Author: Vickie L. Perez

I am a 56 year old mother of two grown boys, one little granddaughter, and wife to my best friend, Phillip. I love all things positive and interesting, and I love inspiring others to be all that God created them to be. That is why I write and coach! I love to be around positive, upward moving people, but at the same time, encouraging and bringing people up. I hope the words on these pages help someone feel better about themselves and realize their full potential in God.

Indecision Is Paralyzing

Often, Lola will start to go up the stairs, but then she stops midway. Fear? (she’s fallen before) Confusion? (can’t make up her mind if she wants to go upstairs where Daddy is or downstairs where Mommy is) Weakness? (poms are known for weak legs and knees) Doubt? (not knowing if it is worth the effort – she’s been disappointed before)

Sometimes she will whimper, turn precariously around on the step, then simply sit down on the step as seen in this photo. She won’t go up or down. If it happens during the night, she will cry until I come and get her.

Watching her this morning, the thought of indecision and how it can paralyze came to mind. Even the scripture says, “why halt ye between two opinions (decisions)? If God is God, serve him.”

When there’s not a plan, time is frittered away.
When there’s no vision, life is stagnated.

Lola finally came back down the stairs this time. Likewise, indecision will never take us higher. It will only bring us down.

Over the next few days we’ll look at four things that make us indecisive and paralyze our progress.

Decide. Begin. Believe.

Success in the Psalms: Part 2 – Succeeding in the Midst of Chaos

Psalm 2 – Success in the Midst of Chaos

Earthquakes in Italy, floods in Louisiana, wildfires in California: it seems every way we turn there is something going on that is unfathomable. From terrorists driving their cars into crowds of innocent people to mosquito bites killing people. In our families there is turmoil: from the church to the kitchen table, things seem to be upside down. How do we handle it? How can we keep our hearts from exploding and our minds from breaking down? How can we have success in the midst of so much chaos?

In Psalm 2, King David was wondering the same thing as he experienced nations all around him in an uproar and people everywhere going nuts (vs 1-3). If you’ve read about the life of David at all, you know he experienced lots of battles, heartbreak, failures, and successes, and through it all he was referred to as a man after God’s own heart. Here, in this Psalm, in this chaotic time in his life, he reveals his secret to success and staying on track when everything around him seems to be off the track.

Again, it’s a simple thing. Verse 12 says he “took refuge in Him!” When I first moved away from my home in Kentucky all the way to the Big D, Dallas, Texas – and mind you, I’d never been off Tucker Ridge – I always knew in my heart that if something went wrong or the end of the world happened (I really thought this!), I could run back home and “take refuge” at my mom’s house. Really. I felt this way. It made me fearless because I knew there was somewhere I could go where there was someone who loved me and would never turn me away.

I realize how blessed I am having grown up with such unconditional love, and I also realize that many never get to experience this; however, if you’ve never experienced this kind of love and security – even if you are near the end of your life – you still can! Just like David, you can know the love of a Father in whom you can take refuge at any time. So, before we go any further, if you’ve never had this security – or perhaps you have, but it’s been so long ago you’ve forgotten what it’s like – stop right now and run into this strong tower of the love of God. He’ll never turn you away. Ever. You can take refuge in Him right now and forever by saying, “Save me, God! Do it.

Now, how did David make it in chaotic times? He knew God was in control to the point that he said, these evil people causing all this chaos think they are in control – ISIS thinks they will infiltrate America and bring terror to all of us; the government thinks they can infiltrate every area of our lives, taxing us into submission, destroying our constitution, co-workers think they can intimidate us into denying our faith and being silent – David said, because he knew his God, “The one who created you and this universe is sitting on his throne laughing at you (not alarmed at the chaos) because He knows the end of the matter (vs 4-6).

David knew that, no matter what went on or how bad it looked, God had a plan. Often, though, we get outside of God’s plan for us – and yes, he does have a plan specifically for you – and we fall prey to the chaos and start to think, “I’ll never make it” whether it is financially, physically, mentally, or relationally. We get caught up in the day to day grind and fear grips us. I know. I’ve been there, recently!

First secret to succeeding in the midst of chaos is found in verses 10-12. Simply worship the Lord with reverence! When was the last time you let yourself truly worship the Lord? I’m not talking about turning to page 15 in the Hymnal (although that is definitely a way to worship corporately). I’m talking about, when was the last time you let yourself be still? Worship is not just singing. Google defines it as the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.

You can worship God by getting quiet in your favorite spot (mine is my patio – I’m writing this blog right now in my quiet place) and just express yourself to God. Simply tell him how you feel. Open up to God. He knows anyway, but he receives it as worship when you express yourself to him. Go ahead. Right now. Open your mouth and say something to God. David sometimes said to God, “Answer me when I call, O God…!” Being real with God is true worship.

Here, on my patio in my quiet time, I worship God. Sometimes I open my mouth and talk out loud; other times, I write my worship in my journal. If you’re not comfortable yet with talking out loud to God, I challenge you to write to God. He will read it.

The second thing to do to succeed in the midst of chaos is to “take refuge in Him!” (verse 12) For a while this chaos is going to run rampant in the world. God does not want us to dig a hole or run to the hills. He wants us to keep moving toward our goals, keep living life abundantly, and keep letting our light shine.

Well, now you are contradicting yourself, Vickie, you may say. Which is it? Keep moving or take refuge which sounds like running to the hills to me! Here is the key. Running to the strong tower of the Lord is the ONLY way we are able to keep moving, keep living, and keep shining. Back to my moving to the Big D analogy. This hillbilly was able to approach the big city, scared, away from everything familiar because I had taken refuge in knowing I was loved and couldn’t fail in the eyes of my Mom and Dad. How much more-so can we be fearless when we know the God of the universe gives me a refuge even greater than this!

Right now, where you are, you can be hidden the shadow of his wings EVEN THOUGH you are walking through the chaos. You can get up and go to your job. You can get up and look for a job if you don’t have one. You can make that presentation. You can go to the grocery and clean your house. You can meet someone on the street and acknowledge them. You can do all these things right in the midst of this chaotic world – and do it with peace and joy in your heart because you take refuge in Him which means you’ll not “perish in the way” (verse 12).

ACTION STEP

  1. Right now, determine where your quiet place will be where you can worship Him. You’ve already determined a time each day in which you will give at least 15 minutes (part 1) to the word, right? Now, designate a place and either before or after you read the Scriptures, worship Him. You don’t have to sing (although you can). You don’t have to talk out loud (although you can). But, you DO have to express yourself to God. As a minimum, write out your worship/adoration/thoughts about/to Him.
  2. Take refuge right now. Perhaps you’ve been walking around unprotected. Do not do that any longer. Say, “Protect me in this Chaos and help me succeed/function each day!” When fear jumps up in your heart, remember and say, “I have a refuge!”
  3. Now go out and succeed with your life.

As always, I love hearing from you. Share with me your victories, your failures, your plan. I will respond.

Success in the Psalms: A Look at God’s Way to Come out on Top.

I got so excited when I realized what was actually in the Psalms. They are not just a Jewish song book or a collection of feel good poems, easy to check off our Bible reading list; instead, they are a treasure of tips to overcome and succeed in every day living. So, here we go.

First, let’s clear up the fact that success is not always the size of your bank account; As Jim Rohn, someone whose advice I follow, says “Success is doing ordinary things, extraordinarily well” and “walking from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” I see this in King David. Over and over he messed up. Over and over he got back up. Over and over he praised God in every situation!

I got so excited when I realized what was actually in the Psalms. They are not just a Jewish song book or a collection of feel good poems, easy to check off our Bible reading list; instead, they are a treasure of tips to overcome and succeed in every day living. So, here we go.

Psalm 1 – Who can be Successful?

In this Psalm it is clear who can be successful. Verse two says it is the person who loves the Word of God. Not just that, but it is the person who thinks about it day and night. “Well, that’s just unrealistic,” some might say. It is if you think it means your head is in the clouds and your nose is in the Bible every moment of every day. That is not what it means. God is not stupid. He said, if a man wants to eat, he needs to work. Thus, he knows we have to get up and be about our day.

To meditate on the Word day and night means that it is your guiding principle day and night because you have given it a prominent place in your daily life. If you sat and studied the Bible all day, every day, you would get nothing done; you wouldn’t see anyone; you couldn’t help anyone; however, if you love the Word and you do meditate/study/think on it every day, it will always be in the forefront of your mind; therefore, it will guide you, preventing verse one from happening which will zap your joy, kill your purpose, and rob you of your success.

Greater still, if you love the Word, you will be confident (firmly planted v3) where you are – even if where you are is not where you want to be because you are still trying to get where you want/need to be. This love and delight in God’s word will water your spirit and mind so that you can be healthy in your thinking and planning in every day things.  A tree with a constant source of water will have roots that grow deep and branches that produce luscious fruit. So will you. If there is a constant flow of the Word into your life, your understanding will be deep and your life will result in prosperity wherever you are (verse 3). This is not man’s idea. It is God’s plan for anyone who wants to be successful. It is so simple, we miss it.

In contrast, the one who despises the Word – or not even to that extent – the one who simply pays no attention to it or has no time for it in the daily scheme of things will not have it pop into their mind when decision making comes around; there is no thought given to it; they just simply chose what seems best at the time or what others have done that works. Therefore, as opposed to being confident and able to stand, this one will be blown about like dust in the wind – or the proverbial ship tossed about by the waves.

“Well, I know some very successful people who don’t give a flip about the word of God, and they are running circles around me,” you may say.  It is true; good happens to the just and the unjust; however, that success is short lived. Do not look to those whose end is destruction (though it looks great at the moment). Look to the one who created the universe and shows the way to true success, both now and forever.

ACTION STEP:

  1. Look at a calendar right now. Consider your schedule. For the next 21 days, write down a time that you will focus/meditate on God’s Word. Some love the early morning quiet. Others use their mid-day break. Night owls love the late night quiet time. Pick one. Give the Word a minimum of 15 minutes in your life every day. If you say “I’m going to spend more time in the Word,” and you don’t plan when that will be, most likely it won’t happen.
  2. During this 15 minutes, highlight in your Bible or write in a journal at least ONE thing that stands out to you for this day’s reading.

Share with me here which time you will carve out for the Word.

When Life Includes Death

In Psalm 13 David feels abandoned and says, “Lord, how long are you going to forget about me. I can’t take it any more because my heart breaks all day long!” We’ve all been there, right? I know so many are there right now. I know hearts are breaking right now because of loved ones who have been lost to a broken world.

David said, “If you don’t help me understand this, I’m going to die, and then those who don’t know you will say laugh and say ‘some God he served'”

There’s no words for what two of my family members have recently gone through, my cousin here in KY and my niece in TX: my cousin lost her baby who was 7 months old, and my niece lost her husband to be.

In the midst of all his loss and feelings of abandoment, David said, “But…I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because He has dealt bountifully with me.”

Some would say, “there is no lovingkindness in this” “there is no reason for rejoicing.” Yet, God is near to a broken and contrite heart; there is only refuge in Him. As long as we live in this broken world, we will not understand many thing, but there is still hope.

Cling to the Father. Let him be your strength. We will see our loved ones again; hold out for that day. Let the God of peace keep you, and let your soul find rest in Him. If any man be in Christ, though he is dead, yet shall he live.

Where’s My Owner’s Manual?

…new means different. As a matter of fact, Google’s definition of new is: not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time.

I read this morning about the meaning of prototype and it made my day – even though I know this – the reminder that God loves me uniquely and I’m special to him (I’m his prototype and there’s not another one like me), it was like hearing it for the first time! How can that be? Oh wait. The scripture does say that his mercies are new each day doesn’t it.

What’s really cool about this is, new means different. As a matter of fact, Google’s definition of new is: not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time.

That is why, when we hear a scripture or an encouraging word from God, even though we may have read the Bible through 10 times, in his mercy and brilliance, he gives us a NEW perspective of it. He created us, remember? He knew we needed fresh mercy, fresh energy, fresh creativity, fresh ideas.

He could have created all of us humans to be just alike: same hair, same heighth, same build, but he made each one of us new; he didn’t duplicate or repeat. Each one of us is his own special prototype, unique to his special idea when he created and formed us in our mothers’ wombs. No one can take our place..

There is something for you to do – a road only you can travel. Sure, other’s could walk down it, but they cannot leave the mark on that road the way you can, the way you were intended to do it. Sometimes the road is not scenic or lined with flowers and waterfalls on each side; instead, there may be rocks and mountains that seem impossible to navigate. But, remember. It’s your road. Embrace it and see what God intends to show you on your journey. Embrace it and let that new thing He is trying to do in you emerge.

How to know you are a prototype:

  1. Do you often ask yourself, “why is this happening to me” or “what exactly is my purpose”?  Then, you are one of God’s prototypes. He has the owner’s manual and knows how to put the pieces of your life together so that the finished product works as intended.
  2. Do you often feel like you cannot do this on your own anymore? Then, you are one of God’s special prototypes. He has the owner’s manual, and the special instructions reminds you that your version came with a constant companion who will never leave you nor forsake you. You are not alone.
  3. Do you often wish you could start over? Then, you are one of God’s unique prototypes. The manual has a section that discusses how to become a new creation, and I believe it indicates that you may start over as many times as necessary in order to produce what was intended for your life.

I just came back from a conference of 20,000 fitness coaches. We each listened to the same trainers, heard the same ideas, and will apply the knowledge same knowledge, yet none of us will produce the same results. Why? Because each of us is unique, and each of us has a path to travel unlike anyone else’s, and everyone’s owner’s manual reads differently because there is not a one of us who is the same. We are all a special prototype with different purposes.

Take a moment and ask yourself, “Have I consulted the owner’s manual lately?” If not, perhaps that is why the machine is not running as smoothly as it should.

Assignment:

  1. List some things that are not going well for you today (lately)._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
  2. Now check your owner’s manual, and find the section that discusses the area of your life that you listed in number one. Read it carefully, and list here what it says. (for instance, have you been feeling angry or upset and cannot seem to get your joy back? The manual says “if you have anything against someone, take care of it before you go to God.” The instructions also say to not go to bed angry so that a root of bitterness doesn’t begin to grow. From this I would write: “Lord, I fogive that person for (fill in the offense). I give it to you tonight and will not carry it anymore”)

If this helped to remind you just how special you are and there are answers, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. I will respond.Vickie (124 of 143)

Feeding the Trolls

Your vision is clear. But, there are the trolls…waiting by the bridge of success, shaking their heads at you, wagging their knobby finger back and forth saying

“Really? You? I know where you’re from. You don’t have what it takes. Who do you think you are?”

Are You Feeding the Trolls?

Today I read a chapter in my Personal Development titled, Don’t Feed the Trolls. (Michael Hyatt) You know, those wart-nosed, green colored, wild-haired little creatures waiting under the bridge to eat you up when you cross?

That’s the vision that came to mind when I saw that title. The analogy, to me, is this: you’re on your way to the best version of you; you feel it. Your vision is clear. But, there are the trolls…waiting by the bridge of success, shaking their heads at you, wagging their knobby finger back and forth saying

“Really? You? I know where you’re from. You don’t have what it takes. Who do you think you are?”

You shrink back a little, maybe even turn around thinking he may be right. His rotted teeth appear as he smiles and slinks back beneath the bridge, feeling superior, satisfied that he’s put you in your place.

You’ve just fed the troll: the troll of fear. The troll of mediocrity. The troll of negativity.

If we will step on that bridge in spite of these trolls, while it may be scary and even difficult sometimes, we will find that these ugly trolls get weaker and can be overpowered completely when we starve them by believing in our dream and the one who created us to overcome and refusing to entertain their negativity.

Is there a troll trying to block your progress and eat away at your confidence? Call him by name and remember, his teeth are rotted and he can’t stop you from crossing that bridge unless you feed him.

Sabbath Rest

It’s okay to stop and do nothing…

This past weekend, sitting at my desk… Aka…my bed…with business partner… Aka, Nemo, I leisurely read and pondered. There’s something about Sunday and rest, probably because God ordained it.

It’s okay to stop and do nothing, to relax and enjoy your life. In fact, if you don’t there will be no peace for you.

Six days you should crush it.

One day, you should rest it.

Pick a day. It doesn’t have to be Sunday then dedicate it to rest and reflection.

What day are you choosing?

It Scared Me.

I woke up today and nothing felt real. The question, “What in the world are you doing?!) resounded in my head. It scared me.

I looked around – there’s no furniture in my house. Everything echos. The sound isn’t something I recognize. In an instant, doubt washed over me, knocking my feet right out from under me, catching me in the riptide of doubt. What if this is all wrong!  It scared me.

Wanting to crawl back in bed, instead, the pattering scratch of my bare feet on my new laminate flooring echoed eerily as I walked to the coffee pot:”You don’t have a house.” that strange voice said. “You don’t know what you are doing. Nobody cares anyway. You are not all that, you know.”  It scared me.

My routine continued. Pour the coffee, give the Poms their morning treat, use the bathroom, get to your office (wait – it’s all packed up) – get on my bed… I’m kind of numb. I don’t want to read. I just want this voice of doubt to get out of my head. It scared me.

I did my reading anyway, as always: Paul writing to the Colossians, reminding them they were once far from God, but not any more. Stop living like the old you. Put on the new you, he says…. Wait! What did he say?  Put on the new you? You mean I can change my “mental” clothing myself? I read on.

Why yes. If I continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, not moved away from the hope of the gospel that I have heard, that has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven! It scared me.

I recognized how close I was to being moved away from my hope. I was allowing thoughts of fear and doubt to crowd in my mind. They were washing over me and I felt fear. Out of nowhere. Boom. There was fear and crazy thoughts. But, I’ve been reconciled, like the Colossians. Like Paul says.

Did I suddenly feel 100%. On top of the world? Unicorns and flowers? No. My head is still hurting. My house is still empty, but my hope is renewed, restored because of the truth that is unshakable, unmoveable. I’ve been reconciled. There is someone bigger than myself directing my paths. I’m just doing this life thing in His shadow – the shadow of the Almighty.

There are no words to explain how faith and hope carries you, lifting you above the natural, emotional waves that pound the shores of life; there is only belief. And, when that belief is real because it is founded on the Living Word, it just is. You’ll know because somehow your head stays above the water. The current of His love is your buoy, and you stay afloat. I’m not scared anymore.

Are you drowning in life? Choking and sputtering? Reach out and take the lifeline. You don’t have to be scared anymore either.

 

 

 

You Should Curse God and Die

Winston Churchill once said, “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”!!!!! I love it.

Poor Job. He was in a state of bother, scraping the scabs off his skin with a piece of a broken clay pot; his world had crumbled around him – bankrupt; his children were dead – well, you know the story. Then, his ever-loving wife tells him he might as well give it up.

But, he didn’t. He is an example of one who embodies the cliche “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” There’s a lesson here:

Some try and try and try then quit, listening to the voice of Job’s wife that says “what made you think you could do that anyway?” Thus, they end up with a mediocre life, always thinking… if only…

Some try and try and try, then try something else, then try something else, then something else, going after every “new venture” that is presented to them, ending up with a frustrated life and a laundry list of unfinished projects, always thinking… if only…

Some never try and just…settle. No commentary needed.

Then, there are those who try, try again ad infinitum. The definition for that phrase “ad infinitum” says again and again in the same way; forever. There’s a slight difference in those who try, try again ad infinitum and succeed, though. They will not keep doing it the same way when one way doesn’t work. I think that’s defined as insanity! – doing something over and over the same way expecting different results, right? Ha.

Take that and consider Google’s list of synonyms, and the real meaning comes out:

for ever and ever, evermore, always, for all time, until the end of time, in perpetuity, until hell freezes over;

In particularly, that last one. There are those who keep working toward their goal, and no matter what obstacle comes their way, they get right back up and move forward, doing whatever it takes, however long it takes. Those are the ones who make it. For instance,

  • Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because his editor felt he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” He was cheated and nearly penniless. The legend goes that Walt, working in a beleaguered office tamed one of the many mice that scurried around, kept him in a desk drawer, and fed him from his own small rations – thus Mickey Mouse was born (first known as Mortimer Mouse). -Google Books.
  • Steven Spielberg was rejected by the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts several times before winning numerous Emmy awards for numerous films
  • R.H. Macy had many retail flops before the retail giant, Macy’s -my favorite store, became a success
  • Soichiro Honda was hated by his Japanese business community because he dared to be different.Vroom, vroom, anyone?
  • Colonel Harland David Sanders, my own home state of Kentucky icon, was fired over and over No one wanted his chicken recipe! Losers…
  • The list goes on and on… Sir Isaac Newton, Vera Wang, Thomas Newton…. You should go read the list

What if they had settled? What if they’d said… if only…. What if they’d quit!

Even Scripture tells us we should keep “trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:10.  Some just take the philosophy of eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die, thinking…I can’t ever be good enough anyway.  Well, join the club. Yet, we are told that we are not to give up! We never stop seeking what God wants. We never settle! Keep reading, keep praying, keep trying…all the while, resting in the confidence that He knows your frame, that you are but dust. He knows your failures and faults, but he loves and died for us anyway!

Winston Churchill once said, “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”!!!!! I love it.

How many times have you failed? Good! Now, change your perspective, your methods perhaps, and try again!

Challenge:  write down your goal, your desire… then plan how you will go after it…again. Leave a comment of what you are going to do.

I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff…

The bad wolf will never stop huffing and puffing, trying to blow your house down. When you feel the wind of negativity in your life, if your house is built out of the bricks of faith, positivity, and love, it will withstand the gale force winds of life.

Good Wolf? Bad Wolf?

Paraphrasing an old Cherokee legend, (and Darin Hardy – one of my favorite authors. You should go check him out!) there’s a good wolf and a bad wolf inside each of us.

A son asked his father, the Chief, about this one day wanting to know what it meant because the bad wolf scared him. The wise Chief said he very well should be scared and that the only way to keep the bad wolf from coming out was to starve him and feed only the good wolf so that he was always stronger.

We, too, have two wolves. What we feed into our minds and hearts daily determines what we think on and act on or respond to. It’s hard in today’s instant society to avoid awful, sad depressing, lewd, evil images, stories, and deeds.

Therefore, we have to be even more diligent to guard our hearts (aka not feed the bad wolf), for – though we have our bad wolf pushed aside to the corner – the crumbs that fall from the table of daily living in an evil world, will slowly nourish our bad wolf if we don’t sweep the floor daily.

Here are 3 things we can do to keep starving our bad wolf:

  1. Make it a daily thing to start your day off with positivity. Even if you can’t spend 30 or even 10 minutes in the Scriptures, motivational, or self-help material, you can at least find a short, 2 minute snippet of something good – perhaps those 40 Days of Purpose cards, or I highly recommend Darin Daily emails that contain, usually, a 1 to 2 minute short video or audio.
  2. Invite God to go with you all day. If you don’t believe in the God of the Bible, what is your higher power? We all need something bigger than ourselves once in a while…or every day!
  3. Turn off the noise. Make time for quiet reflection at least once per day. Block anyone on your social media that is negative, lewd, vulgar etc., and don’t allow that stuff in your world. With a simply click (the block button or the remote on your TV) you can sweep the floor of you mind in an instant.

The bad wolf will never stop huffing and puffing, trying to blow your house down. When you feel the wind of negativity in your life, if your house is built out of the bricks of faith, positivity, and love, it will withstand the gale force winds of life.

Question:  What wolf are you feeding most days? What are you going to do to starve the bad one?