It Takes Time, Part 2

I wrote in a post back in 2009 that change takes time.  Period.  However, when I wrote it my expectation was that "time" would be a short period of 1 to 3 years and definitely no more than 5 years.  The irony is that one of the examples that I mentioned--the growth of a tree--can take a minimum of 10-15 years for fast growing trees and 20-30 for slow growing ones.  (These years refer to a red maple according to Better Homes and Gardens).

Where am I going with this?  Right now I'm reminded of Abraham in the Bible.  God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.  Yet, Abraham did not have a child with his wife Sarah until 25 years after that promise.  That was 25 years of waiting for a dream to become a reality.

What goal or dream or you waiting on that hasn't come to fruition?  Don't be hard on yourself because it's been five or more years and your expected change hasn't happened.  So I'll repeat what I said 7 years ago back in 2009.  Be patient with yourself during your time of change.  Every step forward, no matter how long it takes to make that one step, is a step closer to where you want to be.


And let us not be weary in welldoing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9 KJV)

Pray, Aim High, and Stay Focused

I heard an illustration by my pastor about a man and his family who were without food.  They searched their home for anything to eat but found nothing except an old rifle and three bullets.  At that moment the father determined that he would the use the rifle and ammunition to get food for his family that night.  So with the rifle and ammunition he ventured for the woods.

In the woods, the first thing the father saw was a squirrel.  He took aim and fired but missed.  Then he saw a rabbit.  Once again he aimed and fired but he missed the rabbit.  Now the father only had one bullet so he prayed, “Lord, I only have one bullet.  Please help me to bring food home to my family.”  The Lord’s response to him was, “Pray, aim, and stay focused.”

Shortly thereafter the man saw a turkey and a deer.  He chose to aim for the deer because it would provide more meat for his family.  As the man took aim he heard a noise near his feet.  He looked down and saw a snake that was ready to attack.  Fearing the snake, the man stopped aiming for the deer and set his aim on the snake.  Just when he was about to shoot the man heard the Lord say, “What did I tell you?”  Deciding to trust in the Lord the man prayed, aimed at the deer, and took his last shot.  Not only did he hit the deer but the same bullet ended up killing the turkey.  On top of that, the butt of the rifle fell and killed the snake.  Finally, to top it all off, the force of the blast from the last bullet pushed the father backwards into a lake causing fish to get caught in his pockets.

Pray, aim, and stay focused.  What would have happened if the father would have stayed focused on his troubles (in this case, the snake) instead of his goal (the deer)?  We can relate this story to life where the snake represents our troubles while the deer represents our goals.  Take a moment to think on your life.  What has happened when you’ve taken your eyes off of your goals or dreams and placed them on the hardships and difficulties faced to reach them?  Stop focusing on your troubles.  Instead pray to God to give you the strength to reach for (i.e. aim) and stay focused on them.

The final outcome may be beyond your expectations.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

It's the Roots That Are Important

It's been a while since I posted something, so here goes.

I was in a coffee shop today, and a man--who happened to be a pastor--was relating a story.  He asked a botanist to plant a white pear tree in the yard.   It was a pretty tree that stood about 5' 10" tall, but once it was planted the botanist began to cut off EVERY branch.

The pastor wondered about this since leaves are needed for photosynthesis.  So he questioned the botanist.  The botanist's response was, "The roots are the most important."

Times of pruning are tough.  Whether you believe in God or not, life has a way of stripping you and the strip down is no fun.  (That's the main reason I had stopped blogging.)  However, if we take the time to reflect, we can find that our character has been strengthened, and we are able to encourage others in ways we could not before.


1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  (John 15:1-2, 5, KJV)

A Thought on Faith

"A faith that has not been tested is a faith that cannot be trusted." - Bishop Neil C. Ellis

10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
11 Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. (Psalms 66:10-12 KJV)

Excerpt from Post "How I Rebounded From a Major...Setback" by Crystal Paine

I read the following in a guest blog post on Michael Hyatt's website. The guest poster's name is Crystal Paine, and she is the blogger for Money Saving Mom. The topic of the post is rebounding from a business setback, but some of our statements also apply to rebounding from setbacks in life. I'm only posting those excerpts, so to read the post in its entirety click here.

I had to go back to the why behind what I’m doing. If I don’t know why I’m doing something, if there isn’t heart and purpose behind it, when things get tough, it will be hard to stick with it.

The past few weeks, I’ve spent time mulling over all the reasons I started MoneySavingMom.com in the first place. It wasn’t so I could build a large platform or have a thriving Facebook Page (Facebook Pages didn’t even exist when I started!).

No, it was so I could help people find practical ways to save money and ultimately, experience the freedom and blessing that comes from living with intention.

Reminding myself of the why behind the what has really changed my perspective, renewed my enthusiasm, given me a burning drive to continue on—and maybe to resurrect some of the types of posts/series that I used to write when the blog was still in its early stages.

28 For which of you, wishing to build a farm building, does not first sit down and calculate the cost [to see] whether he has sufficient means to finish it?
29 Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is unable to complete [the building], all who see it will begin to mock and jeer at him,
30 Saying, This man began to build and was not able (worth enough) to finish. (Luke 14:28-30 Amplified Bible)

It Happens a Step At a Time

I read this in a devotional on Joyce Meyer's website. It's a part of her 3030 Challenge. The challenge is to spend 30 minutes a day praying and reading God's Word for the next 30 days. To read the entire devotional click here.

Excerpt from Discipline Is Not a Dirty Word

You see, although today we can microwave a meal, there’s no such thing as “microwave Christianity.” Actually, I like to call God’s process “The Law of Gradual Growth.” Why? Because little by little, as we make right choices, He delivers us from our enemies and takes us where we need to be.

Yes, in the beginning, disciplining yourself will be difficult. It won’t feel good and you won’t like it. But every time you make a choice to do the right thing, the next time it gets a little easier. And you get one step closer to your goal.

"Procrastination – Is This An Alternative Solution?" by Marcus Baker

I read the following post on Marcus Baker's blog (www.marcus-baker.com). He writes on a concept that is so simple but I hadn't considered before. Instead of waiting until you feel like doing something which in turn leads to procrastination, go ahead and do it. I wonder how much more we all would accomplish if we did that?

Procrastination – Is This An Alternative Solution?

By Marcus Baker

Recently I was reading some work by the late Japanese psychotherapist, Dr Morita Shoma (1874-1938), founder of Morita Therapy, a branch of clinical psychology strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism.

He noted that how a person feels is important as a sensation and as an indicator for the present moment, but that the feeling is uncontrollable.

According to Shoma we don’t create feelings, feelings happen to us and since feelings do not cause our behavior, we can function with unpleasant feelings while still taking constructive action.

If this is true then we don’t have to wait till we feel like doing something before we do it, however isn’t this exactly what most of us do?

This is what procrastination is all about. You wait till you feel like doing something before you do it, but what happens if you never feel like doing it? This is why some people never leave the starting line.

How much more would you achieve if ‘feeling like doing it’ was not a valid criteria for taking action?

I know that when I procrastinate in certain areas of my life it’s usually because I allow “not feeling like it” to take control but I also have some very solid examples to call on when I have not allowed this to happen.

During my earlier years I was a competitive swimmer. I was required to be at training every day at 5am no matter what. I did this for close on 2o years. Later in my life there was a period when I had to go to gym every morning at 5am. It was the only way I could fit it in with my busy work schedule.

I achieved my goals and beyond in both of the above sporting endeavors. I accomplished these because they were important to me. I did what I had to do to make them happen.

How did I do this? By not waiting until I felt like it before taking action. There were many cold, dark winter’s mornings when I certainly didn’t feel like getting up but I did. On other mornings, having gone to bed late I would wake up tired. It would have been very easy to rather stay in bed but I didn’t allow how I felt to get in my way.

If you look at your own life, you too will have accomplished many tasks that you didn’t feel like doing. These may have been as simple as doing homework, going to work on a Monday morning, walking the dog in the rain, taking the trash out etc. You accomplished these things because they needed to get done.

In doing these you applied the essence of Dr Shoma’s method:

1.Accept your thoughts and feelings as perfectly natural to you in the moment. Don’t ignore or avoid them. Welcome them but don’t let them be the reason why you don’t do something.

2.Know your Purpose – Know what it is you want to achieve and why it’s important. Focus on your goal.

3.Do what needs doing in line with your goal, whether or not you are thinking positively or feeling motivated.

If you can find some examples in your own life of when you have taken action regardless of how you felt and achieved your goals then you can do so again no matter what it is you want to achieve. All that’s required is putting your will into action.

The problem with a lot of so called “cures” for procrastination is that they assume you have to find a way of being motivated before you can take action. However this is really just an extra hurdle placed in the path of action.

Consequently most motivational workshops and similar aren’t part of the solution but part of the problem because they re-enforce that you have to get psyched up before you can take action.

By believing this you now not only have to do some task you don’t want to do but you also have to feel great about doing it before you can begin. Isn’t this just heaping more pressure on yourself than is necessary?

You have the spirit to make things happen at any time and in any moment unless you give your power away. Freedom and power are connected to taking responsibility and exercising your spirit within. You don’t have to wait until you feel like doing something before you do, so stop allowing this to get in your way.

Let’s always remember Nike’s well known slogan, “Just do it”. I’d like to think that whoever came up with this was influenced by the work of Dr Morita Shoma but it makes no difference if they were or not.

In conclusion I leave you with more wisdom from the Japanese doctor:

“Give up on yourself. Begin taking action now, while being neurotic or imperfect, or a procrastinator, or unhealthy, or lazy, or any other label by which you inaccurately describe yourself. Go ahead and be the best imperfect person you can be and get started on those things you want to accomplish before you die.”

Sounds like great advice and you can do so starting right now, no matter how you feel. Are you ready to be the master of your destiny?

- See more at: Marcus Baker's personal development category