Don’t give up your dreams

The car you drive has a large windshield, but only a relatively small rear view mirror. The implication is obvious: What happened in your past is not nearly as important as what is in your future. Where you are going is much more important than where you've been. If you stay focused on the past, you're liable to miss numerous excellent opportunities ahead. Don't let disappointment become the central theme of your life. Quit mourning over something you can't change. God wants to give you a new beginning, but you have to let go of the old before you'll ever see the new. Let that door close behind you and step through the door in front of you. Maybe you've allowed other people to convince you that you're never going to rise higher, that you will never see your dreams come to pass. Don't believe them. When Caleb was a young man, he and Joshua were part of an exploratory spy mission to determine the strength of the enemy before God's people moved into the land that God had promised them. Out of the twelve spies, only Caleb and Joshua presented a positive report to Moses. They were all too willing to settle for the second best, to dwell for the rest of their lives right where they were. Unfortunately, that group of negative thinkers never did make it into the Promised Land. They spent the next forty years spinning their wheels and wandering around aimlessly in a desert. By then Caleb was 85 years old, but he hadn't given up on the dream God had placed in his heart. He told Joshua that he was still as strong as he was when the promise first came to him. Caleb went back to the same place and asked god for that mountain to live on. The mountain he claimed had five giants living on it. Surely, he could have found a place less fortified, more accessible, or more easily occupied. Although it is forty years later, he believed until he has seen that promise being fulfilled. That's the kind of attitude we need to have. We give up too easily. No, keep pressing forward, and keep believing. Keep yourself stirred up.
You've got the gifts, the talents and the dreams. Don't allow complacency to keep you from seeing god's promises fulfilled in your life.

POWER OF LOVE (SONG)

For we walk by faith, not by sight……….

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm.  The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm. We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, a Great Spirit (God!) is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him. MORAL: Just because you can't see God, doesn't mean He is not there. For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2Corinthians 5:7.

Give me a parking space…………

 One man I heard about was driving around in a crowded parking lot, trying to find a space. He finally got so frustrated and said, "God if you will give me a parking space, I'll attend the church every Sunday." Just then, a car backed out of the front row, and the frustrated driver pulled into the open spot. He looked up and said, "Never mind, God. I just found one." Too often, we forget that God is the giver of all good things. God is the one who caused us get that "lucky break." He's the one who caused us to be at the right place at the night time. How many times have you been driving on a busy highway and you said to yourself, "Whew! That car almost hit me. Another split second and I would have had an accident." That was God's hand of protection. Understand that there is no such thing as a coincidence when your life is directed by God. When something good happens to you, be sensitive, recognize the work of God and learn to recall it often. Sometimes, we take these things for granted. Some people don't even realize that it was God at work in their life. Maybe you used to think or speak negatively. You were depressed and defeated. Today, though you are rising higher; you know you are a victor and not a victim. Perhaps at one point you suffered with all kinds of addictions and pain. But God supernaturally delivered you, and today you are healthy and whole. Thank God for what He has done. Remember how He set you free from all bondages. Remembering where you came from is one of the best ways to keep yourself encouraged. When we learn to recall the good things God has done, it helps us to stay in an attitude of faith and to remain grateful. He is holding you in the palm of His hand, and He will take care of you. All you need to do is to remember what all He has done for you and praise Him. Give Him all the glory he deserves, because He alone is worthy to be praised.

Handling Criticism…………….

 Once the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked on a small island, He went to pick up some firewood and a poisonous snake bit him. The people thought he would die immediately. That’s what it feels like when somebody criticizes us, when somebody is talking behind your back, trying to put you in bad light; we can feel the sting of his or her words. I love what Paul did. One translation says, “He simply shook it off.” It was as though he was saying, “No big deal. I’m not going to let this thing bother me. It may be poisonous, it may look bad, but I know God is in control. I know God can take care of me.” Miraculously, the snake didn’t even harm Paul. Many people let negative words or other people’s opinions totally ruin their lives. They live to please other people and honestly think they can be happy by trying to keep everyone else happy. They don’t want anybody to say a negative word about them. That’s impossible. You have to accept the fact that not everybody is going to like you. Some people will find fault, no matter what you do. You can be there for them a thousand times in a row, but they will remind you repeatedly of that one time when you couldn’t show up. Life is too short to try to keep people happy. The Scripture says in Proverbs, “A gossiping, find faulting tongue is like a venomous snake.” A person’s words can poison your life. The longer you think about it, the more venom goes into you. If somebody is talking about you, don’t go home and call seven of your friends and ask, “What did you hear about me?” Just shake it off. Don’t spend all your time trying to win over your critics; just run your own race. Remember, most of the time, it’s not really about you. It’s about the fact that they haven’t dealt with that jealous, critical spirit on the inside. The best thing you can do is ignore the slingers. Do what God has put in your heart and trust Him to take care of the criticism.

carry me (must watch this vedio)