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Inspiration

Appreciate What You Have
By Joel Osteen - Sep 02, 2009
Not long ago, I was reading about a young man who was a star running back on his high school football team. He was a great player. He broke many records and was being recruited by all the major colleges. His future looked very bright.

One day, he started complaining about some pain in his right knee. He went to the doctor, and after several weeks of tests, they gave him some very discouraging news. They said he had what was called osteo-sarcoma—one of the worst kinds of cancer, and it was eating into his bones. The surgeon said, “If we don’t remove your leg, it’s going to spread throughout your whole body and kill you.” Of course, this young man was devastated. His dream to play in the NFL was now shattered. He began to sink into a dark hole of depression.

They finally performed the operation and when the surgeons could see inside, they realized it wasn’t what they thought. It was just an unusual bone cyst. They were able to remove it and spare the young man’s leg.

When the young man woke up from the surgery and realized that he still had his leg and heard the good news that he could be strong and even play ball again, he wept like a little baby.

Now, do you know what he does every single morning? He’s a young teenager, and the first thing he does when he wakes up is say, “Thank you, Lord, for my legs. Thank you, Lord, that I can run. Thank you, Lord, that I’m healthy. Thank you, Lord, that I’m strong.” Now, he has a whole new perspective.

I want to encourage you today, don’t wait until something is going to be taken from you before you really appreciate what you have. Don’t take your health for granted; don’t take your job for granted; and most importantly, don’t take the people in your life for granted. People are a gift from Almighty God, and we should appreciate everything He’s given us while we have the opportunity today.

Victoria and I just came back from Portland, Oregon over the weekend. The crowd was so enthusiastic, and thousands of people stood to dedicate their lives to Christ. I wanted to share with you what Kimberly had to say about the service:

“I walked out of there feeling empowered, having a new attitude and feeling like a totally changed person. The event was better than I ever expected, and he was so right when he said, ‘No one will leave here tonight the same!’"

Victoria and I are so honored every time we hear about a person’s life being changed through this ministry. We want to invite you to come out whenever we’re in your area and bring a friend! We know God has good plans for you and wants to take you places that you’ve never dreamed!

Victoria and I love you and believe this is going to be your best year yet! Thank you for your partnership and support of this ministry.
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