Am I running?

Life is a race. Not a race to the death, or a race to see who can be the most successful the fastest. Each individual person's life is their race.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1
We were each designed with a purpose. Our lives have a purpose. My life has a purpose. Your life has a purpose. And my purpose is not necessarily the same as yours. Some people were designed to reach people for Christ in foreign countries, some people were designed to be witnesses for Christ's love in a business office, but each of us has our own purpose. And as in a race, we are to focus all our energy and strength into fulfilling that purpose that we were made for.
What's your purpose? And what is keeping you from running full strength to fulfill that purpose every single day of your life?

Faith and Action

Just pulled out an old journal with devotional notes in it, lots of notes on the first page (dated 4/18/05) about Faith. As I read over the verses noted in these pages, I'm not connecting them to my comments, but that's ok because the comments are what I needed to see today.
"The devil likes us spinning our wheels"
"It's a lot easier to redirect a car that's already moving than to start a care that's in the garage." (I think that's supposed to say than to move a car that's parked) I always try to remind myself that part of faith is ACTING, we have to take a step (or a leap) of FAITH.
"don't SETTLE for a tie or defeat"
and lastly, but most impressionably today:
"If you can know it or control it, it's not faith."
Psalm 37:4-5 "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this"

*Just pulled out a SECOND journal to find the first page is ALSO full of notes about Faith and Action! This one dated 2/2/03. FOUND the verses I was looking for!!
James 2:17 "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
James 2:18b "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."
Faith and Action go hand in hand. Faith takes action.

Self confidence or lack thereof

Self confidence... What is it? How does one get it? Are we born with it or do we develop it?
I am a lifetime self critic. I like to say I can do anything but deep down i lack true, real confidence. Self confidence. Others have confidence in me, they see my potential and tell me they see it. But I don't. Why? Is it because I do not want to be selfish by having too much confidence in myself? Maybe that's it. I love giving and helping people, so why would I be selfish in my confidence when I can help other people have confidence in themselves? Or am I scared that self confidence will turn into self pride? What is the difference? 
So to my friends and acquaintances out there, I fully intend to have more confidence in myself, starting NOW! I CAN do anything. 
Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength

Dream Sized Effort

I've always been someone who can dream up awesome things, then shoot down those dreams into reality. I have dreamt of visiting castles in Europe and owning a large home on acres of land where you can't even see the house from the main road. But I have shot myself into the reality of hopefully a trip to Disneyworld and owning a 4 bedroom house with a backyard and koi pond. What a difference.
But recently I have been challenged and encouraged to DREAM BIG and not limit my dreams. I'm still finding it hard to not keep my brain rooted in reality, but I'm taking baby steps toward dreaming.
I have learned that I CAN have big dreams if I let myself, but whether I achieve those dreams depends on me first putting in the effort to get there.
Does your effort match your dream?