My son, Davis, has raised $500 for our ”making room” building campaign - by collecting soda cans. He has a trailer at church that says “We CAN make room!” where people donate their cans. And his buddy Doug and he go each month to cash them in.
Rhonda just started her own business. In less than two weeks, she has three paying clients.
Wil, my oldest, will try out for basketball next month. It’s scary, but he’s not going to let that stop him. He starts conditioning this week
Carlyn took a chance and tried out to be the illustrator for a local author – and she is now a soon to be published illustrator.
Gretchen and Jon will welcome a little boy into their family this year – they will go to China to finally meet their little man in person, in the next two months or so.
I have a friend who had vanished from church for a time, and in the last few weeks, she has come back. As hard as it is, she is choosing to jump back in, and be out of isolation.
My twin sister, Tammy, ran 8 miles yesterday! A year ago, she thought runners were the silliest (or dumbest) people alive! Now, here she is…one of those silly runner girls.
Michelle and Anna were recently certified as running coaches – a national training certificate – that qualifies them to train people to do 5Ks all the way to full marathons.
Sheila and Helena are jumping into a very specific training, to help educate people about sexual abuse, prevention, and the destruction it leaves in countless lives.
Kylie., my freshman, is trying out for every high school play this year. Even though she has heard that only “certain” people will get the parts, she’s showing up anyways – with her best game – and giving it all she’s got!
If you had no limits of money, time, or energy (right this very moment), what would you do?
What risk would you take? What would you trust God to do in your life?
Guaranteed, if it would not fail, what dream would you want to see happen in your life?
Maybe you’ve put that notion of dreaming up on the shelf.
Or maybe it feels selfish to dream. “It’s not about me. It’s about my kids and my husband and my ministry.”
Or maybe you’re afraid it won’t work, or others won’t understand, or you won’t be able to do it AND still be the best you in all the roles you already carry.
Okay, but if you had to come up with ONE DREAM –
and I wouldn’t leave you alone until you answered,
what would that ONE DREAM be?
a healed marriage
a restored relationship with a child
a new ministry
finish that boat and sell it
take a cruise
visit that friend from high school
a cancer support group
a book or a blog or a place to share your passions
a half marathon, a ballroom dancing class, an art class
add-on to your house or paint the bathroom
a small business on etsy selling your crafts
What would YOUR dream be?
Col. 3:23-24
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
What is your daily “whatever you do” right now?
List it in your head right now. Make the list and include every possible task/relationship/etc..of the entire week.
When you make the list of all the “whatever you do” that already is - it seems insurmountable to add one more thing, right?
I have people say to me, “How do you find the time to write, and do business stuff, and maintain your marriage (to a pastor of a growing church), and continue raising your five kids?”
1. I don’t do it perfectly. There are days I am too focused on work/ministry/other people, that I am short with my kids, or that I don’t make connections that matter. There are evenings that I spend too much time writing, and not enough time scratching backs.
2. I am not good at everything, so I no longer focus on trying to be good at things I’m not – like cooking. I dont’ love it, unless I revolve the whole day around it, it just feels so burdensome. So, I accept that. And I don’t judge myself for being a “loser” homemaker. We eat. It just looks different then Martha Stewart’s table.
3. I don’t watch TV anymore. I do most of my business/writing/responding to ministry emails at night. My little ones are in bed, and my big kids are doing homework in the same room, and my hubby is doing his computer work. So, I traded my brainless TV time for productive time – and for now, that works.
4. I am willing to surrender my reputation, and no longer need to be superwoman, and save the day for every person that I meet, and I don’t need every person in my life to fully grasp what it is I do with my time. I don’t owe anyone but God an explanation of how my days are spent. And yet, i remain devoted to giving Him my days, and being a willing vessel that He can use.
5. I don’t over plan. I don’t think about it for hours on end, or days on end. I simply jump, write, create and send it off. Praying God will use it, and praying I get out of the way for Him to shine. If I thought about the way I think everything should happen and what it should look like – in life, ministry, business, and in writing - I would never do one thing. If I planned it out detail for detail first, I would live in paralyzed mode. (This one is tougher for analysts out there. Thinking comes far more naturally to some of us, and to not think it over completely feels irresponsible. But, I have to trust that God is big enough to carry it out for His glory, as long as I am not reckless in my approach and I remain pure in my heart.
1 Peter 4:8-11
Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it:
if words, let it be God’s words;
if help, let it be God’s hearty help.
That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!
MY PURPOSE statement for life:
I live each day to share God’s love and grace with every person that I meet – I belong to Jesus Christ.
The world needs YOU – your neighbors, your workplaces, your kids’ classrooms, your kids’ soccer teams, where you workout, all the places you go in any given day – these are the people that only you can touch, love, and bless with God’s gift of you!
EXERCISE: Come on, let’s play!
Think of 5 places you go every single week/month. Name one person at each of those places. Below are my answers. You can’t copy my answers because God made me – Me —-and He made you – You!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Church – Connie
Crystal Lake – Ms. Cindy
Halpatiokee – Denise
Chiropractor – Hope
Coaching job – Diane
He made YOU. Fearfully and wonderfully made – you are!.
You belong to the KING of the Universe, and He crafted you for great things –
that only you were crafted for –
in your parenting, in your marriage, in your ministry and work, and in your volunteer roles.
You are the only YOU he has made!
He made YOU to go to the places you go, and to bless the people you meet!
So, GO! And take your dream with you!
Why wouldn’t God make that dream come true? He made you and He made that dream grow from within you.
And, it can be fun. It doesn’t have to be hard. And you don’t have to do it alone!
WE LOVE YOUR COMMENTS!
What is that dream you will carry with you into the places you go and to the people you meet? SHARE and inspire others too!
If you are local to South Florida, I am hosting an event this Thursday, September 6, at Tin Fish, to share my book and coaching package – “7 Shifts” and to raise money for our “making room” campaign.
I would LOVE to meet you and give you a hug and hear about your dream IN PERSON!
https://www.facebook.com/events/267020520075612/ event link!