Sometimes things are going to happen in your life that will completely turn your world upside down. During these times it can be very easy to sink to very low places and convince yourself that there is no getting up from here.

In that mindset, you can see the steps that you have to take to improve your situation, and yet you can easily convince yourself that you are powerless to take that step.  In that place it can be very easy to succumb to feelings (which often lead us astray).

No matter how long you stay in the valley (and sometimes it can be for quite a while), at one point or another you are going to have to make the choice to start making the long walk out. The journey ahead can often look really long, and sometimes impossible. For myself, even knowing I have Jesus with me, and knowing the truth about what steps I need to take to get out of this valley, my human spirit can still contest this and leave me in a place where I am still fumbling. At one point or other you have to commit to taking that first step, and after that you take another step.

Even after you start walking forward again, don't be surprised if you sometimes fall back a couple of steps and sit there for a bit to contemplate what is going on. What matters is that you find the strength to once again start walking ahead. One step at a time, one foot in front of the other. Start making the choice to not succumb to the feelings that are paralyzing you. One day at a time, one choice at a time, eventually you will see the horizon again and recommence stepping forward into your future!

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus

Philippians 3:12-14

(this should have been posted a couple of days ago!!)

It is 6:45AM on a Saturday morning. Having not yet went to bed from completing another course, instead of going to sleep immediately I am blasting this down as I feel that someone out there needs to read this post . One of the many comments that I often receive from students of the courses is that they can't believe how passionate I am about writing software.

I often go into long rants about how I look back at the code I wrote years ago and ,even though it can make me shudder, I still smile with joy when I think about the experience I had while I was writing the software. I will talk on and on about the importance of being focused, dreaming big, living passionately. Of course there is some technical in there!

(!!!!!IMPORTANT - The following comments are not meant to come off as advertising, whether good or bad!!)
Some comments that often come up during courses are:
-How did you get so good
-Man you are fast
-I can't keep up
-I have no idea what I am doing
-You have not given me enough direction to complete the exercise
-Could you please stop changing the requirements part way through an exercise
-You're presentation style sucks
-You don't cater to different styles of learning very well
-I have no idea what you are talking about anymore

I have cut the list short because the list goes on and on and on. I listed both good and bad feedback above to highlight one important topic. Regardless of a students experience with the course there is no student who, having taken the course, is not able to say the following things:

-He seems to love what he does?
-He seems to not be caught up in the mainstream?
-He does not seem to be worried about trying to keep up with everyone else?

So is it a matter of focus? Partially? Am I driven? Somewhat?

Then what is the big deal???

Long ago I gave up the driver seat of my life to someone who knows way may about things than I ever could. I feel passionate about what I do because a long time ago, someone who demonstrated passion for something else, their love for the Lord, was something that changed my life. My wife was one of those people in high school who would walk up to a complete stranger and ask them the question: Are you saved? Do you know Jesus? This was one of the first questions she asked me having just met me. I was intrigued. Having grown up going to church, I was stumped at the question as I did not have any idea what it meant to have a relationship with the Lord. Aaron and I did not end up dating until the beginning of grade 12. Having witnessed the life of someone living out loud, and not being afraid, or even caught up in the popularity traps that can often snare people going through high school; I decided to give my life to the Lord, and things began to significantly change, I began to change!! I was not in a broken place when I found the Lord, I just knew that I needed Him in my life. The moment that I decided to follow Jesus, I started to change, and my perception of things began to alter as I drew closer to Him.

People often realize that the Nothin but .Net courses end up being much more than just about technology. Lots of people end up feeling empowered, energized (despite the long days), and having a renewed sense of purpose for both their development careers and lives in general. Of course, this is not the way everyone feels, but the important thing to realize is that none of it has anything to do with me at all. My family and I believe that God is using this course as a way to wake people up to the possibilities of what it means to have a rich life in Him; one that is not:

• caught up in the meaningless comparison traps that bring us no satisfaction whatsoever.
• driven by desires that do not end up in delivering any meaningful fruit, or leave us with any feeling of accomplishment/peace
• tossed side to side by the crazy events that can happen in our lives
• filled with uncertainty about what happens next?

The amount of great opportunities we have had to share the Lord with developers all over the world is amazing, and is the central reason that I believe the course is still going strong.

I Develop With Passion, because I am filled by the One that gives me an unshakable hope for an amazing future, that is promised to all who accept Him into their life!! Even if things in life don't go the way that we would like, there is an unbelievable, incredible, future that awaits all who give up the drivers seat to the One who really knows how to point us in the ultimate right direction!! I Develop With Passion because I want people to ask the question why? So I can point them directly at The answer. It has nothing to do with me whatsoever. I am nothing special.  Jesus is everything.

If you want to read more about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus I suggest you take a look at a fantastic resource: notreligion.com . If you have even the vaguest question, please take the time to read through the site. It could be the most important decision you make!!

Develop With Passion!!