Love is crucial in our lives and to those that our in our lives.  Love will break through it all.  Let Love speak the truth.  Love hurts.  Love will help you understand what matters.  Love will find you.  Love will unravel you too to Core.  Love will break your heart.  Love will inspire you to believe.  Love will bring you out of the darkness.  Love will make its way to you.  Let Love Break You for out of the break you will truly find what you are looking for and help you find meaning in life.  Let us not live in words or talk of Love but in action with Love.  Act in love don’t just talk about it.  Love on those that need a heart. Love on those that need an ear. Love on those that need a hand.  Show and model Love for others for if someone who has never been loved can not Love.  Love is a heart attitude don’t waste your time being unloving to others even if you feel they don’t deserve it.  Pray a...

No matter where you grew up or who you grew up with, you grew up believing in something. The outside world or those in your inner circle as a kid helped shape who have become today.  Those upbringings put us in a place of believing in something. Some of those things that we believed as kids we wished we could forget and still are trying to overcome. Some of those things that we believed as kids put us on a path of helping and inspiring others right from the get go.  No matter what you believe, You and I have an opportunity to change things for the better or enhance what is strength in us.  How much of the day do you spend with yourself? If you are like me it’s 100% of the day whether I’m asleep or wake, I’m always with myself. I like you, have the greatest opportunity to influence myself day in and day out.  What I say about myself and what I think about myself day-to-day puts me on a path that I start believing in something. I shape my days with these thoughts and a...

There comes a point in your life when ends are not meeting. Nothing you are doing is going right. You feel like everything you do is not worthy of your voice or your actions. Things happens around you that make you doubt yourself, why you are here, right now, at this point in time, in the position or the place you are in   I got news for you. It’s a season. It won’t last long. It can’t last forever. It can’t break you. It can’t take your love. It can’t take your soul. It can’t take your spirit   Hang on just a little longer. Hang onto Hope. Hang onto Faith. Keep your head up. Don’t give up.  You’re just around the corner of light in the darkness. Hang On. Keep your head up. There is someone right around the corner that God has placed or will place in your life to bring you back from the end of your rope. Hang On.  I love you!  STAND FIRM. STAND STRONG. LET’S ROLL. #RootedInStrengthCA

How many times have you backed down, sacrificed, or backed off for the fear of failure or disappointment?  I do this daily for fear of disappointing others or letting them down. I dislike disappointing people. I beat myself up when I do and I feel I do this often not by choice but by having unrealistic expectations of myself to please others.  I struggle to overcome my demons daily. They make me doubt my passion, my love for people, and my zest for helping people reach their full potential.  Are you willing to fight? I’m willing to fight and bleed daily even through all the struggles, fear of failure, or disappointing people. I’m ready to Go Off and I hope you are too. You and I have fought through unimaginable things in different chapters of our lives, it’s time for us to show off and Go Off!  It’s time to work and build a foundation you can lean on. A place in your soulful office that belongs to you and only you. A place where your hustle happens. A place that hous...

I FOUND that this scar that I bare is not a scar of despair. It's not a    scar of doubt. It's not a scar of fear. It's not a scar of pain! It is.... a scar of pure Hope. It is a scar of Patience. It is a scar of Triumph. It is a scar of Thankfulness. It is a scar of Faith. Most of all It is a scar of Love. God FOUND me worthy of shining His light and uses me daily to spread His message in Words and in Silence through my scar and life.  16 years later. Second chance!  This was God's genesis moment for me. Know that He has a Genesis moment for you no matter your circumstances. #RootedInStrengthCA  #chiaristrong #chiariwarrior

After the year that we’ve had, how do we move forward? In life, with ourselves, in relationships, with our families, our schools, our community, and our students. Many of us were at home 24/7 teaching, taking care of kids, running meetings, sharing spaces together, doing laundry, making meals, cleaning the house, Zooming, all at once it seemed. The days were endless and everything seemed to run together with no break and no end in sight. All day, all the time can be a lot for one person, one family, one school, one district, one community.  We all spent so much time together that it did one of two things it tested our relationship and those relationships either broke with no repair or regained knowledge to learn more about each other and really strengthen our relationship. Most us did not spend so much time with the people in our lives that required us to listen, learn, and support them 24/7. Doing this either caused a relationship divide or a new perspective of foundational buildi...

  As I was standing singing my heart out and a wave of emotion came over me. My eyes filled with tears. I am not a perfect man and I am sorry for the people I’ve hurt, the things I’ve said in anger, the shame that is in me for hurting others without thinking, the shame I feel when I don’t do things right or let things slide that I know are wrong, and the shame I feel for falling short, daily.  Then a voice whispered into my heart don’t be ashamed for who you are and what you do. Trust me. I got you. Always and forever. When you start to feel shame, pray in my name, and I will redeem you with My Grace and Love. You are loved.  So in that moment and every moment I fall from Grace and you do to, we will... Be unashamed of falling short in everything we do.  Be  unashamed of making  the incorrect choices daily.   Be  unashamed that we can’t do it on our own.   Be  unashamed that we are dependent on Jesus.   Be  unashamed of believi...

Everyday I get to get up and Go. My next day is not guaranteed. The only day I have is the one I’m in. Even then, the day I’m in, might not last the full 24 hours. The day I’m in is not mine. It has been provide for me to GO! 2020 has been an emotional one. For EVERYONE and still you went into the day not because it needed you but because someone needed you whether you knew it or not and maybe you will never know.  I struggled hard. Did you? I struggled some days to Go and show up. I found some days I was dazed and confused trying to put pieces together to support my family, my school family, and my community. Not sure how good I did but I do know that I did everything with Love.  I spent more moments in 2020 being hesitant, being reluctant, and being cautious when I know in my heart I should have gone, but I fought myself for fear of not having all the answers,  lack of trust in my ability with the unknown, and even being uncomfortable with not being in my comfort zone w...

  Why is it that when we start to find things difficult we hold back? Why is it that when we fault or struggle we hold back? Why is it that when we get injured we hold back? Why do we hold back in life so much? I’ll tell you why, it’s because we doubt ourselves. We doubt our capabilities. We doubt our potential. We doubt our heart and souls. We doubt what we can be and exceed. We hold back  because we are afraid of dusting ourselves off, healing our wounds, and standing tall because we are afraid that we might return right back to where we were at in the first place and that keeps us down. Stop holding back from where you can be and need to go. Holding back is crippling to your heart and soul. Holding back physically cripples you. Holding back keeps you from inspiring others and sharing your story of how you triumphed because you didn’t hold back.  I’ve held back for some time now because of my knee surgery. I’ve held back for some time now because of my Chiari malformati...

In the game of life give yourself chances to be creative and spontaneous without a plan.  Plans are great to keep you focused and headed in the right direction but give chance an opportunity when those plans start falling apart to get you to reevaluate your plans.  When things do not go our way we think of them as errors and even mistakes but in reality, they are actually chances, chances to rewrite your plans.  The chances are that this might be what you need to shake things up in your life. Many of the greatest things that happen in life are by chance and not with a plan. We are always told to plan and leave nothing to chance, but the fact is, chances will always sneak in and surprise us with something different and creative that we could not have planned for. The chances that we get from our plans falling through could be the opportunity you need to be creative and use our imagination. Plan for chances because it's guaranteed they will sneak into your plans.  Chan...

How many thank you's do you serve up a day? Not that it matters, but it does help people know that what they do is meaningful, important, and they are appreciated for it.  I was told one time that I thanked people to much and that I should not do it so often. What?!!!!!! I thank people too much? Is that even possible to thank people to much? No, no, no not in my book. You can never ever ever never thank people to much for what they do.  It’s how you say it not how often you say it that makes the impact. Saying thank you shows appreciation to those around you that do stuff for you and with you.  I can't say thank you enough some days because in every moment and situation I am thankful for the interactions to do things together or do things for others.  Saying thank you not only brings a smile to your face and others, but it helps strengthen relationships in doing things for each other with a happy heart.  I'd rather thank someone a 1,000 times than not acknowledg...

10, 9,... They said count backwards from 10. I didn’t make it past nine. Twelve hours later I opened my eyes (the whole thing took 16 hours). All was blurry, nothing was in focus. I felt heavy, I hurt, I was caged, I had trouble swallowing, and I felt different. Have you ever voluntarily put yourself in a situation where the outcome is not guaranteed, but if you don't, and stay where are at, you progress to being paralyzed or even run the risk of death if you do nothing? This is my story of a second chance at life after my brain surgery and a cost I was willing to take for me, my wife, and my future family (two beautiful amazing kids)! You have a story of a second chance as well with all you have been through.  Let the choices you make in a positive and impactful way cost you everything because the Cost to do nothing is far more expensive. You are worth the cost and so are those you serve around you that need you to make choices. Every day you are going to be presented ...

99% of how I got here has nothing to do with me and has everything to do with those around me. You could say they have been strategically placed on my path at the right place and the right time when I have needed them the most. And I have needed people all my life because without them and their relationships negative or positive I wouldn’t be here where I’m at, at this point in my life. I can tell you right now that the 1% that has not been others, has been me and are the things I can control, and those have been my actions and my words. Leave no mistake, I have said and done some stupid things that have hurt people along my journey, but I’ve learned through relationships that it’s all a work in progress, and when you hurt people, you need to make it right, not for you but for the person’s you’ve hurt. On the other side with my actions and voice, I have been able to serve and support many along my journey. 100% of my life I’ve been given the grace to make mistakes, be real, and...

Why do you fight? Do you get up every morning or go to bed every night and know what you are willing to fight for? Not every fight is the same. Some fights in life last longer than others and some fights you just have to walk away from. Those that you had to walk away from are not because you were not good enough, it just wasn't your time or that fight was not meant to be won by you.  Be fast, be quick, be ready to stand your ground as your fight is not over. The previous fight that you fought will prepare you for the next one. If you get knocked down get back up and help teach others to do the same.  Fight the good fight. Someone is going to need your strength to stand up for them. Someone is going to need you in their corner. Someone is going to need you lead them or help them up when they fall in their fight.  Fight for the weak. Fight for the less fortunate. Fight for the underdog. Fight for love. Fight for hope. Fight for good. Fight for your dreams....

Failure is a degree of potential success. Failure is only that, if no attempt is made for growth. Even at its worst, failure can only catapult success. Many times lack of success can feel like failure. This is when it's a good time to Leverage Failure. The opportunity to grow and build a foundation for success. Opportunity comes from obstacles, barriers, and attempts in failure. You can't be good at everything but in everything there is good to come from it.  Make it a point to stand on form ground, build a strong foundation and stay #RootedInStrengthCA  Let’s roll!