Hey there! It's been a while...

Hope y'all are doing well :)

I just wanted to let you guys get an update on my life..as I've not been posting as often as I did in the past month! There are actually a multitude of reasons, but I'll try to keep it as concise as possible - the last thing I want to do to you is bore you :p

First things first...

Personally, I found that all I was thinking about was growing in this community - increasing my follower's, my view count, my upvote count, everything you can think of. It became my idol subconsciously.

When I publish a post and it does not get the recognition or upvote I expect it to receive, it discourages me from posting more and more content. Why? I believe the passion transformed from something so pure and innocent (joining an amazing community) to something selfish and self-exalting.

Image Source: http://cdn-media-2.lifehack.org/wp-content/files/2014/02/shutterstock_90720751.jpg

So I stopped posting.

It did not stop me from resteeming other great content and collecting SP's though as you may have seen - I still logged in daily, but it did consume me entirely anymore.

There are also certain replies that I've had to truly ponder on from fellow believers in Christ! I've had several conversations already about the foundation of Christianity that's rocked me spiritually. I've had to truly question a lot of things I thought I believed in firmly. It's so true that when people actually care about you and have the time to question your faith, it can wither down into burnt ashes, allow you to remain indifferent about the areas people can challenge you in, or it can produce endurance that strengthens over time, kind of like a trained muscle that keeps growing after more and more progression.

For those waiting for a response, please remain patient! I do plan to respond (@pretradition specifically and another Steemian who I've not responded to in weeks!) to your rebuttles hopefully this week, or today!

What I've Been Up To?

Before I share my main activities, let me preface this to you straight - I do not live for more money opportunities. I work at an office for a start-up company, making a bit more than our country's minimum wage. I am definitely content and satisfied with the money I make, given my life's circumstances. It does mean that I am not open to part-time work that is fun and rewarding!

Introducing Swagbucks...

Image Source: http://surveyssay.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/SB-Logo-1024x385.jpg

This is actually my second go around with this company! What they basically do is they reward you (mostly in gift cards) to search using their search tool (replaces Google for me!), do surveys, answer polls, etc! It's actually a fun way to earn and gain rewards! It also has the potential to gain massive dividends if you have a big enough following, because you earn on your followers as well.

My payout's have been quite astonishing given I've only starting using it again for a month! I've already made $10 in gift cards in a matter of 10 days! $1 a day isn't so bad given you're not investing anything into outside of your time.

PROOF:

I highly recommend you guys check Swagbucks (aff. link) out for yourself. Maybe do some investigation of your own to ensure that it is a right for you. Check it out here! (aff. link)

Teaching at Church

For the past 3 weeks now, I have been given the opportunity to minister to our church's young people's group/pre-teens group during Sunday worship two times, which is amazing! I think I've learned a lot in my development as a teacher and leader; but, I feel like I've fallen short, particularly undermining the power of the Holy Spirit. This has been on my heart for a couple of days now, and I ask that you pray for me as I continue to seize these opportunities to share the Gospel to these young children!

The past two topics have been such:

1) Built to Brag (sermon from Trip Lee) - no main text here

2) Ecclesiastes 11:8-12:9 - Youth (sermon inspired from Matt Chandler)

There has been a recurring theme from these past two teachings. I've used other preacher's sermons, which is a rookie mistake and a faithless escape from personal investigation of the Scriptures. It's definitely a cop out move from my part in taking other people's sermons, and I feel guilty and saddened by it. I know that there is power in the Holy Spirit, but I have not taken advantage of it in my devotional preparation.

I will be preparing for my next devotional this week or next week, and I hope to look FIRST to the Scriptures as my source of inspiration, rather than looking to other leaders that have online resources. Please pray for it! I believe the next time I will be preaching is July 30th, or in August!

Prayer Requests

Finally, I'd like to ask you guys to pray for an upcoming assessment for a potential academy/job that is coming next month for me! It's a long story, but I ask that you pray specifically for strength (I will be studying after work) and wisdom (passing the assessments both academically and in the eyes of the Recruitment Managers) for next month's assessment day!

My Steemit Future

Who knows?

I firmly believe I will get back on track with Steemit, but I am not sure how often I will be posting on here! I hope to still be proactive because I do learn a lot from other Steemians, building not only my own following, but my personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ with fellow Christian Steemians! Thank you so much.

Right now, my priority is Swagbucks, and then Steemit in terms of my online hobbies, but I don't plan on leaving anytime soon!

God bless you! I really appreciate your time. Don't forget to resteem, upvote, and comment below 😀 😁 😇