By Jan Penton Miller

Guest Columnist 

We are what we eat; we are what we think, and we are the sum of our daily choices whether good or bad.  A young person can eat too much, drink too much, stay up too late, and still be relatively healthy and look just fine.  If over fifty, just try staying up too late and taking a look at that scary reflection in the mirror the next morning!

In reality our choices have a cumulative effect.  We didn’t get in the shape we are in overnight, and it will take a while of making good choices before we see the desired results.

God’s Word says not to be weary in well doing.  Many give up on dreams because discouragement sets in.  We want to see quick results in this microwave world.  If others can reach their dreams, what’s to stop us?

Our Creator has put dreams into each heart.  He has given us a vision, but it’s our job to keep pressing in to Him, and on to the next step on our ladder.  Our destination is important, but Jesus is just as interested in our journey.  If we keep moving forward, after a while we can look back and see how far we have come.  Joyce Meyer says, “ I’m not where I want to be, but thank God I’m not where I used to be!”

We will have setbacks.  There will be days that we give in to sin and selfishness and blow off everything we should be doing.  If we are wise, it will only be a brief interlude in our upwardly mobile climb.  Even if we wallow in our bed of bad choices for a while, it’s never too late to begin again.

Many times starting over is the hardest part, but we must push past the temptation to give up if we are to reach our goals.  We must hang on to our dreams like a starving dog hangs onto a bone, never letting go.

Dreaming is good and necessary, but taking action, no matter how small and insignificant, is the key to success. Over time all the good choices will pay off!  A year from now we can be much closer to our goal, or we can sit and complain about our circumstance and make little or no progress.  The choice is ours.

We can lose the weight, finish the project, forgive the friend, or repair the relationship.

Any juncture of our life’s journey can be our land of promise.  Any day, no matter where we are or what we are encountering, we can be filled with the peace of God.  It is ours for the asking. That, my friend, is our promised land.

Let’s run to catch our rainbows! Let’s keep on praying, keep on dreaming, and keep on pushing forward to our destinies!

Jeremiah 29:11      For I know the plans I have for you saith the Lord, plans to give you hope and a future.