A Dream is Just a Dream

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" is a question probably ninety percent of American children are asked before age ten. I had aspirations to be a football player and a super hero when I was young.

Obviously the second one is totally fictional and the first one is a long shot. However, aside from genetics causing me to be a bit height-challenged for a career in football, I didn't really try to pursue it that heavily. 

I would guess that you have a dream. That brings us to this week's quote...

A dream is just a dream until you go out and fight for it! - "Rev Run", Joseph Simmons

If I would have really wanted to be a football player I should have pursued it much more. Even being short, I could have possibly made it to a community college level, at least. But I didn't. I did not enjoy it like I thought I would. I didn't have the desire to keep going or put in the work outside from practice.
 
Dreams we have while sleeping are generally short-lived in our memories.  As you think about dreams that you have for life, let them live much longer.  Let them get through the brainstorming and "pros-&-cons" stages.  Let them get to the "how can I make this happen" stage.  If you find you cannot make it happen right then, wait. If it is just not going to take you to where you want to go, readjust your sails and continue on a new course.

Don't let it fall...fight for it!  See what happens when you do!

Things People Don't Forget

Emotion is a feeling that tends to go deep in your memory and go there very quickly. Think about it, when was the last time that you felt hurt? You can probably recall it very easily. What are some of your favorite holiday/birthday memories? You can also recall those very easily. This concept leads us into this week's quote...

People will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.
~ Maya Angelou

You may not recall everything that happened in times that you felt good or bad, but you will remember how you felt.

Emotions are important to memory. As a minister, the times that people remember what I taught or preached on are usually because I triggered some type of emotion that helped their memory. They will forget the words I said and if I did something new, but if I can make them feel a certain, purposeful way, they will have a lower chance of forgetting.

After realizing that emotions affect how we feel, apply this to how you make others feel when you interact with them. Did you lift them up, leave them where they were at, or knock them down?

Emotions can run very deep into the memory. May you make an effort to make them feel wanted, valued, and important. Because that is what they will not forget.

Working on how I make them feel...

Getaway

Summer is a common time for families to go on trips. Kids are out of school and the weather is good; a good time for traveling. Vacations allow for adults to get away from work for a period of time, too. Getaways provide for families to grow together, as this may be one of the few times they can be together for period of time without the interruptions of life. Now that summer time is ending, getaways will be coming to an end.

Where do you like to go? A few years ago, my wife and I went to the Mt. Rushmore area and camped for over a week. We were with my in-laws and we didn't have any kind of "schedule" and it ended up being very relaxing. It also gave me a refueling to return to my job. That brings us to this quote...

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind. ~Seneca

We are in a state of traveling at the moment. It has been nice to get away from the normal life and take a "road trip" with my wife and son. We have been meeting new people and seeing family. We are not going to be done for about a week, and we are yet to meet more new people. I have been able to clean out the "mind" and forget about things at home (well, kind of forget) to enjoy the trip.

Traveling, whether it is just out for a country drive or a trip, has held true for me to the point of this quote. I like getting away and allowing the "renewing the vigor of the mind".

May you have opportunities to get away to renew your vigor or reflect back on your family trips as memories to remind you how blessed you are to have the family you have been given.

Getting away...

E-mail Encouragement: Today

I hope your week is going well. I received this in an e-mail that I subscribe to. It is called "Today's Dose of Happiness". It is just a daily "dose" to try to make a person's day go better. I really liked what it says...

"TODAY

Live today, because it is all you have. Everything.

Tomorrow is still a dream. In most cases it is a dream come true, although rarely quite as we imagine.

Yesterday is a memory, one that can help us navigate both today and tomorrow.

Today is happening. Today is life in action. Today is what really counts. It is the only time you can control how you feel, how you act, how you think.

Feel it. Live it. Love it right now."

So, what are you going to do with your "today"? What will you do with it to cause someone to become closer to Jesus?

Have a great week!

Connecting others ~