Done!

A fun finish to a great trip!

PADDLE PROWL 2018

Sunrise in paradise!

Greetings from Jackfish Island! I slept so good last night and then woke up to an amazing view of the sunrise from my tent. It's already a good morning =)

Ten Thousand Islands in south Florida

PADDLE PROWL 2018

7-UP!

A few weeks ago it looked like this year's PADDLE PROWL was going to be sold out, but several people had to cancel for a variety of reasons. Today we embarked on this great adventure with a small group of superb people (including pocket Aqua Dave)! Hey, 7 is the Lord's perfect number =).

We paddled 9 miles in 6 hours from Collier-Seminole State Park to Jackfish Island at the edge of the Ten Thousand Islands in the Gulf of Mexico. The last 2 miles were very challenging, but our destination made it all worth it. We feel like we are in paradise on our own personal island. The cool breeze is extraordinary. Temperatures are perfect. Sunset. Rainbow. Dolphins. Jackson caught a bull shark and a bunch of fish. Delicious meals. Great fellowship & bonding. So many good moments.

Our nightly impact point was about "course corrections" and how God can use canoeing as a modern day parable of staying on course with God or adjusting our course when we start getting off track in our walk with God. We've got a map, GPS, destination, capable bodies, adequate wisdom... but are we trending towards God's plan for our life or getting off course. In Acts 9 God intervened with one of the greatest course corrections in history when Saul was ambushed by Jesus and converted from a persecutor of Christians and transformed into the greatest missionary of all time... with a new name - Paul.

We are all nestled in our tents listening to the crashing waves while being hugged by the most amazing breezes. It's the perfect night =)

Tomorrow we break camp and jump on the prowl by paddling 3 miles to a marina in Goodland. But tonight we simply savor the fruits of our labor =)

I love this trip!!

PADDLE PROWL 2018

TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS... HERE WE COME!!

Can't wait for our annual PADDLE PROWL Canoe Camping trek this weekend in the beautiful Ten Thousand Islands of south Florida!

We've still got room for more sunshine seekers, beach lovers, adventure junkies, and outdoor enthusiasts =)

EVENT:  PADDLE PROWL Canoeing Camping Trip

DATES:  Feb 24-25, 2018 (Sat-Sun) - Marco Island, FL (2 Days / 1 Night)

*Optional early arrival Friday (free camping at Collier-Seminole State Park)

START TIME: Arrive to canoe put-in by 8am on Saturday. Canoeing begins by 10:30am

COST:  $59 (plus meals and parking fees)
    **MINISTRY PARTNER'S DISCOUNT.... $50!!

ALSO: FREE FRIDAY NIGHT CAMPING OPTION AVAILABLE!!!

Click here for DETAILS & REGISTRATION

CANOE CAMPING ON AN ISLAND!!

Join GTD for our annual PADDLE PROWL Canoe Camping weekender on Feb 24-25 in the Ten Thousand Islands region of south Florida.

It's the perfect time for outdoor adventures in Florida!!

COST: $59 (plus meals and parking fees)
... (Only $50 for Ministry Partners)

Click here for DETAILS & REGISTRATION

14 YEARS IN A ROW!

14 YEARS IN A ROW!  WELCOME BACK FCD (FAMILY CENTER ON DEAFNESS)!!

GTD is honored and thrilled to be hosting one of our favorite groups AGAIN for another outdoor excursion. FCD is heading back to Tennessee with GTD this summer for a 5 day Adventure Trip!! We are already counting down the days... CAN'T WAIT!


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ATTENTION MEN!

Men's outdoor event coming March 2-3 to Lake Tarpon in Tarpon Springs, FL!!

GTD is honored to be partnering again with Calvary Church of Clearwater's Men's Ministry for our 7th Annual Men's Advance Outdoor Event (because real men advance, they don't retreat!).

ACTIVITIES: camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, boating, hammocking, campfire, Bible study, and more

THEME: Conviction / Commitment / Courage

DATE...
Starts: March 2 (anytime after 11am)
Ends: March 3 (3pm)

COST: $75 (includes FREE SHIRT, food, tents, cots, and scheduled activities)

This type of event should be a MANdatory part of every man's yearly calendar!

DETAILS & REGISTER HERE: https://calvary.us/mensadvance/

BE AGGRESSIVE; B - E AGGRESSIVE!

To win the day you have to own the mornings! You have to create a morning routine that propels you like an unstoppable force. Your morning routine must include all your shoulds because shoulds don't inherently have the same built-in motivational compulsions that your have-to's possess. You automatically do your have-to's because you have to. But your shoulds are different. They are just as important, if not more important, than your have-to's, but there is no immediate dire consequence that forces you to accomplish your shoulds. Things like, I should wake up a little bit earlier; I should workout; I should pray and talk to God about these things that are on my mind; I should read my Bible more; I should make a healthy breakfast and throw together a healthy lunch; I should read a chapter from that one book I've been needing to read. I should take care of a couple of chores so they aren't piled up at the end of the week; I should have a few minutes of solitude each morning to sip my favorite morning drink and enjoy the peace and quiet; I should write that thank you note. We all have a list of shoulds that try to plague and occupy or minds all day long robbing us of the enjoyment of being completely alive in the moment. But there is a way to subdue all those nagging and distracting shoulds that are demanding your attention. You simply have to be aggressive and set up a basic morning routine that you do 4-6 days each week that chips away each day at your shoulds. It doesn't have to be 2 hours long. It just needs to be a little bit of intentional time that assertively takes ownership of your day, which will actually empower you to take ownership of your life. Doing a little each day adds up to a lot each week which adds up to a ton each month which adds up to a life change each year. You will be amazed at how much freedom and enjoyment you will experience for the next 15 hours when you invest 1 hour in the morning to aggressively tackle your shoulds. To help you gain an hour more in the morning you can start by not looking at your phone. Don't check your notifications. Don't go on any social media. Don't check your email. Don't turn on the news. Avoid anything and everything that will derail your new morning routine. You can also go to bed 30 minutes earlier. Trust me, the benefits of creating a morning routine and owning your mornings is literally life changing. I have my first 10 "plays" (like a football game) planned out for 6 days of the week. I start the day with the same 10 plays each morning to aggressively tackle all of my shoulds (those things that I need to do, but if I don't do them in the morning then they likely won't get done as they are pushed aside by the busy-ness of the day). I arranged all my morning shoulds into a strategic order and created an acronym to help me remember each thing and the order that I like to accomplish them. The acronym is: A.R.I.S.E.&.G.R.O.W. Each letter represents a different should and I tackle each one as soon as I wake up. I become an unstoppable force to take on and navigate the immovable objects that litter the day ahead. Developing an effective morning routine is one of the most powerful things you can do to have a successful, abundant, overflowing, and impactful life. And the main ingredient to making all this possible is a little bit of healthy self discipline and self control. It's a game changer! Sometimes you've got to be aggressive about taking a stand for the things in your life that matter. Seize the morning and you SEIZE THE DAY!! Carpe Diem!!

Here's a couple examples of Jesus being assertive and aggressive about things that matter:

"Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves." - Matthew 21:12

"At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you. He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’" - Luke 13:31-32

STRiVE to THRiVE!

IT'S BACK!.... FEB 24-25!... PADDLE PROWL!

PADDLE PROWL Canoe Camping Trip in the Ten Thousand Island region!!

Hey Weekend Adventure Warriors!! Join us for one of our favorite adventures... canoe camping on an island in south Florida!!

Date: Feb 24-25, 2018 (Sat-Sun)
Location: Ten Thousand Islands (near Naples, FL)
Cost: $59/person (plus food)

Discount: Ministry Partners get a $9/person discount (Trip = $50/person plus food)

This is the PERFECT time of the year to enjoy Florida's incredible outdoor opportunities!!

Details & Registration Information


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GRATIFYING vs SATISFYING

Rarely do wants line up with shoulds. The greatest rewards in life come through doing what you should do which is oftentimes in contrast to what you want to do. Working out verses sleeping in. Eating vegetables verses eating donuts. Drinking water verses drinking soda. Saving money verses buying impulsively. Spending time with loved ones verses watching Netflix. Time with God verses social media. Enjoying your family verses watching the news. Constantly indulging that which momentarily gratifies often comes at a price of a lifetime that satisfies. Healthy God breathed self control and self discipline can launch you from daily regrets and missed opportunities to a life that overflows. But the journey starts with one profound thought: Maybe my emotions and my heart aren't very accurate at directing my life.

"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" - Jeremiah 17:9

"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." - Proverbs 14:12

STRiVE to THRiVE!

MASTERING THE MUNDANE

I'm starting my 7th month of striving after healthy championship level disciplines. Last year God revealed to me that I have the discipline of a winner, but not of a CHAMPION. Challenge accepted! Thank you Coach Jesus! Last month was my hardest month. My daily routine was getting (and still is) mundane regardless of attempts to infuse variety. There wasn't a single day that I felt like working out. In fact, I DIDN'T WANT TO workout EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. So what did I do??? Well, WINNERS are pleased with 6 months of consistency and start relaxing their disciplines. But CHAMPIONS persevere through the boredom. I'm happy to say that I never missed a single day. And I can sense the breakthrough happening. It's an awesome thing!

It's been said that the key to success in any diet or nutrition plan is endurance... to stay consistent even after the excitement, newness, and urgency for change turns into a feeling of "same ole, same ole". That same truth holds true for just about any healthy endeavor. At some point you're going to lose all motivation and desire to keep doing healthy things over and over day after day. Not because you're not SEEING the importance of what you're striving after. But rather because you're not FEELING the importance of what you're striving after. Most people give up in this moment not realizing that this is the most vital time to push through. It's your MUNDANE MOMENT that happens in every great endeavor. You've grown a little bored with your routine and no matter how much you try to change things up, it still feels mundane and almost "lifeless" even though it is actually producing life. What is this? This is your personal self imposed limitation that you've been developing over a lifetime. It marks the highest you've ever pushed yourself to reach and the furthest you've ever pushed yourself to go without a coach or team or partner helping you push through. What do you do? You push through. You master the mundane. You stop letting your life, your health, your finances, your walk with God, your unmet potential be sabotaged by your feelings. This is your opportunity to grow past the limits of your emotions and breaking through to greater and greater things. The only solution for mastering the mundane moments is by getting up and fighting. Fight for your life. Fight for your health. Fight for finances. Fight for your walk with God. Fight for your family. Fight for your God-breathed potential. Stop letting your emotions dictate your behavior. Grow. Grow. Grow. Let wisdom and fruit and results influence your behavior. Push through the mundane moments because everything you're striving after lies on the other side of your emotional blockades. Maturity is a beautiful and wonderful thing. It's worth every effort, every bead of sweat, every momentary sacrifice. But to get there you have to make yourself do what you don't feel like doing. That's what healthy self discipline is... it's fighting for things worth fighting for when you feel like staying in bed or you feel like giving up. Push through the boredom. It's temporary. Master the mundane. It's like a fleeting test. It's a measurement of your growth thus far, not a ceiling to how high you can grow. Push through. Press on. Master the mundane.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9

STRiVE to THRiVE!