Grab Life by the Mane

Remember how I fell in love with the Chronicles of Narnia about a year ago and then got two copies of the book(s) as my 26th birthday gifts? I came across this quote just when I was about to finish reading all of the Narnia books and was so in love (still am!) with the characters in the books, especially Aslan.

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. 
Grab life by the mane. 
Set God-sized goals. 
Pursue God-ordained passions. 
Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. 
Keep asking questions. 
Keep making mistakes. 
Keep seeking God. 
Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. 
Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. 
Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. 
Expand your horizons. 
Accumulate experiences. 
Consider the lilies. 
Enjoy the journey. 
Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. 
Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. 
Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. 
Burn sinful bridges. 
Blaze a new trail. 
Criticize by creating. 
Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. 
Don't try to be who you're not. 
Be yourself. 
Laugh at yourself.
Quit holding out. 
Quit holding back. 
Quit running away. 
Chase the lion. 

- Mark Batterson

I'm not sure who Mark Batterson is, but I like the picture he's painting in that quote. Of course, I don't mean it to be some sort of self-help quote that tells us that we need to do this and do that, and then we'll be happy. It certainly can be motivating and encouraging, but what I like about the picture is that it's telling us we are free and safe to do anything with God in the center of our life and as a source of our power! Of course, I also like it because it talks about the lion and its mane. :)