Where Have We Been?

It's fair to say that it's been a hot minute since I have shared a blog. It's been even longer, it feels since I've put out a podcast. Navigating The Intentional Life has been, simply put, ON HOLD.

It's funny, because writing here, for the few of you that might take the time to read this; it's simply one of my favorite things that I get to do. The feedback and the support I've received in the process has been nothing short of God's blessing and absolutely mind blowing.

When I started I didn't believe in myself and because of that I didn't believe that a single one of you would accept this site or the podcast collectively. Essentially, I felt like you all would boo me off the metaphorical stage that I am on here. Presenting ones personal life, personal thoughts, struggles, fears, insecurities, well it sure as hell is a SCARY thing to do. But I can say with full confidence that I have always felt I had a story to share. I've always been moved to share my stories in the hope that ONE of you would latch on to it. That in some roundabout way, that ONE wouldn't suffer in the same manners in which I have suffered.

I started this from a very personal perspective. It was my heart and my thoughts and it was going... WELL.

So, where have we been?

Honestly, the easiest answer to a question you haven't asked; we haven't gone anywhere. In the last year and a half my family and I have taken on some major changes - moved to a different state, oldest became a high school student, the mens group took front and center focus, much energy has been put into sobriety and a much healthier lifestyle.

That's only the tip of that iceberg, friends.

While those things are all positive there have been some large valleys to those peaks. I have lost three very close and personal friends, been dealing with a new health issue that is NOT life threatening, but can be if I don't focus on my diet and my health. Obstacles that have to be overcome. Obstacles that acted, at times, as major anchors to our progress.

But let me cut right to the core of the biggest reason for this absence.

God has been working.

I was fortunate to have a father that presented a spiritual leader in my home. I was fortunate to have paternal grandparents that devoted their life to Christ. Every single memory I have of them is of a Godly man and woman living His will and His calling. They reaped His blessings for their devotion.

I lived most of my childhood under this umbrella of spiritual leadership.

I'll save details, but needless to say, I fell off from my spiritual walk over 20 years ago. I went silent from the Lord. I went rogue.

Most of the last two decades have been me navigating intentionally, unintentionally but always separate from the callings and assignments God had for me in my life. Sure, I had some success's that I'm very proud of and have been able to do somethings that very few people in this life have been able to do.

Even in the past year and a half of working Navigating The Intentional Life, the mens group The 57 and doing some 1:1 coaching to help other men work their way through divorce or custody battles and life after, it was always missing the spiritual aspect of things. It was, and there's no other way tot put it, far too egocentric.

Oh sure, it was helping others and building relationships that I am very blessed to have to this day. HOWEVER, it was still the JUSTIN show. The foundation of it, come to find out, was far too much of the "look at me" and less about "service above all else". So God had to intervene.

It's ironic, isn't it - the bible says that we have a heavenly father. God being that father. We have our earthly father and we only expect discipline along with love from one. As a father I have had to step in on my boys behalf 100's of times. I've also had to do the other side of parenting, now that they're getting older and allow them to fall. Sitting back and watching them stumble or struggle is one of the hardest things to do. I can't stand it. There have also been times where I have had to say, NOPE, this is HOW this works. We know these things as parents if we are those that are engaged, loving parents. This story is not a new one for you.

We only see this and expect this from our earthly father. But I can tell you without a doubt or a seconds of hesitancy that our Heavenly father does the EXACT same thing with us. I have been the recipient of this - sometimes He needs us to lay down for a minute, be quiet and listen, or get up and take action. IF we do not do those things then He will lay us down, He will silence us and He will push us in to action and say THIS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.

We don't accept this. Instead we place blame, we become bitter or angry and turn away from Him as opposed to understanding the love that comes with it as we do our earthly father.

See in the last six months God had to lay me down so that I could see how LOST I truly was from the assignments He has for me. I was neglecting all of the times He has shown me that I have a purpose in this life that is GREATER than what I have been doing. Simply put, I have been underperforming.

It took being stripped. It took me being shook. It took being laid down and SILENCED. Leveled to know that I am not TOO BIG for Christ. It, ladies and gentlemen, was a message I received LOUD AND CLEAR.

My mens group, THE 57 has drastically changed as well. The four other men that are leaders within the group, to include me, well... God has worked in all of us. Now The 57 is taking on a spiritual awakening and we are looking to be fishers of men. We are looking to spread the word and Christs kingdom here. We are compelling and pushing men to find their spiritual foundations and relationship with the Messiah.

We are following God's call for each of us as a fellowship. We are a brotherhood that are seeking to build better, stronger, Christian men by being vessels for God's word.

With that change, NIL has had to have a complete makeover. I don't mean I will be getting rid of any of the previous content. OH NO. I want that to stay, so that if anyone follows along it acts as a timeline from the lack of presence of Christ to when Christ completely entered the fold and I opened up to His calling.

Maybe this changes things for you. Perhaps you don't want to hear this. That's ok.

I pray one day you will. I pray that you can look at someone like me, if you know me, and know where I was to where I am now.

From where I have been, to where I am going.

I pray that if you see this, it makes you go, "Hmmm... Could it be..?"

The second it does, reach out! Immediately. Call me. Join our group, THE 57. **the name is about to change**

I will gladly listen. I will answer what I can. I will pray. I will tell you my story. We can share together these things that we might not understand, these things we feel could be God leading us or guiding us.

So where have we been?

We will gladly share, but would much rather you jump in to see where we are going.

NAVIGATE INTENTIONALLY

JUSTIN COPELAND