"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." --Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland 

This quote is actually painted on a wall in my breakfast nook. I read it every day, and when I fear defeat I take self-encouragement one step further. Here's how:

If you saw the movie Alice in Wonderland, think back to the scene where Alice bodly agrees to slay the Jabberwocky: She stands with sword in hand in the shadow of a towering dragon and talks herself into believing she can achieve victory over the evil she faces.

"Six impossible things. Count them, Alice! One: There's a potion that can make you shrink. Two: And a cake that can make you grow. Three: Animals can talk. Four: Cats can disappear. Five: There's a place called Wonderland. Six: I can slay the Jabberwocky."

(In the end, she beheads him.)

Here's how I talk to myself when I face an obstacle that towers over me:

Six impossible things. Count them, Wendy!
One: I live freely from the affects of child sexual abuse.
Two: And my husband has been clean and sober for six years.
Three: I'm not college educated and yet I'm a homeowner.
Four: My marriage survived my husband's battle with addiction.
Five: I wrote a book!
Six: I can slay the Jabberwocky.

There ya go. See how this works? Now it's your turn. Make a list of five things God brought you through that you once feared you'd never overcome or accomplish. You know what to do . . .

For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4: 13)