“A relationship built on lust is like a mansion built on sand.” — Tony Gaskins
Personal Note from Lance:
There should be a mandatory high school class on relationships because so many problems in our society can be traced back to bad decisions regarding relationships. Don’t follow your heart. Instead, lead your heart. Real love is not a feeling! Real love is an action that is based on a sincere decision to make a commitment. — Lance

“Your eyes see your faults. Your faith sees your Savior.” — Max Lucado
Personal Note from Lance:
I attend a weekly Bible study group that consists of a small group of young adults who are around my same age. Last week, I volunteered to read certain Bible verses out loud and I felt embarrassed when I stumbled over many of the words. I’m still in the process of overcoming reading challenges. As I later reflected upon that incident, I started to clearly see God’s amazing grace in my life. I’m a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). I have a professional career as an auditor and also, I do motivational presentations at various organizations. But yet, I’m still in the process of overcoming reading problems as well as insecurities. How in the world did I make it this far? Clearly, it was not by my intelligence or skill but rather it was and continues to be by God’s spirit. I think about the story in John chapter 6 (verses 1-13) where Jesus performed a miracle of feeding a huge crowd of people by multiplying the lunch of a little boy. The little boy had very limited resources (only five barley loaves and two fish) but Jesus multiplied it in order to feed others. That is exactly what I see happening in my life. I’m just a little boy with limited resources, but God is multiplying what I have in order to achieve HIS purpose. I’m not the star of this movie. God is the star. I’m just a little child with limited resources. And you are too! We are here for a God-given purpose and when our purpose is complete, we will be carried back home. So, don’t worry about anything. Continue to trust in God and keep in mind that all things are working together for our good. So, rejoice and be joyful. We don’t have to wait until the battle is over, we can celebrate now because we know that the victory has already been won and we’re just walking out the process. As I look back over my teenage years, I see how many of my “problems” were actually protecting me from danger. For example, when I was a teenager, I had a huge crush on this girl and at that time, my only dream in life was to have a relationship with her. I did not care about school or anything else, I just wanted to be with her and I was willing to change myself into becoming whatever type of guy that she would like. She was so very physically attractive. I was so infatuated with her beautiful physical appearance that I overlooked the fact that she was into drugs, alcohol, and the party lifestyle. I was so captivated by her outward appearance, that I did not realize that she did not have good moral values. And I was willing to forsake my moral values in order to have a relationship with her. But, she rejected me. She did not give me an opportunity to develop a relationship with her. Back then, I was very disappointed about her rejection and I became very depressed. My heart was broken. But now, almost 15 years have gone by and as I look back, I clearly see how her rejection of me was a huge blessing! If she had accepted me, I would have forsaken my moral values and given into the temptations to make unhealthy decisions. A few months ago, she “friend-ed” me on Facebook and I learned that she has been going through all types of problems which were caused by the unhealthy decisions she made when she was a teenager. It was a good thing that my attempts to have a relationship with her were unsuccessful because if I would have had a relationship with her, I would be tangled up in all types of problems right now. Be careful what you wish for! Fortunately, she has started to change her unhealthy behavior and is really focusing on God now and God is really working things out in her life. At first, it was hard for me to imagine her in church because she has lived such a sinful life. But then, I was reminded of the fact that I have been just as sinful (probably even more sinful than her!!!). All of this reminds me of the story in Luke Chapter 7 verses 36-50 in which a young lady who had a very sinful life came to Jesus and knelt at his feet and cried. Some of the other people in the house despised her because of her sinful history but Jesus accepted her and forgave her because HE knew that she was sincerely repentant regarding her sins and grateful for the forgiveness she had received. So, I know that there is hope and grace for me and this girl and everyone else who sincerely calls out to the Lord for forgiveness and guidance. God’s grace is amazing and one of the things that I am the most passionate about in life is sharing with others testimonies of God’s amazing grace. I thoroughly enjoy the motivational presentations that I deliver. Interestingly, those presentations are having an interesting impact on my life. I consistently get approached by people who have seen me on TV (I have a show series called “The Claysmile Show” on cable channel 19) or by students who have seen a live presentation at their school. I’ve even been contacted by young ladies who have been very impressed with those shows. I remember one young lady was a law student from Texas who was interning here in the DC area. She had seen one of my shows on TV and she e-mailed me and we started corresponding. She really admired me and that really boosted my confidence because people had always been looking down on me because of my learning challenges and social awkwardness. I was shocked that this highly intelligent young lady actually respected me! We became good friends. There really is a thin line between confidence and arrogance. As God’s grace continues to transform our lives, let’s always be confident (but never arrogant) as we continue to keep in mind that we are just little children with limited resources and God is the one who gives us the strength to do all things.
—Lance

“You can’t direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” — Author Unknown
Personal Note:
Keep rolling with the punches. As Napoleon Hill once said, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” Regarding those “problems” that are weighing on your mind, take another look at them and ask yourself, “What potential seeds of benefit are in these situations?” —- Lance

“Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”
— D. T. Niles
Personal Note:
I have a friend who married into a very wealthy family. I was talking to her the other day and at one point during our conversation, I asked her, “Do you and your husband belong to a church?” She then explained that they are not spiritual people and suggested that the reason was that her husband did not grow up in a religious family. I then moved on to another topic. Later, as I reflected on that conversation, I realized the irony of that whole situation. That family she married into is very FINANCIALLY wealthy but SPIRITUALLY poor. Of course, money is an important resource of life. However, a connection to GOD is far more valuable. Connection to God brings true peace; a peace that no amount of money can buy. A peace that so many people are searching for but never find because they search for it in the wrong places (i.e. money, relationships, career, etc.). The most valuable things that we can do for people are pray for them and encourage them to connect to God (more specifically, the Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ).
—-Lance