Learn from your past, don't live there...

The best way to focus is to stop looking at what's behind you.
“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” –Walt Disney
These quote reminds me of Philippians 3:13-15 But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Living with one foot firmly planted in the past is like driving while watching the rear view mirror. When you watch whats going on behind you, rather than focusing on what's in front of you, there is a greater risk of an accident. It's like that with our lives. If we live in the past, we shift our focus to what has happened and not on what is in front of us, we miss opportunities.
Paul admonished us to forget the past and look to the future... We sometimes get so bogged down with the pain of a bad memory, that we forget what's in front of us and miss an amazing opportunity. Instead of dwelling on the past, the mistakes and the pain... we can learn from the mistakes we make and keep moving forward.

Being extraordinary in an ordinary world

There will always be someone who criticizes your dream. If God gave it to you, do it anyway. I know that I have had my share of disappointments, jobs that didn't come through, friends that turned out to be quite the opposite, but the worst is when you realize a dream that God has given you... but you let someone take it away from you... that someone could be a friend, a family member, or worse, yourself. In Bruce Wilkinson's The Dream Giver, Ordinary finds himself in possession of a big dream. But in the land of familiar, no one ever leaves... but Ordinary begins his journey out of his comfort zone to find his big dream. This short but amazing parable takes you on the journey with Ordinary as he overcomes the border bullies, navigates the waste land and battles the giants of the lands. When Ordinary reaches the land of promise he is met with joy by the anybodies. The past three years have taken my husband and I on a rather interesting journey to realize our big dream. This road has been difficult and there were times when we wanted to throw in the towel and tell God that this was too big, that we weren't good enough to pursue this amazing dream. But one night, over pizza, we prayed and dedicated our dream to God. What started as two people making pins in their living room and giving them out around Nashville has become a non-profit ministry that has stretched throughout North America. We know that there will still be trials, doubts, fears and frustrations... but if we work hard and keep our hands busy in God's work, we will always have encouragement, reassurance and help in times of trouble. Have you realized your Big Dream? What are you going to do with the dream that has been given to you?

Are you holding back?

"Don't try to retain what God is asking you to release... Let it go." (Judges 7:7) ~Priscilla Shirer. What are you holding on to today?