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Re-calibration Needed?

Priorities. Have you set them, or are you coasting? Coasting is kind of dangerous. As you read this, know that at any point in our lives, we can tap the brake and take control. The choice is ours.
 
Think about coasting. Cruise control. While coasting, our foot is off the pedals, maybe our shoe is off too (who else does this?), just watching the scenery go by, fingers tapping a tune on the steering wheel, mind wandering…
 
Boom! Obstacle on the road. We swerve, gripping the wheel. The car beside us honks and swerves with us. Obstacle hits the back wheel because we couldn’t swerve any further into the other lane. Where’s my shoe?!
 
Whew. Heart is pounding in our ears. Both hands back on the wheel now at 10:00 and 2:00. Music turned down a bit. Foot back on the pedal (I’ll get my shoe later) and eyes straight ahead. Taillights of the other guy fading into the horizon.
 
Dang it. That was your exit! Missed it while trying to regain control. A few miles down the road there’s a turn around. Back track. Regretting the time lost. Could have been there already…
 
The analogy falls short in a few places, but the end is the same. If we don’t have a goal, we’ll just coast through life, at the mercy of whatever comes our way. If we have goals but no real focus or priorities, we may get to our destination eventually, perhaps one shoe missing!
And, so much will have been wasted, or sadly we may continue to coast on the road of complacency, afraid or too tired to push the pedal ourselves… and miss the exits of growth and opportunity while the taillights of others keep disappearing in the haze.
 
Sometimes we just have to re-calibrate. Readjust where our hands are on the wheel of life, check the rear-view mirror, and leave the last part of the journey behind, determined to make that next exit.
 
Tap on the break this week.
What area in your life right now needs re-calibrating? Have you missed a couple of exits (opportunities)?
No condemnation. Find the next turn-around or maybe let it go and find a new exit.

Don’t Squat in the Rise!

We watched as the mountain of chocolate slowly began to rise. This was going to be the Best. Cake. Ever! Then what to our wondering eyes did happen? Our cake started sinking and was suddenly mishapen!

There are several reasons why cakes squat in the rise. But, why, here on the pages of this health & fitness, overcoming in life blog are we talking about cake?!

Because, I have discovered, there’s an interesting analogy between life and cake. They both are made up of many ingredients and can be quite sweet, but they can also fall flat and be a quite a disappointment.

A quick Google search provides 7 reasons why cakes squat in the rise:

  1. Baking too slowly
  2. Over-mixing or under-mixing the batter
  3. Under-baking
  4. Batter is too moist or too dry
  5. Cake is moved during the baking process
  6. The oven door is opened during the baking process
  7. Too much baking powder or baking soda

We’ll start our analogy with the baking too slowly  proposition.  According to the website Cilantro: The Cook’s Shop if the oven temperature is too low or there has not been the proper pre-heating time, a cake will fall.

Likewise, in life, if we jump into everything that is going without any forethought (pre-heating), our life will begin to fall apart. God never intended for us to try and run in 50 directions at a time.

We stick that thing in the oven and take off! Someone gets something new; we want one too. Someone starts a new diet; we’ll try that one too! (never mind that we didn’t finish the first program we started). Their kid just got a new….; gotta get mine one too!  SQUIRREL!!!

There’s no preheating, thus our life does not cook evenly; it’ll be hard around the edges, sunken in the middle, and full of cracks. When the oven is not pre-heated correctly, the process starts at the wrong temperature and things don’t gel as they should. Our decisions need a pre-heating time, or in the words of the scriptures, we should consider the cost; think about it.

Before you buy that new thing, start that new fad diet, or join this or that, W.A.I.T.  Here’s three helpful things to do to pre-heat your next great idea:

  1. Sleep on it! If it’s a purchase, leave the store or change the channel. Seriously tell yourself that, tomorrow, if the need/desire is still there as strongly as it was, then you’ll reconsider. Most likely, it won’t be.
  2. Ask questions.  If it’s a new “diet” ask yourself some real questions. Why have the other diets failed? More than likely it’s because they are not realistic or sustainable, or worse, totally not good for you. Ask yourself: Is this something I can do forever? A real lifestyle change?  If not, it’s a fad. If, however, it is healthy, not unrealistically restrictive, promise drastic results in a few days, you see others maintaining long term, and you’re ready to commit, go for it.
  3. Talk it through with a trusted friend.  Have them go with you to the store; tell them about your idea. Proverbs 15:22 says plans fail for lack of counsel. If they are for you, they’ll tell you the truth. Naturally, weigh their opinion with prayer.

Ordinarily Speaking…

“When’s it going to happen for me?!”

It’s easy to get discouraged when things don’t happen the way we wanted them to or as fast as we wanted. Social media shows us everyone’s success, their vacations, their friendships, the new…whatever, and often it seems that our ordinary, little life just doesn’t stack up.

I posit that, if you are doing what you do, no matter how ordinary it seemingly is or unnoticed though it may be, if you are doing it with your whole heart as unto the Lord and not unto man, being faithful in the small things, then it IS “happening for you.” See Matthew 25

Check this out from a devotional on YouVersion:  “God isn’t asking you to be famous; God’s asking you to be faithful…BEFORE any great acts, AFTER any great acts, or WITHOUT any great acts… Faithfulness is a marathon not a sprint” (The Blessing of the Ordinary Devotional).

What may seem ordinary to us can become extra-ordinary when we recognize Who it is we are “working” for.  There’s a destination better than Cabo San Lucas, better than Puerto Vallarta, better than _____ fill in the blank.  Be faithful in the little (ordinary) things, and you WILL be ruler over much.

How can you be more faithful today, right where you are in that thing you do called life?

Feel free to comment. Sometimes just putting it out there helps. I will respond.

Living Life to the Fullest: Part Three

Review: A full life is a grateful life. Start each day by being grateful on purpose, and also make sure you take care of you. If we go full steam without refueling, we will fizzle out, and we won’t be able to do the next step…

Step 3: Do something for someone else

(Your Kingdom come; your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven)

Again, you may wonder where that is in the Lord’s Prayer. After I pray God’s will to be done in my life, I then begin praying for his will to be done in others’ lives – for him to fix my people, help with needs, turn things around for them. This is the place where I pray for everyone in my life; I pray for the country and leaders etc…

Hence, the step – doing something for others.

  • People often think it’s “how can I make my life better.” While we do, indeed, strive to better ourselves, one of the greatest ways to live life to the fullest is to give of yourself to others. People need to know they are appreciated, that they matter, and you can be the one that does that for someone. By doing this, you also begin to feel better. It can be as simple as calling someone that you haven’t talked to in a while. People do still call, I believe, right? If they have a smart phone, text or video message them. Don’t forget, our elderly friends and family may still need a phone call. Simply ask how they are doing, then let them talk, and truly listen.

 

  • Stop and help a person get their stuff into their trunk at the grocery if they are struggling. Smile and look the person in the eye that you meet in the aisle or on the sidewalk. It amazes me how people can walk, looking straight ahead as you pass right by them. I always try to catch the eye of the person I’m passing and simply, smile. If you look for something to give or do for another, opportunity will avail itself; you’ll bless someone, and you will feel fuller, yet lighter.

ACTION:  Look around you right now. What do you see that you can do for someone in your immediate family?  Take a moment and think about the people in your circle; who has been having a hard time financially, physically, mentally? Write down at least 3 people that you know you could brighten their day or lighten their load, and write down what you will do.

Person I can do something for.                                  What I will do.

 

Living Life to the Fullest: Step One

You only go around once! Right?

Well, sort of: once on planet Earth, but…(that’s a different discussion).  Let’s focus on this go-around. This life. Your allotted 120-something years plus or minus ever how many.  I found the key to truly living life to the fullest in the Lord’s Prayer example.  Here is the first of seven steps that – I hesitate to say…use – live is a better word. If you’d ike the whole EBook, use the form on this page and I’ll email it to you for free.

Step One: Be Grateful

(Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name)

First, we need to be stop and take a moment to be thankful. From this day forward, start each day this way, before your feet hit the ground (or as soon thereafter as possible). “But, Vickie, there’s not a lot to be thankful for at the moment; I’m broke, I’m sick, and life really sucks at the moment.” I know it can get pretty rough at times, but here are a few things we can always pause and give thanks for:

  • We live in the United States of America. While it seems like the country may be coming apart at the seams, it hasn’t. This is still the land of opportunity, and as long as you are here, you can find and make a way out of the worst of situations. Be thankful that you live in America.
  • You have access to clean air and water, and there is someone or some agency who will help you with food. These same places will also provide temporary shelter. Be thankful that you have water, and it’s probably in a really cool Yeti or Rtic container that you are proud to carry around!
  • You have your mind (I can’t help myself here), and it is a terrible thing to waste! It may be cliché, but it is, perhaps, your greatest asset. If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. It is a muscle you can build into whatever you can imagine. Be thankful for your ability to think and choose. Choose to be thankful!

I didn’t mean to go down the road of worst case scenarios of being left with nothing but air and water of which to be thankful, but it proves the point. I mean to help us realize, there is always something we can find to be thankful for. There is something about pushing aside the negatives, the not-so-goods, the hurts from a friend or a loved one, the physical pain – and simply pausing and being thankful for what we do have, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. It gives your mind and your spirit a place to go that is good.

ACTION: Stop right now and list at least 5 things you can be thankful for, and smile as you think of them. You may find that way more than 5 come to mind.

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Is it God or Indigestion…

When making big decisions (or even little ones), I want to be sure I’m on the right track….I believe there are a few things that any of us can use to “know” that our goals are truly God’s goals (his will) for our lives…

Is it God talking to me, or is it indigestion?  We really need to know the difference. Some would say that God doesn’t talk to people, or that we cannot know what God’s will is. To that I say, then why bother with God at all if we can’t know him and what he wants? I can already stumble and guess my way through things. So….

However, I’m not into living on the fly, so to speak. When making big decisions (or even little ones), I want to be sure I’m on the right track. While my life has not been perfect, and surely it was indigestion I was feeling a few times during my planning, I believe that God does help me. I believe there are a few things that any of us can use to “know” that our goals are truly God’s goals (his will) for our lives.

  • It simply won’t leave you alone. By this I mean, when something stays on my mind and won’t go away, I know something’s up. Little things (and sometime big things) keep appearing/happening that lead back to it – my mind won’t let go of it. Like with Samuel (the prophet, not Perez) when he kept feeling like someone was calling his name while he was trying to sleep. Up and down. Up and down, trying to figure out what that voice was. Finally, Eli the priest said, and I paraphrase “this time simply say, ‘what is it, Lord. I’m listening.'” When we get that “something” that just won’t let go in our minds, we need to recognize that God may, indeed, be trying to get our attention.

 

  • Crazy things fall into place. This ‘thing’ that keeps staying on your mind may seem crazy or impossible, exciting or maybe scary, then something happens that opens a door of possibility. For instance, I’m about to leave Texas and move back to my hometown of Kentucky to be close to my parents in their Golden Years.(I know!) It’s been on my mind for over a year. It seemed impossible. Crazy. No way. Then my husband’s work said, “Sure. You can work remotely from there!” Hmm. A couple of months later, my boss said, “You’ll teach remotely, one day a week!”  Whaaaaa! Then, my realtor says, we have about 3 buyers interested in your house THAT’S NOT EVEN ON THE MARKET YET!  So, yeah. You know, the animals start walking up to you 2 by 2.

 

  • There’s peace that’s unexplainable. One thing I’ve learned is that, if there is confusion, strife, wringing of the hands, then something is off. But, when there is peace, then something is right. Seeing that God’s word says, “…they will go out with joy and be lead forth by peace…” Well, that’s always been a deal maker for me.

 

  • It lines up with scripture. Finally, (and of course, if you do not believe the Bible, then this will not apply). There is no scripture that says, “thou shalt move to this state” or “thou shalt not buy that purse,” but there are many scriptures that deal with family and many that deal with finance, so I have something to gauge my plans on. We have to train our minds – fill them with the knowledge of God, THEN we will be able to…”prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2.

Our finite minds can, by no means, know everything there is to know about a situation, but when these 4 things are at work in a process, I have found it to be a good indicator that I’m on the right track. Have I been wrong before? Yep. Remember the indigestion possibility?  Still, I know I have a partner in planning whose mind is infinite – who knows the end from the beginning – who has numbered the hairs on my head; therefore, I keep moving forward.

Take a moment and be still. Is there something that keeps coming back to your thoughts? Something that you think about, especially when you have time to ponder? You should consider saying, “What is it, Lord? I’m listening.”

Have you ever had experiences like this? I’d love to hear about it in the comments belowconfused

Like a Rock

When we try to do things for approval…aka…acceptance, praise, ‘likes’… the realness factor is simply not there because our passion or motive is in the wrong place, and instead of drawing people, what we seek is “taken away” or lost. We need to do what we do because it is who we are, not what others want us to be, or even what we want others to believe we are.
Matthew 21:42-43 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit…
 
“If you desire the approval of men, God’s anointing cannot fall upon you.” ~John Bevere20160601_143412
 
This is more than just for preachers, teachers, or evangelists. This is a truth for everyone in every area of life. When we try to do things for approval…aka…acceptance, praise, ‘likes’… the realness factor is simply not there because our passion or motive is in the wrong place, and instead of drawing people, what we seek is “taken away” or lost. We need to do what we do because it is who we are, not what others want us to be, or even what we want others to believe we are.
 
The ‘anointing’ will be there when what we do comes from our heart, like a fire that burns within in us that we simply can’t put out. Or, in the words of Jeremiah who said, “But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name, Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.””
 
Absolutely, we should feel this way about God, but inside each of us this same God has a purpose for us… “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.” (Ephesians 2:10). In doing “our way of life” which means being truly “you”…that’s when folks will say “…this is marvelous in our eyes” or in today’s lingo, “that’s so awesome!” They may not realize that it is “from the Lord” but they will notice the difference, and the ‘anointing’ of truth will make the difference.
 
Question. What is it that you love to do more than anything? What thing do you always come back to? Though you give this a try, or that a try, this is what you end up doing, talking about, reading about…thinking about? It’s probably the very thing that God “prepared in advance” (since the foundation of the world even) to be your “way of life.”
 
Share in one word what it is excites you, that gets you going, that you could do or talk about for hours. One word.

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.

Monday Makeover

I love Mondays! – – – said very few people ever.

I really do, though, because Monday marks the beginning of a new week. It’s like New Year’s Day, every 7 days: A chance to start over. A chance to forget what happened over the weekend (the fact that we ate too much crap or drank too much …or … fill in the blank).

In Ephesians it speaks of “former things.”  What was. How we were. How we walked.  And it says, NOW  we no longer are that way. We’ve been changed. Made new, and now we can walk in the purpose for which we were created.  That’s good news! “But I blew it again.” Ah. But you are sad because of it because that was your former nature that crept back in.

This Monday, put off the former things. Forget what happened last week, ask forgiveness if you need to, but take this moment to start your redo. God gives us redos! Man may not, but whether or not “that person” will forgive you, like you, let you in… God will. So, throw off the guilt for the things you did or didn’t do or that you should or shouldn’t have done, and start over. It’s MAKEOVER MONDAY!

Here are 5 things that will get you back on track to your purpose:

  • Remember your “why.” (If you’re not sure what this is, comment below, and I’ll help you discover it)
  • Forgive yourself. God has.
  • List 3 things (besides food, family, and faith) that you are grateful for.
  • Tell yourself it’s a new day and former things are passed away.
  • Now, go do the next right thing – forgetting what went wrong before – what’s the next right thing to do, today, that will move you closer to who/what/where you want to be. Go do it.

What is it about Mondays that you don’t like. Why do you think that is?

Hired at the Last Hour

…don’t worry about the time that has been lost. We can’t go back and get it. Start now. Where you are. Make the move toward your goal, and do not worry about what others think.

After a bout of lethargy for the past 2 days, I decided to work out at 10:30 tonight. I was stiff, stuffed, and sorry… Anyway, as I finally made myself get up off the couch and move, I felt better. I knew that the grogginess that was calling my name was leaving, and instead of going to bed, I’d wake up and probably be up until.. oh, let’s say, 12:51 – now – as I stop to write down these thoughts I had I decided it didn’t matter. If I had continued laying around yesterday, today, … well. I didn’t. At the last hour of the day, I did what I should have done earlier… and the day before. I got up and moved.

As often happens I thought of a scripture, the one where the guy came at the end of the day looking for a job. He found one. He was hired on the spot because he made a move in spite of the hour. The other guys were so mad because he got the same wages as they did and they had worked all day. The landowner said “I’m not doing anything wrong here; everyone agreed to the same wages,” and he told them to just go on already – sort of.

In other words, don’t worry about the time that has been lost. We can’t go back and get it. Start now. Where you are. Make the move toward your goal, and do not worry about what others think. They are not your “landowner.”  If you work hard, no matter what point in the game you got in, you will see results and you will be rewarded. Press toward the mark to gain the prize.

It’s never to late to start. I ain’t over ’til it’s over.