Some encouragement from Chuck Swindoll's Letters to the Graduate
pg. ix "Great word, enthusiasm. Its Greek origin is entheos, "God in." It is the ability to see God in a situation that makes it exciting. Do you know that God is watching your life? Do you realize that? Something happens to us when we become convinced that God our heavenly Father is aware of and involved in our activities and is, in fact, applauding our lives.
There is not a place in the entire scope of your existence when God is not there. There is purpose, there is meaning in the presence of God. Even in the things we may consider pointless, insignificant, trivial, or boring. Talk about an exciting thought!"
pg. 21-21 "What is your challenge? Which giants make you feel like a grasshopper when you face them? What does your future resemble when you measure it on the basis of facts and figures? You'd like not to surrender, right? You'd like to be courageous, wouldn't you? There is a way through, but you'll need one essential quality-vision.
Vision is the ability to see God's presence, to perceive God's power, to focus on God's plan in spite of the obstacles.
When you have vision it affects your attitude. Your attitude is optimistic rather than pessimistic. Your attitude stays positive rather than negative. Not follishly positive, as though in fantasy, for you are reading God into your circumstances. So when a situation comes that cuts your feet out from under you, you don't throw up your arms and panic. You don't give up. Instead, you say, "Lord, this is Your moment. This is where You take charge. You're in this."
This is nothing more than having a strong belief in the power of God; having confidence in others around you who are in similar battles with you; and, yes, having confidence in yourself, by the grace of God. Refusing to give in to temptation, cynicism, and doubt. Not allowing yourself to become a jaded individual. Belief in oneself is terribly important."
pg. 31 [about creativity] "I need to warn you, if you like things to stay the same, you're going to be terribly uncomfortable in heaven. Everything is going to be new. God is a God of freshness and change. He flexes His methods. he alters His way so much, it's as if you've never seen it before. You can't imagine what it may be like next time.
God says we are to be "imitators" of Him, which reqally means we are to "mimic." Since God is a God of freshenss and change, so we should be. If we are to fulfill this command, then I suggest that we stay fresh-that we main open, innovative, willing to change." Then he challenges people to examine themselves about how open they are to change.
pg. 38-39 "There is an important dimension to hanging tough that you dare not miss. It is the thing that keeps you going. I call it a dream. I don't mean those things we experience at night while we're asleep. No, by dream, I mean a God-given idea, plan, agenda, or goal that leads to God-honoring results.
Most of us don't dream enough. If someone were to ask you, "What are your dreams for this year? What are your hopes, your agenda? What are you trusting God for?" could you give a specific answer? I don't have in mind just occupational objectives or goals, although there's nothing wrong with those. But what about the kind of dreaming that results in character building, the kind that cultivates God's righteousness and God's rulership in your life?"
There is not a place in the entire scope of your existence when God is not there. There is purpose, there is meaning in the presence of God. Even in the things we may consider pointless, insignificant, trivial, or boring. Talk about an exciting thought!"
pg. 21-21 "What is your challenge? Which giants make you feel like a grasshopper when you face them? What does your future resemble when you measure it on the basis of facts and figures? You'd like not to surrender, right? You'd like to be courageous, wouldn't you? There is a way through, but you'll need one essential quality-vision.
Vision is the ability to see God's presence, to perceive God's power, to focus on God's plan in spite of the obstacles.
When you have vision it affects your attitude. Your attitude is optimistic rather than pessimistic. Your attitude stays positive rather than negative. Not follishly positive, as though in fantasy, for you are reading God into your circumstances. So when a situation comes that cuts your feet out from under you, you don't throw up your arms and panic. You don't give up. Instead, you say, "Lord, this is Your moment. This is where You take charge. You're in this."
This is nothing more than having a strong belief in the power of God; having confidence in others around you who are in similar battles with you; and, yes, having confidence in yourself, by the grace of God. Refusing to give in to temptation, cynicism, and doubt. Not allowing yourself to become a jaded individual. Belief in oneself is terribly important."
pg. 31 [about creativity] "I need to warn you, if you like things to stay the same, you're going to be terribly uncomfortable in heaven. Everything is going to be new. God is a God of freshness and change. He flexes His methods. he alters His way so much, it's as if you've never seen it before. You can't imagine what it may be like next time.
God says we are to be "imitators" of Him, which reqally means we are to "mimic." Since God is a God of freshenss and change, so we should be. If we are to fulfill this command, then I suggest that we stay fresh-that we main open, innovative, willing to change." Then he challenges people to examine themselves about how open they are to change.
pg. 38-39 "There is an important dimension to hanging tough that you dare not miss. It is the thing that keeps you going. I call it a dream. I don't mean those things we experience at night while we're asleep. No, by dream, I mean a God-given idea, plan, agenda, or goal that leads to God-honoring results.
Most of us don't dream enough. If someone were to ask you, "What are your dreams for this year? What are your hopes, your agenda? What are you trusting God for?" could you give a specific answer? I don't have in mind just occupational objectives or goals, although there's nothing wrong with those. But what about the kind of dreaming that results in character building, the kind that cultivates God's righteousness and God's rulership in your life?"