Category Archives: Reaching Forward Series

March 22, 2021 · 5:53 am

Word of the Week: Celebrate

Ten-year-old Ange Shephard, who grew up in a small Nova Scotia town, became enamored with Southern California, and especially Los Angeles.

In his book Forward, David Jeremiah relates Ange’s story and how she would dial the 323 area code plus 7 random numbers, and when someone answered she’d say, “Hi, is this LA?”

Then she’d hang up, just thrilled to talk to someone from Los Angeles, dreaming one day of living there. Her calls, however, came to an abrupt end when her father saw the phone bill. But her dreams didn’t. Continue reading →

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March 15, 2021 · 9:00 am

Word of the Week: Finish

In “The Greatest Finish Fails in Sports History,” Andrew Daniels relates numerous stories of runners, cyclists, and ballplayers who celebrated their victory too early, only to lose.

In the men’s 800 meters at the 2014 Shanghai Diamond League meet, Algeria’s Taoufik Makhloufi stuck out his arms and his tongue just before crossing the finish line and watched his first-place finish get usurped by Kenyan Robert Biwott.

In 2015, The University of Oregon’s Tanguy Pepiot was set to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2015 Pepsi Team Invitational. However, when he urged the crowd at Hayward Field to cheer him on, he slowed down just enough for The University of Washington’s Meron Simon to sprint past him in the final meters and snatch a last-second win. Continue reading →

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March 8, 2021 · 7:02 am

Word of the Week: Invest

In his book, Forward, David Jeremiah, tells the story of See’s Candies, began by a Canadian couple, Charles and Florence See.

Charles’ mother, Mary, moved with them and brought her treasured recipes for candies. In November of 1921, they opened their first candy store in Los Angeles. In 1972 the See family sold their thriving business for $25 million to Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate. Continue reading →

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March 1, 2021 · 3:01 am

Word of the Week: Believe

The power of belief has been well documented in physical and material pursuits in life. From sports to business, to our personal goals and dreams belief in a necessary ingredient for success.

Napoleon Hill, known for his books on self-help and positive thinking, in his classic bestseller Think and Grow Rich, wrote, “Whatever your mind can conceive, and believe, it can achieve.”

As we continue to explore the theme Reaching Forward, and discuss the 10 concepts in Dr. David Jeremiah’s book, Forward, that are encapsulated in a single word, we come to the word, “believe.” Continue reading →

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February 22, 2021 · 6:45 am

Word of the Week: Pursue

In his book Forward, David Jeremiah tells the story of swimmer Joseph Schooling, Singapore’s first-ever gold medal winner in the 2016 Olympics.

When Schooling was asked what it was like to be one of the best swimmers in the world and win a gold medal, his reply was surprising. Continue reading →

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February 15, 2021 · 7:01 am

Word of the Week: Risk

“Most of us think of risk as a negative situation we should avoid,” writes David Jeremiah in his book, Forward.

“But risk is a part of life, he observes, and it’s a big part of faith. Not every risk is worth taking but if you’re too overwhelmed by fear to correctly assess a situation, you’ll miss many opportunities for growth, increased strength, deeper faith, and success.” Continue reading →

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February 8, 2021 · 4:08 am

Word of the Week: Focus

As a young man growing up in Northern Italy, Luciano Pavarotti was torn between being a teacher or pursuing a career in music.

His mother, a cigar factory worker, often said, “Your voice touches me whenever you sing.” But a career in music was risky following World War II so she suggested he become an athletic instructor. His father, a baker and an amateur tenor encouraged him to continue developing his voice.

While he continued his musical studies he also enrolled in a teacher’s college. Following graduation, Luciano sought his father’s advice. “Shall I be a teacher or a singer?” Continue reading →

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February 1, 2021 · 6:19 am

Word of the Week: Choose

Dr. David Jeremiah. in his book Forward, suggests one of the reasons why we flounder in moving forward is a failure to diminish our distractions. And our distractions are often created by a failure to choose what is best.

“Understanding that not all things are equally important is an essential part of the forward life,” Jeremiah writes. This, of course, calls for us to set our priorities in order to stay focused and “accomplish what really matters.”

As we continue considering our theme for 2021, Reaching Forward, our word of the week reminds us that our dreams and prayers are not enough. We must make the right choices. Continue reading →

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January 25, 2021 · 7:38 am

Word of Week: Pray

“How many times have we heard people talk about the power of prayer? That is a mistake. Prayer has absolutely no power.”

These are not the words of an atheist, infidel, or unbeliever, but of a gospel preacher, Edwin Crozier. But before you dismiss this as ridiculous and quit reading, hear Edwin’s explanation. Continue reading →

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January 18, 2021 · 4:18 am

Word of the Week: Dream

In his book “Forward,” David Jeremiah tells a neat story about an Alabama woman, Mary Anderson.

In 1902 Mary was visiting New York City during a winter snowstorm. While riding a streetcar she noticed the driver had a problem with visibility because of the sleet and snow. He either had to stop and wipe the snow off the window or keep it open. Continue reading →

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