Down with Holiday Stress!

The holidays can be a very stressful time for many. It's because of the whirlwind of decorations and entertainment that come along with it. The pressure of what to buy adds to what is already a harried month. I admire a friend who opts out of buying gifts for family and instead cares for others in that space. She donates her resources both in time and money, and instead chooses to receive the intangible gift that comes from giving to a complete stranger in need.

Look around you for a moment. Perhaps you're reading this in the comfort of your home or your job. Both are a blessed place even if it's not the ideal place you had in mind. When you begin to look at life from that perspective, the appreciation levels rise and so does your happiness. Discontentment grows from lack of appreciation for what is yours, right now. Arriving does not mean the accumulation of stuff. Reality is that you will never arrive. The wonderful thing about life is that it is a constant journey that brings new adventures and adversities.

I had the privilege one time of sitting in a workshop that was about adversities and walked away with a new perspective. (Self-education is such a good and necessary thing.) I have a habit of bringing God into my stuff, so of course it became the topic of conversation. My aha moment was when I realized that adversity, big or small, can be a propelling point and opportunity, and not just something that is negative.

Here is what clicked in the brain. Adversity pushes you into opportunity. There is always a solution. It may not be one you like, but when you push through, it gets you to a better place.

So how does this apply to holiday stress? Stress is an adversity. Find a solution not just to lower it, eliminate it. This will require effort and nobody likes effort. As a matter of fact, no one likes a lot of effort. We have become a 'let's make it easy and convenient' society and have created lots of lazy people who are frustrated, unfulfilled and living a sub-standard life instead of extraordinary.

Are you willing to invest in you to make a better place within your circle of influence? It's easy to walk away or ignore. I say let's be different and make a positive, ripple-effect in our world.

Watch out stress - you are going down! Well...at least we're going to give it our best effort.

Hint: If you plan carefully, you can eliminate the holidays stress and blues! If you didn’t do enough planning this year – lesson learned – start earlier, lots earlier, next year

The Won Factor

One of the first things I learned when I was in Israel was that the word ‘coincidence’ does not exist in the Hebrew language. It is easy to accept when the stuff that happens is a blessing or something that is good. The feeling changes when it is a tragedy, an illness or anything bad.

I’ve had moments of two-year old tantrums where I asked God, no straight out screamed at God, why He has let certain things happen. The reason is because I felt like I was his favorite, privileged and should not be subject to go through anything bad. I am different. I am His girl and under His protection. Nothing bad is supposed to happen to me.

Judean Desert

The shock of the reality and consequences of living in a broken world makes me angry at God sometimes because it means I have to fight once again and I’d rather He fight all alone on my behalf. (Sounds selfish huh?) It’s not long after I have kicked and screamed that I realize that I need to put my big pants on and fight like a girl…okay a big girl. What that means to me and should mean to you is that we’ve already been taught how to fight and because we’re God’s daughters, we have the backing to win.

The sacrifice of Jesus ushered in the ‘won’ factor. Notice that is past tense. What most of us miss during a battle is the fact that we are fighting from the stance or should fight from the stance of knowing that we will win. You cannot lose. I cannot lose. We have the backing of the God of the universe. It does not matter what the circumstance is, we’ve won.

Perhaps you cannot accept that you have won at the present time because you are so clouded with the negative of your situation. That is actually a normal human response. However, we are not to fight from a human perspective. We are to fight from our spirit 'know'.

If you refuse to believe what the bible says, you will lose. It is as simple as that. The biggest hindrance to a believer is unbelief. The partnership and covenant between you and God comes at a standstill because both parties have to be in mutual agreement for the same purpose.

Fear drives, fuels and maintains unbelief. Belief is a choice. Either you believe the whole God package or you don’t. When YOU choose to believe a past experience of failure, you tie the hands of God because he cannot operate in unbelief. When you choose to believe what God says despite of what the situation brings, the won factor is activated and has to come to pass.

You have the won factor…believe.

              In memory of my sweet Marian Gavish. Until we meet again. I know it was not
              a coincidence that you were my guide in your beautiful country. 

Romans 8:31-39 We are more than conquerors.

Sisterhood Connection

It’s very apparent that there is strength within relationships. There is a unified front with a common purpose, especially with a band of women. It is a beautiful and a dangerous thing. Some people call it sisterhood. I don’t think that there is a clear understanding of the word sister. The word automatically brings most to the comfort and security of family. Trust spills into that space. Love surrounds and is handed off as a great, glass of cold water for a thirst that can never be quenched.

Relationships don’t allow for continual sadness or the stronghold of depression. Instead, it encourages healing and challenges for the looking forward to. The bonds keep us accountable, one to the other, and that provides a sense of significance. The encouragements propel us to begin to walk in our gifting – to display our talents that we long to share because they provide deep fulfillment. The laughter makes our souls dance within, with the knowledge that there’s more to come… yes…more to come.

Perhaps I am sentimental at heart because the value of friendship – of sisterhood, has no price tag. When I think of my sisters within my home front, I cannot help but smile when I remember the endless conversations through the all in going. I find comfort in family. They are my refuge; a place of safety.

To have all those qualities within the extension of friendship is what I’ve been designed for. No one has been created to be alone. Isolation has always been one of the greatest ploys used to break the spirit but it was never meant to be for any of us.

As connections continue to happen, I believe that God smiles because that was His plan all along. There’s unity in the power of us. There’s protection in the chords that intertwine and keep us in each other’s lives over the years. We are prayed for, loved, appreciated and cherished, even when we are not present. We’re thought of with memories that cannot be erased throughout a life time. We are missed when there is the distance of time or space.

Why do so many of us feel alone then. Perhaps it’s time to become purposeful in our relationships. It’s time to send that text, email or pick up the phone. It’s time to take the drive or make that date. Fill yourself with the anticipation of that connection. Smile. Know that you are never alone.

Inspired by Yvette, Bea, Jo, Lynn, Crystal and Shari.

Fear is a Liar!

Fear can take many shapes and forms.

For example, it may look like a guardian who protects your heart when it actually shuts you in and everyone else out.

Fear will lie to you every time. It will state that you have an iron heart when in reality it has numbed you to all possibilities, both towards your present and future.

Fear will manifest through defensive attitude. It will hide the real reason for your sadness, anger, resentment, bitterness, loneliness, etc.

Unlike the good fear, hurtful and false fear leaves no room for reason nor will it allow you to be sensitive.

The beauty of sensitivity is that it forces you to feel. A soul-ache is an indication that something is out of sync and needs to be fixed. You can’t heal if you refuse to feel.

~ Excerpt from: Stop Ignoring Me...The Cry of My Heart (COMING SOON!)

Say What You See

Speak to those things that are not as if they were. 

Christians get hung up on that verse because they think it's lying or setting themselves up for failure. 

If you can't see with your mind's eye where you're heading, your living is in existence mode. Saying what you see in your mind's eye to yourself is a reminder of where you're heading. It's your destination. It doesn't matter if you're not there right now. It's your declaration of where you're going and what you want to see happen in your life.