The Make It Happen Moment ® Embrace Life

February 12, 2012

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , , , 3 Comments

Quote: “Look forward to the harvest, and remember, where there is struggle, there is life!” – Zig Ziglar

One day I was struggling with some difficult life circumstances, so in my office at work I inquired of the Lord about the matter.  “Lord, why is this happening to me?  I know that You are building my character in this situation, but I don’t understand why it has to be like this.”  Before I could descend too far into a pity party, I heard the Lord respond in His still small voice, “This is happening to you because through it, I am putting a message in you that when it comes out, it will be all Me!”  Now that gave me something to seriously ponder…the Lord wanted to use me (Wow!), but He needed to work out some things in my character before He could do so (Ouch!).  Furthermore, in the midst of my troubling circumstances, the Lord encouraged me regarding His perfect plan and purpose for my life, and even though I didn’t fully understand the struggle, with His abiding presence, I knew I could rest in the peace of Psalm 18:3 as the Psalmist David, declaring in my spirit, “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised!” 

The Lord is so awesome that He has since helped me to even better understand what He was talking about when He spoke to me on that day in my office. In a teaching, Jewish Rabbi, Curt Landry, shared that the making of a Jewish Shofar – a holy trumpet - actually represents how the Lord shapes and molds each of us into a holy vessel separated unto Him for His kingdom use and glory.  In Rabbi Landry’s lesson, he taught that in order for a Shofar to exist, an animal has to first give its life so that the horn can be cut away for use as a Shofar.  This symbolizes the death that each of us experiences when we first give our life to the Lord and are spiritually born new in Jesus Christ.  The Apostle Paul clearly explains this in 2 Corinthians 5:17 stating, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  Then, after the horn is cut away, the priest puts the horn in boiling water so that it will become soft and malleable – able to be shaped by his hands.  This represents how the Lord, our Perfect High Priest, will allow the tests and trials of life to soften us, shape us, and develop a teachable spirit within us.  Once the horn is taken out of the boiling water, the priest then twists and turns it in a special way so that it will be able to produce the right joyful sound unto the Lord.  This represents how the Lord will allow difficult life challenges like the one I was experiencing to directly prepare us for His specific calling and perfect purpose for our lives that will bring Him glory. 

Lastly, the priest puts the handcrafted vessel in a dry wilderness place to let it properly dry out before drilling the small pointed end of it to complete the mouthpiece necessary for making the joyful sound for which the Shofar was created.  This represents the lonely time period when the Lord is perfecting our total dependence upon Him before He fully releases us into our anointed calling for which He created us.  While such a time may feel like the Lord has abandoned us, I have found that it is in this time that we actually discover His faithfulness to His promise in Hebrews 13:5 that He will never leave us nor forsake us as well as learn the benefits found in James 1:4 of letting patience have its perfect work in us so that we may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing in God. Therefore, with a spirit of faith and commitment, embrace life and all its struggles because God is in complete control, shaping and preparing us for His perfect plan and destiny in His kingdom.

The Make It Happen Abundant People Value: “Make It Happen” People Possess A Positive Attitude!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Embrace Life Copyright 2010, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Embrace Life, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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The Make It Happen Moment ® Life Coach

January 1, 2012

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Michael Jordan and Dean Smith photo at UNC gam...

Quote: “You have the potential – no, you have the responsibility – to be a mentor and be mentored!” – John Wooden

One afternoon at a business conference, I learned some important leadership insights from the game of basketball as taught by an excellent speaker at the conference.  Prior to the speaker’s presentation, I had never really thought about the fact that a basketball player really only has the ball in his hands for two to three minutes in a 40 minute game.  So then, what does a player do with the other 37 to 38 minutes of the game?  For great basketball coaches, the answer to this question is quite potentially the real difference between their team winning and losing; therefore, they effectively prepare their players for playing well the other 37 to 38 minutes when they don’t have the ball.  The speaker emphasized that this insight is so crucial because the real game of basketball is actually played away from the ball and great coaches instinctively know that if you take care of the little things away from the ball, the big things with the ball will take care of themselves…provided of course that the little things do in fact lead to the big things.  For instance, learning how to thank your team mate for passing you the ball after you make a score is a little thing “away from the ball” that leads to big things “with the ball” – more scoring opportunities because of the small expression of genuine gratitude and humility with your team mates.

I recently read a quote from Michael Jordan at www.twitter.com/air_jordan which stated, “Years of practice amounted to years of achievement.”  Obviously, Michael Jordan is recognizing the importance that practice played in direct relationship to his achievements on the court.  And I think his statement also clearly affirms the leadership principle that the big things in our life will not happen without us first taking care of the little things that lead to the big things.  So what are some of the little things in life that we must focus upon and diligently practice in order to properly position and equip ourselves for the big things in life? 

I have learned from my Senior Pastor as well as from real life personal application that we can learn life lessons in one of two ways: revelation (mentors and wisdom) or tribulation (mistakes and pain).  Personally, I’ve tried both ways and I so much prefer the revelation way that I now spend many hours seeking revelation wisdom from wise qualified mentors who can teach me the little things away from the ball that will prepare me for the big things with the ball.  The great apostle Paul clearly understood this wisdom principle when he encouraged his disciples to diligently observe him, learn from him, and do like him as a qualified wise mentor of faith who imitated his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  In fact, through his secure personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Paul confidently states in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”  Wow, this is real life mentorship at its best!  Therefore, with a spirit of wisdom and humility, may we be like Paul – qualified wise mentors of faith and revelation who freely give others life lessons that we have freely received from the Lord and other qualified wise mentors of faith.

The Make It Happen Training And Development Value: “Make It Happen” People Invest And Participate In Training And Development!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Life Coach Copyright 2009, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Life Coach, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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The Make It Happen Moment ® Lion Chase

December 8, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , , , Leave a comment

Quote: “Lion chasers don’t hide from the things they fear.  They chase lions into pits!” – Mark Batterson

Contemplating my future, I fought some momentary bouts of fear in my mind as I answered personal questions of faith and destiny.  Would I let the safety and security of more than 16 years of dedicated service as a corporate leader supersede my faith in God and possibly steal the adventure and excitement of completely fulfilling my destiny in the Lord? Would I be content as a lion caged by the safe confines of a certain job or would I embrace a potential departure into a faith-filled future as a lion chaser in the kingdom of God?  With the peace of God in my heart and the support of family, natural and spiritual, I overcame my fear and embraced what many might consider unthinkable, crazy, reckless – I gave up the emotional safety net in a steady tenured company position, for instead, a steadfast trust in the Lord to direct my steps into the good plan that He has for me as a lion chaser in His kingdom!   

Spiritually speaking, do you know the oldest strategy in the devil’s toolkit is to try to steal, kill, and destroy our destiny in God through personal fear and intimidation in our minds?  In fact, 1 Peter 5:8 states, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”  Notice the Word of God says that the devil walks about like a roaring lion; therefore, we can conclude that he really isn’t a lion at all, but rather, he’s nothing but a lying devil.  His roar is only meant to scare us through fear and his false accusations in our minds are only meant to intimidate us into thinking that we must live our lives less than the full potential that God has destined for us. 

But praise God that the devil was totally and completely defeated by Jesus at the Cross of Calvary and not only that, Jesus has given us His authority to put the devil completely under our feet.  In Luke 10:19 Jesus says, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy [the devil and all his demons], and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”  This means that we don’t have to be “fraidy” cats when the devil is trying to steal our destiny in God by holding us captive to our personal fears.  Instead, as believers with a spirit of faith as well as the mind of Christ, we can be lion chasers in the kingdom of God with the authority in Christ to chase the devil into a pit and totally overcome his scare tactics in the battlefield of our minds!

Furthermore, Romans 8:31 states, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”  Believing in the present that God is for us and not against us makes all the difference when leaving yesterday’s memory and reaching for tomorrow’s dream.  In chasing our God-given dreams, lion chasers choose to believe God and seek Him because Hebrews 11:6 states, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him [God], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  With a spirit of faith, embrace your future and your destiny in the Lord as a lion chaser who believes God because with Him all things are possible!

The Make It Happen Risk-Taking Value: “Make It Happen” People Takes Risks In The Pursuit Of Excellence!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Lion Chase Copyright 2010, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Lion Chase, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Make It Happen Moment ® Use Your Mind

November 14, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , Leave a comment

Quote: “Learn to use your mind or your mind will use you!” – Gary Mack with David Casstevens

I’ve heard it said once that the average American watches nearly 6 hours of TV each day.  If this is true, and unfortunately I believe the source to be credible, especially if you include internet surfing hours, then there is no wonder why advertisers spend millions of dollars to promote their goods and services on television and computer screens.  The pictures and images that daily bombard our minds through digital media sources have a powerful impact on the markets and greatly influence our daily lives.  For better or worse, the pictures, images, and thoughts that we put into our minds have a way of becoming reality in our life.  Proverbs 23:7 states that “as a person thinks in their heart, so are they.”  This truth means that the things people think about manifest in their character and the person they become on the inside.

So let me ask you – do the things you think about each day help you to build character and to become a person of excellence or do they bring you down and cause you to live a mediocre life of subpar potential?  While the TV and internet dupes people into living a vicarious life of fantasy and adventure through other people on the screen, the reality is that we are allowing our minds to use us as we settle for a boring life at best in the “easy chair”.  Don’t let this happen to you because your potential is far greater than what you might think and your own real life adventure awaits an active pursuit of your God-given destiny!

Learning to effectively use the mind God gave you instead of allowing it to use you as a “couch potato” or “surf junkie” is an important key to becoming all that the Lord created you to be and living the life of excellence He has destined for you.  Therefore, turn off the TV, step away from the monitor, and start feeding your mind with thoughts, images, and information that can help you learn, grow, and develop into a person of excellence.  Paul states in Philippians 4:8, “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”  As you and I begin to do this with a spirit of commitment and excellence, the peace of God will rule in our hearts and lead us on an adventurous journey with God to become everything He created us to be and to do all that He purposed for us to do in His Righteousness and His Glory!

The Make It Happen Training And Development Value: “Make It Happen” People Invest And Participate In Training And Development!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Use Your Mind Copyright 2007, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Use Your Mind, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Make It Happen Moment ® Serving Life

November 2, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , 2 Comments

Two men looked out from prison bars...

Two men looked out from prison bars, one saw mud, the other...stars.

Quote: “Life is so much fuller and more significant when we spend it engaging others around us!” – Dino Rizzo

Years ago when I first started serving in the prison ministry of our church, I attended a bible study at the Rayburn Correctional Institute in Bogalusa, Louisiana.  At the end of the study, several inmates gave personal testimonies about their life and their relationship with the Lord.  I will never forget the story that one of the men shared that day.  He started by saying he had been in prison for more than 14 years of a 20-year sentence and that he spent his first several years depressed, angry, bitter, and miserable.  All he did each day was murmur and complain about his 20-year sentence as he constantly told everyone how unfair it was and that he didn’t do anything to deserve it.  He said that his misery continued day in and day out until one day when a more tenured fellow inmate had the courage to confront him with the simple truth in love.

His friend said, “George, I’ve been listening and watching you be miserable in this prison every day since you came here.  If you have any hope at all to make it, there are a couple of things you need to do.  The first thing is that you need to accept responsibility for your actions and admit that you did do something deserving of your judgment.  And the second thing you need to do is stop focusing on yourself and complaining about your 20-year sentence because there are other guys who have it much worse…30 years, 50 years, and even life.  If you can do these two things George, then the time will stop doing you and you will start doing the time.”

After George shared what his fellow inmate told him, he said that he took the advice to heart with the help of the Lord and his whole life changed.  He concluded by saying that doing time in prison is not easy by any means and that being on the down side of a sentence term [14 yrs of 20] is so much better than being on the upside; however, regardless of how many years that were left, he said his choice to take responsibility for his actions before God and focus on others rather than himself made all the difference.

As I reflect on this true story, I have wondered just how many of us can myopically live inside the same kind of prison walls as George was living, even though we don’t actually live in a brick and mortar prison.  I’m talking about a narrow internal walled-in place of depression, bitterness, anger, etc. – blaming everything and everyone for the results of our own poor life choices without any regard for the Lord or other hurting people.  I know firsthand that if we would heed the advice given to George and apply it to our own lives, we will discover by the grace of God that life will stop doing us and we will start doing life.  In fact, this is exactly the way the Lord intends for us to do life – focused on others and serving them rather than ourselves.  The Bible states in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man [Jesus] did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  Just imagine how life would be if we really did give our lives to genuinely love and serve others as Jesus did.  I’ve read that Thomas Jefferson observed, “A candle loses nothing when it lights another candle.”  With a spirit of commitment and generosity, may we brightly serve our life to others with the love of Christ poured out from our hearts so that we can brighten a hurting and broken world around us!

The Make It Happen Service Enthusiasm Value: “Make It Happen” People Are Five Star Service Enthusiasts!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Serving Life Copyright 2009, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Serving Life, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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The Make It Happen Moment ® Faith In Action

October 24, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , , Leave a comment

Care Bear Portrait

Care Bears

Quote: “I couldn’t care more!” – John Maxwell

Have you ever observed someone who cares so much that they live life full of energy and passion to serve others and solve problems that make a difference in life?  Perhaps some additional qualities come to mind when thinking of people whom possess such enthusiasm for life:

  • An infectious positive attitude
  • A compassionate heart willing to meet the needs of others
  • A flexible nature able to embrace, accept, and create change for the better
  • An unexplainable optimism in the midst of uncertainty
  • A teachable spirit full of curiosity and desire to discover the unknown

Unfortunately, I think many people find it difficult to naturally demonstrate this kind of enthusiasm for life on a consistent basis because this kind of enthusiasm isn’t found naturally, but rather supernaturally through faith.  A writer named Henry Chester stated that “enthusiasm is…no more or less than faith in action.”  So then what is “faith in action”? Romans 10:17 says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  The Apostle James encourages us to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only.”  Therefore, faith in action – enthusiasm – simply means hearing the Word of God and doing it in real life terms. When someone has this kind of faith operating in their lives, it becomes easy to be enthusiastic about doing things that make a difference in the lives of others because the Lord tells us in Matthew 25:40 that when we take care of the needs of others, we actually take care of Him.  As you ponder this reality, the compassion of the Lord will stir your faith into action and move you to enthusiastically serve others with the heart of God.  Giving glory and honor to the Lord, the Author and Finisher of our faith, enthusiastically serve others and solve problems that make a difference in life!

The Make It Happen Service Enthusiasm Value: “Make It Happen” People Are Service Enthusiasts!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Faith In Action Copyright 2005, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Faith In Action, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Make It Happen Moment ® Born Significance

October 12, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , Leave a comment

Lion Face

Lion Face

Quote: “Life is not something that happens to us; it is something we, together with God, make happen!” – Brian Houston

Not too long ago I traveled to South Africa with my Executive Pastor and a missionary team of nine business men.  Our mission was to share the love of Christ with young aspiring South African entrepreneurs and teach them faith based business principles of the kingdom of God.  While we were there, we had the opportunity to visit a lion farm where wild lions were bred, nurtured, and then released into the animal kingdom upon maturity.  In fact, I have an awesome picture of the majestic leader of the lion pride as a screen saver on my computer because it reminds me of the kingly majesty of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, as affirmed in Revelation 5:5.

As a business man continually seeking to learn and grow as a leader, I have learned from John Maxwell that there are distinct differences between leaders that lead followers and leaders that lead leaders.  The first type of leader is like a lion leading a herd of sheep.   Such a leader can be an effective leader; however, the effectiveness of the organization he or she leads is limited to the leadership influence of that one leader.  On the other hand, a leader who leads leaders is like a lion leading a pride of lions.  Such a leader seeks to exponentially multiply the effectiveness and influence of his or her organization by breeding, nurturing, and releasing many other strong leaders to be all that God created them to be.  In fact, there is no greater freedom for leaders than to be truly free in Christ to lead in the destiny for which they were born.  John 8:36 states, “Therefore if the Son [Jesus – the Ultimate Leader of leaders] makes you free [free from the law of sin and death by His shed blood on the cross], you shall be free indeed [free to be everything He created you to be in Christ].” 

For business leaders, the Official Credo of the American Entrepreneurs Association eloquently captures the heart of being free to lead in business.  It states: “I do not choose to be a common person.  It is my right to be uncommon – if I can.  I seek opportunity – not security.  I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.  I want to take the calculated risk, to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.  I refuse to barter incentive for a dole; I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of Utopia.  I will not trade my freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout.  I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.  It is my heritage to stand erect, proud, and unafraid; to think and act for myself, to enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say: ‘This, with God’s help, I have done.’  All this is what it means to be an entrepreneur.”  With a spirit of excellence and humility, be bold as a lion and gentle as a dove, leading leaders and unleashing their extraordinary God-given potential to make life happen with the King of kings and Lord of lords, Yeshua HaMashiach!

The Make It Happen Risk Taking Value: “Make It Happen” People Take Calculated Risks In The Pursuit Of Excellence!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Born Significance Copyright 2009, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Born Significance, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Make It Happen Moment ® Simplified Life

October 4, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , , , , 1 Comment

sparrow

Sparrow

Quote: “If you want a simpler life, you must learn to develop a more trusting life!” – Joyce Meyer

Several years ago I was traveling on a commuter express jet with some colleagues to visit the corporate headquarters of one of our company’s corporate business partners when all of a sudden our plane encountered some very turbulent weather.  In a matter of seconds the plane dropped about a thousand feet and then began to violently shake, rattle, and toss around in every forward direction.  Our drinks flew into the air, people began crying, praying, and thinking that we were going to die in a fiery crash.  After about five minutes of magnificent maneuvering through the troubled weather, the pilot was fortunately able to regain a normal and steady flight pattern.  Relieved that we were going to be fine, one of my colleagues turned to a young boy around twelve years of age whom was traveling alone and had been in the bathroom during the mayhem and said, “Boy, I bet this is the worst plane ride you’ve ever been on, huh?”  The young boy looked at him somewhat bewildered and responded, “No man, this is the coolest plane ride I’ve ever been on…I was in the bathroom and flew up so high that my head hit the ceiling…” ☺  So I guess the moral of this true story is that life is not that much about what you experience, but rather how you simply view and respond to what you experience! 

Why is it that different people can experience the same exact bitter lemons of life, but yet some find a way to turn them into a sweet taste of lemonade while others can only taste the bitterness of lemons?  What’s the difference?  Personally, I have found the difference to be in the ability to trust that God is good and that He is in complete control of everything in our lives.  In Romans 8:28, the Bible states, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  If we really believe this promise from God, then no matter what, we can find peace knowing that God has us in the palm of His hands and will not allow us to suffer any circumstance that He cannot turn for our good.  In fact, Matthew 10:29-31 states, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” 

When we learn to trust God to take care of us the same way that He takes care of the sparrows, we will begin to live a more peaceful and simplified life with an eager expectation of what God will do for us and through us each new day.  The apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:7 of the New Living Translation, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”  Imagine that the Maker of the Universe cares so much about you and I that He invites us to cast our burdens on Him.  If we actually learn to do this, there is no reason that we should not wake up each morning saying, “Good morning, Lord!” rather than barely rolling out the bed with a groan and a moan, saying, “Oh Lord, it’s morning!”  With a spirit of wisdom and faith, let us trust Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider, for He cares for us and will never fail us!

The Make It Happen People Value: “Make It Happen” People Possess A Positive Attitude!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Simplified Life Copyright 2009, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Simplified Life, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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The Make It Happen Moment ® Never Quit

September 26, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , , , , 1 Comment

Finish Line

Finish Line

Quote: “Great joy comes with finishing the race God has called you to run!” – Joyce Meyer

Several years ago when my friend Scot and I began to seriously stretch our physical fitness levels, we decided to support the American Diabetes Association by participating for the first time in their annual double century ride in Mississippi – a 100 mile bike ride on Saturday, an overnight stay, and a 100 mile bike ride back on Sunday.  So we started out Saturday morning on our hybrid mountain road bikes and completed the 100 mile journey after 8 hours of steady pedaling on the first day. After dinner, we turned in early for a good night sleep and rest for our aching bodies. Sooner than I would have liked, the morning alarm awoke us so that we could get ready for the long 100 “country” mile ride back.

Well after 75 miles of pedaling on day two with a grueling gulf coast headwind blowing against us much of the time, we stopped at an ADA water station where I informed Scot that I was done. He said, “What do you mean? We’re not finished.” I said, “I know we’re not finished, but I’m done. The headwind is too strong, my butt has a rash, and I’ve decided to put my bike in that sag wagon and go back with it.” Then Scot challenged me. “No you’re not, you little ninny! We’re gonna finish this thing!” Then the nice lady at the water station says, “Yeah baby, you only have 25 more miles to go and we’ve got some Boudreaux’s Butt Paste.” And I was thinking, “Right, easy for you to say. You haven’t been pedaling a bike for two days and 175 miles…”  So I responded, “No, I really think I’m done.” Then Scot, speaking to my inner spirit firmly said, “I know you. You’re not a quitter and we’re going to finish what we started!”  So with his belief in me as a close friend, I put on the butt paste, got back on my bike, and am now glad I finished the race.

Do you know that when we are down and struggling in life, Proverbs 18:24 says that “we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother”?  His name is Jesus and He believes in each of us to be overcomers in our faith even more than the way that my close friend Scot believed in me on that day when I was having difficulty believing in myself and struggling to finish the ADA race.  The Lord tells us in His Word that we’re not quitters and firmly encourages us in Romans 8:37 by stating, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him [Jesus] who loved us.”  Therefore, we can conquer any situation in life because the Lord loves us, believes in us, and will strengthen us whenever we need as we place our total trust in Him and depend upon His supernatural strength. 

Furthermore, 1 John 4:4 states, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” This means that regardless of the adversities we face in life, spiritually or naturally, we should never forget that God’s greater power is at work in us to overcome any challenge or situation we face.  With the Holy Spirit living in us as believers in Jesus, we can be assured that His supernatural strength and wisdom is always available to help us complete the race that He has called us to run with Him. With a spirit of faith and commitment, receive the Lord’s encouragement to never give up in life because when we place our trust in the Lord, the best will surely come!

The Make It Happen Celebration Value: “Make It Happen” People Celebrate Accomplishments Abundantly!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by the Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Never Quit Copyright 2009, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Never Quit, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

The Make It Happen Moment ® Life Unleashed

September 21, 2011

Gary J. Borgstede The Make It Happen Moment ® , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Grarncarz w Rabce / Potter in Rabka

The Potter's Wheel

Quote: “God and the world are waiting for your life to be unleashed!” – Christine Caine

Over the summer, I spent a day with my wife and two oldest children shopping on one of the most extraordinary merchant streets in America – Magazine Street in Uptown New Orleans.  As we set out to explore the exquisite wares of the Funky Monkey, Buffalo Exchange, Sucre’ -  to name a few of the many unique shops on the historic street – I shared with my family that I wanted to find and buy something special that day, but didn’t know exactly what.  So as we made our way through each different section of shops – cafés, clothing, antiques, jewelry, and art – we came to the last shop of the day, the Potsalot Pottery shop, where I knew in my spirit I would find what I was searching for.  After we browsed all the beautiful handmade earthenware, my family left the shop and I became disappointed not to find that special piece.  Then, as I stayed behind unwilling to give up my search, I discovered the owner of the shop working at his pottery wheel on a wet supple piece of clay and was powerfully reminded of the Scripture in Isaiah 64:8, “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.” Intently watching the potter and pondering this verse in my heart, the potter looked up at me, perhaps thinking I was a bit strange, and asked if he could help me.

I explained to him that I was looking for a special piece of pottery and asked him if he knew the Scripture verse in the Bible about people being the clay and the Lord being the potter.  To my surprise, he knew the verse well, took me over to a water vase on the top shelf in the corner of the shop, and told me that it was his best pottery piece to represent the Isaiah verse.  With the earthen colored vase in his hands, he pointed out the markings down the side of it and said they represented the trials and tests we go through in life. He then pointed to the base of the vase which had several indentures on it and stated that they represented our imperfections and mistakes in life. And lastly he pointed to the lip of the vase which he made with his thumb and said it represented how our lives are intended to be poured out for others.  Stunned by his allegory, he didn’t have to tell me anymore, I had no doubt that I had found the special item that the Lord had put on my heart to search for all that day.

As I reflect further on how our lives have been created by God to be poured out like the water vase created by potter, Alex Williams, I also contemplate the tragedy of a life represented by a vase containing water that is never poured out for anyone.  Instead of being useful and continually replenished with life-giving water, such an idle vase would be nothing more than a clay pot with stagnated water unfit for drinking.  As human beings wonderfully and beautifully created by God, if we do not use the extraordinary gifts and talents that He put inside of us to bring Him glory and serve others, then we too can be earthen vessels wasting the God-given potential inside of us.  Such is no one’s purpose intended by God because Ephesians 2:10 states, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Therefore, with a spirit of generosity and humility, embrace the power of the Holy Spirit to unleash your extraordinary gifts and talents through good works that serve others, glorify the Lord, and fulfill the Lord’s perfect intended purpose for your life!

The Make It Happen Servant Leadership Value: “Make It Happen” People Are Led By Servant Leaders!

Have a blessed “Make It Happen” day!

Edited by The Make It Happen Moment ® Editorial Team

The Make It Happen Moment ® Life Unleashed Copyright 2009, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Life Unleashed, in its entirety only, and forward to your colleagues and friends, provided the copyright notice remains part of the reprint and transmission.  All other rights reserved.

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