Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you. (Josh 1:9).

 Many people hope for a quick fix, but, have you ever known that to work?  As Malcolm Gladwell has told us so convincingly in his book, Outlier, it takes 10,000 times doing something that sets one apart.  Did you know that the Wright brothers flew and crashed and flew and crashed over and over again.

 Did they ever get dismayed?  Almost never.  They believed in what they were doing; they worked hard at it.  As you’ve discovered already in your life, good things come to those who persistently engage in those things which advance them toward their goal:  a vibrant Christian life takes daily abiding; whether it is meaningful parenting, a fruitful marriage, a productive life, a successful career, you name it, they all take persistent trial and error improvement, every day.

 Is that daunting?  Not as daunting as doing the opposite!  Rather, it is rewarding beyond measure because it is accompanied with the satisfied feeling of knowing one has given it one’s best. It is also a great gift to know that God is with us through it all.

 Cliff

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