I will Chase my Lion this year

CHASE THE LION is my first foray into the world of Mark Batterson's books and I am very happy to report that it is WELL worth the read. I  highlighted many amazing passages as well as had my eyes, heart, mind, and soul open to a number of scripture verses that I had never paid attention to more than a passing read--and I'm one who has read through my Bible each year for several years now. But I LOVE that the Holy Spirit continues to reveal scripture to me. It is proof positive that the Bible IS the living, breathing, Word of God. No matter how often I read His Word, no matter how many times I study a passage of scripture, He is always able to make SOMETHING new for me! I LOVE THAT!!

People ask me all the time why and how I can read the same book over and over again. For me, reading a book the first time is incredible wonderment, but reading it a second time reveals secrets I missed the first time. And the next time, even more secrets, and so on! Great books never get old or tiresome. The Bible is like that for me as is a number of books I have read over the years and now CHASE THE LION can be added to that short list. 

I will also be reading Mark Batterson's other books throughout this year. I sincerely hope others will join me. Here's a link to Batterson's web site: http://chasethelion.com/

I did not expect CHASE THE LION to be so much about following our Dreams.

IT is Going to Happen for me....!

I'm going to jot down the quotes and other tid-bits from the book that really stand out to me from Write It Down, Make It Happen:  Knowing What You Want--And Getting It! by Henriette Anne Klauser....

"The first step in all of them [books] is to write down your goal" (16).

Write down my fears:

Memoir--rejection; no one will want to read it; it will be a book that will fade quickly into obscurity

Going to England--CVCC will say no; b/c of the changes in curriculum, it won't be seen as a beneficial trip; cost; others will try to take the credit; others will tell me it's not worth it--it's crazy and other words of discouragement

Yiddish for "ranting and raving" is "kvetching"--"Kvetching is therapeutic" (97).

"Start from the destination, and then figure out how to get there" (113).

"...let your writing uncover why this goal is so important to you" (117).

"Create your own list of what is meaningful to you" (139).

"journalizing" (144)

"Write a list of the accomplishments in your life of which you feel especially proud" (155).

Jingle:

   As you amble on through life, friend,

   Whatever be your goal--

   Keep your eye upon the donut

   And not upon the hole!  (162)

"The impression I am left with is strong:  Some else has confidence in me; why shouldn't I?"  (163)

"It's not a magic feather, it's you.

   Sometimes in order for your dream to come true, it is you who need to take the initiative" (168).

"...when you write something down, you begin to define what you know, and therefore, what you want.  you can't have what you want until you know what it is.  Writing clarifies what it is that you are asking for.  God can give you what you want, ...but you have to be clear on what you want.

   Writing [gives you] the courage to act" (178).

*a home "with a hug around it" (179)*--my favorite!

"It's not a magic feather; it's you who can fly" (180).

"Praying on paper is a way of acknowledging God's presence in your life, asking for help, and giving thanks" (181).

"It's you who is keeping you from completion" (195).

"..'.you're scared to act on it, because you worry, If I touch it, is it going to break?    It is hard to do because it is exactly what I want.'"  

"Resistance has meaning, and getting behind resistance, not just around it, will set you free" (199).

RESISTANCE

"When you are honest, shackles drop."

"Once you identify the meaning behind your resistance, the block disintegrates, leaving you wide open for fulfillment.  When you own the life you live, you open the way to claim the life you want" (201).

"RESISTANCE HAS MEANING."

"What in your life are you resisting?  Where are you digging your heels in?  Write down the reasons behind your reluctance.  What is it about moving forward does not seem safe?   ...keep writing until you come to the truth.  What is it about you that resists taking this next step?

   The truth shall set you free, and free the world to help you along a little" (202).

"Adding ritual to the writing of your goals makes the message more meaningful.  It sets something in motion" (203).

"'What do we want in our lives and out of our lives?'" (206).

Pledge:  "not do anything [she] did not enjoy" (211).

"'It's the motive that matters, not the particulars'" (213).

"Our intent was to focus on our deepest desires, what we wanted deeply and what we no longer would tolerate, and we were appealing to something bigger than us to help us out" (214).

   "A wise teacher once told me, 'Becoming a master means willingness to let go of whatever isn't working in your life.  Letting go of the familiar is hard.'

   Relinquishing what isn't working is tied to taking responsibility for your life" (217).

"THERE IS NO FAILURE; ONLY A DELAY IN RESULTS" (233).

"When everything is falling apart, it is a good sign that everything is about to come together" (234).

"...don't minimize your dreams and don't lose heart. . . .It's okay to be scared.  Do it anyway" (240).  

Polly's Major Dreams: Publish my Memoir & Go to England

Another great read by John Maxwell:  PUT YOUR DREAM TO THE TEST:  10 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU SEE IT AND SEIZE IT.

 Polly's Dream Board:  http://www.dreamitalive.com/pandapaw48

1.  The Ownership Question:  IS MY DREAM REALLY MY DREAM?  My dream really is my dream.  I have several dreams, but I'm going to focus on two for this posting.  And yes, both of these dreams are my own and both are things that I really and truly do want and want to do.

2.  The Clarity Question:  DO I CLEARLY SEE MY DREAM?  I do clearly see my dreams.  My first major dream is to write a book and have it published--and actually be a book that makes a difference in the lives of the people who read it.  This book is my memoir based on the tragedies that have happened in my life, but yet how I continue to search for--and find--God's loving JOY in my life.  I have had a vision of the cover of the book since the loss of my first son almost 16 years ago.  I have a rough draft of it ready and I am in the process of revising.  I am also in the process of trying to figure out if I want to self-publish, publish digitally, or try to go for a publisher like Tommy Nelson.  I have a goal of seeing some real progress made on this dream by the end of 2014.

The other dream I am going to focus on for this posting is the dream I've had since I was a teenager to go to England.  I want to travel the whole country---north to south (or south to north) and east to west (or west to east)--LOL!  Of course I want to spend a lot of time in London, but I want to be able to travel the whole country and visit as many homes of authors as possible as well as see a play performed in the new Globe Theater--and, yes, see a major play on the London stage!  What a dream come true that would be!!!!

3.  The Reality Question:  AM I DEPENDING ON FACTORS WITHIN MY CONTROL TO ACHIEVE MY DREAM?  The factors within my control to achieve my dream of being published are simply to be sure that I keep at it.  It is within my control to write and revise my memoir.  I am very capable of doing so not only because of what I have been through and I know my story is worth telling, but also because I have a degree that enables me to have the qualifications not to mention the fact that I simply love to write anyway!

The factors within my control to achieve my dream of going to England are a little more difficult because of the financial costs, but I am hoping and believing that I will be able to convince CVCC to agree to make it class credit for students to take such a trip which means that I will be able to go not only as a participant/traveler, but also as a teacher and enjoy the trip with others--which will make the trip that much more awesome!  I simply have to follow the procedures necessary and hope and pray to get the approval needed.

4.  The Passion Question:  DOES MY DREAM COMPEL ME TO FOLLOW IT?  My dream of writing and publishing my memoir does comple me to follow it.  I have had the dream of writing SOMETHING and publishing it since I was a little girl, so that part of it has always been with it.  I not only want to do this, I NEED to; I HAVE to.  It is something I know the Lord has laid on my heart and every time I don't focus on it for days or weeks at a time, something happens to bring it back to focus and make me realize that it's a dream that isn't going to go away until I succeed!

My dream of going to England has been, in years past, something that I would do "some day."  As we all know, "some day" quite often never comes if we don't actually DO something about it.  I want that "some day" to become a reality, so yes, it does compel me to follow it.  It's going to be difficult getting the approval needed, but something tells me that if I do it early enough and allow enough time for preparation, etc., the school might just actually agree to it.....

5.  The Pathway Question:  DO I HAVE A STRATEGY TO REACH MY DREAM?  Strategy is something I have lacked on both of my major dreams, but I am working on that part.  My major strategy for finishing and publishing my memoir is to revise and begin working on publishing--getting an agent or self-publishing--by early summer and then going from there based on the decision that I made (or is made for me)--regarding an agent or self-publishing.

The strategy to reach my dream of going to England is to begin making phone calls and putting together a budget, tour guide/group, etc., and then begin filling out the paperwork that's going to be necessary.  I'll have to find out what paperwork is going to need to be filled out beyond the co-curricular paperwork because I want the trip to count as class credit for the students who attend.  I don't know what's all involved with that so I will have some real research to do, but I know that I'll have the information I need and that I will get what I need.  I just have to stay on it and not give up!

6.  The People Question:  HAVE I INCLUDED THE PEOPLE I NEED TO REALIZE MY DREAM?  I am working on including the people I need in order to realize my dream of publishing my Memoir.  Devon is helping put together a cover for me--whether it's the actual cover used for the final copy or not, it will be great motivation to keep me working on it.  I will begin shopping for agents within the next few weeks and hopefully find one who will be someone who will fight for my Memoir and help me get it published.  My counselor, Shirley, is on my team.  Mom and Katie will help me, I know, by reading a draft whenever I am able to send them one.  I will probably even be able to get a few folks from school to help me if I just ask.

I haven't spoken to anyone about the dream of going to England through CVCC, yet, but I will have a great list of those to help once I get the ball rolling.  Kristy will be happy to work on the project with me.  I'll need Donna, Keith, and Arlene.  As long as Mona stays, she'll be on the team.  And anyone else who is needed, especially whoever I work with to make the travel arrangements--my tour guide.

7.  The Cost Question:  AM I WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE FOR MY DREAM?  The major cost/price for both of my dreams is time--something I don't have an awful lot of.  I know, though, that if I break the work down in smaller chunks of time rather than trying to do everything at once, I will be able to get done what I need to get done.  The most difficult obstacle I have is keeping up with my grading.  I feel guilty working on anything else when I have so much grading to do.  But even if I do just a little bit of SOMETHING every day, my two major dreams will come to pass.  At this point in time, I am not sure of any other costs involved with achieving my two major dreams, but I know that I will deal with each as it becomes important necessary to do so.

8.  The Tenacity Question:  AM I MOVING CLOSER TO MY DREAM?  I am moving closer to my dream of having my Memoir published because I at least have a really good draft written.  It needs a lot of work, but it's more than I've had previously!

Up to this point, I have not moved any closer to my dream of going to England, but I am going to begin working on it as soon as I possibly can.  I will begin doing the research necessary and begin putting the bug in the ears of my superiors and start the ball rolling.  This is going to be a long, uphill climb just to get the approval, not to mention planning the actual trip, but I know it will all be worth it in the end!!!

9.  The Fulfillment Question:  DOES WORKING TOWARD MY DREAM BRING SATISFACTION?  YES!!!  YES!!!!  YES!!!!  YES!!!!  I have always tried to tell the people around me to find what they love to do and do it because it bring the greatest joys in life--doing what you love to do!!!  Teaching is something I LOVE to do even to the point of having the "itch" (like gun-fighters) to be back in the classroom between breaks!!!  And working toward both of my major dreams brings me great satisfaction because with my Memoir, I get to write--which I LOVE to do and I get to plan a trip to a place where I've dreamed of going for as long as I can remember!

10.  The Significance Question:  DOES MY DREAM BENEFIT OTHERS?  The dream of publishing my memoir does benefit others in that I hope and pray my story is something that inspires others who are struggling and/or who are having a difficult time dealing with LIFE that there is JOY in Jesus Christ.  In the midst of our deepest pains, hurts, and struggles, God is with us and He loves us.  It is my job as a Christian to help others see Christ for who He is--to be a witness--and my Memoir is one of the best ways I have of being that witness to others.

My dream of going to England benefits others because students will be able to get credit for going and participating!  Those who go will get to get out of the United States and see another part of the world.  We'll get some great culture.  It will be a wonderful learning experience.  It will be fun.  It will be a wonderful social experience not only in being with others from the same school, but also in meeting others in a different country with a different way of speaking than what we're used to--so language will be a major part of that!  Oh, I can't wait!

*One final comment, one dream I have right now it to participate in World Book Night on April 23, 2014.  CVCC (Catawba Valley Community College) has been accepted as a Group Giver, so now we just need to receive the books and actually give them out!  I've requested 100 cases of books--the largest number of books requested by Group Givers according to Carl!  Here's hoping we get them all and that we are able to give them all out!  What an awesome opportunity!!!!

http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/