Did you ever play this game as a kid (or maybe even as an adult)?
You are just going along your merry way, you have almost made it to the finish line, that 100 square with the big ribbon on it is in sight... and all of the sudden you hit a chute! Just like that, you find yourself all the way back to the bottom of the board. You are crushed, devastated, ready to give up because the board is filled with so many chutes you wonder if you will ever be victorious.
Such is life, right?
We find ourselves just going along our merry way... then BAM! Tragedy strikes, sickness is diagnosed, a job is lost, the stock market crashes, the economy is turned upside down, bills aren't getting paid... you have hit a chute and it sends you spiraling to the bottom of the board.
So what are you going to do?
Become frustrated because it feels like you are faced with so many obstacles?
Wallow there because you know more problems are waiting?
Determine that there is no point in trying again?
OR... grab a ladder and climb out!
Oh the joy that comes when you land on a ladder... you are at the lowest of lows, there are so many squares on the board and so many chutes that you need to get by, right? But then, one spin of the spinner lands you on the biggest ladder on the entire board and you climb all the way to the top. Oh, glorious day!!
You have the ability, with God's help, to shift your perspective and climb the ladder!
See, when you encounter a problem, it does not have to send you into a downward spiral. That is what happens when we are not being good stewards of our mind and we allow the problem to consume us instead of focusing on the solution.
Immediately, look up. Ask God to allow you to see this problem from His perspective. What is the end result that can only be reached by walking this particular road? Oh my, when we can take that high road and look at things from above, we quickly realize that "our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." 2 Corinthians 4:16
(Ok, wait... let's be real... we may not quickly realize that truth, but it is possible to eventually be able to recognize the good, see the light, and find the purpose.)
Yes, you will be faced with difficulties and challenges.
Yes, you will hit chutes in this life that will send you spiraling.
Yes, you will find yourself being blindsided with trouble.
On these days, look to Jesus and affirm your trust in Him.
Yes, you will have days when life is good.
Yes, you will have moments when problems are absent.
Yes, you will experience times of victory.
On these days, rejoice and thank Him continually.
No matter if you find yourself at the bottom of a chute or the top of a ladder, always keep your eyes on the prize, the end goal, the hope of Heaven.
Until next time...
Until next time...
Blessings!!
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If you are looking for support and encouragement, and a group of like-minded women looking for the same, you are welcome in Guarding the Gate. We are getting ready to embark, together, on a 30-Day Transformation Challenge to take back control of our days and shift our focus. Find us HERE, the gate is open for you, friend!
Have you ever thought about something so much you believed you actually did it without actually doing it?!? No, just me... ok. Well, case in point, I thought so much yesterday morning about getting this week's post up, that I thought I actually did it, only to find out today it was still set to draft. LOL
But timing is everything, so I believe there is someone who needs this message specifically for TODAY.
But timing is everything, so I believe there is someone who needs this message specifically for TODAY.
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"There was a king and he once said to the court sages - I have a ring with one of the finest diamonds in the world and I want to hide a message under the stone that can be useful in a situation of extreme despair. I will give this ring to my heirs and I want it to serve faithfully. Think of what kind of message will be there. It must be very short to fit in the ring.
The sages knew how to write treatises, but did not express themselves in one short sentence. They thought and thought, but did not come up with anything.
The king complained about the failure of his venture to a faithful old servant who raised him from infancy and was part of the family. The old man said to him:
“I’m not a sage, I’m not educated, but I know such a message. For many years spent in the palace, I met a lot of people. And once I served a visiting mystic whom your father invited. And he gave me this message. I ask that you don’t read it now. Save it under the stone and open it only when there’s no way out at all.
The king listened to the old servant.
After some time, the enemies attacked the country and the king lost the war. He fled on his horse and his enemies pursued him. He was alone, his enemies were many. He rode to the end of the road. There was a huge deep cliff before him, if he fell there, it is the end. He could not go back, as the enemies were approaching. He already heard the clatter of their horses' hooves. He had no way out. He was in complete despair.
And then he remembered the ring. He opened it and found an inscription: “This too shall pass”
After reading the message, he felt that everything was quiet. Apparently the pursuers got lost and proceeded in the wrong direction. Horses were no longer heard.
The king was filled with gratitude to the servant and the unknown mystic. The words were powerful. He closed the ring set out on the road. He gathered his army and returned to his state.
On the day when he returned to the palace, they arranged a magnificent meeting, a feast for the whole world - the people loved their king. The king was happy and proud.
The old servant came up to him and said softly: “Even in this moment, look at the message again.”
The King said, “Now I am a winner, people are celebrating my return, I'm not in despair, not in a hopeless situation."
“Listen to this old servant,” the servant answered. “The message works not only in moments when everything is bad, but also in moments of victory.”
The king opened the ring and read: "This too shall pass."
And again he felt a silence fall over him, although he was in the midst of a noisy dancing crowd. His pride dissolved. He understood the message. He was a wise man.
And then the old man said to the king; “Do you remember everything that happened to you? Nothing and no feeling is permanent. As night changes day, so moments of joy and despair replace each other. Accept them as the nature of things, as part of life”"
Take some time to ponder this parable today, friend. Look back on the events of your life, both good and not so good, in light of 'this too shall pass.' Grab a journal or notebook and consider jotting down your thoughts and feelings about this. I bet ya weren't expecting homework! ;)
Until next time...
Until next time...
Blessings!
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If you are a lady looking to find encouragement and wanting to fill your FB feed with positive vibes, I invite you to check out our new group...
You are the gatekeeper... you get to decide what you will allow into your home, your body & your mind. Easier said than done sometimes, I get it!
This group is a place for women to come together and find their reinforcements. Here you will be educated, inspired, and equipped to guard your gate and guard it well!
Hey Friend,
Are you an 'early to bed early to rise' kinda person, or a night owl who has a hard time crawling out of bed in the morning (or afternoon)?
I have never really been a night owl, but also not a super early riser until the last few years.
I stumbled upon this book called 'The Miracle Morning' (ever heard of it? read it?) and it had me intrigued. I don't want to spill all the beans, so let me just share with you the blurb from the back cover...
"What if you could miraculously wake up tomorrow and any - or every area of your life was transformed? What would be different? Would you be happier? Healthier? More successful? In better shape? Would you have more energy? Less Stress? More Money? Significantly better personal and professional relationships? Which of your problems would be solved?
What if I told you that there is a 'not-so-obvious' secret that is guaranteed to transform any - or literally every area of your life, faster than you ever thought possible? What if I told you it would only take 6 minutes a day?
Enter the Miracle Morning. What's now being practiced by thousands of people around the work could perhaps be the simplest approach to creating the life you've always wanted. It's been right there in front of us, but this book has finally brought it to life.
Are you ready? The next chapter of your life - the most extraordinary life you've ever imagined - is about to begin."
Woah! Those are some pretty serious claims, right?
Let me back up a minute and tell you this isn't some far-fetched, woo-woo, hoogely-boogely stuff... I'm not all about that.
It's also not simply a get-rich-quick kinda book that touts nothing but prosperity and wealth... I'm not all about that either.
This is about YOU... your mindset, your outlook on life, your attitude.
See your life is what you make it. That doesn't mean things will always be easy and that you will never fall on hard times or walk through dark valleys... but the way you approach those moments in your life is what will make all the difference.
So why am I telling you this...
Guarding the Gate opens in just one week (if you aren't sure what that is, you can click THIS LINK for the description), and one of the first things we will be doing there, TOGETHER, is a 30-Day Miracle Morning Transformation Challenge. This will be based off of the book (obviously) which you can grab HERE if you don't have it yet.
Whatever negative thoughts that are already running through your head as to why you can't do this, let them go... right now! If you want to change any of those areas of your life listed above, now is the time to make it happen. "If you want your life to be different, you have to be willing to do something different first!" ~TMM
So now is your chance to do something different, with a group of others who are doing something different, too! Are you ready to...
"Conquer the morning and you'll conquer the day."
I would love to know if you plan to join us on this journey. Be sure to grab your book, request to join our group, and then either comment on this blog post, or message me personally. Share what goals you WILL accomplish during these 30 days so I can encourage you and cheer you on! And if you have questions, ask away!
Until next time... Blessings!
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Other ways to connect...
Hop over to my FREE Facebook Community where we dig deeper into each week's blog post...
Grab my FREE 'Guide to Stewarding Your Mind, Body and Money' HERE.
Hey Friend,
Would you consider yourself a patient person?
Do you like to wait for things?
Do you like to wait for things?
For me, that's a BIG NO!!
If you have been holding on to a big dream for a long time,
if you have been working towards a goal for years,
if you have been praying about a specific need for what seems like forever,
the waiting can be really hard... really hard.
That's where part of that persistence comes in that we talked about last week...
Staying the course.
Pushing forward.
One foot in front of the other.
God is always faithful to remind me through various means that even in the waiting He is still working.
“Throughout scripture, there’s not a man or woman that God used in a powerful way who didn’t first face a long and difficult time of waiting.”
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"So what do I do while I'm waiting?"
Well.... I'm glad you asked. :) Here are my thoughts...
1. Be Grateful - yes, as my friend Anna says, "Even in this you are blessed." Even in the waiting you are blessed. Grab a journal and purpose to write down 1-3 things every day that you are grateful for and allow those to be your focus.
2. Continue to Trust - even though God is not working things out as fast as you may like, He hasn't went anywhere. He still sees, hears, and knows all. Do not let your trust in His plan and purpose for your life waver in the waiting.
3. Lean In - the devil wants nothing more than for your season of waiting to cause a separation. He will begin to plant seeds of doubt and do everything in his power to steal your peace. Now is the time to press hard into Jesus, my friend.
4. Serve - shift the focus off of yourself and look outward. Who can you serve while you are waiting? God may purposely have you in this season as a way of slowing you down long enough so that you can be available to meet someone else's need.
5. Be Watchful and Hope - fill yourself with anxious expectation of what God is doing on your behalf, even if you aren't seeing it yet. There is a beautiful song by Danny Gokey called, "Haven't Seen It Yet." Find it on YouTube or Google and give a listen. Don't be so caught up in the way you think things should turn out, that you miss the blessings He is dropping all around you.
None of these things come easy friend, they require intention and perseverance. But stay the course. I promise, God isn't finished yet.
Until next time... Blessings!
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Don't forget, the gate opens on our new group, Guarding the Gate... of your Home, Body & Mind, on July 15th!
- If you are in a season of waiting and you are looking for a space filled with education and encouragement, come and join us!
- If you aren't in a season of waiting and you have education and encouragement to offer others, come and join us!
- If you are looking for a group of like-minded people and you want to just be a fly on the wall, come and join us! :)
Hey Friend, would you consider yourself a perfectionist... "a person who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection"?
I would have to answer yes for myself.
But to my downfall, that need to have things 'just right' before moving forward has oftentimes...
- kept me feeling 'stuck' in places I don't want to be
- caused me to fear not making the 'perfect' choice, so I make no choice at all
- left me feeling frustrated and discouraged over my lack of progress
Can you relate?
Thankfully, true to His amazing character, God always meets me right where I am, in the middle of my mess, with gentle reminders that He is looking for persistence rather than perfection.
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Social media has been a place where I have been able to connect with so many amazing people. But given everything that is happening in the world today, I have not been interacting much in good old FB world. Many times I am still unsure of when to speak up and when to shut up. I find that scrolling through my newsfeed no longer brings me joy.
I want a space free of politics, free of negativity, free of confusion, free of overwhelm, free of everyone knowing everything and everyone else knowing nothing, free of judgment, free of criticism...
A space where I can be me and you can be you, and that's OK...
A space where others can come to learn, be inspired and feel equipped to handle whatever it is you need to handle.
A space where YOU can feel supported, heard, and encouraged.
So I started to create that SPACE... and boy oh boy, did all the fears and doubts come right to the surface.
All of these feelings well up and spill out every time I embark on a new journey. I was reminded yesterday by a very dear friend that whenever we commit to God's good, the old devil always tries to get his two cents in there and he knows exactly where to strike... for me it is at the heart of my perfection.
The last time you tried this it failed.
Do you really think this time will be different?
What if this isn't the right choice...
There is no perfect choice, there is no perfect answer, there is no perfect outcome.
There is persistent, messy action that moves you forward... done is better than perfect.
I don't know exactly what it's going to look like...
I don't have everything perfectly planned out...
I don't know where it will lead...
and that's OK (or at least that is what I am telling myself, remember I'm not perfect!)
Do you have a spirit of perfectionism that is keeping you from taking action?
Have you been feeling led to step out of your comfort zone and do a new thing, but fears over it not being 'perfect' are keeping you right where you are?
Are you mulling over whether or not it's the right choice, so you aren't making any choice at all?
Step out in faith today, my friend.
Kick that spirit of perfectionism to the curb.
Take messy action.
Just do it.
Until next time... Blessings!
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