Thomas Edison tried to invent the light bulb a thousand times over (some say 5,000 tries) before he succeeded! He must have had some really rough days through those hundreds of failures. Surely some must have laughed and teased him, others surely felt pity and tried to dissuade him.</p><p>But nothing stopped Tom! And now we can easily light the night!</p><p>I like reading Seth Godin's internet blog. This morning Seth's article started with: "You can see the determination in his eyes!"</p><p>Then he continued: "That's the way a friend described someone she had just met. She was sure (just as I'm sure) that he's going places. Once the determination is in his eyes, the learning will take care of itself.</p><p>"On the other hand, if I can see the fear in your eyes, then I'm not sure that learning alone will take care of the problem. No one can prove that the path you're on is risk free or guaranteed to work. Searching for more proof is futile. Searching for more determination makes more sense." (sethgodin.com)</p><p>Yesterday I taught on mastery and the danger of giving up too soon. I noted that we often do any activities other than the one that will bring us closer to mastery and success.</p><p>Some call this diversion "ceaseless striving." It looks like activity but it goes nowhere. To get to mastery we do well to "let go" of such dust stirring frivolities and get back on target.</p><p>Of course if one has no passion, no dream, no calling, and nothing to master then ceaseless striving is all there is. Even wise Solomon wrestled with that as he started his book with, "Vanity, vanity all is vanity." (Ecclesiastes 1:1)</p><p>But not so Jesus. With a wisdom beyond the wisest man (Solomon) Jesus is prophesied as saying, "The Almighty Lord helps me. That is why I will not be ashamed. I have set my face like a flint. I know that I will not be put to shame." (Isaiah 50:7, GW) "For the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)</p><p>That's called breakthrough. That's called mastery!</p><p>What are you to master? Faithfulness? Honesty? A ministry? A mission? A purposeful prayer life? The Bible? A new business? Your marriage? Parenting?</p><p>Jesus said, "Ask and you shall receive! Seek and you shall find! Knock and the door shall been opened!</p><p>Have you given up? Those past failures are yesterday's light bulbs! Just get up and start again right where you are with the next step. Find the joy that is set before you, set you face like flint, endure and persevere!</p><p>"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. " (1 Corinthians 15:57&#150;58, NIV)</p><p>"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: Forsake not the works of thine own hands. " (Psalm 138:8, KJV)</p><p>Get on up! Light it Up! And give 'em Heaven!</p><p>Your brother, John.</p><p>John Parker meets at ChristChurch with some other believers for an interactive gathering 10 a.m. Sundays at 260 N. Sixth Street, Chowchilla. Phone John at (209) 726-0119. Email: <a href="mailto:john@plugintolife.com">john@plugintolife.com</a>