Dear Cypress Family and Friends,
Got any dreams worth pursuing?
Later today a friend of mine will get to hold in her hands a certificate which represents the fulfillment of a dream that God has written into her heart...and I couldn't be more excited for her.
Like most pursuits she has had to persevere and overcome obstacles and challenges along the way. Dreams truly worth chasing are rarely ever a layup, right? And if they are noble dreams then nobody could ever convince us it wasn't worth it all when we finally catch them.
Makes me wonder if there are any dreams worth pursuing that I have allowed busyness or difficulties or discouragement to back burner or shelve...that I might one day look back on and regret. Sometimes I think some of the biggest regrets some of us will have 10 years from now will be over things we didn't do rather than over things we did do.
This week I read the book ONE.LIFE by Scot McKnight and in it he says this: "God's will and what you dream about in your deepest dreams line up so well, you can usually chase your dreams and you will more often than not find God's will." How cool is that...but...if that is so, then doesn't that mean we have a responsibility to dial into our deepest dreams and pursue them? It almost sounds like a God-thing doesn't it?
So let me ask you...any dreams you need to take off the shelf, brush away the cobwebs and start chasing again? Any dreams that never made it to the front burner that should have? If it is truly a dream put into your heart by God...well then what are you waiting on? Run that dream by a trusted and mature Christ follower and if you get some affirmation...then chase for all you are worth. Who knows it may just be what God created you to do in this world.
See you Saturday night or Sunday morning for part two of our series on growing your faith.
Blessings,
Douglas
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
She had me with a smile... (from Douglas Poole)
Dear Cypress Family and Friends,
She had me with a smile.
Yesterday my daughter Sarah and 15 month old granddaughter Lillian stopped by for a few minutes just to make my day. It has been a week where more than a few people have unpacked some of life's very real challenges with very real consequences on me. Heavy stuff...I didn't realize just how heavy it had gotten until little Lillian peaked at me through the slats of a chair and then her eyes lit up as her face exploded in a smile. The joy and love she communicated with that smile...rolled over me like a tsunami and washed away a lot of junk my shoulders had been carrying. Powerful little smile wouldn't you say?
Got me to thinking. Want to make some people's day while at the same time mess with the minds of a few others? Smile. Really...just smile at people today. Be an indiscriminate smiler and you will bring some joy to a few people whose hearts are so heavy or so sad or so lonely that they haven't experienced this kind of grace in way too long. You may just be the one bright spot in an otherwise bleak day or week or month for them. And of course a few will treat you will suspicion, smile anyway...and let "em" wonder what you are up to.
It was Mother Teresa who once said: "Every time you smile at someone it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."
And you want to know a great thing about it...won't cost you a dime. Now that is a gift to smile about!
See you this weekend, Saturday or Sunday as we finish up our mini-series "Compelled"...I’ll be the guy smiling and holding open the front door.
Blessings,
:-)
She had me with a smile.
Yesterday my daughter Sarah and 15 month old granddaughter Lillian stopped by for a few minutes just to make my day. It has been a week where more than a few people have unpacked some of life's very real challenges with very real consequences on me. Heavy stuff...I didn't realize just how heavy it had gotten until little Lillian peaked at me through the slats of a chair and then her eyes lit up as her face exploded in a smile. The joy and love she communicated with that smile...rolled over me like a tsunami and washed away a lot of junk my shoulders had been carrying. Powerful little smile wouldn't you say?
Got me to thinking. Want to make some people's day while at the same time mess with the minds of a few others? Smile. Really...just smile at people today. Be an indiscriminate smiler and you will bring some joy to a few people whose hearts are so heavy or so sad or so lonely that they haven't experienced this kind of grace in way too long. You may just be the one bright spot in an otherwise bleak day or week or month for them. And of course a few will treat you will suspicion, smile anyway...and let "em" wonder what you are up to.
It was Mother Teresa who once said: "Every time you smile at someone it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."
And you want to know a great thing about it...won't cost you a dime. Now that is a gift to smile about!
See you this weekend, Saturday or Sunday as we finish up our mini-series "Compelled"...I’ll be the guy smiling and holding open the front door.
Blessings,
:-)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
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