Bill Farrel - The 10 Best Decisions a Graduate Can Make

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON

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Cover design by Left Coast Design, Portland, Oregon

Cover photo Natalia Natykach / Shutterstock

Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. www.alivecommunications.com.

THE 10 BEST DECISIONS A GRADUATE CAN MAKE

Copyright 2012 by Bill and Pam Farrel
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-4393-2 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-4394-9 (eBook)

All rights reserved . No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America .

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To all those who were in our youth ministry when we were youth pastors, all who were youth in the church when Bill was the pastor, and all the remarkable interns serving at Love-Wise:

Thanks for sharing your life with us. We keep you in our hearts and prayers.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart .

PHILIPPIANS 1:7

And to Eden and Callan, our granddaughters:

You are preschoolers now but each and every day we pray you will grow into young adults who make great decisions and lead others to do the same.

Follow your parents great example and wisdom, and you will be on the path to success.

Love,
Nana and Papa

To our sons, Brock, Zach and Caleb, and to our wonderful daughter-in-law, Hannah,

Thanks for being so transparent in sharing your lives and your wisdom. It was a joy to include your words, and in sharing your experiences, we hope many graduates turn out as awesome as we think you all are.

We love you.

This is a perfect gift with purpose for any grad. I know what I will be passing out for the graduates in our lifethis book. JIM BURNS, AUTHOR OF THE PURITY CODE

In a world that says theres nothing for you after college but debt, recession, and unemployment, Pam and Bill Farrel challenge you to dream big! This book explains the dream and how to get there. A must read for any grad. RENEE FISHER, SPEAKER AND AUTHOR OF FAITHBOOK OF JESUS .

Bill and Pam Farrel are always filled with real-world advice that even I am able to put into practice. Help your graduate launch wellbuy them this book! FRANK PASTORE, RETIRED PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PITCHER AND RADIO TALK SHOW HOST

A graduate needs vision, encouragement, and someone who believes in all that God has for them. Bill and Pam Farrel provide that and more in the pages of this book. Its a book every graduate deserves to read. JILL SAVAGE, AUTHOR OF MY HEARTS AT HOME

If you can buy only one gift for the grad on your list, then get a copy of this book. When the gift cards are empty and the pens are out of ink, this is one present that will last a lifetime. ELLIE KAY, AMERICAS FAMILY FINANCIAL EXPERT

Bill and Pam Farrel are so encouraging and wise in their advice that it keeps you coming back for more. Thanks for such needed practical advice, Bill and Pam. CHAD EASTHAM, AUTHOR OF THE TRUTH ABOUT GUYS

@Tony Dungy

Its about the journeymine and yoursand the lives we can touch, the legacy we can leave, and the world we can change for the better.

@Muhammad Ali

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world theyve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. Its an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. Its a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.

@Deb and Jay Schroeder

Make each day a masterpiece.

@Mahalia Jackson

God can make you anything you want to be, but you have to put everything in Gods hands.

C ongratulations, graduate! This is a big moment in your life. One of many big moments to come. Our family knows something about big moments like graduations. The year we signed on to write this book, one son graduated from high school, another from college, and our oldest and his wife graduated with their masters degrees. We have been dreaming big dreams with them, and now we want to dream big with you.

You see, you were designed to think big and to live big. When you were very young, you invented worlds of fantasy and adventure and you regularly inserted yourself as the hero. God wants you to dream about what is possible with your life and to pursue goals that are big enough to motivate you.

Pablo Picasso said, All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.

None of these kids thought small. One of our sons told us at age two, I want to be president of the world. Kids minds are captivated with big possibilities and are good reminders of the innate drive we all have to think big.

Think back to when you were a young child. What did you want to be when you grew up? As you look forward to your life, deciding your major, what college or graduate school to attend, or what career path to take, never lose that sense of courageous adventure you had. You might not become president of the world, but you can achieve many of those dreamsas long as you keep dreaming big.

Ask your friends and family if they remember what you said you wanted to be when you grew up.

Get motivated.

Get fired up.

Focus.

Get off your seat and do something.

Weve all heard these words from coaches, parents, teachers, and others who care about us. They all point to the fact that life takes energya lot of energy.

God knows this, and when he wants to raise your energy level he puts a big desire on your heart.

When King Solomon was preparing to dedicate the newly built temple in Jerusalem, he recounted that the desire to build this temple had originated in the heart of his father: My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel (1 Kings 8:17).

And generations later, when Nehemiah led the effort to rebuild the broken-down walls of Jerusalem in the face of intense opposition, he credited their success to the peoples unwavering desire: So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart (Nehemiah 4:6).