Jan 20

Be Deliberate in Prayer

prayJanuary 20, 2016

I love to pray … I can literally spend what feels like hours in prayer.  At church a couple of summers ago, we went to a class on intimacy and the first hour was all about prayer.  The dedicated conversation time with God with the encouragement to create time to pray with our spouses daily.  This daily act changed my marriage.  It changed both mine and my husband’s hearts and so now everything is different.  We take everything to God in prayer and are blessed two ways:

  1. We get to see God at work answering prayer.  Hearts and lives transformed by our heavenly Father.
  2. We get to learn patience and submission as God does things in His perfect timing and provision according to His will.

Consider this – when we pray, we are building a personal relationship with the God of the Universe that exists through eternity past and future …. W.O.W.

There are a lot of different ways we pray:

  • We pray scripture – get aligned with the Word of God
  • We pray by categories – focus on various topics that can influence us daily like government, injustice, leadership, marriage, entertainment, protection, business, etc
  • We pray without delay – start praying the moment the Holy Spirit prompts or when a friend asks … circumstances and words don’t need to be prepared – it is a heart thing
  • We pray with community – build strength and intimacy with brothers and sisters in Christ
  • We pray FUN prayers – the memory makers, joys and celebrations that we praise and thank God for
  • We pray FAMILY prayers – these are the needs of our family and the theme or focus we have for the year (for us – consistency!)
  • We pray BIG prayers – these are the prayers that are designed to scare you!  Ask God to move mountains or have the sun stand still because He can do it!

When man works, man works.  When man prays, God works!

 

Jan 19

Make Time for You

too busyJanuary 19, 2016

I love people.  I love spending time with others especially if I am able to help them in some way.  The past couple of days have been filled with lots of helping!

Literally – If I have been awake – with the exception of getting my hearing aids checked out – I was helping others …. Don’t misunderstand me – I. Love. To. Help.  I really do!!!  I just need to make sure that I don’t over fill my calendar or attempt to cram all of my helping into a very tiny window of time.

In looking at my schedule – I open up around 3p tomorrow.  I think I will schedule a movie night for tomorrow and force a little down time in my schedule …. I think Thad will like that.

Jan 18

Know the Maintenance Schedule

imageJanuary 18, 2016

pretty much everything runs best when there is some sort of schedule.  This includes all the electronics and stuff that we use everyday to keep things running smoothly!

Not it everyone knows I wear hearing aids, but last week my audiologist called and said that it is been quite sometime since she had seen me… she requested that I schedule a visit to see how things are going.

I thought it was pretty cool, and I thought she missed me 😉.  When I went in today, it turns out it is been four years since my last hearing check.  She did the quick test and updated my programs to match where my ears are today.  I can hear much better now.  I thanked her as I was leaving and expressed that I was glad to see her again.  She very politely said, “Don’t be a stranger.  They should really be checked every 3months.”

oops!  I’m now scheduled to see her again in April.

Jan 17

Spend Time with Inlaws

January IMG_130017, 2016

We finally were able to have Christmas with the Arms side of the family …. It really was a nice time together.  It has been reschedule a few times based on  illness and in all of the re-arranging, we made it work so that our nephew could come too.

It really is shocking to realize our nephew is almost 22!  It feels like yesterday when we were giving him a little Simba outfit and bouncing his pudgey little self on our knees.

They drove over from Fort Worth and we did church together this morning before heading home for brunch, visiting and presents.  Combine that with a cold but sunny day and you have the makings of a very Merry Christmas celebration!

 

 

Jan 16

Help Each Other Out

IMG_1391January 16, 2016

One of my favorite things about our Plexus business is that we get to help other people do things they never realized they could!  It’s like our title should be Dream Builder.  Today, in just under an hour, I get to help one of my closest friends launch her business.  I will be hosting 7-10 of her friends in my home for a brunch as we together share the life changing benefits of Plexus?  Some will say yes to their own business, some will become her customers, and some won’t be interested – and that is totally ok!  Helping is about the offering not the acceptance of the gift!

We will spend about an hour pondering “What if this could change everything?”  Because if you give it a chance, it can and will change everything.

  • Your Health
  • Your Weight
  • Your Finances
  • Your Job
  • Your Free Time
  • Your Life

seriously …. what do you want to be different in your life … what if this really could change everything?

Jan 15

Get it done early

Version 2January 15, 2016

I am definitely more of a night owl than I am an early bird.  Almost a year ago, I read a leadership book that talked about habits of successful people.  One of the common habits was getting up early … seriously!  I was hoping it was going to say something about daily dark chocolate squares.  So Thad and I switched things up and started getting up by 7:00am everyday and then eventually 6:00am.  The funny thing about our schedule, when we cruise, we frequently get up with the sunrise before 6:00am and naturally fall asleep around 10:00pm.  So we know we can do it!

When I got released back to working out, it was time to crank it another  notch earlier.  Thad chose Camp Gladiator as our workout routine and our camp is at 5:15 MWF and so we are up by 4:30 those mornings!  It is dark when we start and when we finish. [I am believing that it will be so worth it when its like 110 outside in the Dallas summer!]  But for now, work out done, shower done and I am enjoying breakfast and my quiet time waiting to watch the sun come up!

Jan 14

Where is the balance?

balanceJanuary 14, 2016

All of the New Year resolutions swirling about and so many great and wonderful ideas of how to make it all happen. I am the type that wants to dive in head first and make it all happen yesterday. So how do I work towards everything? Get simple – Balance!

With my neurological challenges – balance isn’t just difficult physically, it shows up across all areas of my life – literally everywhere. Black and white all-or-nothing thinking can stifle and squelch any dream, goal, plan, or vision of any size.

To bring about balance, what is it I am looking for? The definition makes it sound easy:

an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady; a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions; keep or put something in a steady position so that it does not fall.

It will be interesting to see how balance unfolds with all of my free time … And in case you are curious, my hubby loves to stack things and we tried to build a bridge like this once.  He said if my hands were more steady it would have worked – I personally think super glue would have helped a lot more than steadying my hands.

Jan 13

So Much Free Time

dog in hammockJanuary 13, 2016

Anyone that has every seen my schedule knows that it is color coded and most every block of time is accounted for.  I make time for everything from quiet time to home maintenance and management to workouts to time with friends and family.  There is time for being with people and time for solitude.

A little over a year ago, when Thad and I were living at a hotel, we realized just how busy we were and how little margin we had in our life.  It’s not that we were doing bad stuff – it was all actually really good – there was just too much of it.  So we started putting in boundaries and blocking off time for us!

Today, I went through and cleared all of the time I had blocked off for various things I did for Shelter on the average week.  My schedule looked empty and I felt panicked.  I also felt more than a little crazy …. so I got up to get some water and to take a break.  On the way to the kitchen, I passed my craft closet and paused.  I got my water, went back to my calendar and smiled.  I think I know how to use some of that newly created free time.

Jan 12

Let Go and See

let go and seeJanuary 12, 2016

There comes a time in life when holding on to something keeps your hands too full for the next thing God wants to give you. For the past 5 years, I have been blessed to lead in and serve the women in Shelter at Watermark Community Church. I’ve been blessed by a front row seat to the healing transformations God was doing in the lives of women who, like me, have been sexually abused or assaulted.

During this time, God was also doing a mighty work in my marriage. He taught my husband to lead and love well and he taught me to joyfully surrender, submit and truly be a helper.

Today I officially let go of my directional team position at Shelter to be able to fully serve with Thad. It is bittersweet letting go, though I know God is opening up a whole new era in our lives as we work together, grow together and serve together. I’m excited to see what happens next!

Jan 11

Killing my Comfort Zone

Comfort Zone Quotes - A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there

January 11, 2016

When I went through life coach training, we talked a lot about our comfort zone.  It is my safe place.  Everything is known.  I can maintain the illusion of control and pretend that everything is fantastic.

In reality, my comfort zone is cramped and stagnant.  The air is still and it is hard to breathe. The thought of leaving my comfort zone is still terrifying.  What is out there?  Is it safe?  Will I get hurt?  Will I fail? Every fear that I have ever experienced all comes rushing out of me in a single thought – and I am faced with a decision.  Will I let my feelings determine my reality?

Over the past few years with the help of my hubby and my friends, my comfort zone has been torn down little by little.  Some of the destruction of the “safety shrine” I created in my mind was easy to give up while other areas were more of a struggle.  There has been a ton of change in the past year, and tonight is my last night to go to bed with my comfort zone fully intact.

It is time to fully step into the new unknown.  My heart is pounding.  My hands are shaking.  My eyes are watering.  And some where deep inside, I know my safety net is God alone.  I can stand on His truth and His promises. His Grace is Sufficient!