Temperatures got to the upper 20’s recently in my hometown. As I looked out the window I could see a thick layer of frost on the grass outside my home.

These kind of temperatures and conditions are brutal on plant life and vegetation. However, bright little flowers line the front sidewalk of my home today, seemingly unaffected by the harshness of winter. Can you guess what they’re called? Pansies!

Pansies are one of very few flowers that can survive the harsh conditions of early winter. They can even stay alive buried under inches of snow. Which leads me to this thought-provoking question: Why, in America, do we associate the word ‘pansy’ with weakness and feebleness?

Armed with this knowledge about pansies, I think the next time someone calls me one I will say “Thank you” and take it as a compliment!  Get out there and don’t let the harshness of life get you down…be a pansy!

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season AND ITS LEAF DOES NOT WITHER; And in whatever he does, he prospers.   Psalm 1:1-3 (emphasis mine)

Scripture tells us that King David was not even considered by his family to be a prospect for anything other than being a shepherd. Yet the prophet Samuel chose him as the one whose destiny was to be King of Israel!

What did he do when he received this great announcement and anointing? He just went back to shepherding. The difference was that he now began to dream of himself as a king. The idea was birthed in his heart.

It was neither the prophet nor the dream that made David a king. It was the victory gained through the challenge of Goliath that put him on the path to kingship. Confronting this giant was a decision he had to make alone, but something within him rose up to move him to face Israel’s enemy. Again, where others only saw a young boy tending sheep, the Lord saw a mighty man leading Israel to greatness in the future!

Your challenges are your own, but God prepares you for them! What challenges are you facing today that you do not realize God has already equipped you to conquer? Search your heart, seize the moment, and be bold because of the Great One Who is within you!

Is pleasure the key to your happiness? As a child, one of my favorite experiences each fall was to go shopping for clothes! It was a special event. I grew up in a town of 1,100 people, so we had to drive to the city, spend the day shopping, and then we would eat at a restaurant! Wow!  We did this every school year, and it is one of the special yearly memories from my childhood.

Why? I was different as a child and choosing clothes made me feel special.  These clothes provided a confidence when everyone made fun of me for being so tall and lanky! I clearly recall each year as we headed out, Mother would say to me, “Leslie, as a child I only had one dress for school and church. Your father and I want you to have more than we did as children.”

Yet, more than shopping adventures and new clothes, my family gave me the meaning of life through a solid spiritual foundation—with a clear belief in God. They instilled in me a good education, a strong work ethic, and the importance of integrity. They guided my life with values by which I still live today!

I believe that without that spiritual foundation in my life, I would have been adrift in search of pleasure and happiness. Why? My generation, was (and still is) all about fast cars, big houses, high salaries, media toys and the right family! They are thrill seekers and money masters!

On December 7, 1988, an earthquake devastated the northwestern section of Armenia, killing an estimated 25,000 – 50,000 people. After the earthquake, a father rushed to his son’s school only to discover that the school had been flattened. The father remembered dropping off his son earlier that day, and as he did every day he told his son, “No matter what, I’ll always be here for you!”

When the father saw the school he feverishly began removing rubble from where he believed his son’s classroom had been. The other parents were wailing, “My son!” “My daughter!” Some even told the father to go home, that there was no chance any of the students were alive. But the father replied, “I made my son a promise that I’d be there for him anytime he needed me. I must continue to dig.”

Courageously, he proceeded alone. He simply had to know—is my boy alive or is he dead? With seemingly supernatural strength, this father continued to dig…for 8 hours…12 hours…24 hours…36 hours.

Then, in the 38th hour, he heaved away a heavy piece of rubble and heard voices. “Armand!” he screamed. “Dad! It’s me—Armand! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you’d save us! Dad, take them out first, I know you’ll be here for me!”

Moments later the father was helping his son Armand and 13 other frightened, hungry, thirsty boys and girls climb out of the debris. How could this happen? When the building collapsed, these children had been spared in a tent-like pocket. When the townspeople praised Armand’s dad, his explanation was, “I promised my son, ‘No matter what, I’ll be there for you!'”

The ancient scriptures say, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

Today we look at the last of our three Power-Phrases that will help you overcome the obstacles and hindrances you will encounter on the way to realizing your dream.

Power-Phrase #3:  The difference between great and small people is that while all may fall, small people just fall, but great people get up again.

You see, positive thinking is the power to look at your situation and find just one positive aspect, one positive thought that you can hold on to in order to transform your negative situation into an opportunity!

Regardless of what you may face today remember this, never give up! You may be at the end of your rope but remember—one positive thought has the power to loosen the grip of impossibility and propel you forward into possibility!

Today we continue with the next power phrase to help you develop the positive kind of thinking necessary to turn your negative situations into opportunities: 

Power-Phrase #2: “Great people are ordinary people with extraordinary determination.”

Standing before a large audience of farmers, Dr. Schuller recalled another family tragedy. During the great depression and several years before the tornado disaster mentioned in the previous blog post, a drought destroyed the family crops, forcing his father to mortgage everything to survive.  Dr. Schuller recalled entering the bank and seeing a sign on the wall that stated “Great people are ordinary people with extraordinary determination.”

Five years after the destructive tornado, Schuller’s father had completely rebuilt the farm, paid off the mortgage taken after the Great Depression drought, and retired a successful man!

Have you ever considered how to generate a positive thought? Over the next three days I want to introduce 3 “Power-Phrases” for you to frequently recite. Allow them to fill your sails with the wind of positive expectation!

Power-Phrase #1: Tough times never last, but tough people do. 

This phrase comes from the title of one of over 37 books authored by Dr. Robert Schuller, pioneer of the first televised church service.

Living positive in a negative world, or developing positive–thinking patterns in difficult situations, provides the creative energy and stamina necessary to tackle life’s biggest challenges.

You may be thinking, if you only knew the problems I’m facing!  Well, Dr. Schuller’s family certainly had their own share of problems. His own father, at the age of 60, lost everything when a devastating tornado destroyed their livestock, their crops, their family home and their barn. Nothing was left! Ten farms were utterly destroyed by that storm—only one man rebuilt! http://bit.ly/1Jvt5rc

When Jesus comes into a life He brings the world with Him. Suddenly, a person with limited motivation, expectation and imagination starts to dream of doing the impossible!  Dare to think limitless in some area of your life. Understand that there is more to you than meets the eye. Jesus sees the real person you are to become. He puts a vision in your heart that is bigger than what you can do without Him.

Scripture gives us an expectation of this new life that will ignite our passion for the adventures God is calling us to. Years ago, as we got out of a boat into the water off Bahol Island in the Philippines, the moonlight hit the water at just the right angle to reveal thousands of snakes in the water beneath us. We survived, and you will too, as you get out of the boat and take the risk of walking on water!

God will never give up on you. Never forget that. And that’s not all…as we throw open our doors to God, we discover at the same moment that He has already thrown open His door to us!

My husband, Kevin, and I founded the 100 Tent Project, and Tatiana is just one of dozens of Russian missionaries committed to helping the estimated 100,000 unreached villages of Eurasia through this unique method of connecting with these unreached communities and regions.

Tatiana and her evangelistic team travel from village to village with their 350-seat tent, bringing good news of encouragement, joy, and hope to regions overwhelmed by hopelessness.

No, Tatiana was not a public speaker, an educator, a government official, or an official voice of any sort.  She was a Babushka, a grandmother, who was gripped by what she saw—a staggering need with no apparent solution. But with God’s help, direction, and the gift of one great tool: a big, bright yellow and white tent, she brought an answer that has impacted the entire area.

Follow this link to find out more about the 100 Tent Project and learn why the project began, as well as its intended purpose and destination:  http://bit.ly/1SgDNLR.  If you’d like to get involved in these rural regions of Eurasia and invest in the 100 Tent Project, I encourage you to go to www.LeslieMcNulty.com.

I recall when my husband and I wanted to purchase a tent for Eurasia. We were excited because our mentor, Dr. TL Osborn, had been telling the people of the former Soviet countries to purchase tents to help the churches begin new churches.

WOW! It looked like we had an idea from God. But when we met with our mentor his response to us was, “Well, that’s not God.” Then he asked, “How many republics, nations, and regions are there in the ex-Soviet territories?”  We knew the answer to that question was a little over 100, so our response to his question was easy: “We need 100 tents!”

Immediately our mentor responded, “Now THAT’S an idea big enough for God to get involved with!” 

We thought we had a big dream with one tent that cost $25,000, but what we soon discovered was that 100 tents made room for many organizations and people from around the globe to dream along with us! Now, over 15 years later, we have 70 tents in that region and two small factories producing tents! If your dream is big enough, you can make room for others to join you in your dream!

Click here to see our vision now!  http://bit.ly/1U6SI8A