For the last 20 years I have worked in the retail e-commerce field, managing fulfillment operations. While I have thoroughly enjoyed the fast pace and growth of e-commerce, I decided to create something of my own. I wanted to pour my heart and soul into something that would make a difference in my life and the lives of others. I began to think about what I liked best about working in this industry and I discovered that my greatest joy came from developing others. The days that I can remember most are the days when individuals and/or teams produced record results - while I watched. I learned that I could make a difference in the lives of others, simply by inspiring and supporting them. Most importantly, I wanted to encourage others to share the beliefs about Jesus Christ and give them the opportunity to witness their faith. That's when I decided to launch an online business selling dress shirts and tee shirts.
At a very young age my mother was killed by a drunk driver. After being frustrated with the Lord for many years, I finally learned that He has a plan for my life and His ways were wiser than my own. I stopped worrying about the past and looked at the present. I was not following His commandments and I fell into the trap of trying to translate His teachings into present day society. I believe that things were different now and that I was allowed to interpret the Bible based upon my own needs and desires. Then one day I heard a sermon that washed all of those false beliefs away. The word of God is non-negotiable and must be fostered with your heart, not with your mind. I thought I was doing well in my life, until I realized that my life was not about me, it was supposed to be about glorifying God in everything I do.
One day Jesus led me to Luke 5. In this chapter, Jesus is trying to determine which followers could potentially be disciples. He provides Peter, James and John a series of tasks, trying to understand if they will follow Him or not. After passing several of Jesus' tests, He asks them to put out their fishing nets just off the shore. Peter replies that while they have been fishing all night and haven't caught anything, "because you (Jesus) say so I will let down the nets." Shortly thereafter they landed a record number of fish, so many that the nets begin to break. They realize that Jesus had delivered them this harvest and feeling ashamed, as sinners, fell to their knees. Finally, Jesus asks them to leave everything and follow Him. And they did. Simon Peter, James and John passed several of Jesus' tests and after catching a record number of fish, the Bible says "they left everything and followed Him". Jesus put them through several tests to ensure they were the right caliber of people to join Him. He then used the excitement of the moment to teach them that while catching fish was fun, catching the hearts and souls of others for eternity was even more fun.
I really enjoy my work. I am grateful for the opportunity to use my hands and my heart to support my family. I thrive on success and recognition. We all do. But is there any greater gift than sharing your faith with others? Don't you want them to live eternally and have the comfort of knowing that life is not just an earthly venture but everlasting? Is there anything you can accomplish greater than savings someone's life for eternity?
Typically I do not share my faith with others. I don't go around talking about Jesus or wearing a cross around my neck, but should I? I believe that you decide how and when you want to talk about Jesus with others. Usually when someone is recovering from a bad injury or coping with the loss of a loved one, we talk openly to them about Jesus and His teachings. Wouldn't it be neat if we could increase the frequency of those conversations?
I wanted to find the right Christian symbol to use for our shirts. After numerous hours of researching, I learned that hundreds of years ago, when Christians would meet strangers, they would draw an arc in the sand. If the stranger was a Christian he/she would draw a second arc, forming a fish. This allowed Christians to share their faith without the fear of discrimination. Back in those days it wasn't okay to be a Christ follower. This would be the perfect symbol, but many others are using it. How can I make this different? Once again I prayed to God and asked for support.
One morning while I was working on designs and colors, Jesus spoke to me. He told me to write the letter J and then C without picking up my pen. I was amazed at the results. The symbol was a fish at a different angle. And the two letters of His name make up the drawing. Wow!
I knew that Jesus had spoken to my heart and answered my prayers. I also knew that this was His idea and I couldn't let Him down. There were so many reasons why I could not launch a new business. First, I'm not a webmaster and haven't used HTML coding since college. Second, my marketing experience was limited, especially my e-commerce experience. Finally, I'm not a clothing or shirt designer so how do I know which fashions to use? Then I remembered Luke 5:5, where the disciples told Jesus, "because you say so I will." Jesus gave me the design so I must carry out the rest of the plan.
In late June my wife and I launched an online apparel company titled Fish Witness. We simply added the JC fish symbol to quality shirts and t-shirts for men and women. The logo is about the size of a silver dollar, just large enough to get noticed, but not so large that it might offend someone. In addition we set up a blog on our site for those to share their story about how this simple symbol helped lead someone to Jesus Christ. The process is simple. Purchase a shirt from Fish Witness, wear it, and when someone asks you about it be ready to witness. Share the Good News with them! We call it 'Wear and Share.' We believe that there is no greater gift than the gift of eternal life. All we want to do is help you get that opportunity as often as possible and then share that story with other members on the Fish Witness website.
At a young age I wanted to become a doctor. I believed that if I could save one life, then my purpose on this earth would be fulfilled. Several years later I realized that eternal life was so much more important than earthly life. I also learned that I could share this opportunity with others and save their lives forever. Jesus loved us so much that He died for us on the cross. He sacrificed His life so that others could live eternally. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us in heaven. Your family and friends deserve to be there with you.
Since we launched the business I've had the apparel to wear and share my faith with others. At first I was hesitant to wear the product because I didn't want to attract attention to myself. Then I remembered that He helped me with the design for a reason and I must follow His direction regardless of my behaviors. When I say behaviors, I'm talking about being perfect. Jesus died for us to save us from our sins and the only perfect person was Him. I'm not perfect nor will I ever be, but I can demonstrate my faith to the best of my ability, continue to pray to Him, and witness as often as possible. You don't have to be perfect to share the Good News.
We believe that your greatest accomplishments in life are helping others come to know and love Jesus Christ. We encourage you to wear our products and share your faith with others. Help lead someone else to Jesus Christ. Who knows? The life you save just may be your own.
At a very young age my mother was killed by a drunk driver. After being frustrated with the Lord for many years, I finally learned that He has a plan for my life and His ways were wiser than my own. I stopped worrying about the past and looked at the present. I was not following His commandments and I fell into the trap of trying to translate His teachings into present day society. I believe that things were different now and that I was allowed to interpret the Bible based upon my own needs and desires. Then one day I heard a sermon that washed all of those false beliefs away. The word of God is non-negotiable and must be fostered with your heart, not with your mind. I thought I was doing well in my life, until I realized that my life was not about me, it was supposed to be about glorifying God in everything I do.
One day Jesus led me to Luke 5. In this chapter, Jesus is trying to determine which followers could potentially be disciples. He provides Peter, James and John a series of tasks, trying to understand if they will follow Him or not. After passing several of Jesus' tests, He asks them to put out their fishing nets just off the shore. Peter replies that while they have been fishing all night and haven't caught anything, "because you (Jesus) say so I will let down the nets." Shortly thereafter they landed a record number of fish, so many that the nets begin to break. They realize that Jesus had delivered them this harvest and feeling ashamed, as sinners, fell to their knees. Finally, Jesus asks them to leave everything and follow Him. And they did. Simon Peter, James and John passed several of Jesus' tests and after catching a record number of fish, the Bible says "they left everything and followed Him". Jesus put them through several tests to ensure they were the right caliber of people to join Him. He then used the excitement of the moment to teach them that while catching fish was fun, catching the hearts and souls of others for eternity was even more fun.
I really enjoy my work. I am grateful for the opportunity to use my hands and my heart to support my family. I thrive on success and recognition. We all do. But is there any greater gift than sharing your faith with others? Don't you want them to live eternally and have the comfort of knowing that life is not just an earthly venture but everlasting? Is there anything you can accomplish greater than savings someone's life for eternity?
Typically I do not share my faith with others. I don't go around talking about Jesus or wearing a cross around my neck, but should I? I believe that you decide how and when you want to talk about Jesus with others. Usually when someone is recovering from a bad injury or coping with the loss of a loved one, we talk openly to them about Jesus and His teachings. Wouldn't it be neat if we could increase the frequency of those conversations?
I wanted to find the right Christian symbol to use for our shirts. After numerous hours of researching, I learned that hundreds of years ago, when Christians would meet strangers, they would draw an arc in the sand. If the stranger was a Christian he/she would draw a second arc, forming a fish. This allowed Christians to share their faith without the fear of discrimination. Back in those days it wasn't okay to be a Christ follower. This would be the perfect symbol, but many others are using it. How can I make this different? Once again I prayed to God and asked for support.
One morning while I was working on designs and colors, Jesus spoke to me. He told me to write the letter J and then C without picking up my pen. I was amazed at the results. The symbol was a fish at a different angle. And the two letters of His name make up the drawing. Wow!
I knew that Jesus had spoken to my heart and answered my prayers. I also knew that this was His idea and I couldn't let Him down. There were so many reasons why I could not launch a new business. First, I'm not a webmaster and haven't used HTML coding since college. Second, my marketing experience was limited, especially my e-commerce experience. Finally, I'm not a clothing or shirt designer so how do I know which fashions to use? Then I remembered Luke 5:5, where the disciples told Jesus, "because you say so I will." Jesus gave me the design so I must carry out the rest of the plan.
In late June my wife and I launched an online apparel company titled Fish Witness. We simply added the JC fish symbol to quality shirts and t-shirts for men and women. The logo is about the size of a silver dollar, just large enough to get noticed, but not so large that it might offend someone. In addition we set up a blog on our site for those to share their story about how this simple symbol helped lead someone to Jesus Christ. The process is simple. Purchase a shirt from Fish Witness, wear it, and when someone asks you about it be ready to witness. Share the Good News with them! We call it 'Wear and Share.' We believe that there is no greater gift than the gift of eternal life. All we want to do is help you get that opportunity as often as possible and then share that story with other members on the Fish Witness website.
At a young age I wanted to become a doctor. I believed that if I could save one life, then my purpose on this earth would be fulfilled. Several years later I realized that eternal life was so much more important than earthly life. I also learned that I could share this opportunity with others and save their lives forever. Jesus loved us so much that He died for us on the cross. He sacrificed His life so that others could live eternally. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us in heaven. Your family and friends deserve to be there with you.
Since we launched the business I've had the apparel to wear and share my faith with others. At first I was hesitant to wear the product because I didn't want to attract attention to myself. Then I remembered that He helped me with the design for a reason and I must follow His direction regardless of my behaviors. When I say behaviors, I'm talking about being perfect. Jesus died for us to save us from our sins and the only perfect person was Him. I'm not perfect nor will I ever be, but I can demonstrate my faith to the best of my ability, continue to pray to Him, and witness as often as possible. You don't have to be perfect to share the Good News.
We believe that your greatest accomplishments in life are helping others come to know and love Jesus Christ. We encourage you to wear our products and share your faith with others. Help lead someone else to Jesus Christ. Who knows? The life you save just may be your own.
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Want to find out more about wearing your witness? Visit James Kitts' site and review our products. Or share your story christian clothing in our blog.
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