Many of you may know that at Living Stones Church, our Worship Arts department has a ministry known the School of Worship Arts (SOWA). The goal of SOWA is train up worshipers and worship leaders. We've been doing this for several years now and have seen some incredible fruit as many past students are now involved in our worship teams. Having said that, last night I was teaching one of my students piano. Her desire is to become good enough to be able to lead worship from the piano. She has been involved in music her entire life and feels called to this.

Here's where the discussion began. Her reason for getting back involved in lessons was to help motivate her to develop her skill. Immediately I was reminded of a similar discussion that I had with an incredible mentor in the area of worship, Rory Noland. Rory has written several books including The Heart of the Artist, The Worshiping Artist, and The Thriving Artist. I had the opportunity to sit down with him for lunch this last summer in Chicago. In our discussion, I told him that I had asked my wife, Charlene, to help encourage and motivate me to begin writing more regularly. He stopped me right after making that statement. What he told me has remained engraved upon my mind (after I wrote it in my Moleskine). He said, "You have to have enough will power and motivation to do this on your own without anyone including the encouragement of your wife."

From these two experiences, here's what I am learning about myself and those around me. We MUST determine in our hearts and minds what we're called to do. From there, if we truly believe what God has called us to do, we MUST do whatever it takes to make it happen. Every single one of us have a long list of excuses why it can't happen. They range from the lack of time, lack of finances, lack of . . . you name it.

I can remember thinking the same thing at the beginning of this year when I knew we were supposed to pursue recording a live worship album at Living Stones. However, as we began to think differently and creatively, we came up with a plan that would allow us to record the entire project without costing Living Stones a dime (not even a penny!). You see, we didn't allow the limitations of finances to keep us from doing what God had called us to do. Did we have to think in ways that we had never before. ABSOLUTELY! Did we have to be very creative to make it happen. FOR SURE! But we didn't allow the typical excuses that limited us from the past to keep us from doing what we knew we were supposed to do presently.

Today is the day to settle this issue in your heart. What were you created to do? Are you doing it? If not, find a way to take simple steps toward achieving your dream. If you don't, next year at this time you'll be one year older with the dream still burning in your heart and the level of frustration increase as time ticks away. Don't wait for tomorrow!