Today’s Post By: Rae Lynn DeAngelis
Our son has been an inspiration to me in many ways and has accomplished some pretty amazing feats in his mere twenty-two years of life. One such achievement included spending three months in Tokyo, Japan… all by himself.
Ben has always been determined. He was definitely our strong-willed child. We had many battles of the will with our little guy, until he finally figured out mommy and daddy were stronger-willed than himself.
After surviving those terrible twos, threes, and fours, we finally began to see our son’s determination working in his favor. I remember how Ben would fixate on achieving a particular objective and then spend countless hours practicing and perfecting his skill, until he finally mastered it.
Now, being able to walk all over the house on your hands (including up and down stairs) may not seem like a terribly useful life-skill, but the work ethic and perseverance required to accomplish such a feat definitely was. Over the years Ben has taught himself to both write and speak in Japanese (one of the most difficult languages to learn), he trained himself on the guitar, and most recently, he taught himself how to sculpt amazing three dimensional images with computer software tools, all of this in hopes of entering an computer animation career —a goal that I have no doubt he will accomplish.
What about you? Are you determined? Have you learned how to persevere through the tough times, overcoming challenges that come your way?
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
Whether you’re striving to live a healthier lifestyle, looking to get out of debt, or facing an uphill battle with an uncertain future, perseverance and determination will pull you through.
Try to envision your goal. See it in your mind, and believe it. The mind is powerful! Visualize where you want to be and keep the faith. Day by day you will grow stronger. Morning by morning God’s mercies will be new and help you remain steadfast. Celebrate small victories and forgive steps backward. Keep putting one step in front of the other, and when you start to grow weary, fix your eyes on the prize.
“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b-14)
YOU CAN DO THIS!
How do I know?
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.’” (Mark 10:27)
Keep moving forward!