Never Give Up!

Hello again!

I thought I'd let you in on a little secret. My life goals are written on 8x10 sheets of paper taped to my bedroom wall. Sounds a little funny, I know. They are there as a reminder to help me stay focused and to keep me moving toward them; to remind me to keep making decisions that will help me attain those things in the future. Some of them will probably take years to realize; others not as long. Some of them require a lot of money in order to accomplish them but just because I do not have the money in my hand yet, doesn't mean they won't be fulfilled. I believe they are dreams and goals from Father God and if He put them in my heart, then there is a way to make them a reality!

I don't think anyone has ever accomplished anything great without challenges and opposition. The greater the prize, the greater the price one must be willing to pay in order to get it.

I'm reminded of a parable from the Bible which says, "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"  Matthew 13:45-46 (NLT)

I am impacted by the tenacity of the merchant and the price he paid for just one pearl! To him, it had the greatest value and he was completely willing to sell EVERYTHING he owned in order to get it! Wow!

Have you ever given up (or felt like it) on something you knew or sensed you were meant to do but the road seemed too tough or it was more than you thought you could bare? Perhaps you (like me at times), need to be reminded to not give up, even when you face opposition and challenges. If you have a real dream or goal from God, you will probably find that it resurfaces at various times in your life. It won't let you go. In my experience I have often found that the resurfacing of the dream was God's way of telling me to hang on, to not let go, to keep on believing and to keep taking those steps no matter how small they may be, because eventually, I'll get there. The dream will become a reality if I don't give up. I've also found that it is important to have the support of others who believe in me and who believe in the dream with me (even if they are not doing it with me).

Who do you have in your corner? Who cheers you on when the road is rough? I'm sure there is someone. May I encourage you to allow them to support and encourage you on your journey? Their support can make a huge difference! I know it has for me!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith..."  Hebrews 12: 1-2a

In closing, I thought I'd share a picture of what I believe tenacity and perseverance looks like. Makes me smile every time I look at it. :)

 

May God give you the grace and strength to persevere and go after all He has called you to do and to become all He desires you to become! 

Keep on keeping on! Don't give up! 

In Him, 

Crystal

Courage To Try

Hi there!

When was the last time you thought about trying something new? What was it? Did actually you try it out? How did you feel when you followed through?

If you've been reading my blog you will notice that I've been in a season of trying some new things. I've only mentioned a few. There are more. I'm really starting to get the hang of it! :)

We are creatures of habit. We often do the same thing over and over again simply out of habit - even when we're tired of it. Sometimes we 'wish' our lives were different or that we could change things. We want to do something great; something that changes the world or at least the world of another for the better. The truth is that we all have the potential within us to do great things!

Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

It takes courage to try something new. There have been times in my life that I've not followed through in doing some of the things God has called me to do because of fear; fear of the unknown, fear of failure and fear of what others might think. I will not allow fear to hold me back from doing what God has called me to do any longer!

Recently, I read some quotes about courage and thought I'd share them with you.

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." Nelson Mandela

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." Ambrose Redmoon

"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." Michael Jordan

"You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor." Aristotle

Not only must we believe in our ability to make a difference in our lives and the lives of others, we sometimes need reminding that God believes in us too!

So, join me in trying something new! Do something you've never done before, even if it is small! We all have to start somewhere! :)

Enjoy the journey!

Blessings,

Crystal