Running the Race

Hebrews 12:1  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

This has been a rough week for me.  I have to say that I was going through some depression.  

You see, we currently live with a friend and all of our stuff is being store at someone else home.  So we have been living without our own stuff.  Then last week our friends said that they want to use their storage and we have to get everything out.  At first I couldn't even think about what to do with our things.  I didn't really want to deal with it.  But you can't stick your head in the sand forever, so I had to start thinking about what to do.

My first thoughts were, but this is my stuff.  These are my things, I want don't want to get rid of them, as my husband was saying we should sell everything.  But as I cried out to God, I heard Him speak to my heart.  This is just stuff, this is not who you are.  You are defined by your relationship to Me, and you are my darling daughter.  Do you not know that like Job, that I am more that able to restore all to you?  I gave my son, my most precious thing, for you, want you give up the things you have collected over the years, to allow me to be glorified?

Yes Lord, you gave us all that we have and yes Lord, I will sell all that I have and follow you.  I trust you when you say that your plans for me are of peace, not evil to give me a future and a hope.  Take anything that is a weight around my neck.

And so as I am writing this my husband is emptying the storage shed and we will be selling everything in two weeks in a garage sell.  

I give all that I have to God.  I am also starting a 21 Day Daniel Fast, tomorrow.  For me it is not so much about the eating, for I eat most of the things on the fast anyway, but I am also fasting from anything that takes my focus off of God and his purpose for me.  

So I will spend more time with God, my blog, my website, being with friends, working my business and will give up TV, Internet unless used to further God's purpose for my life.  I will listen only to Music or podcasts that will lift me up and grow me.  I want God to change my life from the inside out, and use me in any way He sees fit.  

Stick around, the next 21 days shall be exciting.

Getting Real

Why I am I doing this blog you may ask.  I wanted to spend a little time writing about why I am doing this blog and what I hope to accomplish through writing.  This is about to get really real, so here goes.
I believe that we were created by God for great things.  That before the foundations of the Earth were laid, God had a plan for us and for our lives.   I also believe that the enemy will and does do everything possible to keep us from accomplishing what we were created to do.
When we were little children, before the lies of the enemy started permeating our minds, we dream big dreams, we believe anything is possible and we trusted that things would work out.  But then the lies came, sometimes from parents, sometimes for society, sometimes from friends, siblings, spouses, etc. and then these lies became part of our language to ourselves.  In fact most of us don't someone else telling us to stop trying, to lower the bar of expectations, to settle, we get to the point where we tell ourselves these things.  And why not, people that were supposed to love us, told us these things, people that were supposed to know more told us these things, people that had lived longer, had more life experiences, they all told us these things.
So this journey for me is first and foremost to reprogram the voices in my own head, and yes we can reprogram our minds.  Next, it's to quiet the ones who thought they knew better and were just being truthful.  And finally, if I can do this, then you can do this.  
But in order to stop the voices you have to admit where you are.  Once you admit where you are, then it can't be used against you.  I worked in law for several years, and we always told our clients to be completely truthful with us.  If we knew everything, then we could plan for anything, it was when the clients were less then truthful, for whatever reason, maybe they thought it would matter, maybe they thought we would think less of them, but whatever the reason, when we didn't know, was when the damage was done.
So if I am truthful about where I am now, then not only do I have something to work with and can measure where I am going, but I know longer have to fear the truth.  I know longer have to think, if they know this, they will think less of me. 
So in order to beat the enemy at his own game, I am out here telling everything. 

I am being honest about where I am, and honest about where I want to be.  Then I am able to make a plan to move toward, where I want to be.

When I looked at my list, a lot of the things that I wanted were financial, so time to be honest about my finances.  Currently I have $199.76 in my checking account, and I am expect a check of $31.80.  Not completely broke but not rich.  So my first goal is to start earning more money.  Now I know that Network Marketing is the best and fastest way to earn money, if you work at it.  So my commitment to myself, my family and to you, is do spend at least five hours every day working my business.  I know what it takes, because I have others that have done it and the formula is there, I just need to commit to doing what I need to do.
I also need to change my mind set.  The mind is a powerful computer and can do remarkable things, but it is only as good as what you put into it.  So if I tell myself, that I am broke, I don't have enough money, it's too expensive, then that is what my mind believes and that is what I achieve.  So I decided this morning, that instead of saying those things, I will begin imputing new information, and say, that is something that I chose not to invest in right now.  I choose not to but that.  I choose not to go there.  Making it a matter of choice and not money, my mind does not keep thinking that we are broke.
I also went online today and got my credit score, not pretty but again a baseline of where I am starting.

 Today's weight

Baseline fitness test:
I found this test online

Currently I can:
Do a Plank for 60 seconds
It takes me 13.2 seconds to stand up and sit down in a chair without using my arms 10 times
It takes me 4.6 seconds to run up 13 stairs
I can do 5 push ups.
Looking forward to improving in these areas.

Until tomorrow.

Think on these things

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Does anyone else find this incredibly difficult.  I mean I know what I am supposed to think, meditate, on but it seems like everything in our world is trying to keep us thinking about other things.  

I mean let's look at it, "true",  how do you focus on truth when it seems that you cannot count on anyone to give you the truth.  You look at anything on the Internet, newspapers, news stations it seems like everything is slanted one way or another to get you to buy into their truth.  There doesn't seem to be any absolute truth anymore.  Even within the church, what is true for one church is not necessarily true for another.  

Whatever things are noble, honorable from the root word meaning to revere, religious.  Is there any honor anymore?  It doesn't seem that people value nobility or honor anymore, for true nobility is having an excellent moral character and morality seems to be a thing of the past.  

Whatever things are just.  Justice is something we cry out for when it comes to others, but not so much for ourselves.  Just, is more and more subjective, we say things like "he was just in doing that". "I am justified in my actions".  Without moral absolute every action can be justified by the individual who chooses it.

Whatever things are pure.  Purity, really?  It seems to be a gag for the tabloids.  Even if you try to be pure or think on things that are pure you just have to wake up in the morning and the world is bombarding you with everything but purity.  From TV, Movies, commercials, radio, internet, all around us.  Even opening your email can be a land mine of negotiating through spam emails trying to seduce you into every  impure act known to man.  Drive by your local junior or senior high school and you will what our kids, especially our sons are up against.  Girls fully developed wearing short shorts or skirts, low cut tops, leaving nothing to the imagination.  I am amazed that parents allow their daughters to dress like this.  Even if boys wanted to think on what is pure, it is nearly impossible.
Whatever things are lovely.  These are the things that one has an affection towards.  So the things that you like.  The things that you think about, are the things that you are friendly towards, the things you like, so ask yourself, what is it that dominates my thinking?  What is on my mind when I wake up?  When I fall asleep?
Whatever things are of good report.  What things have a good reputation, well spoken of.  Are you looking for the good to focus on, or are you focused on the bad.  When you mind is continually focused on the bad, whether it is personally in your own life, or in society or in the world, it will have an affect on you and what you do.  God knows there is a lot of horrible things going on in the world, and I don't believe that he is saying that we are not to be aware of that what is happening, but the question is what are you focused on?  Try focusing on things that are of good report and see if that doesn't change your attitude and your behavior.
If there is any virtue?   Virtue comes from the same root word as manliness.  A man of valor, excellence.  Is there any virtue?  Do we see men or women that are worthy of praise?  Men and women of valor, courage, bravery?  I think we do, those are the stories we need to hear more about.  Yes there are plenty of people that make the news for messing up, but what about having more news about those that step up to the plate, put their lives on the line, the true unsung heroes of our time?
The next goes along with the above, if there is anything praiseworthy, mediate on these things. 
How would our lives change if we started putting this verse into practice each and every day.  If we got rid of the idea that "sex sells"  and replaced it with "valor sells"  "nobility sells".  Turned off the violent TV shows, games, stayed away from movies that didn't uplift.  Remember this only pertains to Christians, although I believe everyone would benefit from doing this. 
But my challenge is to Christians, examine this week what you are watching, listening too, reading and run everything the filter of Philippians 4:8, and see what may need some changing.  I believe for too long we have slowly allowed the enemy to take control of our minds.  I know when I am conscientiously aware I am amazed by the oh so subtle and subtle ways the enemy uses to take me away from who God made me to be.  If you take this challenge, please let me know, what if any changes God challenges you to make in your life.  I would love to pray for you and with you.  God Bless

  

Wake Up Call

There are certain things that happen in life, that come along, that are wake up calls.  One of those came yesterday, and it didn't happen to me directly, but happen to a friend, a co-worker of mine.  I knew that things had gotten tight at work, that we needed to watch what we spend.  But even knowing this, what happened yesterday took me totally by surprised.  I wasn't even in the office when it happened, I was out doing an event for my "Business", I was what I like to call "working my business" when it happened.  That is when they let my friend go at work.  No warning, just thank you for your time, you may take the rest of the day off.  She called my right after it happened.  At that time, I didn't know how bad things were at work, I didn't know if I would have a job when I went back. 
And then I started thinking, is this what I want?  Do I want to continuing working a "JOB" where every day could be my last day? Where I make what someone else has determined that I am worth or what the office can afford?  Do I want to work the hours that someone else has prescribed to me?  Work the days someone else tells me to?
 The answer was an overwhelming NO!!!!  This is not what I want.  For although, I still have that JOB today, who knows about Monday, next week, next month. 
Back to "working my business" I know I said that I was out "working my business" but I had to stop and think, was I really?  Do I actually go out with intention, when I attend different events for my business?  Or do I go out and what ever happens, happens, I will just wait and see?  I know the answer.
 If I was fully committed to my business, working it with intention, single focus, with my eye on the prize then I would be much further along then I am now.
So today, I will refocus on what I want, where I am going and how I am going to get there.  I will work with intention, knowing before each phone call, each meeting, each email, each time I step out of the house or get one the computer, what is it that I want to accomplish.  What is the purpose for this activity?  And then I will complete the task with that purpose in mind, knowing that the end result will be exactly what I purposed it to be.
I will pray each day, before the day begins, asking God for what He wants me to do that day, and then seeking His guidance on how to accomplish what it is that He has set before me.  I will pray before, during and after each activity.  And above all, I will praise God for everything that happens.  I will learn from things that did not go the way that was intended.  I will share with my team, and accountability partners all that happens, knowing that I need to surround myself with like minded people and help others to do the same.
 I will support others, always be gracious with people, follow through with promises, always remember that people are more important than gaining a sell, or new recruit.  I will work my business with integrity, knowing that who I am, is more important than what I do or what I sell.
Today I will begin this process, today I will do whatever it takes to be the person that God has called me to be, and to help others do the same.  The time is now for I am not guaranteed tomorrow.
I make this commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends and to you and ask for you to hold me accountable for everything I have written and committed too.
God Bless