• Work

    Digital Guerrillas

    Marketing is one of my passions, I’m fascinated by it, and I certainly haven’t learned everything yet. One thing that continues to fascinate me is guerrilla marketing. “Guerrilla Marketing is an advertising strategy that focuses on low-cost unconventional marketing tactics that yield maximum results.” (https://tinyurl.com/5r929m2) What I’ve learned more recently is that it can be more about making enough impact through the strategy so that it ends up on social media. There is an obviousness to it, but some companies, artists, and celebrities, have this under wraps. Take the case study of Kelsy Karter who faked a tattoo on her face of Harry Styles to get the publicity she wanted for her new…

  • Uncategorized

    Growing Up

    I recently remembered that I wrote a parable for an assignment back in elementary school. It was about a girl who wanted to grow up, and whose life couldn’t move fast enough for her at one point, and somehow I remember writing in that the character suddenly found herself growing up too fast. She suddenly realized that everything around her was going faster than she could experience or appreciate it. As adults we tell children to not grow up too fast, we also tell them to grow up and to learn, and to find their way in the world. Neither is wrong and although I’m not a parent, I see…

  • Christianity

    Fickle or Faithful

    Jesus plus anything else is not the gospel. We can’t turn the gospel into some personalized thing, otherwise, it ceases to be God’s word – it turns into our’s instead. This is what my pastor talked about this morning. In addition to mentioning that Jesus demands our unquestioned devotion. This does not mean we will never have doubts; instead it means that we can’t personalize the gospel to allow for our human weaknesses, we have to pick up our cross daily and acknowledge there are things that we may want that we essentially can’t have because of our relationship with Christ, but if we truly want to follow Him we…

  • Work

    Digital First

    I find a lot of value in the digital world, and although not everything I do or use is digital, for instance as I write this I’m listening to my record player…mostly because I just turned off my premium listening streaming service, in favor of saving money by listening to the free version for a little while. Calendars are another thing that I know really only use digitally nowadays. I use to use planners in high school, but since my school used the Google program suite, I started using google calendar or “g-cal” and just kept with it. I love that I can easily share my schedule and events with…

  • Work

    Get Stuff Done

    Ban yourself from Netflix, close the candy crush app, sign out of Facebook, and get stuff done. Don’t put off getting your car work done, if you can afford it at all, get it done. Don’t put off finishing that home improvement/cleaning project. Write the email to your coworker. Get the design done. Brainstorm and write it down. Get Stuff done. Do I always do this? No. The thing is that I know that’s helpful. I have done it. I was challenged by one of my advisors to read more. I read a whole novel in a week this past week, and though I’ve been short on work this week,…

  • Uncategorized

    Live Within Your Means

    That’s a challenge, especially with small means, but it’s certainly a form of self-control. Living within your means, means understanding that your income is what you have to live on whether you like it or not. It means understanding that even when you want something, whether it be a dinner out, new furniture, a cool vacation, or a fancier car, if it isn’t in your budget, you can’t afford it. If you only have one couch but you want two, but you haven’t paid for your housing yet this month, you can’t justify it. To some, this may be obvious but it’s sometimes hard to put into practice when friends…

  • Adventures,  Christianity

    A Year with High School Ministries

    Holy moly I just finished up a year volunteering in high school ministries, and goodness did I love it and learn a lot. All the grades of kids who were in senior high this year I had as students in junior high. It was quite an experience seeing kids through these ministries and seeing them grow into young adults. Not only that, but we also had a number of families join the church in the past couple of years, and they’ve students have been great additions to the group. It’s been crazy to put myself back in these students shoes, and deal with very different questions through the years. I’ve…

  • Finances

    A State of Mind that is Helpful

    I’ve read that “poor is a mindset, broke is a place you’re just passing through” – Dave Ramsey. I understand that not having much disposable income can totally be just a season, but I see value in having a “poor” mindset to keep you on track for your goals during a different kind of season. For me, I try to live frugally, now more than ever. I am always trying to be very aware of how much money I spend. Sometimes that means I have a “poor” mindset. What I mean by that is that I have to limit myself in this season of my life so I can get…

  • Uncategorized

    Memorial Day (300th Post!)

    First let me address how thankful I am to service men and women, especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. While we shouldn’t take it lightly there is something wonderful about taking this day to not only remember them but also enjoy our freedoms as Americans on this day. So go out, have a burger, cruise the lake, take a drive to a park, and maybe take a moment of silence during those activities to remember those who have given so much, and while you’re at it thank a veteran. Today also has special importance to me for a different reason. As you may have guessed by the title I…

  • Christianity

    Bread Of Life

    I picked up some great insights from my pastor’s sermon this morning. Find him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JaredCarlsonGPC Jesus calls himself the bread of life, often this can seem somewhat odd, even to those of us who call Him our Lord and Savior; it’s just not something you hear otherwise. But it’s so important. You see our life with God means a fulfilled life, not a perfect life. To loosely quote some things that Jared said, “Don’t repackage or adjust God’s revelation, when you do that it ceases to be His.” That and, “Accommodation never produces conviction, and appeasement never produces obedience.” When faith depends on sight it leads to…