“Progress son, it’s about progress!!!” I can hear dad’s words in my ears as I was thinking about walking into 2023.
It’s been said that “Progress grows out of motion” but not just any type of motion. It must be forward in nature and thinking..
Forward Friday is looking at approaching the New Year with courage and seeing opportunities as opposed to dread, fear and thinking that maybe not much good will come of 2023… But… it doesn’t have to be. This could be one of the best years that we’ve ever experienced and why not us? And as always, there is good news medicine at the end….
Let’s Get Into This:
As I was visiting Mom’s gravesite this week, it still is a little crazy to think that this will be the 4th anniversary of her passing to her heavenly reward.
It still feels like it was just yesterday at times that I was walking out the door, with mom not feeling well but saying, “Don’t worry, it’s going to get better.” A few hours later, mom was ushered into eternity.
It’s a lot better now in terms of my emotions but do I miss that crazy woman!!!!
It’s funny the things one thinks…..
I was on the ice last week and mom came to mind and the word I was thinking of was progress.
I referee a lot of hockey and play as well and my skates that I’ve worn for the past 18 years are dying…..
I’ve tried to have a revival of sorts in the past 3 weeks with them but… they are dying a slow death…..and a few painful glancing shots were screaming, “Turf Those Skates; The Party Is Over”..
Funny thing is, I bought a brand-new pair of skates a year ago but for a number of reasons, I hadn’t been able to break them in right.
Kelly said to me a week before Christmas, it’s time for change, work those skates in!
It’s scary sometimes when it’s time in our life to take steps forward on the way to progress.
So I’ve been working in those skates in the past 2 weeks and while the first day or 2 was a little stiff, it’s gotten easier by the skate and I’m getting ready to “skate” so to speak into my 2023 hockey world...
But I’ve been wondering why it took so long to finally push forward, deal with the pain, stiffness of new skates and get going….
My family has always been about progress….. today’s progressive thought on the word “progressive” seems to have been hijacked politically but I’m thinking about moving in positive directions that spur growth and development.
My mom came from humble beginnings but learned many skills, was an accomplished bible teacher, seamstress to name a few things besides being an amazing mother to more than just my brother and I……
Mom wanted to try new things and travel to new places.
I remember when my best friend and troublemaker, Dale had moved to Atlanta, one day mom said, “Dave, let’s got visit Dale! I want to see that boy and I’ve always wanted to visit Atlanta. Make it happen!” And we did…
After he moved to Orlando, mom said about 2 months before she passed away that her new dream was to visit Dale in Florida… She wanted to also see Mickey Mouse…. We didn’t make it but….
Even at 94 years old, always thinking New…. Change…..Progress…
Dad, who came from Bermuda to Canada, Bermuda that never had seen snow before, well that Bermuda produced a son who came to Montreal by way of Toronto and in our neighborhood, Dad created the winter front yard hockey rink that all the neighborhood kids came to.
He leveraged his master carpentry skills and took a chance to do something most wouldn’t even attempt but….Progress…
What’s Our Progress Point For 2023?
I know my progress points are my catering business, an offshoot of my blogging and posting idea which is scary to think of how on earth would it look but it is exciting to work towards progress.
I have a fitness goal this year as well. I know that there is more road to walk and experience the adventure of life in this phase of my journey so it is time to embrace the wonderful aspect of progress…
What is it about Progress that excites or scares us?
Is it because we don’t feel we can or are there circumstances, situations that make it “Seem” like we could never see ourselves making progress?
Maybe…..it’s time to forget just talking about a New year’s resolution about our health and begin the process to actually do something positive about it….
Maybe…. It’s that new hobby, new class, new adventure that we may have been putting off that now is calling us for change.
Maybe… it’s the grudge, the anger, the bitterness, the unforgiveness that has gripped our lives for far too long and progress demands that we do something about it in a positive manner this year.
Maybe…. There are spiritual roots that maybe have been neglected for whatever reasons and it’s time dig those wells again.
Maybe… We’ve kept doing the same things over and over, expecting a different result but progress demands different… Change
Here’s Some Good Medicine For The Start Of The New Year!!
Maybe it could be because we may have never walked a new road or changed directions before but sometimes, for true change to come in any form, we have to shift to new lanes and ways of thinking through life.
The Bible talks of this in an interesting passage via a picture story that Jesus told.
Matthew 9:17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”
The idea of putting new wine in an old, inflexible wineskin would’ve been regarded as foolishly wasteful because the old, dried-out wineskin would simply crack and drain out all of the new wine.
There comes a time in our lives when we “Must” look at where we are, who we are and where we are going and if progress demands a shift from how we’ve done things in the past, for our sakes, let’s not ignore those promptings and urgings..
Spending some time at the gravesite, I could hear her voice saying, “Dave, try some new things this year; It’ll be good for you!” I could also hear dad saying, “Progress son, progress!”
C.S. Lewis said, “Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man or woman who turns back soonest is the most progressive man/woman.”
So, is this the year that we not talk progress but actually make progress because we intentionally decide to move forward in whatever areas that we feel prompted to move in?
Maybe we could be nervous, not sure of what things could look like....
While valid to be nervous, fear has always been a liar and has caused many to “freeze out” of their destiny’s, new horizons and more.
I was doing some reading for something I am working on and I stumbled upon this verse that over a few days of meditating, will be my bedrock verse for this year.
I believe that the things I see in my mind’s eye will begin to come to fruition because I have set my mind and feet in the direction of progress and with God’s help, I will see thing come to pass.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted (and the speed) as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. Habakkuk 3:19
Another translation says,
Counting on God’s Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I’m king of the mountain!
So, this New Year demands progress for all of us; I’m walking the road… I trust you’ll join me this year!!!
Dave
#ForwardFriday#Progress#Skates#ThoughtsAboutMom#NewRoads#NoFear#NewHorizons#NewFrontiers#Blog#Speaker#TakeAChance#ItsGoingToGetBetter#Change
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