Jason Vana: Becoming a Better Man

Opening the Door →

Photo Credit: Wee Keat Chin (Creative Commons)

As Christians, we use that phrase way too much.

It’s become almost cliche.

Whenever we don’t know what to do, whenever it seems that the obstacle is too difficult, whenever there’s someplace we want to be but don’t know how to get there, we end up waiting on God to open that door.

Waiting on God to open a door is equivalent to us doing nothing.

Yes, we need to wait on God’s timing. Yes, there are certain doors only He can open. Yes, we need to wait on Him to open those doors.

That doesn’t mean we sit around and wait for our dream to fall out of the sky on a silver platter.

Continue Reading…

Opening the Door →

Photo Credit: Wee Keat Chin (Creative Commons)

As Christians, we use that phrase way too much.

It’s become almost cliche.

Whenever we don’t know what to do, whenever it seems that the obstacle is too difficult, whenever there’s someplace we want to be but don’t know how to get there, we end up waiting on God to open that door.

Waiting on God to open a door is equivalent to us doing nothing.

Yes, we need to wait on God’s timing. Yes, there are certain doors only He can open. Yes, we need to wait on Him to open those doors.

That doesn’t mean we sit around and wait for our dream to fall out of the sky on a silver platter.

Continue Reading…

Choking Out the Dream →

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

We all have dreams we’ve stopped pursuing.

As we get older, as we take on more responsibilities, our dreams can seem foolish. Or irresponsible. Or downright impossible.

There are bills to pay, mouths to feed, homes to purchase, vehicles to repair, taxes to pay, retirement to plan, vacations to fund, clothes to buy, iPhones to update, yards to maintain, home repairs to make, student loans to pay off, credit cards to pay off, car loans to pay off. Did I mention anything about bills to pay?

It’s no wonder our dreams fall to the bottom of our priorities. Our lives are inundated with much more important responsibilities.

And so our dreams begin to fade.
Fall to the bottom of our priority list.
Are choked out by the realities of life.

And begin to disappear all together.

Continue Reading…

Choking Out the Dream →

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

We all have dreams we’ve stopped pursuing.

As we get older, as we take on more responsibilities, our dreams can seem foolish. Or irresponsible. Or downright impossible.

There are bills to pay, mouths to feed, homes to purchase, vehicles to repair, taxes to pay, retirement to plan, vacations to fund, clothes to buy, iPhones to update, yards to maintain, home repairs to make, student loans to pay off, credit cards to pay off, car loans to pay off. Did I mention anything about bills to pay?

It’s no wonder our dreams fall to the bottom of our priorities. Our lives are inundated with much more important responsibilities.

And so our dreams begin to fade.
Fall to the bottom of our priority list.
Are choked out by the realities of life.

And begin to disappear all together.

Continue Reading…

Uncovering God's Call →

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

The number one question I get from college students and young adults revolves around discovering their dream or calling.

They don’t know how to determine for sure what God has called them to do.

It’s true for many of us.

We expect God’s call to come through some burning bush.
We look for it written on a neon sign in the sky.
We’re convinced it’s some complicated process divorced from our desires and passions.

Discovering God’s call is anything but easy.

It takes years of prayer.
Decades of trial and error.
Forcing yourself to do something that deep down, you don’t really want to do.

Or does it?

Continue Reading…

Uncovering God's Call →

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

The number one question I get from college students and young adults revolves around discovering their dream or calling.

They don’t know how to determine for sure what God has called them to do.

It’s true for many of us.

We expect God’s call to come through some burning bush.
We look for it written on a neon sign in the sky.
We’re convinced it’s some complicated process divorced from our desires and passions.

Discovering God’s call is anything but easy.

It takes years of prayer.
Decades of trial and error.
Forcing yourself to do something that deep down, you don’t really want to do.

Or does it?

Continue Reading…

Propelling Seasons →

Every season in life is different.
Every season has its own unique characteristics.

Some seasons are full of joy and prosperity.
Others are rife with hardship.
Some seasons we anticipate with excitement.
Others we would rather avoid.
Some seasons we look back on with fond memories.
Others we wish we could forget.
Some seasons bring the realization of goals and dreams.
Others bring those goals and dreams crashing down.
Some seasons bring ecstatic highs and depressing lows.
Others make life seem mundane.

No two seasons are the same.

READ MORE…

Propelling Seasons →

Every season in life is different.
Every season has its own unique characteristics.

Some seasons are full of joy and prosperity.
Others are rife with hardship.
Some seasons we anticipate with excitement.
Others we would rather avoid.
Some seasons we look back on with fond memories.
Others we wish we could forget.
Some seasons bring the realization of goals and dreams.
Others bring those goals and dreams crashing down.
Some seasons bring ecstatic highs and depressing lows.
Others make life seem mundane.

No two seasons are the same.

READ MORE…

Broken to be Exalted →

We tend to think leadership comes easily.

We hear stories of people who skyrocketed to fame and fortune heading their own business. We see people step into leading an international organization at an early age. We have dreams and ideas of heading up some great business or organization or ministry, and expect it will happen over night.

We want the instant leadership.

Do a little work, connect with the right people, put in a little bit of time, speak to a few people, work up the corporate ladder and BAM, we are a great leader.

We want the notoriety.
We want the fame.
We want to be the overnight success, the in-demand speaker or the leader of an international organization.

And we want it now.

But God rarely works that way.

READ MORE…