Kathleen Hardaway

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Have You Stopped Dreaming?

Have you Stopped Dreaming? Kathleen Hardaway

Do you feel like your dreams are fading further and further away? Life keeps passing you by, and so do your dreams. You’re starting to believe you may have missed it. But you know deep in your soul you were made for more!

Maybe you’ve accomplished some amazing things; and yet, at this point in your life, you feel stuck. You feel powerless in your current situation. There’s an overwhelming cloud that covers you, and you wonder, Is this it? Will my life ever be any different? The thought of having your same life is causing you great anguish, and you wonder how anything could ever change.

What is it that runs deep in your soul? Do you have an ongoing nagging in your heart that simply will not go away? Maybe you’ve shared your dreams with family and friends and just talking about it brings tears to your eyes. You know you were made for more, but you’re just not sure how to get there.

Satan wants nothing more than for you to become worried, restless, and to make you think your life seems to have no purpose. Don’t listen to his lies! He’s doing all he can to stop you from living the life God has planned for you.

Satan’s goal for your life is to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY you, but Christ came so that you may have LIFE, and have it ABUNDANTLY (John 10:10).

How are you doing? Unfortunately, far too many are stressed out, burned out, and are freaking out about their future. It’s easy to fall into a life of anxiety!

Stress starts in the mind. “For as he thinks within himself, so he is…” (Proverbs 23:7). Ask yourself, What do I think about? What’s stealing my joy and keeping me from pushing forward with my dreams?

Are you consumed with life’s problems and challenges so that your mind dwells on negative thinking? Are you anxious about your future?

Don’t believe that change in your life is not possible. Never give up! It’s important to believe your story is not over. Until you breathe your last breath, it’s not over. God has given you more time, time to do even more. The key is to find out what it is He wants you to do. Do you know? If not, ask Him until He shows you—keep asking!

Often people look at success and believe their career should peak at a certain age. Do you think that’s true? Let’s look at some highly successful people and see what age they were when they made some great accomplishments:

  • Thomas Edison was forty-six years old when he invented the light bulb.
  • President Reagan was sixty-nine years old when he was elected the President of the United States in 1981.
  • Walt Disney was fifty-four years old when he opened Disneyland.
  • Colonel Sanders was sixty-five years old when he kicked off the start of his fabulous franchise for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

My friend, what’s holding you back? Do you feel like you have too many challenges stopping you? Don’t look at your obstacles, but look at all the opportunities that you may have. If you feel God is leading you to dare to believe Him again for something different in your life, pray and see what He wants you to do. Keep praying; keep seeking Him for what steps you need to take next.

Are you looking at people who seem to have it all? Looking at others can be a slippery slope of discouragement. Be careful wishing you had what others have. There are plenty of people you can look to who just might encourage you. If you choose these people carefully, you may be enormously blessed.

I’ll never forget the day I saw Nick Vujicic. I was sitting in a packed-out crowd of people waiting for him to come on stage. First I heard the sound of an electric motor, and it appeared to be some kind of lift. He was being lifted onto the stage! Then Nick walked out on stage—but not like most of us walk. You see, he has no legs and no arms. I was amazed that he could stand and even walk. Nick’s enthusiasm was contagious! I was deeply moved that day, and he clearly made an impact with the audience. I later began to read his books and watch his videos.

I love what Nick says in his book Life Without Limits. He writes, “My name is Nick Vujicic (pronounced VOY-a-chich). I am twenty-nine years old. I was born without any limbs, but I am not constrained by my circumstances. I travel the world encouraging millions of people to overcome adversity with faith, hope, love, and courage so that they may pursue their dreams.”1

He says it all right there. It takes great faith and hope in a God who can do all things, in His love that carries us when we may feel like no one else cares, and the courage to keep on keeping on.

Nick also says, “Often we feel life is unfair. Hard times and tough circumstances can trigger self-doubt and despair. I understand that well. But the Bible says, ‘Consider it pure joy, …whenever you face trials of any kinds.’ That is a lesson I struggled many years to learn. I eventually figured it out, and through my experiences I can help you see that most of the hardships we face provide us with opportunities to discover who we are meant to be and what we can share of our gifts to benefit others.”2 What powerful truth Nick speaks! He inspires me greatly.

Who inspires you? Do you have a Nick in your life? You can choose to look at people who seem to have it all or look at those who rise above it all. I can’t begin to comprehend the challenges that Nick faces daily. But, he’s choosing to let God use all the disappointment, all the difficulties in his life, for good.

So what’s stopping you? What are you telling yourself and who are you listening to? What obstacles are you facing? Take another step. Today, step toward the vision God has given you!

Never ever give up! Choose to be unstoppable. Dare to believe God again and again with your dreams!

Excerpts taken from Dare to Believe Again

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1 Nick Vuijicic, Life Without Limits, (Colorado Springs, CO: Water Brook Press, 2010), vii.

2 Ibid.

 

Do You Ever Feel Alone?

Are you married with children and still feel alone? You may be single and feel desperately alone. The great epidemics in our society are not only the Pandemic, but the enormous increase of people feeling alone. What changed? What happened to a society that once related to programs such as “Father Knows Best” and “Leave It to Beaver”? The ideal marriage; friendships with your neighbors; or walking on sidewalks where you feel safe, secure, and not alone seem to be difficult to find.

The heart of every person longs for a sense of community, a sense of belonging, a strong desire to simply love and be loved. If you’re married and your mate is not meeting these needs in your life or if you’re single and you have no one, what do you do? Be miserable? Have an affair? Find someone on the internet? Many seem to be running to drugs, alcohol, food, and even to the television set—to anything that will help fill that void in their lives that is so painful.

There are no simple answers for this plague of feeling lonely. Most everyone desires companionship, friendship, and courtship. “I Will Always Love You,” (written by Dolly Parton, sung by Whitney Houston) is one of the top selling singles of all time. Not only is the music to this song fabulous, but so many can relate to it. Not only do we desire to be loved, but we desire for someone to always love us. Always. Not just some of the time, but always and forever.

Women enjoy a good love story. The knight in shining armor, the long-awaited prince finally speaks the words that he will always love his princess. But what do you do when your life has not turned out like a Hollywood movie or the ideal romance novel? One thing that you can know for sure: Your Heavenly Father is the only One Who has perfect love. It is eternal; it will never end. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He formed you in your mother’s womb. He knows you better than anyone. He desires your very best.

In your loneliness, turn to Him. In your hurt and frustration, tell Him how badly it hurts. You may desperately desire someone to hold you, someone to comfort you, someone simply to just be with you. I understand. When the difficulties of singleness come, I choose to believe this is God’s plan for my life today.

Do not believe a lie from the enemy that says, “Life will always be this way!” It’s not God’s plan for you to be miserable, feeling alone; but it is His plan that in your loneliness you run to Him, cling to Him, and give your life completely to Him.

Tell Him what you‘re feeling—everything. Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Never give up. Don’t lose heart. Don’t believe that you will always be lonely. Live each day being the best mother, wife, friend, husband, father, brother, sister you possibly can be. If you’re walking and living in Christ, you are not alone.

…I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Embrace the Season

I’ll never forget the day I was out shopping and my cell phone rang. My mother was on the other end, and I knew by the sound of her voice she had bad news. All I heard was, “He may not make it.” And unfortunately, he didn’t.

As family and friends gathered for the funeral, I was so happy to see cousins of mine whom I had not seen in a while. Despite the fact that two of them had just started brand new jobs, they interrupted their lives, jumped on a plane, and came hundreds of miles to be there just for us. As I finally got a chance to briefly talk to them, I asked, “When do you have to leave?” “In thirty minutes.” “You’ve got to be kidding!” But no, it was true. With that short amount of time, I wanted to spend every second I had with them, look them straight in the eyes, talk with them, and find out how life was going with them. In every way possible, I wanted to embrace the moment.

It had been a long time since I felt such a strong desire to stop the clock. How quickly people come in and out of our lives. How short life can seem. And whether you’re married or single, there is still heartache and disappointment. Loved ones will come and go, and as much as most of us don’t want to admit it, we’re all getting older and will someday die. There’s something about funerals that slow us down, that cause us to stop and examine our lives. How are you living?

If you keep doing what you’re doing today, where will you be ten years from now? As singles, there is a tendency to put life on hold waiting for that day you finally walk the aisle, when that ring goes on your finger, when you say, “I do.” Then, you think, life will truly begin.

Your desire to marry is very natural and normal. In many ways I believe God made us this way. But what are you doing today? Embrace every moment you have—now.

Life is full of wonderful and terrific opportunities beyond your wildest dreams. Don’t stop dreaming. Don’t stop seeking God for His divine appointments. Live life with moments that take your breath away. Don’t live your life “on hold.”

Stop and enjoy a beautiful sunset, the ocean, the mountains, the moon, the stars, a rainbow. Embrace the Creator of the universe. Embrace the beauty of His creation, His magnitude, His greatness, His love. Embrace life, knowing God has a plan even when you don’t always understand it or see it. Embrace His Word when life doesn’t make sense.

God says He has a plan, a plan to prosper you and not to harm you, a plan to give you a hope and a future. Call upon Him and pray. Seek Him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13). Don’t lose heart! Keep believing God no matter what disappointments come. Have you had another relationship fall apart? I understand. Press on!

When life is frustrating, He remains faithful. When you’re tired of waiting, He remains constant. When you’re sick and tired of being single, embrace your freedom.

  • Exercise when you like.
  • Go on a vacation when you like.
  • Change the thermostat how you like.
  • Invite friends over when you like.
  • Watch the programs you like.
  • Change the channels when you like.
  • Spend your money how you like (according to God’s principles).
  • Go to the movies you like (according to God’s standards).
  • Eat the food you like. (Keep it healthy.)
  • Dress the way you like. (Keep it wholesome.)
  • Go to bed when you like. (Keeping it healthy.)
  • Go to the church you like (by God’s direction).
  • Work in the ministry you like (by God’s direction).

If you marry, the above list may dramatically change. Your freedom changes to a commitment to another. Your desire is to please your mate. Marriage would add a wonderful new set of things you may be able to do, but don’t forget the things you would lose.

Today can you embrace your singleness? Consider all the wonderful opportunities you’ve been given. Live it, love it, enjoy it, and embrace it!

May God fill you with His great joy! Embrace the moment!

“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” (Psalm 16:11)