Tag: encouragement

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When Obstacles Hold You Back

Denise M. Colby
image of a stop sign to represent obstacles stopping you from what you want to do Blog Post by Denise M. Colby
Don’t let obstacles stop you from doing what you were meant to do

There are always obstacles that seem to get in the way of what our real intentions are.  Interruptions such as phone calls, a computer that keeps freezing, kids who must find something right now or else,  or the dog who barks at you because he wants to go out again for the 12th time.

Sometimes while I’m driving across town, I hit every red light sequence making myself even later than before.  It’s at that moment, I feel God is trying to get my attention – that it’s time to slow down.

Of course I don’t realize it until I feel like I want to scream.

Whatever it is, obstacles can take a day that looks promising and make it very frustrating, so we have to find a way to refocus and get back on track so we don’t lose the entire day.

Anything can distract us – like the phone that’s now ringing (I’m laughing as the phone keeps ringing while I’m writing this).  So what if we took those distractions and saw them as God’s way of rerouting us?

That’s when I can take a step back and see that some obstacles are a blessing in disguise. 

A chance to evaluate what’s most important to spend my time on.  An interruption that makes you pause and refocus, especially when you have less time and you need to pick the one thing that needs to get done first.

I can feel it even now.  I’ve had this idea for this blog topic all day and due to a variety of things, it’s now 5pm and I’m finally writing it.  But I didn’t want to not do it.  So many times I have an idea and I don’t go for it and then later I can’t remember what it was I wanted to write down. In a way, the frustration forced me to say if there is one thing I do before I start dinner, what is it?

So when you feel obstacles getting the best of you – do not give up. 

Walk away and focus on something else for a bit. 

Write a list of what’s on your mind. 

Go drink a glass of water. 

Whatever it is, you need some sort of momentum and progress in order to help overcome the moment. 

Don’t stop.  Keep pushing forward.  Don’t give up!  Even 15 minutes on task is 15 minutes more than before.  And the determination that comes from refocusing can help you gain greater progress.

Take a deep breath, say a prayer and ask God to help you. That’s what I did and I really think this message is more from him than me because of it.

Blessings,

Denise

Faith, Hope, & Love

Love & Hope, 1 Corinthians 13:7

Denise M. Colby

Heart Clip Art 55

Depending on the moment, certain bible verses can stand out and speak to us in a new way.  As I work on my overall theme for my writing, I know I want to write about hope. Hope in Jesus and hope in our lives. 

I also want to write about love. Jesus’ love and romantic love. I came across a bible verse that jumped out at me with this exact theme. Then I opened my bible to find it and what I read was completely different.    

It took me a minute and then I remembered there are lots of different translations of the bible. I wanted to find the specific one I saw. So I dug a little deeper and of course, Googled it.  Sure enough the version I was looking for was the NLT (New Life Translation). It reads like this:

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.  1 Corinthians 13:7.

I looked a bit and found a few other translations.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres – NIV

Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. – NKJV

I find it interesting the different words that are used to say the same thing and how they speak to us differently at different times. 

I like the idea that in a romantic story a couple who find “true love” have withstood whatever conflict has been thrown at them. They ultimately did not give up on each other and what they have ended up with is something wonderful and special.

I like how this verse can communicate that. 

But after pondering a while on all that, I could see a bigger truth in this statement.

God’s love never gives up

God’s love never loses faith

God’s love is always hopeful

God’s love endures through every circumstance. 

That no matter where you are or where you are going, God loves you. 

Always (NIV version), in Everything (NKJV).  And his love will bear all things. God’s love always protects. God’s love always perseveres. He’s not going to shelter us from things happening.  But his love for us will help us persevere. Through anything.

There’s a peace in that thought.  Something to take root in our hearts.  Because when we are full of HIS Love, then we can love others the way God wants us to.

Personal

God-Sized Dreams Are A Lot of Work!

Denise M. Colby

Have you every realized the God-sized dreams are a lot of work?

I’ve got this great DaySpring calendar I’m using called “You’re Made for a God Sized Dream” by Holley Gerth.  Every day there are inspiring words to encourage me to pursue my God sized dream. 

That dream is being a writer/author. 

I’m not sure where it came from.  I always enjoyed creative writing when I was a kid and I love to read.  But somehow over the last few years, this nudging that has been going on, is telling me to do something. 

But it was really easy for me to find reasons not to pursue it – time, energy, cost, how hard it would be.

So with the blessing from my wonderful husband and family, I’m on this journey of following God’s nudge.  And this God-Sized Dream calendar fits in perfectly with that.  So some of the messages make me want to shout out my thoughts to the world that affect me so much.

Take for instance this one:

God-sized dreams are a lot of work.  It can seem because we have this grand vision that it will all just fall into place.  But that never happens.  Ever.  You have to be prepared to do the work.  Over and over again. 

And so I’m trying to do just that.  It’s encouraging when I just got a critique that made me feel like I would never “get it”.  That what I think is okay for my writing isn’t.  But then I read this and I realize that is what I am doing. 

I’m doing work and not giving up. 

Because now that I’ve started this journey, I don’t want to give up.

Which leads right into the next day’s message:

In order to get a lot out of a God-sized dream, you’ll have to put a lot into it. 

Here’s to putting all I have into this dream.  God, it’s all in your hands.

Blessings,

Denise