the side of Evolution, then you are almost forced to admit that there is no Creator.

If you are on the side of Creation, then you are almost forced to admit that there is an ultimate Creator or God.

Being an analytical and critical thinker that asks questions, it may be the path of least resistance to believe that all life on earth is moving and progressing and becoming something greater on it’s own.  But that seems to be the easy way out.

I have seen to much to believe that a Creator is not responsible. 

I have seen the miraculous birth of a child.  And I know that billions of births have occurred and never has there been a duplicate.  Billions and billions of unique and beautiful creations.

I have seen mountains and canyons and oceans that are majestic and breathtaking.  I know many of these natural occurrences can be explained by science and the evolution of time.  But why would we want to do that?  Isn’t that the same as looking at a classic painting and focusing on how the paint arrived on the canvas instead of appreciating and honoring the Creative ability of the artist.

I am not writing this to continue the Evolution vs Creation argument.  My purpose is to say this….

I believe that we are Created.  And I believe that we are Created in the image of our Creator.  And since we are Created in the image of our Creator, shouldn’t we Create?