Highly Favored

Since I believe I am highly favored simply because I am a created child of God, (like the rest of you) wouldn’t it be a slap in the face to God if I lived as an outcast? In God’s eyes that must be like throwing a party, and finding that the guests aren’t willing to hike up the hillside to discover the magnificent spread you’ve prepared for them.

When you’re having one of those days when you feel rejected and snubbed by life, ask yourself who’s club you feel excluded from that you’re trying to join anyway. You have already been given the most significant placement you will ever hold. You’ve been invited to the best party in town, called life.

Scripture says that Mary was highly favored. I wonder how highly favored Mary felt when her parents and fiance questioned her purity and credibility? She wasn’t exactly receiving top honors in her club. God had given her the credentials, but no one seemed to recognize them. When the angel appeared to Joseph, attitudes shifted. Sometimes we respond like Joseph’s initial reaction, but we turn the suspicion upon ourselves.

Recently I heard someone say that you can imagine your life into a better place. There was a time when I would have instantly deleted that comment, because of its New Age sounding undertones. However, I now understand that Proverbs 23:7 says as a man “thinks within himself, so he is.” Boy is that true!

Our beliefs determine the kind of life we live. If you are unhappy with your life take a look at your beliefs. Your beliefs are the one thing that has the power to undermine your life. If I believe in my heart that I am not favored, imagine what will exist in my life. But if I am bold enough not to let my life be dictate to me by circumstances, but decide to believe or even try imagining at first that I am highly favored, who can stop me?

Read the words of John Ortberg on this topic from his book, The Life You’ve Always Wanted. “Cognitive psychologists remind us that always between the events that happen to us and our responses to them lie our beliefs or interpretations of those events.” The good news is that we don’t have to stay victim to bankrupt or misaligned beliefs, we can change our mind.

Mary might have initially felt like a victim. I certainly have. She had no say in her assignment, but she obviously soon realized that she was invited to a greater invitation, so she shifted her perspective. Is there an event in your life that has made you feel that you have been victimized? Could God be calling you to a higher perspective?

My Space

Two nights ago I couldn't sleep, so from 2:30 a.m. until 5:00 a.m. I created a myspace and facebook page. I know a little bit of an over kill. Unfortunately that's pretty much the way I am, an all or nothing kind of girl.

So, yesterday I coerced Sam (14) to help me arrange my page and put a song on my facebook page. All the while my kids are mocking me, like I am the only mother who has a myspace page. I actually did it because of several other people I know in business who have one.

Now my very clever son Gabe tells me he can quickly get me a thousand friends on my pages if he contacts all of the people on his. I'm wondering, Do I really want all of those people as friends?

So now in the midst of my already busy life, I have added two more things to be a slave to. We'll see how it goes. Sometimes I need a diversion and sometimes I need to be diverted from the diversions.

What Do You Do with Your Doors?

I was recently in a writing class where the instructor mentioned taking note of the way we enter or close doors in our lives. She described her hurried morning frantically leaving her house; arms piled high with books, to thoughtlessly slam the door behind her. Her words of regret struck me.

Do I welcome whatever is coming my way through the door, even difficulties in life? If I do I will be able to navigate much better through them. Imagine the difference between welcoming life and slamming the door on it. If I am a welcomer, I will have the power to affect the quality of my world and leave the sweet fragrance of Christ through what ever door I close or enter, rather than an angry huff. I could become a world changer. At the least I will affect those around me in a positive and uplifting way.

The Infamous Family Photo 2

Here's an update on the family photo that we're famous for every year. This year it did not go out with my Christmas cards. In fact the cards that get sent to my family were withheld until after Christmas. For all of the regular folks I actually sent out an email card absent of the family photo.

In lieu of all of this I discovered one blessing about having my birthday four days after Christmas, (other than the blessing that I am alive, like my dad says its better than the alternative) is that because its my birthday I pretty much get whatever I want. I had tried all through the holidays to get the fam together for a photo. I even have two photographers in the bunch, nevertheless they whined, complained and totally blew me off.

Well, when my birthday came around, let me just say it was a great day. They all got in line to cater to me. When I was asked what I wanted to do for my b-day, I chose for us all to go roller skating. However, Sam ended up taking a bad fall the night before, blacking out and smashing his head, so I changed the activity to something where there were less chances to need paramedics.

We all went to see the Disney movie Enchanted, the fairytale that comes to life in NYC. It was such a blast to watch all of the grown men in the bunch squirm through the movie. That was worth the price of the ticket. However, when push comes to shove, they actually thought the movie was very funny and entertaining, which it was intended to be. Mark never would have agreed to go if he hadn't wanted to make me happy on my birthday. Birthdays are the bomb!

Since it was cater to me day, before we went to the movie, I insisted that everyone line up for the photo. It's amazing what a breeze it was, all because it was my birthday. No one made terrible faces or goofed off, except Chloe's one indecent gesture, but other than that most of the shots were tolerable and it only took 15 minutes tops. Hooray for birthdays!

The Obstinate Twins

As I listened to the frozen rain beating against my house this morning, I was assured that yes, it was a day of inclement weather. Sure enough the phone rang to confirm that school would be closed. Turning back over in relief that I wouldn't need to rise so early, I began to ponder the power of weather.

There are few things in life that are so formidable as weather. Seemingly random in its nature makes me wonder if this is the inconsistent relative whose behavior can never quite be calculated. All it takes is the wrong word spoken to set it sideways.

And then there is the twin sibling named child birth, who can never be told what to do. She's so independent and non-conforming, like a teenager coming in at all hours of the night. We may try to hold the mandatory family meeting where all gather with ultimatums, but ultimately sister birth breezes in when she darn well pleases. Some say she is particularly fond of full moons, but the only thing you can count on with her is that she will arrive in her own sweet time, just ask any mom.

When I was a month out from delivering Josh, my second born, my girl friend Barb, also expecting, and I decided to fly our midwife friend from Oklahoma in to deliver both of our babies. Just as the obstinate teenager would have it, I delivered a day before she arrived and Barb delivered two weeks after she had flown back home. All to prove the point that birth won't be controlled. It certainly seems to be in cohorts with weather and works overtime to rearrange all of our plans and keep us on our toes.

To Concede or Not to Concede

I love Wednesdays, because I am taking a wonderful writing class and Mark and I lead a home group of great people through church. The only downer is that I hate to clean my house in preparation for it. The secret is out. OK, it's not really a secret. And if you came to my house you might not notice the lack of enthusiasm for cleaning that exists, because the house is always tidy and relatively clutter free. However, don't look too closely or the illusion of my ordered world might be shattered. The sad thing is my kids all have the same lack of affinity for house work. Could it be the genes?

I am trying something new this year. I have decided not to be concerned with the appearance of a spotless home. I have so many other things going on that are so much more valuable to me that I am willing to concede my appointment as homemaker diva. Did you notice I said the appearance of a spotless home. I confess a spotless home is about the last thing I care about. Has anyone noticed that I blog about this a lot. Maybe I need therapy for feeling like I just don't fit in with the eager women who seem to enjoy this deed. My problem with cleaning is that it gets undone so quickly. I am task oriented, so when the very task I just finished is undermined right before me, it makes me cross eyed.

The truth is I am so rev'd up and passionate about so many things going on in my life right now, like writing, having fun, speaking, having fun, coaching, having fun, and loving life that I just can't be bothered with the worry. Did I mention that I would rather have fun. Can I hear an amen to that? Yahoo, my Eeyore days are over.

Forward Movement

We will never arrive at a given destination if we are unwilling to move. Only those who devote themselves to growth, will in fact grow in the direction they desire. Because I am never content to stay in the same place, when my turn came to read my non-stop-free-flow-writing in class, I pushed past my comfort zone and took the leap.

I am a futuristic person, my natural bent and one of my strengths is that I look toward the future. It's easy for me to envision the future as if it were projected on a wall. And being an activator, I am the one who is usually early for a meeting, saying "Are we ready to start?" I am always ready to take action, because it is the main ingredient necessary to bring about change and propel me forward.

Some are data and analysis driven. I certainly need those detail oriented people on my team, like my sweet husband, but I am all about action. That can be very frustrating if you don't want your world to be shuffled out of the same old routine. But for those who want more out of life and are willing to discover the possibilities it can be invigorating.

I didn't necessarily savor the critique of my precious words in writing class, but instantly took the information, made the adjustments and felt empowered with a new key to improve my writing skills. On my own I couldn't decipher my fondness and over use of metaphors, but the team, as it were helped me to make this advancement.

I am ecstatic about the forward motion a new year brings. There is a great opportunity to set into place room for growth, like a class, tele-conference, workshop, personal coaching, counseling, a mastermind group or whatever you can dream up to move you closer to where you want to be. Why not start the new year out with your own leap?

God Droplets

I was going along my merry way when all of a sudden, as if out of the sky God dropped a little heavenly inspiration. It was actually a reminder of what He had spoken to my heart years before. Sometimes God speaks and we blow it off not recognizing His presence. But I can't describe how it moves, rallies and inspires me, when I sense God stepping in to hang out.

In the years when I was a widow, desperately longing to be remarried, and wondering how in the world God could marry off a woman with four kids, the Lord popped in one day to encourage me. I was having wood floors installed in my kitchen when I noticed on the companies receipt it said, "Standing on the Promises." During that same week I received a card in the mail that said, "The promises of God are "Yes" and "Amen." God entered the scene to stir up my faith and encourage me with a promise He had placed in my heart long before.

Well God did it again. Yesterday I was talking to Him about some of my frustration with where I am now, and where I want to be. Suddenly refreshing droplets of inspiration fell. He began reminding me that He knew me before I was born and He had a unique plan that He was unfolding for my life. He reminded me that He had given me a message, called me to be a witness and He was on the scene and would instruct me.

Later that day, because I help write the weekly questions for the Home Group leaders to use about the weeks sermon, I received an email with the text for the Pastor's upcoming message. There God refreshingly sprinkled the text from Jeremiah 1:5-10, in my heart.

"Before I formed you in your mother's womb I knew you. Before you were born you were set apart." In the Message Translation it goes on to read, "I'll tell you where to go and you'll go there. I'll tell you what to say and you'll say it...I'll be right there looking after you...I've put my words in your mouth-hand delivered!...I've given you a job to do!"

Don't you love it when the Holy Spirit opens the word, confirms His heart and sounds a trumpet that says. "Don't think for a minute that I have forgotten you. You are in the palm of my hand."