Book Review - Part III

For the last part of this blog I thought I would share some of my favorite quotes from this book and why I like them.

• "Visions are born in the soul of a man or woman who is consumed with the tension between what is and what could be." This one statement is what helped me realize the difference between a vision for something and just a need you think should be met. This is a very important concept for anyone, no matter where you are in life. There are a lot of "good" things we should be doing, but if it is not your passion then you shouldn't guilt yourself into doing it.
• "A vision rarely requires immediate action. It always requires patience." Well, thank you Mr. Stanley for saying what we have all been thinking! Sometimes what you want to happen is not going to happen overnight. I really believe this is why people get frustrated a lot with certain ministries. They come into a new project ready to see "miracles" and then a year goes by and they are severely defeated because nothing exciting ever happened. Last year I went to a one day women's conference here in Columbia and a lady from Indiana (I think) was taking about the inner city ministry she and her husband were in. They had been there for about three years and were trying everything they could to get people to their church. They were near a very successful church and decided to meet with the senior pastor to pick his brain and see what they could glean from his ministry. They met him in the gym his church had just built. They looked around and were amazed at all of the young volunteers he had to help with the after-school program his church had just started that year. She and her husband began to ask him how he did it and how long did it take him. She said he politely smiled and then pointed to a young women (probably 19 years old) and said, "She was the first member of my church". They both paused and continued listening to him. "You see", he said, "the two of you are not going to walk into your neighborhood and change things overnight. You are going to have to start with the elementary school kids in your area and walk them through middle school and high school. These kind of volunteers do not walk in off the street. They are born out of years and years of laying the foundation." In essence, he was telling her that she and her husband needed to be in it for the long haul if they ever wanted to see real life change.
• "Why should God bring an opportunity your way if you are not in a position to take advantage of it?" Wow, this is so true. This helped me to realize that planning is so important to seeing my dreams accomplished.
• "Once God decides something needs to be done, it is never a matter of if. The issue is usually who. Who will step forward, embrace the vision and move ahead by faith." This ignited the fire I needed to finish what God had called me to. When I realized that God was asking me to do this task, then I knew I could not turn away.

Whatever your passion is, I think this book can help. Give it a read and let me know what you think!