Can I or Can't I?

Your direction is determined by the set of your sails. Some ships head east, yet others head west, all from the same wind. The wind doesn’t decide to blow one ship in one direction and the other in the other. The captain of the ship determines in which direction he is going to go.

Same is true for you and for me as well.

Think of the sails as thoughts in your life. Are you harboring good thoughts? Are they steering you in the direction in which you want to go?

“If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don’t
If you like to win, but you think you can’t,
It is almost certain you won’t.

“If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will –
It’s all in the state of mind.

“If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You’ve got to think high to rise,
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

“Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late,
The man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!”

(Walter D. Wintle - late 19th early 20th Century)

Sometimes, conquering is a matter of breaking down a task into smaller, simpler parts. Master those one at a time, slowly, successfully, then weave them together with the bigger puzzle pieces, the bigger picture.  Increase your speed, assure your accuracy, and in no time you will have climbed on top of that massive goal.

Could you read War and Peace in the first grade?

As a ten year old, could you lift 200 lbs. over your head?

Probably not. But in time, bit by bit, you grew in strength and understanding and with consistency and purpose you soon developed the mental skills and physical prowess to read a large volume or lift a large weight.

There are some terms that are tossed about in goal setting and self-development books that speak to what we are talking about. Some of these terms are
-Definite Chief Aim
-Desire
-Goal
-Purpose
-Dreams

The winds may be blowing in my face, yet by properly setting my sails, I can head into the winds and make progress.

It’s all in the set of your sails. How is your sail set? How securely is your mind fixed on your objective, dream, goal?

The Bible offers this thought.

“As a man thinks, so is he.”

Dozens of thought leaders, philosophers and gurus have said the same thing in other ways.

“You become what you think about.”

“If you think you can, you can.”

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.”

I don’t know where you want to go, but I do know that if you set your course, determine where you want to be, give yourself a timeline, and do daily actions to move yourself along toward your goals, you will sooner or later reach your destination.


Determination

      Desire

Action

Pretty simple, right?

On paper, yes. Carrying through? That is up to you.

All I know is this …

Start where you are

to get to where

you want to go!

And begin today, whether you are ready or not.

Let’s go for a sail!

The Peach Tree

Have you ever seen a dead peach tree? I have … almost. When I lived in Albuquerque we had a peach tree in our back yard that looked as if it was dead, or at least dying. Several people told me it had wood borers and that I should chop it down.

For two years I allowed that decaying tree to remain in my yard. In the spring of the third year I decided I would drown that peach tree with water and see what happened.

Every night, faithfully, yet with little faith that I was doing anything of significance, I stood at the base of that tree, garden hose in hand and poured what seemed to me enormous amounts of water to that tree.

Yes, Albuquerque can be hot and dry. Yes, it is tough to keep even the grass green in that wonderfully beautiful desert land. Was I fighting a losing battle? I didn’t know for sure, but I did my job without fail.

Wonder of wonders. Later that summer I enjoyed the most delicious crop of peaches you would ever want to taste. They were juicy, large and perfect. No sign of worms, bores, or anything remotely resembling a pesky varmint.

The tree just needed water.

It Just Needed Water

The stuff of life.

I’ve had friendships that just needed a bit of watering in order for them to thrive.

I’ve met people who needed a touch of something that I could give them – water in the form of words of hope and encouragement, to enable them to grow, stand up tall again, and walk into a better, more encouraging, hope-filled future.

My friends Russ and Janelle Hansen offer nourishment for the soul with stunning video imagery set to inspirational music. Check out their website at http://www.gloryscapes.com/  For a real treat take a look at the Moonlight Sonata/Were You There clip.

Have you had dry seasons in your life? Have you sometimes shown signs of wood borers and dead, scaly bark?

I’ve had a season or two like that. I’ve had times when I’ve been in great need of nourishment and nutrients to get me back to a healthy state. I’ve had to read more, study more, spend the extra effort to gain whatever advantage I needed to make some improvements in my own life.

And I’ve had some key friends who have come along at just the right time and say the words that spoke health and healing, hope and encouragement to my soul.

Sometimes, all it takes is a little nurturing, a little refreshment, a touch of the right ingredients; the right words that can make all the difference in the world.

I want to be that kind of person. I want to go around adding to people’s lives. I want to pour on huge doses of nurture and life-sustenance stuff that grows you up, inflates your sails and helps you soar.

Will you join me in this cause?

Can you add to someone today?

Let’s go water some peach trees.

Laugh

I love to laugh! Some wise person has said “laughter is like jogging on the inside.”

Laughter is contagious. When I hear someone giving a genuine full-bodied laugh it often makes me want to laugh as well.

When my step-daughter, Ashley, was little, she had the most infectious giggle.  She was full of life and laughter and she was going to enjoy every minute life had to offer. Her giggles made me giggle.

Ava & Grey

My granddaughter Ava is the same way. When she is with her cousins you can hear her above all of the others, laughing and giggling and having the time of her life. She lets it all out. I love that about her.

When my siblings are able to get together, we always end up telling family stories, laughing and reminiscing and enjoying our family history.

I’ve seen a rather large painting of the Christ figure throwing his head back and laughing a good old belly laugh. Can you imagine that happening?


I can.

God has more of a sense of humor than we might allow him, don’t you think?

Carolyn and I have enjoyed some amazing sunsets this spring and summer particularly. During and after every one of them we marvel at the beauty and majesty of this world of ours and savor the moments we can share together watching the sun go down.

Seems at times I can hear God chuckling to himself as he watches us enjoy his handiwork.

I think God goes around laughing at my newest grandson Eliot. That boy is the picture of life and joy, smiles and laughter. Just look at the expression on his face? You gotta love that about him. He doesn’t have a care in the world, except scooting that wheeled cart across the floor, learning to walk, gaining new feet and wings and loving life at top speed.

I think God laughed the other day as I was holding Carolyn’s hand. We were going nowhere in particular, just enjoying our day together, holding hands, being in each other’s presence and enjoying the moment. I’m pretty sure I heard a guffaw come from somewhere up there.

Have you heard God laugh with you?  Have you ever felt His delight just because you exist?  He never mocks us – oh no. He simply delights in us. He delights in what delights us.

I seem to collect friends who also enjoy a good chuckle or a snort. When my long-time friend Brenda and I get together on rare occasions we end up laughing at the silliest things. We’re just being ourselves, expanding our friendship one more notch, and loving whatever our curious minds find to laugh about.

I have two close college friends and if you mention the words “milk donuts” you will throw the three of us into spasms of giggles and hooting and hollering.

So, laugh more. Giggle – out loud. Snicker occasionally. Hoot if you want to. Snort and cackle and especially chortle.

It’s good for you.