Overcoming Obstacles

Overcoming Obstacles


Obstacle: something immaterial that stands in the way, impedes, holds up progress. They create complication and conflict. They are barriers. And, we all face them. E. Joseph Crossman said, “Obstacles are things a person sees who take his eyes off the goal.” Frank Clark said, “If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably does not lead anywhere.”

Having anything of value in your life will be fraught with obstacles. In fact, obstacles are necessary for success as victory is achieved after many struggles and countless defeats. There will always be a reason why you cannot achieve it. There will always be a barrier as to why it cannot be obtained or be done. A new recruit looking at the daunting gauntlet of the obstacle course before him, feels “there ain’t no way I can do that.” But, before basic training is completed the obstacle course will be beaten! In life you will face obstacles. That is a given. What remains to be seen is, will you succumb to or overcome the obstacles?

So, why do people choose to be held down by obstacles rather than overcome them? Why do they choose to be bound to something they detest? Why will remain where they are so close to what they want to have and be?

1. Failure to take responsibility—In John 5 is the story of a man who had been laying near a pool of water that was believed to hold healing properties. An angel was said to come down at certain times and stir up the waters. Whoever would step into the water at that moment would be healed. This man had lain beside that pool for 38 years! He blamed his continued condition on there not being anyone there to help him. Your success depends on YOU! It is solely your responsibility. Jesus did not ask him “do you have anyone to help you?” He said, “Do you want to get well?”

• Accept responsibility for where you are. Accept your role in the way things are (whether you contributed to it or not)—end “the blame game and woe is me game”. Nothing you can do to change the past. But you can change your future!

• Accept responsibility that happiness is a choice—end the “who will make me happy game” Happiness is not contingent upon externals, it is determined by what is inside of you. Paul said; “I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” Philippians 4 Message Bible

• Accept responsibility for your thoughts, feelings and actions and end the “I can’t do anything right” game. If you can change the way you think, you can change the way you feel. If you can change the way you think you can change the way you act. If you can change the way you think you can change your life.
2. Failure to Believe—Faith is essential for anything to change. You must have faith for a better future. You must have faith for a brighter tomorrow. You must have faith that things will get better!

• Truth is not enough—if truth was enough, then why are you where you are?

• Anointing is not enough—if anointing was enough, then why are you where you are?

• You must have faith that your life will turn around!

• Your perspective will determine your reality. Your perspective will determine whether you overcome or succumb. Feed your faith!!

3. Failure to Act—when instructed the man to pick up his bed roll and walk, the man had two choices: stay where he was on obey. This is perhaps, the strongest reason why people stay where they are. They fail to act. You will miss 100% of the shots you fail to make.

• Faith without corresponding actions is useless! Are you willing to be shown [proof], you foolish (unproductive, spiritually deficient) fellow, that faith apart from [good] works is inactive and ineffective and worthless? James 2:20 Amplified

• The journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step. Get up and start moving! The longer you fail to act, the more you cement yourself to where you are

We are only as hindered by obstacles as we allow ourselves to be. There are countless stories of how people have overcome insurmountable odds and achieved success. And, if they can do it so can you and me! So, take responsibility for where you are, believe that you were born to succeed and get up and moving!! You will find that there is a miracle inside of you!

Where was I thinking?

Where are your thoughts taking you?


Have you heard the expression “his brain is in neutral”? I take that to mean that a person’s brain is running, but going nowhere. There are lots of revving, smoke, vibration, allusions to power, and great expenditures of fuel, but nobody is going anywhere.

It is a shame, but we all have met or known someone with their brain in neutral. A person with great potential and natural ability who could easily succeed at anything they wanted to do. But instead of moving toward success and achieving something, anything, they live a life that produces absolutely nothing. They are always working on the next big thing. They are always talking big plans, big ideas they are going to do this, that and the other thing! These people have great aspirations but their biggest challenge is just getting out of bed in the morning. What’s up with that?

The problem is focus. If there is no sense of purpose then one feels no need to move in any particular direction. An aimless life is the result of aimless thought. Thoughts that are unfettered, free to think about whatever they wish whether good or bad, profitable or unprofitable will lead a person nowhere. There must be a desired destination for one to reach—a purpose. If there is no focus, no purpose, one will live a life devoid of any real significance. “Aimlessness is a vice” declared James Allen that should be avoided because it leads to destruction.

Success at anything is not an accident or a fluke. It is when preparation and timing intersect. One must be constantly moving toward their purpose in life in order to fulfill it. To reach your goal you must not allow yourself to think or meditate on those things that would detract you from reaching it.

Here are some things you can do to get your thinking on track:

1. Get a goal, get a purpose. Without any direction you will get nowhere. There is a story of a farmer who had a big get together at his farm. During the festivities, he invited a friend of his to accompany him to the barn. Once there, the farmer took him to the rear exterior wall of the barn. The wall was decorated with hand painted targets on it. In the center of each target was an arrow. The friend said to his farmer friend, “you are a great archer.’ You hit the bull’s eye every time.” The farmer replied, “No. I just shoot the arrow and then paint a bull’s eye around it.” Unfortunately, this is how some people live their lives. They just take a shot and hope it hits something. Purpose provides your life with a target to aim for. It provides you with direction. Imagine taking a trip to a particular destination, but having no map or instructions on how to get there. That is a sad way to live. Setting a goal, determining a purpose, will provide you with a destination. Purpose gives your life direction.

2. Make your purpose the focus of your life. Everything we experience on the outside was first determined on the inside. Our thinking affects the way we see the world and how we interpret events and circumstances. If we believe that we are destined to live a mediocre life, we will live such a life. It is vitally important that we find our purpose and build our lives with the desired result in mind. This is not as easy as it sounds. Each of us is prone to a particular way of thinking. Our thinking is the result of years of experiences that have created our belief system. Therefore, to fulfill our purpose, we must undo all of our previous ways of thinking and construct a new way belief system. It will take more than wishful thinking to change your life. It will take focus. A marksman must intentionally set his sights on his target. He cannot randomly discharge his weapon and expect to hit the bull’s eye. Marksmanship is all about precision shooting. The marksman must take into consideration such things as; stance, range, accuracy of weapon, accuracy of ammunition, wind velocity and sight adjustment. Any one of these things, if not taken into consideration, can result in missing the target. Does a marksman ever miss his target? Yes. What does he do? The marksman makes adjustments and refocuses. Your purpose is your focus. Zero in on it! You will miss the target from time to time. When you do, just refocus and make the necessary adjustments and you will hit the target!

3. Understand that accomplishing your purpose can be achieved by effort and practice. I had injured my right arm lifting an object. Upon medical examination, it was determined that the bicep tendon was severed and surgery was needed to reattach it. This meant that I was facing a long recovery time. My normal range of motion was severely impaired. Lifting my arm was strenuous and using it for long periods of time, was unthinkable. I had been accustomed to working out with weights three times per week. After the surgery, I could barley lift a fraction of the weight I had previous to the injury. The road to recovery would be a long one. Yet, I was given hope by my health care professionals that the normal use of my arm would indeed return. They informed me that by working the arm little by little I would regain range of motion and strength. And, as it turns out, they were right.

That same principle can be applied when it comes to accomplishing your purpose. Exercise it little by little. Just as physical stretching keeps muscles and joints strong and pliable; stretching yourself to achieve your purpose will do the same for you mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Be patient and practice over and over again. Then one day you will achieve what seemed impossible.

4. Purposefully change your thinking—purposefully incorporate positive influences in your life through associations, reading materials and positive affirmations. You are more likely to succeed if you have a mentor. Mentors are a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a kick in the seat of the pants to get you up and going. If you are to fulfill your purpose, you will need mentors in your life. It is imperative that you have a positive network of individuals in your life who celebrate you and challenge you to grow and be better.

Feed your mind through ingesting materials that challenge your thinking, motivate you to success, and inspire you to reach higher.

Positive affirmations serve by helping to undo dysfunctional belief systems that may be plaguing your life. You cannot change thought by thought. The way to change a thought is by changing your words. By changing your words you can effectively begin to change your life. Man is the only creature given the ability to bring what he thinks into reality. This is part of our divine nature. In Genesis chapter 1, the bible tells us that man was created in the image and likeness of God. God saw the world dark and void and His thoughts were expressed into words—“let there be” and it was so. We, who are God’s image here on earth, have the ability to think and speak and turn those thoughts and words into being. Jesus said, “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”(Mark 11:23 NKJV)

Where are your thoughts taking you? If they are moving you closer to failure than success, change them. You are the captain of your ship! Where do you want to be heading toward? Only you have the power to change you. And, the way to change your life and the direction it is taking begins by changing your thoughts!

"You don't always get what you deserve in football"

“You don’t always get what you deserve in football” said the announcer as I watched Arsenal get pummeled by Barcelona in the semi-finals of the UEFA champion’s league. Be advised I am speaking from a purely one sided opinion as I am in fact an Arsenal fan. Watching Lionel Messi of Barcelona dominate the field by scoring all four goals against the Gunners was aggravating enough. But it was the officials I really had a problem with. Allow me to explain.


European football is faced paced and the clock never stops. I prefer watching a soccer match over an NFL game anytime because of these two facts. The NFL has taken a game consisting of four fifteen minute quarters and been able to stretch it out for three hours!! Who has that kind of time?? And, who wants to spend the majority of that time watching beer and truck commercials? Not me.

However, there is a down side to soccer. One we Americans would have a problem with; there is no challenging an official decision. The NFL has allowed us to scream “look at the tape!” and thus decisions have been over-turned upon review. In soccer that option does not exist. You abide by the decision, good or bad and go on. Sometimes it works out against you, other times it is in your favor. In the case of Barcelona vs. Arsenal, there were many bad calls made. The officials made the decision based upon what they saw or thought they saw. Thus, the announcer commented; “In football, you don’t always get what you deserve.” Truly, Arsenal deserved better calls. I have no way to know if those calls would have made a difference in the outcome (Barcelona is a pretty good team). But, the fact remains, in football you don’t always get what you deserve and the same is true in life.

In life you don’t always get what you deserve. In life there is no challenging the decision, reviewing the tape, or stopping the clock and starting over. You deal with the decisions made and go on! You must get up; dust yourself off and keeping playing to win! Because in life you don’t always get what you deserve! Refuse to allow yourself to collapse into a sobbing heap of self pity. Refuse to allow yourself to be crippled by life’s circumstances. Refuse to cry “foul” every time something doesn’t go the way it should have. Refuse to whine and moan about how unfair it all is. The truth is life ain’t fair: get use to it!! KEEP PLAYING TO WIN.

Yeah, the decisions that got you where you are may have been bad ones. Yeah, you may not deserve what has happened to you. But are you going to be a victim or a victor? If you keep playing eventually good decisions will be made in your favor. If you stay in the game, you will get that undeserved decision to benefit you. The only way to win is to play on. Push through the hurt. Push through the disappointment. Push through the defeats. Stay in the game and win!

Romans 8:35-37 New Living Translation

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us’’

No, you may not always get what you deserve, but if you stay in the game victory is certain!

Kill The Beast

It has been calling out my name and mocking me. I swear the thing was shouting obscenities and laughing at me. For nearly six months I have attempted to ignore the taunts. Closing my eyes and putting my fingers in my ears and blubbering nonsense to drown them out. But it was no use. The insults were received. I felt the sting. Now, what was I going to do about it?

I had enough of it Today,I would tackle the beast. I would end the six months of incessant ridicule. I would prove once and for all that I could conquer this mountain! So, when I left home this morning, I brought my running clothes and shoes. Something had to change, and I was the only who could do something about it. And I did.

Yesterday I made a commitment to get myself back into shape. For the past six months I have been dealing with the ramifications from a corrective surgery that reattached my bicep tendon to the muscle and bone. the recovery has been slow and the limitations on using my arm had put a major kink in my exercise regiment. But, enough is enough. I had to do something and start somewhere. Might as well be today! So, I set out to attack the beast head on.

The beast is not some gnarly looking animal. The beast is picturesque. tranquil. even awes inspiring. But, don;t let the beast fool you. The beast is a killer! Many walk away from the beast with tongue dragging and limping. I know, been there and done that. But I had conquered the beast before. And, i was confident that i would today as well.

What is the beast? I should call the beast by it's real name: The Melbourne Cause way! A narrow strip of land comprise of three bridges over the Indian River Lagoon connecting the City of Melbourne, Florida to Indialantic, Florida. The view from atop of the bridge is breath taking. You can literally see for miles in every direction. I love the view. It is the journey to the top of the bridge that is the killer.

Six months ago, I was running this bridge three times a week! But that was six months ago. I had been chomping on the bit to attempt it again. Though, running would not be in the cards today. Today, I would walk the bridge. Leaving front street park in Melbourne and walking to Riverside drive in Indialantic and back. Cresting the top of the bridge twice. The trip is just about three miles. my concern was how much of this I could handle today. Would I just make it to the top and then come back down? Would I make it to the other side of the bridge and have to call it quits? Or could I really walk it all? One way to find out! I parked my car and hopped out.

I made the entire trip to Riverside Drive and back. Sunshine and seventy two degrees. It was a perfect day for a walk. Though coming back I did get a Little winded, still I pressed on. Like I said, the view from atop of the bridge is awesome. I could see all Atlantic ocean from up top. Blue skies, sail boats on the river, and even dolphins swimming below. It was fantastic. And, I felt like a million bucks! Getting back into my car I could not help but feel a sense of accomplishment. I had subdued the beast and had a good time doing it.

I don't know what beast is calling you names. I don't know the circumstances and situations that gave the beast power over you. But this I do know; as long as you never face your beast you will be terrified of it. My beast wasn't really the bridge. It was fear. Fear that would I would never get back on track to walk the bridge let alone be able to run it again. Fear the the injury I had sustained months before would completely limit what I could and could not do. fear that what I had accomplished previously would be lost and never be seen again. I couldn't let that happen. I will not be a prisoner in my own head. What about you? The day to change is today. The time to change is now. Take on your beast!

Hold my feet to the fire!

I have had it! I am appalled, disgusted, just plain aggravated!. Something has got to be done. I do not like where I am and furthermore I do not like where the road that got me here leads. I can see the end, and it is definitely not where I want to end up. Something must change!

Roughly five years ago, I found myself seriously out of shape. I was tipping the scale at 250 pounds. I looked like one of those cartoon characters who had had a safe dropped on his head. It would have only been a matter of time before the health issues would manifest themselves. But, the obesity and the health concerns was not the catalyst to spark a change in my life. It was an announcement.

My son and daughter in law informed my wife and I that they were expecting our first grandchild. I was elated about the news of a baby coming in our lives. The very thought of it was exciting. However, there was a troubling image that kept coming to mind. It was an image from the past that spoke to me about my future if some thing did not change.

The image took place in a small church in South Louisiana. The hearse was parked out front and the casket surrounded by flower arrangements was placed right in front of the pulpit. In the image a small red headed boy of five, all neatly dressed in suit and tie was peering over the edge of the smoke colored casket. He was looking at the body of his best buddy--his grandfather.

That boy was my son and the body in the casket was that of my late father in law. He was a godly man. He had little formal education as he went to work at a young age to help support his family. He worked hard his entire life. Served with the 2ND Armored Division in the Korean conflict and earned a combat infantry badge. He built his home with his own two hand and had the deed to prove that it was his. He was a caring and compassionate man who loved his family and would give the shirt off of his back to help someone in need. My son idolized the man. And, I looked to him as the father I never had. Yet, he would not take care of himself.

He suffered a severe heart attack many years prior and was medically retired from his occupation. His heart was bad and his blood pressure was high. He was given strict orders concerning medication, diet and exercise. he would take the medication, he worked hard, but he would not eat right. Born and raised in the heart of Cajun country his diet consisted of fatty fried foods. He loved it. he often said, "I would rather be dead than not be able to eat what I want." He got what he wanted. And, a five year old boy is out a friend and trying to grasping to understand what had taken place.

That image has burned in my mind for over twenty years. It was that image that propelled me to do something with myself. I did not want my grandson to be peering over the casket at my cold lifeless body because I failed to take care of myself. I finally had a reason worth dying for to get myself health and in shape. I set out on a mission and within two years I was in the best shape of my life--eating correctly and exercising religiously. And, then out of nowhere..or so it seemed...challenges presented themselves. Challenges that if not addressed and remedied they could undermine my success.

Within the space of 13 months, I was hit with three major life challenges: The death of my mother in law, losing my job, and suffering an injury that result in corrective surgery along with months of therapy. I have been reeling emotionally. I stopped exercising and basically have been eating whatever I want. I saw myself in the mirror today 25 lbs heavier than I was a year ago and out of shape. And, guess who happened to be standing beside me? My four year old grandson. I looked at him. I looked at me. And, I remembered an image from a long time ago. Today, things will change.

So my purpose in writing this today is to let you all know (whoever you all maybe) what my game plan is. Starting today it is back to being the exercising/healthy eating zealot I was 13 months ago. It is the first day to set things in order. To change my direction and steer my course to where I want to be rather than allowing my emotions to cause me to drift aimlessly to an undesired destination. I need and solicit your help. I am asking for you to hold my feet to the fire. Can ya do that?

Dig It Up!

Where did the car you drive originate? Most would reply, that their car was built in Detroit, Japan or Germany. That in a sense is true. Workers in an auto assembly plant assembled the car piece by piece. But where did it originate before that? A prototype was developed and tested. Designs were created detailing feature on the car from the anti-lock braking system to the cup-holders. But where did the car originate before that? The visible and tangible car you drive began in the invisible and intangible. It began in the thoughts and souls of a person…perhaps even in the soul of a toddler.
Let’s look at the lives of two toddlers: Johnny and Bobby. One day, Johnny is playing on the floor with some Lego blocks. Instead of just placing them together in a random order, this day Johnny pauses. Suddenly, something sparks in his imagination. He begins to create. He first saw it in his mind and his hands work feverishly in attempt to bring the idea into reality. The result of his labor is a crude car constructed from Lego blocks.
Johnny was amazed at what he had accomplished. He laughs and claps his hands. He is so impressed with his work that he seeks out his parents to show them. And, he finds that they were just as excited as he was about his work.
What occurred was more than Johnny just building a car from blocks. It was the releasing of something miraculous. Two of the most powerful forces in the universe were unleashed: talent and desire. Johnny felt something on the inside of him. It was something that made him feel happy and alive. He found something that he wanted to do. And the more he did it, the more he wanted to do it. So, from kindergarten to college Johnny worked at bringing that desire into being. With the encouragement of parents and peers, Johnny pushed forward. Johnny realized that there was a car inside of him that need to become a reality.
The visible world always originates in the invisible. Everything we see began there. Everything we behold, every gadget we use all began in the human soul. And, through desire and discipline those dreams became realities. This is how the world was originally created. The visible creation was brought into existence by the invisible God. God dreamed it, saw it, spoke it and it was. And, God breathed that same creative force into mankind.
Johnny went on to win prestigious awards. He designed some of the finest automobiles in the world. But, if the truth be told, there are other cars just as great as or greater than Johnny’s. There are cars that are engineering marvels. Car that are revolutionary in fuel economy and passenger safety. Sleek, luxurious, and beautiful to behold. They only problem is: they don’t exist in our visible and tangible world. No one is able to drive them or even see them. The reason is these cars were never built. They are stuck in the invisible world of another child named Bobby.
Bobby’s initial experience was very similar to Johnny’s. However, the reaction Bobby received from his father was a bit different. Instead of being praised for his creative genius, he was scolded for making a mess with his toys. The Lego car was dismantled piece by piece. The pieces that were the parts of an amazing creation were coldly tossed into a container. Bobby cried and was sent off to bed.
Later Bobby expressed a desire to draw and design. Bobby’s father response was squelching. He told Bobby that such a pursuit was a waste of time and that Bobby should learn a trade like him, Then Bobby, could get a good job at the factor with him. Bobby was not encouraged to peruse his dream or even achieve academically. Status quo was ok. Bobby’s father reasoned that his son would be working at the factory anyway, why study to be something he will never be? Bobby’s father was right. Bobby ended up working in the same factory as his father. The same factor where Johnny’s dream car came rolling down the assembly line. Yet, inside Bobby, there is still a great car waiting to come out? Will it ever see the light of day?
We can say that Johnny had it better and we would be right. But, someone who realizes their dreams could either come from the home of Johnny or Bobby. If Bobby were to realize his dream, he would have had to make a change somewhere. He would have to learn that the power to give his dream life comes from the inside. What lies deep inside of us is where real life is. It is up to each of us to listen to it, look for it, dig it up and put it into practice.
The reality of life we see and live on the outside is one that emerges from the inside, from our hearts, minds and souls. It is our internal life that creates our external one. So, to find our lives we must find what lies below the surface of our skin. We must look at, listen to, discover and be mindful of our internal life—of such things as our talents, feelings, desires and dreams.
Buried Treasure—
Everyone of us have had experiences that make our internal life seem unavailable to us. These experiences come from our interaction with family, friends, teachers, and even church as well as any number of influences. We can find ourselves living out of touch with the very center of life itself. It is possible just to float through life being completely unaware of who you are and what you want. The issues of life can cause us to bury our hearts and souls. To enjoy the benefits of life, to realize the full intent of its design you must dig them up. You must dig them up and reinvest back into life to make the invisible visible.
This means you must face your fears and obstacles. Find out what was it that caused you to bury your treasure. Was it a father like Bobby’s? Were the reasons economic? Did bad relationships cause you to bury your treasure? You will find that there is no shortage of things in life that can influence you to bury your heart and soul.
Those who succeed in life cannot ignore their hearts, minds, and souls. “Above all else guard your heart, for it is the well spring of life (Proverbs 4.23) Success and failure both come from what is going on inside of a person.
Not Everything Buried is Treasure—
There are some things that are buried in us that must be dealt with. Here are two things you can do with negative things buried in your life.
1. Get rid of the pain or sickness you are carrying around. These are negative influences and they can affect you. If you walk around with unresolved issues of the heart, your goals will be negatively affected.
2. Face the sickness--Each time your face one of these sicknesses something bigger and better will emerge.
Sow—
We will need to make a decision about the things we dig up. If it is negative toss it. If it is good, sow it. Sowing is a risk. But, it is suitable risk. Sometimes it may feel painful and awkward, but we must focus on what the end result will be. There is very little growth and reward in life without taking risks. In Jesus parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-29), the one who buried his talent did so to avoid the risk of loss, failure, and disapproval. The very thing he sought to avoid is what he received.
“The Wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception” Proverbs 14.18
Do you want to grow? Do you want to realize your dreams? Growth is when you take new things that you dig up and discover, and integrate them with the rest of who you already are.
“He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.” Proverbs 28.19
9 Things you can do to digging up your dreams—
1. Listen to what bugs you. It might be a message.
2. Don’t let negative feelings just sit there. Do something about them
3. Don’t let long term wishes and dreams be ignored. Find out what they mean.
4. Listen to your symptoms. They may be telling you there is something to dig up.
5. Pay attention to your fantasies. They may be telling you that something is missing and it needs to be resolved in proper way.
6. Face the fears and obstacles that have cause you to bury your treasure.
7. Don’t mistake envy for desire. You may want someone else’s life because you have lost touch with your own.
8. Do everything in the context of your values and your community of people who are committed to guarding your heart.
9. Ask God to help you find your heart, mind, soul and the treasure he placed there for you.
Conclusion—
Grasp your dreams. Reach for them. Take appropriate risks. It is a sin to die with unused potential. Die with failure before you die with unused potential. Potential is something to be realized, not guarded and protected. Dig up your talents, your dreams and desires. Invest them. And, you will find that it is true—Life comes from the inside out.