Let the countdown begin!!

Greetings!!

No...I have not forgotten about this blog! I have so much to share with those who are willing to read :)

When I last wrote you I left you with a few updates that I would like to expand upon in this post.

1. B.A.Y. Rally North - Pequot Lakes, MN

I had the opportunity on February 23, to make a road trip out to Pequot Lakes, MN. I had been asked to speak at the B.A.Y. Rally North which is a ministry of Youth For Christ in the Brainerd Area. I was very excited at this opportunity and it was an excellent night! It was such a cool atmosphere to speak in, what with lights, a big stage, projector screens, etc. There were over 300 students in attendance for this rally with the theme of, "Prove It". The idea behind this theme was to taylor messages to the students that would encourage them to really live out what they believe in way that would be visible to others. When asked to speak, I was given the topic within this theme of proving your faith by truly loving others.

I opened up with some humorous bits about working out and how it truly takes effort and consistency. I tied this idea into the notion that we can't just meet a need once and call it good, or be kind to someone once and think we've arrived. To so, would be negligent of the call to love others and it would be like going to the gym once and saying that you will stay in shape the rest of your life.

I challenged those listening to not only love those whom it's easy to love but to really push themselves by loving people who aren't like them and who they don't necessarily like (Mt. 5:46-47) I also included the story of Jesus loving and healing the leper...something that was definitely a shocker back in that day.

Overall, it was a super fun night and I felt blessed to be a part of it! I hope to have more opportunities in the future to speak for B.A.Y. Ministries and partner with them in the work of the gospel.

2. That same week I had the opportunity to speak at 30 Below, which is a college-aged group that meets a few Sundays a month in the Duluth area. I was invited to speak at a worship night they were having on Saturday, March 5 and I spoke on the concept of being "genuine". I used Philippians 2:19-22 where Paul speaks about Timothy having a genuine concern for the welfare of others which is in a sense looking out for the interests of Christ. I relayed this concept to us as the church today saying that if we desire an authentic relationship with God, we needed to genuine in or relationships with other people. Paul says that he has no one else like Timothy who shows such a genuine concern. I posed the following question regarding Timothy's genuine demeanor, "Wouldn't it be cool if some big magazine like Time or something posted an article saying, "There's no one quite like those Christians who show genuine concern and welfare for others. I wrapped up the talk by encouraging those listening to be more genuine towards others by following Timothy's example, who modeled after Paul, and by following Paul's example who most importantly modeled his behavior after Christ. I felt blessed to be able to speak at this event!!

3. HERE COME THE BIG NEWS!! LiveWire Speaking is on it's way!!! LiveWire Speaking is a ministry I have started and the website (God-willing) should be fully operational by April 1st! That being said, let the countdown begin!! I'm very excited to be launching this ministry officially and I can't wait to see how God uses me in this new endeavor! I would like to thank so many people for believing in me and encouraging me as I have been on this journey for some time! A HUGE thank you goes out to my web designer and media guy for all the work he has put in!! You know who you are!! I will be posting the link soon so you can all see it!

In the mean time please do be praying for these upcoming speaking events:

1. Thursday, April 21st - InterVaristy @ U.M.D. Campus - Duluth MN (College Ministry)

2. Saturday, April 23rd - FCA Retreat @ Bethel Fellowship - St. Paul, MN (Youth Retreat)

3. July 31st - August 4th - Camp Lebanon - Burtrum, MN - (3-6 Grade Camp)

Thank you for your continued support!! I appreciate it!

Ephesians 6:19-20

Come and share in my happiness!!

Greetings to all my peeps who still take the time to read this blog. Fact: You are appreciated!

God is good! That's all there is to it! With every event I speak at, I am more and more amazed and grateful at how God is using this crazy, energetic personality of mine to impact lives! I feel so blessed to be a part of His plan!

Recently, I was able to speak at two events and they both were GREAT!

First, I spoke this past Wednesday morning at Lakeview Christian Academy. It was early and I really wanted to set the tone, so I attempted to inject some comedy material that I had been working on and long story short it went well! Whenever people laugh, I count it as a win :). I used quite a bit of humor and energy to really draw in the students and my main point of the talk was to not waste these teenage years but to use them to the full for God's glory. I briefly shared of how I look back on my teen years and am disappointed that I didn't use the gifts and talents bestowed upon me by God more. I challenged the students to really make these years count. It was good to hear that this talk was received well by students and faculty alike. I overheard that some teachers were concerned in the beginning of my talk thinking, "Oh boy, here we go again with a goofy chapel speaker with no point." Yet, when I hammered home the God given point, they seemed to be very pleased. I am so grateful that God has given me a mind that can combine humor and His word in a way that brings it to life to students!

My second event was speaking at YoungLife in Cloquet, MN. YoungLife is a GREAT ministry that seeks to reach unchurched students with the Gospel. I knew this would not be my typical, "youth group"audience so I was excited for the challenge. I spoke briefly (10 minutes to be exact) on how Jesus loves us in the moment. I told the students that Jesus isn't waiting for us to get our life together before He can love us. I used Mark 10:19, where a man came to Jesus wanting to know how he could get to heaven and be better. The Bible says that FIRST (this is HUGE) "Jesus looked at the man and LOVED him" then Jesus said, "This one thing you lack" The order there is essential to understand!! Jesus didn't start off by saying that we need to get our stuff together before we can be loved by Him. NO!! The Bible tells us that he first loved the man and then encouraged him to change. I communicated to the students that no matter where they were at and what their struggle was, Jesus loves them in the moment and wants to work on things together with them. As always, I attempted to throw in some comedic material this time centered around my "weird" family. This was definitely a fun night!

Praise God for these two GREAT opportunities!

UPDATE TIME:

1. I speak next at BAY Rally North in Pequot Lakes, MN on February 23. Please keep this date in your prayers. The theme for this event is, "Prove it" - to Him, to Yourself, to the World. I am so excited to have this opportunity!

2. I am currently working with some amazing people on developing a website and launching an official speaking ministry. We are very close and I am pumped to soon unveil it! Please continue to pray that God would lead and direct this adventure and that this ministry would truly be His and not about me.

3. I am working in an adult foster care facility and it's not an easy job but God is truly teaching me great lessons and I feel like I am really there for a purpose. Please pray that God would continue to use me in that setting to bring hope and encouragement to others!

Thank you for your support! May today find you drawing closer to Him!

In His Grip,

Levi Bordes

New Year...Same Dream

Greetings to my very few but loyal followers and might I add, Happy New Year!! I'm really happy that the computer will automatically post this in the year 2011, instead of having me date it 2010 like I've done with everything else the past two days :).

2010 is over, but my dream of pursuing a life of public speaking is just in it's birthing stage. As the year finished I had an opportunity to speak at two GREAT events in December.

On December 8th, I was invited to be the speaker at an event known as the, "School Showdown." This was a fun night comprised of many different high schools in the Duluth area competing against each other in various games and events that were not for the faint of heart. As the games portion of the evening drew to a close I took the stage to deliver a 20 minute message. I felt the talk was received well as I spoke about the need to build our lives on a solid foundation based off of Jesus' teaching on the wise and foolish builders. I included some humorous stories regarding my middle school "dating" life and how my foundations were not the most solid. Needless to say, my image may never be the same :P. Overall, the message of the Gospel was communicated and students were encouraged.

My other speaking engagement was the 12-Hour Blitz which took place on December 29th. The 12-Hour Blitz was an event that drew 280 students to whom I was blessed to speak to. I was the opening act of a night that included basketball, volleyball, rock wall climbing, the movie theater, the roller rink, bowling, and breakfast at a fancy new restaurant in town. This event was especially fun due to the size of the crowd and the energy level of the evening. I was ecstatic to be able to use some comedic material in addition to delivering a message. I was given fifteen minutes to speak which was challenging, yet right from the get go the crowd was hyped and thankfully I was able to make them laugh. My talk centered around the night's theme, "Unleash the Adventure." I spoke about my inability to experience adventure, citing that the closest I get to adventure is putting a Lord of The Rings dvd in and unleashing the Doritos and Mountain Dew. My main point overall, was that even if you don't like adventure it sometimes finds you anyways, just like it found Peter in the New Testament when Jesus told him to walk out onto the water. Sometimes we have to make choices that are out of our comfort zone and that is what I challenged the students to do. I challenged them to unleash the adventure of walking with Jesus in their lives.

I feel so blessed by the many people who have supported me and continue to contend with me as I seek to use my gifts to their full extent. Later this month I will be speaking at a Christian School during their chapel time. Please continue to pray for me this new year as we are in the process of web design and booking. As always I appreciate your prayers! May this new year find you, "Unleashing the Adventure."

Ephesians 6:19-20

In His Grip,

Levi Bordes

Two down...three to go

Hello!

I'm not sure when I will update my blog again so let's just throw out both a Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to everyone :).

Last time I blogged I informed you all that I had received two speaking gigs. The first one was for a college campus ministry called Prepare (http://www.prepareministries.com). This event went very well! I had the opportunity to meet and encourage many of my peers. I spoke on the importance of Christian community and how the apostle Paul emphasized this heavily in many of his epistles. Specifically I pulled most of my content from the book of Philippians. The biggest takeaway of the evening was the idea that no matter where we are at in our faith we can be a part of a community that helps us grow. This thought was based of the following verses:

Philippians 1:3-6

"I thank my God every time I remember you, in all my prayers for you I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel, from the first day until now. Being confident of this that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Remember, we all have a role to play in spreading the gospel. We all partner in some way and that makes us a community. A community of believers who may not be perfect, however, we are being carried to completion each day as we serve the King.

My second speaking event was for a Pioneer Prayer Partner night. This event was for boys (K-6). The boys were being paired up with men from their church to start a prayer relationship for one another. I was blessed to be able to speak to both the boys and men about the importance of, "having one another's back". I was able to use some old football stories to coincide with their football theme. The talk hinged on Hebrews 10:23-25, which encourages us to spur one another on toward love and good deeds and to encourage one another as we await Christ's return. This event also went well!

Thank you so much for your prayers and continued support! More exciting things are to come in the coming months. I have booked three more events. Please be praying for these events:

1. December 8th - Momentum's School Showdown

2. December 29th - The Twelve Hour Blitz

3. January 26th - Lakeview Christian Academy Chapel

It's always good to hear from you all! Hit me up on facebook sometime! Let me know how things are on your end!

In His Grip,

Levi Bordes

Progress...

Hello to all my friends! If you're reading this, please know how much I appreciate your support and encouragement as I continue on this new adventure.

It's been a few weeks since my last post and I wanted to update you all on some new developments (I do this so you can know what's up and be praying about it).

I have been working on finding a job to meet my needs while at the same time trying to book speaking gigs. I have a few leads on jobs this week including an interview to work at Kohls...yep, pretty much my lifelong dream right there. I joke about the Kohl's job, but in all reality I am thankful that God provides for me and I will be willing to do what I must to follow His calling.

I am very excited to announce that I have two speaking engagements for the month of October! On October 19, I will be speaking at a campus ministry called Prepare. They meet at the University of Minnesota Duluth. I am very excited to have this opportunity to speak! It is especially exciting to be able to communicate the truths of God's Word to my peers! I would appreciate your prayers as this will be more of a teaching environment. For whatever reason, I tend to get more nervous for those. However, I know God will bring His "A" game...because let's be real...that's the only game He's got! Then on October 27, Duluth Gospel Tabernacle is having their Pioneer Prayer Partner Night (this is the boys ministry K-6). I have been asked to speak that evening and am super stoked about that! It will be fun to speak to the boys and share with them what God lays on my heart!

In addition to these gigs, I have been working hard on developing my mission and vision for the speaking ministry. At this time, I wish to not share all the details. Please pray that God would continue to open up doors as I attempt to get this ministry off the ground.

In summary please be praying for the following things:
1. God's guidance for a name and vision
2. Prepare Ministries Speaking Engagement (October 19)
3. DGT Pray Partners Speaking Engagement (October 27)
4. That I would receive more speaking opportunities
5. Please pray what Paul writes in Ephesians 6:19-20 for me

Lastly, I offer you the take away...this is the new part of my blog where I give you a random devotional thought.

I thank God for the doors He has shut, the doors that He is opening, and the doors that He will open in the future. Sometimes we get upset when things don't work out or don't go our way. We feel that God isn't being fair. We feel that our most carefully laid plans are falling apart. Yet, most often when I look back on the events of the past I realize that certain things fell apart for a reason. Certain doors were left closed, so that others could be opened and other doors are shut because it's not His timing. Upon observing God's faithfulness played out time and time again, I find it best to stop prying at the doors that I want to see opened and just trust God with my future. His word says that He works out all things together for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose. I highlighted the word love because it's crucial! If I truly love Christ, this means that I will TRUST Him to be who He says He is. This means that if His Word says that He is working things out for my good, I SHOULD BELIEVE THAT!! So the next time you find yourself frustrated with life and you feel your best laid plans have failed you, instead of getting upset or down, TRUST in the promises of His Word and know that He has your best interests in mind. I trust this week you will see that the doors He has shut in your life have been shut for your benefit and the ones He is opening are part of His good, pleasing, and perfect will! And that my friends is your take away for the day!

In His Grip,

Levi Bordes

So it begins...

I absolutely love the Lord of the Rings movies! If you are a nerd like me you are going to appreciate this analogy! In the second film entitled, "The Two Towers" the King of Rohan has evacuated his people to Helms Deep, a fortress carved into a mountainside. As night falls they await the attack of their adversaries. Heavily outnumbered and short on quality soldiers, tensions are high. As the battles is about to ensue, the King utters these words, not knowing fully what to expect, "So it begins..."

Nerdy analogy? Perhaps. Yet aside from your personal views of Lord of the Rings try and track with me. This is how I feel. So many unknowns ahead as I start out on this path to which God directs my steps. I feel unprepared, not knowing what to expect, lacking quality references and credentials and yet, I must be obedient to what I feel God calling me to do. I can identify with the King in that moment...I'm not facing any real armies, yet I'm facing a GIANT today. The giant I face is fear. Do I have the courage to overcome my fear or failure and step out in faith to pursue the dream that God has given me? I pray that I do. I pray that as this new journey to pursue speaking as a vocation and to proclaim the Word of the Lord to all who hear it commences, that instead of waiving the white flag I would have the courage to let God direct my steps as He says, "So it begins..."

Your prayers are appreciated!