Dare to Dream and Do the Impossible!

I just sent my first formal draft of my doctoral dissertation to my project mentor. The technical editor is editing it. I will defend my project in L.A. on June 12 from 1:00 - 3:00 PM. Graduation is June 14 at 6:00 PM! Earning an accredited doctorate is an impossible dream that has come true for me!

Dare to Dream and Do the Impossible! Only 20% of those who enter my particular doctoral program ever finish the Doctor of Ministry degree. It is highly demanding and difficult. I had an 80% chance of failure. But it was more than that. Keep reading and you will see why. :)

My tag line is: "Transforming Fear into Fulfillment, Hurt into Healing, Pain into Peace and Problems into Possibilities!" Another way to put it is: "Showing People How to Conquer Chaos and Transform Tragedy into Triumph and Problems into Possibilities!" I have been tested through the fire personally with this doctorate experience!

Dare to Dream and Do the Impossible! It's happening for me and it can happen for YOU!
Don't let anyone or any circumstance stop you. Settle it in your heart. You're going over and not under! You're the top dog and not the bottom dog!

In high school my counselor told me not to apply for college. He said I would never make it. Guess what? I did it! Don't let anyone talk you out of your dream!

After earning my B.S. in Wildlife-Fishery Resources degree from the University of Idaho (one of the finest programs in the nation), I thought I would never go back to school. My degree was extremely difficult and demanding. It was like a Pre-Med Science degree. Done. Finished. I thought :)

I couldn't get the dream out of my heart. After working as a research biologist for a couple of years, I kept feeling this deep desire to go for a masters degree. So I began to Dare to Dream and Do the Impossible! I did it! Not only did I meet the most beautiful bride in the whole wide world, I earned a Master of Divinity degree in two and half years. It normally takes three years.

On May 18, 2006, my beautiful bride asked me to apply for a doctoral program at a cutting-edge new school in L.A. Through a series of miracles, I was accepted.

I had no idea that this adventure would be like climbing Mount Everest without an oxygen mask! It was so challenging and treacherous at times, I thought I would literally fall to my death! It was far more difficult and demanding than I ever thought possible! I am not the scholarly type. It has been like learning Chinese in Hong Kong with no one to interpret for me. Talk about a whole new learning curve!

The Lord placed this dream in my heart. He gave me the strength and the courage to overcome every impossible obstacle in the adventure! I have been radically transformed and become a new man through this rich and rewarding experience!

Dare to Dream and Do the Impossible! My beautiful bride, Irene, and son, Chris and our other team members helped me. I did it and you can do it! We are in the people business. People need hope and encouragement. They need it and you need it! We all need it!

Dare to Dream and Do the Impossible!

Hope for Hopelessness!

I have been encouraged by the Lifegiver! With the bad news of an economic depression most people are being tormented with fear.

Today I don't have sad news for you. I have GLAD NEWS!

Listen to these words from the Lifegiver in The Message:

Though the cherry trees don't blossom and the strawberries don't ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, Though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, I'm singing joyful praise to God. I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. Counting on God's Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I'm king of the mountain!

What powerful words! Even though I see and hear no hope with my physical eyes and ears, I am encouraged as I sing to Him and gain hope and strength!

Look at these seven progressive steps:

1) I have no hope of making it (reality)
2) I choose to sing joyful praises to my Lifegiver, the Lord!
3) I choose to turn cartwheels of joy to my Savior! (I push past my hopelessness)
4) I trust the Lord with His RESURRECTION POWER to PREVAIL! (Overcoming the problem)
5) I receive HOPE and gain STRENGTH!
6) I run like a deer!
7) I feel like I am more than a CONQUEROR!

This is not self-help. This is not mind over matter. This is the miracle power of praise to our Lord! This is receiving His provision and protection!

Try it! You'll like it! You will feel much better!

An Awesome Approval!

I just received an awesome approval for my research project. I am in a doctoral degree program in L.A. even though I live in Boise, ID. This experience is so far out of the box for me that many times I have had a complete meltdown. I completed my Masters degree 30 (yes, that is t-h-i-r-t-y) years ago! So I am experiencing growth!

Now that I am a candidate for the doctorate degree in which I am specializing in leadership and creative conflict management, I must complete Chapter Three by September 1st. I will do it. By February 1st next year I must have the complete rough draft completed. This is a huge commitment!

There are many lessons that I am learning that apply to all of us:

1. As we launch into uncharted waters, we all have anxiety about the unknown.

2. Overcoming fear is rewarded with increased confidence and courage.

3. We become stronger mentally, emotionally and socially as we stretch beyond our comfort zones.

4. Growth occurs when we move beyond where we are to where we want to be.

5. We need to encourage each other to break through our barriers.

6. We are created to not live for love, but from love.

7. We all grow together as members one of another in our community!

All of us are needed to be all we can be!

Encouragement

I love to find the root meaning of words. Words are powerful. They have creative energy to empower people or destroy people. I am thinking of an old proverb right now. It says, "Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit --you choose."

Think of the word encouragement. I think of instilling courage. Who doesn't need courage? You need it. I need it. We all need courage. We need courage to overcome the obstacles we face. Courage to be authentic and centered in a world that is spinning out of control.

The economy. Recession. The war. Health. Fear. Relationships. Expectations. All of these things can create discouragement when they don't work out the way we had hoped.

When I read or hear the news in our city I feel an increasing level of frustration, anger and fear. There are more assaults, robberies and desperate people committing acts of violence. Why?

I think that they need to be encouraged. They need to know that they are loved, accepted and valued. Where do we start? I am starting with me. You can start with you.

Then what? We all need to be reattached. Attachment disorders produce all kinds of bizarre behavior.

The first place to be attached is with our Creator. If we do not realize where we came from, how will we know where to go?

We may not know anything about Him. We may have bad feelings about Him. Feelings like aloof, harsh, mean, uncaring, absent. If we had absent, angry, distant or uncaring fathers, we can't help but have those feelings.

I want to introduce you to Abba. This aramaic word means precious father. He loves you. He accepts you. He values you. He desires to transform your hurt into healing, your pain into peace and your problems into possibilities. If you ask Him to reveal Himself to you, He will. Stay tuned to my next post and I will help you understand who He is and how He wants to relate to you.

Failure: Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy

Failure. What do you think of when you read or hear the word? I used to feel it was something that I was to avoid at all costs. Looking good was my goal.

Now I see failure as my best friend. If I never make a mistake, I can't learn or grow.

It's not what happens to me, but how I reflect on it.

I am learning to enjoy how to fail well. After all, I can either enjoy the process or be destroyed by it.

I choose life. I'm tired and worn out with performance as the barometer of my state of being. I'm burned out with religion. I am learning to live out of my state of being.

The who before the what. I love my wife my son and my friends with the who first.

Our Creator made me and He deeply loves me, completely accepts me and fully values me. He feels the same way about you!

Failure. Your best friend or your worst enemy. How do you deal with failure?