[ americans are chickens ]

   Americans are chickens. Scardy cats. Whatever you want to call it.

   We're so afraid of what someone else is going to think of our actions, or what we say.

   I think we need to be less concerned about what other people think, and be more concerned of what God thinks.

   Tonight, my dear girlfriend [shoutout to Taralah] and I hosted a night at our church. God had been putting some things on our hearts lately -- specifically about worship and dance, and really felt it was important to share with others.

   Throughout the years, God has really shown the two of us different perspectives on what dance really is.

   I went into my DTS wondering whether dance was going to continue to have a place in my life, if I should continue it at all. After multiple times of God repeatedly telling me that I did in fact need to keep dancing, I finally realized that dance was such a big part of who I am.

   But even more than that, that it was a very powerful form of worship and intercession for me. Something that was spoken over me during DTS as well was that I crush demons beneath my feet when I dance. If that isn't spiritual warfare, then I don't know what is.

   And after not having danced for too long, I began to feel off, not myself, and incredibly cranky. By the end of a bad week, I finally realized I needed to do something about it and go dance. So I gathered up my things and headed to the Ohana court and practiced for the next 3 hours. Needless to say, I felt amazing afterwards. Completely myself again. I had been denying such a big part of who I was when I hadn't been dancing. It's so crucial for me, I began to see.

   So all this to say that dance took on a totally different value for me. I know that it's something God has gifted me with to bless others with and do some serious battling and worshipping.

   Tonight was a huge step forward for me in this. Taralah and I did a couple of dances together, none of it was choreographed. Which I don't do. I mean, trust me, I do not do that. I have specific dances and steps that I know by heart, and I do those. I don't do improv. But that's exactly what I challenged myself to do tonight.

   And shoot, the first dance was crap. I was nervous and freaking out up until I started dancing. I was offtime with the music and I messed up and tripped on the wood.

   But that's not the point.

   The point is that I decided to take a step of faith, put myself out there with the risk of looking like a fool for God not knowing what the heck I'm doing, and dance whatever comes to mind.

   And that was one of the most freeing things I've ever done. Because I stood there and chose not to care what everyone else in the room would think. Why? Because their opinion shouldn't matter to me. God's should.

   This whole fear of man thing has such a hold on people. And it's something that everyone has to battle almost everyday in some stupid way here or there. Why is that? Why do we place so much value in what other people think instead of what He thinks?

   Here's the thing.

   1 Corinthians 1:25 says:

   "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

   I want to be a fool for God.

   That's the thought that's running over and over in my head tonight. I want to be an utter fool for God. And not hold value to what people are going to think if I do something that may be weird to them, but beautiful to Him.

   Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to be a fool for God?

   I think I just found my new life goal.