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!

Prosperity

Most of us want to experience "prosperity."

When you hear the word prosperity, what word pictures or feelings do you imagine?

Pictures of success, peace, well-being translating into positive feelings.

Well, you may not have warm, fuzzy feelings right now, but I have good news for you!

Did you know that our Creator has plans to prosper us and not to harm us? He has plans to give us hope and a future. That's what His Living Word tells us in Jeremiah 29:11!

The Hebrew word for prosperity means completeness and wholeness.

Our Lord wants to heal us and make us whole in every area of our lives!

How do we experience healing and wholeness? Ask Him and thank Him for making us whole!

Better yet, why don't we ask Him and thank Him now?

Lord, we ask You and thank You for healing us and making us whole today! Heal our emotional and physical pain. Touch us with Your Healing Hands. Transform our hurt into healing, our pain into peace and our problems into possibilities. We thank You for giving us Your wholeness!

My friend, receive Him and His peace and His prosperity today! Receive His blessings! Let His presence, His Provision and His Protection be yours today!

My Story and Your Story

Every one has a story.

Your life is your story.

We all have experienced disappointments and discouragements as well as encouraging times.

How we deal with our pain is extremely important. We can transform pain into paralysis or peace.

Do you turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones?

Emotional and physical pain indicate something is wrong. We need to nestle, not wrestle!

I had a complete breakdown about 23 years ago. I became like a vegetable. I couldn't really do anything. I felt like I was going to die for about a year.

That was the best thing that ever happened to me. My life came crashing down into a pile of rubble. Only our Creator could put me back together. He used my wife and my mentor as instruments in His hands. His healing love and power began restoring my life.

He made me a new person and now I have a story of hope and encouragement!

Will you let Him heal your disappointment and discouragement and make you a whole new person?

He loves you very deeply. He accepts you completely. He values you very highly.

Your Perspective

All of us have experienced deep disappointments and discouragements. We have many choices from the experiences.

We can either learn and grow or we can lament and become bitter. It is painful to work through disappointments. It requires courage to face and work through discouragement.

We must rely on the One who created us. We need His grace. Grace is a Person. His name is Christ. He gives us the ability to be who we were created to be and become and do what we were created to do.

If we call on Him, He answers. He wants to help us! He wants to help us more than we want to be helped!

We need safe people who call upon Him to help us!

If you don't know Him or anyone who knows Him, call upon Him!

He will reveal Himself to you and direct you to the right people at the right place in the right time!

Pain Transformed into Peace

Pain indicates a problem. Sometimes the pain we experience is so intense that we either destroy ourselves or we destroy others. Murder is the ultimate expression of the pain of rebellion. Suicide is the ultimate expression of the pain of rejection.

Most of us experience pain on a sliding scale somewhere into between those extremes. But if you are reading this post and your anger has boiled over to the point of wanting to murder someone please listen to me. There is a way out. Abba, our Father in heaven sent Christ to take your anger, violence and murder and give you His peace. Christ was rejected so you can be completely accepted. He took the anger and violence that led to His murder so you can have His peace. He was killed as an innocent victim, but He was raised from the dead and is ALIVE right now.

Your anger is a result of being abused. Christ was abused to bring healing to you. All you need to do is come to Abba, our Father in heaven through the person of Christ. Say, "Abba, I come to You. You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to be sacrificed for me. He was killed, but He was raised from the dead. You are alive, Lord Jesus. I believe that You love me and I want to be Yours. Walk into my life. Be my life. Be the One who will reconnect me with my Creator, my Father. I now experience the greatest exchange that ever happened. Take my life and and I receive Your life. Place me with the right people in the right place at the right time to experience the fullness of life in Christ."

The same transaction will occur for anyone contemplating suicide. Jesus told us, "I came so that they (you) may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance to the full, 'till it overflows." (John 10:10 Amplified Bible)

All of us have disappointment and discouragement. The only way I know how to deal with those two challenges is to come face to face with Christ. God reveals Himself with a gift.That gift is wrapped in the person of Christ.

Listen to The Message Bible in Matthew 11:28-30 where Christ Jesus is speaking:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

This morning I was experiencing a heavy weight of disappointment and discouragement. I came with my wife and son through Jesus to Abba. We poured out our hearts to Him and heard His voice through the Matthew 11:28-30 passage. I now feel free and light.

He is our Strength. He is our Hope. He is our Life. He is everything we need Him to be.

Friend, receive Hope and Encouragement from Him today! He is your Hope. He is your Encourager. Abba is your Father. He loves you!