Who We Are

Created in the Image of God, Becoming All We Were Made to Be

"We are what we do, not what we used to."

Do you know that we are all that we are created to be? It’s true. There is no man or woman on earth who can define us other than ourselves — and God, who made us. Everything we are today is being created day by day. Who we were yesterday is only a memory of what exists within us right now.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." — 2 Corinthians 5:17

Although the past affects our present, we do not have to allow it to dominate, restrict, or predict our future. Our lives are composed of our choices — but we can begin right now to create the life we want. The secret is simply to start making better ones.

We all have our used to’s. But that time is gone. The future has not yet been written. Right now — this very instant, the moment before the thought — is all that is real. From this place, we can co-create our future and live the life God dreamed for us. Everything we have and are is a compilation of the choices we have made throughout our lives. Choose carefully.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." — Isaiah 43:19

Let Go of the “Should Haves”

I need to reiterate something that is often repeated without a full understanding of its consequences. We cannot change the past — so stop reconsidering choices after the fact. You know what I mean. All those should have’s only take up space in our minds and extract energy from our hearts. These things cannot be changed. And even if they could be, changing them now would only reverse the growth that came directly from the experience. We would not be the person we are today had we not made those choices and lived through their effects.

Several years ago, I found myself looking back at a choice I had made. I had received an offer on the property that housed our community center — more than four times what I had paid for the building. I could have been on easy street.

But who would I really be today? What would I have done with that money and that time? Here is the truth: if I had not gone through the struggle that stemmed from that season — the negative experience that ultimately led to that offer — I would never have accelerated to the level of spiritual depth and connectivity to the Creator that I enjoy today. From not accepting that offer came the essence of all that I Am.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." — Romans 8:28

It was then that I decided to pursue the vision of the Creative Cultural Center. The CCC was not just a place for me to help others — it was a place for others to help me. Unknowingly, I was being trained and prepared by the very people who attended to become the minister of the Word I am today. More than that, I was doing the most important thing any man or woman needs to do in order to find their intended path: I was shown my Gift. It was through the discovery of my passion that all that I am was revealed.

"Passion is the soul’s recognition of God’s gifts."

The groups at the Creative Cultural Center took shape. I began sharing my stories of how God had enlightened me, provided for me, and directed me along my intended path — promoting me from one level to the next. Hours seemed like minutes. People thanked me for helping them change their lives. My heart became full as they inspired me to inspire others. This led me to new places, new people, and new groups — expanding the tools We needed to continue Our journey.

I wrote my first book, The Apostle’s Recipe for Happiness. It was in print and available to readers around the world. The second book, The Secret of Divine Intervention, was already waiting in the wings. With every experience — positive or negative — a new chapter was written and more lives were changed. The gift of breaking things down in a way that people could receive was born directly from the experiences set forth by the Creator. All I needed to do was trust that everything would always work out for the greatest good. Never give up. Never surrender. God will send His angels to give us signs and place checkpoints along the way.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." — Ephesians 2:10

If it were not for a betrayal, that first book would not exist. Readers would not have been inspired by it. I would not have been inspired by their letters. My ministry could have fizzled entirely. I cannot say where I would be without all of it — but I know I would not want to be any different than the soul I am today.

Everything is for a purpose. It is all part of our infinite development. We are souls and spirits, created in the image of God.

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." — Genesis 1:27

The Catechism speaks directly to this dignity:

"Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons." — CCC 357

It is through us that the Creator creates. As we think forward, we move into the future we are building. This is precisely why we must not waste time on should haves. Our job is to concentrate — with the utmost gratitude — on what we have right now, and to be grateful for what we have asked for, knowing our prayers have already been heard.

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." — Mark 11:24

Through the divine combination of deep appreciation and powerful imagination, we constantly evolve and develop all we have been given charge over. From thought to conception, from birth to resurrection, we learn, improve, and grow continually toward God.

Who are we? We are all that we are created to be. Continuous creations moving endlessly from the physical realm to the spiritual realm in an infinite journey. In this very moment, we are already all that we were made to be. No longer the frightened child, the addict, the egomaniac, the sinful soul. We are who we choose to be today.

I Am, I Am, I Am — all that I Am created to be.

Perception of Emotion

I find it fascinating how a simple comment can be interpreted in entirely different ways by different people. There is much to be learned from the reactions to words and phrases. It is through our perceptions that truth is revealed — if not to us, then to others. Our reactions, our rebuttals, our discord — all of it reveals what lives in our own eye, our own heart, our own soul.

What course of thought have we charted by our own emotions? Do we habitually take the low road, or do we pursue higher reason? Is the light we shine on others simply a reflection of the one that shines — or fails to shine — on us?

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness." — Matthew 6:22–23

I recently witnessed two separate incidents that illustrated just how varied perception can be. In both cases, the receiver decoded the message through the filter of their own negative self-image or preconceived assumptions rather than through the truth of what was actually sent.

The first: I was browsing a friend’s website when I came across a beautiful photo of a mutual friend. She sat alone at a bar, bathed in warm, romantic light. Her spirit seemed to emit a brilliant glow. Her hair was incredible, her outfit stunning — everything about the image was perfect. I thought to myself: if seeing a woman like that isn’t enough to break anyone’s concentration, I don’t know what is.

Moved by the photo, I posted a comment: "Is she what caused your bike to come out from under you?" A few days earlier, he had been in a motorcycle accident — distracted, the rear wheel locked, and he went down. He was fine, but the bike was damaged. The response to my comment was a complete surprise: "That was a [expletive] thing to say."

A miscommunication. But a revealing one.

We all carry a little receiver in our heads and hearts — like a cable box that decodes incoming signals through its own programming. Some of us are tuned to fear; others to joy. Our past experiences, wounds, and assumptions form the lens through which we interpret everything. In this case, my friend and the woman had been seeing her physical self in a negative light — and so they decoded my admiring comment through that same shadow. I was seeing through God’s eyes. They were seeing through the eyes of their own ego.

"She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’" — Genesis 16:13

The second incident followed only days later. I had been called into a meeting about my work on a social media campaign for a company I’d been serving for five months. Toward the end, the Vice President of Programs referenced something I had written in a letter to human resources — that I sensed a position would be opening soon and felt confident in my ability to serve in that role. He said: "If I didn’t know you, I’d think that was a dig at the person currently in that position."

I answered honestly: "I go a great deal on feeling. I am very intuitive. There was a time I would have hidden that — but that time is gone."

What did I learn from his reaction? That his own perception of the person in that role was already negative. All outside input was being filtered through that lens. He had chosen the lower path of consciousness and missed the higher possibility entirely.

Not so coincidentally, when I checked my corporate email after that meeting, I found this:

Dear Friends and Colleagues: It is with mixed emotions that I announce the retirements today of the Director of Program Planning and the Administrative Assistant at this facility. Both have been with us for more than twenty-five years and during that time have influenced and changed many lives... I am sure you join me in wishing them both a healthy and enjoyable retirement. — CEO

My intuition had spoken again. It would not take anyone being fired for that position to open — it would take the natural retirement of two upper-level employees, creating a current that would lift everyone a few more steps in the organization. I love when I speak my gifts without fear and add to a sea of witness.

"Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door." — Genesis 19:11

Perhaps it is our own views — our own ego-driven perceptions — that blind us to the truth. As we concentrate on what we perceive as flaws and look outside ourselves for reassurance, we miss the path to a higher consciousness. We settle for only what we can see, feel, and touch — when the truth of our being lies much deeper. Blinded by false perceptions, we stand frozen at the door, key in hand, unable to turn the lock.

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." — 1 Corinthians 13:12

The Thoughts of Others

It is extremely common to give far more thought to what others think of us than is healthy for our souls. By allowing others to define who we are, we choose to manifest their reality over our own. We forfeit all that we were created to be and buy into the illusions of others. Do we really want to live in their reality?

Perhaps we find comfort in the acceptance of others and wish to satisfy their expectations. Sometimes it seems easier to fit in and blend with the crowd. But as long as we are not being ourselves, we will never reach our maximum potential.

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." — Galatians 1:10

The Catechism speaks to this directly — that human dignity is not conferred by others but rooted in how God created and sees us:

"The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God... it is fulfilled in his vocation to divine beatitude." — CCC 1700

There is no ceiling on what we can accomplish in this life. We determine how quickly we travel the path of our destiny. There is no final destination — we are on an infinite journey of growth and becoming. We are all destined for greatness.

That greatness is ours to pursue. It is far-reaching and ever-expanding. We continue to learn, grow, and accomplish. Today we hold a dream in our hearts, contemplate all that it is, and visualize it in our minds while feeling all the emotions associated with it. It exists. We simply need to take the first step — and our path will be illuminated by the Spirit. Signs will materialize as checkpoints along the way.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." — Psalm 119:105

Our dreams, goals, and accomplishments will be many. As we reach one, another — greater — will appear on the horizon. Swinging from branch to branch is what moves us forward. Again: there is no final destination.

We are not designed for permanent stillness. Stillness is only meant to quiet us enough to receive the messages from the Source of all things — and then we must act on what we receive and move forward along the path we were intended to follow.

"Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10

Everyone’s path is unique. We have each been given a special gift. We will experience what we must in order to move through the waves of our ever-changing, infinite destiny. We are created to create, to learn, and to experience.

This is why it is so important to be ourselves. Worrying about what others think only diminishes our experience and drains our energy — redirecting the fuel for our calling away from where it needs to be. When we live for the expectations of others, we are spending ourselves on their illusions and attempting to live their dreams instead of our own.

Our thoughts are powerful — profoundly so — when directed with intention. Our energy flows in the direction of our focus. When we let others limit us by telling us who we are and who we are not, we adopt those limits through the ego, and they hold us back from all we were created to be.

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." — Proverbs 23:7

Perceptions are a curious thing. We all carry an image of who we are — and an assumption of what others think of us. But how much weight do we give these perceptions? If we allow them to become convictions, we have chosen to live life by default — forfeiting the God-given opportunity to realize our full potential and falling, unwittingly, into a trap.

Confined to these limited images, we are grounded in despair. We stop moving forward because we have come to believe that we are what we are, rather than who we are created to be. Our passion — our gift — begins to feel too good for us. So we discount it. And we never realize our potential.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." — Jeremiah 29:11

So what do we choose? The reality of those around us, or the reality God intends for us? True reality is found in the heart, soul, and spirit. We feel it all the time — even when we suppress it. Suppressing it does not bring peace. It brings sorrow. This is why we feel sadness, listlessness, despair, and depression: we are not doing what we were made to do. Our lives are in limbo. We have volunteered to abstain from our own dreams — because others told us they were unrealistic and we said: "You’re right. I need to get real."

How ironic. In that statement we are as far from real as we can possibly be. We have surrendered reality to protect the ego. Fear of failure has grounded us in defeat.

"From our heart we pray for truth, but through our ego we praise the lie."

We ask without believing we have received — and then wonder why we remain motionless. Without motion there is no life, no experience, and no reward. As we pacify our inaction with distraction and addiction, we stay in a holding pattern and never take the first step toward reclaiming our lives. Our gifts sit on the shelf, unused and collecting dust.

"Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you." — 1 Timothy 4:14

Everything we need is right under our noses. No one can see our gifts but us. It is up to us to recognize the incredible opportunities placed along our path. As we look inside, we will be given the answers we seek.

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." — John 14:26