Throughout life, you might find yourself drifting, caught up in the noise and divisions of the world. Too often, people disconnect from others and aren’t fully in the presence of God. However, you might realize that while you’re still struggling, God has always walked alongside you. You were never isolated and never alone. All you have to do is seek connection and take your time to listen and build your connection with God and others.

The value of finding time with God is what Bart Christian learned and what he shares as a returning guest of Seek Go Create. Bart and Tim discuss Bart's newest book, Eager for the Master, which dives into what we need to do to build our connection with God. He also talks about his experience writing his book and the inspiration behind the lessons he wants to share. From surviving the pandemic to the little thing his dog does, Bart's insight can help you on your journey.

Find what you're seeking, whether connection, inspiration, or a deeper connection with God, when you listen in on this episode of Seek Go Create.

3 Reasons to Listen:

1. Shhh… find out why quiet time is essential in today's noisy world.
2. Learn how you can grow your faith and deepen your connection God.
3. What can you learn from watching your dog? Find out from Bart and Tim’s conversation.

Resources

Seek, Go, Create episodes:

• Attitude, Communications, Zig Ziglar & The Lunch Room Lady | Q&A with Bart Christian
• Filter the Good From the Bad to Grow with Joel Green
• Eager for the Master by Bart Christian
• Simple Solutions for Communication by Bart Christian
• Know more about Zig Ziglar
• On Writing by Stephen King
• Connect with Bart: website | email at [email protected] | Facebook | 
• Listen to more episodes and highlights on Seek Go Create. If you liked this episode, overcome the divide and share what you learned with others.
• Visit our YouTube channel
• Episode's full-length episode
• Episode’s short clip

About Bart

Bart Christian is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, and food service coach. He has worked in the food industry with various executives and companies for over 25 years. Bart is passionate about spreading his message of simple solutions anybody can use for a happier, more productive team. His experience, passion, and personality make it easy for him to understand and connect with his audience and help them build a connection with God.

Bart is the author of the top-selling book series Simple Solutions and has been a motivational keynote speaker nationwide. He also wrote Eager for the Master, a book inspired by his dog, Reign, and how devoted love can lead to a deeper connection with God.

Want to know more about Bart? Learn more on his website. You can connect with him through his email or Facebook.

Episode Highlights[03:55] Bart, the Learner

• Bart primarily aims to learn and seek.
• One of the best ways he learns is through conversation and writing. He gains so much every time he talks to other folks and whenever he writes.
• As an entrepreneur, he started four companies that still stand despite facing numerous challenges.
• Bart is also a father, a grandfather, and a husband. 
• For many, including Bart, what you do to make money is different than what you do in life.

[06:48] Singing the Same Songs

• Survival and stability are the first two stages in life. Once you're stable, people aim for significance in life in the final stage.
• Bart is currently writing another book about wellness. 
• He wrote his previous book because he wanted to share his experience going through tough times. 
• Everyone is singing the same song about hardships and struggles. While people may experience these songs differently, we can share what we know with each other.
• Unfortunately, the world splits us apart, making us feel alone in our lives. People should connect with other people.

[07:52] “We're all singing the same song but we’re just on different verses, different places.” - Click Here To Tweet This[09:50] Going Back in Time

• Zig, a significant influence in Bart's life, once said that he would not change anything in his past. 
• Doing something different in your past might not lead to who you are and where you are today.
• Bart’s wife helped him through difficult times. Together, they often attended church but weren’t truly present.
• If he could go back, Bart would tell himself to trust God and talk to him more. Write down your experiences to clear your mind and let it out.
• Looking back at his journals, Bart realized that many of his hardest times weren't that bad. Often, he realized he overreacted and that these challenges led to good opportunities.

[16:38] To Know and to Trust God

• You can’t trust somebody you don’t know. 
• Bart didn’t truly know God. Simply attending church, relying on devotionals, and not studying God’s Word can lead to a shallow foundation of trust in God.
• The way to knowing God is in reading Scripture, pray, be quiet, and listen. 
• When you talk and build a connection with God, you can hear Him more clearly.
• Bart wakes up in the morning and studies the Bible. He spends 20 minutes just listening and finding that many revelations come to him.

[19:20] “You’ve got to know God and the way you're going to know God is to read His Word, pray, and shut up and be quiet because God does not compete.” - Click Here To Tweet This[21:07] Getting to Know God the Master

• In August 2000, Bart lost his best friend and business partner. He challenged God and watched his life fall apart.
• This life-changing experience helped him realize that God was always with him. He kept him from falling deeper,
• From then on, he truly had faith and trust in God. Bart may sometimes waver, but he never questioned his connection with God nor God’s presence.

[26:03] How Critical is Quiet Time

• You can't hear what you can't hear. People need peace and quiet to listen and stay sane.
• No matter where you are, the world is full of constant noise.
• Bart often sought out time to be quiet. He would sit in his closet as a child or in the stairwells of hotels to escape the world's constant noise.
• Many people think that headphones and music are already enough for quiet time when it truly isn’t.
• Nowadays, many things stimulate our brains and fill our minds with noise.

[29:36] About Eager for the Master

• Simple solutions for personal wellness focus on mental wellness, including quiet time. It's business combined with Scripture.
• In Psalms, David talks about his desire to be with God. Bart compared it with how his dog, Reign, devotes time and energy to being with Bart.
• Parallels between the Reign’s trust and need for Bart and people’s faith and seeking of God. It’s that simple.
• God wants us to trust, believe and obey. 
• People might think that Christianity is limiting. However, Bart finds more fulfillment in his life by maintaining his connection with God than without Him.

[31:44] “I think that's kind of what God wants., if we'll just lay ourselves bare before him belly up and trust Him and seek only to be around him.” - Click Here To Tweet This[34:39] Trials, Triumphs, and Truths

• Reading the Bible in order opened Bart's eyes to understanding God's letter to humanity better.
• The Bible is full of wrath, discipline, and chastisement. However, these things are necessary to bring about good and further our connection with God.
• Both trials and triumphs can get in the way of true faith in the Master. Belief can become thin and brittle during hardship; you can see your true self.
• The noise of the world can push you away from God if your faith is thin.
• However, trials open your soul for God to fill with belief and faith, leading you to miraculous changes in your life.

[40:42] How Bart Writes

• When Bart was writing Eager for the Master, he made the most out of his morning habit of writing. It’s during this time that he writes and organizes his thoughts into a book.
• Bart typically writes an outline and takes time to write his other books.
• Bart says that everybody has the skill to write. It’s up to you to work on it and develop your ability.
• Each person has a story or message to share that can reach somebody. One of the keys to writing is sharing what you’ve been through to help someone else on the same path.
• From both Tim and Bart, if you’re feeling the nudge to write, go and just do it!

[45:27] “If you're writing things like you and I are, the whole idea is to share some of what we've been through so it might make the path a little bit less treacherous for the person who has fallen behind us.” - Click Here To Tweet This[46:21] Life Lessons from Eager for the Master

• The parallels between Reign, Bart's dog and him, and people and God inspired the book.
• Bart didn't want a dog at first. However, it was the little things that Reign did that led to their relationship growing closer.
• At first, Reign tended to hide whenever she had a thorn. Over time, she realized that Bart would never be mad at her ; all she had to do was approach them.
• She was also fascinated by nature. Too often, people get caught up in the noisy world and forget to appreciate the world around them.

[51:13] The Aftereffects of the Global Pandemic

• During the pandemic, Bart's family moved back from Arizona to his home state of Georgia. So many things have changed since they last lived there.
• In the six months they've lived there, people now know his name and take the time to talk with him.
• People in the country stick together. On the other hand, those living in urban areas grew more divided and isolated due to fear and discontent.
• Bart spoke in Arizona about how you are responsible for bonding with your team. He talked about the importance of overcoming isolation and fear.
• Some parts of America are overcrowded, but America as a whole isn’t. It has a distribution issue.

[01:01:26] Seek, and You Will Find

• Bart is a seeker. He follows the verse, "seek, and you will find."
• At the age of 58, Bart learned to fly. He’s continuously amazed by those much older than him who still fly in the skies,
• You might find yourself unhappy when you stop doing anything new and seek something different.

[01:12:15] “I think the people that are most unhappy, are the people who don't do anything new.” - Click Here To Tweet ThisEnjoy the Podcast?

Seek Go Create is for anyone seeking excellence, moving towards success, or creating something new. We share topics, stories, and conversations that allow us to rethink how we live, work, and lead. There will always be difficult times in life that will test your faith. But no matter what, God is with you. Your connection with God can never be truly severed.

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To growing and becoming all we are created to be,

Tim

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