Brandon Gilliland

The other day, I made a graphic to post on my social network accounts. I thought that I would post it here and explain it a little bit more. I enjoy connecting with many of you through Twitter and Instagram, but at the same time, I enjoy being able to have more of a discussion on the blog.

We all have dreams. Some are pursuing their dreams while others have given up. I believe that God has given each of us different talents and abilities to do His work. Therefore, it is expected that we have different callings in life and different dreams.

I wanted to write this post today as an encouragement to whoever is reading. Dream big! With God on our side, we can not fail. There are a few verses that I have made my “life verses” recently because they are applicable to everyday life.

“A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.”

-Proverbs 16:9

If you have ever called customer service or a large company, you most likely have received a digital operator that will make you follow several commands. “Press 1 for service…press 2 for order info…press 3 if you’re just having fun listening to these commands!”

When I receive a digital operator, I often get annoyed, especially if the conversation goes nowhere. I don’t like to waste time with things that are not going to help me get me where I am needing to go. I’m sure you think the same way.

Prayer does not work like a digital operator.

We don’t have to go through a list of commands or even secretaries before we reach God. He is never busy, and He is always available. I believe that many forget that we have a direct line to God. He wants to hear from us, and we can call anytime…without any wait lists or voicemails to catch!

Baggage. We all have things that try to weight us down. Guilt, depression, anxiety…just to name a few. The reality is that this world wants to add more to the problem.

I’m sure we all have past decisions that we wish we could reverse. Imagine if you could reverse time to correct your mistakes. It would be nice, but it is not reality. We live in a sinful world that only tries to destroy us. I believe that so many people are controlled by their baggage.

If you have ever traveled or have gone on a hiking adventure, the one thing you want to avoid is having a heavy load to carry. This causes you to become exhausted. The same thing applies to our lives. The more baggage you carry, the harder it will be to live the life God wants you to live.

The problem is us. We don’t have to carry around the baggage, but we do. I talk to so many people who just can’t let go of their past.

I’ve been on Twitter for over a year now, and I must say that it has really helped me grow my online presence. The majority of this website’s traffic comes directly from Twitter.

One of the many things I have realized about Twitter and other social media websites is that it provides an opportunity for average people to have a strong influence on people. This is great, but I often get people asking me how this is possible. The whole reason I try to expand my influence is because I want to share God’s love and truths with others. In a world where negativity abounds, we have the awesome opportunity to share the message of hope with others. That message is Jesus!

In the process of expanding my influence, I have noticed three common characteristics of accounts that are able to expand their influence. Unless you’re a world-wide known celebrity, it will be hard to expand your platform without these three things:

Words without actions are meaningless. If you follow me on Twitter, you have probably seen a tweet about that phrase. I’ve posted it a few times. True influencers are able to back up their words with actions.

If you think about it, would you rather listen to someone who just tells you what to do but is unable to execute it personally? Or would you rather listen and follow someone who actually lives out what they say?

I would choose the second option.

I have received numerous emails from teens across the country in the past few months that have really inspired me to write this post and a few others. Most have started connecting with me through Twitter, but a few have actually kept me updated on things through email and text messages. It is awesome to connect with people around the nation whom I have never met before.

Most of you know that I am partnered with several different book companies that send me books to review. Recently, I received “Live Second”, a devotional to help one make Jesus first in one’s life.

I’ve read quite a few devotional books, and I would be the first to admit that most are sub-par. However, I thought that “Live Second” was actually decent. It is practical, and it can be used along with your personal Bible study.

This devotional was actually inspired by the #IAmSecond movement. If you are on social media, you are probably familiar with the hashtag. This devotional actually is centralized around making Jesus first and using social media to honor Him. Because I think it is a decent devotional book, I have decided to give away a copy of it! Yay!

How To Win A Live Second Devotional:

The winner of the giveaway will be drawn at random. I use random.org to determine the winner. However, the more things you do, the more your name is put into the giveaway. This means you have a better chance of winning! AWESOME!

I have never done a video blog in the history of this website. Many have been requesting it recently, so I decided to make a short one for you all. I was interviewed by my good friend, David Bunce.

In this video, we talk about what it means to amplify God’s kingdom. It all comes down to living an intentional lifestyle. Hope you enjoy!

If you can’t see the video, click here!

If you liked the video, consider sharing it!

Also, let me know if you would like to see more of these!

I made a graphic to share the other day about the difference between reputation and character.

What’s the Difference Between Reputation and Character?

According to the dictionary, we get the following definitions:

Reputation: overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general

Character:  the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual

If you take a look at the definitions above, you will notice that reputation is simply what others think of you. It is a formulated opinion. It is important for others to think highly of you, but your life should not be based on it. Character, in contrast to reputation, is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. Character is who someone is! 

As Christ followers, we should desire to possess character that models Christ. We all will mess up at times, but our life should be characterized by following God. I found this quote that directly correlates with this post:

This past month has been crazy for me! I have not been able to write much because I’ve been focused on finishing up school. The semester is finally over, and I graduate later this week!

Because I haven’t been able to post much, traffic has been down considerably. Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads this blog anymore, but I get emails and messages every week from people saying how much they enjoy reading it. It’s hard to keep a site like this running, but reading those messages makes it all worth it. However, I do wonder about the traffic because it is so low.

Top Posts In April

What Is A Christian?

Living An Intentional Lifestyle

Developing A New Mindset While Living An Oxymoron

Pure Mind Equals Pure Living

Complicating Prayer

I was excited when one of the guest posts made it into the top list! I love featuring new guest posts on this site, so if you are interested in publishing something here, let me know! The guest video blog from Adalenne was so good. The message is applicable to everyone. The video is below just in case you missed it! Be sure to watch and share!

Hey everyone!

I have been thinking over the past few months about the purpose of this website. From the mission statement, it is to amplify God’s kingdom. I feel that there are endless ways to do this. The website is just one of those ways.

Recently, this website has hit an all-time low. Traffic has never been so low in the history of the website. I’m honestly not sure what the problem is. I enjoy managing this blog, but I want to only do it if it is helping and encouraging other people. I noticed this traffic plunge a few months ago. It started off gradually, but it has now hit rock-bottom. Yesterday, the site had 3 visitors.