SMART goals. No fluff. Just results.

Specific (Answers who, what, where, when, and why)

Measurable (Progress can be tracked)

Achievable (Possible)

Relevant (Important to your life circumstances)

Time-bound (Not someday)

SMART goals bring clarity. They bring clarity, discipline, and direction.

But here’s the truth most people miss:

You can have a perfect plan and still be headed the wrong direction.

SMART goals without God’s guidance are just sophisticated wandering.

Structure without surrender leads to frustration.

Planning without prayer leads to disappointment.

Before you set the deadline, seek the Lord.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

— Proverbs 3:5–6

Greatness isn’t measured by wealth, fame, or applause. It’s measured by conviction, courage, and the willingness to stand for truth when silence would be easier. Charlie Kirk embodied those traits. He wasn’t perfect (none of us are) but in a generation easily swayed by culture, he stood like a rock. Below are reasons why Charlie Kirk truly was a great man. 

He Had the Courage to Face His Critics

Charlie didn’t hide behind a podium or cherry-pick friendly crowds. He went to college campuses – hostile territory, and handed his critics the microphone. He let them say whatever they wanted because he knew truth would prevail in the end. He knew when he preached truth, it would set them free.

His Conviction Was Rooted in Something Deeper

Charlie wasn’t just another conservative voice. As his platform grew, so did his willingness to point people toward Christ. His courage came from conviction, not ego. Great men stand tall because they’ve found something worth standing for. Charlie found that in his faith, and it gave him unshakable purpose.

He Was a Student Before He Was a Teacher

Charlie’s strength in debate didn’t come from arrogance – it came from preparation. He studied relentlessly. He knew the Scriptures. He knew the issues inside and out. While others relied on talking points, Charlie relied on depth. His intelligence wasn’t just natural talent; it was sharpened by discipline. He didn’t just show up – he showed up ready. That’s why he could stand in any arena and hold his ground.

He Led with Relentless Purpose

Through Turning Point USA, Charlie helped shape a movement that played a pivotal role in getting Trump reelected in 2024 – a turning point crucial for the hope of the United States. He was relentless. He didn’t just talk about change or watch it happen from the sidelines. He made it happen. His engine never stopped running, and his impact will outlast his years.

He Lived Without Fear

Charlie knew the risks. Every time he stepped on stage, every time he spoke an unpopular truth, he understood there were people who hated him for it. It didn’t stop him. He walked into the lion’s den daily – not because he was reckless, but because lions don’t retreat. And Charlie was a lion.

He Was a Future President

Charlie Kirk was, without a doubt, a future President of the United States. He had the vision, the conviction, the intelligence, and the leadership our country desperately needed. We didn’t just lose a great Christian leader or political activist – we lost a future President of the United States. We lost what could have been.

He Finished His Race

Charlie didn’t chase trends or titles. From the beginning to the end, he stayed committed to the mission – to truth, to the gospel, to changing culture through conviction. Greatness isn’t about doing everything. It’s about finishing the right thing well.

Charlie Kirk ran his race. And he finished strong.

Turning Point USA Will Continue Strong

Charlie’s legacy didn’t die with him. Turning Point USA is experiencing substantial growth – more chapters are starting now than ever before, even more than in the years before his death. New leaders are rising up. The movement he built isn’t fading – it’s accelerating. His vision planted seeds that continue to bear fruit. What he started will march forward, stronger than ever, because great men don’t just lead for their generation – they build movements that outlast them.

“And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” – Revelation 12:11 (NLT)

Your testimony isn’t just a story, it’s a weapon.

The woman at the well discovered this truth firsthand. Her simple declaration, “He told me everything I ever did,” didn’t just draw people to Jesus. It declared victory over shame, rejection, and a lifetime of hiding. In that moment, her testimony became her weapon against the enemy’s lies.

Revelation 12:11 reveals the biblical blueprint for spiritual victory. We overcome Satan through two powerful forces: the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Notice that your testimony is paired with Christ’s sacrifice as instruments of defeat against the enemy.

When you speak your testimony, something supernatural happens. You’re not just sharing information, you’re wielding spiritual warfare. Every time you declare what God has done, you’re announcing the enemy’s defeat in your life.

Your Testimony Builds Your Faith

Each time you speak about God’s goodness, you train your spirit for battle. Declaring His victories today prepares you to win tomorrow.

Your Testimony Defeats Fear

The enemy’s greatest weapon is silence. He wants you to keep quiet about what God has done because your story exposes his lies. When you speak boldly about God’s work in your life, fear loses its grip. Courage replaces cowardice.

Your Testimony Creates Boldness

Sharing your faith isn’t just about helping others – it transforms you. Each conversation makes you braver. Every testimony you share builds confidence. You become a dangerous weapon in God’s hands because you’re no longer afraid to speak.

The enemy knows this. That’s why he works overtime to keep believers silent. He whispers lies: “Nobody wants to hear your story. You’re not qualified. You’ll be rejected.” But these are the desperate tactics of a defeated foe.

Your testimony carries the power of Christ’s blood. When you open your mouth and declare what God has done, you’re not just encouraging others – you’re participating in spiritual warfare. You’re overcoming the enemy with the most powerful weapon in your arsenal: the truth of what Jesus has accomplished in your life.

Don’t let the enemy silence your weapon. Your testimony is too powerful to keep locked away. Use it. Speak it. Watch the enemy flee and your faith soar.

The blood of the Lamb paid the price. Your testimony declares the victory. Together, they make you an overcomer.

Like the woman at the well, your testimony may be simple, but in God’s hands, it can shake a city.

She was the last person you’d expect God to use. A broken reputation. A messy past. An outsider. Yet she became the first evangelist in her city.

The woman at the well was known for sin. Rejected by her community. But Jesus didn’t avoid her, He met her at her point of need.

Jesus didn’t choose a rabbi, a priest, or a ruler to launch revival in Samaria. He chose her. One encounter changed everything. Jesus revealed her deepest secrets and offered living water for her thirsty soul.

Her response? She dropped her water jar and ran to tell everyone.

“Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did!” she proclaimed to her village (John 4:29).

Her simple testimony sparked a revival. John 4:39-42 tells us:

“Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, ‘He told me everything I ever did!’ When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.'”

Notice the progression: her testimony drew them to Jesus, but they didn’t stop there. They encountered Him personally and developed their own relationship with the Savior.

This is the pattern of evangelism:

Jesus meets the rejected. Jesus transforms the broken. Jesus uses the unqualified. One testimony sparks revival.

Your testimony becomes the bridge that leads others to their own encounter with Christ. They don’t just believe because of your story—they meet Jesus for themselves and discover their own.

Your testimony is not optional. Someone’s salvation may depend on you opening your mouth and pointing them to Christ. Your story is the bridge. Use it. Open your mouth. Point them to Christ – and watch Him change lives.

In the next post, I’ll show you how your testimony isn’t just a story it’s a weapon.

Over these past two weeks, I’ve been reminded that God shows up in every situation, not just the obviously spiritual ones. Here’s a snapshot of my life and where I’ve seen His hand at work in the past two weeks.

Aug 5-15

My coworker who opens our building at work took off for 2 weeks, so I was needed to open the building. This means I had to get up at 3:15 AM so I can be at work at 4:30 AM.

Sun Aug 10

Our family went to the Indiana State Fair. It was a hot day, but we made it to the Chris Tomlin concert. I got to bed about 11 PM, had to get up at 3:15 AM.

Aug 4 to present

I have spent a lot of my free time putting together a new workflow. I feel like before I can go to the next level, I need a more efficient personal management system. I think I finally got it figured out, now just putting it all together. When it’s done, it will be a powerful machine with many automations. If it all goes well, it will be a real game changer for me.

Fri Aug 15

My wife calls me and tells me she is sick. She was going to go with me to the meetings at the Hendricks County Fair with Evangelist/Revivalist Stan Lovins. I had to go without her. The meeting was great. I was genuinely encouraged and touched by the Holy Spirit.

We were going to go together also to the evangelism training Saturday, but we didn’t go.

Later that day I drove down to Lake Lemon IN and met with my sister. Me, my mom, my sister, and her husband swam in the lake together. We had a good time.

Aug 18 (today)

Today is my sister’s birthday. Happy birthday Tabby!

Aug 19

Tomorrow my son Noah goes for an eardrum replacement. He has had a hole in his eardrum almost his whole life. I asked my coworker if he would change shifts with me so I could be with my son at the hospital. He agreed. Heidi was going to take him, but she is still feeling weak.

There you have it – a snapshot of my life over the past two weeks.

Looking back, God was present in every moment. In the discipline of 3:15 AM mornings, in family time at the fair, in the breakthrough with my workflow, in being touched by His Spirit at the revival meeting, in simple moments swimming with family, and even in my coworker’s kindness when I needed to be with Noah.

God doesn’t just show up in the big spiritual moments, He’s woven into every ordinary day, every challenge, every blessing. The question isn’t where God is, but whether we’re paying attention.