Here's an excerpt from one of the "Small Book, Big Difference" mini-books that I'm currently writing. It's called, "Genesis Week- Creating A Life Worth Living One Day At A Time" and will be out this summer or eventually.
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“... God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life...”. Psalm 51:7-15 (MSG)
On July 4, 2012, hundreds of thousands of people eagerly gathered in San Diego, California, to enjoy an 18-minute fireworks show that was advertised as one of the "biggest in the nation." People waited for hours for what was sure to be the best ever Big Bay Boom. Hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours had been spent on planning and preparing for this epic event.
A few minutes before the anticipated 9 p.m. start time, the show began, unexpectedly. In one loud blast, all of the fireworks ignited simultaneously. The show lasted a mere 15 seconds! Apparently, a technical glitch caused all of this hard work to literally go up in smoke. Frustration and anger ensued as those thousands of people experienced what happens when plans don’t seem to work out.
When I hear stories like the one that I just mentioned, it puts a smile on my face. Not because I like to see people experience failure. I guess it’s because it makes me feel better that I’m not the only one that makes plans that seemingly fail. Each of us has likely experienced the loss of invested time and energy because of a “technical failure.”
Too often when these things happen, we allow them to determine our future decisions and, ultimately, our destiny. It is easy to shrink back in fear of failure after you royally screw up. I encourage you: Failure is not fatal and it is not final.
San Diego hosted a huge fireworks show the following year. In fact, many said that it was their best one ever, and it went off without a hitch. The event planners didn't allow the previous year’s setback to hold them back.
Don’t create a present and a future based on the failures of your past. You are not a failure. In Christ, you are a champion.
Within the pages of this small book, I want to help you to make plans for a great future. I want to encourage you toward the greatness that God has designed for your life. God has designed good plans for your life (see Jeremiah 29:11). Isn’t it about time that you do the same?