“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Proverbs 13:12

 

The last part of that verse is the fun part for sure! Many of you reading this know I just wrote my first book and it released this weekend. What a thrill. What a night. What a special time was had with so many special people that mean the world to me who rallied around and celebrated together. We celebrated what God has already done through Happy Anyway as it was piloted 4 times before going to print over the course of a year or so. We also celebrated by faith all the ones who will be impacted by it. It was really fantastic. 

 

Now there were many times along the  way though that hope was deffered and the heart was sick. I’ld be lying if I told you it was different. Do we really think we are going to accomplish our dreams without a fight? Without opposition? Without a challenge? Of course not.

 

No pain. No gain. That was on many

tee shirts in the 80s and a popular phrase that I remember when needed. Tell yourself that and the following when you are reaching for your goals and dreams…

If it were easy, every one would be doing it. Don’t quit.

You can do whatever God calls you to do. It may not be done perfectly or suit everyone’s fancy but you can do it and please God in it.  

The only things you will ever accomplish are those things you are convinced you will accomplish.  

 

Listen, I have had soooo many GREAT reasons to quit and not finish this book. Had I listened to well meaning people, it would still not be out. Had I not known that I knew that I knew that it was a vision from God, I would have quit months ago when the struggle got really real. I could go on and on and on but you get the point.  

Anything worth finishing may have some hope deffered and sick heart from point A to point B. But once that dream is realized, it is such a tree of life. Go for what God has put in your heart. If God be for you who can be against you? He has provided favor like a shield and everything you put your hand to prospers. Keep your eyes on Him and not the noise or distractions. 

 

Though there are challenges along any journey, oh the victory is so sweet and worth the fight. Bottom line, all we have to do is obey Him and if that hair-lips China, so be it. China is not my God. God is my God. And when we walk in His light and follow His lead, there is peace, love, and joy. China still may be hair-lipped (what does that even mean?) but oh well happy anyway! Believe me when I tell you, there have been a whole lot of #ohwellhappyanyway opportunities for me to practice what I preach in the book so at this point if the only thing that comes out of this book is the intense character building that has occurred in me alone, I’ve decided it will be worth it all. But praise God, I have great expectation for what He will also do in you .

 

So as it goes…the book is out and released, It’s already headed to or in many states in America, Mexico, & Brazil so far. To God be the glory and I pray it accomplishes exactly what God intends it to accomplish in each woman’s life that reads it. 

 

And while we celebrate this dream realized, the next dream is to hear all the testimonies of women finding their happy!! That dream is gong to be the big tree of life!!  That’s the real dream. 

 

Hope you get to get a copy if you haven’t at happyanyway.org or Amazon. Still time to get it by Chritmas. It is full color and makes a great gift book:)  And the best part of all is that a portion of the proceeds goes to missions! So if you get it as a gift, you are giving twice. Many of you know that my family and I lived in India for 5 years and I say often “I found my happy in Haiti” so it burns in my heart equally to help women find their happy through this book and simultaneously, for the sale of this book to help my husband and I fund missions more than we ever have before. If that dream comes to pass, that will be awesome because we have already up to this point pumped a couple of million dollars into missions so far and that’s just the beginning. Let’s spread the happy together all around the world. Oh and be watching for details about taking happy to India hopefully in 2016 with a women’s trip I have dreamed of leading for years to go and minister to ladies there. We have hundreds of Bible school grads and churches all over India. Lord, you know my heart and that is going to mean so much when we get to do that. That little prayer was an example of just how simple the very beginning of a dream can be. Now let’s TOGETHER watch Him bring that one to pass too.

😃📖🌍 

Happy Monday!