Adventure is an exciting or unusual experience. It may also be an undertaking that is bold, risky, and has an uncertain outcome. When I think of an adventure, I get excited. It is something new and fun. And the fact that there will be unexpected surprises along the way, just adds to the excitement.

One of my favorite quotes is, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all,” by Helen Keller. If ever a human personified a life of adventure, it was Helen Keller. Despite going blind and deaf at 19 months old, Helen graduated from Radcliffe College, wrote several books, speeches, and essays, traveled to 35 countries, and met with world leaders. And, she accomplished all of this during a time period when most people with disabilities were relegated to a life of mediocrity. Let’s be honest, most people without disabilities never dare to dream of a life filled with as much adventure.

What if we looked at our life as an adventure? How would we approach living our life differently? What risks would we be willing to take? Instead of fearing the unknown, what if we saw the challenges that occasionally arise in our life as part of the adventure; how would we react differently when these things occur?

As Helen Keller so eloquently stated, if we are not willing to live our life to the absolute fullest, then our life is empty and meaningless, it is nothing. We have to choose: adventure or nothing. I choose adventure!

I am feeling very thankful for friends today!

God will provide for you!

Your life is a story that is unfolding. Some chapters are better than others. No single chapter alone defines you or the story of your life. It’s hard to stay focused and positive when a difficult chapter or season of your life continues longer than you’d like. Paradoxically, it is during those times of pressure that the possibility for growth and change are created. If it weren’t for time, pressure, and depth, some of the most valuable elements on Earth wouldn’t exist. The process is often unpleasant but, in the end, something rare and precious emerges. It may not seem like it now, but in the greater scheme, this is just a brief chapter in your life. Good or bad, this chapter alone doesn’t encapsulate the entirety of your life; it is part of a bigger, grander story taking place. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and live a great story!

No matter what you’re facing right now, it’s all going to work out for the best!

I have to give a shout out to my daughter who created the background image for me.

The other night, my family watched Slumdog Millionaire. There is something so inspiring about this story of a young man, named Jamal, from the slums of India, who overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to win the love of his life and become wealthy beyond his wildest dreams by winning his country’s version of the game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. I’ve seen the movie several times but, with each viewing, I am still inspired and filled with hope. And each time I see it, a different facet or aspect of the movie speaks to me.

What captured my attention the other night was the correlation between the most heartbreaking events of his life and the game show questions that made him wealthy. Every question on the show related directly to the most painful experiences of the main character’s life. Had he not gone through those difficult circumstances, he wouldn’t have been equipped to answer the questions that changed his life for the better.

Watching the movie this time, it was like seeing my own life playing out on the screen in front of me. The last several years of my life, and that of my family, have been some of the most challenging I (we) have ever had to face. Like Jamal, my husband and I have been daring to try to fulfill the dreams of our hearts, only to see every attempt appear to fail. And just like Jamal, we refuse to give up, no matter how things look.

Suddenly, it all became clear, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it before. Had it not been for those experiences in his life, Jamal wouldn’t have had the answers to the questions that changed his life for the better and set him free. Did the Lord mean for Jamal or me or you to go through the painful events we have faced in life? Absolutely not! The Lord takes the things that are meant to harm or destroy us and turns them around and uses them to help us.

But God did more than just blessing Jamal financially. God typically accomplishes more than one thing when he intercedes in our life. Each question on the game show brought up a painful experience from Jamal’s past. With every question, the hurt and anguish of his past was brought up. I love the ending scene of the movie where Jamal is at the train station hoping that the love of his life will know to find him waiting for her there. At the moment Jamal sees her, the movie weaves a tail of flashbacks to the heartbreaking experiences this couple endured over the years; the exact same events that were brought up in the questions on the show. As Jamal recounts these things, while he is running towards the woman he loves, the wounds from his past are healed and he is set free to live his life as God truly intended.

And this gives me hope that in my life, the Lord will, at the appointed time, fulfill His promises to me and my family. He will heal the wounds of my past and I will live the life that He destined for me. And the same holds true for you.

A quick thought just hit me.

What if you believed you had all the power of heaven backing you up? What would you do differently right now?

Well, you do have that power at your disposal. So go for your dreams!

It’s a new month filled with new opportunities. My outward circumstances haven’t changed, but I’m going to continue to declare VICTORY until my circumstances come in line with the truth that God has already blessed me beyond measure!

 

 

Last week was tough, and I’m glad it’s over! Here’s to a new week filled with limitless possibilities!