Nan's Calendar

by   Nan Forehand,  Statesville, NC

The concept of Nan's Calendar was once a thought in my mind.  I imagined a way of reaching out to others to inspire and encourage them.  This concept became a reality when I began writing entries in my journal on August 1, 2007.  By October 21st, God took me to the next level, that medium being email.  The day the following poem was written was the day Nan's Calendar went from being handwritten journal entries to being sent out to family and friends by way of email.  At that time, my goal was to encourage as many people as possible.  The Lord guided my words each time I sat down and rested my fingers on the keyboard of my computer.  As September 2009 approached, it was time to transition Nan's Calendar to a higher level.  Allen set me up online and September 21st was the first publication on the blog.  Because of a grateful heart, I imagined a way to encourage others.  I believed in something greater than myself, that being, my belief in Jesus Christ and a calling from God to serve others in this capacity.  I know I have achieved success when I receive word from folks telling me they appreciate my messages of faith, hope and love.  I don't worry about what will be the focus of the next message.  That is for God to know and for me to find out.  It is an exhilarating experience for me each time God reveals a simple truth to me to share with you.  If I had shirked from God and showed no faith, you wouldn't be reading this message today.  Only God knows where Nan's Calendar will go next.
One of the greatest gifts God gave each one of us is the gift of imagination.  However, the imagination can be a blessing or a curse, depending on the focus of our thoughts.  Train your mind to think and to dwell on good thoughts rather than negative ones.  Focus on a positive "what if" rather than a negative "what if".
We all want to believe in something good, and to believe in something, we must first be exposed to an idea.  It is our choice as to whether we believe something or not.  If we don't have enough information upon which to base a decision about a particular idea, we must have the hunger for more knowledge.
We all know the exhilaration of an accomplishment we thought difficult in the beginning.  For everything in life, there is a beginning, a middle and an end.  We only know fear if a negative "what if" was planted in our mind, whether it be in our subconscious mind or our conscious mind.   It really does take courage to step out of our comfort zone into the realm of the unknown.  We are better prepared for the unexpected when our thoughts are anchored in positive rather than negative  beliefs.  If you believe you will succeed, then you will.  If you believe you will fail, you won't be wrong. 
Imagine something good.  Believe something good.  Achieve something good.  Accomplishments are sweeter victories when we have served another person.  Dare to imagine a better life.  Imagine the thought of this place called Heaven.  Believe in something you can't see before you at this moment.  Jesus did die to atone for the sins of the world, yours and mine included and He did rise from the dead.  He alone can save our souls from an eternity in hell.  Achieve your goals.  When we acknowledge a sin and ask the Lord for forgiveness, He does forgive us and He remembers the sin no more.  Remember, with God, nothing is impossible.  Dare to imagine, to believe and to achieve!

Imagine, Believe, and Achieve

written by: Nan Forehand
Sunday, October 21, 2007

Imagine
to conceive in the mind
a world of a spiritual kind
where peace and love abound
this places exists and can be found
this place is called Heaven
Believe
to take as real and true
Jesus Christ died for me and you
to have faith without a doubt
Christ alone has omnipotent clout
Christ alone can save your soul
Achieve
to do; accomplish
Jesus can cleanse our every blemish
through Him nothing is impossible
dare you say probable
dare you to imagine, to believe and to achieve
Dare
to have enough courage