Persevere

My word for 2009!!!! I have been doing a little reading and this word has been cropping up quite a lot!
I read this in the Word For Today last Friday.

It's said that Walt Disney's request for a loan was rejected by 301 banks before he finally got a "yes". But because he refused to quit, he built the world's most famous theme park.
So, this year remember two things: (1) Perseverance is needed to win the prize. At a sales convention the manager said to 2000 of his firm's sales force, "Did the Wright brothers ever quit?" "No!" they responded. "Did Charles Lindburg ever quit?" "No!" they shouted. "Did Lance Armstrong ever quit?" "No!" they bellowed. "Did Thorndike McKester ever quit?" There was a long, confused silence. Then a salesperson shouted, "Who in the world is Thorndike McKester? Nobody's ever heard of him." The sales manager snapped back, "Of course you haven't - that's because he quit!" Quitters never win, and winners never quit.
(2) Perseverance turns adversity into advancement. Paul writes, "Everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News" (Philp 1:12 NLT). Paul didn't give up - he rose up! How did he do it? He found the benefit to him personally that comes from every trial. One Christian author writes: "Today we're obsessed with speed, but God is more interested in strength and stability. We want the quick fix, the shortcut, the on-the-spot solution. We want a sermon, a seminar or an experience that will instantly resolve all problems, remove all temptation and release us from all growing pains. But real maturity is never the result of a single experience, no matter how powerful or moving." Growth is gradual. The Bible says, "And we...are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord" (2 Cor 3:18 NIV).

Last year was a real time of testing but I realised the importance of moving on, of persevering even when all around is not looking good. So , 2009, for me is going to be consolidating that moving onwards, looking ahead and not to what has passed! Yay 2009!