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Long Post Ahead:

This week has been a tremendous one filled with support and encouragement. If you have been following my new music page Brandon Baumgarten Music you know what I’m talking about. Thank you to all those who have reached out, liked the page, purchased a copy of my new album or even told a friend about it. (Formal Project Thank You will be released soon). With the release of my new album this weekend, a lifelong dream was fulfilled. For as long as I can remember I have had a passion for music. Even though there have been multiple challenges, and at times my dream of recording an album seemed unrealistic and unreachable, throughout the years, I’ve made it my mission to never stop singing.

My musical journey began when I was very little. When my parents and I lived in Michigan, we attended Port Huron First Church of the Nazarene. I can recall singing in the kid’s music program and watching my parents sing every Wednesday night at Choir Practice. I never knew all the lyrics, but I could feel the passion in every song. This music exposure led me to be creative and to start pouring my heart into songwriting on my own. I held on to these songs for a long time and placed them in a bright yellow folder. My impossible dream was for an opportunity to utilize them one day in an album project.

When our family moved to Oklahoma, I continued to sing in church and was blessed to learn from many talented worship leaders and music teachers on how to improve my vocal ability. One day in high school, my Ag teacher told me of an opportunity called the State FFA Chorus. I didn’t know anything about it except that you had to audition. My interest in it grew and my Ag Teacher helped get my audition turned in. Months later, I learned I had been accepted into the State FFA Chorus! Little did I know that this musical experience would teach me so many incredible things about how to sing with power and as part of a group.

Several years later, I had taken the skills I had learned in the State Chorus and applied it to my solo, worship, and other music genres. I felt more confident in my ability and worked hard on hitting those high tenor notes. I practiced and practiced, and soon heard of an opportunity to participate in The Gospel Station Seminole Singing Competition. The grand prize for winning the competition was to have a full album recorded with songs of your choice. The people I have met and the doors that have opened through this one opportunity have been remarkable. Fast forwarding to the future, I found myself pulling out that bright yellow folder and finally recording some of the songs I once wrote when I was a kid. Then this weekend I held that long awaited album in my hands. Praise God! The Dream had come true!

Reflecting on this musical journey, I am thankful for that music program in Michigan. I am thankful for my parents for obeying God’s call and moving to Oklahoma. I am thankful for all the music teachers, worship leaders, and for an Ag Teacher who never stopped believing in me. I’m thankful for the amazing musical instruction received in the State FFA Chorus and the opportunities to perform and sing to audiences of all ages. Most of all, I’m thankful for what God has done for me and I am encouraged to know He wants to do so much in you.

My dream of an album came true, because I put my dream in the hands of Jesus. I am nothing, but Jesus has become my everything. He gets all the glory for the finished product of my dream.

I write this post to encourage you. If you have a dream, never stop chasing it, never stop believing in it, and never stop envisioning it. When challenges arise and your dream seems unrealistic or unreachable, I challenge you to never lose hope, never lose your passion, and most of all, never stop singing! #KeepOnSinging #RoomInMe #NewMusic #NewAlbum

Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for. Many families across the country say prayer right before they dig in. As they pray, one line which you might hear said, “..and we thank You Lord for the Farmer, who feeds us.” I said that in a prayer once and was asked by someone, “why do you thank the farmer?” Let me explain just why:

-That Turkey you are eating was fed somewhere on a farm. 🍗

-That stuffing was once formed from the wheat grown on a farm.

-That corn comes from a cornstalk from a field of a farm.🌽

-Those Sweet Potatoes were harvested and produced on a farm.

-And That Sweet pumpkin pie once came from a pumpkin at a pumpkin patch operated by a farmer on a farm.🥧

Point is: You can’t have Thanksgiving Dinner without the efforts of a farmer.

So today, as you pray around your tables before your Thanksgiving Dinner: Thank God for the life you’ve been given. Thank God for the blessings of your families. But don’t forget to thank God for the farmer who feeds us, and for our God who is always faithful. 😃

#Thanksgiving #Gobble #AgLiteracy #FoodForThought #ThankTheFarmer

One year in high school, I was playing in a basketball scrimmage for my school. It was right after Christmas and we needed to get back in the gym and play a team. Being the benchwarmer I was, I didn’t see much playing time, but in this scrimmage I got to play quite a bit. I didn’t always have a good shooting percentage, but in this scrimmage, I was hitting all kinds of shots. From layups, 3-pointers, and everything in between. It was a rarity for me that’s for sure.

The defender on me was clearly frustrated as most of the shots I took would go in. We were winning by a lot, but yet you could feel the intensity on the floor. Soon, the defender changed his defense and started making more physical contact that what was allowed. He was reaching, taunting, and smack talking me with every pass I was given and shot I took. I was becoming agitated with him and annoyed the referees hadn’t called anything. Then, all of sudden, a loose ball occurred on the floor. I dove to get it. As I did, the defender pushed me from behind from the court to out of bounds. Instead of the referees calling a foul, they called me out of bounds and visitor’s ball. The defender snickered as he realized his team won the possession.

I was purely upset. So upset, that my competitive nature took over, I then slammed my fists on the court floor and yelled at the defender who pushed me. At once, coach pulled me out and left me out of the remainder of the game. I knew what I did was wrong and I gave in to being provoked. It was a poor choice, and I wrongly misrepresented who I was and what I believed in. I made myself and my team look horrible. My emotions got the best of me, but it taught me a valuable lesson: how to exercise self-control. However, the next game, the team and I moved on, although my shooting percentage wasn’t as good, my attitude was much better.

Hopefully, I’m not the only who as ever lost their cool. I know this weekend, we saw Baker Mayfield’s lose his cool in Kansas. No doubt it was erroneous, uncalled for, and was a poor choice. It was a bad reflection. I’m not validating Baker’s actions, not condoning it, but I can say I’ve been in a competitive game, and lost my cool before. You see, Baker and I have something in common, both of our actions were contrary to how a Christian should live and were uncalled for. It’s not right, but because of what someone did on the cross for me many years ago, I’m thankful that Jesus still loves us when we make poor choices or when we lose our cool. I’m an OSU Cowboy fan, but first and foremost, I’m a Christian and never should I take my witness lightly. However, there is hope for people like Mayfield and me. Even when we constantly misrepresent Him and don’t act like the children of God He calls us as, Jesus still loves us and has grace to forgive us. Jesus died for us fully knowing that we would make fools out of ourselves, fully aware that at times my actions would be contrary and uncalled for both on and off the field, court, and church grounds.

My mistakes result in me being a flawed sinner, but I’m thankful for the actions of a flawless Savior. So enough is enough. Let’s move on and walk in God’s Victory. Let’s focus our energy and attention on pressing current issues like respecting our flag, tax reform, healthcare, education, and more. Let’s be concerned with current events but also how we react to them. Above all, we must strive to be the witnesses of God that He wants us to be in everything. For if we don’t, you’ll see more than just poor actions at a sporting event, but a generation and world slamming their fists, caught up in their chaotic nature, completely unaware of the hope, grace, and love that Christ gives and we as believers should exhibit. #MayfieldAndMe #Contrary&UncalledFor

It was just another day driving on an Oklahoma Turnpike until…

I get behind a semi. He was doing a little over 75. As I drive behind him through the ups and downs of the Oklahoma Road, something catches my eye, I see beyond the truck in front of me on top of the coming hill a crazy armadillo that was creeping slowly across the turnpike. As we get closer, the armadillo continues moving ever so slowly. Thinking that if the truck didn’t run over the critter, I was going to hit him next. So to avoid lowering the armadillo population, I quickly turned into the passing line, bypassed the semi, the armadillo, and then proceeded to move back into the other lane. Seeing what would unfold behind me, I glanced into the rear mirror of my car and saw the semi running over the armadillo but made zero contact with it. Soon, I see the armadillo rolled up spinning on its back into the other lane. Then it popped out of its protected position and quickly ran from the road into the nearby field. This armadillo lived to crawl another day.

You may not realize it, but that crazy armadillo reminds me of a lot of how we live. We go through life aimlessly, oblivious to the dangers that the world and the devil have set for us. When we want to cross the highway, God is saying, “Wait, wait for my timing.” But often times, we do things based on our own instincts instead of God’s leading. Because of our self-reliance and lack of dependency on God, we face things we shouldn’t have or are meant to face, like that semi. We then find ourselves, somewhere along the road, spinning on our backs, and recovering by what life just threw at us. God wants to lead your life, He wants to direct your steps. Let go and Let God. You’ll see life differently! And just like that Crazy Armadillo, God wants to get you across the road, question is, “Will you go on your time or wait for his timing?” #ArmadilloSkies #WaitonHim

Always have I counted it an esteem honor to speak to our former military members and veterans. Today I had the chance to speak at the Dale High School Veterans Day Assembly and it was a privilege to see so many students show up to say “Thank You” to our heroes. My message today was brief, but simple: “We owe it to all our servicemen and women to raise the flag of freedom in our own lives. We do that by never forgetting the sacrifices our veterans have made, never forgetting to say thank you for their efforts, and never taking for granted the opportunities we’ve been afforded as Americans. These things will reignite our pride in being an American and make us appreciate even more when we raise that flag.”

After I concluding my keynote, I journeyed back home to find my American flags I had put up outside had been blown over this morning by the wind. It isn’t the first time it’s happened. But I found it ironic that within the day’s time I was literally doing what I had spoken in the morning. I was raising both flags back up and positioning them firmly so that they wouldn’t get blown away again.

As I raised those flags, I thought of everything our banner had been through. From the hands of Betsy Ross it was first woven. In the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key was inspired by it as he wrote The Star Spangled Banner. It has flown through battles in The Civil War, WWI, WW2, Korean, Vietnam, and even more global combats. It has flown through triumph and tragedy, on vessels, on planes, and even in our local communities. Just like the wind, many have tried and will try to bring down the flag in our nation. But try as they may, our flag will always stand for something greater.

Some may think I’m passionate about the flag, but I’m more passionate about what that flag stands for. The flag stands for freedom fought for, died for, and sacrificed for by our heroes: our Veterans. We cannot thank them enough for their service, dedication, and efforts to make this nation what it is today. Everyday we should be honoring our Veterans.

After putting up both flags, I stood back and took it all in. I was about to head back into the house when all of a sudden, a boy coming home from school on a bicycle rode by the house, proudly waving his American Flag as he headed home. It was a fitting scene for this special day. It gave me hope that my generation won’t be the last one to take pride in this country and my wish is that we as a people will never forget our patriotism and what this country is all about.

With that being said, this weekend I encourage you to say, “thank you” to at least 1 Veteran. Additionally, I encourage you to not only raise your American Flag this weekend, but to symbolically live it out. Show others what it means to be an American. “Why Raise The Flag?” You may ask. Well, because when our Veterans raised the flag, they did it, so we could raise our hand in school, our crops on the farm, our kids for the future, and our voice when we need to. Thank you to all our Veterans! #RaiseTheFlag #VeteransDay 🇺🇸

I remember it like it was yesterday, it had been a long week of interviews as 43 of us National Officer Candidates were in Louisville, Kentucky at the National FFA Convention each hoping to be announced as a member of the next National FFA Officer Team. After weeks of preparing, training, and working with mentors, the time had begun and it was time to represent the best we could highlighting the many memories in the corduroy jacket. The week had been a whirlwind and it was all coming down to the final session where the new team would be announced. Everyone in the convention center was on edge as the nominating committee chair steps up to make the breaking news. “Your New National Officer Team members are…..”

Then after the most intense moments of my life, I realized that my name….. wasn’t called. I wasn’t on the team and thus, the end of my time in FFA. I remember walking back to my hotel room and unzipping my jacket for the final time. I hung it up, never to wear it again. As I began to pack everything up, I could not help but reflect on the many positive memories I had in the organization and how it made me a better leader and team player. The positive difference my Ag Teacher made in my life and the many friendships I made throughout the way could not be more apparent to me. I realized that through my involvement in FFA, that the blue corduroy doesn’t change colors, but instead it changes lives. It certainly did for this FFA Has-Been and it will change yours too, if you let it!

This week I’ve been thinking of everyone traveling to the 92nd National FFA Convention. One thing is for certain: you don’t have to be in Indianapolis to be aware of the achievements of FFA members and Ag-Ed Instructors that will take place this week. Congrats to all those who are participating in and are about to experience the National FFA Convention. Your time in the jacket is priceless. When I took off my jacket for the last time, I wrote down 3 personal goals I challenged myself to do. After convention is over, the lights are off, and everyone goes home, challenge yourself to:

–Look Up: No matter the result of your contest. Win or lose. Look up and be proud of who you are, the people you’ve represented, and the organizational jacket you wear. Share your experiences with others. Sometimes the greatest wins in life are disguised as losses in the moment. Look up because so many really do look up to you. LOOK UP

–Reach Out: Whether you are a current or an Alumni member, challenge yourself with a goal to persuade at least 3 people to join and be an active member of a local FFA chapter and Ag-Ed Program. By reaching out to others we are giving back in very important way. Imagine how many people can be involved if we each committed to reaching out sharing our story with just those 3 people. I’ll let you do the math. 😉 REACH OUT

–Be Thankful: Everyone of us, current or has-beens have someone to thank who inspired, drove us to events, taught us Ag-Ed, cheered us on, and comforted us when things didn’t always go our way. Be thankful for the opportunities, the memories, and the people (Ag Teacher, Parent, Sponsor, etc) who got you there. BE THANKFUL.

Once again, congrats to everyone and here’s to this life changing organization that has and will continue to make a difference in the lives of so many people. I’m so grateful for the tremendous experience I had and very excited for your experience too! You may retire the jacket, but never retire the heart behind it. Let the Blue Corduroy Change your life this week. #FFAalumni #NationalConvention

3 Questions Every Leader Needs to Ask Themselves

After speaking to the Business Scholars Class at East Central University today, I wanted to share some questions that I believe every leader needs to take the time to ask themselves. It will reignite your fire for life, help prevent burnout, and can give you some clarity in life. First question you must ask yourself is:

-What is Your Passion?

When we identify our passion(s) it gives us clarity as to what makes us individually thrive and what we love to talk about or do.

Growing up I loved to be around people. I loved to meet new people. I was and have always been passionate about reaching and meeting new people. I could literally do it all day, but man cannot live on pure passion alone. One must use it as energy to fulfill your calling. Once we determine our passion, we can see what we want to do with it.

-In what job/role can you use your Passion?

After discovering I was a passionate about people, I knew I wanted a career where I would exercise that everyday(Except on Black Friday Shopping, that’s another story 😉) I began to pray and think about what jobs I could do to use my passion to fuel my job performance. My list was large as it resulted in being an attorney, politician, salesman, field rep, speaker, consultant, all the way down to even being a Walmart Greeter (Hey, one can dream, right?) This weeded out other areas that could’ve been confusing. It also zeroed in my focus of not only seeking a career I would enjoy, but allowed me to set goals of where I wanted to be.

-What do you want to achieve with your Passion?

If you want to find success, find your passion, link it to a career, and use it as a catalyst to achieve your life’s objective. Every person has their own goal posts of where they would like to be in 10-20-50 years down the road. Use what you have to shoot for that. As a professional speaker, my end goal is to positively impact at least 1 million audience members. This maybe hard to measure but it’s what I want to achieve through my passion of reaching people. Always think about the end result of your passion. What do you hope to achieve? In short, asking yourselves these questions and following these steps of action will be beneficial to you and your impact! Lead on!

Answers to Action:

>Find Your Passion

>Fuel Your Career With Passion

>Figure Out Where Your Goal Posts Are

#SuccessTips #Career

It was election season in Cottonwood County and volunteers from both local campaigns came to this part of the world to rally support for their candidate. Cottonwood County was a very rural and countrywide area where miles of farm acreage could be found. Every vote mattered and with a low populated area such as Cottonwood, the race was on to reach as many folks as possible. Campaign signs were placed everywhere including right next to a farmer’s market, where the land was wide open and easy to see.

Most people in the county had made up their minds about who to vote for, but there was one who was undecided. His name was Ben Cooper. Many of the county people who knew Ben Cooper said he was the most uninformed and unenthused man in the countryside when it came to politics. Both campaigns were aware of this man and knew his vote would be critical. So both campaigns sent volunteers to knock on his door to try and convince him to vote for their candidate.

When the volunteers arrived at Ben Cooper’s house, they asked Mr. Cooper which candidate he would be voting for.

Mr. Cooper said, “Well folks, I’ve been so busy working, I don’t even know who is running.”

The volunteers gasped in shock, thinking that surely everyone would at least know who was running for office. Perplexed at Mr. Cooper, one volunteer said, “Sir, since you don’t know who the candidates are, when you go to vote tomorrow, go by the farmer’s market, you’ll notice a big row of campaign signs, just pick which one of the signs you want to vote for and mark it on your ballot.”

Mr. Cooper agreed and off the next morning he went to vote. He did indeed walk by the Farmer’s Market, looked at every sign on the land, and after a short pause said, “I believe I’ve made my choice.”

He proceeded to the ballot box and voted. After walking out of the precinct office, many of the volunteers quickly ran up to him and said, “Mr. Cooper, we are all so curious as to who you voted for.”

Mr. Cooper looked at them all and finally said, “Well folks, I took your advice and went by the farmer’s market. Saw all the signs and made my choice. In fact, I wrote in my candidate. I voted for pecans.”

“Pecans?!” Said one volunteer. “That’s not even one of the candidates. Why would you vote for something silly like that?!’

Mr. Cooper replied, “Well, you told me to look at all the signs and vote for the one I liked the most. Perhaps you forgot about the sign that said, “Pecans for only $5 here at the farmer’s market.” Guess you could say local politics can be nutty after all.” 😉

#PecansAndPolitics #NewBlogPost

After a long and successful business career in the city, a man named Henry Jackson wanted a change in scenery. Henry had always lived in the city. Grew up in the city. Worked in the city. Even went to school in the city. The city life was the only life Henry had ever known.

However, Henry loved a challenge and always strived to live his life to the fullest. One day, he said to himself, “I’ve done well in the city, but I think I can do even better out in the country.” He challenged himself to get out of his comfort zone by selling his businesses in the city and starting a new life on the farm in the unfamiliar world of rural America.

After moving out of the city, Henry set up his farm and decided he wanted to raise his own dairy cows and get into the milk business. Daring to Dairy, you could say. Although he was unfamiliar with the milk process, he googled it on his laptop and did a little research. The wifi wasn’t very good in this part of the country, which made the research a little hard to read on the screen. As he learned the process, he would do the most unorthodox thing. Every Saturday night, he would invite the country pastor over and have him practice his Sunday sermon on his dairy cows. The Pastor was always thankful for a chance to share the Gospel, but curiosity would always linger in his mind.

Finally, after many Saturday nights of hard preaching to the dairy cows, the Country Pastor soon said, “Brother Henry, I love to preach, but I must ask, why do you invite me over every Saturday night to preach to your dairy cows?” Henry said, “Pastor, I’m still learning how the whole milk process works, but I’m pretty sure the milk in these cows still need to be Pastorized.” #DaringToDairy

(Copyright 2017) Brandon Baumgarten

Besides being labeled as remarkable breath mints, the word “eclipse” has an interesting definition: “to obscure the light from or to another celestial body.” Everyone has been talking about what we will witness as the solar eclipse will take place. They say a solar eclipse is where the sun is blocked out by the moon resulting in visible changes in our daily environment. So this event could turn out to look pretty cool. But before you raid the nearest Ray Ban store or your local eyewear vendor, take a look at another eclipse that has happened lately.

Here in America, we have been known as a shining city on a hill, a bright land of liberty, a country from sea to shining sea, a place where freedom’s flame will never lose its’ flare. America has always been a beacon of hope, freedom, and light. But as we watch the news and recent current events, it would seem that our country’s light has been obscured. With violence, hatred, and sorrow toward one another, many have sought to darken our nation. We have undergone a negative eclipse where we are uncertain of what the future holds and our recent hours have been undoubtedly dim. This obscurity of America’s light cannot be repaired by man’s own hands alone. Even in the darkest hours of our country, when tensions run high and division arises, I believe there is still hope for America. This negative eclipse can be overshadowed by something far greater and more impactful.

Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The best way to discover change, behavioral change in our country in how we think, act, and live is by focusing on the heart. Your heart is like a light bulb in this world of darkness. When Jesus comes in, He flips the switch and your light begins to shine for Him. This is what we need in our country, lights that shine with God’s love bigger and brighter. Lights who treat others better, seek peace, and represent the things which are true. God is greater than any obscurity we go through, He is bigger than any shadow we face, and He is brighter than any darkness an eclipse can bring. No doubt, America is a bright light for the world to follow, however, in the midst of the eclipses this nation faces, may we never forget the light within us and the God we shine for! #Eclipse