Prayer, Distractions and Fear

Sunday morning, I decided to take the dog for an early morning walk.  It was about 6:30 am, the air was cool, the streets were quiet, and I began praying for my family, as Arby trotted along happily.  My prayers were really getting intense and I felt as if God was really listening to me. Arby and I turned the corner, only to see two unleashed pit-bull puppies tussling in their front yard.  I tried to exit onto another street before we were spotted.  As I headed down the side street and turned my back, I could hear the owner yelling, “come back here”.  I had to make a split second decision.  Do I quickly run down the side street with Arby? Or do we turn around, face the dogs and move closer towards the dogs and their owner?

We opted to face the dogs.  My fear was if I ran away, I would draw the dogs further away from their owners, which would offer us no protection.  So I decided to stay the course. They were puppies and they wanted to play, so they began sniffing Arby and tried to intimidate him.  He froze, as I tried to pull him away from the other two dogs.  About that time, the owners reached us with the leashes, apologized and we kept moving along our initial path. 

After three blocks, the adrenaline began to wear off and I remembered that I had been praying over my family before all the excitement began.  So I started in prayer once again and was immediately flooded with emotion.  It dawned on me that as I began to get closer to God and pray intentionally over my family, the enemy sent something to scare me and get me off of my desired path.  HE LOST!  As I picked up praying, where I’d left off, there was a great sense of calm that lasted for the duration of the morning walk.

Once you decide to place your family before God, there might be distractions sent to get you off course.  There will be a thousand excuses as to why you don’t have time to do this.  But if you face the distractions, overcome the fear, and live with intentionality, God will create such a peace in your life, which will spill over onto the ones that you love.  

In the last few days, I've heard so many messages about overcoming your fears.  Fear is a natural emotion given by God to protect us in times of danger.  There is an alert that goes through your nervous system that uses fear to equip you for battle or to enable you to run to safety (fight or flight).  The thing we must do is channel the fear, so that it propels us to move forward.  The dogs on our path were nothing but a distraction to veer us off of our course.  The fear that I felt was REAL, but when I channeled it and moved closer to confront it, the boldness inside of me sprang up.  We faced the fear, found out the situation was not as bad as I had initially thought, and continued moving in the same direction that we had set before us.

            I praise God for a Sunday morning stroll to reinforce how I can ignore the distractions and face the fear.

Now grab your sneakers and walk it out....

If it doesn't fit, you must acquit!

If you are above the age of 30, you know this phrase quite well and probably know exactly where you were when you heard it. (Hint: The OJ trial).  Well of course we aren't talking about him today, this is about you and I and the great lengths we go to, in order to make something fit.

So let's have a podiatric teaching moment.  I'm sure you have heard of corns and callouses. It's those dry patches of skin on the bottom of your feet or on the bend of your toes.  They are usually caused by an excessive amount of friction that a shoe places on high pressure points of the foot.  At times, they can be unsightly, so we get a pedicure where the nail tech buffs or sands down the extra layer of skin.  No problem right?  Sure, if you don't go back to the same thing that caused the extra friction in the first place. There is another type of corn though that no one else can see but you. It's called heloma molle, or soft corn.  A soft corn, commonly found between the 4th & 5th toes, is usually caused by an abnormality in bone shape of the toes.  Extra pressure is put on this area by adjacent bones rubbing up against each other, especially seen in women wearing high heels and forcing extra pressure to the front of the foot inside a narrow shoe toe box.

Class is in session.  Are you still with me?

The soft corn may get better if you switch to flatter shoes with a wider toe box, allowing for each toe to have space and not abut each other. If this doesn't work though, it may call for surgery to reshape the bones that are causing the problem.  So you do know that you're not reading this, so you can enter podiatric medical school.  There is always a life lesson!

So I must tell you a story...

My husband and I had the opportunity to get away for a few days and last night we went to dinner.  I had packed a comfortable black & white maxi dress, but had forgotten the shoes at home.  Rather than choose a different outfit and wear shoes that I had in my suitcase, I got the bright idea to hunt for a pair of shoes close to the hotel.  (I mean it doesn't take much for me to have a reason to shop.)  Yes, I could have worn the black sandals that were in my suitcase, but I know that my husband likes to see me in heels, because my calves are poppin'.  (Okay, so now that I'm saying that....it's really dumb because the dress was so long that he couldn't see my calves anyway.) Duh!

When I went to the neighboring shopping area (not a mall), I walked into a store that had several black shoes.  I saw one of the cutest black wedges, but they didn't have my size.  The saleswoman showed me another shoe, but all she had was a 9.5, not a 10. She told me to try it on because the shoes ran big anyway. Sure enough the right shoe fit just fine, but that left shoe was another story.  I even said to her, I have problems with my left foot, so I'm really not sure. (Side note:  About 6-7 years ago, while on family vacation, I was trying to convince my younger son to jump in the hotel pool. To show him that I wasn't afraid, I ran and jumped high in the air and into the water to create a splash and squeal with laughter. However my squeal was one of pain...I had jumped into the wrong end of the pool (only3.5 feet) and jammed my left big toe on the bottom of the pool.  Honestly, thank God I didn't break my foot.  Since that time however, my left foot has not been the same and I'm noticing more and more that as I age and fluctuate in weight, my left foot becomes more challenging to fit into a cute shoe.) So back to the story...

I knew that I shouldn't have purchased that shoe, but it was cute AND 40% off.  It was a done deal! I immediately had buyer's remorse, but I went back to the hotel to shower and get ready for dinner.  Of course, my hubby loved the shoe so I put it on.  But before leaving for dinner, I had to take the shoe off, pull out the hotel blow dryer, trying to heat the leather, and stretch the shoe before placing it back on.  Because I'm a podiatrist, I know how to shave the soft corn between the toes; so I basically performed bathroom surgery on myself.  (Those little black sandals were still calling my name.  "Pick me...oooh please pick me".)  I ignored the cries of the sandal and put the heels on anyway.  (I'm not totally stupid though, because I did wrap the sandals and place them inside of my purse.)  Initially walking in them was not that bad.  But as we rode to the restaurant,  I could feel a dull aching pain creeping from my foot to my leg and on up into my thigh.  My foot joints were maligned and it was causing a discomfort that was beginning to affect other parts of my body.  I tried to shift in the car, but it still was uncomfortable.  After a while my body got used to the pain and blocked it out. (The body has a way to adapt and push past or numb the pain.) As I entered the restaurant, my foot was no longer an issue, especially after a glass of wine. (...Don't judge me!) I was fine, until after dinner when it was time to stand and walk back to the car.  As soon as I got in the car, I pulled those sandals out and my little toes began to cheer.

So what do these black pumps have to do with my life, you ask.

They have every thing to do with you and I and how we continue to keep things that are not good for us.  It's about how we keep things around us to "save face".  It's about how easy it us for us to ignore the tiny little voice in our head that tries to warn us to act differently.  It's about how we live in the past, because it's familiar, and we've learned how to numb the pain.  It's how we are afraid to branch out and try something new for fear that we will be judged or not liked.  This is about our lives!

As a I mentioned, my accident happened about 5-6 years ago and it's been progressively getting worse.  Do you think that I should have changed my shoe style a long time ago to prevent this day from coming?  See the problem was not just the jamming of the big toe.  The jamming caused my 1st metatarsal-phalangeal joint to be compromised, so the bones can no longer glide on each other smoothly.  So my big toe is limited, which caused my other joints in my foot to shift, which when jammed into a tight toe box, causes friction between the 4th & 5th toe, leaving me with a painful soft corn that no one else can see.  The problem is that I can lie to myself and act as if nothing is wrong, because the corn is not visible to anyone.   The corn may not be visible, but the effects of the corn are palpable.
People may not see the corn, but they see you limping.
People may not see the corn, but they see you wince in pain.
People may not see the corn, but they can see your change in attitude when you are tested and have to walk a long distance.
People may not see the corn, but they observe how you numb the pain by drinking or snapping or lying and acting as if everything is alright.  But deep down inside, you are hurting at the core.

So what can we do about it now?  It's time to raid the closet and get rid of those things that are keeping us bound and locked into a state of pain.
Maybe it's those green, suede sling-backs of envy....maybe you're jealous of your co-worker or a sibling.
You need to let it go!
Maybe it's those navy patent leather, open-toed shoes of a hard heart...someone hurt you in the past, while you were open and vulnerable, so now you have created this false sense of toughness and speak with a sharp tongue.
You need to let it go!
Maybe it's those strappy, black red-bottoms...for each strap that covers the skin, there is an open space that leaves you exposed.
You need to let it go!

Let go of the past hurts, pains, incidents, accidents, things that you cannot change!  They do not suit you well.  If you keep them around for too long, they will only cause other problems.  So let it go!
Make the decision right now, to let go of the past and live smarter, wiser and healthier, so you can move into the next phase of your life.  When you are no longer living out your past pains, you can move into your future and affect change in other people.

Change your shoes, change you mindset, change your destiny and change your legacy!

Now walk it out...

I've betrayed myself

It's 4:00 am and I am up drinking hot lemon water (from the sexy clear coffee mug), washing clothes and watching my recorded showings of Super Soul Sunday.  I just finished watching an episode with Carolyn Myss, where she talks about intuition, grace and being true to yourself. She said that a there is nothing worse than betraying yourself.  She and Oprah likened it to being in a marriage that you know isn't good for you or staying on a job that you're not supposed to be on.  But what if you haven't experienced these big things.  You might say, "oh no that's not me...I have not betrayed myself...my marriage is fine, my kids are adjusted, I have a great job...betrayal is not my experience."  Don't jump so quickly that you miss the lesson, because I almost did.

I forgot to mention that I am up so early because I have indigestion.  I was awakened at 3:00 am with an uncomfortable knot in my throat and chest (not a heart attack because I knew the culprits).   Yesterday, I cooked dinner  before going to the gym with the husband, so we could eat a healthy meal upon our return.  However after the gym, we made a quick stop at "H & 8th" which is a new food truck event that happens on the last Friday of every month.  Food trucks are set up within a 3 block stretch and people come from all parts of the city, willing to stand in long lines to taste the cuisine and to enjoy the electric atmosphere.  It's really a fun event.  I was exhausted after the gym and just wanted to go home.  However my hubby wanted to just stop by and check it out.  So we did...

I waited in the car and when he returned, he entered the car and said, "I have one of your favorites...".  He had gotten me, fried okra.  And oh was it cooked well and quite delicious!  I ate it on the way home, still ready to eat the dinner that I had already prepared.  Once we arrived home, I realized that he had actually purchased a fried chicken wing dinner with more okra.  I gave the boys 2 of my wings and preceded with the purchased dinner.  That would have been fine, but I decided that I needed to taste what I had prepared, along with the purchased items.  (I did mention that I had just gone to the gym.  Duh...what was I thinking?) So I had officially stuffed myself, with 2 dinners and a margarita.  Hmmm, not felling so well.  But it doesn't end there...

Earlier in the day I had promised my younger son that we would make a cake.  So while we were in the kitchen, I did just that.  One strawberry cake...coming up soon!  I lounged around, while waiting for the cake to cook, cool and be frosted.  When it was finally done, I announced that the cake was ready.  Oh the squeals of excitement that coursed through our home.  Everyone was pleased and Mommy had done well for the evening.  Or had she?

Not only did I sabotage my workout with fried okra, fried chicken wings, a margarita, the prepared dinner and strawberry cake; but I had the bright idea of placing a little ice cream (that had been in the freezer for weeks) to accompany the cake.  Oh yeah I forgot to mention that at the tender age of 42, I have discovered that I am lactose intolerant.  Can this evening get any worse?

In the last 12 years or so, I have struggled with ice cream and sometimes milk (I've recently switched to rice milk).  Just 3 weeks ago after eating a small scoop of ice cream, I was doubled over in pain the next day.  A friend suggested keeping Beano in my purse, so if I ever decided to cheat again, I would be prepared. (Hmm...if I ever decided to cheat, I'd be prepared......cogitate on that for a moment.)  I have cheated since then, taken the Beano and the next morning realized that I had no gas effects, but I did have an uncomfortable knot in my chest/throat.  One would think that I would have gotten on the right track, stayed away from dairy, which would negate the need for the Beano....right?.  Obviously not, because I'm awake writing you, pain still in my chest/ throat, sipping on hot lemon water making promises to God that "if you let me get out of this one...I won't do it again".

The revelation of why I am sitting here is in a line from the prerecorded show with Oprah and Carolyn Myss.  She said, when your life path begins to harm you it means you have taken a detour and when you feel like you're losing yourself,  it means that you are betraying yourself in some way.  She goes further to say that when you betray yourself, you are no different than any other person that might have betrayed you. Oh Lawd, really?!

You mean that I can knowingly betray myself?  Although I had already messed up the evening with my horrible food choices, I took it a step further and betrayed myself by popping the Beano in my mouth before eating the ice cream. I knew what I was doing was wrong for me, but I wanted to experience  it and feel the temporary high.

You are probably saying to yourself, yeah Sharri that was pretty dumb! Let me caution you not to judge my actions so quickly, before you examine what is going on in your life.  So many of us are keeping something around for that "just in case" moment.

• Just in case my husband makes me mad, I still have my "friend's" number in my phone or on Facebook...I can just send a quick inbox or text, cause I know he'll make me feel better. Self-betrayal.
• Just in case my co-worker acts a fool, I still have that tape that could potentially damage his/her career. "They deserve it anyway". Self-betrayal.
• Just in case I'm running low on cash and I know the cashier really made a mistake by giving me too much money back, I quickly walk out the store before anyone realizes it. Self betrayal.

Okay too deep for you...try these on for size...

• I make a mistake, but I lie and blame someone else. Self betrayal.
• I'm having a bad day, so I make everyone else around me suffer. Self betrayal.
• My feelings are hurt, so I gossip about someone else to make myself feel better. Self betrayal.
• Someone drives too slowly on the highway, so I drive up beside them, 'mean-mug' or give them the finger. Self betrayal.
• I know I shouldn't have that extra glass of wine, but "we're all just having fun, one more can't hurt". Self betrayal.
• I know I should pay my tithes, but I really need a new outfit. "God wants me to look good on Sunday".  Self betrayal.
• I know I'm trying to lose weight, but I'll just hide a few snacks and indulge when I'm alone. Self betrayal.

We've all participated in some form of self-betrayal and the first thing we must do is acknowledge it.  You can't fix or adjust what you refuse to acknowledge. (I'll tweet that later.)    The opposite of betrayal is devotion, faithfulness, fidelity, honesty, loyalty, truthfulness and support to name a few.  Choose today to be honest and open with yourself. Be truthful.  Develop a relationship of fidelity with yourself. Be open to the fact that there might be a better way to accomplish that which you need to accomplish.  Don't look for the shortcut, oftentimes it will cause you more pain.

Today I will be true to myself!  No more self sabotaging behavior.  I deserve to treat myself better.

Now walk it out...

(Praise God that the pain in my throat/chest has subsided, now I'm about to walk over to my purse, get the bottle of Beano and throw it away.  No more self-betrayal...it's just too painful.)

I'm so uncomfortable...I vow to make ONE change

Have you ever picked out your clothes for work the night before, only to wake up with a different idea and then have to change the outfit because it didn't look the way that you expected.  Well that happened to me this morning.  How frustrating!

We ate late last night, after yet another baseball and basketball game.  I shared a bacon cheeseburger and fries with my son and I was actually pretty full.  However due to to the high salt content and lying down on a full stomach, I awakened with sausage fingers and toes. I was swollen.  Silly me?  I know better right?!

So what I had intended to wear was no longer in my purview.  I wrestled with a few ideas, tried on different outfits and grew more and more frustrated.  I went to the kitchen, drank some hot lemon water and stepped on the scale.  Okay, so how did my scale break from the last time I stepped on it?  Doggone scale malfunction!  The devil is a liar!

Yes the devil is a liar, but he didn't make me eat that bacon cheeseburger last night,  pasta the night before last, cake last weekend, fudge brownies last week or the sips of wine here and there (only for medicinal purposes........NOT.) I quickly realized that my diet is out-of-control!  Yes I have been going to the gym, but I've not been making the healthiest choices as far as food is concerned.  Jumping in a zumba class, but jumping on every french fry I could get my hand on.  Gliding on the elliptical machine, but mindlessly allowing that cinnamon roll to gently glide down the back of my throat.  OUT OF CONTROL, I say!

Because I have been exercising, my legs are actually pretty strong.....  I could drop kick you in a minute.  But my midsection is another story.  Muffin tops are meant to be eaten with the rest of the muffin, but this muffin top that is sitting over the top of my jeans is not appetizing.  I must make a change!

The challenge is in changing my mindset and then changing my actions.  Rather than say that I am going to eat nuts and berries for 10 days and drink only water, I decided to be a little more realistic.  (We both know that at that 11th day, I would probably binge and mess up the whole plan anyway.) I will start small and focus on being mindful.

I have decided to change one thing.....
I vow to practice mindfulness and actually taste my food.

You might be saying, Sharri that is pretty lame!  But when I think about my eating pattern, I realize that this must be MY first step.  If you've read any of my other blogs, you will realize that we are a very active family.  Because my boys have seemingly hundreds of sporting events each week and we have responsibilities at church and work, we are always on the run.  So I eat on the run and I eat between fixing meals and I eat standing up leaning over the kitchen island, rather than sitting down in a chair and allowing my food to digest properly.  I honestly can't tell you the last time that I actually tasted my food after the first bite. Why?  Because I'm always in a rush.  Yes, the first bite is always so delicious, but the rest of the meal is usually a blur. (I know that you've experienced this before, as well.)

So this morning I made the first step.  I made a banana, blueberries, strawberries and orange juice smoothie before leaving for work and it took me 2 hours to sip on it (I can usually scarf it down in 7 minutes flat).  I honed in on the little pieces of blueberry skin and the tiny seeds from the outside of the strawberry that don't totally blend.  I focussed on the sweetness of the banana that raises the smoothie to another level.  I made myself taste all of it. As I was mindful in my tasting of every component, I slowed down and enjoyed the drink.  I couldn't scarf it down, because I had to allow each sip to linger on my taste buds for a moment. "This tastes really good!  Not only that, but I don't feel bloated and full."  There was no back up in the digestive process because I allowed my body to work on it a little at a time. (By the way, I sipped the smoothie as I slowly ate a wholesome grains & cranberries nutrition bar.  I could actually taste the cranberries in the bar. Wow!)

I tell this story, not to make you change your diet, but to help you change your mindset.  Everything we do begins as a thought and whether we realize it or not, that thought quickly becomes an action and that action soon becomes a pattern.  This is about changing your mindset and making a vow to yourself to do something differently.
So for me, I want to change my eating pattern, but it begins with the vow that I made to taste my food, one bite at a time.

• You might need to change your pattern of complaining about your job, make a vow to wake up every morning in gratitude for your job.
• You might need to change your pattern of gossiping, make a vow to delete the contacts of negative people from your phone.
• You might need to change your pattern of eating, make a vow to try one new vegetable or fruit each week.
• You might need to change your pattern of living a sedentary lifestyle (you don't  have to go to the gym), make a vow to get up and walk in place during each TV commercial.
• You might need to change your pattern of belittling your children, make a vow to quote Psalm 127:3 each morning, "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him".
• You might need to change your pattern of criticizing your spouse, make a vow to say one nice thing to him/her each day.

One simple vow leads to one tiny change, which leads to a change in mindset, which will determine your actions and develop a new pattern, which ultimately makes you better!  
Focus in on that ONE pattern or habit that you need to break and start by making just ONE vow!



Now walk it out.............



(Yes, I vow to walk to that store and get my money back for that malfunctioned scale!  Okay, so maybe that's a little too extreme.  Maybe I'll just try it again in a week or so and see what it reads then. Hopefully one vow, new thoughts, new actions and a new pattern will give me a new result the next time I step on the scale.)

Sibling rivalry is REAL and so is the LOVE

Having 14- year old and 10- year old sons, you can only imagine the raging hormones in the house.  There is constant competition, constant fighting, constant bickering, constant "out-doing" one another, constant "Mom I don't know why he was born". Then in the next moment they are outside playing ball together, video games together, laughing together, watching television together and working together to gang up on me and their dad.  I think it's totally hilarious!

Well in the last few days, I have seen these too dudes show love to one another and it has completely warmed my heart.

On Saturday, Courtland was invited to a birthday party at a water park.  When he left around 1pm, Chandler was so excited to have the house to himself.  He lounged around, didn't have to share his stuff and was relieved that he wouldn't have to talk to anyone for a couple of hours.  Actually the 3 of us, went out for a little while and attended a nice event in the park.  My husband and I had 2 more events to go to, so we dropped Chandler back at the house. (It's so nice when they are old enough to be left at the house for a couple of hours.) We returned home a few hours later and  I noticed that Chandler was beginning to ask about his younger brother.   Hmmm?!

We ate dinner, lounged around and rested a while before my hubby had to get back up and continue working on his sermon.  While I'm in the kitchen, getting a snack, Chandler rolls up on me and says, "When is Courtland coming home?  He's been gone a long time.  Can you have that much fun at a water park?" To which I replied, "who would make a boring a water park, of course, he's having fun".  

I got so tickled because what he couldn't say was that he actually missed his little brother.  That although the house was quiet, it was too quiet for him because his little (annoying) brother wasn't around.  Well his brother arrived shortly after 8 pm.  Guess who was standing behind me at the door when he pulled up? (Don't worry Babe, I won't expose you and make you turn in your player card...I'll just blog about it.)   In a matter of moments, the house was once again filled with laughter and chatter.

They can't stand each other at times, but they don't want to be separated for too long either. Hilarious!

Well last night, I saw the tables turn once again.

Chandler had a full day yesterday.  He had football team power camp at 6:30 am.  Went to the gym with his father around 1:30pm to play several basketball games with the medical students, went to VBS and had 2 basketball games last night (the first one began at 8:45pm).  A full day!  

Everyone who knows Chandler can appreciate that he's a hard worker on the field or the court.  He sweats like crazy and leaves his all on the court.  During the 2nd game, I saw him go down after a shot.  When he didn't pop back up, his coach went to him and "Dr. Mom" left the stands to get to the court, as well.  He was having a Lebron moment.  Really?! My baby's calf was cramping like crazy.  I have never seen a muscle knot up quite like that.  His coach had his foot and was stretching his leg out, while I massaged his calf and applied ice.  

Enter the little brother...

Courtland was my gatorade guy and our water bottle boy.  After the game, we dropped them off at home so we could make a quick run to the store and pick up bananas for a smoothie.  My phone rang, a call from Chandler's phone, but when I answered it...it was Courtland's voice.  He was asking questions about his brother.  "Mom, should he take a warm shower or a cold shower?  Mom, I gave him some more ice."  (Look at the little caregiver!)

After arriving back home and making an Elvis smoothie (bananas, peanut butter, chocolate protein powder, milk and ice) for him, we said goodnight to the boys and my hubby and I cleaned up the kitchen.  Thirty minutes later, as I made my way to the bedroom, I noticed that Courtland was not in his room.   As I walked towards Chandler's room, I was about to go into mean-mommy-mode and start fussing about getting in the bed. (I just knew they were up playing video games.)

When I got to his room, I saw the most beautiful thing!  Chandler was sprawled out on his bed as usual and lying right beside him, wrapped in a white comforter was his little angel.  Courtland had gotten in the bed with his brother and there they were lying head-to-toe.  No fighting, no bickering, no competition....just snoring.   Man-down and brother came to the rescue!

So when your children are fighting and act as if they can't stand each other, know that they really do have each other's back when life gets tough.  They showed me in these 2 instances that they truly are, "my brother's keeper".

Now walk it out....

Created for More...So Clear the Path

"I am more than enough" used to be my mantra. That was about self-reflection and self-worth. However, I realize that my gifting is designed to bless the nations. Playing small helps no one! I thought I was here to do one thing, but God let me know that there are some other plans that He has for me. 

So please don't settle for the mundane, begin to step out of your comfort zone and step into your destiny. My brothers and my sisters, you indeed were created for much more!

If you are working in corporate America...you were created for more!
If you are a stay-at-home mom..you were created for more!
If you are an elected official..you were created for more!
If you are an trash collector..you were created for more!
If you are a pastor and/or preacher..you were created for more!
If you are a nurse or a teacher ..you were created for more!
If you work at the bank..you were created for more!
If you are between jobs..you were created for more!

It's neither your job nor your title; your profession nor level of education......It's all about your purpose in creation.  What is it that God has designed for you to do?  What is your passion in life?  What wakes you in the middle of the night, crowding your thoughts, invading your imaginations?  What is that thing that you do well and don't even think about, because it comes to you naturally?  That's what you were created for!

The problem is many of us are afraid to let go of what we know, in order to experience something greater.  We have put so many obstacles in our own way that the path is no longer clear to us. We can't blame anyone else for our situation because we have carefully constructed our own roadblock.  Start clearing the clutter and allow God to fill that space.  God desires to fill the space, but we keep shutting him out.

My recent testimony...
My husband and I have been driving old cars for years; one was a 1997 and the other was a 1998.  Both had broken down on different occasions, but we were so determined not to have a car payment that we suffered through no air conditioning and car "nervousness" ( the car shook all the time...just nervous).  The last few months we have begun having the discussion about getting another car.  Since we made the decision to put our children in private school, we sacrificed in other areas to afford them a great education.  Noble idea, right?  Not so much, when many mornings we had to pray that the car would simply make it to school without overheating. How many times did we drive the car, without air conditioning, to this palatial campus and have to shut it off as we waited for them to come out? (Didn't want the car to start smoking in the carpool lane and really embarrass the kids.) 

Anyway, we had daily discussions and even drove to the car lot. But it wasn't until I had an 'aha' moment.
I was backing out of our driveway, on my way to work, and I became disgusted.  It was almost as if the scales had just been lifted from my eyes.  For the first time, I saw the garage for what it really was...cluttered and filthy.  The boys' sleds were still there from the winter, some old weights that someone had given us, shoes, clothes and just simple trash were keeping the garage in disarray.  It was at this moment that I realized that we had not begun to prepare the way for our blessing.  How was God going to bless us with a new car when we had made no preparation to receive it.  How do you place a new car in a place that might potentially cause damage or scratch it as soon as you would drive in?  This nagged me for the entire day at work.  The next day, I resurrected the garage by clearing the clutter, putting things in the shed and most things in the trash.  Two weeks later, I was driving MY new car into a clean garage.

Can I raise a few questions?  What are you afraid of? What blessings are you blocking because you are not making the necessary changes?  What does God have for you, but you are so comfortable in your situation that you don't even realize when He is making a way for you to get out?   What are holding on to that is hindering you from moving forward?  It's time to take the blinders off and really see what is around you.

You indeed were created for more, but you've got to begin clearing the path.  You have to do the work!  God is simply waiting for you to get tired of the mundane and reach for the supernatural. Or as my husband said in one of his sermons, "Put some EXTRA on your ordinary".

I encourage you to begin the work of clearing your own path to actualize what God has created you to do.  It's going to take some time and some diligence on your part, but you can do it.  You indeed were created for more and God is ready to give it to you.  The catch is........You must be ready to receive it!

Now walk it out...

Live by Faith

I posted this on my Facebook page today and I thought I needed to insert it here, as well.

We preach about it, talk about, sing about, blog about it....FAITH.

Faith doesn't mean a thing until you have to live by it. Live by faith when your back is against the wall.  Live by faith when your doctor's visit turns into a hospital stay.  Live by faith when there is no money in the bank (a negative balance) and the bills are piling up. Live by faith when the person that said they'd always love you turns away.  Live by faith when the very child you prayed for in the womb has hurt your heart because of poor decisions.

Live! Live! Live!

You cannot give up, you cannot turn around, you cannot throw in the towel...but you've got to live!

As you're living, throw some word on it...My God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory.  I'm more that a conqueror.  By his stripes, I am healed. Train up a child in the way he/she should go and when they're old, they won't depart from it. I shall live and not die to proclaim the works of the Lord.

It's all about your mindset as you go through the storm.  If you can control your mind and emotions as you go through the storm...you can dance like a crazy woman when you get out of the storm.

I'm just saying...I'm about to pick out the cutest, high-heeled shoes that I can find....because it's almost time to start dancing!

Now walk it out...