André and Sarah Dugger

André and Sarah Dugger
Author of Dear God and Prayer: Your Own Letter To God

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Encourage Others To Be The Best They Can Be

One of the great joys of life is being able to encourage and assist others in accomplishing their dreams. It has been a wonderful privilege of mine to walk alongside a good friend as he has accomplished one of his dreams. When Letters to God opens in theaters April 9, people all across the nation will be able to receive an incredible blessing as they watch the dream of Patrick Doughtie become a reality.

Following the death of his son Tyler, Patrick has lived with a passion to fulfill his dream of honoring his son and his God, while also bringing a clearer focus on the need for providing more funding for childhood cancer research and cures. He took screen writing classes, attended film festivals, and worked to hone his craft as a writer and prepare himself to be a director.

If you have any doubts about how successful he has been, just go see Letters to God on April 9, and I'm certain you'll be convinced. What a joy it is to see a friend accomplish something so fabulous.

Two questions:

1. What dreams do you have that you need to get busy fulfilling?

2. Who is in your life that you need to encourage and assist to fulfill their dreams?

Get up and get going. Fulfill your dreams and help others fulfill theirs. You will discover that both of these feats will radically change your life.

And when you go see Letters to God, remember, it all began as a dream!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Letters to God - A Story of Hope

If you haven't heard about Letters to God, you soon will. It is an incredible movie that is being released in theaters April 9, 2010. The movie was inspired by a little boy that I knew and loved dearly. His father, Patrick Doughtie, is a very good friend of mine and he wrote the screenplay and co-directed the movie that was directed and produced by David Nixon. Patrick even blessed me by allowing me to help him and serve as associate producer.

I want you to know that the message of this movie is very real. There really was a little boy named Tyler and his life of faith, hope, and love was really used of God to touch the lives of many people. As amazing as it sounds, Tyler is touching even more lives now from heaven.

If you need to be encouraged, you need to go see Letters to God. If you need your spirits lifted you need to go see Letters to God. If you need to develop more faith, you need to go see Letters to God. If you are looking for true hope, you need to go see Letters to God. If you need to be reminded what true love is, you need to go see Letters to God.

If you have anyone in your life that is special to you, you need to make sure they go see Letters to God. Rent out an entire screen and take all your friends. Get your church to rent out several screens or even an entire theater. Get your community organization to go see Letters to God together. God will revolutionize your life through this movie.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

The Simple Things

I am sitting on the couch with my lovely wife. We are having a fabulous discussion about our children even as we watch three of them and a friend play football in the snow. We don't get a lot of snow here but when we get even a small amount the kids sure make the most of it.

Last night we had a great time as well. Sarah and I played a card game with several of our children while the rest of the kids played hide-n-seek out in the snow. We have experienced a lot of laughter the past twenty-four hours.

With six children there is always a lot going on around our house, but I have discovered it is the simple things in life that bring the most joy. Engaging your spouse in conversation, watching your kids play outside, and playing games with your kids are just three examples.

Begin enjoying the simple things in your life. Slow down a little bit and enjoy the journey we call life.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

It's Mirror Time

This is the perfect time to take the time to evaluate where you are in life and begin to make any needed adjustments. This is mirror time. Look in the mirror and see where you are physically. Look in the mirror and see where you are spiritually. Look in the mirror and see where you are with your family. Look in the mirror and see where you are vocationally.
The first thing we need to do is to resist the temptation to refuse to look into the mirror. Sometimes we pretend that if we don’t see it, it isn’t real. Be mature enough to look into the mirror in every aspect of your life. As you begin looking into the mirror resist the additional temptation to simply notice a need for adjustment and then remain satisfied with the status quo. One thing is for certain, if you continue doing what you have been doing you will continue getting the same results you have been getting.
Small adjustments in life can bring gigantic positive results. Spending a little more time each day exercising can have phenomenal positive benefits on your body. Spending a little more time in prayer and Bible study with God each day will greatly change your life. Spending an extra few uninterrupted minutes with your spouse and children each day can dramatically strengthen your family. Spending a few more minutes each day seeking God concerning your vocational call and focusing on how to better fulfill that call can prove extremely beneficial both today and for the future.
What adjustments do you sense God is leading you to make in the different areas of your life. Write a few down. God, I believe You want me to make the following adjustments in my life:
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Look in the mirror and begin to experience the exciting life God has planned for you!