The Make It Happen Moment ® Bigger Than Today

September 22, 2010

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

Quote: “You must have a vision of something bigger than today!” – Jesse Duplantis

So let me ask you some thought-provoking questions.  Consider the life of Helen Keller whom was struck deaf and blind as a young child.  Why would she state that “Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all!”?  Could it be that she had a vision of life that was bigger than her “today”?  Or consider the plight of freedom fighter, Nelson Mandela, imprisoned in his beloved country of South Africa with a life sentence.  How could he endure nearly three decades of imprisonment without being hardened with bitterness of soul toward his oppressors?  Could it be that he had a vision of life that was bigger than his “today”?  Or even closer to home, consider my mom, mother of three and no college education.  Why would she decide to go back to school at the age of 42 when others thought it futile?  Could it be that she had a vision of life that was bigger than her “today”?  In the lives of these three people, is it possible that because they possessed a vision of life bigger than their respective circumstances, they were able to significantly contribute to life and make the world a better place?  Their life choices clearly demonstrate they did!

Endowed with optimism, Helen Keller believed that one day she would learn to read and write, and that she did.  And not only did she learn to read and write, she also lived to see her graduation from Radcliff College with cum laude honors, 11 books authored and published, and many awards of great distinction for her example in the work for the blind.  Against all odds, Nelson Mandela believed that one day he would be freed from prison, and that he was.  And not only was he freed from prison, he also lived to see his inauguration as President of South Africa and the abolishment of Apartheid bondage.  And lastly, despite mounting discouragement, my mother believed that one day she would receive a college education, and that she did.  And not only did she receive a college education, she also lived to see hundreds of kindergarteners receive a bright start to their futures from her selfless caring instruction of more than 15 years in the teaching profession.  From blindness, imprisonment, and no college education, Helen Keller, Nelson Mandela, and my mom chose to live a life of significance because they could see life beyond their circumstances. You and I can do the same thing! 

King David proclaimed in Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”  Do you see that the Lord is good?  He is good!  Psalm 100:5 fully declares His goodness stating, “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”  Once you get a revelation of how good God is, despite your circumstances, you will begin to see how good your life is in Him.  And the bigger you see God, the bigger your vision of life today will be!  With a spirit of faith and generosity, praise God for His goodness, and He will give you supernatural vision of life more significant than any current mountain top of success or valley of disappointment!

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 ® Bigger Than Today Copyright 2008, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint The Make It Happen Moment ® Bigger Than Today, 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.

Forget About It

September 2, 2010

Gary J. Borgstede Leadership Insights 2 Comments

The other day I was talking with my wife and shared with her that I could prove from the Bible that God is Italian.  You see, while my family has told me that my surname is German, some people have also told me that it is Dutch, and others have even told me that it is Afrikaans; therefore, I am not completely sure which it is.  However, I do know for sure that my grandfather and my great grandfather and all other grandfathers of my grandfather on my mother’s side of the family, well, to say it proudly, they are FBI – Full Blooded Italian.  Now whenever I bring up my Italian heritage with my wife, she expresses a little umbrage over the matter because I think the simple truth is that she’s a little envious of my Italian roots… 🙂

But nonetheless, one morning after my personal devotions in the book of Psalms, the revelation came to me that God most definitely had to be Italian and with such profound revelation bursting inside, I just had to share it with my wife.

“Honey, you would have never thought about it, but I can prove from the Bible that God is Italian!”

“God is not Italian and neither are you” she responded rather smartly as I could still sense a little envy coming over her…but I had to share my extraordinary theological revelation anyway. 

“It’s true baby. You know how Italians in New York end their sentences with ‘Think about it’ (New York accent emphasized)?  Well, God must be Italian because He does the same thing in the book of Psalms.”

So she thought about it…and then she said, “The Italians in New York don’t say ‘Think about it.’  They say ‘Forget about it’ and if you’re Italian, you should do the same.”

So I thought about it and came to the same conclusion.  God has to be Italian because not only does He say ‘Think about it’ at the end of His sentences, but also, after we confess our sins to Him, He forgives us, He cleanses us, and then He says…‘Forget about it!’ 🙂

Isaiah 43:25 “I [God], even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.”

Now obviously, I’ve had some fun with this post and please know that my wife actually does love and appreciate my Italian heritage as well as every other ethnic part of my heritage; however, there are some important leadership insights that I would like to highlight with this playful leadership post.

Leadership Insights:  

1)      Let us enjoy who God created us to be because we are valued by Him.

2)      Let us not take ourselves too seriously because life is too short to live it without any fun.

3)      Let us laugh when it is time to laugh because laughter is good for the heart and soul.

4)      Let us forgive others and ‘forget about it’ because the Lord does the same for us. 

Forget About It Copyright 2010, The Make It Happen Learning Institute.  You have permission to reprint the leadership article, Forget About It, 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.