416 N 2nd St, Albemarle, NC, 28001 | (704) 982-2910
God wants good things for you—even better things than you want for yourself. It’s time to encounter God and discover his dream for your life.
Click on link to play video:
https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/plus/decision-point/confirmation-1-4.html
“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams.”—St. John XXIII
Change in our lives can be difficult. Reflect on some of the major changes in your life and what you’ve learned about yourself from them.
—From the book Guided by the Saints: A 30-Day Journal for Inspiration and Direction
by Susan Hines-Brigger
When is it okay for us to give up? Is it ever okay?
You may have seen the movie Rudy. Its eponymous protagonist is a not-so-athletic college football player who spent years taking hits and practicing with his team, only to see a few moments on the field. Those short moments, however, left him with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment and pride, knowing that he committed to something and saw it through, even when it seemed hopeless.
The question: is that always the right approach? Maybe if Rudy had dedicated that time to learning something he was naturally better at, he could have become an expert in his field. The choice Rudy made was made out of passion: he loved the game to the point of dedicating his college career to it, and not caring if the outcome wasn’t what he had expected.
But what about bigger dreams? The dream of getting married, having kids, getting into a certain religious order, entering into a certain profession? Is there ever a point where you just have to give it up?
There are a few things it’s never okay to give up. It’s never okay to give up hope itself. Hope is trust in the Lord extended into the future, knowing that he will always be with you in whatever circumstances you find yourself in. It’s also never okay to give up faith, God’s promises, or life itself.
However, it is okay—and sometimes wise—to reevaluate certain outcomes, and realize that maybe it’s time to adjust your expectations. How do you know when to do that? When reality makes it obvious.
For Rudy, that might have meant recognizing that he wasn’t going to be a starter on his football team. It’s still okay for him to want to be a part of the team in some way, and maybe get playing time one day, but reality must be acknowledged and accepted in these situations, or else we risk chasing empty expectations.
This doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dreams, or that you can’t do anything: it just means you can’t do everything. Maybe your dream is to have a family, but you and your spouse can’t get pregnant. You might not be able to conceive, but you can still adopt, or be a foster parent. Accepting the reality of your current situation means having a dream, realizing it’s place in your life, and then asking, “Okay God, now what do you want me to do?”
The outcome may not be what you had expected or planned, but if it’s with the Lord, it will still be good. And once we accept this reality, we will start to see that the real work is being done in our character, and that’s the power of trying. It may not make you the kind of person you had planned to be, but it will make you the kind of person that God wants you to be.
“Welcome back to 21 questions that will change your life.
Question #17 is about regrets and dreams. We have an incredible ability to look into the future and envision a life and a world that is better. Are you using that ability?
Question #17 is… Cast your mind to ten or twenty years from now… what’s the one thing that if you didn’t at least try to accomplish you would always regret?
What are you afraid of? What’s holding you back? In what small way can you begin your dream and test it… try it… give it a chance?
Today’s question is… Cast your mind to ten or twenty years from now… what’s the one thing that if you didn’t at least try to accomplish you would always regret?”
5 Ways to Increase Your Enthusiasm – Matthew Kelly
Get Matthew’s 60 Second Wisdom delivered to your inbox: https://www.matthewkelly.com/subscribe
Video Transcript:
“When was the last time you felt amazing? Trauma, sickness, anxiety, depression, loss—so many things rob us of our enthusiasm for life. And after difficult seasons in our lives, it is natural to wonder if we will ever feel amazing again.
Here are five concrete things you can do to infuse your daily life with enthusiasm:
1. Prioritize your legitimate needs. Diet, exercise, sleep, and prayer all increase your capacity for enthusiasm. Take a walk today, make a healthy meal, get to bed early, and watch your enthusiasm begin to grow!
2. Schedule 15 minutes every day to do something you love doing. Why are children so consistently enthusiastic? Because they do so many things every day just for the joy of it. You don’t have to spend all day doing something you love, start small, fifteen minutes a day.
3. Say “no” to people, activities, and things that drain your energy and enthusiasm. Develop an awareness of who and what drains your enthusiasm. Protect your enthusiasm by learning to say, “no.”
4. Spend time with enthusiastic people. We rise or fall to the level of our friends in most things. Who are the most enthusiastic people you know? Are you spending enough time with those people? Your enthusiasm is probably the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If you wish to raise your level of enthusiasm in life, surround yourself with enthusiastic people.
5. Dream. Your dreams are your dreams for a reason. Our dreams animate us, they literally breathe new life into us. So, what are your dreams and what are you doing about them? Start pursuing your dreams and they will fill you with new passion, energy, enthusiasm, and vitality.
It’s time to rediscover your enthusiasm and flourish. And just remember, everyone who really cares about you wants you to flourish.”
Challenge. Adversity. Hardship.
What do you do in the face of these? Do you take them head on, or do they overtake you? Jesus only gives one option. Endurance.
Today, listen to Allen recount an inspiring story about one famous man’s story of endurance and discover how incredible things will happen in your life when you persist.
“There is something of infinite value hidden inside you. Do you know that? Do you believe that? And if you did, if you did really believe that something of infinite value was hidden inside you, how would you live your life differently?
There are dreams hidden inside you. What are your dreams? Do you know? Have you stopped dreaming? Is there a dream from somewhere in your past that is calling out to you, wanting to be rediscovered? Are you open to new dreams?
There are talents hidden inside you. What are your talents? Do you know? Have you ever really taken an inventory of all your talents? There are talents inside of you that have never been explored yet. Are you ready to explore them? Do you have the courage to explore them?
There is love and goodness hidden inside you. Your capacity to love is astounding. Your capacity for goodness is extraordinary.
There are amazing treasures hidden inside you. It’s time to share them with the world.”
